Just as the rising tide lifts all ships, Ascension’s success with its “In a Year” series – Bible in a Year, Catechism in a Year, and Rosary in a Year – has made room for more. Now, 50-year-old Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, has announced a new collaboration with EWTN and Exodus 90 (a Catholic men’s ministry) that will bring us The Desert Fathers in a Year.
Recorded from the Cistercian monastery of Nový Dvůr in the Czech Republic, the series will take listeners through the lives and teachings of the Desert Fathers.
The Fathers are some of the earliest Christian leaders who helped to shape the Church in the first centuries.
Bishop Varden has become more familiar to English-speakers through The Pillar, where he was described as spiritual writer, scholar, musician, beer aficionado, Trappist monk, and head of the Territorial Prelature of Trondheim in Norway.
Exodus 90 explains that the podcast was born from the desire to provide listeners with “the nourishment needed for our spirits to flourish.” It notes that the creators identified a seeming absence of God from the “myriad of distractions” offered by the modern technological wonders. They write:
“Like those seeking God in the ancient world, it is time to embrace a different kind of desert, a place of silence and peace away from the daily barrage of sounds and images that overwhelm our senses and imagination.”
Designed to help listeners find “silence and balance in a hectic world,” episodes of Desert Fathers in a Year guide listeners through the Desert Fathers’ various insights on prayer, asceticism, community, and more.
In addition, Bishop Varden will share reflections on how best to practice the teachings of the Desert Fathers in the modern world.
“We live in a desert of distractions,” says Varden. “The Desert Fathers show us how to find true joy and meaning through Christ’s love. They learned to master distractions and temptations through prayer and silence, and this can inspire us to find direction in life.”
Learn more about The Desert Fathers in a Year on the podcast’s official website and look for the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the Hallow App, or your preferred streaming service.
