It is an important question that most young people ask themselves, “How do I know if monastic life is for me? As it seems too hard, lifelong commitment, fasting, asceticism, obedience. Many young people think that something miraculous has to happen to them to know what is God’s will for me, especially when people read …
When I left the bishopric and returned to my desert cave at the beginning of January 1964, I found the monk Antonius (Pope Shenouda’s name before becoming a bishop) at the door and he said to me, “I knew that you would return”, as he hugged me tightly so that we became one. At that …
In the name of the living, holy God, Creator of the bodies and the souls, who made thanksgiving due upon us forever. And made us praise and glorify Him for his great mercy and favor for us. For as we fell down, He raises us up, and as we sinned and repented, He forgave us. …
Evagrius’s ideal monk lives simply, at the edge of poverty, so to speak, accumulating only enough to support himself and to provide basic hospitality to his guests; any surplus to this amount is to be given to the poor. Possessions, Evagrius argues, weigh down the monk, distract him from prayer, and exacerbate the irritable aspect …
The gift of tears is something ‘native’ to historical Christianity which distinguishes it from the ascetic or mystical traditions of other religions. There is a whole tradition in the Christian East concerning tears which can be traced back to the New Testament, then through the desert Fathers to Climacus himself, who added new dimensions to …
Louis Armstrong flared our passions, almost teasing our poignant yet innocent desires singing the lyrics of his song “What a Wonderful World” as such we all hope to love and live. The imagery of red roses blooming, the truly wonderful creation we are surrounded by, and the beauty of love that is lived not just …
The brethren said, “Is it possible for a man to fast and not to be redeemed?” The old man said, “There is a fasting which is a matter of habit, another which is of desire, another which is of constraint, another which is of the sight, another which is of vainglory, another of tribulation, another …
St. Anthony's humility took many forms. St. Anthony listened to others without insisting on his own opinion from his childhood. As an adult, St. Anthony committed himself to solitude and practiced it by living enclosed for twenty years during which he did not see a single human face. This, it is thought, is the life …
In the Orthodox Church the rite of monastic tonsure has a sacramental character. It is called a ‘sacrament’ (mystery) by Dionysius the Areopagite and other early Christian authors. It is also called a 'sacrament' in the rite itself. Like Baptism, it is death to fleshly life and a birth into a new, spiritual mode of …
If it happens that I show longsuffering in some matter, my thought becomes high-minded; how should I be thinking about this? When you happen to do something good, you should know that this is a gift of God, given to you by God’s goodness; for God has mercy on all. But pay heed to yourself, …
