Глава VII. Разные повести, помазующие к терпению и мужеству

1. The brothers came to Abba Anthony and said to him: tell us the word, how to be saved? The elder answered them: Have you heard the Scripture? And this is enough for you. They say: we want to hear from you too, father! The elder said: The Gospel says: if someone strikes you on the right side of your cheek, turn to him the other side too (Matthew 5:39). They tell him: we cannot do this. The elder told them: if you cannot reverse the other, at least transfer the blow to one. They say: we can’t do this either. The elder said to this: if you cannot do this, do not repay what you received. They say: we can’t do this either. Then the elder said to his disciple: prepare a little gruel for them, for they are weak. If you can’t do this, if you don’t want it, then what can I do for you? We need to pray. 2. Abba Anthony also said: God in modern times does not allow such temptations as were before. 3. The brother asked Abba Agathon: I have been given a commandment, and there is battle where I must fulfill it. So, I want to follow the commandment for the sake of it and am afraid of battle. The elder told him: if he had been a lover of God, he would have fulfilled the commandment and overcome the battle. 4. Abba Ammon said: I spent fourteen years in the Skete, praying to God day and night to grant me victory over anger. 5. Abba Apollos, a student of Abba Sisoes, told us the following about himself: at first, when I came to Abba Sisoes, I was struggling with passions for three years and did not reveal them to the elder; I was especially overcome by lies, verbiage and vanity. My strongest struggle was about the priesthood, and I had dreams that I was ordained a bishop. Abba Sisoes did not cease to inspire and reprimand me, so that from many reproaches and reprimands I ran away from him and went to Alexandria to my relatives according to the flesh, in order to accept consecration and become a presbyter in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. As I walked along the road, I met a tall man, completely naked, black in color, disgusting in appearance, small-headed, thin-legged, with iron claws, fiery eyes, thick lips, donkey skin. When I saw him, I was horrified and marked myself with a cross. But he approached me and, hugging me, often kissed me and said: why are you being baptized and running away from me? You are my friend, who does my will. For this reason I have come to accompany you and help you fulfill your will. No longer able to bear its stench, I raised my eyes to heaven and cried out: God! Pray for the sake of my Abba Sisoes, deliver me from this need! And suddenly the ghost became a woman, very beautiful and comely, who, having exposed herself, said to me: enjoy your lusts, for you have given me much peace. I am a wereweaver, and I weave as many branches as you provide me. But Sisoya's prayers drive me away from you. Having said this, she became invisible. Then I immediately returned to my elder and, falling down before him, told him and the brothers everything that had happened to me. Abba said a prayer over me, and I stayed with him forever. 6. Abba Vissarion said: I stood among the thorns for forty days and forty nights without sleeping. 7. He said: For forty years I did not lie down on my side, but slept standing or sitting. 8. Abba Vissarion’s student said: Abba’s life was like the life of one of the birds, or fish, or one of the wild animals - he spent the entire time of his life without embarrassment or worries. The care of the house did not occupy him, his soul was not possessed by passion for the place, nor the desire to be satisfied with food, nor the acquisition of dwellings, nor the collection of books, but he appeared completely free from all bodily passions. Feeding on the hope of future blessings and securing himself with the fence of faith, he was as strong in spirit as a prisoner; here and there, enduring cold and nakedness and being scorched by the heat, as if forever left homeless, he wandered, pierced by fear in desert rapids or calmly rushing, as if on the sea, across a wide uninhabited expanse of sand. If he happened to come to a more pleasant place, where the monks lead a monotonous life according to the rule of the monks, then, sitting outside the gate, he cried and lamented, like one of those thrown ashore after a shipwreck. Then, if one of the brothers came out and found him sitting like one of the poor petitioners walking around the world, and, approaching, asked him with pity: Why are you crying, man? If you need anything necessary, you will receive it according to our strength, just come in, partake of our meal and be comforted! - then he answered: I cannot enter under the roof before I find the property of my house, for I have lost great wealth in various ways: I fell for sea robbers and suffered shipwreck, I lost my nobility and from the glorious I became inglorious. If the brother, tearing up from such words and taking the bread, gave it to him with the words: Take this, father, and God will return the rest to you - the fatherland, family, wealth that you spoke about - he began to sob even more and shed tears, loudly crying out: I cannot say whether I can find what I have lost and am looking for. For I can lose even more, being daily in danger of death and having no peace from my immeasurable disasters, because I must end this path among wanderings. 9. Abba Benjamin said: walk the royal path, measure miles and do not be faint-hearted. 10. The brother came to Abba Victor, the silent man, at the Elisa Lavra and asked him: what should I do, father? The passion of despondency overcomes me. The elder replied: just as for sick eyes it seems that they see too much light, while for healthy eyes it is not strong, so the faint-hearted are upset by a little sadness and think that this is great sadness, but the strong-hearted rejoice even more in temptations. 11. Saint Gregory said: if you did not expect anything sorrowful when you intended to begin ascetic wisdom, then your beginning is not wise, denouncing you as a dreamer or a quick traitor. For if something was expected, then when it is encountered, it is courageously endured; if the unexpected comes, then you easily turn out to be a liar against your vow. 12. Abba Daniel said: there was one monk named Dula, revered as the greatest of the fathers. This Dula first lived in the cinenia for forty years and said: after due testing, I found that those living in the cinenium are much more successful in doing virtues, if only they remain in their place with a true heart. And he said further: there was one brother in Konovia, humble and humiliated in appearance, but great and glorious in mind. Everyone humiliated him and reviled him, but he had fun and rejoiced and complacently endured when the brethren, at the slander of the enemy, upset him in every possible way: some beat him, others spat on him, others showered him with abuse - and this continued for twenty years. Finally, the enemy could no longer bear his complacent patience and brought the following attack on him: he inspired one brother to rob the church, and when all the brethren were at rest, he entered the church, collected all the sacred things and secretly left the monastery. When the time for the church meeting arrived, the canonarch entered to light the lamps and prepare the censer, and found everything stolen. The brother announces to the Abba, beats the beater, and all the brethren gather, who, getting excited, finally decided that no one else could have taken them like that brother, and that is why he has not yet come to the meeting, for if he had not done this, then now, as always, the first would have come. They sent for him and found him at prayer, they entered and forcibly dragged him away. He begged them, asking: what is it, fathers, what is it? They showered him with abuse and reproaches and said: a blasphemer, not worthy of life! Are you not satisfied with embarrassing us for so long? Now he has also violated our souls! He only said: I sinned, forgive me. They brought him to Abba with the words: Abba! This one has been corrupting Kinovia from the very beginning! And they began to slander him one after another: one said that he saw him secretly eating vegetables; another, that he stole bread and sold it outside the cinema; the third - that he found him drinking the best wine... And they believed all those who lied, but they did not listen to him - the truther. Abba removed the schema from him, saying that such deeds are not characteristic of a Christian. Then they put an iron around his neck and gave it to the steward of the laurels, who exposed him and beat him with ox sinews, trying to find out whether what was being said about him was true. The brother only said with meekness: I have sinned, forgive me. Enraged at his words, he ordered that he be thrown into prison, and his legs be driven into stocks, and he wrote to the judge about this matter. Soon the judge's servants arrive, place him with a heavy iron around his neck on an uncovered animal and drag him into the city. There they again interrogate: who, where, for what, became a monk... but he said nothing more than: I sinned, forgive me. Losing his temper, the judge orders him to be put down and beaten on the back with ox sinews. Stretched and mercilessly tormented, but with a smiling face, he said to the judge: hit, hit; thus you make my gold more brilliant. He answered: I will make you whiter than snow, and he commanded that fire be placed under his belly, and salt dissolved in vinegar be poured on his wounds. Those present were surprised at such patience and said: tell us where you put the sacred things, and you will be released. But he answered: I am not involved in this matter. Finally, the judge ordered to stop the torture, take him to prison and guard him without food and without any care for him. Then he sent to the Lavra with an order for the Abba to come with all the brothers. When they arrived, the judge told them: I worked hard and subjected him to various torments, but I could not find