One of the fathers said...

…that there was one of the elders who was pure and holy; who, when he was celebrating the Eucharist, used to see angels standing to his right hand and to his left. He lad learned the eucharistic rite from heretics but, as he was unlearned in theological matters, when he offered the Eucharist he spoke the prayer in all simplicity and innocence, unaware that he was at fault. 

By the providence of God, there came to him a brother who was skilled in theology and it happened that the elder offered the Eucharist in his presence. The brother, who was a deacon, said to him, “Father, these things which you say at the Eucharist are not in accordance with the orthodox faith. They are not orthodox but kakadox (“bad-believing”). Since the elder could see angels when he was celebrating, he paid no attention to what was said, and thought nothing of it. But the deacon went on saying, “You are at fault, good elder; the Church does not allow these things to be said.” 

When the elder realized that he was being accused and blamed by the deacon, the next time he saw the angels, he asked them, “When the deacon speaks to me like this, what am I to make of it?” They said to him, “Pay attention to him; he is giving good counsel.” The elder said to them, “Then why did you not tell me so?” They said, “Because God has ordained that men should be corrected by men,” and from that time forth, he accepted correction, giving thanks to God and to the brother.

John Moschus, Leimonarion, 199

Amma Syncletica said...

…”Imitate the Publican and you will not be condemned with the Pharisee. Choose the meekness of Moses and you will find your heart which is a rock changed into a spring of water.”

In this monastery...

…there was another maiden who feigned madness and demon-possession. The others felt such contempt for her that they never ate with her, which pleased her entirely. Taking herself to the kitchen, she used to perform menial service and she was, as the saying goes, the sponge of the monastery, really fulfilling the Scriptures, “If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise.” She wore a rag around her head. All the others had their hair closely cropped and wore cowls. In this way she used to serve. Not one of the four hundred ever saw her chewing all the years of her life. She never sat down at table or partook of a particle of bread, but she wiped up with a sponge the crumbs from the tables and was satisfied with scouring pots. She was never angry at anyone, nor did she grumble or talk, either little or much, although she was maltreated, insulted, cursed, and loathed. 

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At the Lavra of the Towers...

…there was an elder who practiced poverty to an exceptional degree and yet his particular spiritual gift was that of almsgiving. One day a beggar came to his little tower asking for alms. The elder had nothing but a single loaf of bread which he brought out and gave to the beggar, “It is not bread I want,” said the beggar. “I need clothing.” Wishing to minister to the man’s needs, the elder took him by the hand and led him into his tower. When the beggar found that there was nothing there at all other than what the elder stood up in, he was so impressed by his virtue that he opened his bag and emptied out all its contents in the middle of the cell. “Take this, good elder,” he said, “I will get what I need elsewhere.”

John Moschus, Leimonarion (The Spiritual Meadow) 9

Two brethren went to an elder who lived alone in Scete

And the first one said, “Father, I have learned all of the Old and New Testaments by heart.” The old man said to him, “You have filled the air with words.” The other one said, “I have copied out the Old and New Testaments and have them in my cell.” And to this one, the old man replied, “You have filled your window with parchment. But do you not know Him who said, ‘The kingdom of God is not in words, but in power?’ And again, ‘Not those who hear the Law will be justified before God but those who carry it out.’” They asked him, therefore, what was the way of salvation, and he said to them, “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and humility with patience.”

One day St. Epiphanius sent someone to Abba Hilarion with this request...

…”Come, and let us see one another before we depart from the body.” When he came, they rejoiced in each other’s company. During their meal, they were brought a fowl. Epiphanius took it and gave it to Hilarion. Then Abba Hilarion said to him, “Forgive me, but since I received the habit I have not eaten meat that has been killed.” Then the bishop answered, “Since I took the habit, I have not allowed anyone to go to sleep with a complaint against me, and I have not gone to rest with a complaint against anyone.” The old man replied, “Forgive me, your way of life is better than mine.”

