St. Irenaeus of Lyons

A second-century bishop who received the apostolic faith and handed it on.

PODVIG LETTER NO. 0

7. FROM THE DESERT

Learning to See

"Those who see His light are within His light, and partake of His brilliancy."

~St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies IV.20.5

For Irenaeus, seeing is participation: what we behold can enter and vivify us. The desert tests that claim by clearing away the noise that continually claims our attention.

"Arsenius, flee, be silent, pray always; for these are the sources of sinlessness."

~Abba Arsenius

Once this week, set your phone aside and spend five minutes in silence before an icon. When your attention wanders, return without irritation.

End by asking yourself: What have I been beholding?

St. Arsenius the Great (c. 354-449), imperial tutor who fled the court for the silence of the Egyptian desert.

8. FROM THE GYMNASIUM

The Body is Not an Afterthought

THE PRACTICE

Irenaeus resisted every account of salvation that treated the body as disposable. The God who formed the body is at work bringing the whole human person to maturity in Christ.

After a meal, walking puts the large muscles of the legs to work while glucose enters the bloodstream. In a small controlled study of older adults at risk for impaired glucose tolerance, three fifteen-minute walks after meals improved twenty-four-hour glucose control and were especially effective after dinner.

Take a ten-minute walk after dinner at least once this week. Do not turn it into a training program. Begin with one small act that can be repeated.

As you walk, carry the question: What might this small act become if I continue?

*Source: DiPietro et al., Diabetes Care 36 (2013), 3262–3268.

THE LETTER ENDS.
THE PODVIG BEGINS.

BEHOLD. PRACTICE. BECOME.

The Letter has opened a doorway into the world of St. Irenaeus. Continue beyond the Letter and choose how you want to enter.

Continue from Beholding to Understanding.