Wisdom from the Desert
Selected Passages from the
Ancient Desert Fathers & Mothers of Africa

We have labored that the Holy Scriptures and the books left to us by the Church Fathers be multiplied by means of modern printing techniques and be distributed to all�. O Christians, let us arise and, with the spiritual zeal and earnestness which characterized the Apostles and early Christians, let us labor to lead out brothers and sisters to our Savior Jesus Christ, Who only can give life in its fullest sense! (Haile Selassie I, Address to the World Evangelical Congress, 10/28/66)

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him: "Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and I meditate, I live in peace, and as far as I can I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?" And the old man stood up, and he stretched his hands toward the heavens, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire, and he said to him: "If you will, you can become all flame."

The brethren asked Abba Agathon: "Amongst all good works, which is the virtue which requires the greatest effort?" He answered: "Forgive me, but I think there is no labor greater that that of prayer to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, want to prevent him, for they know that it is only by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey. Whatever good work a man undertakes, if he perseveres in it, he will attain rest. But prayer is warfare to the last breath."

Abba Zeno said: "If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and stretches out his hands towards God, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks."

Amma Syncletica said: "It is good not to get angry. But if it should happen, do not allow your day to go by affected by it. For it is said: 'Do not let the sun go down.' Otherwise, the rest of your life may be affected by it. Why hate a person who hurts you? For it is not that person who is unjust, but the devil. Hate the sickness, but not the sick person."

Abba Nilus said: "Everything you do in revenge against a brother who has harmed you will come back to your mind at the time of prayer" and "If you want to pray properly, do not let yourself be upset or you will run in vain." He also said: "Whatever you have endured out of love of wisdom will bear fruit for you at the time of prayer."

Abba Ammonas was asked: "What is the 'narrow and hard way'?" He replied, "The 'narrow and hard way' is this: to control your thoughts, and to strip yourself of your own will, for the sake of God. This is also the meaning of the sentence, 'Lo, we have left everything and followed You.'"

Abba Isaiah said: "When God wishes to take pity on a soul and it rebels, not bearing anything and doing its own will, He then allows it to suffer that which it does not want, in order that it may seek Him again."

Amma Theodora said: "Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate. Just as the trees, if they have not stood before the winter's storms cannot bear fruit, so it is with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Abba Poemen said of Abba John the Dwarf that he had prayed God to take his passions away from him so that he might become free from care. He went and told an old man this; "I find myself in peace, without an enemy," he said. The old man said to him, "Go beseech God to stir up warfare so that you may regain the affliction and humility that you used to have, for it is by warfare that the soul makes progress." So he besought God and when warfare came, he no longer prayed that it might be taken away, but said, "Lord, give me strength for the fight."

Abba John the Dwarf said, "Humility and the fear of God are above all virtues."

Abba Joseph asked Abba Poemen: "How should we fast?" And Abba Poemen said: "I myself think it's good to eat every day, a little at a time, so as not to get full." Abba Joseph said: "Well, when you were young, didn't you used to fast for two days at a time?" And the old man said: "Believe me, indeed I did, for three days, and even a week. But the great elders tried all of this, and found that it is good to eat every day, a little less each time. In this way, they showed us the royal highway, for it is light and easy."

Abba John gave this advice: "Watching means to sit in the cell and be always mindful of God. This is what is meant by 'I was on the watch and God came to me.'"

Abba Poemen said Abba John said that the saints are like a group of trees, each bearing different fruit, but watered from the same source. The practices of one saint differ from those of another, but it is the same Spirit that works in all of them.

Abba John said to his brother, "Even if we are entirely despised in the eyes of men, let us rejoice that we are honoured in the sight of God."

Abba James said: "Just as a lamp lights up a dark room, so the fear of God when it penetrates the heart of a man illuminates him, teaching him all the virtues and commandments of God."

Abba Copres said: "Blessed is he who bears affliction with thankfulness."

Abba Macarius the Great, while he was in Egypt, discovered a man who owned a beast of burden engaged in plundering Macarius' goods. So he came up to the thief as if he was a stranger and he helped him to load the animal. He saw him off in great peace of soul saying: "We have brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Abba Macarius was asked: "How should one pray?" The old man said: "There is no need at all to make long discourses; it is enough to stretch out one's hands and say, 'Lord, as you will, and as you know, have mercy.' And if the conflict grows fiercer say, 'Lord, help!' He knows very well what we need and He shows us His mercy."

Abba Nilus said: "Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absence of anger."

Abba Xanthias said: "The thief was on the cross and he was justified by a single word; and Judas, who was counted in the number of the apostles, lost all his labour in one single night and descended from heaven to hell. Therefore, let no-one boast of his good works, for all those who trust in themselves fall."

One of the brothers asked Abba Isidore, a priest of Scetis: "Why are the demons so terrified of you?" And the old man said: "Ever since I became a monk I have tried never to let anger rise as far as my mouth."

An abba was asked: "What is humility?" and he said in reply: "Humility is a great work, and a work of God. The way of humility is to undertake bodily labor and believe yourself a sinner and make yourself subject to all." Then a brother said: "What does it mean, to be subject to all?" The old man answered: "To be subject to all is not to give your attention to the sins of others but always to give your attention to your own sins and to pray without ceasing to God."

Amma Syncletica said: "We ought to govern our souls with discretion and to remain in the community, neither following our own will nor seeking our own good. We are like exiles: we have been separated from the things of this world and have given ourselves in one faith to the one Father. We need nothing of what we have left behind. There we had reputation and plenty to eat; here we have little to eat and little of everything else."

Abba Antony said, "Our life and our death are with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained our God; but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ."

Having withdrawn from the palace to the solitary life, Abba Arsenius prayed and heard a voice saying to him: "Arsenius, flee, be silent, pray always, for these are the source of sinlessness."

Some monks came to see Abba Poemen and said to him: "When we see brothers dozing in the church, should we rouse them so that they can be watchful?" He said: "For my part, when I see a brother dozing, I put his head on my knees and let him rest."

Abba Xanthios said: "A dog is better than I am, for he has love and he does not judge."

A brother came to see a certain hermit and, as he was leaving, he said: "Forgive me abba for preventing you from keeping your rule." The hermit replied: "My rule is to welcome you with hospitality and to send you away in peace."

Abba Theon ate vegetables, but only those that did not need to be cooked. They say that he used to go out of his cell at night and stay in the company of the wild animals, giving them drink from the water he had. Certainly one could see the tracks of antelopes and wild asses and gazelles and other animals near his hermitage. These creatures always gave him pleasure.

Abba Hyperichius said: "Praise God continally with spiritual hymns and always remain in meditation and in this way you will be able to bear the burden of the temptations that come upon you. A traveller who is carrying a heavy load pauses from time to time and draws in deep breaths; it makes the journey easier and the burden lighter."

Abba Pambo said: "If you have a heart, you can be saved."

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