anything. The brothers said to him: he did a lot of other evil, and for God’s sake we tolerated him, waiting for his conversion, but he came to even worse things. The judge asked them: what should I do with him? They answered: what the law commands. And to the words of the judge: the law commands to kill the blasphemers, they said: and let him be killed. Then, having released them, the judge orders his brother to be brought in and, sitting down at the judgment seat, says to him: confess, unfortunate one, and you will be delivered from death. The brother replied: if you command me to say something that did not happen, I will say it, but I have never done anything that they ask me about. After this, the judge ordered his beheading, and the executioners led his brother to execution. Meanwhile, the one who took the things became contrite and said to himself: now or whenever the matter will be known, even if it remains unknown here. What will you do on that day? What can you say to justify such things? Then he comes to the Abba and says to him: let’s go quickly so that your brother does not die, for sacred things have been found. When they brought the brother to the monastery, everyone began to ask him for forgiveness, but the brother began to cry and said: forgive me. I confess my great gratitude to you, because through these small illnesses you honor me with great blessings. I always rejoiced a lot when I heard what you said about me that was inappropriate, for for these small humiliations I hoped to receive great honors on a terrible day. I was especially happy now and was not offended by what you did to me, seeing the reward of the desired peace in the kingdom of heaven for such temptations. After this, three days later, the brother went to the Lord: one of the brothers came to him and saw him on his knees, for he had betrayed his soul, bowing and praying. When they told the Abba about this, he ordered that his body be brought into the church and laid before the altar, the beater struck and all the brethren gathered, so that the brother would be buried in the church with glory. Each of the brothers wanted to take a blessing from the deceased, and seeing this, the abba placed his body in the sacristy and locked it in anticipation of the abba of the Lavra, in order to perform the burial with him. When the father of the monastery arrived with the clergy, they said a prayer to the Abba: now unlock and bury the body, for it is already nine o’clock. But upon entering the sacristy, they found no one, only his clothes and sandals. Then everyone was amazed and began to glorify God with tears, saying: Do you see, brethren, what gives us long-suffering and humility? And as you see now, so strive yourselves to endure every humiliation and temptation, for in this way the kingdom of heaven is acquired by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 13. One brother lived in Konovia in obedience and received great benefit by humbling himself in everything, but nine things edified him, and one tempted him; and he moved to another movie. Here the number of edifying things was reduced to one, for he was edified by eight, but was offended by two. Then he left here and went to the next cinema, where seven things edified him, and three tempted him. Acting in the same way, he again left here, but in the new place five things edified him and five tempted him. After this, he wanted for the last time to move to another cinema, but before he entered it, he took the papers and said to himself: if you believe your thoughts, then the whole world will not be enough for you to cross over. It’s better to put patience in your heart and write on this piece of paper: you left such and such a movie because you encountered entertainment; from such and such - for that reason; and so on, putting in a row all the reasons that expelled you from one or another cinnamon. And at the end he wrote: if you find all these reasons here, will you endure? And I signed: in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God I will endure. Thereupon, he rolled up his scripture, put it in his belt, and, having prayed, entered the monastery. And if he noticed something that troubled him, he would take his scripture in private and, when, after reading, he came to the words - in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I will endure - he calmed down, saying to himself: you have made a covenant with God, and seek help from Him. Unable to bear such patience from his brother, the evil one arranged for the brothers to notice how he read his paper and how, having read it, he healed. Therefore, they began to say that he had a conspiracy, because when he reads something, he is not embarrassed, while they are embarrassed. They went to the Abba and told him: we cannot be with such and such a brother, because he is a sorcerer and his sorcery is kept in his belt. If you want to have it, then let us go. Abba, being spiritual, knew his brother’s humility and, realizing that this was due to the envy of the devil, suggested to the brethren: go pray, and I will pray, and in three days I will give you an answer. Then, when the brother was sleeping, the abba took off his belt and, having read the scripture, girded his brother with it again, and three days later, when the brethren asked what he intended to do, the abba called his brother and asked him: why are you seducing the brethren? He replied: I have sinned, forgive me and pray for me. Then the Abba asked the brothers: What, you said, is this brother doing? They repeated: he is a sorcerer, and his sorcery is kept in his belt! Abba commanded: take out his spells! The brother did not allow his belt to be untied, and the abba ordered it to be cut. When the brother’s writing was found, Abba gave it to the deacon and ordered him to stand in a high place and read, saying: Let the devil be ashamed of himself for this, who offers sorcery to people! When everything was read and especially the words - in the name of Jesus Christ I will endure the brethren - then the brethren, ashamed, threw the Abba, saying: we have sinned! To which Abba said: Do you suppose throwing is for me? Throw to this God and brother. Then Abba turned to his brother: let’s pray to God that He will forgive them. And they prayed for them. 14. In the inner desert of the monastery there lived a eunuch, and his cell was eighteen miles from the monastery. Once a week he came to Abba Daniel at night, so that no one knew him except the Abba and his disciple. The elder gave his disciple the following commandment about him: once a week fill a vessel with water, place it at the door of the eunuch’s cave and, knocking from outside, leave; In this case, do not say anything to him at all, but just take a closer look and, if you find a tile with inscriptions near the door, bring it with you. This is what his disciple did. One day he found a tile on which was written: take the tools and come alone or as your disciple. The elder, having read what was written, began to cry a great cry and, turning to the disciple, said: Woe to you, inner desert! What a pillar is leaving you now! Take these things and follow me. Alas, let's go quickly! Let us hasten to find the elder, so as not to be deprived of his prayers, for he is going to the Lord. And they both went weeping and found him in a violent fever. The elder threw himself on his chest, wept a lot and then said: blessed are you, that, caring for this hour, you despised the kingdom of earth and all people. The eunuch replied: blessed are you, new Abraham and stranger of Christ! For how much fruit Christ receives through your hands! The elder asked: say a prayer over us, father. The eunuch said: at this hour I have the greatest need for prayers. The elder replied: if I had warned you at this hour, I would have prayed for you. Then the eunuch, rising and sitting on the mat, hugged the head of the elder, kissed it and said: God, who showed me the way to this place, may he fulfill your old age, like the old age of Abraham. The elder took his disciple and, throwing him onto the eunuch’s knees, asked: Bless my son, father! He kissed him and said: God, who stands before me at this hour to separate me from my body, and who knows how many steps this brother has walked to my cell, for the sake of Your name, let the spirit of his fathers rest on him, as the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha! Then he asked the elder: for the sake of the Lord, do not take off what I am carrying, but as it is, send me to the Lord, and let no one else know what concerns me, except you alone. Now let me receive communion and, having received communion, he said: show love for me in Christ and pray for me. Then he looked at the right side and said: you’re welcome, let’s go! Then his face shone like fire. For this he put the sign of the cross on his lips and with the words: God! I commend my spirit into Your hands; I commended my soul to the Lord. The elder and his disciple honored the outcome with tears and began to dig a grave in front of the cave. Then the elder took off what he was wearing and ordered his disciple to put it on over what the deceased was wearing, and he wore fascidia 12 from palm branches on his body and centonium 13. The brother, dressing him, saw that his breasts were female, like two withered sheets, but did not say anything about it. When they buried him and said a prayer, the elder said to his disciple: let us now allow fasting and create an institution according to the elder. They found some crackers from him, soaked them and made a treat. After this, taking the weaving that he had made, they went, thanking God, to their cell. On the way, the disciple told the elder: Do you know, father, that this eunuch was a woman, for while dressing him, I saw it. The elder said in response: I, my son, also knew that it was a woman. Do you want me to tell you about her? Listen! She was the first senator at court, and King Justinian wanted to take her to the palace for the sake of her great intelligence. Theodora found out about this and, indignant, decided to exile her. Hearing