The Evergetinos (Spiritual Reading for Lent)
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2011, 2020
If you are interested in investing in a nice set of books that will give you years of spiritual nourishment then you may be interested in the four-volume set titled, 'The Evergetinos." (Pronounced ev-er-ye-te-nos') The work has been around for centuries, yet this is a relatively new and first (2008) English translation produced by the Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies. They did a nice job with the quality of the books, which are printed in two colors, black and red, as well as gold embossed text on the covers and spine. (Hardback Edition). They originally printed the work in both hardback and paperback editions. I personally opted for the hardback set, being that this set will be used a lot and I wanted something that would last and not have the covers all bent and contorted as often happens with paperback books. Although produced by an Eastern Orthodox publisher, the text contained in these volumes is predominantly written prior to the gradual rupture between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. I believe they can be of great benefit to the more well-read and studied Catholic as well.
The title bears the name of the monastery from which it came, originally compiled by an Eastern monk named Paul sometime between the years of 1049 and 1054. The handsome four-volume set is a compilation of wisdom from the monastic fathers of the Church, predominately from the East. Some of the spiritual fathers contained in the set are Saint Basil, Saint Ephraim, Saint John Cassian, Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Makarios, Saint Pachomios, and the list goes on and on, many of them also considered to be Saints in the Catholic Church.
The CTOS website offers an overview, "One of the classic collections of Orthodox spiritual writings, the Evergetinos is a source of inspiration, spiritual guidance, and insight into the lives of men and women who, during the first few centuries of Christianity, attained to the highest ideals of the spiritual life. In the spiritual laboratory of the Egyptian deserts, these seekers after salvation, enlightenment, and union with Christ brought into sharp focus the teachings of the Apostles and the message of Holy Writ in their daily lives and activities. The stern, the loving, “fools for Christ”—all of the exemplars of Christian Sainthood, the many inhabitants of the many mansions above, are to be found in the rich and profitable lives portrayed in this collection. Also to be found are perfect models for every modern Christian who wishes sincerely to imitate those who have walked the path towards moral and spiritual perfection. This is the first English translation of this wonderful treasury of spiritual wisdom."
It must be remembered that for Catholics, this is a work that is steeped in eastern monastic spirituality and thus requires a different mindset than reading a more formal manual on spiritual theology such as Adolphe Tanquerey's 'The Spiritual Life' or Garrigou Lagrange's famous work 'The Three Ages of the Interior Life.' This work was not written in a Latin scholastic setting, so if you are looking for that type of work this is not for you. If you have ever had the pleasure of reading some books on the sayings of the Church Fathers or the Philokalia and enjoyed those types of writings then this will also be of interest to you.
Each volume generally boasts somewhere around 400 pages. This large body of work contains a treasure trove of spiritual advice compiled under spiritual subject matters each titled a "hypothesis." Each hypothesis is a statement relating to a spiritual matter such as, "As long as we are in the present life, we must do good here and not delay until the future. For after death we cannot set things aright." Then a series of writings or quotes by many monastic fathers follow to elaborate on the proposed hypothesis. For example, below is an excerpt from the great St. Ephraim the Syrian elaborating on the above-quoted hypothesis.
"Brothers and sisters, the period of time which we have at our disposal for repentance is our life on earth. Indeed, happy and blissful is he who has never once fallen into the nets of the Enemy. If, however, someone who was entangled in the nets of the Enemy has been able to break those nets and escape from the captivity of the Devil, he too should consider himself blessed; for, though we live in the flesh, in this way we are saved from the onslaught of the enemy of our souls, just as a fish escapes from the nets of the fisherman. Because, as we know, if a fish is caught and succeeds in breaking the net and dashing to the depths, he is saved as long as he is in water; but when he is dragged up in the net by the fisherman to dry land, then he can no longer help himself.
The exact same thing happens to us: that is, as long as we live in the present life, we have received from God the authority and power to break the bonds of the evil intentions of the enemy by ourselves and to cast aside, through repentance, the burden of our sins, being most assuredly brought to salvation and inheriting the Kingdom of God. However, if the fearful command of death falls upon us and the soul leaves the body, and the body is placed deep in the tomb, then we are no longer able to help ourselves, just as the fish, when it is taken out of water, after being caught by the fisherman and safely placed in his fishing basket, cannot in any way be saved."
This set will undoubtedly provide you years of reading pleasure, meditation and spiritual advice that you can apply to your life. The books can be purchased in single volumes in paperback ($33 ea), allowing you to acquire the set over time. The hardback version if it is still available, however, is only available as a 4 volume set. The books do not come cheap as a set. ($120 for the paperback set and $240 for the hardback which is no longer available on their website) I had been wanting to buy this work for a couple of years and I was happy to have finally purchased the hardback set a few years ago. You may still be able to purchase the hardback set here. Otherwise you will have to settle for the papaerbackThis set may not be for everyone, but if you are interested in the wisdom of the eastern monastics you will probably really enjoy it. It also makes for great Lenten reading.
