Wisdom for the Desert of our Time

Episode 2:
Facing Antony’s Temptations

The enemy is displeased with our efforts to embrace the life of holiness and will actively seek to get in our way… he “hates what is good” as Saint Athanasius reminds us. We must respond as Antony did with courage and an open heart, knowing that temptation will come, but knowing also that the power of Christ and his cross is more powerful than the evil one and all his works.

Episode 1:
Changed by the Life of Antony

Modern life is like a desert, parched for the life-giving water that Jesus promised to woman at the well. The Desert Fathers offer timeless insights for our growth in self-knowledge, charity, and holiness.

Downloads

Wisdom for the Desert of our Time

Modern life is like a desert, parched for the life-giving water that Jesus promised to woman at the well. The Desert Fathers offer timeless insights for our growth in self-knowledge, charity, and holiness.

Meet Bishop Varden

Erik Varden is a Cistercian monk and the Bishop of Trondheim in Norway. 

He has become a leading Catholic voice through his writings that engage our secular culture using the language of beauty to point us to the centrality of our search for God, even when we look in the wrong places. 

A Catholic convert during his studies at Cambridge, he discovered the monastic tradition and the Desert Fathers, inspiring his own vocation at Mount St. Bernard's Abbey in England where he eventually became abbot.

He guides us through the insights won in the spiritual combat of the ancient desert which direct us to what we need most today: the love of Christ that conquers all obstacles.

Our Partners

The #1 Catholic Men’s App

The Exodus 90 Challenge begins January 20, 2025.

Over 250,000 men worldwide have embarked on this journey to Uncommon Freedom. Now it’s your turn.

EWTN Global Catholic Network is the largest religious media network in the world. Our content is available to stream on demand on a wide variety of platforms.

Hallow is the #1 prayer app in the world. Discover new ways to grow closer to God alongside millions of other Christians worldwide.