On Sunday night, we used the stories of the Desert Fathers as part of our intentional time of silence and listening. We have done this once before and you can go to the last time we read them. There is also a document which explains the historical practice of reading these stores in monasteries. Here is the story:
Three old men, one of whom had a bad reputation, came one day to Abba Achilles.
The first old man asked him, "Father, make me a fishing net."
"I will not make you one," Abba replied.
Then the second said, "Of your charity make one, so that we have a souvenir of you in the monastery."
But Abba Achilles said, "I do not have time."
Then the third one, who had the bad reputation, said, "Make me a fishing net, Father."
Abba Achilles answered him at once, "For you, I will make one."
Then the two other old men asked him privately, "Why did you not want to do what we asked you, but you promised to do what he asked?"
Abba Achilles gave them this answer: "I told you I would not make one, and you were not disappointed, since you thought that I had no time. But if I had not made one for him, he would have said, 'The old man has heard about my sin, and that is why he does not want to make me anything,' and so our relationship would have broken down. But now I have cheered his soul, so that he will not be overcome with grief."
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The Desert Fathers | Abba Achilles Story
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Reading the Desert Fathers
Last week (Feb. 4), Gene introduced us to a traditional monastic practice of reading the stories of the Desert Fathers aloud. For an explanation of the practice, read this document (which includes links to more resources). Here is the story Gene read to us:
Anthony's life after he had emerged from his period of total isolation was blessed by a rich and varied ministry. People from many walks of life came to him and asked for advice. The solitude that at first had required physical isolation had now become a quality of his heart, an inner disposition that could no longer be disturbed by those who needed his guidance. Somehow his solitude had become an infinite space into which anyone could be invited. His advice was simple, direct, and concrete: "Someone asked him: 'What must one do in order to please God?' The old man replied, 'Pay attention to what I tell you: whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved.'"
- from Henri Nouwen, "The Way of the Heart", page 32-33
