Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

DECEMBERA TIME OF SIGNS: CAELUM ET TERRADesert WarfareDECEMBER 2, TUESDAYI had a conference with Abuna Sidrak today. He told me aboutthe desert monastic understanding of the Evil One, of Satan. Hesaid that the monks commonly use the word afarit to denote the external,personal force of evil in the world, the fallen angelic race. Hesaid that there is an engagement with the Evil One in the life of allChristians after baptism and that, rather paradoxically, the furtherone grows in holiness, the greater is the possibility of that combat,that spiritual warfare. He said that no one passes through this lifeexempt from the possibility of attack, the possibility of temptationand struggle. Just as Jacob wrestled with the angel whom God sent,we are always wrestling with the fallen angels. Abuna Sidrak saidthat it is something which is especially a problem with the monks;they are always struggling against evil in the desert.Certainly, as a novice, I remember reading about the DesertFathers, about their constant warfare and their fearsome struggleswith temptations, direct and indirect, even their visitations fromthe Evil One in a variety of guises. The Fathers of the Church alsospoke a great deal about this subject, and it is rather remarkable, bycontrast, how little the struggle with evil is mentioned in contemporarycircles of spirituality in the West. Hollywood is far more interestedin this combat than are seminaries.Abuna Sidrak reminded me that the mission of Jesus can beviewed from a variety of angles, including the perspective of exor-58