Pentecost Sunday - Year B

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish

        

Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney 
mob: 0417 279 437;

email: mdelaney@netspace.net.au

Assistant Priest: Fr Alexander Obiorah

Mob: 0447 478 297;

email: alexchuksobi@yahoo.co.uk

Postal Address: PO Box 362, Devonport 7310

Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street, Devonport 7310 

Office Hours:  Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday 10am-3pm

Office Phone: 6424 2783 Fax: 6423 5160
Email: mlcathparish-dsl@keypoint.com.au 

FaceBook: Mersey Leven Catholic Parish

Weekly Newsletter: mlcathparish.blogspot.com.au

Weekly Homily Podcast: podomatic.com/mikedelaney

Parish Mass Times: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au

Parish Magazine:  mlcathparishnewsletter.blogspot.com.au

Secretary: Annie Davies/Anne Fisher

Pastoral Council Chair:  Mary Davies

Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au for news, information and details of other Parishes.

Weekday Masses 25^th – 29^th May 2015

Monday:        12noon - Devonport (National Feast Day)
Tuesday:       9:30am – Penguin … St Philip Neri  

Wednesday:    9:30am – Latrobe            

Thursday:       No Mass

Friday:         9:30am – Ulverstone

                             

Next 30^th & 31^st May 2015

Saturday Vigil:  6:00pm Penguin & Devonport

Sunday Mass:   8:30am Port Sorell         

                  9:00am Ulverstone

                 10:30am  Devonport

                 11:00am Sheffield                                                        

                      5:00pm Latrobe

Eucharistic Adoration:

Devonport:  Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus

Devonport:  Benediction with Adoration - first Friday of each month.

Prayer Groups:

Charismatic Renewal – Devonport Emmaus House Thursdays commencing 7.30pm

Christian Meditation - Devonport, Emmaus House Wednesdays 7pm. 

Ministry Rosters 30^th & 31^st May 2015

Devonport:

Readers Vigil: M Kelly, B Paul, R Baker 

10.30am:  A Hughes, T Barrientos, P Piccolo

Ministers of Communion: 

Vigil: J Cox. B O’Connor, R Beaton,
K Brown, P Shelverton, Beau Windebank

10.30am: M & B Peters, L Hollister, F Sly,
B & C Schrader

Cleaners 29th May: P & T Douglas 
5^th June M.W.C.

Piety Shop 30^th May: R Baker 
31^st May: K Hull 

Flowers: M Knight, B Naiker

Ulverstone:

Reader: E Standring 

Ministers of Communion: M Byrne, D Griffin, K Foster, R Locket

Cleaners: K Bourke Flowers: C Stingel Hospitality: T Good Team

Penguin:

Greeters: Fifita Family Commentator: J Barker 
Readers:  E Nickols, A Landers Procession: Fifita Family Ministers of Communion: S Ewing, J Garnsey

Liturgy:  Sulphur Creek J Setting Up: S Ewing Care of Church: J & T Kiely

Latrobe:

Reader:  M Eden Ministers of Communion: Z Smith, M Kavic 
Procession: I Campbell & Co Music: Hermie & Co

Port Sorell:

Readers: M Badcock, T Jeffries   Ministers of Communion: L Post, V Duff

Cleaners/Flowers/Prepare: C Howard

  

Your prayers are asked for the sick:

Michelle Nickols, Lorraine Keen, Lorraine Duncan, Karen Aiken, Alyssa Otten, Merlyn Veracruz, Sr Carmel Hall, Meg Collings, Phillip Sheehan, Margaret Hoult, Shirley Sexton, Bob McKay,  & …

Let us pray for those who have died recently: 
Paul Sulzberger, Tas Glover, Sylvia Street, Daisy Murray, Daphne Walker, Dee Tachery, Nell Heatley, Jean Clare, Sr Maria Kavanagh mss, Pauline Burns, Fr Jim Stephens, Emily Sherriff, Marie O’Connor, Noelene Britton, Betty Martin.

Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs about this time:  20^th – 26^th May – 
Phyllis Fraser, Kathleen Hall Alfred Nichols, Mariea McCormick, Tracie Cox,
Margaret Bresnehan, Bernard C. Marshall, Margaret Murphy, Shirley Keenan, Dianne McMullen, Joseph Mantuano, Ida Penraat and George Batten.
   

