A brother whom another brother had wronged...

…came to see Abba Sisoes and said to him, “My brother has hurt me and I want to avenge myself.” The old man pleaded with him saying, “No, my child, leave vengeance to God.” He said to him, “I shall not rest until I have avenged myself.” The old man said, “Brother, let us pray.” Then the old man stood up and said, “God, we no longer need you to care for us, since we do justice for ourselves.” Hearing these words, the brother fell at the old man’s feet, saying, “I will no longer seek justice from my brother; forgive me, abba.”

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Abba Sisoes expressed himself freely one day, saying, “Have confidence: for thirty years I have not prayed to God about my faults, but I have made this prayer to him: “Lord Jesus, save me from my tongue,” and until now every day, I fall because of it, and commit sin.”

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Abba Joseph asked Abba Sisoes, “For how long must a man cut away the passions?” The old man said to him, “Do you want to know how long?” Abba Joseph answered, “Yes.” Then the old man said to him, “So long as a passion attacks you, cut it away at once.”

Abba Sisoes the Great, commemorated 6 July