Philotheus of Sinai: On Sobriety

[Maria]

Philotheus of Sinai: Forty Texts On Sobriety

These texts can be found in the book:
Writings from the Philokalia: On Prayer of the Heart
Translated from the Russian by E. Kadloubovksy and G.E.H. Palmer
Faber and Faber, London, Boston, 1992 (1952 first published)

I will present a brief summary of text #1, and would I encourage everyone to take the time to present a brief summary (no more than three sentences) for each of the following texts to our benefit and salvation, for good friends try to lead each other to repentance and salvation.

Text #1 page 323

• The memory of God should be treasured in our hearts like the precious pearl mentioned in the Holy Gospel. Our life's goal should be to nurture and contemplate God always within, and never let it depart, for this steadfastness will drive demons away from us.

[Maria]

Text #2, p. 325-326

Again, I am presenting a brief summary of this longer passage:

• From the early morning watch, guard one's thoughts from any intrusion and strife so that the heart may persevere in loving God and in praying the Jesus Prayer with thanksgiving. This requires eternal vigilance with the remembrance of death ever in one's hearts. This daily practice, once established, gives birth to Faith, which leads to a true fear and awe of God, Hope, which removes cowardly remorse, and Love, through which one lovingly obeys the commands of God and ever seeks to do God's will.

Again, please feel free to present a brief summary of any of these texts in one to three sentences..
Discussion and clarification of the thoughts presented are also welcome.

[Maria]

Text #3, page 326

• Sobriety is the Christian way of life that leads to the Kingdom of God. It is achieved though:

  1. Guarding our thoughts and our heart by maintaining custody of our senses;
  2. Limiting what we eat and drink; and
  3. Silencing our lips and mind so that we can glorify God in all that we say and do.

  Through sobriety, the window of our mind is polished so that the passionate is transformed into the passionless

[Maria]

Text #4, p. 324

This text is so brief that I am going to post it in its entirety:

Where there is humility, remembrance of God with sobriety and attention,
and frequent prayer directed against enemies, there is the place of God,
or the heaven of the heart where the hosts of demons fear to enter,
since it is the dwelling place of God.

Now this is interesting: what does "frequent prayer directed against enemies" mean?
Since we are told to love our enemies and to pray for them, it seems like this passage could only refer to the demons.

May our hearts and souls truly become the dwelling place of God. Amen.

[Maria]

Text 5, p. 324

This is another small text, so I am only going to quote from the first two sentences, which contain the essence of the reading.

Nothing is more ruinous than talkativeness and more harmful than an uncontrolled tongue;
and nothing is more destructive and disorganizing to the treasure of the soul. For whatever
we succeed in building in ourselves every day is destroyed by much talking, and what
we collect together with great labor our soul dissipates again through this disease of the tongue. ...

[Maria]

Text 6, p. 324-325

The three doors leading to attentiveness are:

1. silence of the lips;
2. measured abstinence of food and drink; and
3. constant memory of death, which should become our companion and friend.

[Barbara]

These passages are all excellent.

I especially like the last !

But what to do to get chatterboxes to heed this warning - ?!
I believe such excessive talkers are ADDICTED to chatter. Thus, they go into denial when confronted.
Nonetheless I am going to present this passage to a certain such one whom I know.
It will be "forgotten" the next minute, however, as has been the fate of all salutary readings and essays I have presented.
What to do ? Is there any advice in Philotheus of Sinai about this problem ?