Episode 36: A Fall

Episode 36: A Fall

Author: Exodus 90 September 3, 2025 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 performed a miraculous act but later fell into sin, the discussion emphasizes the need for genuine repentance and the understanding that no one is beyond temptation. The episode encourages listeners to reflect on their own spiritual journeys and the significance of authentic faith.

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This January, take up the example of the Fathers and embrace a life of prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. Leave behind the pharaohs and idols that keep you enslaved and take up the journey to the promised land. Join tens of thousands of men from all around the world for the Exodus 90 Challenge. We start January 5th, 2026.

Download the Exodus 90 app or visit Exodus90.com to learn more

Visit Desertfathers.com to join our email newsletter for updates and reflections.

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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


• 🎙️ ...edited and supported by Saint Kolbe Studios


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

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Chapters


00:00 Introduction to the Desert Fathers' Wisdom

02:06 The Story of the Young Monk and His Fall

09:03 Reflections on Repentance and Grace





Tags:

Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden, spiritual wisdom, repentance, humility, Abba Antony, Christian teachings, monastic life, spiritual growth, humility in faith


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: 78

Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden
Podcast Episodes
Episode 53: Reflection Upon the Desert Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:00
In episode 53, join Jamie Baxter of Exodus 90 and Bishop Erik Varden for a conversation all about filming Desert Fathers, what they learned, how the writings of the Desert Fathers have impacted them, and more.__________T…
Episode 52: The World in a Ray of Sun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:40
In the dark of night, while the monastery slept, St. Benedict kept vigil.Standing at his window, he watched a light descend from heaven, brighter than the day itself.And in that light, he saw something extraordinary.For…
Episode 51: Thunderstruck [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:14
Imagine a voice that shakes the heavens. A light that makes you radiant from within.That’s what St. Benedict wants us to experience.This week, we hear about the divine thunder and deifying light that rouses us into the f…
Episode 50: Facing the City, Leaving It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:06
St. Benedict saw the world differently. Others pursued knowledge, pleasure, prestige. He wanted more.Once he grew up and could make his own decisions, he sought only what would last: God.In this week’s episode, we reflec…
Episode 49: From Egypt to Italy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:01
Imagine a narrow cave. A little bell to signal a visitor. A rope lowered to bring food.Alone, fasting, praying… Benedict spent three years here preparing for his sacred mission.In this episode, we visit the very cave whe…
Episode 48: Endure Your Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:28
What should we do with intrusive, impure thoughts?The more we try to push them away, the harder they seem to stick.If only we had a mental delete button. It’s exhausting to feel like our own minds are working against us.…
Episode 47: Modes of Combat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:03
Abba Netras thrived in the desert. Life was simple. His soul was at peace.Then the Church called him to be a bishop in the city. Suddenly his quiet life was over.How did Bishop Netras respond?This week, we see that true…
Episode 46: No Angel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:00
Work can seem dull at times. Didn't God create us to praise Him, instead? That seems much preferred to work. Practical life, it can seem, gets in the way of the spiritual life. If only we could live like the angels in a…
Episode 45: Legitimate Rest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:38
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden articulates the importance that rest plays in our lives—particularly our spiritual lives. He discusses the monastic idea of "holy leisure," also called "recreation,"…
Episode 44: To Gain a Brother [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
When a friend or relative has been living in sin, how should we respond? Do we confront him and risk pushing him away? Or do we stay silent and thereby condone the sin?In this episode of Desert Fathers, we find a middle…