Talk 42: Type 2 Deception: Striving for Exalted Spiritual Feelings

This talk is a continuation of Talk 41. We live in times of weak faith and a general lack of spirituality. One of the reasons for this is that experienced spiritual guides are very few. This gives rise to a major problem with respect to the inner spiritual life, namely, difficulty in knowing whether our spiritual feelings and experiences are real. These feelings include: joy, peace, warmth, sweetness, love, calmness, zeal, boldness, power, consolation and tears. Obviously, Orthodox Christians of today need to know the difference between false and true spirituality.

In this talk, Father Kosmas explains the absolute necessity of seeking guidance from the writings of those Holy Fathers who have lived in recent times. Also, when possible, one should seek guidance from discerning spiritual fathers living in our times. All these spiritual guides  ...