about this, she hired a ship and at night, taking with her several of her things, she fled. Having reached Alexandria, she settled in [...] Alexandria and established a monastery there, which is still called the monastery of Patriki (Senators). After Theodora’s death, she learns that the king intends to return her, runs away from Alexandria at night, comes here - to my monastery and asks to give her a cell outside the Skete, telling me everything about herself in detail. I gave her this cave, and she, dressed in men's clothing, settled in it. Now it has been twenty-eight years since she has been in the Skete, and no one knew about her except you, me and another brother; for if you and I went somewhere, I ordered that brother to bring a jug of water for her, but who she is, no one knows except you alone. The king sent many magistrates to look for her, and not only he, but also the Pasha of Alexandria and the whole city looked for her, but no one knew in what place she was hiding, even to this day. You see how those brought up in a royal manner strive against the devil and crush his body, but we, living in the world, sometimes did not have bread to satisfy ourselves, but having accepted monasticism, we seek consolations and from this we cannot acquire a single virtue. So, let us pray that the Lord will grant us the same path and, together with our holy fathers, find mercy on this day and with Abba Anastasius the eunuch (for she was called Anastasia), through the prayers and intercession of our Lady Theotokos, and all the saints, and Abba Daniel before the terrible throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15. In great Antioch there was a young silversmith named Andronicus, who took as his wife the daughter of John, also a silversmith, whose name was Athanasia, which means immortal, for truly she was immortal in deeds and in mind. Andronicus and Athanasia were very rich, but pious and full of good deeds. Their life was as follows: they divided the income from silver-making and their property into three parts: one for the poor, the other for the monks, and the third for their maintenance and trade; and the whole city loved Andronicus because of his meekness. He knew his wife, and she bore him a son, whom he named John. Athanasius also conceived and gave birth to a daughter, and he named her Maria; And Andronicus decided not to approach his wife; nevertheless, his care, together with other Christ-loving men and wives, was for the sick and poor. On Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Andronicus and Athanasius stayed in church from evening until morning. After twelve years, one day Afanasia comes home from church after matins, goes to see her children and finds them groaning. Alarmed, Athanasia takes the children, puts them on the bed and presses them to her chest, and when Andronicus came and called her, believing that she was still sleeping, Athanasia told him: do not be angry, my lord, our children are sick. Finding the children had a fever and sighing, he said: the will of the Lord be done! Then he went outside the city to pray to the holy martyr Julian, where his parents were buried, staying there until six o’clock in the afternoon (twelve in our opinion). When Andronicus returned, he heard crying and screams in his house and saw that almost the entire city had gathered with him, for his children had died. Looking at them lying together, he entered his prayer room and, prostrating himself before the Savior, said: naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I will go there: The Lord gave, the Lord again: as the Lord willed, so it was: blessed be the name of the Lord forever (Job 1:21). His wife, out of great sorrow, wanted to die, saying: Let me and my children die. The whole city gathered to carry out the children, the patriarch himself came with his clergy, and they laid the children with Saint Julian along with their ancestors. After this, Patriarch Andronicus took him into his house, but Athanasia did not want to leave and stayed there overnight. At midnight the holy martyr appears to her in the form of a monk and says: Why do you not give peace to those who rest here? She replied: My lord! Don't grieve for me! I only had two children, and now I brought them both here! He asked her: how old were your children? She answered: one child is twelve years old, and the other is ten years old. Then he said to her: Why are you crying for them? Better cry about your sins! For, I tell you, woman, just as human nature requires food and it is impossible not to give it to him, in the same way the departed infants will ask Christ on that day for the good things to come, saying: righteous Judge! You deprived us of earthly things, but do not deprive us of heavenly ones. Hearing this, she calmed down and changed her crying to joy, saying: if my children live in heaven, why should I cry? Then she began to look for the Abba who spoke to her, but, having walked around the entire church, she did not find him. She called the goalkeeper and asked him: where is the Abba who entered here? The goalkeeper answered her: Don’t you see that all the gates are locked, and you ask where the Abba who entered here is? And he began to philosophize: know that you saw a ghost! Overcome with fear, she asked to be let out and, arriving at the house, told her husband about everything. Then blessed Athanasia said to him: truly, even during the lifetime of our children, I was about to tell you more than once, but I was ashamed; I will say now - after their death - if you listen to me: let me go to the monastery to cry about my sins. He answered her: go and test your thoughts for one week, and if you remain in this intention, then we’ll talk about it. When she came a week later, she said the same word. Then Blessed Andronik calls his father-in-law, transfers all his property to him and says: we are going to holy places to pray, and if something human (death) happens to us on this journey, act with our property according to God, and I ask you, do good for our souls and set up a hospital and a hospice in the house. Then he freed his slaves, and, taking two horses and what they needed for the road, they left the city at night. Blessed Athanasia looked at her house from afar and, looking up at the sky, said: God, who said to Abraham and Sarah: come out from your land, and from your kindred... and go into the land, and I will show you (Genesis 12:1), and guide us in Your fear! So we left our house open for Thy name's sake; do not Thou also close the doors of Thy kingdom before us, - and, weeping, they went on. Having reached the holy places, they honored the fathers and, after talking with many of them, went to Alexandria to Saint Menas in order to enjoy the veneration of the martyr. One day, going out at nine o’clock in the afternoon, Blessed Andronik saw that the monk and the layman, from whom he had hired an animal to go to the Skete, were arguing among themselves: the layman proposed to go out now and, walking at night, come to the Skete before it got hot, but he did not agree. Then Andronicus said to the layman: go and bring one more animal, and we’ll take one for me, the other for Abba, to go, for I also intend to go to the Skete. After this, he ordered Afanisia to wait for his return, for wives are not supposed to go to the Skete, to which she said with tears: you will answer before Saint Mina if you stay there and do not return to place me in a monastery - and, having kissed each other, they parted. In the monastery of Skete, Andronicus bowed to the holy fathers and, with difficulty reaching Abba Daniel, revealed everything to him in a conversation. The elder said: go and bring your wife; I will give you a letter and you will take her to Thebaid, to the Tabennisiot monastery. When Andronicus brought his wife, the elder taught them the word of salvation and, having written a letter, released them. Upon Andronik’s return, the elder clothed him with the schema and taught him monastic works. Having stayed with him for twelve years, Andronicus asked the elder to let him go to the holy places, and, having made a prayer, the elder let him go. Passing through Egypt, Abba Andronik sat down in the shade to rest from the heat of the sun, and at this time, according to God’s dispensation, his wife, dressed as a man, approached here, who was also going to the holy places; and they greeted each other. The dove recognized her friend, but how could he recognize her - so withered and blackened, like an Ethiopian? And he asks her: where are you going, Abba? She replied that she was going to holy places, and when he said: “And I am directing the way there,” she suggested: Do you want us to go together, but let us go in such silence, as if we were not together? He agreed, and when she asked if he was a disciple of Abba Daniel, he answered: yes. To this Athanasia said: may the prayers of the elder accompany us. Andronik concluded: Amen. Then they went together and worshiped the holy places and returned to Alexandria. Then Abba Athanasius says to Abba Andronik: Do you want us to stay together in the same cell? He answered: as you command, only first I will go down to receive a blessing from my elder. She said to that: go, I will wait for you in the octodecate. However, just as we traveled in silence, so in the cell we will remain in silence, and if you cannot bear this, do not come. I will certainly remain in the octodecate. When Andronicus came to the elder and, kissing him, told him about this, he answered: go and, loving silence, stay with that brother, for he is a monk, as he should be. Having returned, Abba Andronik found Abba Athanasius, and, protected by the fear of God, they remained together for another twelve years; and Abba Andronik did not recognize that it was his wife. The elder often came to visit them and tell them what was good. One day, having visited them, he said a prayer according to custom and left, but he had not yet reached Saint Mina when Abba Andronik caught up with him and informed him that Abba Athanasius was going to the Lord. The elder returned and, seeing