The wise desert mother tells us that solitude is first and foremost a matter of heart. Our first inclination is to “get away” to a place of solitude and surely God would be there. Many people yearn for a place apart, our own little corner of the cosmos where we can discover our true selves and touch the hand of God. It is better to live in a crowd and want to live a solitary life than to live a solitary life but all the time be longing for company. Many people living secluded lives on the mountain have perished by living like people in the world. ![]() As we seek to live the Christian life, we should learn the wisdom of seeking purity rather than approval. This whole concept of universal approval is an impossibility, however, purity of heart is a difficult but reachable goal. Instead she suggests that purity of the heart should be our goal. The Amma tells us that if approval of all is necessary, we will spend our lives begging for a mere earthly goal. With that awareness, we have received a dose of Spiritual medicine that leads us toward our goal of being “one with Him.” Might I suggest that a day of fasting and dedication to our awareness of God could do us all a bit of good.Īn undue amount of time is spent by all of us seeking the approval of one person or another. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world and focus more completely on God. Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Fasting and prayer are often linked together. Fasting, like any other discipline, must be approached in an attitude of faith. Some say that they get absolutely nothing out of fasting except pangs of hunger. Quite often I have had people approach me about the reason and necessity of fasting as a spiritual discipline. ![]() The wise Amma brings fasting and medicine into the same conversation. Most of us can relate to medicine tasting bad, and in the same breath admit to it doing our bodies some good. They typically lived in the monastic communities that began forming during that time, though sometimes they lived as hermits Their writings are largely lost because of the male dominance of the church in this time period. The Desert Mothers were women Christian ascetics living in the desert of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria in the 4th and 5th centuries AD. Today I share some wisdom from Desert Mother Amma Syncletica.
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