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Author: Mary Forman
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Published: 2005
Total Pages: 126
ISBN-13: 9780814615225
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →"Introduces the reader to the lives, sayings, and stories of the fourth- and fifth-century women who were foundational members of the early Christian community in the Mediterranean region; invites readers to explore their own spiritual journeys"--Provided by publisher.
Author: Christine Valters Paintner
Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing
Published: 2012
Total Pages: 183
ISBN-13: 1594733732
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Timeless and contemplative sayings from the earliest Christian sages of desert spirituality can be a companion on your own spiritual journey. The desert fathers and mothers were ordinary Christians living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Arabia who chose to renounce the world in order to deliberately and individually follow God's call. They embraced lives of celibacy, labor, fasting, prayer and poverty, believing that denouncing material goods and practicing stoic self-discipline would lead to unity with the Divine. Their spiritual practice formed the basis of Western monasticism and greatly influenced both Western and Eastern Christianity. Their writings, first recorded in the fourth century, consist of spiritual advice, parables and anecdotes emphasizing the primacy of love and the purity of heart. Focusing on key themes of charity, fortitude, lust, patience, prayer and self-control, the Sayings influenced the rule of St. Benedict and have inspired centuries of opera, poetry and art. This probing and personal SkyLight Illuminations edition opens up their wisdom for readers with no previous knowledge of Western monasticism and early Christianity. It provides insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that describes historical background, explains the practice of asceticism and illustrates how you can use their wisdom to energize your spiritual quest.
Author: Mary C. Earle
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2007-02-01
Total Pages: 99
ISBN-13: 0819226173
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →A historical and enlightening introduction to Desert Mothers and the wise spiritual lessons we can glean from their lives, trials and tribulations, and writings. At the dawn of Christianity, holy women went into the wilderness of the desert of Northern Egypt to give themselves totally to lives of prayer. Explore the unique spirituality of Desert Mothers, and learn ways to apply their wisdom today. “The Desert Mothers are often overshadowed by the better-known Desert Fathers, but these women who went into the wilderness to pursue deep prayer deserve to be heard. Mary Earle has taken nine concise sayings from Desert Mothers and explore them in original ways.”—Frederica Mathewes-Green, author, columnist, and speaker “Mary Earle is a modern-day Desert Mother, and we are fortunate, indeed, for her introduction to Desert Amma’s ancient wisdom, and for her gentle guidance on ways to incorporate that wisdom into contemporary spiritual practices.”—Debra K. Farrington, author of Hearing with the Heart: A Gentle Guide to Discerning God’s Will for Your Life
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Publisher: Liturgical Press
Published: 1975-02-01
Total Pages: 308
ISBN-13: 0879079592
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →`Give me a word, Father', visitors to early desert monks asked. The responses of these pioneer ascetics were remembered and in the fourth century written down in Coptic, Syriac, Greek, and later Latin. Their Sayings were collected, in this case in the alphabetical order of the monks and nuns who uttered them, and read by generations of Christians as life-giving words that would help readers along the path to salvation.
Author:
Publisher: Penguin UK
Published: 2003-03-27
Total Pages: 240
ISBN-13: 0141907002
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The Desert Fathers were the first Christian monks, living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. In contrast to the formalised and official theology of the "founding fathers" of the church, the Desert Fathers were ordinary Christians who chose to renounce the world and live lives of celibacy, fasting, vigil, prayer and poverty in direct and simple response to the gospel. Their sayings were first recorded in the 4th century and consist of spiritual advice, anecdotes and parables. The Desert Fathers' teachings and lives have inspired poetry, opera and art, as well as providing spiritual nourishment and a template for monastic life.
Author: Thomas Merton
Publisher: New Directions Publishing
Published: 1970
Total Pages: 100
ISBN-13: 9780811201025
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →"The ascetics of Scete and the Thebaid in the Egyptian Desert have been more often admired than known or understood. Translations by such scholars as Helen Waddell have done much to restore the true perspective. This new selection from the Latin 'Sayings of the Fathers' (Verba Seniorum) has been made by Thomas Merton with a special purpose. It is not only a translation and selection, but a new monastic redaction in the spirit of our own time. Merton has felt free, as a monk, to do what generations of monks before him have done. He has made a wholly independent and original use of material which is the traditional basis of Christian monastic spirituality." -- Dust jacket.
Author: Henry L. Carrigan
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Published: 2010-09-01
Total Pages: 157
ISBN-13: 1557258554
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →As word of the wisdom and purity of the Desert Fathers and Mothers spread throughout the Roman Empire, Christians streamed to the caves of these hermits, seeking counsel on the interior life. The hermits’ ascetic practices and teachings were a shining witness to a living faith – offering wisdom for both monastic and lay Christians. Encouraging humility, patience, prayer, introspection, and love, the Desert Fathers and Mothers have influenced centuries of believers, showing how contemplative practice can reveal the true meaning of everyday life. “Let Christians care for nothing that they cannot take away with them. We ought rather to seek after that which will lead us to heaven, namely wisdom, chastity, justice, virtue, an ever watchful mind, care of the poor, firm faith in Christ, a mind that can control anger, and hospitality. Striving after these things, we shall prepare for ourselves a dwelling in the land of the peaceful.” (from the book)
Author: Laura Swan
Publisher: Paulist Press
Published: 2001
Total Pages: 228
ISBN-13: 9780809140169
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Presents the wisdom of many early women Christian leaders, discussing the meanings of their teachings and the spirituality of their lives, and also providing a time line, glossary, selected bibliography, calendar of feasts, and ordination rite.
Author: John Chryssavgis
Publisher: World Wisdom, Inc
Published: 2008
Total Pages: 226
ISBN-13: 193331656X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Father John's inspiring introduction to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers brings their words to life for the modern reader. These key figures of the early church chose lives of hardship and solitude, where they could point their hearts away from the outward world and toward an introspective path of God's calling in a deliberate and individual way. Contains a Foreword by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, the second highest ranking Orthodox Bishop in England.
Author: Frederica Mathewes-Green
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 205
ISBN-13: 1557256594
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This resource is a complete introduction to one of the most mysterious prayers of Eastern Christianity, The Jesus Prayer. A conversational question-and-answer format takes the reader through practical steps for adopting this profound practice in everyday life.
