Word from the Desert

…and their humility and patience was praised by many of the fathers. A certain holy man, hearing of this, wanted to test them and see if they possessed true and perfect humility. So he came to visit them. They received him with joy, and all together they said their prayers and their psalms, as usual. Then the visitor went outside the cell and saw their little vegetable garden. Seizing his stick, he rushed in with all his might and began to destroy every plant in sight so that soon there was nothing left at all. Seeing him, the two brothers said not one word. They did not even show sad or troubled faces. Coming back into the cell they finished their prayers for Vespers, and paid him honor, saying, “Abba, if you like, we can get one of the cabbage that is left, and cook it and eat it, for it is now time to eat.” Then the elder fell down before them, saying, “I give thanks to my God, for I see that the Holy Spirit rests on you.”

…his disciples gathered around him and said, “How ought we to conduct ourselves?” The old man said to them, “I do not think I have ever told one of you to do something without having first made the decision not to get angry, if what I said were not done, and so we have lived in peace all our days.”

“Let your thoughts be ever in the Kingdom of Heaven and soon you will possess it as a heritage.”

…If a man remembered that it is written, “By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:37), he would choose to be silent.

…Just as no one can cause harm to someone who is close to the emperor, no more can Satan do anything to us if our souls are close to God, for truly he said, “Draw near to me, and I shall draw near to you.” But since we often exalt ourselves, the enemy has no difficulty in drawing our poor souls into shameful passions.

…When I first came from Rome to Alexandria and heard about (Abba Pambo’s) virtue from the blessed Isidore, who showed me the way to him in the desert, I took him a silver coffer containing three hundred pounds of silver and invited him to share in my wealth. He was sitting weaving palm leaves, and he merely blessed me and said, “May God reward you!”

And he told his steward Origen, “Take this and dispense it to all the brethren down in Libya and on the islands, for those monasteries are in greater need.” He gave him orders not to dispense any of it in
Egypt because that country was better off.”

She continued: I was standing by and expecting to be honored and praised by him for my donation, but I heard nothing from him, and so I spoke up to him, “So you may know, my lord, how much it is, there are three hundred pounds.”

He did not so much as raise his head, but said, “My child, He who measures the mountains knows better the amount of the silver. If you were giving it to me, you spoke well, but if you are giving it to God, who did not overlook the two obols, then be quiet.”

Palladius, Historia Lausiaca 10.2-4

…while they remained there talking about what is beneficial to the soul, he remained silent. The elders said to him, “You are not answering us, father. It was for the benefit of your counsel that we came to you.” Then he said to them, “Forgive me, but I did not know what you were talking about until just now. But I can tell you what is the matter with me; I can see nothing else, either by night or by day, but our Lord Jesus Christ hanging on the Cross.” They went their way greatly edified.

John Moschos, Leimonarion (The Spiritual Meadow) 64

…is always subjugated to unhappiness and anxiety, for on the one hand he trembles for fear that they take his things away from him, while on the other he trembles for fear that his soul be taken from him. Now, the miser whose hand is sore from his tight hold on things, also squeezed his own heart, and turned it into stone. In order for him to be healed, he must visit unfortunate people, to suffer, so that he will be forced to open his hand slowly, slowly, and his heart of stone will also start to soften. It will become a human heart and in this way the gates of Paradise will also open.

Elder Paisios the Athonite

…came to see Abba Sisoes on Abba Anthony‚s mountain. On the way, it happened that his son died. He was not troubled by this but brought him with confidence to the old man and bowed down with his son, as though making prostration, so that he would be blessed by the old man. Then the father stood up, left the child at the old man‚s feet and went outside. The old man, thinking that the boy was bowing to him said, “Get up, go outside.” For he did not know that he was dead. Immediately the boy stood up and went out. When he saw it, his father was filled with amazement and went back inside. He bowed before the old man and told him the whole story. When he heard it the old man was filled with regret, for he had not intended that to happen. So the disciple asked the father of the child not to speak of it to anyone before the old man’s death.

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A brother asked Abba Sisoes the Theban, “Give me a word,” and he said, “What shall I say to you? I read the New Testament, and then I turn to the Old.”

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Abba Ammoun of Rhaithou asked Abba Sisoes, “When I read the Scriptures, my mind is wholly concentrated on the words so that I may make elaborate comments and so to prepare myself to answer questions on it.” The old man said to him, “That is not necessary; it is better to enrich yourself through purity of spirit and to be without anxiety and then to speak simply.”

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Abba Sisoes said, “Let yourself be despised, cast your own will behind your back, and you will be free from care and at peace.”

St. Sisoes the Theban, commemorated 6 July

…Many university students come and visit this place. At one time, ten of them came asking me to work a miracle. They were very persistent. I was thinking, how could I put some sense into these your people’s heads?

So I told them, “Fine, stand in line so that I can cut your heads off. Then I will work the miracle: I will put them back on you again. But keep a distance between you, because there is a danger of mixing your heads and bodies up. Are you ready? Are you anxious to see this wonder?”
They reacted immediately. “No, no! Don’t use us, Father,” they all said at once.

from An Athonite Gerontikon

…and said to him, “Abba, give me a word, that I may be saved.” So the old man said, “Go to the cemetery and abuse the dead.” The brother went there, shouted abuse at the dead, and threw stones at them; then he returned and told the old man about it. The latter said to him, “Didn’t they say anything to you?” He replied, “No.” The old man said, “Go back tomorrow and praise them.” So the brother went away and praised them, calling them, ‘Apostles, saints and righteous men.’ He returned to the old man and said to him, “I have complimented them.” And the old man said to him, “Did they not answer you?” The brother said no. The old man said to him, “You know how you insulted them and they did not reply, and how you praised them and they did not speak; so you too if you wish to be saved must do the same and become like a dead man. Like the dead, take no account of either the scorn of men or their praises, and you can be saved.”

