The Goal
The goal of this site is to translate ancient Christian reflections on the spiritual life, usually from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, into our modern, 21st century context. In a word, to bring the desert to the world.
Ancient Christian spiritual texts are generally written by monks for monks. There is nothing wrong with this, but translating it from their context to our own can be difficult. This blog is as much my own effort to reflect and process this ancient wisdom as it is to help others relate to it as well. It does not claim to reflect the teaching of any church in particular, though the author writes from the perspective of his own tradition.
What is asceticism?
Asceticism, contrary to common misconception, does not require viewing the body as evil. Quite the opposite, in fact. Though ancient Christian ascetics have many negative things to say about the life of the body, the true meaning of asceticism is about exercise. It is about how we use our bodies to train our souls. In this sense, the ascetic perspective views the body with the highest dignity. Even the body ought not to be merely carnal; it was made to be spiritualized. In this way both soul and body are transformed through Christian asceticism, being ever conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Who cares?
The ascetic life is about learning to say no to ourselves and yes to God. Popular culture tends to advocate the opposite: “you’ve earned it”; “have it your way”—our world is full of pressure to live for ourselves and for the fleeting things in this life. However, one of the things that is most human about us is our ability to transcend our passions (emotional habits) and live beyond our own self-centered concerns. In order to do that, however, we need to cultivate an entirely different way of life. And for those of us living “in the world,” that means an everyday asceticism. We are capable, by God’s grace, of living intentionally righteous lives, and in so doing we find all that is truly fulfilling. Or, to put it better: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Everyday Asceticism 
Hello,
Could you elaborate on how the ascetic disciplines are practiced by the Orthodox Christians? For instance, how often do they fast and for how long? Do they abstain for all foods and drinks? For vigils, do they stay up for 24 hours or more?
Fasting is typically what is known as an ascetic fast (fasting from a few foods and drinks) rather than a total fast (no food/drink). The ideal for Orthodox Christians is to fast every Wednesday and Friday, as well as all through Advent, Great Lent, the Apostles Fast (late June), and the Dormition Fast (first two weeks of August) from meat (including fish but not shellfish), eggs, dairy, oil, and wine/alcohol. Most people only manage an approximation of this standard as is fitting for their diet/spiritual strength and as they have worked out with their spiritual father.
Vigils are more often practiced by monks, though I do know of Churches holding all-night services on special occasions. I think the only regular one would be the Pascha (Easter) service which begins around 11pm the Saturday night before Pascha and ends somewhere around 2:30. Monks, on the other hand, may regularly get up to pray for an hour in the middle of the night or perhaps all night in accordance with their own rule of discipline.
If you would like to read more about fasting or any other spiritual discipline, I would encourage you to try clicking on some of the category tags at the top of the page.
Thanks for your question.
How did the desert fathers practice those disciplines?
The desert fathers are sort of spiritual pioneers. While Christians have always practiced most, if not all, of these disciplines from the beginning, the desert fathers acted as trailblazers, clearing a path that many would follow. As such, it might also be helpful to think of them as scientists: they are conducting experiments and reporting results. If one reads their sayings and tries to apply each one as a universal standard, one will quickly run into contradiction. Rather their practice varied widely as they sought to discover solid rules for other Christians to follow. St. John Cassian, for example, says that there was no constant among the desert fathers when it came to what to fast from or how long to fast, except this: all agreed that one ought to always leave a little bit of hunger after a meal when one is fasting. Now that is dependable rule for any Christian who is wondering how to begin fasting.
How did the desert fathers discern whether or not their experiments worked? What are the types of results they report?
Well, the test is always virtue. The disciplines are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. To the extend that a particular practice assists one in acquiring virtue, that practice is recommended, given the context and circumstances. To the extent that a practice detracts from the attainment of virtue, they would warn against it. For example, they would not recommend that a person who has never fasted begin with a total fast. Often this leads a person to gorge themselves when the fast is finished, if one even makes it that far. Thus such fasting actually encourages gluttony. Instead, they would recommend starting small and under the supervision of a spiritual superior. Such fasting fosters obedience and self-control.
I understand that, but I’m wondering how the attainment of virtue can be observed and whether or not the various disciplines are conducive to that end.
I guess the idea is that at some point you just need to try it for yourself. They leave for us a sort of travelog, showing what worked for them and what did not. If a brother’s practice led to self-conceit or irritation with others, they would try to point out where that person went wrong. If someone became well-known for their humility, they would try to compile stories and sayings of that person so that others could learn from the example. To a certain extent, this can be really helpful to understanding the road ahead—like a map—but on the other hand there is some knowledge that can only be gained by traveling that road yourself.
Is there a dependable guideline for keeping vigils?
There is a pretty decent summary of the history and practice here: http://christdesert.org/Detailed/22.html
Thank you. You’ve been very helpful
You’re welcome.
I found your post “Striving for the First Step” a most interesting elaboration upon the patristic slave-servant-son distinction. No doubt you have studied ascetical theology in depth. Your rational, systematic analysis I find quite beneficial. I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future. God bless!
Thank you. That’s very kind.
