The wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers lies in their experiences of solitude, prayer, community life, work, and care for their neighbors. Their goal was transformation of their lives through openness to the presence and energy of God in Christ. They taught by example and by sharing narratives and sayings that reflect the deep human psychological and spiritual aspects of their journey toward authentic human life. The venue for their transformation was the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. They emphasized self-knowledge, humility, purity of heart, and love of God and neighbor. Far from being naïve, their sayings and narratives reflect honest struggles, temptations, and failures. They also demonstrate the disciplines of prayer and meditation that kept them centered in God as their only source of strength. The daily reflections in Desert Banquet introduce readers to a variety of these early Christian mentors and offer reflections on the significance of their wisdom for life in the twenty-first century.
"Desert Banquet can help us establish the environment necessary to recreate the essential spiritual values of the ancient desert experience: solitude, austerity, single-mindedness, reliance on God and spiritual parents, and deep, open listening...a valuable assistance for those who have a desire for spiritual transformation in whatever life context and is clearly one of the best books on Desert wi
Sister Renée Branigan, OSB, American Monastic Newsletter
"I loved this book! This is well-written survey of desert wisdom with modern relevance. The author has good psychological insights and pastoral sense. For personal growth value, I would take this book over contemporary self-help titles any day. A good source for lectio divina as well."
Karl A. Schultz, Author of How to Pray with the Bible
"This delightful book presents a year's daily readings from the Early Christian Desert tradition, with a very helpful spiritual commentary for each date. It is a veritable pocket Philokalia, such as we hear about in The Way of the Pilgrim. Fr. David Keller has done a great service in providing this very profound source of lectio divina for those seriously interested in the spiritual path."
Fr. John McGuckin, Professor of Byzantine Christian Studies, Columbia University
