Finally.

Our weekly wisdom brings us to one of our Desert Mothers (Syncletica - one of the few women who has contributions in “The Sayings of the Fathers”). She provides us with some helpful wisdom that resonates with me in the cold days of November; and challenges me when I complain, “why is this so hard.”

“Abess Syncletica of Holy Memory said: ‘There is labour and great struggle for the impious who are converted to God, but after that comes inexpressible joy. A man (sic) who wants to light a fire first is plagued by smoke, and the smoke drives him to tears, yet finally he gets the fire that he wants. So also it is written: Our God is a consuming fire. Hence we ought to light the divine fire in ourselves with labour and with tears.’” (Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert p. 55)