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2011, 2020
If you are interested in investing in a nice set of books that will give you years of spiritual nourishment then you may be interested in the four-volume set titled, 'The Evergetinos." (Pronounced ev-er-ye-te-nos') The work has been around for centuries, yet this is a relatively new and first (2008) English translation produced by the Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies. They did a nice job with the quality of the books, which are printed in two colors, black and red, as well as gold embossed text on the covers and spine. (Hardback Edition). They originally printed the work in both hardback and paperback editions. I personally opted for the hardback set, being that this set will be used a lot and I wanted something that would last and not have the covers all bent and contorted as often happens with paperback books. Although produced by an Eastern Orthodox publisher, the text contained in these volumes is predominantly written prior to the gradual rupture between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. I believe they can be of great benefit to the more well-read and studied Catholic as well.
The title bears the name of the monastery from which it came, originally compiled by an Eastern monk named Paul sometime between the years of 1049 and 1054. The handsome four-volume set is a compilation of wisdom from the monastic fathers of the Church, predominately from the East. Some of the spiritual fathers contained in the set are Saint Basil, Saint Ephraim, Saint John Cassian, Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Makarios, Saint Pachomios, and the list goes on and on, many of them also considered to be Saints in the Catholic Church.
The CTOS website offers an overview, "One of the classic collections of Orthodox spiritual writings, the Evergetinos is a source of inspiration, spiritual guidance, and insight into the lives of men and women who, during the first few centuries of Christianity, attained to the highest ideals of the spiritual life. In the spiritual laboratory of the Egyptian deserts, these seekers after salvation, enlightenment, and union with Christ brought into sharp focus the teachings of the Apostles and the message of Holy Writ in their daily lives and activities. The stern, the loving, “fools for Christ”—all of the exemplars of Christian Sainthood, the many inhabitants of the many mansions above, are to be found in the rich and profitable lives portrayed in this collection. Also to be found are perfect models for every modern Christian who wishes sincerely to imitate those who have walked the path towards moral and spiritual perfection. This is the first English translation of this wonderful treasury of spiritual wisdom."
It must be remembered that for Catholics, this is a work that is steeped in eastern monastic spirituality and thus requires a different mindset than reading a more formal manual on spiritual theology such as Adolphe Tanquerey's 'The Spiritual Life' or Garrigou Lagrange's famous work 'The Three Ages of the Interior Life.' This work was not written in a Latin scholastic setting, so if you are looking for that type of work this is not for you. If you have ever had the pleasure of reading some books on the sayings of the Church Fathers or the Philokalia and enjoyed those types of writings then this will also be of interest to you.
Each volume generally boasts somewhere around 400 pages. This large body of work contains a treasure trove of spiritual advice compiled under spiritual subject matters each titled a "hypothesis." Each hypothesis is a statement relating to a spiritual matter such as, "As long as we are in the present life, we must do good here and not delay until the future. For after death we cannot set things aright." Then a series of writings or quotes by many monastic fathers follow to elaborate on the proposed hypothesis. For example, below is an excerpt from the great St. Ephraim the Syrian elaborating on the above-quoted hypothesis.
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"Brothers and sisters, the period of time which we have at our disposal for repentance is our life on earth. Indeed, happy and blissful is he who has never once fallen into the nets of the Enemy. If, however, someone who was entangled in the nets of the Enemy has been able to break those nets and escape from the captivity of the Devil, he too should consider himself blessed; for, though we live in the flesh, in this way we are saved from the onslaught of the enemy of our souls, just as a fish escapes from the nets of the fisherman. Because, as we know, if a fish is caught and succeeds in breaking the net and dashing to the depths, he is saved as long as he is in water; but when he is dragged up in the net by the fisherman to dry land, then he can no longer help himself.
The exact same thing happens to us: that is, as long as we live in the present life, we have received from God the authority and power to break the bonds of the evil intentions of the enemy by ourselves and to cast aside, through repentance, the burden of our sins, being most assuredly brought to salvation and inheriting the Kingdom of God. However, if the fearful command of death falls upon us and the soul leaves the body, and the body is placed deep in the tomb, then we are no longer able to help ourselves, just as the fish, when it is taken out of water, after being caught by the fisherman and safely placed in his fishing basket, cannot in any way be saved."
This set will undoubtedly provide you years of reading pleasure, meditation and spiritual advice that you can apply to your life. The books can be purchased in single volumes in paperback ($33 ea), allowing you to acquire the set over time. The hardback version if it is still available, however, is only available as a 4 volume set. The books do not come cheap as a set. ($120 for the paperback set and $240 for the hardback which is no longer available on their website) I had been wanting to buy this work for a couple of years and I was happy to have finally purchased the hardback set a few years ago. You may still be able to purchase the hardback set here. Otherwise you will have to settle for the papaerbackThis set may not be for everyone, but if you are interested in the wisdom of the eastern monastics you will probably really enjoy it. It also makes for great Lenten reading.
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