Desert Wisdom 
Collection of the Wisdom of the Desert Fathers. St.Benedict pointed to the the writings of the early Desert Fathers, specifically mentioning the St. Basil and John Cassian (RB 73:5) as sources for “further perfection.”
Truth came by Jesus Christ
In Christianity truth is not a philosophical concept nor is it a theory, a teaching, or a system, but rather, it is the living theanthropic hypostasis – the historical Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Before Christ men could only conjecture about the Truth since they did not possess it. With Christ as the incarnate divine Logos… Read More ›
Pay Attention and Be on Guard
(Abba John) related with regard to another old man living in the desert, that he had asked God to grant him never to become sleepy during a spiritual conference, but, if someone uttered slanderous or useless words, to be able to go to sleep at once, so that his ears should never be touched by… Read More ›
The Mark of Christianity
This is the mark of Christianity–however much a man toils, and however many righteousnesses he performs, to feel that he has done nothing, and in fasting to say, “This is not fasting,” and in praying, “This is not prayer,” and in perseverance at prayer, “I have shown no perseverance; I am only just beginning to… Read More ›
A Person Who Loves His Neighbor Loves God
Children of the devil know how to cut us off from God, for they know that a person who loves his neighbor loves God. For this cause, as enemies of virtue, they sow in our hearts pretense about what is our own, and this becomes like kindling wood, filling us with great enmity against one… Read More ›
How Should I Behave?
A brother questioned Abba Motius, saying, “If I go to dwell somewhere, how do you want me to live?” The old man said, “If you live somewhere, do not seek to be known for anything special; do not say, for example, I do not go to the synaxis (common prayers); or perhaps, I do not… Read More ›
On Prayer
Some of the fathers advise us to say the whole prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy,” while others specify that we say it in two parts — “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy,” and then “Son of God, help me” — because this is easier, given the immaturity and feebleness of our intellect…. Read More ›
Why Do Ascetics Avoid Certain Things?
There was a certain old man who lived a life of such strict self-denial that he never drank wine. And when I arrived at his cell we sat down to eat. Dates were brought and he ate, and he took water and drank. And I said unto him laughingly, “So you are angry with absinthe,… Read More ›
Acceptable Prayer to God
How can a person know that his prayer is acceptable to God? When a person makes sure that he does not wrong his neighbor in any way whatsosever, then let him be sure that his prayer is acceptable to God. But if someone harms his neighbor in any way whatsoever, either physically or spiritually, his… Read More ›
Charity Demands That I Keep You
Once some brethren went out of the monastery to visit the hermits who lived in the desert. They came to one who received them with joy and seeing that they were tired, invited them to eat before the accustomed time and placed before them all the food he had available. But that night when they… Read More ›
I go to the Lord
They said of Abba Pambo that in the very hour when he departed this life he said to the holy men who stood by him: From the time I came to this place in the desert, and built me a cell, and dwelt here, I do not remember eating bread that was not earned by… Read More ›