Desert Fathers in a Year (with Bishop Erik Varden)

• Bonus Roundtable: Sympathy | Desert Fathers in a Year

  Bearing One Another’s Burdens - Lessons from the Desert Fathers on Lust and FraternityIn this powerful bonus roundtable discussion for Episode 26 of Desert Fathers in a Year, host Jamie Baxter, joined by Adam, Doyle, and Jared, dives into the Desert Fathers’ wisdom on sympathy, focusing on a poignant saying from the systematic collection’s chapter on lust. This episode explores the profound Christian call to bear one another’s burdens, as illustrated by a story of two brothers—one who falls into lust and another who, through love and compassion, takes on his brother’s penance to win his forgiveness. The discussion highlights the communal nature of faith, the dangers of individualism, and the transformative power of sympathetic fraternity in overcoming temptation and despair.Key Discussion Points:The Saying: Two brothers go to the market, and one falls into lust. The other, in an act of profound love, claims to have sinned as well, doing penance for his brother. This selfless act leads to divine forgiveness for the fallen brother. This is a vivid example of “giving one’s life for one’s brother” (Galatians 6:2).Communal Faith vs. Individualism: The panel reflects on how modern Christianity often views faith as an individual pursuit, missing the Desert Fathers’ teaching that “our life and death is with our neighbor.” Our sins and virtues impact the entire Church, from our families to our parishes.The Domestic Church and Parish Life: The family, as the domestic church, and the parish, as a communal shelter, are essential for living out faith in community. They provide support to face temptations like lust, which thrives in isolation and shame.Temptation and Perseverance: Temptation is inevitable, even in holy spaces like monasteries or homes. The Desert Fathers teach the importance of withdrawing for prayer, staying connected in community, and persevering through trials to grow in true virtue.Sympathy Over Surveillance: The discussion contrasts modern “surveillance accountability” with the Desert Fathers’ model of sympathetic fraternity, where compassion, not judgment, motivates conversion. This mirrors Christ’s sacrifice, taking on our sins as the innocent victim.The Role of Solitude and Mission: Balancing solitude for prayer, community for support, and mission in the world is key to the Christian life. The panel emphasizes creating “monastic enclosures” in our lives to shield against worldly distractions while remaining open to evangelizing others.Resources:Submit questions for the upcoming Q&A with Bishop Varden at desertfathers.com or email [email protected] Saint Michael’s Lent starting August 15 on the Exodus 90 app for a powerful 40-day devotion. Learn more at exodus90.com.Explore the full series at desertfathers.com and subscribe to the email newsletter for updates.

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• Episode 26: Sympathy | Desert Fathers in a Year

  Episode OverviewIn this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year, we delve into a poignant story from the Systematic Collection of the Desert Fathers about two brothers navigating the aftermath of temptation in the marketplace. This narrative, rich with lessons on compassion, repentance, and the power of communal support, serves as a mirror for our own struggles with sin and redemption. Host Jamie Baxter, with insights from Bishop Eric Varden, explores how the Desert Fathers’ wisdom applies to modern challenges when we step outside our familiar boundaries.Key ThemesTemptation in Unfamiliar Spaces: The Desert Fathers, living self-sufficiently, ventured into cities like Alexandria to sell their wares, facing temptations absent in their ascetic environment. This mirrors our own experiences in unfamiliar settings—business trips, urban wanderings, or unguarded moments online—where virtue is tested.Despair and Hopelessness: The brother who fell into lust succumbs to despair, believing his sin defines him and renders him unworthy of his monastic calling. This reflects the diabolical trap of thinking we are beyond redemption.Compassionate Solidarity: The faithful brother, displaying cardiognosis (charitable heart-reading), shares his companion’s burden by claiming to have sinned similarly. This act of compassion, akin to Christ’s redemptive love, restores hope and encourages repentance.Vicarious Penance: The faithful brother’s penance on behalf of the fallen one demonstrates the power of communal support. His love leads to the sinner’s forgiveness, illustrating the biblical call to “give one’s life for one’s brother” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21).Balancing Justice and Charity: The story underscores that true redemption infuses justice with charity, allowing God’s grace to transform our failures into opportunities for spiritual growth.Featured Story: The Two BrothersTwo brothers go to the market to sell their wares and part ways. One falls into lust and, overwhelmed by shame, refuses to return to their cell, feeling unworthy. His companion, sensing his despair, compassionately claims to have faced the same sin, urging repentance and return. They confess to the elders, who prescribe penance. The faithful brother performs penance as if he had sinned, and God, moved by this love, forgives the fallen brother. This story highlights:The danger of despair that isolates us from God and community.The healing power of compassionate solidarity, which restores hope and facilitates repentance.The Desert Fathers’ teaching that our burdens are shared within the mystical body of Christ.Spiritual TakeawayThe Desert Fathers remind us that sin does not define us, nor does it sever us from God’s mercy. In moments of failure, especially in unfamiliar or tempting environments, we are called to reject despair, seek confession, and rely on the love and support of our community. Like the faithful brother, we must bear one another’s burdens with compassion, trusting in God’s redemptive power to transform our weaknesses into opportunities for grace.Call to ActionSubscribe: Visit DesertFathers.com to join our email newsletter for updates and reflections.Submit Questions: Share your questions for Bishop Varden’s upcoming Q&A in early July at DesertFathers.com or email [email protected] Kings of Summer: Live your baptismal call to kingship in Christ with Kings of Summer on the Exodus 90 app. Meditate on King David and Christian kings...

