09/06/2026
From the Love of Beauty/the Good (Philokalia)
A revered collection of sayings notably on the prayer of the heart. We cannot give what we do not have. These writings came from those who lived not by knowledge alone but by experience. When you make your body do hard things it demands better fuel. We know what that means when attending a gym, but what does that mean in the Orthodox Faith? When we push not just the body but the mind and the spirit to break with feasting upon earlthy cares and passions.. when we know our deep heart desires the deep of God for we are made in His image and likeness. Where do we turn for such an inherent and inner thirst? Many are turning to the embodied faith with her sacraments... Confession, Communion, Unction. Before all of that of course would be baptism, chrismation... St Paisios of Athos likens some of this to taking care of what we have received, not arriving at a finish line but now in relationship with God and needing to give what it calls for: The Holy Paisios notes:
If we don’t remove the rust from our spiritual cables, we will constantly be short-circuited, full of worldly theories, doubts and questions. Then we cease to theologize, being found in a condition of worldliness, but will speak historically, or examine things legally and mathematically. Namely, we will examine how many nails were used to crucify Christ and how many soldiers were present when He was crucified without proceeding to the essence of things: that Christ was crucified for our own sins, in order to redeem us, and suffered more than all of the Holy Martyrs put together. Although He helped the Martyrs with His divine power, He did not employ His divine power for Himself at all and suffered terrible pains out of love, having His two hands and His two legs pierced with nails. Whether they crucified His two legs with one or two nails has no importance, inasmuch as both were nailed and He suffered the pain and drank the vinegar, that He might sweeten us again in Paradise, eternally close to Him, as our Loving Father.
He continues:
Kindness softens and opens up the heart, as oil opens a rusty lock.
Those who come close to people in pain, naturally draw near to God, because God is always by the side of His children who are in pain.
God spiritually strengthens His children who have philotimo, who help their fellow men carry their crosses, and He relieves them from their own crosses (trials).
While Paisios may not be in the great Philokalia (simply because it is a historical collection in some regions that has not continued to be added to and in some like Romania it has many more volumes) we know he is a Philokalic enlightened Father who set himself aside for the world. One who stacked the plates and indeed helped those who only could lift the bar.
Happy reading.
- Fr. Jonathan
