Metropolitan Kallistos Ware on prayer, The Philokalia, Christian unity and other subjects

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Yesterday (Nov. 17th), I was formally received into the Orthodox Church in Bergen, Norway. I first felt drawn to Orthodoxy in the late 1970s, and quite nearly joined a parish in Baltimore then; but — for reasons of loyalty to my Western roots — I held back, moving instead (about twenty years later) from Anglo-Catholicism to what was to amount to little over a decade in the Roman Catholic Church, before returning to Anglo-Catholicism. That story would, I think, be tedious to recount and even more tedious for you to read. During all those years, however, I never lost my attraction to Orthodoxy, nor a pressing sense that — as appreciative as I very much am for my Western Christian heritage — I was not in the right or the best place for me. There is an amusing aspect to all this, however. Over the course of 40-plus years, during which I either influenced or urged others to become Orthodox (one of my brothers, two of my dearest friends and their family members, a greatly admired professor of mine, various colleagues in ministry, and numerous acquaintances), I was the lone hold-out. Well, that ended yesterday, after a six-month or so catechumenate. At age 68, I am currently both the oldest member and (until the next baptism or convert chrismation) the “youngest” in my parish.

Perhaps the strongest pull on me over the decades has been the spiritual or devotional life of Orthodoxy. For instance, I “discovered” The Philokalia in 1978 and have been a constant reader of it — if often a poor practitioner — ever since. To say that it and the Orthodox tradition have shaped my prayer life and theology to a great extent would be to underestimate their influence. One of those whose work in this area has benefited me immeasurably, including his involvement in the translation of all five volumes of The Philokalia into English, was the late Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (1934 - 2022). I had the privilege of meeting and hearing him on more than one occasion, and his absence is still felt by those of us who remember him when he was alive. Recalling this yesterday evening, in the wake of my chrismation, moved me to present here some videos of lectures and interviews he gave.

The first of the videos below, despite the shaky hand-held camera work, is presented because of his comments beginning at the 7:48 time stamp regarding his move from the Anglicanism he still appreciated to Orthodoxy. I hadn’t viewed this particular video before last night, but I was struck by the fact that I could have said about my own transition exactly what he says there about his. The other four videos — all of them on subjects related to contemplation and prayer — speak for themselves. I believe you will enjoy these talks and reflections.