                                              May they rest in peace

 Scripture Readings

This Week - Pentecost Sunday

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm:

(R.) Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

Second Reading: Galatians 5:16-25 

Gospel Acclamation: 

Alleluia, alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia!

Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

PREGO REFLECTION ON TODAY'S GOSPEL: 

Before reading the gospel, I take time to relax and to become still. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me to pray.

As I read Jesus’ words, I may like to imagine myself sitting with the disciples at the Last Supper, hearing him speak this message of mission, reassurance and comfort.

In what ways am I able to witness to the truth of Jesus?

As I recall the times and places where I might be a witness, do I find that I am relying on myself, or am I trusting the Holy Spirit to lead me in speaking the truth? Do I feel differently about being a witness when I look to the Holy Spirit to guide me?

I ponder....

I end my prayer slowly, perhaps asking for the grace to be a witness for Jesus, in joy and gratitude for all his many gifts to me...

Readings Next Week: The Most Holy Trinity

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40

 Second Reading: Romans 8:14-17

Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20

Fr MIKE'S WEEKLY RAMBLINGS:

Many thanks to all who attended the Requiem Mass for the late Mrs Victoria Obiorah last Monday evening. I received a message from Fr Alex during the week saying that the celebration of his mother’s funeral went well and thanking us for our prayers and support.

My time with my six classmates was almost as good as a retreat and we journeyed back through the almost 46 years since we entered the seminary.  We talked about our successes and failures and all the other things that go to make up our stories. Some were able to concelebrate the Requiem Mass on Monday evening and enjoy the company of the Tasmanian priests who were present for the Mass.

On Tuesday we travelled to Stanley and Smithton and looked at some of the sites before catching up with Fr Smiley for afternoon tea.  Returning to Devonport we enjoyed a lazy meal together and continued the telling of personal stories.

On Wednesday we headed off to Launceston and visited the new Parish Centre at the Church of Apostles before lunching with Fr Mark. The return trip was broken by stops at Ashgrove Cheese and Anvers Chocolates – purely research!!

Our concelebrated Mass on Wednesday evening was followed by a delicious meal and more talking. Thanks to all those wonderful parishioners who were able to join us – with thanks to Peter & Toni Douglas for the music but thanks to everyone. Thanks also to the girls in the Parish House who prepared and served the meal and kept us all well fed!!

Sadly they started to depart on Thursday morning and by evening they had all left to return to their homes for the celebration with their parishes this weekend, Fr Eugene McKinnon and Fr Mick Morley on Saturday whilst Fr Pat Purcell, Fr Chris Toms, Fr Peter Slater and Fr Leo DeMarzi on Sunday. May God bless them and keep them well as they continue their priestly ministry.

All the other things of the Parish continue with the Pentecost Masses this weekend and the special children’s Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes.  These events are important celebrations and it is important that we make the most of them.

Until next week, please take care on the roads and in your homes.

WELFARE COLLECTION THIS SUNDAY 24^TH MAY:

Donations to the Archdiocesan Welfare Collection go primarily to support Centacare Tasmania’s welfare services, with a small proportion going to the Apostleship of the Sea. Centacare Tasmania Family Services (Welfare) delivers a broad range of specialised and professional support including counselling, accommodation, refugee services, emergency child care, advocacy, education and training services throughout the state. Its particular strength is in its family centred approach, acknowledging that whatever impacts on a family impacts on the children in specific ways. It recognises that children can be major casualties in family disruption and that listening to the voice of children impacts on the long-term consequence for all involved in resolving family conflict. Services are available to all without discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race religion, and physical disability, marital or social status.

THE APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA: is an apostolic work of the Catholic Church caring for the spiritual, social and material welfare of all seafarers regardless of colour, race or creed.   It ensures that there is a Chaplain available in every port in every country of the world to service every seafarer in the world.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM:

This weekend our sacramental candidates will be presented with a copy of the Creed – the statement of faith that we share and proclaim and we invite them to join in.  We continue to encourage and pray for these children on their constant journey of faith and look forward to celebrating with them when they receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist in August.

