PODCAST · religion
Philokalia Ministries
by Father David Abernethy
Philokalia Ministries is the fruit of 30 years spent at the feet of the Fathers of the Church. Led by Father David Abernethy, a member of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri since 1987, Philokalia (Philo: Love of the Kalia: Beautiful) Ministries exists to re-form hearts and minds according to the mold of the Desert Fathers through the ascetic life, the example of the early Saints, the way of stillness, prayer, and purity of heart, the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and spiritual reading. Those who are involved in Philokalia Ministries - the podcasts, videos, social media posts, spiritual direction and online groups - are exposed to writings that make up the ancient, shared spiritual heritage of East and West: The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint Augustine, the Philokalia, the Conferences of Saint John Cassian (a favorite of Saint Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratory), the Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, and the Evergetinos. In addition to these, more recent authors and writi
Episodes
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XX, Part II
There is a sentence here from St. Isaac that overturns almost everything we are inclined to think about asceticism: You suppose these things were ordained simply to oblige you to labor. We imagine the vigil primarily as something difficult. Sleep is surrendered. The body is constrained. Psalms…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part IV
There is something almost frightening about the stories preserved for us in the Evergetinos. They are frightening not because they portray extraordinary wickedness, but because they reveal how quietly the heart can change. The monk described by Palladios is not a beginner. He is a man of profound...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XX
There are passages in St. Isaac that can sound almost impossible to modern ears. His words on vigil are among them. “Do not imagine,” he tells us, “that among all the works of monastics there is any practice greater than night vigil.” We hear such words and immediately think of sleep deprivation,...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part III
There is something almost relentless about the teaching of the Fathers on watchfulness. They will not allow us to imagine that there comes a point in the spiritual life when vigilance is no longer necessary. Age does not free us from it. Knowledge does not free us from it. Years of prayer do not...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XIX, Part II
There is a danger in reading passages such as this one from St. Isaac and hearing primarily a warning: Do not become negligent. Do not allow yourself to grow lax. Guard your solitude. Avoid unnecessary conversation. Do not permit the mind to become scattered. Certainly Isaac is warning us. His...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part II
There is a great mercy hidden within these unsettling sayings from the Evergetinos. The Desert Fathers do not speak to us about spiritual warfare in order to make us preoccupied with the devil. They speak about it so that we might become sober, humble, and utterly dependent upon Christ. This is…
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVIII, Part II & XIX, Part I
There is a temptation in every generation to believe that the spiritual life consists primarily in learning new methods, acquiring hidden knowledge, or discovering techniques that promise quick access to God. St. Isaac the Syrian gently dismantles this illusion. When he speaks of the deeper forms...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter VIII, Part II & IX, Part I
The Fathers never speak of the spiritual life as though it were merely the acquisition of virtues or the mastery of disciplines. At its heart, it is the slow awakening of a human being who learns once again to see. The battlefield is not first the world around us but the hidden kingdom within us....
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The Name Above Every Name, Conference Four
The Name Above Every Name Conference Four Becoming Prayer When the Name Becomes Our Life “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20 Over these past conferences we have spoken of receiving the holy Name, guarding the heart, and learning to stand before God with a...
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The Name Above Every Name, Conference Three
The Name Above Every Name Conference Three The Broken Heart and the Descent into the Heart Learning to Stand Before God “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” — Psalm 51:17 There comes a moment in every authentic spiritual...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVIII, Part I
There is a temptation to read St. Isaac’s description of the ascetic life as though he were outlining a ladder by which we ascend to God through effort. Nothing could be further from his mind. The ascetical life is not an achievement but a preparation. It removes what clouds the eyes of the heart...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVII, Part III
There is a temptation when reading the closing section of Homily 17 to see it as little more than a long list of prohibitions. Do not quarrel. Do not lie. Speak little. Avoid pride. Flee idle disputes. Endure injustice. Keep away from the powerful. Be moderate. At first glance, it can seem as...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter VIII, Part I
One of the striking features of the desert tradition is the extraordinary seriousness with which the Fathers speak about the conscience. Modern readers can easily mistake conscience for little more than an inner feeling, a private moral opinion, or an emotional sense of guilt. The Fathers know...
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The Name Above Every Name, Conference Two
The Name Above Every Name Conference Two Guarding the Heart with the Name The Jesus Prayer and the Hidden Battle “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” — Proverbs 4:23 When we begin to pray the Jesus Prayer with any measure of faithfulness, we often encounter...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVII, Part II
“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” — Psalm 27:4 Few passages in St. Isaac the Syrian can be as easily misunderstood as this one. Read superficially, it can sound severe, even offensive to modern ears....
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter V, Part II, VI, and VII, Part I
The Fathers are extraordinarily subtle here because they know that the human heart is subtle. They refuse the comforting simplicity by which we divide the world into good people and bad people, good deeds and evil deeds, the righteous and the guilty. Not because such distinctions are meaningless,...
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The Name Above Every Name, Conference One
The Name Above Every Name Conference One Receiving the Name The Gift Before the Method “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” — Philippians 2:10 There is perhaps no prayer more beloved in the Christian East than the Jesus Prayer. “Lord Jesus...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVII, Part I
This passage can easily be misunderstood as a catalogue of monastic etiquette or a list of ancient customs that no longer matter. Yet St. Isaac is doing something far deeper. As we noted earlier, he is acting first as a physician of attention before he becomes a teacher of prayer. He knows that…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IV, Part II and V, Part I
The Fathers insist that the spiritual life is decided long before words are spoken or actions are taken. It is decided in the hidden conversation of the heart. Every thought arrives carrying a question: Where have I come from, and where will I lead you? Most of us are far more careful about what...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVI, Part II
The Christian life is not first the struggle to become better people, but the gradual unveiling of what we have already become through Christ. We have been fashioned to be the dwelling place of the living God. Every act of repentance, every hidden prayer, every battle against the passions, every...
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Nazareth and The Hidden Life, Session Four
Nazareth and the Hidden Life Retreat Reflection IV The Hidden Life and the Healing of Desire Epigraph “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” — St. Matthew 5:8 “Paradise is the love of God.” — Saint Isaac the Syrian ⸻ At the center of every human life there is desire. Not simply...
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Nazareth and The Hidden Life, Session Three
Nazareth and the Hidden Life Retreat Reflection III The Silence of Nazareth and the False Self Epigraph “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.” — Isaiah 42:2 “Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” — Abba Moses the Black ⸻ One of…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter III, Part II and Chapter IV, Part I
The Fathers understood something that we have almost entirely forgotten: very few souls fall suddenly. Almost every great collapse begins with something so small that it escapes notice—a hidden expectation, a wounded pride, an unspoken resentment, an interior complaint, a passing judgment, or a...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVI
One of the most striking characteristics of St. Isaac’s writings is that he never asks us to renounce the world because the world is evil. Rather, he continually places before us something infinitely more beautiful. He speaks so often of the sweetness of communion with God, the boldness of…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part VIII and III, Part I
The Fathers place before us a vision of the human person that is almost unbearable in its simplicity and demands. We do not live with others because we have learned techniques of communication or conflict resolution. We can live with others only to the degree that we fear God and have begun to…
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Nazareth and The Hidden Life, Session Two
Nazareth and the Hidden Life Retreat Reflection II Remaining in Nazareth Epigraph “And He was subject unto them.” — St. Luke 2:51 “Acquire the spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be saved.” — Saint Seraphim of Sarov ⸻ One of the most difficult words in the spiritual life is: remain....
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Nazareth and The Hidden Life, Session One
Nazareth and the Hidden Life Retreat Reflection I Nazareth and the Sanctification of the Ordinary Epigraph “And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them.” — St. Luke 2:51 “The Lord loves the humble soul that has surrendered herself to the will of God.” — Saint…
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XV, Part IV
There are passages in St. Isaac that seem less like theology and more like glimpses through an opened door into the Kingdom. These words are among them. He speaks of a table around which those who fast, keep vigil, and labor in the Lord gather. Yet he is not describing merely an ascetical...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part VIII
The Fathers speak about judgment with a severity that can seem almost excessive to us. They speak of grace withdrawing, of years of tears and repentance, of visions of Christ refusing worship to one who condemned his brother. We recoil at this language because we do not see condemnation as they…
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XV, Part III
At first reading, Isaac’s words can sound severe, even shocking. He speaks of idle speech as fornication, unhealthy attachments as adultery, and certain forms of companionship as idolatry. Yet behind these warnings lies something far deeper than moral anxiety. Isaac is not obsessed with sin. He…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part VII
The Fathers tell us again and again not to judge. We nod our heads. We agree. We repeat the commandment. And then we continue judging. The reason is simple. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:19:25 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Volume III page 27 paragraph 23 00:29:20 Julie: Sometimes I feel we have…
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XV, Part II
When we read a passage like this from St. Isaac, it is tempting to focus on the warnings. We notice his words about passions, distraction, worldliness, anger, vainglory, and talkativeness. We see the severity of his language and immediately begin examining ourselves. Yet I do not think that is...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part VI
The Desert Fathers knew something that many of us have forgotten. The greatest danger to the spiritual life is not always the obvious sins we can name. Often it is the secret satisfaction we feel when we discover the weakness of another. There is something in the fallen heart that delights in...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XV, Part I
There are moments in the writings of St. Isaac the Syrian where one realizes that what he is speaking about is not “religion” as we commonly understand it at all. He is not concerned with external religiosity, spiritual image, theological sophistication, emotional experiences, or moral…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part V
There is a fierce honesty in the Desert Fathers that can unsettle us if we read them too quickly. They never soften the reality of sin. They do not sentimentalize weakness. They do not pretend evil is harmless, nor do they collapse into the modern confusion that mercy means blindness or moral...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XIV
