Video – Purity of Heart & Prayer – Cassian & Isaac – Advent Reflection – Fr. Patrick Hyde – 2 of 2
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Ave Maria!
Fr. Patrick Hyde, O.P. continues his Advent reflections on silence as a means for preparing for the coming of Christ, emphasizing in this talk the teachings of the early Christian mystical writers St. John Cassian and Isaac of Nineveh that we need purity of heart and purity of prayer. By learning the importance of silence in our busy lives we can receive the true spirit of Christmas, having Christ enter our hearts and transform our lives.
This is the First talk of two for the 2017 Advent Day of Reflection given Fr. Patrick Hyde O.P., "Preparing for Christ in Silence, The Role of Silence in the Church Fathers" at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington, IN.
For more talks from the day of reflection:
https://tinyurl.com/FrPatrickAirmaria
or https://tinyurl.com/FrPatrickYTube
Fr. Patrick Hyde is Associate Pastor and Campus Minister at St. Paul's Catholic Center at the Bloomington Campus of Indiana University: http://www.hoosiercatholic.org/
The day of reflection took place at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington, IN: http://www.maryschildren.com/
- CONF 397 Ave Maria!
Rough notes from the event (Time stamps are approximate):
Rough notes (Times approximate): Cassian Background Influenced by Evagrius Ponticus Egyptian, deadly sins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evagriu...
Lived 4th 5th cent, influenced St. Benedict https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ca...
books Conferences
Somewhat associated with Semipelagianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semipel...
Issac was later, 7th Century
7:00 Card Sarah quote on Isaac love silence above all things The Power of Silence by Card. Sarah: https://tinyurl.com/y9k6gs2m
Goal is purity of Heart, so that God can speak. Contemplation the true gift comes from God, but this needs purification.
Must prioritize this now or we never will. three renunciations: body, passions, visible
14:00 Conferences 9th & 10th very helpful
Obstacles are always an invitation by Christ Image of soul.
Our soul is most beautiful and delicate thing like a feather when purified. Can float to God with slightest breeze but with some dirt, impurity, even strong breeze will not lift Aspiration during prayer is God. Prayer is preparation and practice for prayer itself. Can lead to being infused with God as a gift
20:00 9th conference Necessity to have silence and be away alone
Mass is so important silence punctuated by noise
Giving thanks, silent prayer before and after communion. We can do this in our busy lives despite distractions that are inevitable we can come close to God. Silence, going into inner room even in Church. Wherever we are we can retreat into our "room" This is purity of heart and brings us close to Christ
26:00 10th conf Practical advice on prayer and silence. Sometimes words are helpful for direction. Effected St. Benedict therefore whole of West
"God come to my assistance. Lord make hast to help me." is from him
Habitual prayer, turn to God at all crisis Recall Gods generosity Prayer is unpredictable, God is too.
Summary of Cassian - Prayer is a gradual ascent, will grow more and more. Prayer must become a reliable thing in our lives. Prayer strengthened by prayer
31:00 Isaac of Nineveh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_o...
Pure and undistracted prayer, not Buddhism
Freedom from wandering thought, or more to the point what to do with wandering thoughts, good verses bad wandering.
Wandering is not alien to pure prayer, gives many insights sometimes we are lead to deeper prayer by our wandering thoughts when we recognize them. Getting rid of all wandering is "stupid". Fire of the spirit sometimes burns in unexpected directions.
35:00 Pure prayer comes from stillness, including bodily. Our prayer goal is contemplation, glimpse of heaven, gift given to few only. Prayer and silence is knocking at the door, God must open it. We must pray through our distractions. Important: Need rule in prayer, not just for monks, time set aside for prayer. Need Scripture.
Know our mind and how it wonders, stop it or incorporate it.
Need good posture in prayer
40:15 Incorporating distractions into prayer is actually progress in silence.
Self renunciation even bodily
We need to stick to a plan appropriate for our vocation, lay or religious
42:00 Conclusions
Baptism orientates us to Christ.
Silence and meditation with scripture
Practical skills and common sense plan
Reminders foster habitual silence & prayer
Distraction can be a gift to uninterrupted prayer
We are made for silence and prayer and need it Daily
We must battle for silence and prayer
45:10 Advent is a time for prayer resolutions
Meditate on Christ who has come to us in the incarnation, who wants to enter into our hearts.
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