The Church Fathers and Mothers advise
reading spiritual books as one means of spiritual development. In these
fast-paced contemporary times, the comment is often made that there is no time
to read spiritual books. Father Christos has selected a book for the August
book discussion that may be a good answer to the time crunch. Balaam’s
Donkey: Random Ruminations for Every Day of the Year is
a collection of short (usually 1 page) daily reflections that serve as
springboards for meditations on spiritual truths.
You might ask, “What is Balaam’s Donkey?” In the Old
Testament, Numbers 22:21-39 tells the story of Balaam, a pagan prophet, whose
donkey failed to obey Balaam when the donkey saw an angel three times. Each
time Balaam beat the donkey. The donkey then asked Balaam why he was beating
the him. What had the donkey done to Balaam? The Lord opened Balaam’s eyes
and he saw the angel too whereas previously he had been spiritually blind. God
was speaking through the donkey.
Monk Michael Casey, author of Balaam’s Donkey,
relays the teaching of the 8th century Palestinian Monk Dorotheos of
Gaza that God can use any channel to communicate a message. May that happen in
reading Balaam’s Donkey!
The book discussion will be held
immediately following the 6:00 p.m. service of the Paraklesis to the Theotokos
in the Family Life Center. Balaam’s Donkey is available in
the church bookstore and library.
Please note:
It is always recommended that spiritual literature be discussed with your
spiritual father or mother, or father confessor (or book discussion!).
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