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.”
My soul does not want it
It was said of a brother that he had to fight against blasphemy and he was ashamed to admit it. He went where he heard some great old men lived to see them, in order to open his heart to them but when he got there, he was ashamed to admit his temptation. So he… Read More ›
When is it justified to angry?
A brother asked Abba Poemen: What does it mean to get angry at one’s brother without cause? And he replied: When your brother attacks you, whatever the insults are, if you get angry at him, you are getting angry without cause. Even if he were to pull out your right eye, and to cut off… Read More ›
A Virtuous Life Is Hard to Attain (And Harder to Keep)
One should not say that it is impossible to reach a virtuous life; but one should say that it is not easy. Nor do those who have reached it find it easy to maintain. Those who are devout and whose intellect enjoys the love of God participate in the life of virtue; the ordinary intellect,… Read More ›
Speak a word; how are we to be saved?
The brethren came to the Abba Anthony and said to him, ‘Speak a word; how are we to be saved?’ The old man said to them, ‘You have heard the Scriptures. That should teach you how.’ But they said, ‘We want to hear from you too, Father.’ Then the old man said to them, ‘The… Read More ›
Silence and Listening
Some brothers were coming from Scetis to see Abba Antony. When they were getting into a boat to go there, they found an old man who also wanted to cross. The brothers did not know him. They sat in the boat, occupied by turns with the words of the Fathers, Scripture and their manual work…. Read More ›
Pray with intensity
One of the Fathers said of Abba Xoius the Theban that one day he went to the mountain of Sinai and when he set out from there, a brother met him, groaning and saying, ‘Abba, we are in distress through lack of rain.’ The old man said to him, ‘Why do you not pray and… Read More ›
Love of neighbor
Three old men, of whom one had a bad reputation, came one day to Abba Achilles. The first asked him, ‘Father, make me a fishing-net.’ ‘I will not make you one,’ he replied. Then the second said, ‘Of your charity make one, so that we may have a souvenir of you in the monastery.’ But… Read More ›
Do twice as much for the sinner
A brother questioned Abba Poemen saying, ‘If I see a brother whom I have heard is a sinner, I do not want to take him into my cell, but when I see a good brother I am happy to be with him.’ The old man said, ‘If you do a little good to the good… Read More ›
What shall I do in my affliction?
When the holy Abba Antony lived in the desert he was beset by accidie, and attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God,’Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my affliction? Ho w can I be saved?’ A short while afterwards, when… Read More ›
What is interior peace, and what use is it?
A brother asked Abba Rufus, ‘What is interior peace, and what use is it?’ Th e old man said, ‘Interior peace means to remain sitting in one’s cell with fear and knowledge of God, holding far off the remembrance of wrongs suffered and pride of spirit. Such interior peace brings forth all the virtues, preserves… Read More ›