The Desert Fathers: an ever-present point of reference

To live in the world and aspire to Sky You have to be extremely determined and solid as a rock. Those who seek God must do a great deal of work on themselves in order to master their instincts and passions. A life completely dedicated to God is a difficult goal to achieve, especially in our time, but Desert Fathers They marked a path that has inspired saints over the centuries and which still today serves as a stable point of reference for anyone aiming for Heaven.

A little history of the Desert Fathers

The Desert Fathers were hermits who at the end of the 3rd century decided to retreat to extremely isolated places in Upper and Lower Egypt.

They tended to retreat into the desert, which in Greek is called eremos, aiming for a solitary life, free from distractions. This choice was inspired by the famous 40 days of Jesus in the desert where he prepared to avoid the temptations of the evil one.

In the desert, a form of sharing of this extreme choice soon developed: the cenobitism , or a way of choosing solitude and prayer, but sharing the hardships with other monks.

THE Desert Fathers They lived in absolute poverty in huts or caves and supported themselves with the fruits of their own labor, sometimes even acting as seasonal laborers.

This community had no written rules, enjoyed a certain freedom and met for the celebration of the Eucharist and other important community moments. This lack of rules brought about a serious imbalance in the community.

There were, however, times when each monk had to choose the life of the desert: that is, he had to renounce, for a certain period, community life to rediscover the silence within himself.

In fact the roots of Eastern monasticism can be traced back to Saint Paul the Hermit and to Saint Anthony the Abbot, but it was only with Basil of Caesarea and Saint Pachomius that it was possible to give balance to the "spontaneous" phenomenon of monasticism.

When Saint Basil traveled to Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, and Palestine to study the life of monastic communities, he immediately understood that rigid asceticism and a life of prayer needed to be somehow balanced within a more regulated community context.

The extreme lifestyle of the monks ended up getting a sort of Rule by Saint Basil which was warmly accepted by the monks themselves.

Some principles of the Desert Fathers

The life of the Desert Fathers, as we said previously, has always been a true point of reference: their extreme choice has brought clarity and suggestions to anyone who wants to undertake an important self-recollection.

Let us present below some fundamental principles of the approach to Faith by these Spiritual Masters who have inspired entire generations of Christians.

Pray incessantly

The very first rule is undoubtedly that of perpetual prayer. There is no gesture or action that should not be accompanied by a profound sense of gratitude and prayer.

Saint Basil He left behind several writings that made the life of the Desert Fathers famous and it is possible to find in his writings some advice on this very important topic:

 

“Whether you are eating or drinking or doing anything else, do it all for the glory of God. As you take your place at the table, pray. When you take bread, give thanks to Him who gives it. As you put on your tunic, give thanks to God for it. As you cover yourself with your cloak, feel even more love for God, who in both winter and summer gives us a shelter fit for us, time to preserve our lives and cover what is unseemly. Is the day over? Give thanks to Him, who has given us the sun for our daily work and given us fire to illuminate the night.”

St. Paul's exhortation to incessant prayer was therefore accurately taken up by the Desert Fathers, who testified that only with this practice can one begin a true path of asceticism.

Finding your own desert

Silence and solitude are essential conditions for those seeking a path to Heaven: worldly distractions and the passions that drive us are a difficult obstacle to overcome.

There temperance It is a cardinal virtue, and to attain it, one must find silence within oneself and find one's own personal desert in which to "retreat." Saint Basil writes:

"Silence is the first step in purifying the soul. Solitude is very useful, because it tempers our passions and makes room for principles to suppress them from the soul."

It is not possible, even in our day, to make a true journey of faith without Practice silence and solitude . Perhaps for short periods and without exaggerating the concept, but it is an essential condition.

Service for the poor

Even though the Desert Fathers lived in extreme conditions and in real poverty, Saint Basil constantly reminded them that withdrawal from the world did not exempt them from serving others, especially when they were poor.

The Christian faith is evidenced by concern for the poor, and the monks gave everything they owned to the poor before returning to their solitude.

Fasting

For the Desert Fathers Fasting was the main means of fighting a sin in one's life, a real necessity for those who fight against their passions.

The fast It's a tool for strengthening temperance, or mastery over one's passions and instincts. By detaching oneself from hunger, one regains self-control.

Saint Basil tried to moderate the extreme attitude towards fasting among his monks by inviting them to take into account their health conditions, age and their duties.

Fasting is certainly a highly recommended and absolutely necessary practice for those who undertake a path of Faith , but we must remember that it is a tool, not an end, nor, above all, a competition.