# The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XV, Part IV

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/philokalia-ministries-1083501/the-ascetical-homilies-of-st-isaac-the-syrian-homily-xv-part-iv
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/philokalia-ministries-1083501/the-ascetical-homilies-of-st-isaac-the-syrian-homily-xv-part-iv.md
Podcast: [Philokalia Ministries](https://stenobird.com/podcast/philokalia-ministries-1083501)
Published: 2026-06-19T18:32:01+00:00
Episode link: https://philokalia.podbean.com/e/the-ascetical-homilies-of-st-isaac-the-syrian-homily-xv-part-iv/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/78kvqi39m5gdjbj8/E63_20260617Isaac_FINAL.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3581

## Resource

There are passages in St. Isaac that seem less like theology and more like glimpses through an opened door into the Kingdom. These words are among them. He speaks of a table around which those who fast, keep vigil, and labor in the Lord gather. Yet he is not describing merely an ascetical fellowship or a pious community of like-minded people. Something infinitely greater is taking place. The Beloved Himself reclines in their midst. The angels overshadow them. The bitterness of their struggles is transformed into ineffable sweetness. Earth and Heaven become one. How impoverished our understanding of communion often is. We think of fellowship as friendship, conversation, common interests, or shared projects. St. Isaac speaks of something far more profound. Communion arises when hearts are turned together toward God. It is born of a shared hunger. It comes into being when men and women desire the Lord above all things and seek Him with simplicity of heart. Such souls begin, as it were, to breathe the same air. The desert fathers understood this deeply. The bond between them was not built primarily upon personality or affinity. They recognized in one another a common thirst for God. Their love arose from seeing another soul struggling toward the same Kingdom, carrying the same burden, shedding the same tears, and longing for the same Face. This is why the company of the saints becomes so sweet. One can sit in silence with such souls and experience a communion deeper than many conversations. One can eat their frugal bread and feel nourished. One can hear a few simple words from their lips and depart inwardly changed. Their very presence becomes sacramental because their hearts have become places of divine habitation. Indeed, St. Isaac dares to say that their table is sweete…

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## Transcript

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