There are passages in the Fathers that do not merely instruct us. They unsettle us because they seem to speak from a place beyond ordinary language. This portion of St. Isaac the Syrian is one of them. He begins almost defensively, and yet with extraordinary tenderness: “I shall tell you…
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part IV
There is something almost incomprehensible in this passage from St. Anastasios and St. Maximos because it reveals just how surrounded we are by mercy while continuing to behave as though condemnation were wisdom. The Fathers do not merely tell us not to judge. They overwhelm us with reasons not…
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XII & XIII
What is striking in these homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian is not severity, though there is severity in them. Nor is it simply the exalted vision of hesychasm as the path of stillness and inner watchfulness. What pierces the heart most deeply is the tenderness hidden beneath the fierceness. Isaac...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part III
There is a fierce honesty in the fathers that modern Christians often find difficult to endure. They do not allow us the comfort of remaining spectators to the Fall. We prefer to think of Adam’s transgression as history, tragedy, doctrine, or inherited condition. But the fathers insist upon...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XI, Part II
There is something striking in the way that St. Isaac the Syrian speaks about the monastic life. He does not speak of it romantically. There is no sentimentalism in him. No fascination with externals. No praise of extraordinary feats meant to astonish the imagination. What he describes is...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter II, Part II
There is something in us that wants to make the spiritual life clear, manageable, and measurable. We fast. We give alms. We pray. We examine ourselves. And quietly, almost imperceptibly, something begins to form beneath it all: A self that stands. A self that knows. A self that can look at…
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Pentecost Retreat - Session Four
The Fire That Remains Life in the Spirit After the Collapse of the Religious Self Week IV — The Heart That Bears the World Love, Intercession, and the Hidden Life in the Spirit ⸻ Opening Invocation O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things,...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XI, Part I
There is something in this word from Isaac the Syrian that unsettles us a little. Because it speaks of a beauty that is not crafted, not projected, not explained. A beauty that simply… shines. He does not describe a monk as someone who teaches, persuades, or convinces. He speaks of a life so...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter I, Part III and II, Part I
There are sins that shock us. And there are sins we commit while feeling righteous. The Fathers place condemnation among the most dangerous of all, because it disguises itself as discernment, zeal, clarity, moral seriousness, concern for truth, or defense of virtue. It allows the soul to remain...
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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,...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily X
Many will read this homily of St. Isaac the Syrian and hear only threat. They will imagine that he is merely moralizing, merely warning, merely trying to frighten men into behaving. They will hear law where he is speaking mystery. They will hear rules where he is unveiling consecration. Isaac is...
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The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter I, Part II
The shallow reader sees only a warning against suspicion. The deeper reader trembles, because this account unveils something far more demanding: the measure of a life so united to God that it no longer moves by ordinary instinct. Most men protect reputation. Most men avoid scandal. Most men keep…
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Pentecost Retreat - Session Two
The Fire That Remains Life in the Spirit After the Collapse of the Religious Self Week II — Remaining in the Fire Without Rebuilding the Self The Spirit as the One Who Teaches Us to Endure ⸻ Opening Invocation O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all...
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The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily IX, Part II
There is a sobriety in the Fathers that cuts deeper than anything sentimental, yet within that severity there burns a tenderness that refuses to let the soul perish in despair. St Isaac does not flatter us. He does not pretend that the path of virtue is smooth or that the life in Christ removes...
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Pentecost Retreat - Session One
The Fire That Remains Life in the Spirit After the Collapse of the Religious Self Week I — The Fire That Reveals the False Life Pentecost and the Beginning of the Dismantling in the Spirit ⸻ Opening Invocation O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Philokalia Ministries is the fruit of 30 years spent at the feet of the Fathers of the Church. Led by Father David Abernethy, a member of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri since 1987, Philokalia (Philo: Love of the Kalia: Beautiful) Ministries exists to re-form hearts and minds according to the mold of the Desert Fathers through the ascetic life, the example of the early Saints, the way of stillness, prayer, and purity of heart, the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and spiritual reading. Those who are involved in Philokalia Ministries - the podcasts, videos, social media posts, spiritual direction and online groups - are exposed to writings that make up the ancient, shared spiritual heritage of East and West: The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint Augustine, the Philokalia, the Conferences of Saint John Cassian (a favorite of Saint Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratory), the Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, and the Evergetinos. In addition to these, more recent authors and writi
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How many episodes does Philokalia Ministries have?
Philokalia Ministries currently has 893 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Philokalia Ministries about?
Philokalia Ministries is the fruit of 30 years spent at the feet of the Fathers of the Church. Led by Father David Abernethy, a member of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri since 1987, Philokalia (Philo: Love of the Kalia: Beautiful) Ministries exists to re-form hearts and minds according to the mold...
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Philokalia Ministries releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 893 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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Who hosts Philokalia Ministries?
Philokalia Ministries is created and hosted by Father David Abernethy.
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