Good morning. Hope all goes well.

One of the well known spiritual writer of today, Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB gives us insight from the DESERT MONASTICS. There were woman and men who left their societies to life as hermits or in small communities to be able to contemplate and pray. Many came to these people for spiritual guidance.

From her book, Wisdom from the desert Monastics Sr. Joan tells us the following about Abba (Father) Zosimas who may gives us a fresh and refreshing insight about ourselves and our spiritual growth. “All things are from God. Neither of them guarantees spiritual doom. Nor does either go them guarantees wholeness. It all depends on what we do with each of them – both the gifts and the temptations – as they come.”

The Desert Monastics call those things ” ‘demons’ . . . All that happens in situations like this is that something good – a penchant for silence – turns into a surrender to the demons within. At the same time, these holy ancestors of ours did not consider our struggles with our demons to be a measure of failure. On the contrary, As Abba Zosima says, there are such thing as “beneficial temptations.” Out of every struggle good is meant to come, not evil.”

The Good Lord leads us on a very winding path. Just when we think we are going one way we find that He is leading us in the opposite direction. Our job it to say yes to his invitation “Come, follow me!”

Be sure of our prayers for you and yours as we answer the call of the Lord.

Peace and all Good,

Fr. Vinnie, osf and the Bros

of the Franciscan House of Prayer.