Bonus Roundtable: The Source of Strength

Bonus Roundtable: The Source of Strength

Author: Exodus 90 June 19, 2025 Duration: 35:06

Have a question for Bishop Varden?

In this bonus roundtable for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year with Bishop Erik Varden, host Jamie Baxter and guests Adam, Doyle, and Jared dive into the powerful story of Amma Sarah, the first Desert Mother featured in the series. For thirteen years, Amma Sarah battled the demon of lust, never praying for the temptation to leave but instead seeking God’s strength. Her witness—“Not I have vanquished you, but Christ, my Lord has”—offers timeless wisdom on embracing crosses for spiritual growth. Join us as we explore how her example challenges modern notions of Christianity and calls us to holiness through trial.

Key Topics Covered:

  • Amma Sarah’s 13-year battle with lust and her reliance on Christ’s strength
  • The revolutionary role of Desert Mothers in showcasing holiness for all
  • Rejecting “crossless Christianity” and embracing temptation as a path to virtue
  • Practical wisdom: Controlling the controllables to face life’s challenges
  • The importance of small crosses in daily sanctification

Action Item: Be attentive to the “little crosses” given each hour. Embrace them as opportunities for transformation, seeing each as “a kiss from the Crucified.”

Why Listen?

This episode challenges modern misconceptions of faith, offering Amma Sarah’s example as a call to persevere in spiritual combat. Perfect for those seeking deeper Christian wisdom, spiritual growth, or insights from the Desert Fathers and Mothers.

Get Involved:

  • Submit questions for our upcoming Q&A with Bishop Varden at desertfathers.com or email hello@desertfathers.com.
  • Join Saint Michael’s Lent starting August 15 on the Exodus 90 app. Visit exodus90.com to learn more about this powerful devotion led by CFR priests Fr. Innocent and Fr. Angelus Montgomery.

Resources:


Subscribe and share with a friend to journey deeper into the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers!

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We owe a special thanks to our partners. Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden is...

• 🦉...written by Bishop Erik Varden. You can follow Bishop Varden on his blog, coramfratribus.com.

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90, download the Exodus 90 app today


There’s a particular kind of stillness that feels almost impossible to find now, a quiet where you might actually hear something other than the next notification. Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden is built around that search for quiet, drawing direct lines between our fragmented modern experience and the ancient, radical journey of the early Christian monastics. This isn’t a history lesson, though you’ll certainly learn. Instead, Bishop Varden, with the Exodus 90 community, acts as a guide through a year-long exploration, starting at the new year. Each episode becomes a point of reflection, using the stark wisdom of those who went into the literal desert to find God as a mirror for our own crowded lives. You’ll hear their stories and sayings unpacked not as relics, but as surprisingly urgent counsel for anyone feeling parched by the pace and pressure of today’s culture. The rhythm of this podcast is intentional-meant to be absorbed slowly, creating space to consider how their pursuit of essential truth challenges our own attachments and distractions. It’s an invitation to see your own daily landscape, with all its demands and digital noise, as a place where that same transformative silence can be cultivated.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden
Podcast Episodes
Episode 43: Detraction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:11
Bishop Erik Varden explores the theme of detraction and judgment through the lens of a hermit's vision. The conversation covers the consequences of gossip, the importance of conversion, and the efficacy of sacraments, em…
Episode 42: Scope of Judgement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:15
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the theme of judgment through the lens of the Desert Fathers' teachings, particularly focusing on the story of Abba Isaac. He discusses the dangers of judgin…
Episode 41: Rejection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:10
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden reflects on the teachings of the Desert Fathers, focusing on the themes of forgiveness, community, and the transformative power of God's mercy. Through the story of A…
Episode 40: Q&A w/ Bishop Varden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:43
In this Q&A session with Bishop Erik Varden, Jamie Baxter and Bishop Varden explore:The nature of love and self-forgetfulnessPhilosophical perspectives on progressThe relevance of Stoicism The implications of artificial…
Episode 39: A Low Profile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:35
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the theme of humility through the teachings of the Desert Fathers, particularly focusing on Abba Moses and Abba Simon. He discusses how these figures exempli…
Episode 38: Professions of Humility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:12
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the themes of humility and vainglory through the teachings of Abba Serapion. He discusses the importance of aligning one's words with actions and the dangers…
Episode 37: At the Baker's [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:06
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the teachings of the Desert Fathers, focusing on the themes of humility, the dangers of vanity, and the importance of genuine spiritual practices. Bishop Var…
Episode 36: A Fall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:49
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden reflects on the teachings of the Desert Fathers, particularly focusing on the importance of humility and the dangers of pride. Through the story of a young monk who p…
Episode 35: On Hunting Dogs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:51
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the theme of fortitude through the lens of monastic life, using the analogy of a hound pursuing a hare to illustrate the importance of unwavering focus on Ch…
Episode 34: Living with Infirmity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:22
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden and Jamie Baxter explore the theme of fortitude in the face of suffering, particularly through the lens of illness. They reflect on the teachings of Amma Syncletica,…