Глава XII. О том, что должно непрестанно и трезвенно молиться

1. The brothers came to Abba Anthony and offered him one passage from the book of Leviticus. The elder went out into the desert, and Abba Ammon, who knew his custom, secretly followed him. The elder, moving away significantly, began to pray and cried out: God, send Moses, and he will explain these words to me! And a voice came to him, speaking to him. Abba Ammon said that he heard a voice, but did not understand the power of words. 2. They said about Abba Arseny that on Saturday evening before the start (according to the church rite) of the resurrection, he raised his hands to the sky, leaving the sun behind him, and prayed until it again shone in his face; and then he sat down. 3. The brothers asked Abba Agathon: what virtue, father, in asceticism has more labor? He answered them: forgive me, I think there is no greater work than praying to God, for whenever a person sets out to pray, his enemies want to cut him off from this, knowing that nothing can hinder them so much as prayer to God. Moreover, in every feat that a person begins, if he goes through it with patience, he finally gains peace, and prayer until his last breath requires feat. 4. Abba Dula, a student of Abba Vissarion, said: I once came to the Abba’s cell and found him standing in prayer. His hands were stretched out to heaven, and he remained in this feat for fourteen days. After that he called me and said: follow me, and we went into the desert. Having become thirsty, I say to him: Abba! I'm thirsty! Then the elder took my mantle, went away to throw a stone and, having said a prayer, brought it to me full of water. Continuing our journey, we came to one cave and, entering it, found a brother who was sitting and working as a weaver: he did not look at us, did not greet us and did not want to start a conversation with us at all. The elder told me: let's leave here. Perhaps this elder has no notice to speak to us. We went to Liko and came to Abba John. Having kissed him, we said a prayer, and they sat down to talk about the vision that he saw during prayer, and Abba Vissarion said that an order had been issued to destroy the church, but this had already been done, and they were destroyed. On the way back, we again approached the cave where we saw our brother, and the elder said to me: let’s go in to him - maybe God inspired him to talk to us? - but when we entered, we found him dead. Then the elder says to me: come on, brother, let’s prepare his body, for this is why God sent us here. When we were preparing his body to bury, we discovered that by nature it was a wife, and the elder said: look, and the wives defeat Satan, and we will defile ourselves in the cities. And, having glorified God, the protector of those who love Him, we departed. 5. Blessed Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, was informed by the Abbot of a monastery located in Palestine: with your prayers we did not neglect our rule, but carefully celebrated the third, sixth and ninth hours. Answering this, blessed Epiphanius denounced them, saying: you are obvious negligent people, spending all other hours of the day without prayer, for a true monk must constantly have prayer and psalmody in his heart. 6. He said: the prophet David did not pray according to the clock: he rose at midnight, begged before the morning, stood in the morning, prayed at dawn, propitiated during the day and at noon. That’s why he said: I praised You by the day of the seven days (Ps. 119:164). 7. Abba Evagrius said: it is a great thing to pray without entertainment, and an even greater thing is to sing without entertainment. 8. He also said: when you are faint-hearted, then pray as it is written, but pray with fear and trembling, soberly and cheerfully, for this is how you should pray, especially when our malicious and cunning invisible enemies want to tempt us with this. 9. He said again: when an enemy thought arises in your heart, do not seek one or the other in prayer, but sharpen the sword of your tears against hostility. 10. Once upon a time, Abba Moses came to draw water and found Abba Zechariah praying by the reservoir, and the Spirit of God sitting on him in the form of a dove. 11. Abba Isaiah, presbyter of Pelusia, said in reproach to the brethren who were eating the meal of love in the church and talking with each other: Be silent, brethren! I know a brother who sits with you and drinks cups, just like you, and his prayer ascends to God like fire. 12. Abba Lot came one day to Abba Joseph and said to him: Abba! According to my strength, I fulfill my small rule and my small fast, prayer, secret teaching, silence, and according to my strength I count my thoughts. What else should I do? The elder stood up, stretched out his hands to the sky, and his fingers became like fiery lamps. Then he says to him: if you want, be all like fire. 13. Abba Jacob said that one of the elders said: when I was younger and was in the desert, I had a young man near me who lived apart. One day, when I came to visit him, I heard that, while praying, he asked God to let him live in peace with the animals. Then, through prayer, he approached the hyena, who was feeding her children nearby, lay down next to them and began to feed with them. 14. The elder also said that at another time he heard him praying and asking God: give me the gift of making friends with fire. Then, having lit a fire, he knelt in the middle of it and thus prayed to the Lord. 15. Once upon a time, monks, the so-called eukhites (prayerists), came to Abba Lucius in Yennat, and the elder asked them: what kind of handicraft do you have? They answered: we do not touch handicrafts, but, as the Apostle commanded, we pray unceasingly. The elder also asked: “Are you not eating?” They said: let's eat. He says: are you awake? They answered: we are sleeping. Then the elder asked: who prays for you when you sleep? They couldn't find an answer to this. And he said to them: forgive me, you do not do as you say. I will show you that, even while doing my handicraft, I pray unceasingly. Having wetted a few branches, I sit down with God and, working from them into a weave, I say: God, have mercy on me according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, cleanse my iniquity (Ps. 50:1). Isn't this a prayer? They said: prayer. The elder continued: spending the whole day working with prayer, I get more or less sixteen coins, two of which I give to the door (to those asking), and with the rest I buy food; When I eat or sleep, the one who received two coins prays for me, and thus, by the grace of God, my commandment to pray unceasingly is fulfilled. 