September
9, 2001
"Four
Centuries on the Spiritual Life -- Part III"
St. Thalassios the Libyan
Before we get into this issue, we would like to
share with you a wonderful little poem written by an early convert of
St. Patrick of Ireland, a great monastic saint shared venerated by both
the Eastern and Western Churches. The author is St. Manchan of Offaly
and he writes lovingly -- and beautifully -- of his simple needs as a
hermit. We hope you will enjoy this as much as we did!
BEGIN: Grant me sweet Christ the grace to find
-- Son of the living God! -- A small hut in a lonesome spot To make it
my abode.
A little pool but very clear To stand beside
the place Where all men's sins are washed away By sanctifying grace.
A pleasant woodland all about To shield it
(the hut) from the wind, And make a home for singing birds Before it and
behind.
A southern aspect for the heat A stream along
its foot, A smooth green lawn with rich top soil Propitious to all
fruit.
My choice of men to live with me And pray to
God as well; Quiet men of humble mind -- Their number I shall tell.
Four files of three or three of four To give
the Psalter forth; Six to pray by the south church wall And six along
the north.
Two by two my dozen friends -- To tell the
number right -- Praying with me to move the King Who gives the sun its
light. END
For this source of this wonderful poem, see the
"Books" section after this reading. :)
Now, on to this week's "thought."
In this issue we will look at part three of our
four-part series on St. Thalassios's four "centuries" on the
spiritual life. These are only excerpts as we do not have space for the
full text. St. Thalassios the Libyan, abbot of a monastery in Libya in
the late sixth and early seventy centuries. There is little information
in his biography beyond saying that he was a contemporary and friend of
St. Maximos the Confessor (580 - 662). St. Maximos wrote his largest
work as a theological treatise addressed to St. Thalassios.
ON LOVE, SELF-CONTROL, AND LIFE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTELLECT Part III
by St. Thalassios the Libyan
-- Think good thoughts bout what is good by
nature, and think well of every man.
-- Whether we think, speak or act in a good or an
evil manner depends upon whether we cleave inwardly to virtue or to
vice.
-- An intellect dominated by the passions thinks
base thoughts; words and actions bring these thoughts into the open.
-- Shut out the senses, fight against
prepossession and, with the commandments as your weapons, destroy the
passions.
-- The forceful practice of self-control and
love, patience and stillness, will destroy the passions hidden within
us.
-- You will not find the rigors of the ascetic
life hard to bear if you do all things with measure and by rule.
-- Maintain a regular level of ascetic practice
and do not break your rule unless forced to do so.
-- Ascetic struggle -- fasting, vigils, patience,
forbearance -- produces a clear conscience.
-- He who patiently endures unsought trials
becomes humble, full of hope and spiritually mature.
-- Patient endurance is a continuous effort for
the soul; it is born of suffering freely chosen and of trials that come
unsought.
-- Perseverance in the face of adversity
dissolves evil, while unremitting patience destroys it utterly.
-- The person advancing in the spiritual life
studies three things: the commandments, doctrine, and faith in the Holy
Trinity.
-- As has been said, our passions are roused
through these three things: the memory, the body's temperament, and the
senses.
-- The intellect that has shut out the senses,
and has achieved a balance in the body's temperament, has to fight only
against its memories.
-- It is when self-control and spiritual love are
missing that the passions are roused by the senses.
-- Moderate fasting, vigils and psalmody are
natural means for achieving a balance in the body's temperament.
-- Three things upset the balance of the body's
temperament: lack of restraint in our diet, a change in the weather, and
the touch of the demonic powers.
-- Our memories can be stripped of passion
through prayer, spiritual reading, self-control and love.
-- First shut out the senses through the practice
of stillness and then fight against your memories by cultivating the
virtues.
-- The person who listens to Christ fills himself
with light; and if he imitates Christ, he reclaims himself.
-- The Lord blinds the intellect that is jealous
and resentful of its neighbor's blessings.
-- The tongue of a back-biting soul is
three-pronged: it injures the speaker, the listeners and sometimes the
person being maligned.
-- He who prays for those who offend him is
without rancor; and the unstinting giver is set free from it.
-- Control of the belly withers desire and keeps
the intellect free from lecherous thoughts.
-- An intellect in control of itself is the
temple of the Holy Spirit, but that of a glutton is like a nest of
crows.
-- A surfeit of foods breeds desire; a deficiency
sweetens even plain bread.
