As an Anglican priest from Croatia (a rare breed indeed), I spend considerable time in Egypt, studying the Desert Fathers and Mothers and visiting Coptic monasteries. In the stillness of the desert, I encounter a spirituality that opposes today’s culture of constant change. Here, Coptic monks live out the foundational Christian values of stability and faithfulness, a counterpoint to the restless rhythm of the modern world. The Desert Fathers and Mothers were some of the earliest Christian monks. They lived in the fourth and fifth centuries in Palestine and Syria, but they were particularly famous and numerous in Egypt. Often from wealthy and important families, these mystics did not stay in their comfortable homes. They withdrew into the desert seeking a life of prayer, simplicity, and inner meditations. Among the most famous are Abba Anthony (St. Anthony the Great), Abba Macarius, Abba Pachomius, and others. They lived in small cells, weaved and sold baskets to sustain themselves, prayed, and offered spiritual guidance. The monks, then and now, embody a lifelong commitment to vigilant prayer, ascetic discipline, and communal obedience, sustaining the ancient desert tradition of watchfulness or mindfulness as a living path of transformation and service to humanity.
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The Desert Fathers and Mothers are famous for their short sayings. Over time, these were collected in a work called “Apopthegmata Patrum,” fourth- and fifth-century collection of the Desert Fathers’ wisdom which offers guidance for every age. One of my favorites is from Amma Syncletica, who affirms, “In the beginning, there is struggle and a lot of work for those who come near God. But after that, there is indescribable joy. It is just like building a fire: at first it’s smoky and your eyes water, but later you get the desired result. Thus we ought to light the divine fire in ourselves with tears and effort.”
“Stay in Your Cell”
I first learned about Desert Monasticism during my seminary studies. I was fascinated by the Holy Tradition and the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Church, whose writings offer us the knowledge, mysticism, and wisdom humanity needs in any historical age. For any apostolic church, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican, the saints of old serve as beacons for our everyday life. The Egyptian Fathers are not as well-known as they deserve to be, although we owe them so much. They became the first Christian hermits and wrote the first rules of monasticism. The very roots of well-known orders, such as the Benedictines or Basilians, are to be found in the cells of St. Pachomius in the Egyptian desert. And while there are translated books about their sayings, the real experience of the Desert Monks can only come through visiting these places.In Wadi Natrun, Al Fayyoum, and the deserts near the Red Sea, standing among monasteries that have been alive with prayer for more than 15 centuries, I began to understand their world.
“Stay in your cell, and it will teach you everything” is an old proverb from the Apophtegmata Patrum. Abba Moses, one of the Desert Fathers, advised a restless young monk to return to his cell and promised him that he would find all his answers there. God often approaches in quiet and stillness, revealing our illusions and strengthening faith. Therefore, a monk’s cell is not merely a physical space. It is a spiritual reality representing an inner world of the heart, the place where we face our own demons, fears, and desire to escape. In desert monasteries, the walls reflect our instability and call us to make peace with God.
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Remaining in place is often harder, but also more transforming, than escaping. Imagine yourself in such a cell, with a thousand thoughts coming your way, with numerous desires filling your mind, and an incredible urge to flee fast and far away. But comfort is not what monks seek. Silence, they say, strips away illusions. It shows how weak we are and how dependent we are on God’s mercy. Monks are not isolated — as the world often assumes. They are radically present, deliberately remaining where God placed them. They do not flee the world into oblivion, but carry it in prayer, transforming solitude into a constant meeting with Christ. What a challenge for modern life!
Learning from the monks
The lives of these monks are far from easy. They endure a harsh, arid landscape, with scorching days and frigid nights. Doubt and spiritual dryness persist. Some nights, God feels impossibly distant. Yet, they remain steadfast. They are aware of wars, conflicts, and societal upheavals. “We do not abandon the world,” an elderly monk tells me. “We bring it before God in our cells, but we have no illusion of control. That is liberation.”
Modern Christians face many issues, but the Desert Fathers and Mothers show that true identity is found in remaining steadfast before God. Today’s busyness makes everything temporary, fueling the search for alternatives. The desert, however, offers no escape. Monks stay despite the discomfort, shattering the illusion that avoiding responsibility means freedom. Their example urges us to dig deeper in one place to build lasting strength.
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Lent as an invitation to stay
To “stay put” means to foster patience, since rushing is a poor habit. Patience, a gift of the Holy Spirit, shapes us over time and brings internal freedom without escape. In patience, we find connection with God and freedom from fear. Storms are welcome. But remember: spiritual growth is like a tree rising in the desert — slow but lasting.
Lent gives us 40 days to return to our inner cell — a time to be silent and attentive, setting aside distractions to hear God. Like monks who pray at night, Lent invites us to stay with what is difficult, to remain present with our weaknesses and questions. The Desert Fathers and Mothers offer a guiding example.. May this Lent invite us to return to our inner cell as a gift and time to grow!
