Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: Modern desert spirituality

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Modern desert spirituality - shutup & pray

One of the things I love about the Desert Fathers is their bluntness regarding focusing on yourself, your prayer life and not judging others. I find it so refreshing.

If I had to summarise them for modern ears it would be ”So what?! shutup and pray!” 😂

Is that person annoying? - so what?! Shutup and pray!

Is this person being a hypocrite? - so what?! Shutup and pray!

Did someone cut you off in traffic? - so what?! Shutup and pray!

Did someone say something to offend you? - so what?! Shutup and pray!

The more you learn to just shutup and pray, it is very liberating. Then you learn to accept people with all their faults and flaws, but love them as Jesus loves them. It gives you patience with yourself and with others.

I still have a long way to go myself, but I have definitely felt the freedom the Holy Spirit gives (2 Corinthians 3:17) the deeper you enter into your spiritual life. The more you focus on what’s wrong with you instead of everyone eise. The more you understand and accept yourself as you are, while still trying to grow with grace to become a better person then you will slowly be transformed into a true Child of God (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, Matthew 6:9).

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.