Saint Isaac of Syria and the Responsibility of Each for All
While it may not seem a purely spiritual practice, I’ve made a habit of re-reading Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov every summer for the past 15 years. Early on, I wasn’t sure why this novel held so much power for me; I only knew that it did. It wasn’t until I got some four years into […]
Saint Isaac the Syrian
Isaac was born in Nineveh and in his youth lived an ascetical life in the Monastery of Mar [Saint] Matthew in the proximity of Nineveh. When Isaac became known because of the sanctity of his life and of his many miracles, he was elected bishop of Nineveh and was forced to accept that rank. But, […]
Saint Isaac the Syrian: On the proper way to face sorrows
Just as the eyebrows approach each other, so are the temptations close to men. It was the economy of God to be so, with wisdom that we may receive benefit: namely, through knocking persistently, because of the sorrows, on the door of God’s mercy and to enter into your mind, due to the fear of […]