Dylan, thanks for your blog. As an entrenched Evangelical stealthily exploring Orthodoxy (for well over a year now), your blog is becoming one of my more regular stops on the web. Glad I happened to stumble across you on Twitter when I did.
Thanks, Josh. I’m glad to hear that these reflections have been helpful to you. I’m biased, of course, but I will just say that I hope your exploration bears good fruit.
Thank you for your wonderful blog. Beyond your clear writing style you capture the importance and beauty of asceticism and the teachings of the Fathers. God bless, Fr. David
Thank you, Father. And thanks for reading!
Thank you for creating a beautiful place to be. With gratitude…
Thank you for reading!
As a pastor and follower of Christ who names Jesus as Savior and Lord, I definitely see see the need to recapture the 1st century discipline of getting away from the distractions of the this life to meditate and pray and receive from Jesus.
Jesus Himself stated it so simply and powerfully:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NKJV
This reminds me of this story in Pilgrims Progress:
There stood One over a man’s head with a celestial crown in his hand, and offered to give him that crown…; but the man did neither look up nor regard, but raked to himself the straws, the small sticks, and dust of the floor.
The point of the story as offered by John Bunyan in his classic book about the story of Pilgrim on his journey to follow Christ in this life on the narrow pathway to heaven Published, 1678 is very powerful:
“…know that earthly things, when they are with power upon men’s minds, quite carry their hearts away from God.”
Dear Dylan,
I am writing to you on behalf of the English version of the website of Sretensky Monastery in Moscow, orthochristian.com (also pravoslavie.ru/English). In case you are not familiar with our site, we strive to keep our readers updated daily on important news concerning the Orthodox Church worldwide, Christian persecution, Christian social issues, etc, as well as to present beneficial spiritual writings, homilies, lives of the Saints, etc.
We hope to share the Orthodox faith with as many as possible, and we are always looking for new ways to develop our site and to reach new readers. We also appreciate the effort of yours and so many other blogs that share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we ask if you would kindly consider adding our site to your blog roll. If you could do this we would be very grateful, and we look forward to continuing to provide timely and soul-profiting works for those both in and outside of the Church.
In Christ,
Jesse Dominick
Orthochristian.com
This is a tempting offer. Would Orthochristian/Pravoslavie put up a link to Everyday Asceticism on their homepage in exchange?
Dylan,
Why do you want other sites to link to yours, and yet do not allow people who come to your site to comment on your posts?
Well, the point of this blog isn’t discussion or argument. Even worse—God forbid—what if I actually attracted a following of people constantly telling me how great my posts are! I doubt that would be good for my soul. Instead, I get traffic or I don’t. And that’s all I get to know. No fan club. No haters. If people like what they read and it helps them, then that’s great. That’s the point. If not, no big deal. Instead of comments on posts, I allow comments on this page for general questions, thank yous, etc.
OrthoChristian.com has asked that I would add their site to my blog roll in order to introduce their site to a wider audience. I’m not against that idea, but it seems fair that if I would put up a link to their site, they’d add one for mine to introduce more people to it as well. So I’ve asked if they are interested in that. I’m not sure what relation such an arrangement has to comboxes on my posts.
Well, you could also attract a group of people constantly telling you how bad your posts are, which would keep you humble and do good to your soul. 🙂
Jokes aside, as a follower of your blog, I do find it awkward not being able to comment on your individual posts and receive feedback from you. To me personally, discussion is one of the best ways to learn.
You hope that visitors of your blog would benefit from your posts, right? Why not allow them to ask questions and address their concerns?
Thanks for following. I do really appreciate that.
As for criticism, I get enough criticism in the other writing I do to more than make up for lack of that blessing here. Frankly, this is also a place for me to get away from that.
Why not allow Q&A? Well, because I’m no one’s spiritual father, and only an official godfather to one. I’d rather, if people have questions, that they take their concerns to their priest or other trusted spiritual director rather than to me. That, I think, would be more beneficial for both of us.
I would respectfully disagree with your last point.
You may not be an ordained priest, but you’re not therefore relieved of spiritual responsibility, especially since you’re publishing a blog which may potentially exert spiritual influences on many, perhaps even more than a priest would in his parish.
Christians are exhorted to “build up each other”. Helping address each other’s questions and concerns about the Christian life is one way of “building up”, I think.
Well, I appreciate that vote of confidence, but this is a personal blog at heart. As it says in the description, I don’t write as an authority of any kind. I hope that sharing my experiences on my blog posts will build others up. At the very least, it helps me. Beyond that, I don’t feel competent go.
There is a difference between authority and responsibility. Few of us have authority, but all have responsibility. Responsibility means being willing and able to respond to questions and challenges, and give an account of one’s words and actions.
Sharing is a always two-way street. When people share, they speak and listen in turn. The authority figures in the world speak and do not answer. But the Almighty listens and answers prayers.
I understand that your blog is personal, so is mine :), but, these blogs are also public, and so we are responsible to the readers for their content, don’t you agree? At the very least, we should clarify any confusion that our posts may cause, and answer questions raised.
