February 01, 2024

The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVI: On Discernment, Part V

1 hour 6 minutes

Extraordinary and beautiful! We are currently reading Step 26 from The Ladder on discernment. As St. John begins to unpack things for us, that is, what discernment allows us to perceive about our intentions, our dispositions, how virtue and vice often get mixed together, why prayers sometimes go unanswered, and why demons often will cease their attack for a period of time - - St John also shows us the beauty and the mystery of the human person in relationship to God and as created by God.

God‘s loving care for us, when seen with the clarity of the fathers’ wisdom and experience is enough to make one weep for joy. And this joy fosters a desire for God that, if inflamed, can not only purify us of the passions but transform us in such a fashion that we are drawn into the life of the very Holy Trinity. May God grant us this desire!

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Text of chat during the group:

00:09:49 Carol Roper: St. Anne's?

00:31:05 Cindy Moran: I remember a few times the night before a huge exam I slept w the school book under my pillow LOL

00:43:18 maureencunningham: What is the time frame , if one thinks of this as a long journey or one could be discourage

00:48:24 Kate : There are some spiritual writings that take the form of a colloquy…Fr. Gaston Courtois, for example. How does this fit with the dark knowing of faith, that you mentioned? The writers seem to have such a tangible intimacy with Our Lord.

00:56:29 Susanna Joy: When the Lord Speaks to Your Heart: Daily Devotions (English and French Edition) https://a.co/d/4ZRzjVi

00:56:46 Vanessa: Replying to "When the Lord Speaks..."

Thank you:)

00:57:02 Susanna Joy: Divine Intimacy https://a.co/d/2WqoJ5e

00:57:43 Susanna Joy: The links are Amazon links to the books mentioned

01:00:46 Cindy Moran: Are the other 4 kinds of dispassion in this chapter?

01:01:18 Jacqulyn: An excerpt from Pauline Books... https://paulinestore.com/media/productattach/1/7/172412-compressed.pdf

01:02:05 Susanna Joy: Reacted to An excerpt from Paul... with "👍"

01:04:51 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "An excerpt from Paul..." with 🥰

01:06:09 Rachel: yes

01:09:24 Michael Hinckley: Leave Christ for Christ... is the Filippo Neri?

01:09:35 Michael Hinckley: that ...

01:10:04 Adam Paige: Reacted to "that ..." with 👍

01:11:58 Rachel: Our Lord was did not have passions

01:14:18 David Swiderski: I have been reviewing some courses for work on Emotional Intelligence and it is interesting some of the information on nueroplastisity. I keep thinking how this research could learn so much from the desert fathers. In nueroplasticity they often talk about the trigger leading to emotion leading to and action and reptitivity creating behavior.

01:14:50 Adam Paige: Reacted to "I have been reviewin..." with ❤️

01:20:22 Suzanne: Thank you!

01:21:57 Art: Reacted to "I have been reviewin..." with 👍

01:22:37 Suzanne: To Rachel, passions in the Roman Church are not disordered in themselves, but part of human nature. Our Lord had no disorder in His Body and Soul. But He had human nature.

01:23:06 Lorraine Green: God bless you, thank you Father

01:23:24 maureencunningham: Thank You Father Dave , My husband said thank you too.

01:23:44 Andrew Adams: Thank you Father!

01:23:45 Louise: Thanks, Fr. Abernethy!

01:23:47 Cindy Moran: Excellent session... thank you Father

01:23:52 Jeff O.: Thank you!!

01:23:53 Rachel: Thank you

01:24:01 David Swiderski: Thank you father!

01:24:08 Rachel: LOL thank you

01:24:09 Kevin Burke: Thanks you!

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By Father David Abernethy

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