desert fathers

A lesson in accepting differences in practice

A perennial problem among people of faith — and especially those among us who undertake sacred practices and disciplines — is the tendency to miss the point of what we’re doing and thereby turn good and well-intentioned things into stumbling blocks, for ourselves or others. This was the major point of conflict between Jesus and … Continue reading Adventures in NOT Missing the Point: A Reflection on Abba Cassian 1

As I look back on the past five years of my life, the biggest lesson I can see that I’ve had to learn is to work with what I have, whether that’s learning into my emotions (especially the ‘negative’ ones) and letting myself feel them, trying to make the best use of limited information or … Continue reading Work with What You Have: Abba Poemen 28

Further thoughts on the importance of humility in the life of faith.