Abba Moses - 2.0

We are continuing with lessons from the Desert Saints of Christianity.  I will continue to post several of the sayings of one of the desert fathers or mothers.  Read them over and find one that interests you.  Use that one saying as something to mull over in silent reflection and meditation.

Essentially you will be using it like a zen koan.  You will be doing lectio divina - this time it will be with a short aphorism from the Apophthegmata (Sayings of the Fathers).  Repeat it inside, over and over.  Listen for what the Spirit has to teach you from these aphorisms.

We will work with these sayings for a few weeks.  Be sure to journal what you hear.  This will leave a path for you to follow later, when you want to see where you have been and how you have developed.  On-line Journal at:  http://my-diary.org/  Don't forget it has features to remind you daily to write.  It can be made public or private, as well.

Here are some sayings from the Apophthegmata Patrium to read and contemplate for our daily practice of spiritual direction + spiritual formation.

5. Once the order was given at Scetis, 'Fast the week.'

Now it happened that some brothers came from Egypt to

visit Abba Moses and he cooked something for them. Seeing

some smoke, the neighbours said to the ministers, 'Look,

Moses has broken the commandment and has cooked

something in his cell.' The ministers said, 'When he comes,

we will speak to him ourselves.' When the Saturday came,

since they knew Abba Moses' remarkable way of life, the

ministers said to him in front of everyone, 'O Abba Moses,

you did not keep the commandment of men, but it was so

that you might keep the commandment of God.'

6. A brother came to Scetis to visit Abba Moses and

asked him for a word. The old man said to him, 'Go, sit in

your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.'

7. Abba Moses said, 'The man who flees and lives in

solitude is like a bunch of grapes ripened by the sun, but he

who remains amongst men is like an unripe grape.'

8. The magistrate heard about Abba Moses one day and

he went to Scetis to see him. They told the old man. He got

up and fled to the marsh. Some people met him and said to

him, 'Old man, tell us where the cell of Abba Moses is.' He

said to them, 'What do you want with him? He is a fool.' So

the magistrate went back to the church and said to the

ministers, 'I heard people talk about Abba Moses and I went

to see him, but there was an old man going into Egypt who

crossed our path and we asked him where Abba Moses' cell

is, and he said to us , "What do you want with him? He is a

fool."' When they heard this, the clergy were offended and

said, 'What kind of an old man was it who spoke like that

about the holy man to you?' He said, 'An old man wearing

old clothes, a big black man. 'They said, 'It was Abba Moses

himself and it was in order not to meet you that he said that.'

The magistrate went away greatly edified.

9. At Scetis Abba Moses used to say, 'If we keep the

commandments of our Fathers, I will answer for it on God's

behalf that the barbarians will not come here. But if we do

not keep the commandments of God, this place will be

devastated.'

Ciao!

+Tom