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The lectures on this podcast are organized by university students at Tumistic Institute chapters around the world.

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to mystic institute.org. St. John Cashin begins his discussion of the capital vices

with the following stated aims, that we may worthily investigate their natures, which are so intricate,

so hidden, and so obscure, then, so that we may

adequately lay bare their cause, and third, so that we may suitably propose cures and remedies

for them.

We made a start yesterday of exploring the intricacy, hiddenness, and obscurity of these vices.

Hidden from view by dint of their irrationality

and by demonic deceit, they are yet revealed

in the incarnation of Christ, especially

in his temptation and passion.

The monastic tradition witnessed by Evagrius, John Cashin, and others continued this work of Christ

in the desert.

These monks, too, were led to the desert by the spirit to be tempted, not for its own sake,

but to enter a deeper communion with their Savior

and to reveal the weaknesses of the principalities, authorities, and the cosmic powers of

this present darkness. The purpose of my talk today is to look with you to this monastic tradition as a source of experiential knowledge

of vice on the way out, as it were, to look to these figures as models for how we can

humbly accept temptation as an invitation to virtue, holiness, salvation, and ultimately union with

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