"The Author-Preneur with Something To Say That You'll Love To Read." #authorpreneurTJM
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.
17. One day when Abba John was going up to Scetis
with some other brothers, their guide lost his way for it was
night-time. So the brothers said to Abba John, 'What shall
we do, Abba, in order not to die wandering about, for the
brother has lost the way?' The old man said to them, 'If we
speak to him, he will be filled with grief and shame. But
look here, I will pretend to be ill and say I cannot walk any
more; then we can stay here till the dawn.' This he did. The
others said, 'We will not go on either, but we will stay with
you.' They sat there until the dawn, and in this way they did
not upset the brother.
18. There was an old man at Scetis, very austere of body,
but not very clear in his thoughts. He went to see Abba John
to ask him about forgetfulness. Having received a word
from him, he returned to his cell and forgot what Abba John
had said to him. He went off again to ask him and having
heard the same word from him he returned with it. As he
got near his cell, he forgot it again. This he did many times;
he went there, but while he was returning he was overcome
by forgetfulness. Later, meeting the old man he said to him,
'Do you know, Abba, that I have forgotten again what you
said to me? But I did not want to overburden you, so I did
not come back.' Abba John said to him, 'Go and light a lamp.'
He lit it. He said to him, 'Bring some more lamps, and light
them from the first.' He did so. Then Abba John said to the
old man, 'Has that lamp suffered any loss from the fact that
other lamps have been lit from it?' He said, 'No.' The old man
continued, 'So it is with John; even if the whole of Scetis
came to see me, they would not separate me from the love of
Christ. Consequently, whenever you want to, come to me
without hesitation.' So, thanks to the endurance of these two
men, God took forgetfulness away from the old man. Such
was the work of the monks of Scetis; they inspire fervour in
those who are in the conflict and do violence to themselves
to win others to do good.
19. A brother questioned Abba John, saying, 'What
ought I to do? A brother often comes to fetch me for work,
and since I am ill and weak, I get tired out working; what
should I do, in order to keep the commandment? 'The old
man answered him saying, 'Caleb said to Joshua, the son of
Nun: "I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the
Lord, sent me with you into the desert in this land; and now I
am eighty-five years of age; as then, so now I can still take
part in the battle and withdraw from it." (cf. Jos. 14.7-1 1) In
the same way you, too, if you are strong enough to go out
and to come in, go to work; but if you cannot do it, sit down
in your cell and weep for your sins and when they find you
filled with compunction, they will not compel you to go out.’
20. Abba John said, 'Who sold Joseph?' A brother replied
saying, 'It was his brethren.' The old man said to him, 'No, it
was his humility which sold him, because he could have said,
"I am their brother" and have objected, but, because he kept
silence, he sold himself by his humility. It is also his humility
which set him up as chief in Egypt.'
21. Abba John said, 'We have put the light burden on one
side, that is to say, self-accusation, and we have loaded
ourselves with a heavy one, that is to say, self-justification.'
22. He also said, 'Humility and the fear of God are above
all virtues.'
23. The same Abba was sitting in church one day and he
gave a sigh, unaware that there was someone behind him.
When he noticed it he lay prostrate before him, saying,
'Forgive me, Abba, for I have not yet made a beginning.'
24. The same Abba said to his disciple, 'Let us honour
one only, and everyone will honour us; for if we despise one,
that is God, everyone will despise us, and we will be lost.'
Ciao!
+Tom
So, we started with several weeks of keeping a journal. We wrote about the various texts supplied on line. We went back and read our journal entries and noted patterns and development. Next, we moved on to lectio divina - holy reading. We read daily passages of scripture, over and over until we heard a message from the Spirit coming through. Then, we sat with that message and listened to it in our heart. Hopefully there was some journaling of the messages we heard so we can go back to them in the future.
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/
Here are some sayings from the Apophthegmata Patrium to read and contemplate for our daily practice of spiritual direction + spiritual formation.
