Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Pentecost Retreat - Session Three
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Pentecost Retreat - Session Three
The Fire That Remains
Life in the Spirit After the Collapse of the Religious Self
Week III — When Prayer Begins to Live Itself
The Emergence of the Heart in the Life of the Spirit
⸻
Opening Invocation
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth,
Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life,
Come and dwell in us,
Cleanse us from every impurity,
And save our souls, O Good One.
⸻
I. After Endurance — Something Begins That You Did Not Initiate
There comes a point
after long endurance
after remaining without clarity after refusing to rebuild
when something begins.
Not suddenly. Not dramatically.
But unmistakably.
And the first thing you realize is this: It is not coming from you.
You did not produce it.
1
You did not initiate it. You cannot sustain it.
It appears. Quietly.
Like water beneath the surface beginning to move.
This is the beginning
of prayer that is no longer merely your effort.
But something alive.
⸻
II. The Shift From Doing to Being Drawn
Up until now, prayer has largely been something you have done.
Even when it was poor.
Even when it was dry.
Even when it was stripped of feeling.
You remained. You turned. You endured.
But now something shifts.
You begin to sense that prayer is no longer something you initiate.
You are being drawn into it.
There is a movement within.
Gentle. Persistent.
Not forcing.
Not demanding.
2
But calling.
And if you are attentive you will notice:
You are not holding prayer.
Prayer is beginning to hold you.
“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)
Even the simplest turning of the heart is not your own.
It is given.
⸻
III. The Warming of the Heart
There may come a warmth.
But it is not like the warmth you knew before. It is not emotional.
It is not something you generate.
It is subtle.
Steady.
Quiet.
A sense of life within the heart.
A softening.
A gathering.
Where before the heart was scattered pulled in many directions
restless
3
now it begins to collect.
To come together.
To become one.
“Humility collects the soul.” — St. Isaac the Syrian And with this gathering
comes a new kind of attention. Not forced.
Not strained.
But natural.
As though the heart has found its place.
⸻
IV. The Prayer That Continues Beneath the Surface
You begin to notice something else.
Prayer does not end when you stop speaking.
It continues.
Beneath thought. Beneath activity. Beneath distraction.
There is a quiet remembrance. A presence.
A turning toward God
that does not require constant effort.
And this can be confusing at first.
4
Because you are used to measuring prayer by what you do.
By words. By attention. By duration.
But now prayer is no longer confined to those moments.
It begins to permeate.
To underlie.
To become something like breath.
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Not as a command to strive.
But as a description
of something that begins to happen.
⸻
V. The Guarding of the Heart
But this is fragile.
Very fragile.
Because the old patterns are not gone.
The mind still wanders.
The ego still seeks to reassert itself. The world still presses in.
And so a new kind of vigilance is needed. Not harsh.
Not anxious.
5
But attentive.
You begin to guard the heart not out of fear
but out of love.
You begin to notice:
What disturbs this quiet?
What scatters the heart again?
What pulls attention outward in a way that dissipates this life?
And slowly
without rigidity
you begin to choose differently.
Not because you must.
But because you do not want to lose this.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
This is the beginning of watchfulness.
⸻
VI. The Subtle Temptation to Possess Grace
And here again a danger arises.
Very subtle.
You begin to recognize what is happening. You begin to value it.
You begin to desire its continuation.
And without realizing it
you begin to try to preserve it.
6
To hold onto it.
To repeat it.
To secure it.
And in doing so you begin to lose it.
Because grace cannot be possessed. It can only be received.
And received again.
And again.
The moment you try to make it yours it withdraws.
Not as punishment.
But because its nature is gift.
⸻
VII. The Deepening of Humility
If you remain faithful here something deepens.
Not dramatically.
But steadily.
A humility that is no longer forced. No longer constructed.
No longer spoken about.
7
It simply is.
You begin to know not as an idea
but as a reality:
That everything is given.
That you cannot produce even the smallest movement toward God.
That without Him
you return immediately to dispersion.
And this does not lead to despair.
It leads to gratitude.
And a kind of quiet reverence.
“Keep thy mind in hell and despair not.” — St. Silouan the Athonite You see your poverty.
