Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden

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.

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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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

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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 our final episode of Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden, we stand with St. Benedict in this holy moment.

It’s been a blessing to walk on this journey with you.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

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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 fullness of life.

God doesn’t just illuminate our path, He transforms us into His image.

Let’s reflect on what that means for you.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

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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 reflect on Benedict’s journey from worldly ease to holy freedom, and how his courage challenges us to ask: “What do I really want?”

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

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 where Benedict emerged to give the world his “little rule for beginners.”

We’ll dive into the final chapter of Benedict’s Rule, reflecting on how he distills the desert fathers’ teachings for anyone seeking a life fully devoted to God.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

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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.

This week, we see how the Desert Fathers faced this inner battle. 

They don’t promise quick fixes. But they offer a way to weaken these thoughts over time until they lose their grip.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

________

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 discernment means recognizing when your old routines no longer serve you—and having the courage to enter new modes of spiritual combat.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

________

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 state of constant praise.

But the fact of the matter is, we—humans—must attend to practical things as well as spiritual. As Bishop Varden says, "Angels have no need for supper."

This week's episode is a good reminder that the petty tasks we must undergo in life should not be a distraction from the spiritual life. We must hold them both in balance.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

________

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," and the differences between leisure and idleness. Bishop Varden reminds us that to be Christian, we must allow ourselves to constantly be "re-created" by God, which requires that we slow down and spend time in rest and leisure from time to time.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90. Download the Exodus 90 app today!

________

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 way.

An elder discovers a brother living a secret double life. Instead of calling him out, the elder waits patiently.

When the right moment comes, the elder offers a small but sincere gesture to the brother—which opens the door to repentance.

Fraternal correction seeks to win our brother back, rather than assert we’re right. Bishop Varden unpacks the elder’s example so we too can act with patience, wisdom, and love.

__________

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.

__________

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

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN