The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis IV, Part III

Philokalia Ministries

We take up this evening a new hypothesis (VI) dealing with the ownership of property. At the heart of it, however, is the temptation to avarice and the impact that it has upon the spiritual life and upon our commitments to God and others.

The monks relinquishment of property, their embrace of a life of poverty and simplicity, highlights for us the subtle temptations that are involved in our attachment to the things of the world. Where lust and gluttony perhaps fail to satisfy - avarice often step in to test us. It can become something insatiable. The more we amass the more we desire.

Our attachment to things can begin on a very small level. Yet unchecked, it can affect the way that we enter into our relationship with God. We slowly begin to seek our security and identity in things. This, in turn, can make us ever so vulnerable to the demons attack against our commitments. The possession of things can make it seem more plausible to change and alter our life; to pursue another path of salvation, for ourselves, that does not require hardship or that offers more satisfaction. It gives room for our internal instability to drive us away from what challenges us internally to overcome the ego. What begins with a small attachment eventually can develop to the point where a demon tells us that “if stay where we are we the place our salvation in jeopardy. It is better to take what we have, and to create something better in our own judgment.” In this, we often place our own judgment above God’s. It creates an atmosphere of infidelity and strips us of long-suffering.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:11:21 FrDavid Abernethy: page 64 00:23:46 Eric Ewanco: 2nd maccabees 00:28:24 Eric Ewanco: Replying to "2nd maccabees" 12:39-45 00:41:56 Michael Hinckley: I know I’m that way about books. Desire for more 00:42:38 Eric Ewanco: Reacted to "I know I’m that way ..." with ❤️ 00:48:28 Eric Ewanco: Replying to "I know I’m that way ..." There is a Japanese term, "tsundoku" (積ん読). This word describes the habit of acquiring books and letting them pile up, without reading them. 00:52:21 John I.: Replying to "I know I’m that way ..." I used to think that reading a lot of good Catholic books would make me very virtuous.... 00:54:39 Eric Ewanco: I can see those worries about the future being very real 00:56:33 Lori Hatala: I have always feared thinking "I deserve". I probably would not like getting what I deserve. 00:57:13 Kate : As an aside, we have a daughter who is a Carmelite nun. When she received the holy habit, all of her hair was cut off. We were given this hair to keep as a momento. She had a beautiful head of hair, but she gave it up with great joy. And now, I think there is more beauty in her Carmelite veil and all it signifies than in her hair. 00:57:21 Tracey Fredman: There's an emotional type of attachment to un-needful things - why is that? Not necessarily security - things like … I don't know, teacups - are hard to part with for some people. I'm very much aware of this in myself and I trying to declutter - it's really hard. 00:58:34 Vanessa: Reacted to "As an aside, we have..." with ❤️ 00:58:51 Jacqulyn: Reacted to As an aside, we have... with "❤️" 01:00:42 Eric Ewanco: There is a tradition, I think in the Romanian churches maybe, at the wedding of the priest saying "You are now each other's crosses" 01:27:51 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you,🙂 sorry I was late. I'm in the UK and forgot about daylight saving time. 01:28:32 Andrew Adams: Thank you Father! 01:28:38 Sophia: 🙏 01:28:45 Kenneth: thank you Father