title: The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (Penguin Classics)
author: Benedicta Ward
description: <b>Benedicta Ward</b> is a reader in the history of early Christian spirituality at the Theology Faculty in Oxford. She has translated <b>The Prayers and Meditations of St. Anselm</b> for Penguin Classics.
zlib_text: 2
  Selections From
  THE SAYINGS
  Of
  THE DESERT
  FATHERS
  With Kind Permission
  Of
  Cistercian Publication
  Title of the book  - The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
  Name of the translator - Sister Benedicta Ward SLG
  Publisher - Cistercian Publication
  Address of the published  - WMU Station, Kalamazoo, Michigan
  19008/USA
   Copyright, 1975
  
  Icon designed by Dr. Yousef  Nassief and Dr. Bedour Latif
  Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ King of Kings and
  Lord of lords
  
  H.H. Pope Shenouda III, 117th Pope of
  Alexandria and the See of St. Mark
  
  6
  ABBA ANTHONY THE GREAT
  Anthony the Great, called 'The Father of Monks' was born
  in central Egypt about AD the son of peasant farmers who
  were Christian. In c. 269 he heard the Gospel read in
  church and applied to himself the words. 'Go, sell all that
  you have and give to the poor and come . . .’ He devoted
  himself to a life of asceticism under the guidance of a
  recluse near his village.  In c. 285 he went alone into the
  desert to live in complete solitude.  His repu