I'm using a plan that has me reading through 10 of the Church Fathers during Lent this year. Yesterday was St. Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 21-30.
I miss the narrative that the previous several days' readings had. Anthony is now teaching those who are around him. Today's reading is Anthony's description of demons and the ways of demons. It was pretty interesting.
I miss the narrative that the previous several days' readings had. Anthony is now teaching those who are around him. Today's reading is Anthony's description of demons and the ways of demons. It was pretty interesting.
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drmellow- Greg Cohoon
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I hate to say it, but this is exactly the type of material that tends to discourage me. I know I'm not like Anthony nor is it at all likely I could be in this life, because I'm too much of a sinner. So is there hope for me in Christ or not? And for everyone else who is less accomplished in asceticism than he was?
And, yes, of course there is hope for us in Christ. While it's (sometimes) easy enough to understand that in a theoretical sense, I know it's not nearly as easy to truly believe it. Lean on Steve Brown's teaching to remind you that there is hope for you in Christ.
But I agree, hagiographical writing often gives the impression that the saints aren't real people. I guess it is natural to heap praise upon those you admire, and I guess is encouraging to some people, but to my mind it just sets an impossible standard of performance for the rest of us.