Abba Athanasius crying, said to him: instead of rejoicing, for you are going to meet the Lord, you are crying! Abba Athanasius answers him: I am not crying for myself, but for Abba Andronik. But do me a favor - after my burial, take the letter that lies under my head, read it and give it to Abba Andronik. For this, having prayed and received communion, he rested in the Lord. When they began to prepare Abba Athanasius for burial, they saw that she was a woman by nature, and after reading the letter, Abba Andronik learned that it was his wife. And the rumor spread throughout the entire monastery, and everyone praised God. The elder sent news both to the Skete and to the inner desert; and all the laurels of Alexandria, and the whole city, and the hermits came together for the burial in white robes, for such was their custom. And they carried out the body of blessed Athanasia with the fronds and branches, glorifying God, who gave his wife such patience. The elder completed the week for the sake of blessed Athanasia and wanted to take Andronik with him, but he did not agree, saying: I will die here with my mistress. Then, having said goodbye, the elder left, but he had not yet reached Saint Mina when one brother caught up with him and reported that Abba Andronik was coming to an end. And the elder again sent to the Skete so that the brethren would return, for Abba Andronik would follow Abba Athanasius. When they returned, they found him still alive, and he, blessing them, rested in the Lord. Then a dispute arose between the Octodekate fathers and the hermits, who said: he is our brother, and we will take him to the Skete so that he can help us with his prayers, it is enough for you that we are leaving Abba Athanasius to you. Seeing such confusion, the elder said to the brothers: truly, if you do not listen to me, then I will remain here, and they will bury me with my son. Then everyone calmed down and calmly buried Brother Andronik. The brethren began to call the elder to the Skete, but he answered them: leave me to fulfill the week over my brother, but they did not allow him to stay. So, let us pray that we too may reach the measure of Abba Athanasius and Abba Andronikos through the prayers of all the saints. Amen. 16. Abba Evagrius said: without temptations, no one would have been saved. 17. Abba Isaiah said: a new monk moving from monastery to monastery is like an animal that, having become, rushes here and there. 18. He also said: if God wants to have mercy on a soul, but it persists and does not obey, but does according to its own will, then God allows it to endure what it does not want, so that in this way it itself will seek Him. 19. He said: nothing is so useful for a novice monk as reproach, for just as a tree is watered every day, the novice is reproached and endures reproach. 20. Again he said: blessed are those whose labors are carried out with reason, for they are at peace from any burden and conveniently avoid the snares of demons and especially slavery to those who put obstacles in front of a person in every good deed that he undertakes, because this brings laziness to the mind when he gives himself up to God. 21. He also said: the first of all exploits is pilgrimage, especially if you flee into solitude, leaving everything that is yours and carrying with you one perfect faith and hope and a strong heart against your desires (desires), for they will surround you in many circles, frightening you in different ways with temptations, severe poverty or illness, imagining that if you fall into them, what will you do, not having those who know you, who would take care of you? to you. But in this way the goodness of God tests you in order to reveal your zeal and your love for God. 22. Abba Elijah said: if the mind does not sing along with the body, work is vanity. He who loves sorrow will find it later in joy and peace. 23. He also said: one old man lived in a church. The demons came and said to him: get out of our place. The elder replied: you have no place. Then they began to scatter its branches one after another, but the elder collected them patiently. Finally one demon grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to the door; Having reached it, the elder grabbed the door with his other hand and exclaimed: Jesus! help me! And immediately the demon ran away, and after this the old man began to cry. The Lord asked him: why are you crying? And he answered: because demons dare to grab a person and do this to him. Then the Lord said to him: you yourself made this mistake - as soon as you sought Me, you see how quickly I was found to you. I say this because great work is needed, and without labor no one can have God as their own, for He Himself was crucified for us. 24. One brother, being in temptation, came to Abba Heraclius, and he, strengthening him, told the following incident: one elder had a disciple who was very obedient. One day, while in a struggle, he gave the elder a throw and asked: bless me to live in solitude. The elder answered him: look at the place, and we will make you a cell. Having gone one sign (mile, verst), the brother found a place for himself; There they built a cell. The elder says to his brother: do whatever I tell you: when you are hungry, eat; when you are thirsty, drink; when sleep sets in, sleep, just don’t leave your cell until Saturday, but come to me on Saturday. The brother spent two days following the elder’s commandment, and on the third, bored, he said: “What did the elder do to me?” Then he got up, sang many psalms and, having eaten at sunset, went to sleep on his mat and saw the Ethiopian lying, gnashing his teeth at him. In great fear, he ran to the elder and knocked on the door, asking: Abba! Have mercy on me and open me. The elder, knowing that he had not kept his word, did not open it until the morning, and in the morning, opening the door and seeing him pleading, he took pity and led him inside. Then the disciple told him: I saw a black Ethiopian on my mat when I came to bed! The elder replied: It was you who suffered because you did not keep my word. Then, as best he could, he depicted for him the order of solitary living; and little by little he became a good solitary man. 25. One brother, who lived in solitude in Kellia, had no peace and, coming to Abba Theodore of Thermaeus, told him about this. The elder said: go, humble your thoughts and remain obedient, living with others. But the brother again returned to the elder and said: I don’t find peace with people either. Then the elder asks him: if you do not find peace alone, nor living with people, then why did you come to the monastery? Is it not to endure sorrow? But tell me, how many years have you been in the schema? The brother answered: eight. To this the elder said: I have been in the schema for forty years and have not found peace for a single day, but at the age of eight you want to find peace! Hearing this, the brother went away encouraged. 26. Someone asked Abba Theodore: if something accidentally happens to fall, will you be afraid, Abba? The elder answered: if heaven collides with earth, Theodore will not be afraid even then. For the elder prayed to God that timidity might be taken away from him. That’s why his brother asked him about this. 27. They said about Abba Theodore and Abba Luke of Yennates that for fifty years they laughed at their thoughts, saying: after this winter we will move from here. When the harvest came, they again said: after the harvest we will leave here. This is what these ever-memorable fathers did throughout their lives. 28. Mother Theodora said: once a pious man, being reviled by someone, answered him: I could say the same to you, but the law of God stops my mouth. 29. One brother, for the sake of temptation, had lice and many lice on his body; he was one of the rich. The demons told him: how can you endure such a life that these insects have bred you? But he defeated the demons with his patience. 30. Abba John Kolov said: three philosophers were friends, and one of them, dying, left his son to one of his friends. This pupil, having come to adolescence, went to the wife of his teacher, and he, having learned about this, kicked him out and, despite his great repentance, did not want to accept him, but said: go, be a water carrier for three years, and then I will forgive you. When he came three years later, he again said to him: you have not repented yet, but go and hire people for three years to scold you. He did that too. After this, the teacher says to him: now go to the city of Athens and study philosophy. At the gates of this city of philosophers an old man sat and scolded those entering, and when he began to scold the young man, he laughed. The elder asked him: what does this mean? For I reproach you, and you laugh. The young man answered him: How can I not laugh? For three years I gave money to be reviled, but now I am being reviled for nothing. That's why I laughed. Then the elder said to him: now enter the city. So,” concluded Abba John, “here are the gates of God, and through these gates our fathers, rejoicing at many reproaches, entered the city of God. 31. He said: you see, the first blow that the devil dealt to Job was a blow to his wealth. Then, seeing that he did not lose heart and did not retreat from God, he touched his body with a second blow. But even at the same time, this courageous fighter did not sin with the word of his mouth, for he had the wealth of God within himself and always remained in it. 32. Abba John of Cilicia said: I lived in this place for seventy-six years, suffering many troubles and horrors from demons. 33. Abba Isidore said: the wisdom of the saints consists in recognizing the will of God. Man conquers everything by obedience to the truth, for then he is the image and likeness of God; but the most terrible thing of all spirits is following your heart, that is, your thoughts, and not the law of God. And it will be his lament that he did not know this mystery and did not find the path of God to do on it. So, now is the time to work for the Lord (Ps. 119:126), because salvation is in tribulation, as it is written: In your patience you will gain your souls (Luke 21:19). 