I think we simply disagree. I don’t think there is any moral mandate to have the comment box turned on or to answer readers’ questions. This is public simply by being published, as you note, but not in the same sense as other sites of a less personal nature. I have a job, a family, friends, and so on to whom I have a responsibility not to spend too much time online checking to see if people have commented on my posts. That is a more important responsibility to me. Artists publicly show their artwork without literal comment boxes—why can’t I share my thoughts and experiences without them? If someone wants to write a review of an artist’s show, they can publish an article elsewhere. Similarly, if someone wants to make comments or have a discussion about something I’ve written, they are welcome to do that at their own blogs or other publications. And like the artist I have no obligation to respond to or even read those responses.
Artists solicit opinions and reactions to their works, some even obsessively, and they respond to their critics with their art. As Thomas Merton would put it, “No man is an island”.
Anyway, I’m ready to agree to disagree. Thank you for sharing your views here. I hope you’ve enjoyed the exchange as much as I did.
Dylan, I am so grateful for having been led to your blog. It was of great service to my heart and mind during a moment of intense sadness in my life and I will certainly return here in order to incorporate it as part of my contemplative spiritual studies. Do you have a presence on Facebook and is it possible to post entries from your blog onto my wall?
Dear Cara,
I’m glad to hear that you found my blog helpful. I only have a personal Facebook and Twitter, not one for the blog, so they are both a mixed bag as far as spiritual content is concerned. I also share family photos and read comics and post about news and politics like anybody else. In fact, I created Everyday Asceticism as a place to get away from all that. That stuff isn’t bad, of course, but sometimes I just need a place on the internet to get away from it all. But you are welcome to share any posts you want! There is a little tab for email and social media sharing buttons at the bottom of each of my posts if you want to spread the word.
Sincerely,
Dylan
Well Dylan, I see that 5 years has passed since I reached out to let you know how wonderful it was to find your blog. Let me just say, MUCH has happened since then. During that time, I have been praying for and seeking two very important things: a mentor and a community, both for the purpose of discipleship training. I have found a wonderful intentional community who has sort of “adopted” me and my family without requiring us to join their communal commitment. Before cover, we would take trips to visit with them and they too would come to our house for fellowship, but now we can only get together online. Thankfully, two of the brethren decided to form an online discussion group that is open to anyone anywhere. We meet once a week online to discuss all types of topics in light of the teachings of Christ. I am so grateful for them but I long for more connection than merely an hour of dialogue a week. Also, the fact that I have yet to find a spiritual “desert mother” to be accountable to is also weighing heavy on my heart. I am currently reading “The Wisdom of the Dessert” by Thomas Merton and turning to your blog for additional nourishment and perspective. I felt compelled to write to you again to offer my gratitude for your faithful commitment to this blog and also to ask if you and your wife would consider visiting the online discussion group in order to contribute the love and wisdom of Christ that so clearly has blessed your life. It would be AMAZING to be able to speak with you both in person.
You can get a link to the group by going here: https://mailchi.mp/3a95f9eefa61/stir
Most folks, like me, are from NYC but at times there are people from various parts of the world who show up. As such, there are a wide range of people from different walks of life and religious affiliations who partake in the discussions but the one thread that ties everyone together is an unshakable love for Jesus and a serious desire to follow and serve Him. It’s the joy of my week to take part and it would be an incredible honor for you and your wife to join us sometime.
Thank you, Cara, for your kinds words.
What day/time does your group meet? Life is a bit crazy for us with four kids right now, but I could talk with my wife and maybe we could find a time that would work.
We meet every Tuesday. There are other married couples who either take turns or they mute the mic so they can listen without worry that kids might interrupt the session. Either way, we’d love to have you both! Tonight was a wonderful discussion on selfless giving in light of the Good Samaritan. You can sign up without any pressure to join every week. The sign up is just so you can receive a link to the session. Next Tuesday we will be discussion the book Mere Christianity.
I love this blog. I came across it in some other reading and I’m glad I did. Your line about living in the world but longing for the desert sums up a way I have felt for quite some time. Thanks for sharing all of this information and as I get through the content, I’m sure I’ll have lots of questions to ask. I’d like to send you a friend request on FB for follow up if that is alright 🙂
Thanks,
Joseph Heitzenrater
I’m sorry to say I’m just seeing this. I hope I didn’t miss your friend request. I’m glad the blog is helpful to you.
Dylan.
Just wanted to thank you for all your writing on this blog. I’ve found it at quite a pivotal point if my life and you’ve helped me learn a great deal through the work of the Deaert Fathers.
From December, 2017 to today, a day before Pentecost, 2018, I’ve managed through all your articles. I enjoyed every one.
I realise you’re not writing as frequently as you were and as one working from home, I understand how real life preoccupations can get in the way.
That said, please don’t stop. Prayers and wishes to you and the family.
Sean.
Thank you so much. My prime time to write is now usually occupied with a sleeping baby in my arms. Nothing to complain about, but it has caused me to slow down. And we have another baby coming in a few weeks…. I still have more to write, though, so don’t worry! It will probably just be a bit infrequent for a while.