Wisdom for the Desert of our Time
Episode 14: Compunction
“Woe is me, for Your name is all around me, yet I serve Your enemies!” - Abba Isaiah
Compunction is the piercing realization of our own sin—a painful but necessary wake-up call. It’s not just guilt, but the sorrow that leads to transformation. Do we truly want to be healed, or are we clinging to what keeps us broken?
Episode 13: Silence in Grief
This story about Abba Moses, a respected monk in Scetis, highlights his humility and wisdom in handling prejudice and personal hurt. During a council, the Fathers insulted him, testing his response, but he chose silence, demonstrating inner strength and non-violence. When asked later if he was grieved, he admitted to the pain but did not retaliate, showing self-awareness and freedom from resentment. The narrative explores how tests reveal one’s true self and how overcoming personal insecurities allows for objective judgment. Another story further illustrates Moses’s humility, as he refuses to judge another’s faults, symbolizing his deep understanding of mercy. His life reflects a profound detachment from ego, emphasizing peace and forgiveness over retribution.
Episode 12: Staying Put
This episode explores the wisdom of Abba Moses, a Desert Father, who advises a seeker to “sit in his cell” rather than constantly searching for external guidance. The cell symbolizes the place where one confronts oneself before God, whether in monastic life, marriage, or personal struggles. True spiritual growth requires stillness, patience, and attentiveness to God’s presence rather than restless seeking. The passage critiques modern busyness and distraction, echoing Pascal’s insight that much of human misery stems from an inability to remain still. Ultimately, it calls for embracing quiet reflection as a path to wisdom and inner freedom.
Episode 11: Flee, and Be Saved
Arsenius, a highly educated Roman noble, was appointed as a tutor to the sons of Emperor Theodosius but felt out of place in the luxury of the imperial court. Seeking salvation, he prayed for guidance and received the divine instruction to “flee from human beings.” He abandoned his privileged life to become a hermit in the Egyptian desert, dedicating himself to asceticism, silence, and solitude. Though some questioned his extreme withdrawal, Arsenius affirmed his love for others while remaining committed to his singular calling. He feared that his natural talents—eloquence and charm—might hinder his spiritual purity, so he sought purification through solitude. His life teaches that divine vocation can manifest as a single imperative, and by obeying his, Arsenius transformed into a radiant example of holiness, inspiring the Church through his hidden yet profound devotion.
Episode 10: Peace
The pursuit of peace, as described by Abba Antony, involves withdrawing from worldly distractions—hearing, speaking, and seeing—yet leaving one final battle: that of the heart. After conquering death, Christ offers peace to his disciples, a peace unlike that of the world. True peace is not mere tranquility but a deep, enduring state cultivated through patience and struggle. Like Hopkins’ elusive wood-dove, peace is not a fleeting emotion but a stable force that emerges through perseverance. The Desert Fathers saw peace as an active pursuit, requiring inner work to overcome passions and make the heart a dwelling for God’s love. Peace is not an escape from struggle but the fruit of remaining steadfast in Christ.
Episode 9:
Singing with the Angels
Many people believe their circumstances prevent them from making spiritual and moral progress, using external factors like time constraints, distractions, or financial limitations as excuses. This mindset allows them to avoid personal change while imagining that, under different conditions, they would live virtuously. Similarly, monastic life has often been idealized as an unattainable path, with extreme ascetics—like those who lived in trees or fasted for years—seeming entirely separate from ordinary believers. However, monks are not inherently holier but rather represent an intensified version of the Christian journey, demonstrating the same fundamental choices that all disciples must make.
A story about St. Antony highlights this truth: in solitude, he received a revelation of a city-dwelling doctor who was his spiritual equal. Despite his busy profession, the doctor remained devoted to God by giving generously to the poor and maintaining a constant awareness of divine presence. His example proves that holiness is not confined to the desert but can be achieved in everyday life. Rather than envying others’ callings, each person must embrace their own path, recognizing that spiritual growth depends not on external conditions but on inner commitment and grace.
Episode 8:
What Defines a Christian
You’ve heard the saying, “The habit does not make the monk.” But what does define a Christian? The early Church Fathers tell us: it is the imitation of Christ—not mere outward observance, but a transformation of soul, mind, and body.
The Fathers remind us that our faith is not about rigid discipline but about entering into God’s divine love. Their wisdom, even when firm, is full of light.
Episode 7:
Take Up Your Cross
In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked reality of Christian discipleship — that true joy, peace, and love don’t come without effort and sacrifice. While we aspire to show a cheerful face to the world, the virtues of faith are cultivated through perseverance, just as fine wine comes from pressing grapes. Drawing from scripture and the wisdom of early Christian thinkers like Abba Isaiah, Bishop Varden reflects on how Christ’s passion is not only a historical event but a model for our own lives. The message is clear: no cross, no crown. Faith does not eliminate pain but allows us to live through it fruitfully, transforming suffering into freedom and inner peace.
Episode 6:
Pursuit of Perfection
Bishop Varden explores the concept of Christian perfection, as urged by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This perfection is not about faultlessness but becoming “fit for purpose”—transformed in love to see others as God sees them. The Fathers provide three essential counsels for this journey: 1. Keep God always before you. 2. Immerse yourself in Scripture. 3. Do not move quickly.
Episode 5:
Q&A with Bishop Varden
Having just finished up our first four episodes on the Life of Antony, Jamie and Bishop Varden meet to answer questions that have come up in comments and via email. Our first episode for February will go live on Tuesday, February 4th, and we will transition now into the Sayings of the Desert Fathers themselves, beginning with the their sayings on the pursuit of perfection.
Episode 4:
A Strength to Others
In today's passage from Athanasius's Life of Antony, Bishop Varden reflects on an encounter Antony had with a monk who came to visit him. The monk would often come, but never had anything to say. When pressed, the monk said: "It is enough for me to see you, Father."
Episode 3:
Become Who You Are
Asceticism is for love. Far from being motivated by a distaste for our bodily nature, the life of self-sacrifice is about ever deeper conformity of our very selves to image of God. Holiness, therefore, is the completion of our nature and transforms us into the men and women God created us to be.
Episode 2:
Facing Antony’s Temptations
The enemy is displeased with our efforts to embrace the life of holiness and will actively seek to get in our way… he “hates what is good” as Saint Athanasius reminds us. We must respond as Antony did with courage and an open heart, knowing that temptation will come, but knowing also that the power of Christ and his cross is more powerful than the evil one and all his works.
Episode 1:
Changed by the Life of Antony
Modern life is like a desert, parched for the life-giving water that Jesus promised to woman at the well. The Desert Fathers offer timeless insights for our growth in self-knowledge, charity, and holiness.
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Wisdom for the Desert of our Time
Modern life is like a desert, parched for the life-giving water that Jesus promised to woman at the well. The Desert Fathers offer timeless insights for our growth in self-knowledge, charity, and holiness.
Meet Bishop Varden
Erik Varden is a Cistercian monk and the Bishop of Trondheim in Norway.
He has become a leading Catholic voice through his writings that engage our secular culture using the language of beauty to point us to the centrality of our search for God, even when we look in the wrong places.
A Catholic convert during his studies at Cambridge, he discovered the monastic tradition and the Desert Fathers, inspiring his own vocation at Mount St. Bernard's Abbey in England where he eventually became abbot.
He guides us through the insights won in the spiritual combat of the ancient desert which direct us to what we need most today: the love of Christ that conquers all obstacles.
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