Humility and affliction: Two words that often evoke within us intense fear and anxiety. We are formed by a kind of pathological self-love. The fathers understood our focus upon worldly things as a need to create a sense of security and identity. We desperately want to protect ourselves from hardship and from pain and so we surround ourselves as much as we can to distract ourselves from the reality of death or the presence of suffering in our lives and in the world.

 

It is not only external realities the drive us to this but also vainglory. In some sense our desperate need to protect our dignity and self-esteem can be greater than our bodily desires. We will fight desperately to keep ourselves from the experience of humiliation or to hold on to a position of emotional power in relationships. However, in all these things, we sacrifice true freedom, joy, and peace. For when we embrace our identity in Christ as sons and daughters of God, when we let go of our attachment to the things of this world, then we begin to experience a kind of invincible freedom and joy.

 

He who belongs to Christ has all; and whatever he loses within this world for the sake of Christ will be returned a hundredfold. What the fathers are trying to teach us is that while we suffer within this world we never suffer alone or in isolation. Our communion with Christ means that he is always present to us and that the crosses we bear only draw closer to him. The love of the kingdom is cruciform. Thus, to allow ourselves to be broken and poured out is to manifest that love in its perfection

 

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Text of chat during the group:

 

00:08:55 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 115, "F"

 

00:10:08 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Good evening everyone

 

00:11:53 Jessica Michel: Hello Father Charbel. Good Morning

 

01:10:05 Forrest Cavalier: I have read to 74 of “To Love Fasting” the point is very clear that gradually accepting discipline makes it easier to accept harder discipline. This can take years.

 

01:10:05 Lorraine Green: Thank you Father!

 

01:10:23 Forrest Cavalier: I meant page 74

 

01:14:40 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You

 

01:15:10 Susanna Joy: Thank you, Father Charbel.

 

01:15:20 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂

 

01:15:27 Erick Chastain: thank you father charbel

 

01:15:27 Jessica Michel: Thank you

 

01:15:31 Cameron Jackson: Thank you.

 

01:15:33 Troy Amaro: Thank You Father.