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• Bonus Roundtable: The Source of Strength | Desert Fathers in a Year

  Have a question for Bishop Varden?In this bonus roundtable for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year with Bishop Erik Varden, host Jamie Baxter and guests Adam, Doyle, and Jared dive into the powerful story of Amma Sarah, the first Desert Mother featured in the series. For thirteen years, Amma Sarah battled the demon of lust, never praying for the temptation to leave but instead seeking God’s strength. Her witness—“Not I have vanquished you, but Christ, my Lord has”—offers timeless wisdom on embracing crosses for spiritual growth. Join us as we explore how her example challenges modern notions of Christianity and calls us to holiness through trial.Key Topics Covered:Amma Sarah’s 13-year battle with lust and her reliance on Christ’s strengthThe revolutionary role of Desert Mothers in showcasing holiness for allRejecting “crossless Christianity” and embracing temptation as a path to virtuePractical wisdom: Controlling the controllables to face life’s challengesThe importance of small crosses in daily sanctificationAction Item: Be attentive to the “little crosses” given each hour. Embrace them as opportunities for transformation, seeing each as “a kiss from the Crucified.”Why Listen?This episode challenges modern misconceptions of faith, offering Amma Sarah’s example as a call to persevere in spiritual combat. Perfect for those seeking deeper Christian wisdom, spiritual growth, or insights from the Desert Fathers and Mothers.Get Involved:Submit questions for our upcoming Q&A with Bishop Varden at desertfathers.com or email [email protected] Saint Michael’s Lent starting August 15 on the Exodus 90 app. Visit exodus90.com to learn more about this powerful devotion led by CFR priests Fr. Innocent and Fr. Angelus Montgomery.Resources:Bishop Erik Varden’s book, Chastity: Reconciliation of the Senses Exodus 90 app for daily spiritual exercises and Saint Michael’s LentSubscribe and share with a friend to journey deeper into the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers!

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• Episode 25: The Source of Strength | Desert Fathers in a Year

