We thank the Good Lord for the extraordinary opportunity to have among us Father Deacon Adrian Sorin Mihalache on September 21st, 2023. We enjoyed the presence of His Reverence in the hall of St. George and St. Demetrios the New Church in Las Vegas, and we also were glad to reunite after the last event with him in our parish in 2019. As always, we were able to identify ourselves in profoundly elaborate teachings that are well understood by all. We were impressed by his patience towards all those present, as well as the answers given to the questions that concerned those present in the hall.
The theme of the conference was: Dangers of intelligence and humble reflection. On the awareness of limits and its importance in the education of adolescents and in the spiritual life. The first section highlighted some of the cultural and economic peculiarities of today's society that burden or hinder the spiritual life. It was emphasized that the Philokalic spirituality recommends, as an integral part of the spiritual life, the examination of life and the cultivation of the consciousness of unworthiness.
The presentation continued with several mentions made by Dorothea of Gaza, present in the Philokalia vol. 9. The importance of humble contemplation for a good relationship between parents and children, between spouses, within the extended family, but also in the life of the community of faith was emphasized. Dorothea of Gaza closely links humble contemplation with non-judgment of our neighbor and points out how a Christian can improve their inner life by the habit of obedience to the confessor, avoiding the habit of trusting in his own wisdom.
On one hand, as Isaiah the Hermit remarks in a text in the Philokalia, those who judge others have forgotten their sins and the glory of God. He who trusts in his own wisdom will not be able to know the higher meanings of the spiritual life nor the will of God, therefore missing the essence of the spiritual life at the heart of which salvation lies hidden in the long counsel, in the wisdom of many who live the improved life. In this place it was possible to see the importance of the sacrament of confession and the habit of people who seek to live under the guidance of a confessor.
In contrast, the second part of the conference highlighted some of the characteristics of our time which hinder spiritual practices. One of these is consumerism, which stimulates sensory experiences and pleasure at the expense of spiritual concerns and availability for asceticism. At the same time, it has been pointed out that recent scientific discoveries highlight the importance of cultivating the virtues in education and character formation. There are now many such initiatives which aim to raise awareness in society of the importance of the cultivation of virtues and of self-regulation for the education of young persons and human development.
In conclusion of the conference, the Archdeacon highlighted the many convergences which exist between these recent concerns of educational science and Orthodox Christian spirituality.
We hope that all those present at this beautiful conference will use Father Mihalache's edifying words, and that in the future such meetings will have a wider echo in the community for better spiritual growth.
Fr. Mihai Bălan