And yet you are not crushed by it.
Because something else is present.
⸻
VIII. The Emergence of the Heart as Person There is a further shift.
Difficult to describe.
But unmistakable.
You begin to exist
not as a collection of thoughts or reactions
or roles
but as a presence.
8
A person.
Not defined by activity.
Not defined by identity.
But simply present before God.
And this presence begins to extend.
Into your interactions. Into your speech. Into your silence.
You become less reactive. Less driven.
More able to be with others without needing to assert yourself.
This is not something you achieve. It is something that emerges.
As the heart becomes unified. ⸻
IX. The Quiet Joy That Has No Object
And there may come a joy.
But it is unlike the joys you have known. It is not tied to circumstances.
Not dependent on outcomes.
Not even dependent on consolation.
It is quiet.
9
Almost hidden.
A sense of rightness.
Of being where you are meant to be. Even if outwardly nothing has changed. Even if difficulties remain.
Even if suffering continues.
This joy does not remove suffering.
It coexists with it.
And transforms it from within.
⸻
X. Closing Exhortation
Do not grasp at this.
Do not analyze it.
Do not try to secure it.
Remain as you have been taught:
Poor. Attentive. Open.
Receive what is given.
Let it come. Let it go. Let it return.
Do not make it into something.
10
Do not make it into yourself.
Because what is being formed here is not an experience.
It is a heart.
Alive in the Spirit. ⸻
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Thou who hast kindled the fire of Thy Spirit in our hearts, grant that we may not extinguish it
through our grasping and our fear.
Teach us to receive what Thou givest.
To remain
where Thou placest us.
And to become
what Thou art forming within us.
That our hearts may live in Thee and Thou in us.
Amen.
11
View all episodes
By Father David Abernethy
4.8
8686 ratings
The Fire That Remains
Life in the Spirit After the Collapse of the Religious Self
Week III — When Prayer Begins to Live Itself
The Emergence of the Heart in the Life of the Spirit
⸻
Opening Invocation
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth,
Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life,
Come and dwell in us,
Cleanse us from every impurity,
And save our souls, O Good One.
⸻
I. After Endurance — Something Begins That You Did Not Initiate
There comes a point
after long endurance
after remaining without clarity after refusing to rebuild
when something begins.
Not suddenly. Not dramatically.
But unmistakably.
And the first thing you realize is this: It is not coming from you.
You did not produce it.
1
You did not initiate it. You cannot sustain it.
It appears. Quietly.
Like water beneath the surface beginning to move.
This is the beginning
of prayer that is no longer merely your effort.
But something alive.
⸻
II. The Shift From Doing to Being Drawn
Up until now, prayer has largely been something you have done.
Even when it was poor.
Even when it was dry.
Even when it was stripped of feeling.
You remained. You turned. You endured.
But now something shifts.
You begin to sense that prayer is no longer something you initiate.
You are being drawn into it.
There is a movement within.
Gentle. Persistent.
Not forcing.
Not demanding.
2
But calling.
And if you are attentive you will notice:
You are not holding prayer.
Prayer is beginning to hold you.
“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)
Even the simplest turning of the heart is not your own.
It is given.
⸻
III. The Warming of the Heart
There may come a warmth.
But it is not like the warmth you knew before. It is not emotional.
It is not something you generate.
It is subtle.
Steady.
Quiet.
A sense of life within the heart.
A softening.
A gathering.
Where before the heart was scattered pulled in many directions
restless
3
now it begins to collect.
To come together.
To become one.
“Humility collects the soul.” — St. Isaac the Syrian And with this gathering
comes a new kind of attention. Not forced.
Not strained.
But natural.
As though the heart has found its place.
⸻
IV. The Prayer That Continues Beneath the Surface
You begin to notice something else.
Prayer does not end when you stop speaking.
It continues.
Beneath thought. Beneath activity. Beneath distraction.
There is a quiet remembrance. A presence.
A turning toward God
that does not require constant effort.
And this can be confusing at first.
4
Because you are used to measuring prayer by what you do.
By words. By attention. By duration.
But now prayer is no longer confined to those moments.
It begins to permeate.