  Submit your question to Bishop VardenEpisode OverviewJoin host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90 for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year, titled “Amma Sara and the Battle Against Temptation.” This episode dives into the fifth chapter of the Desert Fathers’ systematic collection on lust, featuring a powerful saying from desert mother Amma Sara. Guided by Bishop Erik Varden, the episode explores how to face demonic temptations with fortitude and reliance on Christ, situating Christian spirituality within the pursuit of truth and freedom. Recorded during the Kings of Summer initiative, this reflection offers timeless wisdom for men seeking to conquer vice through virtue.Key Themes and ReflectionsAmma Sara’s Saying: Amma Sara endured a 13-year battle with the demon of lust, never praying for the struggle to cease but simply asking, “My God, strengthen me.” When the demon, disguised as lust and later vanity, claimed defeat, she humbly replied, “Not I have vanquished you. Christ my Lord has,” showcasing reliance on Christ’s victory.Role of Desert Mothers: Women like Amma Sara were equals or superiors to male monks, correcting flawed perspectives (e.g., a nun’s quip to a monk avoiding women: “Had you been a perfect monk, you wouldn’t have noticed that we are women”). A pure heart sees God’s image in all, free from passion.Theology of Temptation: Temptations aren’t unfair disruptions but opportunities for growth, purifying and clarifying vulnerabilities. God allows them for salvation, not destruction, despite the devil’s suggestion of senselessness.Our Father Debate: Liturgical shifts (e.g., “let us not enter temptation” vs. “lead us not”) reflect modern discomfort, but the Greek text affirms God’s purposeful allowance of trials, balanced by human frailty and divine plan.Fortitude in Combat: Amma Sara’s ascesis and prayer model spiritual warfare, abiding in temptation as a crucible to emerge as “gold” through grace, rejecting both sensuality and vanity.Modern Misconceptions: Secular culture demands comfort, viewing temptation as unjust, but God prioritizes truth and freedom, using trials to mature believers.Scriptural and Literary ConnectionsGalatians 3:28: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female,” reflected in the nun’s correction, emphasizing unity in Christ.Our Father (Matthew 6:13): “Lead us not into temptation” expresses diffidence, acknowledging human limits while trusting God’s salvific purpose.Athanasius’ Life of Anthony: Frames Anthony’s nuanced view of lust, setting the stage for Amma Sara’s similar reliance on Christ.Bishop Varden’s Writings: His reflections on peace as conquered, not passive, align with Amma Sara’s active combat (cf. Chastity: Reconciliation of the Senses).Mary of Egypt’s Life: Her holiness humbled monk Zosima, paralleling Amma Sara’s exemplary virtue.Action Items for ListenersAdopt Amma Sara’s Prayer: Pray “My God, strengthen me” when facing temptation to rely on Christ’s power.Reflect on Temptation’s Purpose: Journal how past trials have clarified weaknesses or spurred growth, fostering gratitude for God’s plan.Pursue Purity of Heart: Practice seeing others as God’s image, not threats, through daily acts of reverence (e.g., kind words, blessings).Engage with Kings of Summer: Join the Exodus 90 app’s challenge, meditating on King David and Christian kings to grow in...

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• Bonus Roundtable: On Discernment: Three Approaches | Desert Fathers in a Year

  Have a question for Bishop Erik Varden? Bonus Roundtable Discussion - On Discernment: Three Approaches Join us for a special bonus roundtable discussion in Desert Fathers in a Year with host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90, alongside Adam, Doyle, and Jared. In this episode, we dive into Abba Anthony’s profound teaching on the three bodily movements related to lust: natural, fueled by overindulgence, and demonic. The panel unpacks the Desert Fathers’ timeless wisdom, exploring how these distinctions reveal the battle for chastity, the role of technology in amplifying temptation, and the power of discernment in fatherhood and faith. Discover practical ways to guard your environment and live virtuously.Key Topics Covered:Abba Anthony’s three bodily movements: natural, overindulgence-driven, and demonicThe psychological and spiritual insights of the Desert Fathers on human sexualityHow demons exploit disordered desires to break communion and fruitfulnessThe role of fasting and asceticism in combating addiction, backed by modern sciencePractical discernment for fathers to guide sons toward virtuous manhoodOvercoming modern temptations by guarding your environment and media consumptionWhy Listen?This dynamic discussion offers deep insights into battling lust and living freely in Christ, perfect for men and women seeking spiritual growth, practical faith, or guidance from the Desert Fathers. Learn how to apply Anthony’s wisdom to modern challenges like technology and fatherhood.Announcements:Submit your questions for Bishop Erik Varden’s upcoming Q&A in July at desertfathers.com or email [email protected] the Kings of Summer Challenge on the Exodus 90 app, meditating on King David and Christian kings to embrace your baptismal call.Subscribe for weekly episodes and share this podcast to explore the Desert Fathers’ wisdom with Bishop Erik Varden!

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