…”Do not be always wanting everything to turn out as you think it should, but rather as God pleases; then you will be undisturbed and thankful in your prayer.”

On this day the new bread of the spirit
has gone up to heaven.
The mysteries were revealed in Your Body
which has gone up as an offering.
Blessed be Your bread, O Lord!

The Lamb has come to us from the house of David;
the priest, from the stock of Abraham,
has become for our sakes the Lamb of God,
the new minister of sacrifice.

His Body is the victim, His Blood is our drink.
Blessed be the new sacrifice!

He has descended from heaven like the light;
is born of Mary as a divine shoot;
as a fruit He has fallen from the Cross;
and is offered up to heaven as the first fruits.
Blessed be His will!

You are the offering of heaven and of earth,
immolated and at the same time adored.
You came to be a victim,
You ascended as a singular offering,
You ascended, Lord,
bearing with You the offering of Your sacrifice.

St. Ephrem the Syrian
4th century

…and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord’ (Heb. 12:14), Why did he say ‘strive’? Because it is not possible for us to become holy and to be saints in an hour! We must therefore progress from modest beginnings toward holiness and purity. Even were we to spend a thousand years in this life we should never perfectly attain it. Rather we must always struggle for it every day, as if mere beginners.

St Symeon the New Theologian

…a few weeks before his death (1978), received two lay pilgrims in his hut. He always smiled when he received visitors, for he saw Christ Himself in their faces, according to the Gospel’s word: “I was a stranger and you took Me in.” (Matthew 25:35)

from An Athonite Gerontikon

…to give him a word. He said, “Why do you make me speak without need? Whatever you see, do that.”

…at the lavra of Octokaidekaton (18 miles west of Alexandria) said to my lord Sophronius and to me: This is the way the demons work; after causing a soul to fall into sin, then they cast us into despair to destroy us completely. The demons are always saying to the soul, „When will his name die and be destroyed?‰ (Ps. 40:6) If the soul is one of sobriety, it will answer them and say, „I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord.‰ (Ps. 117:17) Yet, since the demons are very impudent, they will turn back on you, saying, „Flee as a sparrow unto the hill.‰ (Ps. 10:2) We must answer them, „God Himself is my savior and my helper. I shall not be removed.‰ (Ps. 61:7)
Again he said: Do you be the door-keeper of your heart. And so that no alien may enter therein, say, „Are you on our side or the adversary‚s?‰

John Moschos, Leimonarion (The Spiritual Meadow) 110

…
Behold, O Lord, the waves of Your grace
have made me silent;
and no thought has been left in me
before Your good graces.
With what words can we praise You, O good King,
You who love our life?
Glory to You for the worlds
which You have created for our growth and pleasure,
leading us through all that You have created
to the knowledge of Your glory,
from now and unto the ages. Amen

St. Isaac the Syrian, seventh century

“…and all these things shall be added to you.” This commandment of the Lord, which conveys a complete and total trust in Divine Providence, is the ascetic‚s slogan and living practice.

Elder Cherubim from St. Basil (on Mt. Athos) was a carefree ascetic, filled with faith and hope. He was also a little hard of hearing, and one time he was isolated by snow in his impoverished hermitage for over a week without food. One day a stranger with a loaded mule knocked at his door. It was almost night. He asked whether he had time to reach St. Peter‚s Cave before dark and then to return to St. Paul‚s Monastery.

Ascetic Cherubim said to him, “My brother, there is so much snow that you won’t be able to get to St. Peter’s Hermitage even if you had ahead of you a whole day. Stay here tonight and you can go early tomorrow morning.”

The stranger replied, “Geronda, I have brought some food supplies which I would like to sell and then return to my work tonight. If you like, keep them, and give me a little money.”

“Since you are in a hurry, leave them here in this corner and I will give you the money which was given to me by a pilgrim.” He went to his room while the stranger was unloading the goods, but when he returned he was not there. He had disappeared. Father Cherubim looked outside and called, but there were neither footprints nor animal tracks in the snow. Then he realized that it had all been the visible energies of the invisible Divine Providence, which looks after everything. He entered his little chapel and thanked the Lord. With gratitude he placed food supplies in his small storage space. They lasted him the whole winter.

from An Athonite Gerontikon

…lived in Jerusalem and labored to earn himself enough to eat. And when he was standing in the marketplace trying to sell what he had made, by chance a bag fell on the ground near him, containing a thousand coins. The old man found it, and stood there thinking, “The one who lost it will soon come back.” And soon the man who had lost it came back lamenting. So Philagrius took him aside and gave him back his bag. The owner asked him to accept some of the coins, but the old man, though poor, would take nothing. Then the owner began to shout and call, “Come and see what the man of God has done!” But the old man fled away unnoticed, and left the town, so that they should not know what he had done, nor pay him honor.