Spiritual Formation

During the first centuries of the church, it was often illegal to be a Christian. Then a few decades after Constantine, a Roman emperor, became a Christian, it became illegal NOT to be a Christian. During this period, the overall level of Christian discipleship fell dramatically. Many fled what became a lax ‘state religion.’ Christians who were serious about serving God found it impossible to hear God amidst the noise of the cities and the ‘everyone’s a Christian’ atmosphere. Thus they escaped to the deserts of Egypt and gave themselves to prayer and ascetic disciplines such as fasting and silence. In time, they became wise in spiritual things. A steady stream of believers began to seek them out for spiritual guidance. Thus began the practice of spiritual direction. In addition to listening and praying for their disciples, these hermits told parables to impart instruction. Several volumes entitled The Sayings of The Desert Fathers offer collections of these parables. Benedicta Ward collected one set which has been published by Ann Arbor Paperbacks, University of Michigan, 1957. (See below page for related websites.) Abba Antony is the best known male hermit and the

· ‘Abba’ Antony – 251-356
“A certain man asked the abbot Antony: ‘What shall I keep, that I may please God?” And the old man answering said, ‘These things that I bid thee, do thou keep. Wherever thou goest, have God ever before thine eyes, in what thou doest, hold by the example of the holy scriptures: and in whatever place thou dost abide, be not swift to remove from thence. These three things keep and thou shall be saved.’” The Desert Fathers, Helen Waddell., Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1957, p. 62.

Theodora was a hermit nun who lived in the Egyptian desert, but little else is known of her life. The sayings that remain reflect keen insight into the process of spiritual formation.

“Amma Theodora said: ‘Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate. Just as the trees, if they have not stood before the winter’s storms, cannot bear fruit, so it is with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of God.’”
Praying with Passionate Women, Bridget Mary Meehan. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1995, p. 38.

Ø Investigate the culture from which the desert mothers and fathers fled. What kept them from being able to pray and live holy lives amidst their culture?

Ø Find the names of, and biographical information about, three or four other desert fathers whose words are recorded. How many Christians migrated to the desert?

Ø Where did they live? What did they eat? How did people find them in the desert?

Ø Find some of the sayings of the desert fathers and apply them to your life. How do they fit?

Ø In our culture today, what is the equivalent to the withdrawal of these ancient saints to the desert?

URL Links to info on the desert mothers and fathers:

To read sayings of the desert fathers, explore links from this webpage.

To find more sayings of the desert fathers, click on this page's links (down the left side of the page).

For still other sayings of the desert fathers, click here.

For a site that offers a free email newsletter on the desert fathers, see the bottom of this site.

For an article on the desert fathers, click here.

For an article on Benedict and the monastic movement that grew out of the spirit of the early desert fathers and mothers, click here.

Most of us do not just fall into intimacy with God. Life has dumped ‘baggage’ on us we didn’t want. So learning to hear the voice of God is difficult. Even regular church attendance and discipleship programs may not deliver spiritual awakening and freedom. Where can we find help?

A spiritual director accompanies us through our spiritual formation by helping us listen for the voice of God in the midst of daily life. A spiritual director is trained in discerning the voice of God through prayerful conversation. People meet with directors in order to deepen intimacy and awareness of God in the ordinariness of life. Spiritual formation can be accelerated by learning to pay attention to the subtle actions of God in our lives.

Many things affect our prayer life: inability to connect with God, spiritual boredom, dryness and a host of daily issues such as illness, relational problems and temperament. Meeting with a director can help us sort it all out.

Spiritual direction attempts to deepen human experiences of God by careful listening and in-depth questioning. Discernment is slow and often painful; it involves attentiveness to God’s actions and our desires and responses.

If you’d like a spiritual director to listen with you and walk with you on your spiritual journey, check out the www.sdiworld.org website, a listing of spiritual directors worldwide. This site canhelp you find a director in your area. (If you live near Seattle area, email Kathy Bence at koinos@verizon.net. Kathy is the author of this course, a practicing spiritual director, and trainer of spiritual directors.)

What shall I give You, Lord, in return for all Your kindness?
Glory to You for Your love.
Glory to You for Your mercy.
Glory to You for Your patience.
Glory to You for forgiving us all our sins.
Glory to You for coming to save our souls.
Glory to You for Your incarnation in the virgin’s womb.
Glory to You for Your bonds.
Glory to You for receiving the cut of the lash.
Glory to You for accepting mockery.
Glory to You for your crucifixion.
Glory to You for Your burial.
Glory to You for Your resurrection.
Glory to You who were preached to men and women.
Glory to You in whom they believed.
Glory to You who were taken up into heaven.
Glory to You who sit in great glory at the Father’s right hand.
Glory to You whose will it is that the sinner should be saved through Your great mercy and compassion.
Written by St. Ephraem of Syria (c. 306-373), a layperson, the greatest theologian, preacher, and poet of the Syrian Church. Quoted from: www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/coptic/sayings/stephraem.html