from Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Living the Liturgy
from Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Let’s make ourselves “open to receive the Spirit’s flame so that it will come to rest in our hearts”
“In the Scriptures, when people experienced an encounter with God (a vision), they were left with a divine commission (a command). This resulted in a change of life that made an impact on the surrounding community-a mission. “
Dorian and David discuss how we can transcend the religious observance and engage in the spirituality of Holy Week.
“And so when the window of the soul becomes illumined with God’s presence, it’s good to bask in it as we would in our own homes as the morning sun streams through the windows. It’s good to sit in silence for a bit, and then to “rise, and not be afraid” of whatever befalls us the rest of the day: whether the events turn out to be terrible, spectacular, or mundane.”
“The spiritual journey begins when we’re no longer driving away from the desert, but being “led by the Spirit” into it. For some, this initiation comes as a slight stirring in the heart, and for others, it arrives in the form of a complete overturning of life circumstances.”
“We journey in the Spirit with Jesus in His wilderness temptation, His transfiguration, His rejection by the chief priests, His suffering, crucifixion, and burial. As we enter into the spiritual realities of these ever present events in the earthly life of Christ, we experience a profound depth of implosive and explosive joy at His resurrection from the dead.”
“The ashes call us to return to our origin and look forward to our destiny: the dust of the earth…”
“We are not isolated individuals existing in sequestered cells. Rather, we are the sum of all our relationships.”