-- If you share secretly in the joy of someone
you envy, you will be freed from your jealousy; and you will also be
freed from your jealousy if you keep silent about the person you envy.
-- A wise intellect restrains the soul, keeps the
body in subjection, and makes the passions its servants.
-- The hypocrite, like the false prophet, is
betrayed by his words and actions.
-- Hardship and humility save the soul and free
it from all the passions.
-- A helpful word indicates an understanding
mind; a good action reveals a saint-like soul.
-- An illumined intellect brings forth words of
wisdom; a pure soul cultivates godlike thoughts.
-- The thoughts of a wise man are devoted to
wisdom; a pure soul cultivates godlike thoughts.
-- The thoughts of a wise man are devoted to
wisdom, and his words enlighten those who hear them.
-- A virtuous soul cultivates good thoughts; a
soul full of evil breeds thoughts of depravity.
-- The virtues generate good thoughts; the
commandments lead us to the virtues; the practice of the virtues depends
on our own will and resolution.
-- Self-love precedes all the passions, while
last of all comes pride.
-- The three most common forms of desire have
their origin in the passion of self-love.
-- These three forms are gluttony, self-esteem
and avarice. All other impassioned thoughts follow in their wake, though
they do not all follow each of them.
-- The thought of unchastity follows that of
gluttony; of pride, that of self-esteem. The others all follow the three
most common forms.
-- Thus thoughts of resentment, anger, rancor,
envy, listlessness and the rest all follow these three most common
forms. END
from G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and
Kallistos Ware, trans., "The Philokalia -- vol. II,"
(London: Faber and Faber, 1981), pp. 319 - 324.
SOME GOOD BOOKS FOR YOUR
CONSIDERATION
I just began reading one of the most interesting
books I've seen in a long time! It is "The Day-to-Day Life of the
Desert Fathers," by Fr. Lucian Reginald, a monk in the Abbey of
Solesmes. Fr. Reginald has been a monk for over forty years, and spent
two years in Egypt visiting the places where the Desert Fathers lived
and researching their lives. This book (257 pages!) recreates the daily
life of the ancient Desert Fathers and takes an in-depth look at their
lifestyles and daily routines. I cannot recommend this book strongly
enough as it really puts a "human face" on the lifestyles and
environment of the early Desert Fathers and Mother and gives us a unique
look at their way of life. Order a copy of "The
Day-to-Day Life of the Desert Fathers" today!
A nice, but low-priced option for reading the
Desert Fathers is "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers" in the
Cistercian Studies series. This collection is good for self-study or as
a gift. Check out "The
Sayings of the Desert Fathers" and see what you're missing!
Fr. Seraphim Rose, a convert to Orthodoxy, wrote
a superb book some twenty years ago that is still one of the best books
available on modern religious movements. Called "Orthodoxy and the
Religion of the Future," Fr. Seraphim examines various new
religious movements and compares them to the historical truths and
teachings of the Orthodoxy, relying heavily on the teachings of the
Desert Fathers and Holy Scriptures. I personally have read and reread
this book several times and is always fresh and exciting. I am now
reading it yet again and it is just as fresh to me now as it was when I
first read it some twenty years ago. Order a copy of "Orthodoxy
and the Religion of the Future" today -- you'll be glad you
did!
Another book you may find very interesting and
revealing is "Not of This World: the Life and Teaching of Father
Seraphim Rose." At over 1000 pages, this book goes into Fr.
Seraphim's life in great detail and describes his intellectual
pilgrimage through Eastern religions until he finally found his
spiritual home in Russian Orthodoxy. The book also goes into Fr.
Seraphim's teachings in great detail, but some readers may find the
final few chapters a bit too "political" for their taste.
Nonetheless, the book is a great read for anyone interested in how
Orthodoxy can appeal to the modern mind in modern-day America. To order "Not
of This World: the Life and Teaching of Father Seraphim Rose"
online, just follow the link.
Finally, Ms. Johanna Manley has produced a superb
Bible study reference work that is simply great to have at hand when
you're studying the Scriptures. Called, " The Bible and the Holy
Fathers for Orthodox: Daily Scripture Readings and Commentary for
Orthodox Christians," Manley has put together a superb collection
of writings from the Church Fathers on various scriptures so you can
have their words alongside the words of the Bible. This makes for an
excellent study source which allows one to study the Bible in the
context of the Church's teachings. Order "The
Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox: Daily Scripture Readings and
Commentary for Orthodox Christians" today!
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