16. Abba Macarius once visited one brother every day for four whole months and always found him at prayer. Surprised by this, the elder said: here is an earthly angel. 17. Some asked Abba Macarius: how should we pray? The elder answered them: they should not talk too much, but should raise their hands and say: Lord! As you want and as you know! When the battle begins, say: Lord, help! “He knows what is good for us and will do kindness to us.” 18. Abba Moses said: if the matter does not agree with prayer, then you are working in vain. Someone asked him: what does it mean that the deed agrees with the prayer? The elder answered: it means not to do more than what he prayed for, for when a person leaves his desires, then God changes to him and accepts his prayer. 19. Abba Nilus said: whatever you do to take revenge on the brother who insulted you, everything will be a temptation for you during prayer. 20. Again he said: prayer is a shoot of meekness and freedom from anger. 21. He also said: prayer is a cure for sadness and despondency. 22. He said: Go, sell your property and give to the poor; then take up the cross and deny yourself, so that you can pray without distraction. 23. Again he said: whatever we endure wisely, we will find its fruit during prayer. 24. He also said: if you wish to pray as you should, do not grieve your soul, otherwise you will go in vain. 25. He also said: do not wish for it to happen to you as it seems to you that it should be, but as God pleases, and you will not be embarrassed and grateful in your prayer. 26. The brother asked Abba Pimen: Father, is it good to pray? The elder answered him: Abba Anthony said that a voice comes from the face of God, saying: Comfort, comfort My people, says God (Isa. 40:1). 27. When Julian the apostate went against the Persians, he sent a demon to the west to bring him some news from there. Having reached the place where one monk lived, the demon became motionless and remained in that place for ten days, unable to move forward, for the monk did not stop praying either day or night. Therefore, the demon returned to the one who sent him without success. He asked: why did you delay? The demon answered: he delayed and came without success, because he stayed ten days, waiting for the monk Publius to stop praying so that I could pass him, but he did not stop, and I could not cross that place and returned. Angry, the wicked Julian said that upon his return he would deal with him, but by the will of Providence, he was slaughtered a few days later. Then one of those who were with him went away and sold everything he had and gave it to the poor; then he came to the elder, became a monk and, having become a great ascetic, died in the Lord. 28. The brother asked Abba Sisoes: Father, what should I do? How to escape? How to please God? The elder replied: if you want to please God, leave the world, retreat from the earth, leave creation, go to the Creator, unite yourself with God in prayer and weeping - and you will find peace in the present century and in the future. 29. They said about Abba Tythos that if, while standing in prayer, he did not quickly give up his hands, then his mind admired grief. Therefore, when he happened to pray with the brethren, he tried to quickly lower his hands and not delay, so that his mind would not be enraptured. 30. A certain elder said that he went to the Skete every day for four months to visit one brother and never found him idle. Arriving one day and standing outside at the door, he heard him say with tears: Lord! If my cry to You does not reach Your ears: have mercy on me in my sins! - then I will not tire of begging You. 31. One hermit saw a demon who was urging another demon to go wake up a sleeping monk, and heard him say to him: I can’t do this, for I once woke him up, and he rebelled and burned me with psalmody and prayer. 32. The elders said that prayer is the mirror of a monk. 33. One of the elders said: just as one cannot see one’s face in muddy water, so the soul, unless it is cleansed of everything extraneous, cannot pray. 34. The elders said about one brother that he never abandoned his handicrafts, and his prayer continually ascended to God. He was also very humble and well-mannered. 35. The elder said: when a person saves himself from insulting his neighbor, then let him dare with the thought that his prayer is accepted by God; whoever offends his neighbor, his prayer is vile and unacceptable, for the groaning of the offended one does not allow the prayer of the one who offended to rise before the face of God. 36. The elder said: if you are doing handicraft in your cell, and the hour of your prayer comes, do not say: I will finish this small number of branches or this small basket and then I will get up, but get up every hour and repay God the debt of prayer, otherwise, little by little, you will get used to not caring about prayer and your service, and your soul will become empty of any physical and spiritual work. 37. Again he said: if you hear about someone that he has reviled you, then when he comes to you, do not show him that you have learned about it, but be hospitable to him and please your face towards him, so that you may have boldness in prayer. 38. One elder said: once a certain brother who lived in Egypt was walking along the way, and since evening found him, he, due to the cold, entered the tomb to spend the night. Passing by, the demons said to one another: look what courage this monk has, who spends the night in the tomb! Let's go get him out! Another answered him: why should we pull him out? He is ours, for he does our will: he eats, drinks, ill-treats his neighbor, and neglects prayer. Instead of dawdling over it, let us rather go and confuse those who annoy us and fight us day and night with our prayer. You might be interested in: