27 October 2009

'Read These Things Now': Apologies & Books


Well, I returned from Texas last night anxious to get back into the swing of things here at Logismoi, but it's been a frustrating day in this regard. For some reason the 'Windows Wireless Service' on my computer is not working and I'm not picking up wi-fi signals no matter where I go. Being a computer idiot I am almost entirely helpless in the face of such problems, but perhaps my wife can figure something out. So once again, my apologies, but I can't say when I'll be able to post again.

I will just take the opportunity (I'm on my parents' computer!) to mention two books I managed to acquire at Holy Archangels: St Athanasius the Great, The Life of Antony and the Letter to Marcellinus, trans. Robert C. Gregg (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1980), and Palladius, The Lausiac History, trans. and annot. Robert T. Meyer, Ancient Christian Writers No. 34 (NY: Paulist, 1964), which Meyer, in his Introduction to the latter, calls 'The two most important source documents for the history of early monasticism in Egypt' (p. 3). I have long intended to add copies of these books to my growing collection of such 'source documents' in translation. As St Athanasius writes at the end of the Vita Antonii (94):

Therefore, read these things now to the other brothers so that they may learn what the life of the monks ought to be, and so they may believe that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ glorifies those who glorify him, and not only leads those who serve him to the end into the Kingdom of heaven, but even here, though they conceal themselves and seek to retire, he makes them known and celebrated everywhere, both because of their own virtue and because of their assistance to others. (p. 99)

2 comments:

Kevin P. Edgecomb said...

If your phone works, give me a call. I can walk you through some things to try.

George Patsourakos said...

We need to assist others when they have fallen and need help. We also need to glorify Christ for everything that He has done for us.