They said of Abba Macarius the Great that he became, as it is written, a god upon earth, because, just as God protects the world, so Abba Macarius would cover the faults which he saw, as though he did not see them; and those which he heard, as though he did not hear them. ========== […]
On what the Desert Fathers in yesterday’s post have in common
Adhunt was right, humility was what all those Desert Fathers have in common. But, let me go on and make a couple of more comments. You may need to refer back to yesterday’s post as you read my further comments. Abba Joseph said, “If you will, you can become all flame.” The command to be […]
On Desert Father stories
Desert Father stories tend to belong to a genre of literature called wisdom stories. The purpose of the stories does not tend to be doctrinal, though there are exceptions, but practical. They teach you how to live the Christian life, how to think and behave not only “Christianly” but in a generally ethical manner as […]
What do these Desert Fathers have in common?
Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, “Abba as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?”‘ then the old man stood up […]
Why do we use bread and wine?
If you read the controversy in St. John 6, you know of the revulsion that the Jews felt when Jesus told them that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. However, I found the following description from the Desert Fathers to be even more graphic on our use of bread and wine. This […]
Of platypuses and doctrine-mixing Christians
In one of his first comments, Fr. Orthoduckâ„¢ spoke about various “ducky” Christians he knew and said: But, I must admit that none of us is quite sure what to do about those who have so absorbed various ducktrines from various groups that they are no longer ducks but have become duck-billed platypuses. But this is a challange […]
Did CS Lewis go to heaven?
“Did CS Lewis go to heaven?” is the title of a provocative monograph published back in 2003. You can read it here. Its provocative conclusion is: So we ask again: Did C. S. Lewis go to Heaven? And our answer must be: Not if he believed what he wrote in his books and letters. To […]
On which books are in the Old Testament
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Bathsheba’s revenge
Yesterday’s post pointed out that according to both the Bible and the Talmud, Bathsheba was considered to be innocent. In spite of that, both medieval and Victorian artists portrayed her as a willing participant, perhaps the main seductress, and, at a minimum, one who should have known better, given the way she publicly exposed herself. […]
Bathsheba inkblot test
Was Bathsheba a victim or a perpetrator? Here is another inkblot test for you. The initial details of the story are deceptively simple: In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. […]
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