34. Abba Pimen said about Abba John Kolov that through his prayer to God his passions were taken away from him, and he became carefree. He went and said to one old man: I see myself at peace and without any struggle. The elder said to him: go and ask God that battle may come, for through battle the soul succeeds. Abba John prayed and when the battle came, he no longer asked that it be taken from him, but said: Give me, Lord, patience in the battle. 35. Abba Pimen spoke about Abba Kopriya: he achieved such a measure that, although he was sick and lay in bed, he gave thanks and cut off his own will. 36. Abba Kopri said: blessed is he who endures labor with thanksgiving. 37. They told about Abba Longinus that he was often embarrassed by the thought of going into the desert, and one day he said to his disciple: do mercy, brother, be patient with me and, no matter what I do this week, don’t tell me anything. Then he took the palm staff and began to walk around his yard; Having become tired, he sat for a while and again got up and walked around. When evening came, he said to his thoughts: those wandering in the desert do not eat bread, but grass; But you, for the sake of your weakness, eat some vegetables. Having done this, he again said to his thoughts: those in the desert do not sleep under a roof, but in the open air; do the same. And he bowed down and slept in his courtyard. So he spent three days walking around the yard, in the evening eating some vegetables and falling asleep in the open air - and he got tired. Therefore, he forbade his thoughts, which troubled him, and reproached him, saying: if you cannot do the works of the desert, then sit in your cell with patience, mourning your sins, and do not give up on dreams, for everywhere the eye of God sees our deeds, nothing is hidden from Him and He helps those who do good. 38. Abba Macarius the Great once came to Abba Anthony in the mountain; when he knocked, Abba Anthony came out and asked him: who are you? He answered: I am Macarius. Then Abba Anthony entered the cell and closed the door, leaving him outside. Then, seeing his patience, he opened the door and, rejoicing with him, said: I have long wanted to see you, hearing about your deeds. He treated him and put him to rest, for he was weary. When evening came, Abba Anthony wet the branches; Abba Macarius asked: tell me to wet it for myself. He said: wet it. Abba Macarius made a large bunch and wet it. Having sat down in the evening, they talked about the salvation of the soul and weaved, and the weaving went down through the window into the cave. In the morning, entering there, Abba Anthony saw how much Abba Macarius had woven and said: great power comes from these hands. 39. Once Abba Macarius went from Skete to Terenuf and on the way he stopped to spend the night in a church where ancient Hellenic corpses (mummies) were located. Taking one of them, he placed it under his head as a pillow. The demons, seeing his fearlessness, envied him and, wanting to frighten him, began to shout as if to his wife, calling her by name: so-and-so, come with us to the bathhouse. Another demon answered from under Abba Macarius, as if from the dead: I am a stranger and I cannot go. The elder was not afraid and began to beat the mummy, saying: if you can, get up and go into the darkness. Hearing this, the demons shouted: “You have defeated us,” and, being thus put to shame, they ran away. 40. The brother asked Abba Macarius: Father! What does it mean to endure courageously and pray? He answered: endure every temptation that comes, whether from people or from demons, as it is written: I took courage like a woman in labor (Isa. 42:14), that is, I endured. It is good to have patience and it is good to pray patiently! So, we must pray to God until He shows His assistance and helps us correct our morals. It is not typical for monks to be angry with their brother, nor is it typical to offend their neighbor, but truly, according to the commandment, we must both do and say. For the Apostle also says: as the world was cut off, all are trampled under foot (1 Cor. 4:13); also: we are for Christ’s sake (1 Cor. 4:10), and also: we are your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 4:5). So, we should rejoice when we are dishonored, and consider the sorrows and insults inflicted on us for the Lord as a great blessing. The Apostle Peter says: if you are reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed: for the glory and Spirit of God rests upon you (1 Pet. 4:14). So, when you are dishonored for the name of God, rejoice, saying: Blessed are we, for for the name of the Lord Jesus we were counted worthy to receive dishonor (Acts 5:41). Don't you know that children should imitate their parents? We should know that truly we are children of the holy Apostles, just as the Apostle Paul says: For in Christ Jesus I brought forth the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15). Therefore, being children of such men, we must imitate their morals and deeds, for they, being beaten, rejoiced; slandered, they were not embarrassed; Hearing from the Greeks and Jews: these are the same as those who have corrupted the world (Acts 17:6) with their sorceries and enchantments - not only were they not upset by all this, but also, boasting, they said: we rebuke, we bless... and so on (1 Cor. 4:12, 13). That is why they wrote this, so that we would try to be imitators of them, just as the Apostle Paul calls: be imitators of me, as you were of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). So, when we are reviled or slandered and accept wounds, we should keep the feeling in our hearts, such as those who receive great profits have, who have become associates and partakers of the Apostles and holy martyrs, and expect even more, so that there will be greater profit. Christians should learn from this, so that everyone knows that they are disciples of those who preached this - mainly monks who renounced the world and what is in the world. 41. Abba Matoi said: I want to do something that is easy, but constant, rather than something that is very difficult from the beginning, but is quickly stopped. 42. When Abba Milisius lived with his two disciples in the Persian borders, one day the two sons of the king, brothers in the flesh, went out to hunt according to custom and swept over a very large area - about forty miles - in order to hunt everything that was found inside this cordon and kill it with spears. There they found an old man with two disciples and, seeing him - all overgrown with hair like a wild animal, they were amazed and asked: tell us, are you a man or a spirit? He answered them: I am a sinner and came here to mourn my sins. I worship Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. They said: there is no other god except the sun, fire and water (which they themselves revered), go and offer them a sacrifice! He answered them: you are mistaken, for these are creatures, but I ask you, turn and know God, who created all this. They say to him: Do you call him the condemned and crucified the true God? The elder said: yes! He who crucified sin and put death to death—Him I call the true God. Then they began to torture them, forcing them to sacrifice. After many tortures, they beheaded the brothers, and tortured the elder for many days. Finally, according to their hunting art, they placed the old man in the middle and began to shoot arrows at him - one from the front and the other from behind. The elder said to them: since you are alone in thinking about shedding innocent blood, then tomorrow at this very hour in an instant your mother will become despondent and lose your love: with your own arrows you will shed the blood of one another. They despised the elder’s words and the next morning went out to hunt; One doe ran away from them, they, having mounted their horses, began to catch up with her and, having shot arrows at her, pierced each other in the heart, according to the word of the elder, which he told them, predicting their execution, and died. 43. Abba Theona told about Abba Marcellus that he remained silent near the great city of Antioch within the Lebanese in one cave at the foot of the mountain. Abba Markell was of a quiet and meek disposition, reverent, pure and chaste. The inhabitants of that village had great faith and love for him, and many came and learned from him. Having stayed in that place for six years, the elder was subjected to many temptations there from demons, as he told me about this later, who wanted to drive him out of his cell and prevent his silence, but did not succeed in doing so, for he comfortably endured every temptation that came from them. Finally, the demon, transforming into an old man, began to seduce the wives of that city, harassing them, telling them obscene speeches and assuring them that there was no sin in committing fornication in secret. He did this not once or twice, but wherever he saw his wife walking alone, transformed into an old man, he spoke about it. The wives told their husbands about what was happening, and the word spread throughout the whole city. The husbands gathered in the church of God, and the district manager, calling the wives, questioned more than twenty of them, who confirmed what their husbands had said. Hearing about this and not understanding that these were the machinations of the devil, this manager, together with the clergy, sent young men to drive out the old man in the most evil way, and when they arrived, they beat the old man with sticks, tore out the hair of his beard, and then, pulling him out of the cave, beaten and half-dead, bleeding, they left him on the road. At that time, the inhabitants of Beirut passed that way and, having found the old man, began to question him about what had happened, but he begged them only to take him to the cave. When the townspeople found out that I was in my cave, they often came to scold and revile me,” the elder told Abba Feone, “but I endured everything, thanking God. So I spent eighteen months in a cave, insulted and reviled by everyone, sending up prayers to God so that the souls of those who offended me would be saved. Finally, it was revealed to the steward in a dream about the wiles of the devil, and those young men and women were subjected to demons. Then the inhabitants of the city came out with their wives and children to receive a blessing from me, but I withdrew from them and settled on Mount Nitria. So, Abba Feona,” the elder finished his story, “if you want to pass all the days of your life comfortably and so that the demons do not find an excuse to annoy you, do not settle near the city or village and you will have peace. 