Archive for the ‘The Desert Fathers’ Category
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They asked abba Macarius, "How should we pray?" And the old manreplied, "There is no need to speak much in prayer; often stretchout your hands and say, "Lord, as you will and as you know, have mercy on me." But if there is war in your soul, add, "Help me!" andbecause he knows what we need, he shows mercy on us."
And another…
Abba Lot went to see abba Joseph and he said to him, "Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray andmeditate, I live in peace and as far as I can I purify my thoughts.What else can I do?" Then the old man stood up and stretched hishands toward heaven; his fingers became like ten lamps of fire andhe said to him, "If you will, you can become all flame."
And another….
The brothers said, "In what way ought we to pray before God?" The old man said, "For the repentance of sinners, the finding of the lost, the drawing near of those who are far off, friendliness toward those who do us harm, love towards those who persecute us, and sorrowful care for those who provoke God to wrath. And if a man doeth these things truly and with a penitent mind, the sinners will often gain life, and the living soul will be redeemed.
Now the prayer which our lord delivered to us as to the needs of the body, is one which applieth to the whole community, and it was not uttered for the sake of those who are strangers to the world, and with whom the pleasures of the body are held in contempt. He in whose life the kingdom of God and His righteousness are found lacks nothing, even when he asks not."
Originally posted 2006-06-02 10:13:15.
And the old man also said, God saith unto thee thus ’if thou lovest Me, O monk, do that which I ask, and do not that which I do not desire. For monks should lead lives wherein they act not in iniquity, and a man should not look upon evil things with his eyes, no hear with his ears things which are alien to the fear of God, nor utter calumnies with his mouth, nor plunder with his hands; but he should give especially to the poor, and he should not be unduly exalted in his mind, and he should not think evil thoughts, neither should he fill his belly. Let him do then all these things with discretion, for by them is a monk known.’
The old man also said, ‘These things form the life of a monk: good works, and obedience, and training. A man should not lay blame on his neighbor, and he should not utter calumnies, and he should not complain, for it is written, ‘The lovers of the Lord hate wickedness.’
Originally posted 2006-04-17 20:00:19.
One day Abba Serapion passed through an Egyptian village and there he saw a courtesan who stayed in her own cell. The old man said to her, ?Expect me this evening, for I should like to come and spend the night with you.She replied, Very well, Abba. She got ready and made the bed.
When evening came, the old man came to see her and entered her cell and said, to her, Have you got the bed ready? She said, Yes, Abba. Then he closed the door and said to her, Wait a bit, for we have a rule of prayer and I must fulfil that first.
So the old man began his prayers. He took the Psalter (the book of Psalms) and at each psalm he said a prayer for the courtesan, begging God that she might be converted and saved, and God heard him. The woman stood trembling and praying beside the old man. When he had completed the whole Psalter the woman fell to the ground. Then the old man, beginning the Epistle, read a great deal from the Apostle and completed his prayers. The woman was filled with compunction and understood that he had not come to see her to commit sin but to save her soul and she fell at his feet, saying, Abba, do me this kindness and take me where I can please God.? So the old man took her to a monastery of virgins and entrusted her to the amma and he said, Take this sister and do not put any yoke or commandment on her as on the other sisters, but if she wants something, give it to her and allow her to walk as she wishes.
After some days the courtesan said, I am a sinner; I wish to eat every second day. A little later she said, I have committed many sins and I wish to eat every fourth day. A few days later she besought the amma saying, Since I have grieved God greatly by my sins, do me the kindness of putting me in a cell and shutting it completely and giving me a little bread and some work through the window. The amma did so and the woman pleased God all the rest of her life.
Originally posted 2006-04-17 19:58:58.
A brother came to see Avva Macarius the Egyptian, 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, abused them 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, "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 a dead man. Like the dead, take no account of either the scorn of men or their praises, and you can be saved."
Originally posted 2006-05-16 10:19:46.