FEAST DAY OF "OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS" (PATRONESS OF AUSTRALIA)

This Monday 25th May Mass will be celebrated at 12noon at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Devonport. Before Mass there will be a Rosary. Everyone welcome! 

ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY:

WINTER DRIVE: Due to an alarming shortfall of clothing and furniture, the society would appreciate parishioners support with donations of both categories mentioned. Please contact our East Devonport office 6427:7100, for collection of bulk goods and furniture.

VINNIES SLEEPOUT: Each of stores is promoting our fundraiser for the sleepout. A large hamper of groceries (valued around $400) is being raffled throughout the region. Please call in and purchase a ticket $1 each/3 for $2. 

KNIGHTS OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS;

Monthly Meeting this Sunday 24th May at Emmaus House, Devonport. 6pm commencing with a shared meal. Any interested men welcome to attend.

MACKILLOP HILL:

Spirituality in the Coffee Shoppe.

Monday 25^th May 10:30am – 12noon. Come along…share your issues and enjoy a lively discussion over morning tea!    Phone 6428:3095 / mackillophill.forth@sosj.org.au

BAPTISMAL PREPARATION SESSION:   Tuesday 2^nd June 7:30pm at Parish House, 90 Stewart Street, Devonport. This session is for families who are thinking of baptism, have booked a baptism, wanting to know more about baptism or for those who are expecting a child.

ST MARY'S CHURCH                PENGUIN:

All welcome after 6pm Vigil Mass, Saturday 13th June to soup and sandwich night. Please bring a plate of sandwiches or a dessert to share.

LOST FROM PARISH HALL DEVONPORT:

Large stainless steel jug/dipper also one floral, flannel-backed tablecloth. Items have been found - and reward granted!

FOOTY POINTS MARGIN TICKETS:

Round 7 – North Melbourne won by 11 points. Winners; Chris George, 

Pam Barker, Dawn Cornelius.

Thursday Nights OLOL Hall D’port. Eyes down 7.30pm –

Callers 28^th May Merv Tippett & Tony Ryan.

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE:

REAL CARE, LOVE AND COMPASSION: – the alternative to euthanasia’ pamphlets released by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference are available at all Mass Centres. Download more at www.catholic.org.au/euthanasia. The pamphlets have been endorsed by the National Catholic Education Commission and Catholic Health Australia.

WALK WITH CHRIST – HOBART CITY SUNDAY 7TH JUNE 1:15pm to 3:15 pm

Celebrate the Feast of Body and Blood of Christ by walking with Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament through the city of Hobart. Commencing from St Joseph's Church (Harrington St) at 1.15pm, walk with us to St Mary's Cathedral for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament concluding with Benediction at 3:00pm. Experience our rich Catholic heritage, in solidarity with Catholics all over the world, and through the ages, by bearing public witness to our Lord and Saviour present in the Eucharist. If you are unable to walk the distance, join us at the Cathedral at 2:00pm for the arrival of the procession, prayers and the Adoration. There will be a 'cuppa' afterwards. Can't join us in person? Prayer intentions written in the 'Book of Life' in your parish will be taken on the procession and presented at the Cathedral. 

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND: Invest in your most precious asset......Your Marriage!

Forget life’s tensions and interruptions and rekindle the closeness, intimacy, love and romance that brought you together. Recharge your relationship batteries and explore the precious nature of your marriage, allowing you both to share your feelings, hopes and dreams with each other in ways that normal, daily living tends to inhibit. There is no group sharing. Couples and a priest present the weekend. It is based around Catholic values but couples of all faiths are welcome. 2015 Melbourne weekend dates : 19-21 June, 21-23 August and 23-25 Oct Starts 7pm on Friday. Ends 5pm Sunday. Accommodation and all meals provided. Information/Bookings: Phone Marianne and Marcel (03) 97:330997 email vicbookings@wwme.org.au Website: www.wwme.org.au

KIMBERLEY CATHOLIC VOLUNTEER SERVICE FINANCE OFFICE POSITION:

The Diocese of Broome, WA, requires volunteers to assist in its important work. The Diocese is currently seeking a Finance Officer with experience in: All aspects of finance including payables, receivables and payroll. Must be computer literate and have specific skills in MYOB, Excel and Word and be able to multi-task. The position requires the skills of a senior bookkeeper. Other positions currently available include Property Manager in Broome and Managers for the Warmun Retreat Centre over the wet season. Placements are preferred for a period of year.  For further details, and an application form, please contact:Volunteer Coordinator Anneliese: 08 9192 1060 Email: volunteers@broomediocese.org  Web: www.broomediocese.org Mail:  PO Box 76, BROOME  WA  6725

Evangelii Gaudium

“Thanks to our bodies, God has joined us so closely to the world around us that we can feel the desertification of the soil almost as a physical ailment, and the extinction of a species as a painful disfigurement. Let us not leave in our wake a swath of destruction and death which will affect our own lives and those of future generations.”

-        Par. 213  from Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis, Nov. 24, 2013

Saint of the Week – St Augustine of Canterbury (May 27)

Probably of aristocratic birth, St Augustine was prior of the Benedictine monastery of St Andrew, Rome, when Pope St Gregory I the Great chose him to lead an unprecedented mission of about 40 monks to England, which was then largely pagan. They left in June 596, but, arriving in southern Gaul, they were warned of the perils awaiting them and sent St Augustine back to Rome. There Pope Gregory encouraged him with letters of commendation (dated July 23, 596), and he set out once more.

The entourage landed in the spring of 597 on the Isle of Thanet, off the southeast coast of England, and was well received by King Aethelberht (Ethelbert) I of Kent, who gave the missionaries a dwelling place in Canterbury and the old St. Martin’s Church, where he allowed them to preach. With Aethelberht’s support, their work led to many conversions, including that of the King. In the following autumn, St Augustine was consecrated bishop of the English by St. Virgilius at Arles.

Thousands of Aethelberht’s subjects were reportedly baptised by St Augustine on Christmas Day 597, and he subsequently dispatched two of his monks to Rome with a report of this extraordinary event and a request for further help and advice.

St Augustine founded Christ Church, Canterbury, as his cathedral and the monastery of SS. Peter and Paul (known after his death as St Augustine’s, where the early archbishops were buried), which came to rank as the second Benedictine house in all Europe.

At a conference with British bishops, St Augustine tried in vain to unify the British (Celtic) churches of North Wales and the churches he was founding. A second conference, his last recorded act, proved equally fruitless. St Augustine was buried at SS Peter and Paul.

-        From the Encyclopedia Brittanica website

Words of Wisdom

“His [Christ’s) humanity is the first step down and the last step up on the beautiful spiral of Creation.”

-        Fr Christopher Rengers

Meme of the week

The memes at this site are a little more earnest than those we usually share. However, there is a good selection – some might even feature quotes by a saint particular to your parish. Check them out. 

_________________________________________

Pope Francis: let Jesus’ gaze change our hearts

Pope Francis says each of us should ask Jesus to gaze at us and tell us what we need to do to change our hearts and repent for our sins. We should consider whether Jesus looks at us with a call, with a pardon or with a mission? The Pope’s remarks came during his homily at morning Mass on Friday (May 22nd) at the Santa Marta residence.

Taking his inspiration from the day’s readings, Pope Francis’ homily was a reflection on the three different types of looks which Jesus gave to the Apostle Peter. He said these three different looks were one of choosing, one of forgiveness and one of mission. 

The Pope recalled how according to the gospel reading the apostle Andrew told his brother Peter that they had found the Messiah and took him to see Jesus. Christ looked at him and said “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Peter (Cephas) which means Rock.” He said Peter was enthusiastic after that first look from Jesus and wanted to follow our Lord.

Moving ahead to the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, Pope Francis recalled how Peter disowned him three times and when Jesus turned and looked straight at him after that third denial, Peter wept.

“The gospel of Luke says: ‘He wept bitterly.’ That earlier enthusiasm about following Jesus had turned to grief, because he had sinned: He denied that he knew Jesus.That look (by Jesus) changed Peter’s heart, more than before. The first change was being given a new name and a new vocation. That second look was a gaze that changed his heart and it’s a change of conversion to love.”

