We are pleased to announce that the Monastery’s website (www.christdesert.org) has been updated in its “Prayer + Chant” section! A variety of sayings and stories from the early monastic “Desert Fathers” of the Church were added as spiritual teachings for the benefit of visitors to our site. These are arranged in two sections: the alphabetical collection of wisdom sayings from various Desert “Abbas” and a topical collection of such sayings and stories that list a number of monastic and Christian virtues that are essential to any authentic spiritual life.
The fruit of monastic contemplation and practical experience have been collected by many disciples of the Desert Fathers, the earliest Christian monks who inhabited the Middle Eastern wilderness since the end of the second century AD. These men left everything behind in search of knowing Jesus Christ by making the Gospels absolutely integral to their daily lives. They wanted to commit themselves totally, body, soul, mind, and will, to being a disciple of the Lord Jesus with a profound holy zeal moving them to become ever more like Christ. These monks practiced integrity of character with an unrelenting courage that required their whole being to remain in that state of constant humility that comes from knowing that they were loved by God. Paradoxically, their extraordinarily harsh penances often resulted in gentleness and patience towards others, especially other monks but also visitors who came seeking an understanding of the essence of spiritual life. These monks sought most of all to experience union with God in the quiet of the desert and in the silence of their hearts.
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert does from time to time update its website to assist our visitors in understanding the nature of the monastic life that is led here by this Benedictine community of monks. You are always welcome and encouraged to visit during the day or as an overnight guest for a number of days. Please go to our website and view the section on “Visiting” for more information.