A Daily Lent

Resurrection Sunday – April 5, 2015 THEODORUS THE ASCETIC said, “The patriarch Abraham offered hospitality to everyone who passed by his tent, even the bad-mannered and undeserving. Because of this, he also entertained God’s angels. If we practice unconditional hospitality, we may welcome not only angels, but also the Lord himself. Jesus told us, ‘As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’ (Matthew 25:40). It is good to be kind to everyone, especially anyone who is not able to repay you.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 373] The final spiritual practice in the Wisdom of the Wilderness series is charity. For some of us, charity is a weak word, a word to be avoided. Actually, charity is love in action, self-giving, and the generous offering of oneself for another. Of course, today is Easter, the day on which we remember and celebrate Resurrection. Resurrection entails far more than the historical event of Jesus’ rai...

Holy Saturday – April 4, 2015 A brother at Scetis committed a fault. A council was called to which Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to go to it. Then the priest sent someone to say to him, “Come, for everyone is waiting for you.” So he got up and went. He took a leaking jug, filled it with water and carried it with him. The others came out to meet him and said to him, “What is this, Father?” The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the errors of another.” When they heard that, they said no more to the brother but forgave him. [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , pp. 138 – 139.] Abba Moses was a former robber, who gave up his life of marauding and thievery to live as a monk dedicated to God in the desert. A formerly vicious man, late in life Moses became known for his compassion. To others, he seemed to embody God’s generosity and mercy. Scetis was one of the large monastic communitie...

Good Friday – April 3, 2015 AN OLDER MONK AND A YOUNGER MONK were in Cellia. The older suggested that they live together. The younger refused, saying, “I am a sinner, Abba. I must not live with you.” But the older monk insisted. The old man was pure in heart, and the younger monk did not want him to discover that he sometimes had sexual cravings. The older monk said, “I will go away for a week. When I return, we can talk about this again.” Seven days later, the younger decided to test the older by saying, “While you were gone, I was strongly tempted. I went into town on an errand, and I ended up in bed with a woman.” The older monk asked, “Are you penitent?” “Yes.” “Then I will carry half the burden of this sin with you.” The younger man responded, “Now I know we can stay together.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , pp. 146 – 147] Most people feel that their own sin is so unique, so dark, so despicable, that no one else would understand it, much less st...

Maundy Thursday – April 2, 2015 ON A FEAST DAY IN CELLIA, brothers gathered to eat a meal at church. One of them told a server, “I do not eat anything that has been cooked. I only eat salted food.” The server called out to another, “This brother does not eat cooked food! Bring him some salt.” One of the brothers told the one on the restricted diet, “You would have done better to eat meat alone in your cell today than to have had this announced in front of everyone.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 355] The spiritual practice of self-control reminds me that my own will and desire is not the defining context for life. Certainly it is one context for life, just not the only one. The story of MY life is always lived out in the context of the story of OUR life . . . whatever the “our” may be for you and me. “Our life” may include family, church, community, and work . . . but it also includes “our life” as a human family, who you are and who I am as a part of the la...

Wednesday of Holy Week – April 1, 2015 AMMA SYNCLETICA said, “We should always be discreet, remaining a part of the community rather than following our own desires. We are exiles from the world. We devote ourselves to faith in God. We have no need of the things we have abandoned. In the world, we had status and a wide variety of food. Here we have a little to eat and not much of anything else.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 3] I am highly introverted by nature. I prefer a corner of the room and a good book to a lot of conversation. Often, I’m slow to respond in conversation or when asked for my opinion. My opinions do not form by speaking them – as with many extraverts – but by thinking about them, slowly letting them gestate within me. [I once heard a young adult talk about dating someone who was high introvertly. She said that in the course of normal conversation, he would go silent . . . then several days later, he would pick up the conversation from tha...

Tuesday of Holy Week – March 31, 2015 A BROTHER became tired of his community and the behavior of others often annoyed him. He decided, “I will go off somewhere by myself. Then I will neither talk nor listen and shall be at peace. This anger I feel will depart.” He went out into the desert and made his home in a cave. One day he placed a water jug he had filled on the ground. It rolled over, spilling its contents. He filled it again and it fell over again. When this happened the third time, he became enraged, took hold of the jug and smashed it against the rocks. Calming down, he realized that anger had mocked him. “Here I am by myself and anger has beaten me. I will return to the community. Wherever we live, we need to work at being patient with God’s help.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 110] The brother in this story could be any of us. The impulse to move away from difficulties, troubles, and struggles lives within us. We see our own interior land...

Monday of Holy Week – March 30, 2015 Two old men had lived together for many years and had never fought with one another. The first said to the other, “Let us also have a fight like other people do.” The other replied, “I do not know how to fight.” The first said to him, “Look, I will put a brick between us, and I will say, ‘It is mine,’ and you say, ‘No, it is mine,’ and so the fight will begin.” So they put a brick between them and the first said, “This brick is mine,” and the other said, “No, it is mine,” and the first responded, “If it is yours, take it and go” – so they gave it up without being able to find an occasion for an argument. [Benedicta Ward, The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers , p. 37] This is one of the classic stories from the Desert tradition, quaint and almost too good to be true. Two old men who had lived together for many, many years did not know how to have a fight. I’d venture to say that even those who have lived in close proximity for a short period ...

