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The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XX: On Bodily Vigil, Part II

The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XX: On Bodily Vigil, Part II

FromPhilokalia Ministries


The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XX: On Bodily Vigil, Part II

FromPhilokalia Ministries

ratings:
Length:
67 minutes
Released:
Aug 9, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

All that was to be redeemed had also then to be assumed in the Incarnation. All that is human and all that is part of the human experience must be embraced by Christ in order that it might be healed by his grace. 
We are shown this in a very simple way in regards to one of our basic appetites as human beings - sleep. Like any other appetite, it must be ordered rightly; otherwise, it can end up stealing half of our life. Rather than being drawn into the rest of contemplation, we are often pulled into something much less helpful. Instead of engaging He who is Reality, Life and Love, we often seek to escape these things and enter into sleep or the myriad of ways that we can escape reality. 
Therefore, when it comes to prayer, we are often embattled. Sleep can come upon us quickly or we can be drawn to direct or attention to the work of our hands. The Evil One can stimulate the mind at just the right time to pull us away from the comfort and consolation of God into conversation, food, sleep, etc. We must understand that we are engaged in a spiritual battle. When the devil sees us engaging in spiritual warfare, when he sees us developing the discipline of prayer, he will immediately seek to afflicted us with temptations and fantasies the moment the prayer is finished. He will try to snatch away from us the first fruits of the soul. 
We can understand, then, why John tells us that bodily vigil leads to spiritual vigil or alertness. We need to be alert not to protect ourselves from the things of this world, but from the darkness that would enter into our hearts if we do not guard them.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:08:28 FrDavid Abernethy: page 162 para 10
 
00:09:06 angelo: Reacted to "page 162 para 10" with ?
 
00:25:49 Maureen Cunningham: did they recite the Psalms as prayer
 
00:35:46 Louise: Television induces a trance in most people.
 
00:43:26 Louise: Another feature of watching television is that we become what we contemplate.
 
00:45:25 carol nypaver: Amen!?
 
00:46:11 Anthony: Recreation,  re-creation, takes work, and I find it's easy just to watch, but it is agitating and like Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football, it's a recurrent trap around 10pm.
 
00:47:25 Eric Ewanco: This is a general question that's been percolating for a while in my mind as I've been listening to the sessions: Sometimes the desert fathers come across like salvation is so difficult to achieve that it would tempt me to despair, if I were to give it credence. Can you comment on their perspective, and also what they believed the chances of a layperson to be saved was?
 
00:47:33 Cindy Moran: I've worked in broadcast TV for 43 years. It's the last thing I pick for relaxation.
 
00:48:10 Ren Witter: Who was it who said: “I have learned a great deal from television, because, every time it is put on, I leave the room and read a book” ? ? I don’t remember, but I thought it was great at the time.
 
00:49:39 Cindy Moran: Replying to "Who was it who said:..." 
 
 Groucho Marx said this.
 
00:52:15 Bonnie's iPad (2): In fact it can be quite shocking as to how quickly this can occur.
 
00:53:01 Art: Reacted to "Who was it who said:..." with ?
 
00:53:13 John: I seem to be especially vulnerable to attacks right after Confession - including getting stuck behind a slow driver (the most annoying thing for a New Yorker... ? so I've tried to become very vigilant at that time.
 
00:55:29 Ambrose Little, OP: Reacted to "I seem to be especia..." with ?
 
00:56:27 sue and mark: I remember hearing a priest say that "a saint is not someone who never fell, they just did not make friends with the dirt"  It is not the falling but the getting back up over and over again, according to this priest.
 
00:57:12 Bonnie's iPad (2): Reacted to "I seem to be especia…" with ?
 
01:03:37 Ambrose Little, OP: Replying to "Who was it who said:..."
 
Say it in your head with his style of speaking—classic. ?
 
01:04:03 Lawrence Martone: It is hard to find a priest/confessor who really
Released:
Aug 9, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (98)

Philokalia Ministries is the fruit of 30 years spent at the feet of the Fathers of the Church. Led by Father David Abernethy, Philokalia (Philo: Love of the Kalia: Beautiful) Ministries exists to re-form hearts and minds according to the mold of the Desert Fathers through the ascetic life, the example of the early Saints, the way of stillness, prayer, and purity of heart, the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and spiritual reading. Those who are involved in Philokalia Ministries - the podcasts, videos, social media posts, spiritual direction and online groups - are exposed to writings that make up the ancient, shared spiritual heritage of East and West: The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint Augustine, the Philokalia, the Conferences of Saint John Cassian, the Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, and the Evergetinos. In addition to these, more recent authors and writings, which draw deeply from the well of the desert, are read and discussed: Lorenzo Scupoli, Saint Theophan the Recluse, anonymous writings from Mount Athos, the Cloud of Unknowing, Saint John of the Cross, Thomas a Kempis, and many more. Philokalia Ministries is offered to all, free of charge. However, there are real and immediate needs associated with it. You can support Philokalia Ministries with one-time, or recurring monthly donations, which are most appreciated. Your support truly makes this ministry possible. May Almighty God, who created you and fashioned you in His own Divine Image, restore you through His grace and make of you a true icon of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.