The Desert Fathers: ascetic monks who pretty much invented Christian monasticism

So one Sunday this guy Anthony heard in a sermon that perfection could be achieved by getting rid of all your stuff, donating the proceeds and following Christ... so he just went and did that. And for good measure, decided to move deep into the desert.

Must have been one heck a sermon

Why the extreme measures?

At the time, martyrdom was seen as the highest form of sacrifice for faith. BUT in 313 the Romans legalized Christianity... which made martyrdom harder to achieve. Huge bummer.

The austerity and solitude of the desert would have to do.

So Anthony (who eventually earned "the Great") is in the desert praying, reciting scripture, and living a simple life of devotion to God.

Others soon followed, inspired by his example.

Pretty soon there's a LOT of folks in the desert, something like a whole alternative society of devout desert dwellers living either in hermitude or small groups organized around spiritual fathers or mothers (abbas or ammas)

These desert monastics organized in one of three ways:
- hermits on their own
- semi-hermitic small groups with a father or mother figure
- full-on religious order community living

The homie Pachomius is said to have set up the first monastery: a communal living arrangement with rules and order and such (possibly inspired by his time in the Roman army)

These communes:
- Each monk or nun had a three-year probationary period, concluding with admittance in full standing.
- They supported themselves by weaving cloth and baskets, along with other tasks.
- men and women living in separate quarters, up to 3 in a room.

- All property was held communally
- meals were eaten together and in silence, twice a week they fasted
- they wore simple peasant clothing with a hood.

- Several times a day they came together for prayer and readings, and each person was expected to spend time alone meditating on the scriptures.
- Programs were created for educating those who came to the monastery unable to read.

- There was an abba (father) or mama (mother) in charge of the spiritual welfare of their monks and nuns, with the implication that those joining the monastery were also joining a new family.

- Members formed smaller groups, with tasks in the community and the responsibility of looking after each other's welfare

The Desert Fathers had four main practices:
- Withdrawal from society
- Hesychasm (from the Greek for "stillness, rest, quiet, silence")
- Charity and forgiveness
- Recitation of Scripture

Withdrawal from society:
- The fathers of the order were watching Christians begin to mingle with Roman society after the legalization, and they doubted that religion and politics could ever produce a truly Christian society.

Hesychasm is the mystical tradition of the Fathers, a practice of "interior silence and continual prayer"

The practice was meditative, with eyes closed, in silence: "empty of mental pictures" and visual concepts, but with the intense consciousness of God's presence.

It's always beautiful to me how many times and in how many places meditation was discovered and deemed to be THE route to spiritual ascendence

They prized kindness and giving higher even than their ascetic practices: hermits were frequently seen to break a long fast when hosting visitors

I dig this a lot: one of my core sayings is "don't do anything strictly"

Yeah, yeah, discipline is freedom but like, take it easy dude, take care of yourself and others

A handful of decades after Anthony (now the Anthony the Great) headed off into the desert, there were TENS OF THOUSANDS of monks and nuns out there in the sand praying, chanting, and holding it down for the Creator

"Their efforts to live the commandments were not seen as being easy—many of the stories from that time recount the struggle to overcome negative emotions such as anger and judgment of others."

The Fathers kept it real

Some collected sayings: https://twitter.com/JimmyRis/status/1254180157331574784?s=20