The Pope said the third look that Jesus gave Peter was one of mission when he asked three times for a confirmation that Peter loved him and urged him to feed his sheep. He noted how the gospel recounts that Peter was hurt when Jesus asked him that question a third time.

“Hurt because Jesus asked him for the third time ‘Do you love me?’ and he said: 'Lord, You know everything: You know I love you.' Jesus replied: ‘Feed my sheep.’ This was the third look, a look of mission.  The first, a look of choosing, with the enthusiasm of following Jesus: the second, a look of repentance at the time of that very grave sin of having disowned Jesus: the three look is one of mission: ‘Feed my lambs,’ ‘Look after my sheep,’ ‘Feed my sheep.’”

Pope Francis urged his listeners to re-read that dialogue with the Lord and think about Jesus’ gaze on us.

“We too can reflect: what look is Jesus giving me today?  How is Jesus looking at me?  With a call? With a pardon? With a mission? But on the path He created, all of us are being looked at by Jesus.  He always looks at us with love.  He asks us something, he forgives us for something and he gives us a mission.  Jesus is now coming on the altar.  May each one of us think: ‘Lord, You are here, among us.  Fix your gaze on me and tell me what I must do: how I must repent for my mistakes, my sins; what courage do I need to go forward on the path that You first created.”

________________________________________

CONTEMPORARY WRITERS IN SPIRITUALITY

The original article by Fr Ron Rolheiser can be found here

Among those who write in the area of spirituality today, who’s being read? Here’s my list of spiritual writers who are highly influential today in the English-speaking world:

·         Henri Nouwen- Dutch/American, Roman Catholic, priest. Perhaps the most widely-read and most-influential among all contemporary authors in spirituality.

·         Thomas Merton – Roman Catholic, monk, one of the most influential spiritual writers in the past 100 years.

·          C.S. Lewis – British, layman, Anglican. Well-known across both religious and secular circles. Brought a literary genius to his articulation of the Christian faith.

·         Jim Wallis – American, Evangelical, layman, popular-evangelist, social activist, social organizer. The closest our age has to a “Dorothy Day”.  Widely read and respected across all denominational lines.

·         Thomas Halik – Roman Catholic, priest, Czechoslovakian, recent winner of the prestigious Templeton award.

·         Parker Palmer – Quaker, layman, American, much-respected across all denominational lines. Has written brilliantly on the spirituality of education and on achieving a Christian balance in life.

·         Alan Jones – Episcopalian, priest, American.  Wisdom drawn from the deep wells of Christian tradition. Practical spirituality with depth.

·         Carlo Carretto – Roman Catholic, hermit/monk, Italian.  Carretto spend many years living as a hermit in the Sahara desert and writes out of that experience.

·         Ruth Burrows – British, Carmelite, nun. Deep insights into mysticism, faith, and contemplative prayer. Eminent common sense, blended with a deep knowledge of the mystical tradition.

·         Richard Rohr – American, Franciscan, priest, popular evangelist. Numerous books on prayer, masculine spirituality, addictions, overcoming dualism, overcoming sectarianism, finding balance in your life, scriptural commentary.

·         Wendy Wright – American, lay woman, Roman Catholic. A specialist regarding Francis de Sales and Jane Chantel, but with wider writings, especially about the place of devotions within our spiritual lives.

·         Peter Tyler – British, Roman Catholic, layman. A specialist in Carmelite spirituality. An emerging young voice.

·         Thomas Keating – American, Roman Catholic, monk. The widely-accepted “canon” on contemplative prayer.

·          John Main – British/Canadian, monk, a popular, trustworthy guide on Contemplative prayer.

·          Laurence Freeman – British, monk, another trustworthy guide on Contemplative prayer

·         Kathleen Norris – American, Presbyterian, lay, Oblate of St. Benedict. Deeply immersed in the tradition of the Desert Fathers and equally attuned to our spiritual struggles within contemporary culture.

·         Trevor Herriot – Canadian, layman, Roman Catholic. A powerful apologia for protecting nature, but his more explicit spiritual writing are highly reflective essays apposite the place and role of our sexual energies in either protecting or despoiling nature.

·         Barbara Brown Taylor – American, Episcopalian, priest, popular-evangelist. Strong literary writer with an audience within secular circles. A unique blend of insight, scripture, tradition, and balance. Always a worthwhile read.

·         David Steindl-Rast – American, Roman Catholic, monk, had the distinction of being Henri Nouwen’s spiritual director. Writes with depth, drawing many of his insights from the richness of monasticism.

·         Anthony de Mello – Indian, Roman Catholic, Jesuit. Brings the insights of Buddhism and Eastern spiritualities into his articulation of Christian spirituality.

·         James Martin – American, Roman Catholic, Jesuit. A key, young voice within spirituality today. Widely popular, and deservedly so.

·          Anne Lamott – American, Episcopalian, lay woman. A unique blend of insight, Christian commitment, and blistering iconoclasm.

·         Marilynne Robinson – American, novelist, Congregationalist. Not a spirituality writer per se, but an exceptional novelist whose characters express her spirituality. An exceptionally bright apologetic voice.

·         Simone Weil – French, Jewish, lay woman. Her writings manifest a spiritual sensitivity and depth that includes her in most discussions about contemporary spirituality.

·         Etty Hillesum – Dutch, Jewish, lay woman. Her writings exhibit an extraordinary insight into spirituality. And she backed them up with martyrdom.

·         Scott Hahn – American, Roman Catholic, layman. Very popular, catechetical and instructional.

·         Rabbi Abraham Heschel – American, Jewish, Rabbi. Exceptional spiritual commentaries on the Jewish scriptures. Widely read and respected.

·         Rob Bell – American, Evangelical, popular-evangelist. A brilliant young voice. Good balance, good insights, and an exceptional capacity to speak to a contemporary audience.

·         Rick Warren – American, Evangelist. Stunningly popular across denominational lines. His book, The Purpose-Driven Life, has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, and is worth the read.

·         John Allen – American, Roman Catholic, layman, journalist. Most everyone’s ear-to-the ground vis-à-vis what’s happening ecclesially around the world.

·         Joyce Rupp – American, Roman Catholic, nun. Good, insightful, particularly popular with women.

·         Michael Higgins – Canadian, layman, Roman Catholic. Does a lot of highly insightful journalistic commentary on contemporary spirituality. The official biographer of Nouwen.

·         Joan Chittister – American, Roman Catholic, nun. Powerful social justice and feminist voice. Knows the tradition of monasticism very well and draws key insights out of its deep wells.

·         Paula D’Arcy – American, Roman Catholic, lay woman. Inspires a near-cult following among devotees particularly apposite her spirituality of healing.

·         Annie Dillard – American, Roman Catholic (convert), lay. Her writings invariably articulate an aesthetic and moral insight that is a natural friend of religion.

·         Elizabeth Johnson – American, Roman Catholic, nun. An exceptional mentor for those who searching for a better intellectual apologia for their faith.

·         Bill Plotkin – American, “Naturalist”, layman. Challenging writings vis-à-vis the place of nature in shaping our souls.

·          Belden Lane – American, Layman, “Naturalist”, akin to Plotkin.


My apologies to those whom I didn’t name, particularly those young, emerging voices such as Kerry Weber, David Wells, and Bill McGarvey, among others who should be more widely read.

_________________________________________

The Desert Fathers and Mothers (Continued) by Fr Richard Rohr

The original articles and other material can be accessed here

Solitude and Silence 

The desert fathers and mothers withdrew from cities to the desert to live freely, apart from the economic, cultural, and political structure (the Roman Empire) that first persecuted the church and then later gave it a privileged status--in the empire's own search for uniformity and control. The desert fathers and mothers knew, as should we, that the empire would be an unreliable partner. They recognized that they had to find inner freedom from the system before they could return to it with true love, wisdom, and helpfulness. This is the continuing dynamic to this day, otherwise "Culture eats Christianity for breakfast" to paraphrase Peter Drucker, and our deep transformative power is largely lost.