The same brother asked another old man about the same thought. And the old man said to him, "I myself have never had to fight against such a thing." And the brother was schocked at it and went to see another old man, saying to him, "this is what a certain old mans said to me, and I am shocked at it, for he has spoken beyond nature." The second old man said to him, "The man of God has not said that to you simply on the surface; but arise, go and kneel before him, so that he may tell you the meaning of his saying." So the brother arose and went to see the first old man, and he knelt before him and said, "Forgive me, abba, for I have acted like a fool in going away hurriedly, and I beg you to tell me how it is you have never had to fight against lust." The old man said, "Since I became a monk, I have never eaten bread to satiety, nor drunk water, nor slept to satiety, and attention to these things has so weighted me down that it has not let me feel the warfare of which you are speaking." And the brother went away edified.
Originally posted 2007-12-12 20:40:49.
One of the old men of the Thebaid used to tell the following story: “I was the son of a pagan priest. When I was small I would sit and watch my father who often went to sacrifice to the idol. Once, going behind him in secret, I saw Satan and all his army standing beside him; and behold, one of the chief devils came to bow before him. Satan said, “Where have you come from?” He answered, “I was in a certain place and made much blood flow, and I have come to tell you about it.” Satan asked, “How long did it take you to do this?” He replied, “Thirty days.” Then Satan commanded him to be flogged, saying, “In so long a time you have done only that?” And behold, another demon came to bow before him. He asked him, “and you where have you come from?” The demon replied, “I was on the sea, and I made the waves rise, and small craft foundered, and I have killed many people, and I have come to inform you of it.” He said to him, “How long did it take you to do this?” and the demon said, “Twenty days.” Satan commanded that he also should be flogged, saying, “That is because in such a long time you have only done this.” Now a third demon came to bow before him. He asked, “and where have you come from?” The demon replied, “There was a marriage in a certain village, and I stirred up a riot, and I have made much blood flow, killing, the bride and groom, and I have come to inform you.” He asked him, “How long have you taken to do this?” and he replied, “Ten days.” And Satan commanded that he also should be flogged because he has taken too long. After this another demon came to bow before him He asked, “And where have you come from?” He said, “I was in the desert forty years fighting against a monk, and this night I made him fall in to fornication.” When he heard this, Satan arose, embraced him, and put the crown he was wearing on his head and made him sit on his throne, saying, “You have been able to do a very great deed. The old man aid, “Seeing this, I said to myself, “Truly, it is a great contest, this contest of the monks.” and with God assisting me for my salvation, I went away and became a monk.
Originally posted 2008-08-26 19:40:17.
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Originally posted 2006-04-13 17:38:51.
A brother came to see an old man and asked him, "abba, why is my heart so hard, and why do I not fear God?" The old man said to him, "in my opinion, if a man bears in mind the reproaches he deserves, he will acquire the fear of God." The brother said to him, "What does this reproach consist of?" The old man said to him, "In all he does, a man should restrain his own soul, saying to it, "Remember that you must come before God", and he should also say to himself, "What have I to do with the others?" I think that if someone lives in this way, the fear of God will come to him.
Originally posted 2007-10-02 21:52:54.
A brother was attacked by the demon of lust. Now it happened that he went through an Egyptian village where he saw the daughter of a priest of the pagans. He fell in love with her and said to her father, "Give her to me as my wife." The other replied, "I cannot give her to you without the authority of my god," and he went to the demon and said to him "here is a monk who has come, wanting my daughter. Shall I give her to him?" The demon replied, "Ask him if he will deny his God, his baptism, and his promises as a monk." The monk agreed to this, and immediately he saw, as it were, a dove coming out of his mouth which flew away to the heavens. Then the priest went to the demon and said to him, "Yes, he has agreed to these three things." Then the devil replied, "Do not give him your daughter to wife, for his God has not gone from him and continues to help him." The priest went and said to him, "I cannot give her to you, for your God aids you and has not turned from you." When he heard these word, the brother said to himself, "God has shown me so great goodness, wretch that I am, even though I have denied Him, together with my baptism and promises as a monk. God who is good, continues even now to come to my aid!" So he came to his senses, and became watchful, and went to the desert to visit a great old man to tell him about the affair. The old man replied, "Stay here with me in the cave, and fast for three consecutive weeks, and I will intercede for you to God." The old man labored for the brother and besought God, saying, "Lord, I beseech you, grant me this soul and receive his repentance", and God heard him. When one week was over, the old man went to visit the brother and asked him, "Have you seen anything?" The brother replied, "Yes, I have seen a dove, high up in the heavens, facing towards my head." And the old man replied, "Give heed to yourself and implore God strenuously." After the second week the old man went to see the brother and asked him, "Have you seen anything?" He replied, "I Have seen the dove close to my head", and the old man encouraged him, "Be watchful and pray." As soon as the third week was completed, the old man sent to see him once again and asked him, "Have you seen anything else?" He said, "I have seen the dove coming and standing on my head, and I put out my hand to take her, and the dove took wing and entered into my mouth." Then the old man gave thanks to God and said to the brother, "See, God has accepted your repentance; henceforth, watch yourself." And the brother replied, "From now on, abba, I shall stay with you till my death."