44. In the monastery of Pyrgius, an old man named Mirogenes, who lived a very strict life, fell ill with water disease. The elders begged him to take medicine, but he told them: pray, fathers, so that my inner man does not suffer from water disease. As for this illness, I beg God to remain in it forever. Archbishop Eustathius of Jerusalem heard about this Abba Mirogen and sent him something to console him, but the elder did not agree to accept anything, but only asked: pray for me, father, that I may be delivered from eternal torment. 45. A brother asked one of the fathers: Father, how does the devil bring temptations to the saints? And the elder told him: on Mount Sinai there lived one father named Nikon. One day someone came to the Faranite’s tent 14 and, finding his daughter alone and falling with her, ordered her to tell her that Abba Nikon had done this. When her father heard this, he took the sword and went to the elder. However, as soon as he raised his sword to kill the old man, his hand withered. Then the Faranite told about this to the elders, who, calling the elder, inflicted many wounds on him and wanted to expel him, but the elder begged them: for God’s sake, leave me here to repent. The elders excommunicated him for three years and commanded that no one should come to him. For three years on Sundays the elder came to church, repented and begged everyone to pray for him. But suddenly the one who committed the sin and brought temptation upon the hermit became enraged and, coming to church, confessed what he had done, saying: I taught him to slander the servant of God. Then all the people went to the elder and asked him for forgiveness. The elder said to them: forgive? - May you be forgiven, but stay here with you? - I will not stay, because during all this time there was not one among you who would have decided to show compassion towards me. And he left from there. So,” the elder concluded his story, “do you see how the devil brings temptations to the saints? 46. ​​The brother said to Abba Pimen: my heart weakens and becomes weak if even the slightest sorrow befalls me. And the elder answered him: we don’t see enough of a wondrous example of patience in Joseph - in this almost still boy - how he endured such a temptation in Egypt, in an idolatrous land, and how God glorified him? We see this example in Jacob, how he did not give up holding on to God to the end and how they could not turn him away from his hope. 47. Abba Pimen said: the sign of a monk - whether he is a true monk - is revealed in temptations. 48. He said: one day Abba Isidore, the monastery presbyter, said to the congregation like this: brothers! Didn’t we come to this place for the sake of work? And now there is no more work here. So, taking my mantle, I will go where there is labor, and there I will find rest. 49. The brother asked Abba Pimen: Father, I see in myself that, wherever I go, I find intercession everywhere. The elder answered him: and those who have a sword in their hands have God at that time. So, if we are courageous, He will show His mercy to us. 50. They asked Abba Pimen: to whom does the word of Scripture apply: Do not worry for the morning (Matthew 6:34)? The elder replied: this applies to a person who is in temptation and faint-hearted, so that he does not become preoccupied and ask: how long will I remain in this temptation? But I would rather keep it in my mind and say to myself every day: only now. 51. Abba Paul the Great, a Galatian, said: a monk who has several needs in his cell and goes out to provide for them is exposed to the ridicule of demons. And I myself suffered for this. 52. One of the brothers, a Roman, said: one old man had a very good disciple. One day, in cowardice, the elder kicked him out the door along with his mantle, but the brother endured it and sat outside without leaving. When the elder opened the door and found him sitting, he put the throwing on him and said: Oh, father! the humility of your long-suffering has overcome my cowardice. Come inside. From now on, you are an elder and a father, and I am a beginner and a student! 53. One of the fathers asked Abba Sisoes: when I am sitting in the desert and a barbarian comes to me, wanting to kill me, and I can resist him, should I kill him? The elder replied: no, but give him over to God. For, no matter what temptation comes to a person, he must say that it happened to him because of his sins. Everything good is by the grace of God. 54. One day Abba Abraham, a disciple of Abba Sisoes, went to obedience. And for quite some time the elder did not want anyone else to serve him, saying: I cannot allow any person to get used to me except my brother, and he did not allow anyone, bearing all the work himself, until his disciple came. 55. They said about Amma Sarah that she lived over the river for sixty years and never once stooped to look into it. 56. Blessed Syncletikia said: if you live in Konovia, then do not change places, because this will harm you very much. Just as a bird, which often rises from its eggs, makes them chatter fruitlessly, so a monk or maiden grows cold and dies by faith, moving from place to place. 57. She said again: the wiles of the devil are manifold: if you have not shaken your soul through poverty, the lure of wealth brings you down; could not with insults and reproaches, - offers praise and glory; defeated by health, makes the body sick; unable to seduce with pleasures, he attempts to corrupt the soul through involuntary labors; It induces, by permission, the most serious illnesses, so that those who have been going through them from a young age can be cut off from the love of God. But let the body be struck by severe fevers and languish with unbearable thirst - if you, being a sinner, are subject to this, remember the future punishment, eternal fire and condemned torment, and you will not be faint-hearted because of the present. Rejoice that God has looked upon you, and have this sweet saying on your lips: although the Lord punished me, He did not give me over to death (Ps. 118:18). Are you iron? - With this fire you will cleanse the rust. If, even though you are righteous, you fall ill, then you will succeed from great things to greater things. Are you gold? - By this fire you will become most tested. A vile of the flesh has been given to you, an angel of Satan (2 Cor. 12:7), - rejoice: behold, to whom you have become like! You have been honored with Paul's part. Are you experiencing fever, punished with chills? But Scripture testifies: you passed through fire and water, and brought us to rest (Ps. 65:12). If you get the first one, wait for the second one. When practicing virtue, cry out in the word of Saint David: I am poor and sick (Ps. 68:30). Through this pair of sufferings you will become perfect, for he says: You have spread me out in sorrow (Ps. 4:2). In these gymnastic exercises we will better train souls to perform feats, for we see an adversary before our eyes. 58. She also said: if illness weighs us down, let us not be sad that for the sake of exhaustion and damage to the body we cannot sing loudly. All this is sent to us to destroy lusts. Likewise, fasting and sleeping for a long time are legalized for us against lusts. So, if illness has weakened lusts, the word is unnecessary; and this is a great asceticism, so that in illness we can have courage and send up grateful songs to God. 59. She said: those who commit crimes in the world, even though they do not want to, are thrown into prison. We, for the sake of our sins, will imprison ourselves in prison, so that the arbitrariness of remembrance will avert future execution. 60. She said again: when fasting, do not expect illness, for those who did not fast were often exposed to the same illnesses. If you have begun a good deed, do not weaken because the enemy hinders you, for he will be overthrown by your patience. Let those who begin the voyage first find a favorable wind, and when they set their sails and are met by an opposing wind, because of the wind that has attacked them, they do not unload the ship, but, after waiting a little or fighting a storm, they continue sailing again. So we too, when an enemy spirit attacks, having stretched out a cross instead of a sail, we will sail without fear. 61. Abba Iperechius said: let spiritual song be in your mouth and let hidden teaching lighten the burden of the temptations that come upon you! A clear example of this is a traveler who, tired, begins to sing and forgets the work of travel. 62. He also said: we must arm ourselves before temptations, for in this way, when they find them, we will appear skillful. 63. Abba Fort said: if God wants me to live, then He knows how to arrange for me; If you don’t want to, what is my life worth? He also did not accept offerings from everyone, for he said: if someone brings something for me, and not for God, then neither I have anything to give him, and he will not receive a reward from God, because he did not bring it for Him, and thus the one who brought it is offended. Those who put their trust in God and look at Him alone should be so reverently disposed that they do not even think about reproaching anyone, even if they happen to be unjustified a thousand times. 64. They said about Abba Heremon of the hermitage that his cave was forty miles from the church, and twelve miles from the swamp, where reeds for needlework grew, and from the water. From there he brought himself reeds and two vessels of water - one after the other, then sat down and was silent. 