The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

This collection appears in a couple of formats but, I am partial to the one done by Benedicta Ward. The title “Desert Fathers” refers to a group of monks who lived in the Egyptian desert community of Scetes. This group of ascetics moved to the desert to escape the temptations of life and focus on God. The book contains brief statement from several of the monks designed to capture the wisdom they discovered. Some of the sayings resemble the Book of Proverbs, others tell of brief encounters the monk had. All of these are designed to be meditated on in the way the monk would have. It is easy for one to skip through the book gleaning wisdom from a different saint each day, truly worthwhile.