How do we find inner freedom? Notice that whenever we suffer pain, the mind is always quick to identify with the negative aspects of things and replay them over and over again, wounding us deeply. Almost all humans have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) of the mind, which is why so many people become fearful, hate-filled, and wrapped around their negative commentaries. This pattern must be recognized early and definitively. Peace of mind is actually an oxymoron. When you're in your mind, you're hardly ever at peace, and when you're at peace, you're never only in your mind. The Early Christian abbas (fathers) and ammas (mothers) knew this, and first insisted on finding the inner rest and quiet necessary to tame the obsessive mind. Their method was first called the prayer of quiet and eventually was referred to as contemplation. It is the core teaching in the early Christian period and emphasized much more in the Eastern Church than in the West.

In a story from Benedicta Ward's The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: "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.'"[1] But you don't have to have a cell, and you don't have to run away from the responsibilities of an active life, to experience solitude and silence. Amma Syncletica said, "There are many who live in the mountains and behave as if they were in the town, and they are wasting their time. It is possible to be a solitary in one's mind while living in a crowd, and it is possible for one who is a solitary to live in the crowd of his own thoughts."[2]

By solitude, the desert mystics didn't mean mere privacy or protected space, although there is a need for that too. The desert mystics saw solitude, in Henri Nouwen's words, as a "place of conversion, the place where the old self dies and the new self is born, the place where the emergence of the new man and the new woman occurs."[3] Solitude is a courageous encounter with our naked, most raw and real self, in the presence of pure love. Quite often this can happen right in the midst of human relationships and busy lives.

Especially when outward distractions disappear, we find that the greatest distraction from reality and from divine union is our own busy mind and selfish heart. Anthony the Great said: "The man who abides in solitude and is quiet, is delivered from fighting three battles: those of hearing, speech, and sight. Then he will have but one battle to fight--the battle of the heart."[4] 

References:
[1] Benedicta Ward, trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Cistercian Publications: 1975), 6. 
[2] Ibid., 19.
[3] Nouwen, Henri, The Way of the Heart (Harper Collins Publishers: 2009), 27.
[4] Owen Chadwick, ed., trans., Western Asceticism (The Library of Christian Classics, Ichthus Edition: The Westminster Press, 1958), 40.

Practical Prayer 

In the same way as the early Church, the desert Christians were deeply committed to Jesus' teachings and lived practice. Their chosen solitude and silence was not anti-social but a way to become better at seeing clearly and at loving deeply. Withdrawal was only for the sake of deeper encounter and presence. 

Diana Butler Bass describes the natural flow from solitude to prayer to active love: 
"[Jesus' invitation to] 'Come follow me' was intimately bound up with the practice of prayer. For prayer connects us with God and others, 'part of this enterprise of learning to love.' Prayer is much more than a technique, and early Christians left us no definitive how-to manual on prayer. Rather, the desert fathers and mothers believed that prayer was a disposition of wholeness, so that 'prayer and our life must be all of a piece.' They approached prayer, as early church scholar Roberta Bondi notes, as a practical twofold process: first, of 'thinking and reflecting,' or 'pondering' what it means to love others; and second, as the 'development and practice of loving ways of being.' In other words, these ancients taught that prayer was participation in God's love, the activity that takes us out of ourselves, away from the familiar, and conforms us to the path of Christ." [1]

Through their solitude, the abbas and ammas learned to be sparing and intentional with their words and to preach more through their lifestyle than through sermons. There were few "doctrines" to prove at this time in Christianity, only an inner life to be experienced. Abba Isidore of Pelusia said, "To live without speaking is better than to speak without living. For the former who lives rightly does good even by his silence but the latter does no good even when he speaks. When words and life correspond to one another they are together the whole of philosophy."[2]

An old abba was asked what was necessary to do to be saved. He was sitting making rope. Without glancing up, he said, "You're looking at it." Just as so many of the mystics have taught us, doing what you're doing with care, presence, and intention is prayer, the very way to transformation and wholeness.  As other master teachers have taught in many forms, "When we walk, we walk; when we chop wood, we chop wood; when we sleep, we sleep." As you know, this is much harder than it first seems. 

References:
[1] Diana Butler Bass, A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (Harper One: 2010).
[2] Benedicta Ward, trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Cistercian Publications: 1975), 1.

