top of page
  • Writer's pictureDESERT HERITAGE

Simplicity - Spiritual Discipline

Three key atti­tudes of heart help to sum­ma­rize this inter­nal focus. If what we have we can receive as a gift from God; and if what we have we know is to be cared for by God; and if what we have can be avail­able to oth­ers when it is clear­ly right and good, then we are liv­ing in the inward real­i­ty of sim­plic­i­ty. But if what we have we feel that we alone have got­ten; and if what we have we believe is up to us to hold on to; and if what we have we can­not make avail­able to oth­ers when it is clear­ly right and good, then we are liv­ing in duplicity.

Always remem­ber that sim­plic­i­ty is both a dis­ci­pline and a grace.

It is a dis­ci­pline because we are called to do some­thing. Sim­plic­i­ty does not just fall on our heads. We are to take up a con­scious­ly cho­sen course of action that involves both group and indi­vid­ual life. It is also a grace: a grace because the life that comes from our efforts is giv­en to us by God. We know this by expe­ri­ence, for the results are always far in excess of the effort we put in. The life which sim­plic­i­ty brings is a super­nat­ur­al gift to be gra­cious­ly received.


In the midst of the Nazi ter­ror, Diet­rich Bon­ho­ef­fer said, ​“To be sim­ple is to fix one’s eye sole­ly on the sim­ple truth of God at a time when all con­cepts are being con­fused, dis­tort­ed, and turned upside-down.”2 Such a focus will set us free from dou­ble-mind­ed­ness and enable us to cut through the Gor­dian knots of life.

Recent Posts

See All

Citrus Saturdays In collaboration with United Food Bank, St. Mary’s Food Bank staff and trucks will be ready to accept your citrus donations at the location below: March 4, 2023 March 11, 2023 Desert

The Desert Heritage Women's Group meets monthly on the 2nd (second) Monday of each month at 12pm (noon). You are invited to attend either in person at the Church or online via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting

Desert Heritage Women's Group will meet on Monday February 13, 2023 at 12pm in person and via Zoom. https://tinyurl.com/tp5ja34w

bottom of page