The Life Giving Springs

Homily - St. George

Jn 15-17-16 -  St. George

Rule for Life 5 - Fasting

“Rule for Life – Fasting” teaches that fasting and prayer are inseparable disciplines in Christian life, rooted in Christ’s teaching that certain spiritual struggles are overcome only through “prayer and fasting,” and it frames fasting not as punishment but as a therapeutic “medicine” for soul and body that exposes our weaknesses, strengthens reason, and heals the passions—especially gluttony, described by the Fathers as a “gateway” that opens the door to other sins.

 

It critiques a minimalist approach to church fasting rules, urging believers to grow gradually out of love for God beyond bare minimums, and explains that fasting includes restraint not only from certain foods but also from excess in drink, entertainment, social media, and speech. Practically, it outlines the four annual fasting seasons (Great Fast, Apostles’ Fast, Dormition Fast, Nativity Fast), several strict fast days, the traditional “ideal” fast, and three progressive levels of practice that add meal restriction, services, prayer, and charity.

 

The conclusion emphasizes that true fasting must be joined to repentance, purity, obedience, and rejection of evil, and it counsels seeking guidance from a spiritual father because “the fast is for the person, not the person for the fast.”

 

Homily - Ointment-bearing Women

Mk 15-43-47 - Ointment-bearing Women

Homily - Thomas Sunday

Jn 20-19-31 - Thomas Sunday

Homily - Pascha 2026

Homily - Palm Sunday

Jn 12-1-18 

Homily - Feast Day - Annunciation - Beatitude

Lk 1-24-38

Homily - St. Mary of Egypt

Jn 8-3-11

Homily - St. John Climacus

Mt 11-27-30 

Class - Rule for Life 4 - Questions, Podcasts and Commemoration Book

Podcast to Follow

 

The Life-Giving Springs - https://lifegivingspringspodcast.podbean.com/

The Art of Spiritual Life - https://artofspirituallife.podbean.com/

Philokalia Ministries - https://philokalia.podbean.com/

The New Kollyvades - https://kleined1014.podbean.com/

The Forgotten Way - https://theforgottenway.podbean.com/ by

 

App to Download

 

Byzantine Catholic Companion APP – (both Apple and Android) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/byzantine-catholic-companion/id6758625610

 

 

Commemoration Book - Living and Departed - https://stpaisiusgiftshop.com/new-products/commemoration-book-living-and-departed/?searchid=56249&search_query=comme 

 

Homily - Veneration of the Holy Cross

Mk 8-34-38

Class - Rule for Life 3 - On the Jesus Prayer

This class presents a practical and theological teaching on establishing a consistent Eastern Christian prayer life through intentional preparation, a daily prayer rule, and especially the use of the Jesus Prayer.

 

It explains prayer as essential spiritual warfare and communion with God, emphasizing morning and evening prayers as the framework that orders the day around God. Central to the teaching is the Jesus Prayer, described as a Gospel‑rooted, adaptable prayer for all believers—not only monastics—that can be integrated into every aspect of daily life, including work, family, illness, exhaustion, and intercession for the living and the departed and praying for our enemies. The class outlines how the Jesus Prayer is cultivated—from spoken words to attentive prayer of the mind and heart—and highlights its role in repentance, purification of thoughts, resistance to sin, and gradual transformation into the likeness of Christ.

 

Mentioned Books:

 

The Fruit of Silence (Second Edition): The Jesus Prayer as a Foundation to the Art of Spiritual Life: https://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Silence-Second-Foundation-Spiritual-ebook/dp/B0FM26816W/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29913JASL5XCD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8GpcfGtKQFpFGe6f451DTRXebgyWQR14svtzQUUvcwA.auIVTmAFaQBtEZbRt0iYvKd9ia6GJ_zfgEc6H0fRQNE&dib_tag=se&keywords=fruit+of+silence+edward&qid=1772509980&sprefix=fruit+of+silence+edward%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1

 

Eastern Christian Publications - https://ecpubs.com/ecbs-about/ 

 

Prayer Book - Let us Pray to the Lord - https://ecpubs.com/product/let-us-pray-to-the-lord-a-daily-prayer-book-volume-i/ 

 

How to Live a Holy Life - class insert - Chapters - Intro, Ch 1, and Ch 8. 

https://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/how-to-live-a-holy-life?_pos=1&_sid=9c82fb14b&_ss=r 

 

Beginning to Pray: https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Pray-Anthony-Bloom/dp/0809115093/ref=sr_1_1?crid=N9IUBC13MPX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9jJrL3id7FJyyIdLu0tLjpMdLyD0tHteHXbJWz-5-Xmi94RsdO_8F-Ug2kAq-4BYrL772h1ncA_wv87imFzjvPqW_nJ3SG99vgYueNEUz1I.j4VMZt7x3be33N59Wsb5I3R7WJeb2TiFYW9jOSqgz0U&dib_tag=se&keywords=beginning+to+pray+bloom&qid=1772510069&sprefix=beginning+to+pray+bloo%2Caps%2C360&sr=8-1

 

The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way (Shambhala Classics): https://www.amazon.com/Way-Pilgrim-Continues-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1570628076/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NSJGWPJYMIYK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.J2GAndWvETEsPEmuzcAdrbhVs9dQZM5aPfBvOssUJIJu8xC2f7ON1D6uhAkt2AKbffV6TfldVo905i8sHfmfzhU15IWqc7QsRlDv3eoW1v1NYcznliK1Kgsq59WqRztmJLEv7xrLYEMPJdoI3QBzueCGw6mZpmMhP_9dxxtikz9CcIp17i7t1JM9h611O66KnZq3U65AhxUPatuc5LHkX0uOf2RG1mWED4H9LrKYakQ.BwfnB1RmvcYkP577BY5HEyppCg7UKau-BCdC6_0H7Ns&dib_tag=se&keywords=way+of+pilgrim&qid=1772510102&sprefix=way+of+pilg%2Caps%2C645&sr=8-1

 

On the Prayer of Jesus: The Classic Guide to the Practice of Unceasing Prayer Found in The Way of a Pilgrim: https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Jesus-Classic-Practice-Unceasing-ebook/dp/B00BXJX630/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27UDUZ3UODSSU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uQzu7t-nkW9zO1GrhoLQpVQqZSgLAyGCuojb67wqkHh3Bkm8VKwN8fNGJtCJjlp39I1qH7oNhDVYOnaeLcPe-UsN0kYO7AWgLEo_q9Dx_6ACwZJ3klMXv2c7SkdL4pt1tINdycjDZVWe3Znh6oEn79aYwLdGV2Ukd5frn9uCfgkC9M4zpJxr0ejjrsrEMwEzhhZoQw1i3rSZKGt8f0a_ziJmqKoZ4YhB0ctSZSWkWBw.d8FwJ899I9NhV1wptN5Pj2CItFrQUajJI2ko5JhaG_Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+jesus+prayer+ignatius&qid=1772510146&sprefix=the+jesus+prayer+ig%2Caps%2C641&sr=8-1

 

St. John Chrysostom and the Jesus Prayer: https://www.amazon.com/St-John-Chrysostom-Jesus-Prayer/dp/193902885X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31CDNGOCU6XPR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FrfNloxcdbDLeqxelicUqwt4iJfindNojLZ1NIV-2a0pUrQPI-aL_sJ87sP_kYhCgCDMxA8ni_wf1k8c61fGDQUk0-z5yuTCv48YOYmadcsL2bMTL1zws2JUEgQ-Sks9gdBqti7hw90cArbnDUmaZ5uLQ3gKxCuN-8hjq1e9NXJCJQ6Ig1zqWjbYw8eumcklGtvhIslzFTvdA8SjSdc7-Emc5TICtUrCp3RZWynYUiw.AI9LppQElnExaZ__RYbctGPN8s_rdmCoBwaUQrsuAyQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+jesus+prayer+chrysostom&qid=1772510176&sprefix=the+jesus+prayer+chrysosotom%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-1