(Even as the Good Shepherd presents Himself as family member (Church & otherwise), friend, neighbor, the least of these, enemy, etc. to be lovingly served in cruciform self-denial)
Even as I have struggled to keep the fullness of the Faith in focus while I do this resource page, this project can tend to take center stage for me, at times to the detriment of what belongs there: continual repentance. This is a call to a reorientation, a refocusing, in light of this truth:
The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and humbled heart God will not despise.
- Psalms 50:19 (LXX) from The Orthodox Study Bible
For three years I have worked at writing new posts a couple times a week.
I plan, from now on, to post things as I find them, as well as re-posting some previous posts, some of the more important ones for longer periods.
I may also make an effort, as the Lord gives light, at bringing forth posts with more depth.
Also in my heart is the goal to give more attention to face-to-face encounters to which I am called. The computer has a way of monopolizing precious time.
You may find the Very Reverend Fr. John Matusiak’s 1983 essay “The Accessible Church” or the SCOBA Statement on Disability and Communion posted in the longer inactive intervals.
What does the “Desert” mean to Orthodox Christian lay people? St. Antony sold everything and went to the Desert to do spiritual warfare for the Lord. He waged a fierce battle and the Lord helped him, and many others followed in his footsteps. The desert will mean something different for most of us.
How does one remain in the world and emulate the Desert Fathers? Is it the simplification of one’s life- as much as it is possible- to the one thing needful that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of? Perhaps thats the heart of it, but what would it entail? Inward travel, without a doubt. Downward as well, with our humble Lord, in relinquishment, service, witness, carrying our crosses to our Gethsemanes, our Golgothas- trusting in the Lord to raise us up.
As much as is possible, love the desert and the immaterial life, and fly from your material possessions to the fold of the poor. Simplify your life so as to be freed from worldly anxiety, so that your life might have meaning. - Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos
from http://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/blessed-memory-of-elder-paisios-the-athonite-of-mount-athos-july-12-1994/
Here are some websites I have found which relate to “The Desert.” I’m going to be giving these resources and some others like them some time and thought and prayer, and I would invite you to do the same:The True Desert is Within, Fr. James Coles
http://frjamescoles.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/the-true-desert-is-within/
The Desert and the World: Learning from the Desert Fathers and Mothers, Fr. John Chryssavgis http://books.google.com/books?id=xxY3gfmzdwwC&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=%22the+desert%22++%22Orthodox+Christian%22&source=bl&ots=QjUARelpZ1&sig=SDZpnZdhQzeDA5mB7eNnPTPx5j0&hl=en&ei=iilvStKeG9-Ctge2zIDWCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2
The Community of the Desert and the Loneliness of the Cities, Monk Moses http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8158
Orthodox Christian Spirituality and the Prayer of the Heart or the Jesus Prayer, His Eminence Ambrose-Aristotle Zographos, Metropolitan of Korea http://orthodox.or.kr/ortboard/read.cgi?board=pub_joy&y_number=0&nnew=1
The Weblog Word from the Desert http://wordfromthedesert.squarespace.com/
Gifts of the Desert: The Forgotten Path of Christian Spirituality, Kyriacos C. Markides http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Desert-Forgotten-Christian-Spirituality/dp/0385506635
0 Responses to “The Desert Beckons”