65. One day a demoniac came to the Skete and was not healed for a long time. Finally, one of the elders, taking pity on him, sealed him with the sign of the cross and healed him. The involuntarily expelled demon said to the elder: since you have expelled me, now I will enter into you. The elder answered him: okay, come in. The demon entered, and the old man spent twelve years with him, tormenting him by eating twelve dates a day, so that, unable to bear it, the tired demon left him. The elder, seeing him come out, asked: why are you running? The demon replied: May God crush you, for except Him no one is strong against you. 66. The elder said: if temptations come to a person, then his sorrows will multiply from everywhere, so that he becomes faint-hearted and grumbles, and he said the following: in Cells a temptation came upon one brother: if someone met him, he did not want to give him a kiss; no one invited him to his cell; if he needed bread, returning from the harvest, no one lent it to him; in the church no one invited him to a love dinner, as is the custom. One day, coming from the harvest, he did not even find bread in his cell, but at the same time he thanked God, and God, seeing his patience, took away the battle of temptations from his brother. And then someone came from Egypt and knocked on his door, bringing a camel loaded with bread. But the brother began to cry, saying: Lord! Or am I not worthy to suffer a little for Your name? Thus the temptation passed, and from that time on the brethren began to console him both in the church and in their cells. 67. Some brothers came to the desert to the great elder and asked him: how do you endure, Abba, here, carrying out such labor? The elder replied: all the work of my life that I spend here is nothing in comparison with one day of torment. 68. The elder said: the ancients did not quickly move from their place, except for the following three reasons: if there was someone there who had displeasure against him and did not reconcile, despite all efforts to calm him down; if you happened to be glorified by many or if you happened to fall into the temptation of fornication. 69. The brother asked the elder: what should I do, for the thought confuses me, saying: you can neither fast nor work; at least look after the sick, for this too is love. The elder, knowing that the patience of the cell leads the monk to his rank, answered: go - eat, drink, sleep, just do not leave your cell. When, after three days, the brother began to lose heart, he took several palm branches and cut them; the next day I began to weave them, and when I was hungry, I said to myself: I’ll weave a few more branches and then I’ll eat. Having finished them, he said again: I’ll read a little and then eat. Having completed the reading, he says again: I will sing a few psalms. And thus, already without care, little by little, with the assistance of God, he succeeded, until he came to his rank and, having received strength against his thoughts, began to defeat them. 70. Someone asked the elder: why am I depressed, sitting in my cell? The elder answered: because you have not yet seen either the desired peace or the future punishment, for if you had seen this, then if your cell was filled with worms and if you yourself had been betrayed to them up to your neck, you would have endured it without despondency. 71. The brethren asked one of the elders to stop from his great labors, but he answered them: I assure you, children, that Abraham, seeing the great gifts of God, will repent of not struggling more. 72. The brother told the elder: Father, my thoughts are scattered, and I grieve. The elder said to him: just sit in your cell, and they will come again, for if a donkey is tied, then her colt, no matter where it goes, staggering back and forth, comes back to its mother. So the thoughts of the one who patiently remains in his cell for God’s sake, although they will scatter somewhat, will then return to him again. 73. One old man lived in the desert at a distance of twelve miles from water. Going one day to draw water, he became faint-hearted and said: “What is the need for such work?” I’ll go and live near the water. Having said this, he went back and, seeing that someone was following in his footsteps, asked: who are you? He answered: I am the Angel of the Lord and was sent to count your steps, so that later, according to their number, I would give you a reward. Hearing this, the elder was encouraged and, inspired by zeal for work, added another five miles to the distance into the desert. 74. The Fathers said: if temptation happens to you in the place where you live, do not leave this place during the temptation, for otherwise, wherever you go, you will find in front of you what you are running from. Therefore, be patient until the temptation passes, so that your departure during the world will be without temptation and will not cause sorrow to those living there. 75. One brother who lived in Konovia loved peace and tranquility, but was often tempted by anger. Finally, he said to himself: I will go and live alone as a hermit, for if I have nothing to do with anyone, then my passion will subside. Then he went out and settled in the cave alone. One day he filled a jug with water and placed it on the ground, but the jug accidentally overturned; he filled it another time, and the same thing happened; I filled the third one, and it tipped over again. Angry, he grabbed and smashed it. Having come to his senses and seeing that he had been scolded by the demon, the brother said: here I am, alone as a hermit, and everything is defeated. I will go again to the monastery, for everywhere I need asceticism and patience and God’s help. He stood up and returned to his previous place. 76. One brother asked the elder: what should I do, father? I do not carry out any monastic work, but spend my life in negligence: I eat, drink, sleep, succumb to vile thoughts and considerable confusion, moving from task to task and from thoughts to thoughts. The elder answered: sit in your cell, and do what you can without embarrassment, for this little thing that you will do now, I put equal to the great thing that Abba Anthony did on the mountain; and I believe that he who sits in his cell for the sake of the name of God and guards his conscience will be with Abba Anthony. 77. They asked the elder: how could a zealous brother not be tempted if he sees that some of the brothers are returning to the world? And the elder said: he must imitate the dogs chasing the hare. For one of them, seeing a hare, pursues him until he catches him, without being stopped by anything, although the others, seeing only the pursuer, run with him for some distance, but then, having changed their minds, return back. And only that one - the one who sees - pursues until he catches up, not being deviated from the goal of his pursuit by the fact that they returned, not paying attention to the rapids, nor to the swamps, nor to the edges... So the one who seeks the Lord Jesus, looking incessantly at the cross, ignores the temptations encountered until he reaches the Crucified One. 78. The elder said: just as a tree that is often replanted cannot bear fruit, so a monk who moves from place to place cannot advance in virtue. 79. One brother was troubled by thoughts that urged him to leave the monastery. He revealed this to the Abba, and the Abba said to him: go and sit in your cell, give your body as a pledge to its walls and do not leave there. Leave your thoughts to think what they want, just don’t take your body out of your cell. 80. The elder said: the monk’s cell is the Babylonian cave, in which the three youths found the son of God, and the pillar of cloud, from which God spoke to Moses. 81. One brother for nine years was struggling with the thought of leaving the monastery and every day he was preparing his mantle to leave, but when evening came, he said to himself: tomorrow I will leave here. When morning came, he said to his thoughts: let us force ourselves to wait out this time for the Lord’s sake. When this work of his was nine years old, the Lord took away every temptation from him, and he calmed down. 82. One brother, exposed to temptation, left the monastic rule out of grief and, wanting to start it, but being again rejected by grief, said to himself: when will I again become the same as I was before? However, in despondency he could not start it. Finally, he went to a certain old man and told him about his condition, who, having heard about his grief, presented him with the following example: one man had a field, which, due to his negligence, became empty and overgrown with thorns and thistles. Then he decided to cultivate it, and he sent his son to go and clear the field. The son, coming and seeing many thorns, became faint-hearted and said to himself: when will I have time to remove and cleanse everything that is here? – lay down and slept, almost without getting up. When the father came to see what he had done, and finding that he had done nothing, he asked his son: What does it mean that you have not done anything before? The young man answered his father: as soon as I came here and saw such a multitude of thorns and thistles, despondency overwhelmed me, and out of despondency I lay down and began to sleep. The father said to him: cultivate every day a piece of the field equal to the size of your bed, and your work will move forward, and you will not be faint-hearted. Having listened to his father, the young man began to do this and in a few days he cleared the field. So you, brother, do little by little and you will not be faint-hearted; God, by His grace, will restore you to your former rank. The brother listened to the elder and, sitting with patience, did as he was taught, and through the grace of Christ he found peace. 