"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
Sure, there are problems in the Church, but what family doesn’t have problems? Noah had problems, Moses had problems, David had problems, and so did Saul. But this is why we need as much of Christ as we can get. There simply is no greater source of grace in the world than the Eucharist. Humble yourself before the King of Kings and allow Him to satisfy your soul. He died to feed you. – Jeff Cavins, “I’m not being fed!”
Thanks to Kevin for this one…
The term “Desert Father” is generally used to refer to the Christian monks, hermits and ascetics who began to appear in about the Third Century. They were often located in the Scetes desert of Egypt, but their lifestyle was subsequently imitated throughout the world. A visitor to Egypt in the 4th Century wrote:
“One can see them in the desert waiting for Christ as loyal sons watching for their father… There is only the expectation of the coming of Christ in the singing of hymns… There is no town or village in Egypt and the Thebaid which is not surrounded by hermitages as if by walls”
– The Lives of the Desert Fathers, Norman Russel
The most famous of these Desert Father was probably St. Anthony The Great whose biography, written by St. Athanasius, inspired many to follow his example to renounce wealth, enter the desert and live a simple life of prayer.
One of the books which I’m reading this year is Sayings of the Desert Fathers, so you can expect to see quite a few quotations from these early Christian witnesses over the course of next year. I’d like to begin with a story of St. Anthony which I hope to set the tone for my 2013…
A hunter happened to come by and saw Anthony talking in a relaxed way with the brothers, and he was shocked. The hermit wanted to show him how we should sometimes be less austere for the sake of the brothers, and said to him, “Put an arrow in your bow, and draw it.” He did so, and Anthony said, “Draw it further” and he drew it further. He said again, “Draw it yet further,” and he drew it some more. Then the hunter said to him, “If I draw it too far, the bow will snap.” Anthony answered, “so it is with God’s work. If we always go to excess, the brothers quickly become exhausted. It is sometimes best not to be rigid”
– Sayings, Anthony, 13
“Haven’t you ever wondered, if only for a moment, why life comes nowhere close to the desires that are written in your heart? Where is the beauty, intimacy and adventure? Why can’t we make these things last?”
– John Eldredge, Epic, Page 59
“[My friend and I] spoke about the existential loneliness we are both experiencing at this time in our lives. This loneliness stems not from a lack of friends, problems with spouse or children, or absence of professional recognition. Neither of us has any major complaints in these areas.
Still…the question ‘What am I doing, and for what reason?’ lurks underneath all of our good feelings about friends, family and work… Without a deep-rooted sense of belonging, all of life can easily become cold, distant and painfully repetitive.” – Henri Nowen, “The Road To Daybreak”
“[Fasting is] an apprenticeship in self-mastery…is a training in human freedom… [E]ither man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy.”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2339