Originally posted 2008-03-06 20:20:24.
“I was the son of a priest of idols. When I was young I lived in the temple and I have on many occasions seen my father go into the temple to perform sacrifices to the idols. Once I went in secretly after him, and I saw Satan sitting there with his whole army before him and, behold, one of his devils came and did homage to him. And Satan answered and said unto him, ‘From where do you come?’ And the devil answered, saying, “I was in such and such a country and I stirred up many wars and revolts and I caused the shedding of blood and I have come to tell you these things.” Satan said unto him, ‘How long did it take you to do this?’ And the devil said, “Thirty days.” Then Satan commanded him to be beaten, saying unto him, ‘Is this all that you have done in so long a time?’
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Originally posted 2006-05-18 10:50:30.
Some old men went to Abba Poemen and asked,"If we see brothers sleeping during the common prayer, should we wake them?"Abba Poemen answered,"If I see my brother sleeping, I put his head on my knees and let him rest."Then one old man spoke up,"And how do you explain yourself before God?" Abba Poemen replied,"I say to God: You have said, 'First take the beam out of your own eye and then you will be able to remove the splinter from the eye of your brother.' "
Originally posted 2006-10-09 13:19:23.
The brethren said, "There were two brothers who were the sons of a merchant and their father died and they divided their inheritance between themselves. Unto each one, there came five thousand dinars. One of the brothers divided his inheritance among the churches, and the monasteries, and the poor, and he himself became a monk, and he chose for himself a life of continual silence, and fasting, and prayer. Now the other one built a monastery for himself, and gathered brethren to him, and he took care of the strangers, and the poor, and the sick, whom he received and relieved.
"When the two brothers were dead, there was questioning among the brethren about them, and they went to Abba Pambo and asked him, ‘Which manner of life and conduct was the more excellent and exalted?’ And having learned from God, he said unto them, ‘They were both perfect, and in my sight they appear to be of equal merit.’ Explain to us now the old man’s words, for how can the man who is destitute, and the man who hath possessions be equal in merit?’ The old man said, ‘Since the whole conduct of these brethren was to God, and since whatsoever they did they did it for God, with an upright aim, and since the aim of each was the same, they appeared to be in the old man’s opinion of equal merit before God.’"
from "The Paradise of the Holy Fathers," trans. by E. A. Wallis Budge, (Seattle: St. Nectarios Press, 1984), p. 283
Originally posted 2006-05-14 19:41:57.
The old men used to say that the temptation to lust is like a hook. If it is suggested to us and we do not let ourselves be overcome by it, it is easily cut off; but if, once it is presented, we take pleasure in it and let ourselves be overcome, it transforms itself and becomes like iron and is difficult to cut off. Thus discernment is needed about these thoughts, because for those who allow themselves to be seduced there is no hope of salvation, whereas crowns are prepared for the others.
Originally posted 2007-12-12 20:44:04.
An old man said, “The monk’s cell is like the furnace of Babylon where the three children found the Son of God, and it is like the pillar of cloud where God spoke with Moses.”
Originally posted 2009-02-12 12:31:09.
A brother questioned Abba Poemen, 'My thoughts trouble me, making me put my sins aside, and concern myself with my brother's faults'. Abba Peomen told him the following story about Abba Dioscorus. 'In his cell he wept and wept over himself, while his disciple was sitting in another cell. When the latter came to see him, he asked him, "Father, why are you weeping?" "I am weeping over my sins," he answered him. Then his disciple said, "You do not have any sins, Father." Abba replied, "Truly, my child, if I were allowed to see my sins, three or four men would not be enough to weep for them."
Originally posted 2006-10-09 13:24:55.
