Introduction to The Desert Mothers (oct 9, 225 – sep 19, 384)
Description:
Seeking an alternative to the legalism of conventional Christianity men and women abandoned their homes in search of a more devout faith. They started an exodus of faith seekers from city centers to the desert. They found themselves in the deserts of Persia, Syria, Egypt, and what is presently Turkey.
They sought to find a deeper more devout relationship with God. These men and women would become known as desert mothers and desert fathers. Starving mind and body to present their bodies as a sacrament to Christ.
The lifestyle of the men and women was known as asceticism. This lifestyle places spiritual fulfillment above the joy of earthly pleasures ie: sensual indulgences, worldly goods, financial and gains. Rather asceticism is focused on the immaterial and inner life. For the desert mothers, they would not only forgo their homes and material goods but also shirk marital expectations as well. Choosing instead to be “wed” to Christ.