Palm Sunday – March 29, 2015 Amma Syncletica said: “It is good not to get angry, but if this should happen, the Apostle does not allow you a whole day for this passion, for he says: “Let not the sun go down” (Eph. 4:26). Will you wait till all your time is ended? Why hate the person who has grieved you? It is not they who have done the wrong, but the devil. Hate sickness but not the sick person.” [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , p. 233.] Today we step into Holy Week, which moves us into the final days of Jesus’ life. The week invites us to join Jesus in his journey through these days of betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Our stories from the Desert Fathers and Mothers this week invite us to consider self-control as a spiritual practice. These Desert Christians, living in the wilderness areas of Egypt and the Middle East, were monks (from the Greek word monos , which means “one” or “singular”); however, they also lived in community, sharing meals, pra...

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent – March 28, 2015 The brothers praised a monk before Abba Antony. When the monk came to see him, Antony wanted to know how he would bear insults; and seeing that he could not bear them at all, he said to him, “You are like a village magnificently decorated on the outside, but destroyed from within my robbers.” [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , p. 4] Endurance for the Desert Christians invited reflection on what they believed about themselves. Were they able to bear up underneath insults and humiliations? No one likes to be embarrassed, insulted, or humiliated. It is, well . . . embarrassing, insulting, and humiliating!! But there are few things as helpful as embarrassments, insults, and humiliations to reveal to us what we truly believe about ourselves. They offend our sense of fairness and rightness, as we tell ourselves things like, “I don’t deserve this!” We want to be seen as a particular kind of person, with certain q...

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent – March 27, 2015 Someone asked Abba Antony, “What must one do in order to please God?” The old man replied, “Pay attention to what I tell you: whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved.” [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , p. 2] These are Abba Antony’s three keys to life: in every moment, attend to God, who is present always and everywhere; let the scriptures shape your heart so that all you do issues from an interior that has been molded by God’s Word; and have a sense of stability and consistency about your life . . . no flitting around. The third part of Antony’s saying is particularly relevant this week related to endurance and perseverance. It is reflected, a couple of centuries after Antony, in the vision Benedict of Nursia had for his...

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent – March 26, 2015 JOHN THE DWARF asked God to mitigate his passions. He became calm and imperturbable. He told a hermit, “I now rest in peace. There is no struggle between my flesh and my spirit.” The hermit replied, “Pray that the Lord will start a new war in you. Struggle is good for the soul.” When the old conflicts returned John did not pray that God would take them away. Instead, he prayed, “Lord, give me the strength to survive this battle.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 118] One prevalent modern-day heresy related to Christianity is that if you are faithful, you’ll never have to struggle in life. . . . or if you pray correctly, or pray enough, you’ll never experience tragedy. . . . or if you just believe enough, God will make you prosperous – health, wealth, and all the “good things” of life. Abba John the Dwarf – who was something of a Desert Father’s version of Simon Peter, always putting his foot in his mouth – t...

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent – March 25, 2015 Antony of Egypt was the first of the Desert Christians. I related some of Antony’s story in the first days of this year’s Lenten devotionals, so I won’t repeat his life story here. But it is important to know that 36 years elapsed from the time of Antony’s first entry into the desert to attend to his life with God, until the days when he took disciples (novices) whom he would mentor as a spiritual father (Abba). 20 of those years were spent in extreme solitude and silence, as Antony’s life was formed by the discipline and wisdom of the wilderness. Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria, a friend and student of Antony’s, wrote The Life of Antony in order to record some of Antony’s experiences from the desert. He writes a great deal about Antony’s struggles in the desert, the daily battles Antony engaged with the darkness within himself, as well as with demonic forces. During one extended period of time, Antony’s struggle with the dark...

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent – March 24, 2015 AMMA SYNCLETICA said, “If you start a good work, do not let the enemy discourage you. Your endurance will defeat the enemy. When sailors encounter unfavorable winds they do not toss their cargo overboard or abandon ship. They struggle against the storm for a while and then reestablish their course. If you run into a headwind, raise a cross as a sail and you will continue your voyage in safety.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 119] By and large, I find that modern folks give up far too quickly. We don’t seem to have the willingness to stick with things over a long haul. My sense is that we are distracted, that we chase after the next “shiny thing” that appears on the screen of our brain, and that we quickly move on to something new and different in order to stimulate ourselves. I also find that this inability to stick with things reflects an existential boredom with life, a boredom with the way things are. We live...

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent – March 23, 2015 A MONK VISITED ABBA SISOES and told him he had fallen from grace. “What should I do, Abba?” Sisoes replied, “Get up again.” After a while, the monk returned to ask, “What can I do now? For I have fallen again.” “Get up again,” the old man said to him, “Never stop getting up.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 386] We are too easily overcome by our failures. We are too quick to think of our own sin as unforgiveable, as – what MUST be so – the pinnacle of all sin. We live with a human economy of grace – which does not really represent God’s grace at all – that believes God’s resources are limited, that there is a scarce supply of God’s grace, God’s mercy, and God’s forgiveness. It is, in fact, a flaw in our thinking from which it is very difficult to recover. Jesus’ disciples spoke from that same framework of scarcity: “How many times should I forgive the one who sins against me? Seven times?” (Mt. 18:21 – 22...

The Fifth Sunday of Lent – March 22, 2015 Amma Syncletica: "In the beginning there are a great many battles and a good deal of suffering for those who are advancing towards God and afterwards, ineffable joy. It is like those who wish to light a fire; at first they are choked by the smoke and cry, and by this means obtain what they seek . . . : so we must kindle the divine fire in ourselves through tears and hard work." [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , pp. 230, 231] This week, our readings from the Desert Fathers and Mothers illumine the spiritual discipline of endurance. To be honest, endurance may not be as much of a spiritual practice as it is one fruit of ongoing spiritual practice. One doesn’t set out to become a person of endurance so much as one cultivates the soul in a way that allows endurance to be formed within us. The Apostle Paul writes that endurance is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22 – 23). Fruit grows when we tend the ...

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent – March 21, 2015 One day Abba Arsenius consulted an old Egyptian monk about this own thoughts. Someone noticed this and said to him, “Abba Arsenius, how is it that you with such a good Latin and Greek education, ask this peasant about your thoughts?” He replied, “I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant.” [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , p. 10] As a young adult in the late 1970’s, I was invited to hear Tom Landry speak at a big Fellowship of Christian Athletes luncheon in downtown Tulsa. Coach Landry led the Dallas Cowboys to several Super Bowls and was well-respected as a coach and leader. He was never an exciting speaker (in my opinion), but had a low-key way that seemed sincere and appealing. His talk in Tulsa was a big deal and drew a large following. What I remember most about his long, long talk that day, however, is that Coach Landry didn’t talk about football, ...

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent – March 20, 2015 Having withdrawn to the solitary life he [Arsenius] made the same prayer again and he heard a voice saying to him, “Arsenius, flee, be silent, pray always, for these are the sources of sinlessness.” [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , p. 9] Arsenius was one of the most noted of the Desert Christians. Born about 360 in Rome, he was a well-educated and important person in Rome. A man of senatorial rank, he served as a personal tutor within the emperor’s palace. Desiring a life of meaning in God, he fled Rome secretly, sailing to Alexandria in Egypt. From there, he went into the desert as a novice under Abba John the Dwarf. Arsenius was known for his austerity and the depth of his silence. His degree of formal education was unusual in the desert, and made him seem forbidding to many of the other desert monks. He may be the poster-child for simplicity among the Desert Christians. By leaving the royal palace in...

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent – March 19, 2015 God sells righteousness at a very low price to those who wish to buy it: a little piece of bread, a cloak of no value, a cup of cold water, a small coin. [Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers , p. 16] Life in the desert was stark, simple, and meager. The Desert Fathers and Mothers wanted to be freed from accumulating “stuff” so they could attend to their lives in God. If you think about it, any journey into the wilderness must be accompanied by simplicity. Survival in a desert does not depend on how much stuff you can carry into the desert. In the wilderness, you don’t have access to the same resources you might have in the city. You have to go into the wilderness light and lean in order to survive. It’s much the same way when you go camping in a modern sense. Of course, for some of us, camping means “Holiday Inn.” For others, camping means a “camper” or trailer which has many of the conveniences of home. Bu...

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent – March 18, 2015 ANTONY had everyone’s respect. He was considerate of those he visited. An eager learner, he gathered the best traits from others. He copied the self-restraint of one, and the cheerfulness of another. He absorbed gentleness, a love for reading, and the value of nocturnal devotions. He admired one who fasted, praising his determination, and another who slept on the bare ground, honoring his empathy. Antony remembered the love he observed, pondering it and attempting to imitate the best virtues of each person he met. He was never provoked to anger; the only fire that burned in him was a desire to live even better. People called him “God’s friend.” [Bernard Bangley, By Way of the Desert , p. 232] Much of our addictiveness stems from the internal sense, imbedded deep within many of us, that we are fundamentally flawed. We don’t truly believe that we are okay. We live with a kind of toxic shame, convinced that we are inadequa...

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent – March 17, 2015 ONCE some robbers came into the monastery and said to one of the elders: “We have come to take away everything that is in your cell.” And he said: “My sons, take all you want.” So they took everything they could find in the cell and started off. But they left behind a little bag that was hidden in the cell. The elder picked it up and followed after them, crying out: “My sons, take this, you forgot it in the cell!” Amazed at the patience of the elder, they brought everything back into his cell and did penance, saying: “This one really is a man of God!” [Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert , p. 59] As a young boy, I learned that what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours. If you take what is mine, that is stealing. If I take what is yours, that is stealing. I learned early to respect what you had, and to protect what I possessed. Of course, there are ancient injunctions against stealing. The 8th of the ...