9. The brethren used to tell how the brethren were sitting one day at an agape and one brother at table began to laugh. When he saw that, Abba John began to weep, saying, 'What does this brother have in his heart that he should laugh, when he ought to weep, because he is eating at an agape?'
10. Some brethren came one day to test him to see whether he would let his thoughts get dissipated and speak of the things of this world. They said to him, 'We give thanks to God that this year there has been much rain and the palm trees have been able to drink, and their shoots have grown, and the brethren have found manual work.' Abba John said to them, 'So it is when the Holy Spirit descends into the hearts of men; they are renewed and they put forth leaves in the fear of God.'
11. It was said of him that one day he was weaving rope
for two baskets, but he made it into one without noticing,
until it had reached the wall, because his spirit was occupied
in contemplation.
12. Abba John said, 'I am like a man sitting under a great
tree, who sees wild beasts and snakes coming against him in
great numbers. When he cannot withstand them any longer,
he runs to climb the tree and is saved. It is just the same
with me; I sit in my cell and I am aware of evil thoughts
coming against me, and when I have no more strength
against them, I take refuge in God by prayer and I am saved
from the enemy.'
13. Abba Poemen said of Abba John the Dwarf that he
had prayed God to take his passions away from him so that
he might become free from care. He went and told an old
man this: 'I find myself in peace, without an enemy,' he said.
The old man said to him, 'Go, beseech God to stir up warfare
so that you may regain the affliction and humility that you
used to have, for it is by warfare that the soul makes
progress.' So he besought God and when warfare came, he
no longer prayed that it might be taken away, but said, 'Lord,
give me strength for the fight.'
14. Abba John said, 'Here is what one of the old men in
ecstasy said: "Three monks were standing at the edge of the
sea, and a voice came to them from the other side saying,
'Take wings of fire and come here to me.' The first two did
so and reached the other shore, but the third remained,
crying and weeping exceedingly. But later wings were given
to him also, not of fire, but weak and without strength, so
that with great difficulty he reached the other shore,
sometimes under water , sometimes above it. So it is with
the present generation; if they are given wings they are not of
fire, but wings that are weak and without power."
15. A brother questioned Abba John saying, 'How is it
that my soul, bruised with wounds, does not blush to speak
against my neighbour?' The old man told him a parable
relating to slander, 'There was a poor man who had a wife.
He saw another very beautiful woman and he took her. They
were both quite naked. A feast was being held somewhere
near and both women begged him to take them with him.
Taking both of them, he put them into a barrel and put them
aboard a ship. and so they reached the place. When it
became hot, the people lay down to rest. One of the women
looked out of the barrel and seeing no one, went to a pile of
rubbish and joining old rags together, made herself a girdle
and then walked about confidently. The other, sitting inside
the barrel, naked, said, "Look at that courtesan who is not
ashamed to walk about naked." Grieved at this her husband
said to her "This is truly wonderful! She at least hides her
nakedness, but, as for you, you are completely naked; are
you not ashamed to say that?" So it is when one speaks
against one's neighbour.'
16. The old man also said this to a certain brother about
the soul which wishes to be converted, 'There was in a city a
courtesan who had many lovers. One of the governors
approached her, saying, "Promise me you will be good, and I
will marry you." She promised this and he took her and
brought her to his house. Her lovers, seeking her again, said
to one another, 'That lord has taken her with him to his
house, so if we go to his house and he learns of it, he will
condemn us. But let us go to the back, and whistle to her.
Then, when she recognises the sound of the whistle she will
come down to us; as for us, we shall be unassailable." When
she heard the whistle, the woman stopped her ears and
withdrew to the inner chamber and shut the doors.' The old
man said that this courtesan is our soul, that her lovers are
the passions and other men; that the lord is Christ; that the
inner chamber is the eternal dwelling; those who whistle are
the evil demons, but the soul always takes refuge in the
Lord.
Ciao!
+Tom
