The Desert Fathers were quiet,
fourth century
hermits who went to extremes,
leading a strenuous
pursuit of spiritual rigor in
the empty wastelands
of Syria, Egypt and Palestine.
Who were they? Desperate fools or the first
radical Christians? And what
relevance can
they have for us today? A quaint
oddity from
our past or a pure, uncomplicated
pattern
for today?
It all depends, I suppose, on what you think
ofthe Gospel. I discovered the Desert Fathers
very early in my priesthood and they have
been for me a constant and fresh inspiration
to go further and deeper into the passion
of God.