Abba Cronius said that Abba Joseph of Pelusium told him the following story:

When I was living in Sinai, there was a brother who was good, ascetic, and handsome. He came to church for the Liturgy dressed in a little old mafort patched and darned all over. Once when I saw him coming to the Liturgy I said to him, “Brother, do you not see the brothers, looking like angels for the Liturgy in church? How can you always come here in that garb?” He said to me, “Forgive me, abba, but I have nothing else.” So I took him in to my cell and gave him a tunic and whatever else he needed. After that he wore them like the other brethren and was like an angel to look at.

Now once it was necessary for the fathers to send ten brethren to the emperor about something or other, and he was chosen as one of the group to go. When he heard this, the brother made a prostration before his abba saying, “In the Lord’s name, excuse me, for I am the slave of a great man there, and if he recognizes me, he will deprive me of my habit and force me to serve him again.” The brothers were convinced and left him behind. But later, they learned from someone who had had known him well when he was in the world that he had been the head of imperial administration and that he had spoken as he did as a ruse, so that no one would know this or bother him about it. So great, amongst the fathers, was their concern to flee from glory and the peace of this world!

It was said of Abba John the Persian...

…that when some evildoers came to harm him, he took a basin and wanted to wash their feet. But they were filled with confusion, and began to do penance.

There are certain kinds of trees...

 …which never bear any fruit as long as their branches stay up straight, but if stones are hung on the branches to bend them down they begin to bear fruit. So it is with the soul. When it is humbled it begins to bear fruit, and the more fruit it bears the lowlier it becomes. So also the saints; the nearer they get to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.

I remember once we were speaking about humiliation and one of the great lights of Gaza, hearing us say, “The nearer a man is to God the more he sees himself to be a sinner,” was astonished, and said, “How is this possible?” He did not know, and wanted to know the answer. I said to him, “Tell me, how do you regard yourself in respect to the other citizens here?” And he said, “I regard myself as great, and among the first of the citizens.” I said then, “If you went away to Caesaraea, how would you regard yourself then?” “I would value myself somewhat less than the great folk there.” So I said, “If you went away to Antioch, what then?” And he replied, I would regard myself as one of the common people.” I said, “And if you went into the presence of the Emperor, what would you think of yourself then?” He replied, “I should think of myself as just one of the poor.” Then I said to him, “There you are! In the same way, the saints, the nearer they approach to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.”

An old man who lived in the desert as a hermit...

…thought that he had attained perfection in the virtues. He prayed to God, saying, “Show me perfection of the soul, and I will do it.” God wanted to humble him in his thoughts, and said to him, “Go to this archimandrite (monastic superior), and do whatever he tells you.”

Then God revealed to the archimandrite, before the other one came to him, “Look, this hermit is coming to you. Tell him to take a whip and go take care of your pigs.” When the old man came, he knocked on the door and entered the archimandrite’s presence. After they had greeted one another, they sat down. The hermit who had come said to him, “Tell me what to do that I may be saved.” The other one said, “You will do whatever I tell you?” And he replied, “Certainly.” And he said to him, “Then take a whip and go care for the pigs.”

Those who had known the hermit or had heard about him, when they saw that he was taking care of the pigs, said, “Have you seen that great hermit about whom we were hearing? He has lost his wits, and is possessed by a demon, and takes care of pigs.” When God saw his humility in patiently enduring the taunts of others, he commanded him to return to his home.

Abba Cronius said that Abba Joseph of Pelusium told him the following story

When I was living in Sinai, there was a brother who was good, ascetic, and handsome. He came to church for the Liturgy dressed in a little old mafort patched and darned all over. Once when I saw him coming to the Liturgy I said to him, “Brother, do you not see the brothers, looking like angels for the Liturgy in church? How can you always come here in that garb?” He said to me, “Forgive me, abba, but I have nothing else.” So I took him in to my cell and gave him a tunic and whatever else he needed. After that he wore them like the other brethren and was like an angel to look at.

Now once it was necessary for the fathers to send ten brethren to the emperor about something or other, and he was chosen as one of the group to go. When he heard this, the brother made a prostration before his abba saying, “In the Lord’s name, excuse me, for I am the slave of a great man there, and if he recognizes me, he will deprive me of my habit and force me to serve him again.” The brothers were convinced and left him behind. But later, they learned from someone who had had known him well when he was in the world that he had been the head of imperial administration and that he had spoken as he did as a ruse, so that no one would know this or bother him about it. So great, amongst the fathers, was their concern to flee from glory and the peace of this world!