83. One elder was often exposed to various infirmities and fell ill. One year he happened to be weak and therefore he grieved greatly and cried, saying: “Now God has forsaken me and has not visited me.” 84. The elder said: one brother was tempted by thoughts for nine years, so that he despaired of his salvation. Finally, out of piety, he condemned himself and said: I have destroyed my soul; So, I will go into the world by which I was destroyed. As he walked, a voice came to him along the way: The nine years in which you were tempted are your crowns. Return to your cell, and I will free you from your thoughts. You see that it is not good to despair because of thoughts, for they still bring us crowns if we go through them well. 85. One old man lived in Thebaid in a cave and had a very skillful student. The elder had a custom every evening to teach him about salvation, after which he said a prayer and sent the student to sleep. It happened one day that some pious laymen, who knew about the great asceticism of the elder, came and consoled them. When they left, the elder again, as usual, sat down to teach his brother and, talking with him, fell asleep. The student waited for the elder to wake up and say a prayer to him, but he still did not wake up. Then the thought of going to bed without a blessing began to confuse his brother, but he forced himself to resist it and stayed. The thought again began to disturb him, but again he did not leave; and so up to seven times he was indignant and seven times he resisted the thought. Finally, when quite some time had passed, the elder woke up and, finding the student sitting, said to him: “Have you not left yet?” He answered: no, because you did not let me go, Abba. The elder asked: why didn’t you wake me up? The brother said: I didn’t dare push you, so as not to scare you. Then they got up, performed Matins, and after this prayer the elder released his brother. When the elder was left alone, he came into admiration and saw that someone was showing him a glorious place and a throne in that place, and on the throne were seven crowns. The elder asked the one who showed him: whose are they? And he answered: your disciple, for God gave him this place and the throne for his patience, and he received seven crowns that night. Hearing about this, the elder was surprised, called his brother in fear and asked him: what did you do this night? He replied: forgive me, Abba, but I didn’t do anything. The elder, thinking that he was not opening out of humility, said to him: I will not let you go until you tell me what you did or what you thought about this night? The brother, knowing that he had done nothing, was at a loss what to say. Finally, he says to his father: I did nothing, Abba, except that, being outraged seven times by the thought of leaving without your release, I did not leave. Hearing this, the elder knew that every time his brother resisted the thought, he was crowned by God. He did not say anything about this to his brother, but for the sake of benefit he told this to his fathers, so that we would know that for struggle and with apparently small thoughts God will grant us crowns. So, it is good to force yourself in everything for the sake of God, for the kingdom of heaven is forced, and the needy delight it (Matthew 11:12). 86. Once an old man fell ill, who lived alone in his cells and had no one to serve him, so he got up and ate what he found in his cell. He stayed like that for a long time, and no one came to see him. When, thirty days later, no one came to the elder, God sent an Angel to serve him. And the Angel had been with him for seven days, when the fathers remembered the elder and, worried that he had died, they came and knocked. The angel retreated, and the elder shouted from within: get out of here, brothers. When the newcomers removed the door and entered, they asked the elder why he shouted so much. He answered them: I suffered for thirty days and no one visited me; and now it’s been seven days since the Lord sent an Angel to serve me, but as soon as you came, he retreated from me. Having said this, the elder rested, and the brethren, surprised, glorified God, who does not abandon those who hope in him. 87. The elder said: if a bodily illness befalls you, do not be faint-hearted, for if your Master wants you to suffer in body, who are you that you are burdened by it? Is it not He who takes care of you in everything? Isn't it Him you live by? So, be complacent and ask Him to tell you only what is useful to you. This is His will - sit patiently and eat what is brought to you out of love. 88. One monk defeated the devil in everything, and he deprived him of his sight. Even after this, the monk did not pray to receive his sight, but to have patience; and for the sake of his patience, God gave him sight, and he received his sight. 89. One of the fathers said: when I was in Oxyrhynchus, poor people came there in the evening to receive alms. When everyone had gone to bed, I left the cell and saw that one of those who came had only one mat, half of which was under him, and half on him. At that time there was severe cold, and I heard him, trembling all over, console himself, saying: I thank You, Lord! How many rich people are there in this hour, who are in prison and shackled, and others whose feet are driven into stocks! I, like a king, stretch out my feet. Having heard this, I told the brothers, and they received great benefit from it. 90. The brother asked the elder: Father, if sorrow comes upon me, but I have no one to open myself to, what should I do then? The elder answered him: believe in God that He will send His grace and help you. I heard that the following incident happened in Skete: there was someone there in a state of battle and, having no faith in anyone, he prepared his mantle in order to leave there. Then the grace of God appeared to him in the form of a virgin and consoled him, saying: do not go anywhere, but be here with me, for in reality nothing of what you heard was evil. Believing her, he stayed, and his heart was immediately healed. 91. One old man went to sell baskets, and a demon he met made them invisible. The elder began to pray and said: I thank You, Lord, that You have delivered me from temptation. Then the demon, unable to bear the elder’s wisdom, cried out: here are your baskets, evil old man! The elder took them and sold them. 92. One of the elders said this about poor Lazarus: we do not see that he did any virtue, but we see that he never complained about God, that He did not show him mercy, but always carried his burden with gratitude and did not condemn the rich man. That's why God accepted him. 93. One of the fathers said: if a tree is not swayed by the wind, then it does not give roots and does not grow; so a monk, if he is tempted and does not endure, is not strong. 94. The elder said: we do not succeed and do not know our limits because we do not have patience in the work we begin, and we want to acquire virtue without labor; We move from place to place, thinking to find one where there is no devil. 95. The elder said: if a monk works for several days, and then becomes lazy, then works again and again begins to be careless, he gains nothing and will never acquire patience. 96. He also said: if you happen to be in a foreign land and no one will accept you, do not grieve, but tell yourself this: if I were worthy, God would give me peace. 97. Again he said: destroy temptations, and there will be no saints, for he who flees a useful temptation flees an eternal life. 98. One of the fathers locked himself in his cell for the entire period of the Holy Pentecost of Great Lent. The devil, always jealous of those who strive, filled his cave with bedbugs from bottom to top, as well as water, bread, and everything he had, so that not a single spot was visible that was not covered with them. But the fighter endured the temptation and said: even if I have to die, I will not come out until the holy holiday. And so, in the third week of the holy fast, he sees in the morning how an untold number of large ants crawl into the cave to exterminate the bedbugs, how they beat them, as if in war, and drag them out. Therefore, patience with temptations is good, for it always leads to a good end. 99. The elder said: just as wax that is not heated and softened cannot imprint the seal placed on it, so a person, unless he is tested by sufferings and infirmities, cannot contain the seal. That is why the Lord says to the divine Paul: My grace is sufficient for you: for My power is made perfect in weakness. And the Apostle himself boasts, saying: Sweetly I will boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor. 12:9). 100. One young man, having decided to renounce the world, went into the desert and, seeing a pillar, said to himself: whoever I find in this pillar, I will serve him until death. When he knocked, an elder, a monk, came out and asked him what he needed. He replied: I came for the sake of prayer. The elder received him and, having put him to rest, asked if he had any special business in another place? The young man said: no, but I want to stay here. And he left him. However, this elder fell into fornication and had a woman with him, therefore, after some time, he said to his brother: if you want to benefit, go to the monastery, for I have a wife. The brother answered: I don’t know whether you have a wife or a sister, but I will serve you until death. After a year of his ministry, they said to themselves: Are we not satisfied with the burden that we bear? But we also have to be tortured for the soul of this brother! So, let's leave here and leave him the cell. Then, taking what they could, they said to the brother: we are going to worship; You guard our cell. However, as soon as they left, the brother realized their intention and caught up with them. When they saw him and were embarrassed, they said: How long will you condemn us? If you have a cell, sit and listen to yourself. But the brother answered them: I did not come for the sake of the cell, but in order to serve you. After this, the woman went to the monastery, and the elder went to his place. And thus, through the patience of their brother, both were saved. Faranit - resident of the city of Faran You might be interested in: