The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XVII, Part I

The desert was a laboratory. The monks went into its depths precisely to push the limits of what they needed in order to sustain themselves; whether it be food, water or sleep. Therefore, we must not find ourselves put off by the stories that seem so extreme. Quite simply, they were extreme!

The desert being a laboratory, compelled the monks not only to evaluate their motives but also the restraint and measure that was necessary in order not to fall into extremes where they would hurt themselves physically or spiritually. Wisdom is hard won. The generations of monks who lived in the desert offer us a profoundly astute understanding of the human person, our needs, our motivations, and what strengthens or harm us in the spiritual life. 

They often learned through error. Sometimes their judgment or lack thereof was a source of profound humility. In the coming weeks, we will be presented with the greater wisdom and balance that began to emerge out of this lengthy experience.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:17:27 Jacqulyn: I'm from Oklahoma!   00:18:23 Anthony: Replying to "I'm from Oklahoma!"     Nice. I'm from Virginia   00:20:47 Jacqulyn: Reacted to "Nice. I'm from Virgi..." with 👍   01:16:46 Anthony: His weeping sounds like DaVinci who lamented not using God's gifts more, or like Cyrano de Bergerac who struggled to maintain honor.   01:17:11 Una McManus: What edition of the book are we using?   01:17:28 Una McManus: Can someone write it here? Thanks   01:17:42 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:18:57 Andrew Adams: Thank you, Father!