Sometimes God allows a relative or fellow worker...

…to cause us problems in order to exercise our patience and humility; however, instead of being grateful for the chance God gives us, we react and refuse to be cured. It is like refusing to pay the doctor who is going to give us a shot when we are ill.

Fr. Paisios Eznepides (+1994)

Two old men had lived together...

…in the desert for many years and had never quarreled. The first said to the other, “Let us also have a fight like other men do.” The other replied, “I do not know how to fight.” The first said to him, “Look, I will put a brick between us, and I will say it is mine, and you say, `No, it is mine,’ and so the fight will begin.” So they put a brick between them and the first said, “This brick is mine,” and the other said, “No, it is mine,” and the first responded, “If it is yours, take it and go” – so they gave it up without being able to find an occasion for an argument.

The old men used to say...

…When we do not experience warfare, we ought much the more to humble ourselves. For God, seeing our weakness, protects us; when we glorify ourselves, He withdraws his protection and we are lost.

If you want to grab God’s attention...

…so He’ll hear you during prayer, turn the dial to humility, for God always works in this frequency; then humbly ask for His mercy.

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain

When Abba Macarius was returning from the marsh...

…to his cell one day carrying some palm leaves, he met the devil on the road with a scythe. The latter tried to strike at him, but in vain, and he said to him, “What is your power, Macarius, that makes me powerless against you? All that you do, I do, too. You fast; so do I. You keep vigil; and I do not sleep at all. I can think of only one thing in which you beat me.” Abba Macarius asked what that was. The devil said, “Your humility. Surely because of that, I can do nothing against you.”

The old men used to say...

…”When we do not experience warfare, we ought so much the more to be humble. For God, seeing our weakness, protects us; when we glorify ourselves, He withdraws His protection and we are lost.

The fathers used to tell...

…how Abba Serapion sold himself to some Greek actors in one of the towns for twenty coins. He wrapped up the coins and kept them on himself. He stayed with the actors who had bought him for a long time, until he had made them Christians, and then withdrew from the theater, taking nothing but bread and water. Nor did his mouth ever cease from discussing the Scriptures.

After some time the actor was seized with compassion, then the actress, then their whole family. It was said that for as long as they did not recognize him, he would even wash the feet of both of them. In any case, both were baptized and gave up performing on the stage. They led a holy and pious life, and they had the highest respect for him and told him, “Come, brother, let us set you free, since you freed us from our shameful slavery.” He said to them, “Since God worked grace in your souls and saved you, I may tell you the secrets of my business. I had compassion on your souls. I am a free man, and an Egyptian ascetic, and I sold myself for your sakes so that you might be saved. Now since God brought this about and your souls have been saved through my debasement, take your money so that I may go and help others.” They entreated him and gave their assurance that “we will have you as our own father and master; only stay with us!” Still they could not persuade him. Then they told him, “Give the money to the poor, for it is our first pledge of salvation. But at least visit us once a year.”

Palladius, Lausiac History, 37.2 4
Abba Serapion the Sindonite (Linen-Wearer)
commemorated 14 May

Some brothers came to visit a holy old man...

…who dwelt in a desert place. Outside his dwelling they found some children pasturing animals, and they were uttering indecent words. After the brothers had manifested their thoughts to him and had been helped by his wisdom, they said to the old man, “Abba, how can you bear these children, and why do you not tell them not to cry out like this?” The old man said to them, “Indeed, brothers, there are days when I want to give them such an order, but then I reproach myself, saying to myself, `If I am not able to bear this small inconvenience, how would I bear a great temptation if it fell upon me?’ That is why I say nothing to them, to accustom myself to bear whatever comes.”

I once asked a simple elderly hermit...

…”Why are your lemon trees full of fruit?” “Because I humble their branches, my son,” he replied.

from An Athonite Gerontikon