To underlie.
To become something like breath.
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Not as a command to strive.
But as a description
of something that begins to happen.
⸻
V. The Guarding of the Heart
But this is fragile.
Very fragile.
Because the old patterns are not gone.
The mind still wanders.
The ego still seeks to reassert itself. The world still presses in.
And so a new kind of vigilance is needed. Not harsh.
Not anxious.
5
But attentive.
You begin to guard the heart not out of fear
but out of love.
You begin to notice:
What disturbs this quiet?
What scatters the heart again?
What pulls attention outward in a way that dissipates this life?
And slowly
without rigidity
you begin to choose differently.
Not because you must.
But because you do not want to lose this.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
This is the beginning of watchfulness.
⸻
VI. The Subtle Temptation to Possess Grace
And here again a danger arises.
Very subtle.
You begin to recognize what is happening. You begin to value it.
You begin to desire its continuation.
And without realizing it
you begin to try to preserve it.
6
To hold onto it.
To repeat it.
To secure it.
And in doing so you begin to lose it.
Because grace cannot be possessed. It can only be received.
And received again.
And again.
The moment you try to make it yours it withdraws.
Not as punishment.
But because its nature is gift.
⸻
VII. The Deepening of Humility
If you remain faithful here something deepens.
Not dramatically.
But steadily.
A humility that is no longer forced. No longer constructed.
No longer spoken about.
7
It simply is.
You begin to know not as an idea
but as a reality:
That everything is given.
That you cannot produce even the smallest movement toward God.
That without Him
you return immediately to dispersion.
And this does not lead to despair.
It leads to gratitude.
And a kind of quiet reverence.
“Keep thy mind in hell and despair not.” — St. Silouan the Athonite You see your poverty.
And yet you are not crushed by it.
Because something else is present.
⸻
VIII. The Emergence of the Heart as Person There is a further shift.
Difficult to describe.
But unmistakable.
You begin to exist
not as a collection of thoughts or reactions
or roles
but as a presence.
8
A person.
Not defined by activity.
Not defined by identity.
But simply present before God.
And this presence begins to extend.
Into your interactions. Into your speech. Into your silence.
You become less reactive. Less driven.
More able to be with others without needing to assert yourself.
This is not something you achieve. It is something that emerges.
As the heart becomes unified. ⸻
IX. The Quiet Joy That Has No Object
And there may come a joy.
But it is unlike the joys you have known. It is not tied to circumstances.
Not dependent on outcomes.
Not even dependent on consolation.
It is quiet.
9
Almost hidden.
A sense of rightness.
Of being where you are meant to be. Even if outwardly nothing has changed. Even if difficulties remain.
Even if suffering continues.
This joy does not remove suffering.
It coexists with it.
And transforms it from within.
⸻
X. Closing Exhortation
Do not grasp at this.
Do not analyze it.
Do not try to secure it.
Remain as you have been taught:
Poor. Attentive. Open.
Receive what is given.
Let it come. Let it go. Let it return.
Do not make it into something.
10
Do not make it into yourself.
Because what is being formed here is not an experience.
It is a heart.
Alive in the Spirit. ⸻
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Thou who hast kindled the fire of Thy Spirit in our hearts, grant that we may not extinguish it
through our grasping and our fear.
Teach us to receive what Thou givest.
To remain
where Thou placest us.
And to become
what Thou art forming within us.
That our hearts may live in Thee and Thou in us.
Amen.
11
More shows like Philokalia Ministries
View all
Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons - Catholic Preaching and Homilies
5,015 Listeners
The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
5,743 Listeners
Dr Taylor Marshall Podcast
4,042 Listeners
Pints With Aquinas
6,792 Listeners
The Symbolic World
867 Listeners
Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World
2,948 Listeners
The Whole Counsel of God
575 Listeners
Godsplaining
1,283 Listeners
The Lord of Spirits
1,489 Listeners
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
62,395 Listeners
Unlimited Hangout with Whitney Webb
1,263 Listeners
Catholic Saints
1,212 Listeners
Catholic Bible Study
787 Listeners
The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
11,446 Listeners
Candace
11,184 Listeners