{"id":110333,"date":"2026-03-02T09:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T17:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/?p=110333"},"modified":"2026-03-02T09:38:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T17:38:55","slug":"abba-lot-for-lent-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/abba-lot-for-lent-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"I am still Abba Lot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"wpsdc-drop-cap\">D<\/span>uring Lent, I am often reminded of one of my favourite stories from the Desert Fathers. This year, perhaps, it hits a little differently. In the relative aloneness and solitude I live these days, I am much closer to the desert than in years previous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"is-style-default wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, &#8220;Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, &#8220;If you will, you can become all flame&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(<em>Sayings of the Desert Fathers<\/em>, Abba Joseph of Panephysis)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/one-final-lenten-thought\/abba-lot\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-85032\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"346\" data-attachment-id=\"85032\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/one-final-lenten-thought\/abba-lot\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?fit=782%2C1128&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"782,1128\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Abba Lot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Abba Lot&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?fit=710%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?resize=240%2C346\" alt=\"Abba Lot\" class=\"wp-image-85032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?resize=240%2C346&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?resize=104%2C150&amp;ssl=1 104w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?resize=710%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 710w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?w=782&amp;ssl=1 782w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">Abba Lot<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I very much identify with Abba Lot. There&#8217;s a quantum shift &#8211; a <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=mark+9%3A2-10&amp;version=RSVCE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transfiguration<\/a><\/em>, if you will &#8211; that I must pass through before I can share the divine life in the way that Abba Joseph did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps that moment is as late as a liminal space between this world and the next. Perhaps that moment will happen today. Who knows? I will leave it in God&#8217;s hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the meantime, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace, and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A blessed Lent to you all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During Lent, I am often reminded of one of my favourite stories from the Desert Fathers. This year, perhaps, it hits a little differently. In the relative aloneness and solitude I live these days, I am much closer to the desert than in years previous. Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, &#8220;Abba, as far as [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":108545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[46,15,3,16,20,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-annual","category-meditations","category-moments-in-time","category-saint","category-silence","category-wisdom"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/abba-joseph.avif","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1aGBK-sHz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":107656,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/i-am-still-abba-lot-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":110333,"position":0},"title":"I 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What else can I do?\u2019 Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Holy Days&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Holy Days","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/holy-days\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Pentecost-Duccio.jpg?fit=485%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":87034,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/a-final-lenten-thought-for-your-consideration\/","url_meta":{"origin":110333,"position":5},"title":"A Final Lenten Thought for your Consideration","author":"Thom","date":"22 March 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"During Lent, I am often reminded of this, one of my favourite stories from the Desert Fathers: Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, \u2018Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Meditations&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Meditations","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/meditations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?fit=782%2C1128&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?fit=782%2C1128&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?fit=782%2C1128&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Abba-Lot.jpg?fit=782%2C1128&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110333"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110336,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110333\/revisions\/110336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}