Watchfulness and guarding as struggle - jihad -in Isaac

8/10/2019 Watchfulness and guarding as struggle - jihad -in Isaac

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Watchfulness and guarding

as a kind of struggle in

Isaac the Syrian

John DAlton, Monash University


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they walled themselves up in the

desert as in an impregnable tower


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Roman forts


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Procopius

For a land which is altogether bare and

unproductive separates the Roman and the Persian

territory for a great distance, and this contains

nothing worth fighting for. Both of them, however,have built forts carelessly of unbaked brick in the

desert which chances to lie nearest to the land which

they inhabit; these forts never suffered attack from

their neighbours, for both peoples lived therewithout enmity, since they possessed nothing which

their adversaries might desire.


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Isaac of

Nineveh Born in Beth Qatraye

early-mid 7thcentury.

dies c. 700.

Lives as monk in BethHuzaye >25 years

Writes late 7th

century in thecontext of Islamic

empire


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Watchfulness / Guarding

The soul which is purified by the thought of

God in watchful vigil night and day is good

earth which makes its Lord rejoice by yielding

a hundredfold.

Jesus: Watch and pray that that you may not

enter into temptation.


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Fort of Zenobia, E. Syria


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the guarding of

the heartis themost important

thing of all.

Jesus in the

Garden ofGethsamene


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This work, and

watchfulness, refine the

mind by their fervour.

If a person should cease

as well from his outer

watchfulness (from whichcome both inner

watchfulness and

proficient work), then heis certain to be swept

away into the passions.


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signs for those who are vigilant and on their

guard, who abide in stillness, and have their

hearts set on attaining perfection.

Guarding against the passions which attack

the soul, for Satan is ever wont to mount

upon it (ie the soul) as a charioteer, and

bearing with him the thong of the passions, heinvades the wretched soul and plunges her

into the pit of confusion.


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St Melania- Angel-like


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A Monk who perseveres in the vigil with a

discerning mind will not seem clad with flesh,

for this is truly the work of the angelic estate

(in their) wakefulness of heart a soul that

labors in the practice of vigil and excels

therein will have the eyes of Cherubim.


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Guardian Angel


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the strength that

comes from guarding

oneself by day, what

help in vigilthis gives

the mind during thestill of night.

St Mary of Egypt,

desert ascetic.


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Prayer as military Vigil

Do not imagine O man, that among all the

works of the monastics there is any practice

greater than the night vigil.

Therefore I entreat you that wish to acquire a

watchfulmind in God and knowledge of the

new life: throughout your life never neglect

the disciplineof vigil.


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Therefore the order of the solitaries, even

more than the entire community of the

church, wages war against him (ie Satan) by

the struggle of prayer and vigil.

the devil smites them with violent warfare

using wicked strategems.


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Watchfulness and guarding as struggle - jihad -in Isaac

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