Wrestling with Our Demons in Our Solitude 

The trouble--and the opportunity--in solitude is that there is no one around to blame for our moods and our difficulties. We are stuck with ourselves. Belden Lane helps clear away any romanticism we might associate with desert spirituality: "[The] desert is, preeminently, a place to die. Anyone retreating to an Egyptian or Judean monastery, hoping to escape the tensions of city life, found little comfort among the likes of an Anthony or a Sabas. The desert offered no private therapeutic place for solace and rejuvenation. One was more likely to be carried out feet first than to be restored unchanged to the life one had left." [1]

In the tradition of Moses and Jesus, the Christians who wandered into the desert entered a wild, fierce, unknown place where they would encounter both "demons" and "angels" (Mark 1:13)--their own shadowy selves which contained both good and evil, both gold and lead. In Belden Lane's words, "Amma Syncletica refused to let anyone deceive herself by imagining that retreat to a desert monastery meant the guarantee of freedom from the world. The hardest world to leave, she knew, is the one within the heart."[2]

A story from the desert fathers illustrates that even in the desert there is no escaping your own habitual responses: "A brother was restless in the community and often moved to anger. So he said: 'I will go and live somewhere by myself. And since I shall be able to talk or listen to no one, I shall be tranquil, and my passionate anger will cease.' He went out and lived alone in a cave. But one day he filled his jug with water and put it on the ground. It happened suddenly to fall over. He filled it again, and again it fell. And this happened a third time. And in a rage he snatched up the jug and broke it. Returning to his right mind, he knew that the demon of anger had mocked him, and he said: 'Here am I by myself, and he has beaten me. I will return to the community. Wherever you live, you need effort and patience and above all God's help.' And he rose up, and went back."[3] 

Belden Lane writes: "The desert monks were hardly naïve despisers of culture. What they fled with greatest fear was not the external world, but the world they carried inside themselves: an ego-centeredness needing constant approval, driven by compulsive behavior, frantic in its effort to attend to a self-image that always required mending."[4] Ironically, in the fleeing they ran smack dab into the very thing they sought to avoid. As Pogo said in his comic strip, "We have met the enemy, and he is us"!

References:
[1] Belden Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality (Oxford University Press: 1998), 165.
[2] Ibid., 168.
[3] Owen Chadwick, ed., trans., Western Asceticism (The Library of Christian Classics, Ichthus Edition: The Westminster Press, 1958), 92. 
[4] Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes, 166.

Humility and Simplicity 

Abba Poemen asked at every moment: "Who am I and who are You?" St. Francis would also spend whole nights praying this same prayer. Baron Von Hugel, in his classic study of mysticism, said this might just be the perfect prayer. It is through encountering the absolute safety of God that we discover our true self, and in finding our truest self, we find a God who is always and forever larger than we expected. The truth of our identity, wrapped up in God, gives us a deep sense of radical okayness and yet humility about our fragility. What a paradox!

Read these sayings and let them stir deeper questions and reflection. This is the power of these simple stories.

One day Abba Arsenius consulted an old Egyptian monk about his own thoughts. Someone noticed this and said to him, "Abba Arsenius, how is it that you, with such a good Latin and Greek education, ask this peasant about your thoughts?" He replied, "I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant."[1] 

Abba Anthony said, "A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, 'You are mad, you are not like us.'"[2]

Abba Isaiah, when someone asked him what avarice was, replied, "Not to believe that God cares for you, to despair of the promises of God, and to love boasting."[3]

I hope this brief introduction to the desert fathers and mothers has given you at least a taste of why their simple spirituality is so valuable for us today. If you are drawn to read more of their sayings, don't be surprised if you are quickly offended by some of their seeming lower stage thinking. But stay with them, in honesty and humbleness, and I'm sure they will teach you something of your own human nature and God's benevolence. In their irrelevance to our world, the desert fathers and mothers end up being amazingly relevant, precisely because their frame of reference is so utterly different than ours. We all need radically different frames to recognize our own limitations.

References:
[1] Benedicta Ward, trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Cistercian Publications: 1975), 6.
[2] Ibid., 25.

[3] Ibid., 9.