#Amma syncletica sayings full
#Amma syncletica sayings series

Philips Episcopal Church | 706 Byers Ave., Joplin, MO 64801 Mary of Egypt Amma Syncletica Part 1: The Desert Mothers- Mary of Egypt and Amma Syncletica

#Amma syncletica sayings series

There is no fee to attend the series and you are invited to register for one, or all three, opportunities. Brad will also be the homilist at Christ Church that Sunday. James in Springfield, and finally his own desert journey at Christ Church in Springfield on Sunday, Dec. The Desert Fathers presentation will start on Saturday, Dec. The first part of the series, Desert Mothers, will begin at St.

Their sayings create an environment that invites our spirit to grow into God’s deepest desires for us. The Desert Mothers and Fathers of the 4th and 5th centuries have stories that continue to speak to us about solitude and silence, death, grace, and true freedom. Brad Karelius will be doing an encore presentation of his 3-part series on desert spirituality in the southern part of the Diocese of West Missouri this December. Note: For the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, which bear a strong resemblance to the sayings quoted above, please see The Book of the Elders and The Sayings of the Desert Fathers. I am diligently working to get a facsimile published soon. I hope you enjoyed this selection of Sayings of the Dessert Fathers. W hen we turn our spirit from the contemplation of cheesecake, we become very hungry. Someone asked Abby Anthony, “What must one do in order to get something sweet?” The old man replied, “… whoever you may be, always have the dessert cart before your eyes…”

#Amma syncletica sayings full

Whatever helps us to get dessert, we must follow with all our might whatever hinders us from it, we must shun as a dangerous and hurtful thing. (Abba Moses)Ībba Poemen said about Abba Pior that every single day he made a fresh tart.įor he was a man full of discernment and the good odor of freshly baked pie. How can love function when there is a lack of freshly baked brownies? (Abba Elias) (Anna Theodora)Įating without distraction is wonderful, but eating dessert without distraction is superior. In the same way a pudding is not ready until it has had time to chill, so it is with us. What can get through all the traps of a sweet tooth? Humble pie. Whatever attracts you at the bakery is good. If you start on the cake, do not let a person discourage you. Reach out your hands, saying, “Give me that one.” (Abba Macarius)Īn Egyptian hermit said, “If you desire a pilgrimage to TCBY, begin by getting in the car.” (Unknown source) Ordering dessert does not require a lot of language. “Ī soggy pie is the worst of all baked goods.

They used to say of Abba Arsenius that all his life long, when he was sitting, he had a rag on his lap on account of the crumbs that fell when he ate cake.Ībba Moses asked Abba Sylvanus, “Can a man try a new dessert every day?” The Abba said, “If he works hard, he can try a new dessert at every moment.

(Abba Evagrius)Īn elder said, “He who does not receive all desserts as equal but discriminates, such a one is not perfect.”Īn elder said, “She who has the last piece of pie with her does well not to bring anybody else into her cell.” Take away temptation, and no one will eat dessert. Keep the hour in which you will eat the donut ever before your eyes. Why, dessert cart, did I let you get away? I have often been sorry that I passed on carrot cake, never that I indulged. Go sit with your éclair, and your éclair will teach you everything. Here begin the Sayings of the Dessert Fathers – Where possible, I have indicated the source of each saying. Further research is necessary to understand these sayings within the context of early monastic culture, but even a cursory glance reveals a wisdom that I think will surprise you. I transcribed and translated these sayings in the winter but felt I needed to wait until Lent was over to unveil them to the public. Based on the tendency of these sayings to focus on baked goods, as well as what appeared to be grease spots dotting the parchment, I dubbed this section the Sayings of the Dessert Fathers. Anthony and other Desert Fathers and Mothers. The manuscript contained several standard prayers and a Life of Christ, but it really got interesting in the final few folios, which proved to contain an unusual selection of sayings from monks who lived around the time of St. While doing research last fall, I found a previously uncatalogued manuscript in a European research library (I won’t name the library because it would probably embarrass them to have everyone know that they left a manuscript uncatalogued). Note the bird who is bringing them a cookie. Anthony (public domain image via Wikimedia Commons).