Practical Guide to Everyday Holiness

Ins spite of the fact that he was one of the most revered of the desert fathers, I had completely forgotten about St John the Dwarf until I read a short quotation from his writings on the excellent Milk and Honey blog which I’ve reproduced below. For those wanting to know more, there’s a charming account of his life and holiness on Fr Robert F. McNamara’s Saints Alive web resource.

I think it is best that a man should have a little bit of all the virtues.

Therefore, get up early every day and acquire the beginning of every virtue and every commandment of God. Use great patience, with fear and long-suffering, in the love of God, with all the fervor of your soul and body.

Exercise great humility, bear with interior distress; be vigilant and pray often with reverence, with purity of speech and control of your eyes. When you are despised do not get angry; be at peace, and do not render evil for evil.

Do not pray attention to the faults of others, and do not try to compare yourself with others, knowing you are less than every created thing. Renounce everything material and that which is of the flesh.

Live by the cross, in warfare, in poverty of spirit, in voluntary spiritual asceticism, in fasting, penitence and tears, in discernment, in purity of soul, taking hold of that which is good. Do your work in peace.

Persevere in keeping vigil, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, and in sufferings. Shut yourself in a tomb as though you were already dead, so that at all times you will think death is near.