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Spiritual Meadow . . . . . . .

De Vitis Patrum, Book X
By John Moschus
Translated into Latin by Ambrosius Camaldulensis

In Praise of the Author
This "Book of the Meadow", or Life of the Saints, was written by John, surnamed
Moschus, of blessed memory. He was a presbyter and monk, and began his life of
renunciation in the monastery of our holy father Theodosius, abbot and archimandrite
of all the cenobia and monasteries of Jerusalem. Its subject is the virtues of the Godloving
fathers, and other accounts of great benefit to the soul, that is, the words of the
holy and righteous Christ-loving fathers and brothers. He lived for quite some time
with the holy fathers who lived in the desert near the sacred Jordan, and gathered
together [accounts of] their virtues, which he then included in this book. He lived for a
while in the so-called "New" monastery, built by our great and holy Father Saba and
his disciples, which remains with us to this day. When he heard of the tyranny with
which the Persians were oppressing the Romans after the murder of the Emperor
Mauritius [died 602] and his children, he left the New monastery and went to the
region of Great Antioch. Here he found the heathen in control, and moved on again to
Alexandria from where he travelled through all the deserts roundabout. (He had
previously been sent to Egypt for administrative purposes at the beginning of [the
reign of] the Emperor Tiberius II [578-582]). He travelled as far as Oasis and visited
the Fathers who were there in the neighbouring deserts. Here he heard that the holy
places had been occupied and Romans were panic-stricken, whereupon he left
Alexandria and took ship for the great city of Rome along with his beloved disciple
Sophronius. They documented several islands in the course of their journey.
This blessed man was so gifted by the Lord that he would put into writing whatever
he heard or saw of the lives of outstanding men, and the deeds of power they
performed. This plan was put into action when he was at Rome. For knowing that the
time of his departure was at hand, he wrote this book, not in the order in which he
had seen them or heard of them, but linked together in writing according to the
relationship of one to another, whether heard or seen.
When he was about to leave this troubled world, and pass to the world of rest and
tranquillity, at the urging of his beloved disciple he gave him this book containing the
lives and deeds, acceptable to God, of the holy fathers. He charged him also not to
leave his remains at Rome, but to put them in a wooden coffin and try as far as
possible to take them to Mount Sinai and bury them there with the holy fathers. If he
should be prevented from doing this by ravaging barbarian bands, then he was to
take them to the monastery of the holy Theodosius, where he began his renunciation
of the world.
In obeying this command his beloved disciple and his fellow disciples (for there were
twelve of them), carried John's body away, following the example of the great
Joseph, who along with his brothers took Israel from Egypt to the land of his fathers,
as Israel had bidden them.
He got as far as Ascalon when he learned that he could go no further towards Mount
Sinai because of hostile attacks by the Agareni, so he took blessed John's remains to
Jerusalem at the beginning of the octave of the Indiction. [September 1. The
beginning of the Byzantine year.] There he sought out Georgius, the presbyter-ruler
of the monastery of our holy father Theodosius, and told him all that John had urged
upon him. Together with the brothers who came with him, and all the brothers of the
monastery who were then in the city, he discharged his duties towards the blessed
John by burying him next to the holy fathers buried there in the cemetery of the holy
Theodosius as he had been bidden.He himself passed the rest of his life in that same
monastery.
This cemetery is in a cave where a story (not in the Gospel) tells us that the Magi
rested after tricking Herod by avoiding him as they returned to their own country. In
this cave our holy father Theodosius waged his spiritual battles and was granted the
gift of casting out demons not only for the space of this short life, but also after his
death, even to this day, to the glory and praise of Christ our true God and Saviour, to
whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen

Prologue of John Moschus
To his beloved in Christ Sophronius Sophista

It is obvious to all, my beloved son, that the meadows present their most beautiful
appearance in Springtime, with its pleasing variety of flowers of every sort,
demanding the attention of all who gaze, impossible to ignore, beneficial in all sorts
of ways, for they delight the eyes and give pleasure to the sense of smell. Part of this
meadow indeed flourishes with the colour of roses, part grows white with lilies, easily
attracting the attention of the onlooker away from the colour of the roses. Other parts
shimmer with the colour of violets, copying in their own colour the imperial purple.
The profusion of various differing sights and fragrances of countless flowers
everywhere gratify the senses. Think of this present work like this, Sophronius, my
holy and most faithful son, since you will find in it the virtues of the holy men who
have enlightened our time "planted by the running waters", as the Psalmist says
(Psalms 1.3). And though all of them are acceptable to God and of great grace, yet
each one of them is distinguished by some particular grace more than the others, so
that out of this great variety of virtues arises a charming picture of pleasing beauty.
Out of these flowers I have picked the most beautiful, and woven a corona for you
out of this imperishable and everlasting meadow, my most faithful son, which I offer
to you, and through you to everyone.
For this reason it seems good to call this present work a Meadow, for the delight,
comfort and usefulness which those who read may take from it. It is not only right
belief and meditation on divine truth which lead to a life and morals of integrity, but
also the examples of other people, and written accounts of their virtuous lives.
Therefore I have undertaken this task trusting in the Lord, beloved son, and hoping
that it will commend itself to your charity. Just as a bee seeks out only what is useful
and true so I have I described the lives of the holy fathers that souls may be
enlightened.

Chapter I
The life of the holy old man JOHN and the Cave of Sapsa

There was an old man called John in the monastery of Eustorgius whom the holy
Elias, Archbishop of Jerusalem, wanted to put in charge of all the monasteries in
Jerusalem. John demurred, saying that he was wanting to travel to Mt. Sinai in order
to pray there.The Archbishop urged him to be made an abbot first before going off to
wherever he wanted.The old man still would not agree, but at last the bishop let him
go on the strength of a promise that John would accept this responsibility on his
return. He thanked the Archbishop and began his journey to Mount Sinai, taking his
disciple with him. They crossed the Jordan and had hardly taken one more step when
the old man began to feel stiff and shortly afterwards became feverish. The fever
increased to such an extent that he was unable to walk, so they went into a little cave
that they found, in order to rest.The fever got so bad that after staying in the cave for
three days, he was still unable to move. The old man then had a dream in which he
saw someone standing next to him saying: "Tell me, old man, where are you going?"
"To Mount Sinai", he replied.
"No, I beg you, don't go," came the answer.
The old man would not agree, and the vision faded, but his fever got even worse. The
next night the same person appeared and said "Why do you persist in being
punished like this old man? Listen to me and stop trying to go anywhere."
"Who are you," said the old man
"I am John the Baptist," came the reply, "and I warn you, don't go anywhere, for this
narrow cave is greater than Mount Sinai. For the Lord Jesus quite often used to
come into this cave when he was visiting me. Promise me that you will stay here and
I will restore your health."
Hearing this, the old man freely promised that he would stay in that same cave. His
health was immediately restored and there he spent the rest of his life. He made that
cave into a church and gathered other brothers about him. The name of that place is
Sapsa, and it is watered by the nearby brook Cherith to which Elias was sent in the
time of drought from the other side of Jordan.

Chapter II
The life of an OLD MAN who fed lions in his own cave

In this same area of Sapsa there lived another old man of such virtue that he
welcomed lions into his cave and fed them by hand, so full of divine grace was that
man of God.

Chapter III
The life of CONON, a presbyter of the monastery of Penthucula.

When we visited abba Athanasius in the monastery of our holy father Saba, he told
us of an Alexandrian presbyter called Conon who was in charge of Baptisms. The
fathers had decreed that the high quality of his character made him worthy of
baptising those who came seeking for it. So he anointed with the holy Chrism and
baptised those who came. But whenever he had to anoint a woman, he became so
agitated that he wanted to leave the monastery. While battling with this thought, the
holy John Baptist appeared to him, saying: "Endure, and persevere and I will lift this
burden from you."
One day an attractive young Persian woman came to be baptised who was so
beautiful that the presbyter could not bring himself to anoint her bare flesh with oil.
When Archbishop Peter heard that the girl had already been there two days, he was
exceedingly angry with the old man, and even wanted to delegate this ministry to a
deaconess, but refrained from doing so as he did not want to be seen to be doing
anything contrary to the canons. But Conon the presbyter took his cloak and went,
saying that he would not remain any longer in that place. He had got as far as the
hills, when behold, the holy John Baptist met him in the way and spoke to him gently,
saying: "Go back to your monastery and I will lift this battle from you."
"I certainly will not go back," replied abba Conon indignantly. "You have so often
made these promises and not fulfilled them."
Then the holy John made him sit down and take off his clothes. He made the sign of
the cross three times on his navel and said: "Believe me, presbyter Conon, I had
been hoping that you would have been able to receive a reward because of this
battle. As it is, however, look, I have taken this battle away from you, but you have
forfeited any reward."
The presbyter returned to the cenobium, to take up once more his baptismal ministry.
The next day he anointed and baptised the young woman, hardly even noticing that
she was, in fact, a woman. He continued the ministry of baptism for another twelve
years in such tranquillity of mind and body that he never experienced any excitement
of the flesh, nor consciously thought of anyone specifically as a woman. And so in
peace he lived out his days.

Chapter IV
The life of abba LEONTIUS.

Abba Leontius was the superior of the coenobium of our holy father Theodosius. He
told us the following story:
After fleeing from the infidels, the monks suffered persecution in a new monastery
called a Laura. I went thither and stayed in the same Laura. One Sunday I went to
church to receive the sacred mysteries and as I entered, I saw an Angel standing at
the right hand of the altar. Terrified, I returned to my cell. And a voice came to me
from heaven saying: "That altar has been made holy. Therefore I am commanded to
remain with it for ever."

Chapter V
A story about three monks told by abba POLYCHRONIUS

Abba Polychronius a presbyter of this same Laura, told me the following story:
When I was in the monastery of Turrius near the Jordan I noticed that one of the
brothers was very lax in fulfilling his Sunday duties. But a little while afterwards I
noticed that he was fulfilling them with great zeal and devotion.
"You are doing well, now, brother," I said, "curing your own sickness."
"Father, I have but a short time to live", he said.
And in three days he was dead.
A brother in the same monastery of Turrius died, and the steward (dispensator)
asked me to do him a kindness and help him carry his effects (vasa) to his office. As
we did so I noticed him weeping.
"Why are you weeping so, abba," I asked.
"Today we are carrying my brother's things," he said. "But in two days' time others will
be carrying mine."
On the third day this brother rested in peace, as he had predicted. The Lord had
established in him a sure hope.

Chapter VI
Another story of POLYCHRONIUS

Abba Polychronius the presbyter also told this story of the time when he was in the
monastery of abba Constantinus, the superior of the monastery of St Mary the
Birthgiver of God, known as the New Monastery.
A certain brother who died in the guesthouse at Jericho was being taken back by the
brothers to be buried at the Turrius monastery. As soon as they began their journey
with the body a star appeared over the head of the deceased as a companion for the
journey, and did not disappear until they put him in the grave.

Chapter VII
The life of a certain OLD MAN, who refused to be made abbot in the monastery of
Turrius

There was another old man in this same monastery of Turrius of such great and
obvious virtue that the fathers of that monastery wished to make him their abbot.
"I am not worthy of such an honour", the old man said. "Take no notice of me. Just
leave me to weep for my sins. I have no ability in the cure of souls. That is the
business of such great and outstanding fathers as Antony, Pachomius and the holy
Theodore."
The brothers would not accept this and urged him every single day.
"Let me pray about it for three days," he said at last, overwhelmed by their incessant
arguments, "and whatever the Lord tells me to do I will do it."
This was on Good Friday. By the morning of Easter Day he rested in peace.

Chapter VIII
The life of abba MYROGENES, who had dropsy.

In the same monastery of Turrius there was an old man called Myrogenes, who
because of the great austerity of his life had developed dropsy. To the old men who
came to visit him he always said: "Pray for me, fathers, lest one becomes dropsical
inside. As for me, in this disease I pray to God daily that I may endure."
When Archbishop Eustochius of Jerusalem heard about him, he decided to send him
a few things which might be needed, but he refused to accept any of them. The only
message he sent to the archbishop was: "Pray for me, father, that I may be spared
crucifixion for eternity."

Chapter IX
The wonderful charity of a certain holy FATHER

In this same monastery of Turrius there was an old man who was a great lover of
almsgiving, even to the extent of holy nakedness. For one day a beggar came to his
cell seeking alms. The old man had nothing to give him but one loaf which he offered
to the beggar.
"It's not bread I want but clothing," said the beggar.
The old man wanted to help him so he took him by the hand and led him inside his
cell. The beggar could not see anything inside but what the old man stood up in, but
driven by his virtuous nature the old man opened the only moneybag he had by
taking off everything he wore, saying: "Take these, good sir, and I will seek elsewhere
for what I need."

Chapter X
The life of BARNABAS, the anchorite.

There was an anchorite in the holy caves of Jordan called Barnabas. As he went
down one day to drink at the Jordan he got a thorn in his foot. He left it there, bearing
always pain in his foot. He would not let any doctor see it, so that eventually it
festered, and he had to go down to the monastery at Turrius where he accepted a
cell. Daily the festering in his foot got worse, but those who came to see him said that
the more he suffered outwardly the stronger he became in spirit.
After abba Barnabas left his cave to go to Turrius, another anchorite went into this
cave and as he entered he saw an angel standing by the altar which Barnabas had
built and consecrated.
"What is your purpose here?" he asked the angel.
"God has entrusted it to me because it has become holy," replied the angel.

Chapter XI
The life of abba AGIODULUS

Abba Peter, a presbyter of the monastery of our holy father Saba, told us this story
about Abba Agiodulus:
When he was superior of the monastery of the blessed Gerasimus it so happened
that one of the brothers who lived there died. The old man was unaware of this until
the prior sounded the signal, the brothers lifted the body and at last he saw the body
in the middle of the church. He was then greatly upset, because he had not been
able to pay his respects to him before departing from this world. He went up to the
bier whereon the deceased was lying and said: "Rise, brother, and give me the kiss
of peace." He straightway rose up and kissed the old man.
"Sleep now," the old man then said, "until your resurrection by Christ the Son of
God."
This same abba Agiodulus was once passing by the banks of the Jordan and began
thinking and wondering what had happened to the stones which Joshua had set in
the middle of the Jordan for those whom he was leading through it (Joshua 4.9). And
as he was thinking, suddenly the waters divided this way and that, and he saw the
twelve stones. He prostrated himself on the ground, gave thanks to the Lord and
went his way.

Chapter XII
A saying of abba OLYMPIUS

"Give me a word," a brother asked abba Olympius, a presbyter of the monastery of St
Gerasimus.
"Have no dealings with heretics," he said, "guard your tongue and your stomach, and
wherever you go say constantly: 'I am a stranger and a pilgrim'"

Chapter XIII
The life of abba MARK, the anchorite.

Abba Mark the anchorite, who lived near the monastery of Penthucula for sixty-three
years, had the ability to fast for a whole week, so that many thought he was not made
of flesh and blood at all. He worked day and night, but gave everything [he earned] to
the poor. He accepted nothing from anyone. Some faithful men heard of him and
came offering him blessed bread (agape).
"I can't accept that," he said. "These hands of mine provide food for me and all who
come to me."

Chapter XIV
The BROTHER who was attacked by the spirit of fornication and became leprous.

Abba Polychronius also told us about a brother living in the coenobium of Penthucula
who was very careful of himself, and continent. But once when he was attacked by
the spirit of fornication, he found that he was not able to fight against it, so he left the
monastery and went to Jericho where he satisfied his desires. Soon afterwards, as
he was going in to a harlot's house, he found that he was covered in leprosy. He
returned immediately to the monastery, giving thanks to God and saying: "God has
stricken me with this chastisement that my soul might be saved." And he gave great
glory to God.

Chapter XV
A miraculous deed of abba CONON

It was said of abba Conon that one day as he was going to Betamarim, he met some
Jews who wished to kill him and ran towards him with drawn swords. As they
approached, waving their swords at him, their hands suddenly became motionless,
suspended on high. The old man said a prayer, freed their hands and sent them on
their way, giving thanks to God.

Chapter XVI
A story which abba NICHOLAUS told about himself and his companions.

There was an old man called Nicholaus living in the monastery of abba Peter near
the holy Jordan who told us the following story:
Once when I was in Raythum three of us were sent on a journey to the Thebaid. In
going through the desert we took a wrong path and found ourselves inthe middle of a
vast sandy expanse. Our water supply ran out after a few days and we were parched
with thirst. Fainting from thirst and the heat we were not able to go any further, but
having come across some tamarisk trees in the desert we each threw ourselves
down in the shade of the trees, expecting to die of our thirst. Stretched out in the
shade I fell into an ecstasy and saw a fishpond full of flowing water, and two men
standing beside a wooden vessel on the edge of the pond.
"Be kind to me, sir," I asked one of them, "and let me have a little bit of water, for I am
fainting away."
He refused.
"Give him some," the other said.
"No, let us not give him any," was the reply, "for he is lazy and doesn't look after
himself."
"Even if he is lazy and negligent," said the other, "let us give him some for
hospitality's sake."
And then they did give to me and my companions.
As soon as we had drunk we felt our strength reviving and travelled for three more
days without drinking anything until we arrived at a populated area.

Chapter XVII
The life of the old man MACNUS.
They say that the old man Macnus of the monastery of abba Peter lived fifty years in
his cave, drinking no wine and eating only bread made from bran. But every week he
communicated three times.

Chapter XVIII
The life of another OLD MAN in the monastery of Laura, who slept among lions.
Abba Polychronius the presbyter told us about another old man in the Laura of abba
Peter who quite often went off and wandered about on the banks of the Jordan, and if
he came across a lion's den he would sleep there. One day he picked up two lions'
cubs in his cloak and brought them into the church.
"If we were keeping the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ", he said to the
brothers, "these animals should really be frightened of us. But because of the sin
which affects us all, we seem bound to be frightened of them."
The brothers went back to their cells greatly impressed by this magnificent deed.

Chapter XIX
A story that abba ELIAS told about himself
Abba Elias told us that at one time he was living in a cave near the monastery of the
Eunuchs in the holy Jordan region in order to avoid being in communion with
Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem.
"One day at about the sixth hour," he said, "with a boiling heat beating down from
above (it was during the month of August), there was a knock on the door of his cave.
I went out to find a woman there and I asked her what she wanted. She said that she
was following the same kind of life as me and that her cave was about a mile away,
and she pointed towards the south.
"'I have been wandering about in this desert,' she said, 'and I am fainting with thirst
because of this terrible heat. It would be kind of you, father, if you could let me have a
little water.'
"I fetched my water jar, gave her a drink and sent her on her way. But after she had
gone, the devil began to attack me, putting lustful thoughts about her into my head. I
was overcome, my burning desire was more than I could bear, and I picked up my
walking stick and went out after her, in that heat which was so fierce that the stones
were red hot, determined to fulfil my evil desires. But when I was still about two
hundred yards from her cave, still burning with the heat of lust, I suddenly went into a
trance and I was dragged down into a hole which opened up in the earth. I could see
a putrid corpse lying there, decaying with an incredibly powerful stink, and I saw a
man in sober garments pointing to it and saying: 'Look, this is how man, woman and
child end up, enjoy them how you will, and however great your lust for them. Think
how your sin would deprive you of the kingdom of heaven. How pitiable the human
state! (Vae humanae miseriae) To forfeit the reward of all your labour for the sake of
one hour of pleasure.'
"I fell to the ground, overcome by the exceedingly great stink. But this awe-inspiring
man who had appeared to me came and lifted me up. And I returned to my cell,
thanking God."

Chapter XX
The conversion of a certain SOLDIER through a miracle which God performed in
him, and his profitable life.

One of the fathers told us what a certain soldier had told him during the war waged in
Africa by the Romans against the Mauritanians. Beaten by the barbarians, many
were killed. He himself was chased by a barbarian who shook his spear with the
intention of killing him. Realising this he prayed to God: "Lord God, who appeared to
your handmaiden Thecla and delivered her from the hands of the ungodly, save me
also in my need. If I am rescued from this bitter death, I will go into the desert and
live the solitary life."
He turned around and there was not a barbarian in sight. He went immediately to the
Laura of Cupatha and remained there in a cave for thirty-five years, thanking God for
his protection.

Chapter XXI
The death of an ANCHORITE and his murderer

Abba Gerontius, the prior of the monastery of our holy father Euthymius, told
Sophronius Sophista and me the following story:
"Once when three of us were walking up into the mountains on the other side of the
Dead Sea, another anchorite came walking along by the seashore. It so happened
that some Saracens met him as they travelled through those regions, and after they
had passed him, one of them turned back and cut off the anchorite's head. We could
see all this from a distance as we were climbing the mountain. As we were weeping
and mourning for the death of the anchorite, we suddenly saw a bird swooping down
from above, which picked the Saracen up, carried him up high and dropped him to
the ground, causing his death."

Chapter XXII
The life of another old man called CONON
There was another old man called Conon, a Cilician, in the coenobium of our holy
father Theodosius. For thirty years he kept to a way of life which was to eat bread
and water only once a week and to pray without ceasing. He never went outside the
church.

Chapter XXIII
The life of the monk THEODULUS
We saw another old man in the same monastery called Theodulus who had once
been a soldier. He fasted every day and never slept lying down.

Chapter XXIV
The life of an OLD MAN living in the cells of Cuziba.

There was an old man living in the cells of Cuziba, about whom the seniors of the
place told us the following.
When he was living in his own village, if he knew of anyone who failed through
laziness to cultivate his field, it was his custom to take seed and go by night without
the owner's knowledge to sow the field for the poor. When he went to the desert and
lived in the cells of Cuziba he carried out similar works of mercy. He would go along
the road from Jordan to the holy City carrying bread and water, and if ever he saw
anyone flagging from weariness he would carry their load even up as far as the
Mount of Olives. He would then do the same for others on the road back to Jericho.
You could have seen the old man sometimes carrying a large load sweating under
the burden, sometimes carrying a small child on his shoulders, or even two quite
often. He never rested. He would repair the shoes of either men or women, carrying
with him everything needed for that. He gave others some of his water to drink, to
others he gave bread. To anyone lacking clothing he gave the cloak off his back. It
was lovely to see this old man working every day of his life. And if he found anyone
dead on the road he would say the usual psalms and prayers over them and bury
them.

Chapter XXV
A BROTHER of the monastery of Cuziba, and the words of the sacred offering, also
of the abbot JOHN

There was a brother in the coenobium of Cuziba who had learned the words and
ceremonial of the sacred offering. We were told about him by that Abbot Gregory who
had once been a member of the palace guard watching over the Prince. One day this
brother was sent to fetch the bread and wine (benedictiones), and as he was
returning to the monastery he uttered the words of the sacred offering [i.e. "Canon of
the Mass", or "Prayer of Consecration"] as if he were singing some ritual formula
(quasi versus aliquos caneret). The deacon placed this bread and wine on the altar,
but when abba John the presbyter offered it (he who afterwards was bishop of
Caesarea Palestine) he did not perceive the usual descent of the Holy Spirit. He was
very upset and wondered whether the Holy Spirit had turned away from him because
of some mental sin. He returned to the sacristy weeping, and fell flat on his face. But
an angel of the Lord appeared to him saying: "The brother who fetched the offerings
(oblationes) said the words of the sacred offering over them as he was on his way,
which was the reason for them being already sanctified and perfected." From then on
the superior decreed that no one should learn the words of the sacred offering unless
he were ordained for this purpose, nor should anyone say them anywhere or at any
time apart from a consecrated place.

Chapter XXVI
The life of brother THEOPHANES and his marvellous vision, and of communicating
with heretics.

There was an old man of great merit in God's eyes called Cyriacus, who belonged to
the laura of Calamon near the River Jordan. A pilgrim brother called Theophanes
from the region of Dora came to him for counsel about his thoughts of fornication.
The old man encouraged and instructed him with advice about modesty and chastity,
which greatly edified the brother.
"Truly, father," he said, "if it weren't that in my part of the country I am in communion
with the Nestorians, I would love to stay with you."
When the old man heard the name of Nestor, he was so overcome with fear that this
brother would be damned that he fell down and prayed, and begged him to abandon
this most evil and pernicious heresy and return to the holy Catholic and Apostolic
Church.
"There is no hope of being saved unless we truly feel and believe that Holy Mary is
the birthgiver (genetrix) of God," he said, "and this is true."
"That's all very well, father," said the brother, "but all the heretics say the same, that
unless we are in communion with them we cannot be saved. Unfortunately I don't
know what to do. So pray to God for me that I may be quite certain which is the true
faith."
The old man was delighted to hear what the brother was saying.
"Come and sit in my cave," he said, "and put your whole trust in God that he will
reveal to you of his mercy what is the true faith."
He left the brother in his own cave and went out by the Dead Sea, praying to God for
the brother. About the ninth hour of the next day the brother saw someone of truly
awesome appearance standing next to him.
"Come, and see the truth," he said, and led him to a dark and stinking place throwing
up flames of fire, and in the flames he saw Nestorius, Eutyches, Apollinaris,
Dioscuros, Severus, Arius, Origen and others like them.
"This is the place prepared for the heretics, blasphemers, and those who follow their
teachings," he said to the brother. "So then, if you like the look of this place persist in
your teachings, but if you would prefer to avoid this punishment, return to the holy
Catholic and Apostolic Church, as the old man told you. For I tell you, even if a
person practises all the virtues there are, unless he believes rightly he will be
crucified in this place."
At these words the brother came to himself. He went back to the old man and told
him all that he had seen, and returned to the communion of the holy Catholic Church.
He stayed with the old man, and after four years with him he rested in peace.

Chapter XXVII
The life of a PRESBYTER of the village of Mardandos

About ten miles from the town of Aegina in Cilicia there is a village called Mardandos,
in which there is a church dedicated to St. John Baptist. An old presbyter presided
here, a man of great virtues and worthiness before God. One day the villagers came
to the bishop with a complaint about the old man.
"Take this old man away from us, for he troubles us greatly," they said.
"What is he doing to you?" asked the bishop.
"He comes on Sundays to celebrate Mass sometimes at the third hour, sometimes at
the ninth, whichever seems to suit him. And he does not stick strictly to the solemn
order prescribed for the sacred oblation."
The bishop acted on this information to call the presbyter to an interview.
"Why are you, a man in authority, acting like this? You surely can't be ignorant of the
statutes of holy Church?"
"Well of course you are quite right in what you say in order to get at the truth. But
truly, I never know what I am going to do. On Sundays, after the night office, I sit
down near the holy altar, and for as long as I cannot discern the Holy Spirit
overshadowing the altar I do not begin the sacred celebration of the Mass. But when
I am aware that the Holy Spirit has come, then I carry out my sacred duties."
The bishop was overcome with admiration for the old man's integrity. He summoned
the villagers, explained everything to their satisfaction, and set their minds at rest.
Abba Julius the Stylite, by way of a greeting to this same old man, sent him a piece
of cloth rolled up with three coals of fire inside it. The old man got the message and
sent the abba in return the same piece of rolled up cloth full of water.

Chapter XXVIII
A miraculous deed of abba JULIANUS THE STYLITE

Abba Cyriacus, the disciple of the aforesaid Julianus the Stylite told us the following
story;
My father and brother and I heard of the fame of abba Julianus and left our own
region in order to visit him. Now I was suffering from an unhealthy condition which
nobody had been able to cure, but when I came to him the old man prayed and cured
me on the spot. We all renounced the world and stayed with him, and the old man put
my father in charge of the grain supply. One day my father went to abba Julius and
said that there wasn't any grain left.
"Go and gather whatever you can find, brother, and grind it for today," said the old
man from the top of his column, "and God will take care of our tomorrow."
This command really upset him (for he knew that he had not given out any food at
all), so he just went back to his cell. But an urgent message was sent to him from the
old man, telling him to come to him at once and he did so but with a very bad grace.
"Brother Conon," said the old man, "go and prepare food for the brothers, using
whatever you shall find."
In spite of his anger he took the keys of the grain store and went off thinking he would
be able to serve up nothing but the dust of the earth. But when he unbarred the door
and tried to open it, he was unable to do so because the storehouse was completely
full of grain. Terrified by what he saw, he prostrated himself before the old man,
seeking pardon.

Chapter XXIX
A miracle of the most holy EUCHARIST

About thirty miles from the city of Aegina in Cilicia there were two stylites about six
miles away from each other. One of them belonged to the holy Catholic and Apostolic
Church. The other, even though he had been on his column for much longer, followed
the wicked teachings of Severian, and in various heretical ways was in the habit of
denouncing his Catholic colleague. However, inspired by God, the Catholic asked
that a particle of the other's Communion might be sent to him. Overcome with joy, he
thought that he had converted the Catholic, and sent it immediately, without
hesitation. The Catholic took this particle sent to him by the heretical follower of
Severian and put it into a pot of boiling water, where it very soon disintegrated. Then
he took the holy Communion of the Catholic church and threw it in. The boiling pot
became cool immediately, and the holy Communion remained whole and
unblemished. He carefully kept it, and showed it to us when we visited him.

Chapter XXX
The Life of ISODORE a monk of Melitinensis, and another miracle of the most holy
EUCHARIST

Dade is the trading centre of Cyprus. There is a monastery there called Philoxene.
When we visited it we met a monk from Melitinensis called Isodore. We noticed that
he was weeping and groaning unceasingly. People kept on asking him to quieten
down a little and moderate his weeping, but he would not.
"I am a greater sinner," he said, "than anyone else since the beginning of time"
"Surely no one is without sin," we said to him, "but God alone."
"Truly, brothers," he replied, "I have never found any sinner like me in the whole
human race, no greater sin than mine. And if you really want to know that I am telling
the truth, listen to what my sin was, and please pray for me.
"I was a married man when I lived in the world, and we both held to the teachings of
Severian. I came home one day to find that my wife was not there, and I was told that
she had gone to a woman neighbour who was of the Catholic faith and religion in
order to receive Communion. I ran quickly to try and stop her, but when I got to the
house I found that she had already communicated. I was mad with rage, and seized
her by the throat and made her vomit up the sacred Communion. I picked up the holy
particle and threw it away into a dungheap. Shortly afterwards I noticed that that holy
Communion had taken on a brilliantly shining appearance. After two days, without a
word of a lie, I saw a sort of a half-clothed Ethiopian man (virum quasi Aethiopem
semicinctiis vestitum) who said to me: 'You and I are both condemned to an identical
punishment.'
"'Who are you, then,' I asked
"'I am the one who struck the face of him who made us all, the Lord Jesus Christ,
during his passion.'
"And this is why I am incapable of moderating my weeping."

Chapter XXXI
The conversion and life of MARY the prostitute

Two old men were travelling from Aega to Tharsus when they stopped for
refreshment at a small cottage (stabulum, which also carries the meaning of
'brothel'). In the providence of God they found there three young men who had with
them a prostitute. The old men settled themselves down apart and one of them got
out his holy Gospel and began to read [aloud]. And, would you believe it, the
prostitute left the young men when she saw the old man reading, and came and sat
down next to him.
"You've got a cheek, you wretch," said the old man, waving her away, "to dare to
come and sit by us."
"Don't, I beg you, father," she said, "don't look down on me, or drive me away. I know
I am full of every kind of sin, but the Lord and Saviour of all, Christ our God, did not
reject the prostitute who came to him."
"Yes, but that prostitute did not remain a prostitute," the old man said.
"I put my trust in the Son of the living God," she said, "that from this day onwards I
won't keep on with this sinful way of life either."
She left the three young men and everything that she had, and followed those two
old men. They took her to a monastery near the city of Aega. I saw her when she was
an old woman of great wisdom, and learned all these things from her own mouth. Her
name was Mary.

Chapter XXXII
The conversion and life of BABYLAS the mime, and also his concubines COMETA
& NICOSA

There was a certain mime in Cilician Tarsus called Babylas and with him were two
concubines, one called Cometa, the other Nicosa. They lived in a very self-indulgent
style, doing whatever the demons might put into their minds. One day, however, by
divine providence they went into a church and heard the gospel being read, where it
says: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3.2). Consciencestricken,
he wept with horror, crying out against his miserable self for the sins he had
done. He ran out of the church and called to his two companions
"You know how self-indulgently I have lived with you," he said. "I have not been
fonder of either of you more than the other, so everything I have belongs to both of
you. Take all I have and divide it equally between you, for as of now I renounce the
world to be a monk."
With one accord they both burst into tears.
"We have shared with you this life of pleasure to the endangering of our souls," they
said. "Now that you are going to do this thing pleasing to God, are you going to send
us away and do it all by yourself? No, certainly not. We shall share with you in the
good things as well."
And so the mime enclosed himself in one of the towers of the city, and the two
women sold everything, gave to the poor, took the habit of religion, and secured for
themselves a little cell near the tower, where they too were enclosed. I met this man
myself, and was greatly edified by him. He is exceptionally gentle, humble and
merciful. Let those who read profit from what I have written.

Chapter XXXIII
The life of the holy bishop THEODOTUS

One of the Fathers told us about a bishop called Theodotus in the holy city, a man of
great kind-heartedness. One feast day he sent dinner invitations to some of his
clerics. There was one of them who did not want to go and ignored the invitation. The
bishop said nothing. But next time he went to him in person and begged him to come
and share the common table.
There is another story about this same bishop Theodotus to show how gentle and
humble he was. Once when going on a journey with one of his clerics, he was being
carried in a litter, whereas the cleric was riding a horse.
"Let's change over," said the patriarch to the cleric. "You get into the litter and I will
ride the horse."
The cleric would not hear of it, declaring it would be shameful to put himself above
the bishop and ride in a litter while the bishop had to ride the horse. But the holy and
humble Theodotus would not give up until he had persuaded the cleric that there
could be no possible harm in it, and eventually persuaded him to agree.

Chapter XXXIV
The life of the godly ALEXANDER, patriarch of Jerusalem

There was another patriarch called Alexander in that same city who was very devout
and kind of heart. One of his notaries stole some gold and fled in fear to the Thebaid
in Egypt, where he fell into the hands of brigands while wandering about, and was led
captive to a very distant part of Egypt. When Alexander found out about this he paid
eighty-five numismas to ransom him from captivity, and continued to treat him kindly
and lovingly once he had returned. One of the citizens of that city promptly remarked
that there was nothing more profitable than to sin against Alexander.

Chapter XXXV
The life of ELIAS, archbishop of Jerusalem, and of FLAVIAN, patriarch of Antioch

Abba Polychronius said that the holy Elias, archbishop of Jerusalem, drank no wine,
just as if he were a monk. And even when he had been made Patriarch he kept to the
same rule.
The story is told of this same archbishop Elias and also of Flavian the archbishop of
Antioch that the Emperor Anastasius [430-518] drove them both into exile because
(they adhered to the doctrines) of the Council of Chalcedon [451. Anastasius was a
Monophysite.] Elias was sent to Haila [in Egypt] and Flavian to Petra [near the Red
Sea]. On one particular day both of them had the same presentiment.
"Today Anastasius is dead," they each said to themselves. "Let us both go too, and
be judged along with him." And after two days they both departed to the Lord.

Chapter XXXVI
The life of EPHRAEM patriarch of Antioch and how he converted a Stylite monk from
the wicked Severian heresy.

One of the fathers told us about Ephraem the holy patriarch of Antioch, who was
extremely zealous and fervent for the faith. When he heard about that Stylite near
Hierapolis who was a Severian heretic, he went to see him to try and turn him away
from that wickedness. The godly Ephraem began to argue with him and beg him to
accept the apostolic see and return to communion with the holy apostolic Church.
"I will not have anything at all to do with the Synod," the Stylite replied.
"What would it take to convince you, in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the
holy Catholic Church is free from all stain of heretical wickedness?" the holy
Ephraem asked.
"Let's light a fire", said the Stylite, in order to frighten the patriarch, "and walk into it
together, and let the one unharmed by the flames be the orthodox one, and the one
who should be followed."
"It would be more fitting, my son," said the holy Ephraem, "for you to comply with
your father, without making any further demands. Indeed, what you have asked is
beyond the powers of my unfortunate person. Nevertheless I will do it, trusting in the
Son of God, the author of your salvation. Bring me some wood," he added to those
standing by, and when the wood had been brought he lit it in front of the column.
"Come down now," said the patriarch," and let us go into it together, as you
demanded." But he refused, stunned by the patriarch's determination.
"Wasn't it you who made this stipulation?" asked the patriarch. "Why are you now not
willing to do it?" And he took off the patriarchal stole he was wearing, and drew near
to the flames.
"O Lord Jesus Christ our God," he prayed. "who alone was worthy of being made
flesh, and was born of our holy Lady Mary, ever Virgin, Birthgiver of God, let your
truth be made known to us." And he threw the stole into the middle of flames. The fire
kept on burning for three hours, the wood had all been consumed, and the stole was
retrieved from the fire unharmed, showing no signs of ever having been in the fire.
In the face of what had happened, the Stylite no longer had any doubts about the
truth. He anathematised Severian and his heresy, returned to the holy Catholic
Church, received communion from the hands of the holy Ephraem, and gave God the
glory.

Chapter XXXVII
The life of a BISHOP, who left his cathedral and came to the holy city, where he
served God in disguise in the building trade

One of the fathers told us about a certain bishop who left his bishopric and went to
the holy city, where he dressed as a workman and served God in the building trade.
Now there was at that time a compassionate man given to good works called
Ephremius, an Eastern overseer, who was engaged in repairing the public buildings
which had been damaged by an earthquake. One day Ephremius had a vision in
which he saw a bishop lying asleep, with a column of fire stretching from his head
right up to the heavens. This happened not once, not twice, but many times over, and
Ephremius was stupefied, for the vision was amazing, even terrifying. He wondered
what it all might mean, not recognising him as that hired labourer with untidy hair and
dirty clothes, looking like the lowest of the low, slaving away with no relaxation, worn
out with toil and of a totally repulsive appearance. However, Ephremius summoned
this workman and asked him who he was, trying to worm his name out of him and the
country he came from.
"I am just one of the poor of this city," he replied. "I have no independent income, so I
do what work I can and God feeds me as a result of my labours."
"Believe me," said Ephremius, divinely inspired, "I will not let you go until you have
told me the whole truth about yourself."
"Promise me something then," he said, realising that he was cornered, with nowhere
to hide. "Say nothing to anyone about me for as long as I remain alive, and I will tell
you everything, except my name." And the overseer swore not to reveal anything for
as long as the man was alive.
"I am a bishop," he then said, "and I have left my bishopric to come here. Nobody
knows where I am. But I chastise my body with hard work and earn a bit of bread for
myself. But as for you, give as much alms as you can. One of these days God will
promote you to the apostolic see of this city, so that you may feed this people whom
Christ our God has saved with his own blood. Give yourself to almsgiving, as I have
said. Stand firm and contend for the true faith, for sacrifices such as these are
pleasing to God," (and as he had prophesied so it came to pass.)
The godly Ephremius glorified God as he listened.
"How many hidden servants of God there are, known only to himself", he said.

Chapter XXXVIII
The death of ANASTASIUS, the godless emperor.

One of the faithful told us about the Emperor Anastasius, who exiled to Gaitan in
Pontus, the patriarchs of Constantinople Euphemius and Macedonius, because they
accepted the [teachings of] the holy synod of Chalcedon. This emperor saw in a
dream a magnificent person dressed in a white garment standing in front of him,
reading from what was written in a book that he was carrying. He pulled out five
pages with the emperor's name written on them.
"Behold, because of your perfidy I destroy fourteen", he said. And he tore them up.
And after two days, during a great storm of thunder and lightning, petrified with fear,
he gave up his spirit in great agony. This was because of what he had wickedly done
to the holy Church of Christ our God by exiling its pastors.

Chapter XXXIX
The life of a monk belonging to the monastery of abbot SEVERIANUS, and how a
country girl wisely repulsed him, and prevented him from sinning with her.

After I had arrived at Antioch I heard one of the presbyters of that church telling this
story -
Patriarch Anastasius told us about a monk of Abbot Severianus' monastery, who was
sent on an errand to the region of Elutheropoleos, where he broke his journey and
stayed for a while at the home of one of the faithful whose wife was dead but who
had an only daughter. The devil, who is forever attacking human beings, put evil
thoughts into that brother's mind, and his attack took the form of making the brother
seek for an opportunity to assault the daughter. The devil not only tempted him but
provided him with the opportunity, for the girl's father left on a journey to Ascalon on
some necessary business, whereupon the brother, knowing that that there was no
one in the house but himself and the girl, tried to take her by force.
"Calm down," she said, when she realised that he was all excited and rushing
headlong into an evil deed. "There is all day and tomorrow before my father will be
back. But just listen first to what I have to say. God knows I will do whatever you
want."
And then she began to talk to him along these lines:
"How long have you been in the monastery, brother?"
"Seventeen years", he said.
"Have you ever had a woman?" she asked.
"No," he said.
"And do you really want to undo the labour of all those years for the sake of one
single hour? How many tears have you shed in the struggle to keep your flesh pure
and unstained for Christ our Lord? And do you want all that labour to go for nothing
for the sake of a brief pleasure? In any case, if I should listen to you and you should
sin with me, have you got the wherewithal to take me in and provide for me? "
"No."
"Truly, I'm telling no lies, if you overcome me you will be the cause of many evils."
"How?"
"In the first place, you will lose your soul, and in the second place my life will be
required at your hands. For in the name of him who said 'Don't make me a liar' (1
John.1.10), I swear to you that if you overcome me I shall immediately hang myself,
and you will be found guilty of murder, and you will be judged as a murderer. So,
before you become the cause of so much evil, go back to your monastery in peace,
and pray for me."
The brother came to his senses, had second thoughts, and went back to his
monastery straight away. He prostrated himself in front of the abbot, and asked for
pardon. And he begged that never again might he go outside the monastery. He
spent three months in deep heartfelt contrition, after which he passed away to the
Lord.

Chapter XL
The life of COSMAS, the eunuch

A story told us by abba Basileus, a presbyter of Bicantium -
When I was at Theopolis with patriarch Gregory, abba Cosmas visited us, a eunuch
from the Laura of Pharan. He was an outstandingly religious man, extremely zealous
in upholding the true faith and teachings, well versed in the knowledge of the divine
Scriptures. He had hardly been there for more than a few days when he died, and the
patriarch ordered his precious relics to be buried in his own monastery next to a
certain bishop. I went there one day to pay my respects to the tomb of the old man,
and found a poor man lying on the tomb asking alms of those going in to the church.
When he caught sight of me he prostrated himself three times as he prayed to the old
man.
"Abba", he said to me, "this old man whom you buried these two months past was
assuredly a very great person."
"How do you know that?" I asked
" Well, sir," he replied, "I was paralysed for twelve years but God cured me through
him. And whenever I am in trouble he comes to me and brings me consolation and
peace. And here's another miracle of his: from the day in which you buried him until
now, I hear him crying out each night to the bishop [buried next to him] 'Don't touch
me, you heretic. Don't come near me, you enemy of the holy Catholic Church of
God.' Hearing this cry from the one who healed me, I went to the patriarch and told
him everything exactly as it had happened, and begged him to lift the body of the old
man from the place where it was and bury it elsewhere.
"'Believe me, my son,' said abba Gregory the patriarch, 'abba Cosmas cannot come
to any harm from any heretic. All this has come to pass so that we should take note
of the old man's virtue and zeal for the faith. As he was in this life so he is now that
he is laid to rest. And he lets us know his opinion about the bishop, lest we should
think that he had been orthodox and Catholic.'"
Abba Basileus also told us about a time when he was visiting this same old man in
the Laura of Pharan.
"I was wondering, the other day," the old man said to Basileus, "what the Lord meant
when he said to his disciples 'Let him sell his coat and buy a sword' (Luke 22.36) and
when the disciples said 'Here are two swords' he said 'It is enough' (Luke 22.38). I
was quite perplexed by these sayings and could not understand what they meant. I
was so fixated on them that I left my cell even in the midday heat to go to the Laura
of Turrius in order to question abba Theophilus on the subject. As I was going
through the desert near Calamon I saw an enormous reptile coming down the hill
towards Calamon. He was so big that as he moved, his back curved up like an
arched vault, and he left footprints behind him in the earth even deeper. But I passed
over these footprints unharmed, and I realised that the devil was trying to put a stop
to my enquiry. The prayers of the old man had come to my aid. So I managed to get
to Abba Theophilus and told him of my worries.
"'The two swords signify the two kinds of life, active and contemplative,' said
Theophilus. 'He who has both of these will achieve perfection.'"
I myself visited this same abba Cosmas when he was in the Laura of Pharan, and I
stayed there for twelve years. He was talking to me once for my soul's health and
mentioned something from the sayings of holy Athanasius, archbishop of Alexandria.
"If you come across something from the works of Athanasius," he said, "and you
haven't got any paper with you to write it down on, write it on your clothing." This was
typical of how great was the zeal which this old man had for our holy fathers and
teachers.
This abba Cosmas was also said to have remained standing from first Vespers
through the night till Sunday morning, singing psalms and reading, both in his cell
and in church, never sitting down once, until at last when the services were complete,
he would sit and read the Gospels until the [last] Collect was said.

Chapter XLI
The life of abba PAUL, from Nazarbus

We saw another old man in this Laura, an abba called Paul, a holy and most gentle
man devoted to God, and of great abstinence. I don't remember ever having met
anyone who was so blessed with the gift of tears and the power of giving comfort.
Tears were always dripping from his eyes. This holy old man completed fifty years
living in solitude without speaking, content with the [daily] portion of bread given him
by the church. He came from Nazarbus.

Chapter XLII
The life of abba ANAXANONTES, the servant of God.

We met abba Anaxanontes in the same place, a tenderhearted and most abstemious
man, who lived in his own cell a solitary life of such strictness that he would make
twenty small pieces of bread (oblationen minutorum viginti) last for four days. Indeed,
sometimes that would be all he would eat for a whole week. Towards the end of his
life, this venerable man contracted an illness of the stomach and bowel, so we took
him to the house for the sick in the holy city which was under the direction of the
patriarch. We were with him one day when abba Conon, the prior of the Laura of our
holy father Saba, sent to him six coins and a linen cloth containing the Blessed
Sacrament (sudarium unam habens benedictionem) and a message to say that he
also was ill and asked pardon for not coming personally. The old man accepted the
Sacrament but sent the coins back.
"If God wishes me to continue in this life, father," he said, "I already have ten coins.
When I have spent them I will let you know, and then you can send me these other
ones. However, as you will soon know, father, in two days I shall be dead"
And so it came to pass.
We took him back to the Laura of Pharan and buried him there. He was a blessed
man. He shared a cell with the blessed Eutochius, and when they were both dead
their hermitage came to an end.

Chapter XLIII
The horrid death of the ungodly THALELAEUS, archbishop of Thessalonica.

There was an archbishop of Thessalonica called Thalelaeus, who feared neither God
nor the judgment in store for him. Having no respect for Christian dogma and caring
nothing for his priestly honour and dignity, he was a wolf instead of a shepherd.
Denying the holy and consubstantial Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, he
disgracefully worshipped idols. The rulers of the church at that time condemned him
unanimously, and drove him from his see. But it was not long before this worthless,
wicked and totally godless man wanted to get his priestly dignity back. So in
accordance with the saying of Solomon that all things obey money (Ecles.10.19), he
went back to his own city of Constantinople where there were Princes who were
willing to 'justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the
righteous' (Isaiah 5.23). But God does not desert his holy Church. As Thalelaeus
defied the Apostolic canons by refusing to accept the sentence passed upon him, so
God condemned him. For on the day when Thalelaeus in magnificent dress was
going to the Emperors so that they might issue an order that he should be reinstated,
it so happened that he had a stomach upset and answered a call of nature by going
to his private latrine in order to empty his bowels. When he had not emerged after
two or three hours some of his assistants went in to tell him that it was time for him to
leave, and found the unfortunate man upside down in the pit, with his feet sticking up
in the air. When those associates of the ungodly Arius pulled him out, they found that
the enemy of God had been snuffed out in a horrible and eternal death.
He had been trusting in the help of Princes in the hope of tyrannically infiltrating the
Church of God. But an angel of great and marvellous counsel, the angel of the holy
Church of God, scattered away into oblivion those interior passions of his which had
given birth to such nefarious wickedness. He relied on the help of Princes in the hope
of bringing to pass things even worse than they were before. The man had no
intention of walking in the way of righteousness, he had dealings with a demon of
impurity, and occasioned harm to the Church of God. But the ruling angel of the
Church of Thessalonica, together with the powerful Martyr Demetrius, prevented this
unprofitable servant, and left him in the place where he was found, hanging by his
feet pierced by nails, giving proof of the judgment whereby he was punished, and
how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10.31)

Chapter XLIV
The life of an old MONK who lived near the city of Antinoe, and how he prayed for the
dead.

When we visited the Thebaid, an old man told us about a monk of great virtue who
had lived in a cell outside Antinoe for seventy years. He had ten disciples one of
whom was very lazy. The old man frequently corrected him and warned him.
"Brother have a care for your soul", he would say. "You will have to die, and unless
you amend your ways you will fall into the place of punishment."
But the brother continued to be disobedient and took no notice of what the old man
said. After a while the brother did die, and the old man grieved greatly, knowing that
the brother had died in a state of great carelessness and laziness.
"O Lord Jesus Christ, our true God" he prayed, "Reveal to me the state of that
brother's soul." And in a deep trance he saw a river of fire, and a great crowd of
people in that fire, and the brother immersed up to the neck in the midst of them.
" Haven't I begged you to avoid this punishment, my son", the old man said, "by
taking thought for the health of your soul?"
"I give thanks to God, father," he replied, "that at least my head is at peace. It is
thanks to your prayers that I am standing on the head of a bishop!"

Chapter XLV
The life of an anchorite MONK on the Mount of Olives, and his veneration of an icon
of MARY, the most holy birthgiver of God.

Abba Theodorus Aeliotes told us about an anchorite on the Mount of Olives, a great
(spiritual) athlete, battling strenuously with the spirit of fornication.
"Why can't you leave me alone?" he cried with a loud moan one day when the demon
was attacking him particularly strongly. "You've been with me all my life. Get away
from me!"
The demon suddenly appeared visibly before him.
"Swear to me," he said, "that you won't tell anyone what I am about to say to you,
and I won't bother you any further."
"By him who lives in the high heavens," he replied, "I swear not to tell anyone what
you say to me."
"Stop venerating this icon," the demon said, "and then I will stop attacking you."
Now this icon consisted of a lifelike painting of our holy lady Mary the birthgiver of
God carrying our Lord Jesus Christ.
"Give me time to think about this," said the anchorite.
The next day he let this same abba Theodorus know about it. He told him everything
that had happened. Theodorus was at that time living in the Laura of Pharan.
"It was very wrong of you, dear abba," the old man said to the anchorite, "to swear an
oath to the demon. Nevertheless you have done the right thing in telling me about it.
What you need to do now is to make sure you have no truck with any dealings in that
realm, lest you renounce the worship of God, our Lord Jesus Christ and his Mother."
He went on to say a great deal more to strengthen and comfort him before leaving
him in his cell.
The demon appeared to the anchorite once more.
"What's this, you wicked old man?" he said. "Didn't you swear to me that you would
not tell anybody? So why have you told all to that person who visited you? I'm telling
you, you will be condemned as a perjurer in the day of judgment."
"I know that I have sworn an oath and broken it," the anchorite replied, "but that oath
sworn in the name of my God and Creator I have broken in order that I should not be
obedient to you. But as for you, the prime source of false counsel and perjury, you
will not be able to escape the punishment prepared for you."

Chapter XLVI
The wonderful vision of abba CYRIACUS of the Laura of Calamon, and the two
books of the ungodly Nestorius.

We visited abba Cyriacus, a presbyter of the Laura of Calamon near the River
Jordan, who told us the following tale -
One day I saw in a dream a woman dressed in purple whose looks immediately
inspired trust, and with her two venerable men of dazzling appearance. And I knew
that the woman was our Lady, the holy birthgiver of God, and the two men with her
John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. I went outside and begged them to come
in and offer prayer in my cell, but they would not. I stayed like that for a long time,
begging and praying, 'Let not the humble be turned away with confusion'
(Psalms74.21), and many other such prayers. When she saw me persisting in prayer
and repeating the same request, she replied to me quite severely:
"You have an enemy of mine in your cell, and you still want me to come in?" she said.
Upon which she disappeared.
I earnestly began to accuse myself and examine my conscience as to whether I had
allowed some sin against her to enter my mind, for there was no one else in my cell.
Only me. I argued away mentally for a long time but could not find any way in which I
could have sinned against her. I could see that this was making me very depressed
so I went and picked up a book, hoping that reading might drive away my mournful
thoughts. The book I picked up was one I had borrowed from the blessed Isychius, a
presbyter of the church of Jerusalem, but as I turned the book over I noticed that two
treatises of the ungodly Nestorius were written at the end of it. I immediately
recognised that this was the enemy spoken of by our Lady, the birthgiver of God,
Mary ever virgin. I immediately got up and took the book back to the person who had
lent it to me.
"Take you book back, brother," I said to him, "for it has not done me as much good as
it has harm."
He wanted to know what harm it had done, so I told him the whole of what happened,
whereupon he became so inflamed with zeal for God that he immediately tore the
two Nestorian treatises out of the volume and consigned them to the fire.
"There shall no enemy of our Lady the holy birthgiver of God, Mary ever virgin,
remain in my house" he said.

Chapter XLVII
The miracle of the HOLY BIRTHGIVER OF GOD against Gaianus the mime, who
blasphemed against her in the theatre.

Heliopolis is a city in Phoenician Lebanon, where a certain mime called Gaianus put
on a blasphemous show for the people, blaspheming especially against the holy
birthgiver of God.
"What harm have I done to you?" asked the holy birthgiver of God, who appeared to
him one day. "Why are you insulting me and blaspheming against me in front of so
many people?"
However he made no attempt to amend his ways, but blasphemed all the more. The
holy birthgiver of God appeared to him again and reproved him.
"Stop, I beg you," she said, "stop doing your own soul so much harm."
But his blasphemy became even worse. She appeared to him a third time, with much
the same reproof. Again he refused to repent, again he uttered more blasphemies.
She appeared to him again during his midday nap, saying nothing, but pointing to his
feet and his hands. When he woke up he found that his feet and his hands were
crippled. And this unfortunate man, lying there crippled, admitted to everyone the
reason for his condition and how it had happened to him, and that the crucifying
punishment for his blasphemies had been nothing but merciful.

Chapter XLVIII
Another miracle of the HOLY BIRTHGIVER OF GOD in which Cosmiana, the wife of
the patrician Germanus, was persuaded to return from the Severian heresy to the
true faith of Christ.

Anastasius the presbyter told us this story. He was the guardian of the holy tomb
from which our Lord and God Jesus Christ rose from the dead. One Sunday evening,
he was approached by Cosmiana, the wife of the patrician Germanus, asking to be
allowed to venerate alone the holy and life-giving memorial to our Lord Jesus Christ.
But when she approached the sacred shrine, our Lady the holy birthgiver of God
appeared visibly to her accompanied by several other women.
"You are not one of us," she said. "How dare you enter here? You may not go in. You
are not one of us." She was an adherent of that brainless Severian heresy, but she
implored insistently that she might be found worthy of entering in.
"Believe me, woman," said the holy birthgiver of God, "you shall not enter here
unless you are in communion with us."
When she realised that it was because she was a heretic she was not allowed to
enter, and that entry would continue to be forbidden unless she returned to the holy
Catholic and apostolic Church of Christ our God and Lord, she immediately
summoned a deacon who brought the holy chalices from which she received the holy
body and precious blood of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. And then
without any let or hindrance she was counted worthy of adoring the holy and
venerable tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter XLIX
The wonderful vision of a Palestinian GENERAL and how he also was compelled to
renounce the aforesaid heresy and communicate in the Church of Christ.

This same presbyter Anastasius told us how Gevemer, a Palestinian general, once
came to venerate the holy resurrection of Christ our Lord. As he began to go into the
holy shrine he saw a goat charging towards him, threatening him with his horns. He
took fright and hastily turned back. The guardian of the holy cross, Azarias, was
startled, as were the lictors with him.
"What's the matter, sir?" they said. "What's wrong? Why are you not going in?"
"Why have you allowed that goat in there?" he replied.
Astonished, they inspected the holy shrine but found nothing.
"Go on in," they said. "There's nothing like that in there."
Again he began to go in, and again he saw the goat rushing towards him preventing
his entry. He did this several times, he being the only one to see the goat while the
others saw nothing.
"Believe me, sir," said the guardian of the holy cross, "there must be something in
your soul which prevents you worshipping at this holy, venerable and life-giving
shrine of our Saviour. I urge you, confess your sin to the Lord. He has been showing
you this miraculous sight because he is clement and merciful and desires your
forgiveness."
"Indeed, I am guilty of many great sins," he said in tears. And he prostrated himself
face downwards, remaining there for a long time weeping and confessing to the Lord.
But when at last he got up and tried to go in, again the goat prevented him.
"There must be something else preventing you," said the guardian.
" Could it be, perhaps," asked the general, "that I am prevented from going in
because I am not a member of the holy Catholic Church, but belong to the
communion of Severianus?" Then he asked the guardian to bring him the holy and
life-giving mysteries of Christ our God. The holy chalice was brought, he made his
communion, he went in and adored unhindered, seeing nothing of what had
previously prevented him.

Chapter L
The vision of abba GEORGE the anchorite, and what he said.

Scythopolis is the second city of Palestine, and there we met abba Anastasius who
told us about abba George the anchorite as follows:
I am the one who has been put in charge of the clappers used to call the brothers
together, and one night when I arose to sound the signal I heard the old man
weeping, and went out to him to ask him what the matter was and why he was
weeping like that. He answered me not at all. Once more I asked him to tell me why
he was weeping.
"Why shouldn't I weep," he said, groaning and sighing from the bottom of his heart,
"when our Lord Jesus Christ refuses to change his mind towards us. For I seemed to
be standing before someone sitting on a lofty throne, with thousands of people
praying in front of him and begging him for something. But he remained unmoved by
their prayers. Then a woman clothed in purple came near and fell down before him,
begging him as her son to relent for her sake. But he remained inexorable
nevertheless. This is why I am weeping and moaning, for I am afraid of what is to
come."
Abba George was telling me this at dawn on a Thursday (Quinta illuscencente feria
coenae Domini). Next day, that is on the Friday (parasceve), at the ninth hour, a big
earthquake caused severe damage to a city on the coast of Phoenicia.
This same abba Anastasius told us how abba George a little while later was standing
at the window when he began to weep copiously.
"Woe betide us, brother," he said, "for we have no sorrow for sin but live in
negligence, and I am afraid for the time when the Lord takes us and we stand before
the gates to be judged."
And the next day fire appeared in the heavens.

Chapter LI
The life of JULIAN, an old man of the monastery of the Egyptians

Anazarbus is the second city of the province of the Cilicians. About twelve miles
distant from it is a monastery known as "of the Egyptians". The fathers of that place
told us that five years previously an old man called Julian had died, who had lived for
seventy years in a very narrow cavern, with no possessions in this world except a
cloak, a blanket, a wooden bowl and a book.
They also told us this about him, that for the whole of his life he lit no lamp, for the
light of heaven so shone upon him during the night that he was able to read quite
clearly.

 
Chapter LII
The saying of abba ELIAS, a solitary.

A certain brother went to abba Elias, a solitary in the coenobium of our ancient father
Saba, and asked him for a word.
"In the days of our fathers," the old man said to the brother, "there were three virtues
which the monks loved and strove after, detachment from material things, gentleness
and continence. Nowadays there is greed, bitterness and impudence. Apply to
yourself whichever of these pleases you."

Chapter LIII
The life of the old man CYRIACUS, of the monastery of St Saba

Abba Stephen told us about an old man called Cyriacus who lived in the monastery
of our holy father Saba. He came down one day from Mount Tuthela and having
stayed for a while beside the Dead Sea began to go back to his cell. It was so hot
that the old man was nearly fainting, but he stretched out his hands to the heavens
and said, "O Lord you know that I am so thirsty that I can hardly walk", and at once a
cloud surrounded him and stayed with him until he had reached his cell, about twelve
miles away.
This same abba Stephen also told us that some of the old man's family came to see
him one day and when they got near to the place asked where his cell was. After
some people directed them they went to the cell and knocked on the door. When he
recognised them the old man prayed to God that they need not see him, and opening
the door he ran out so quickly that they hardly even caught a glimpse of him. He ran
out into the desert and refused to return until he was satisfied that they had gone
away.

Chapter LIV
The life of the monks of SCYTHIA, and of the old man AMMONIUS.

After this we travelled to Terenuthis and met abba Theodore of Alexandria.
"My sons," he said to us, "just as the old men foretold, the monks of Scythia have lost
a great deal of the great charity, abstinence and discretion which, believe me, they
used to have. I saw how the old men there would not take any food unless visitors
came to see them. One of these old men called Ammonius lived near me. I knew
what his customs were, so I used to visit him every Saturday so that he would take
some food during my visit. It was their general rule, that whenever anyone visited any
of them, they would ask the visitors to pray, and during the prayers they would
prepare the food and afterwards all dine together."

Chapter LV
The life of a certain OLD MAN dwelling in Scythia and abba IRENAEUS.

Abba Irenaeus told us about an old man living in Scythia who one night saw the devil
providing hoes and mattocks and baskets for the brothers.
"Why these?" the old man asked the devil.
"I'm preparing a distraction for the brothers, " the devil replied, "so that they will busy
themselves with these and neglect to pray and glorify God."
Abba Irenaeus also told us that when the barbarians invaded Scythia he left there
and went to the Gaza region, where he accepted a cell in the monastery.
"The abbot there gave me a book to read," he said, "containing the deeds of the old
men. As soon as I opened the book my eyes fell upon a passage in which a brother
came to an old man and asked him to pray for him.
"'As long as you were one of us' the old man said, "We prayed for you. But now that
you have gone off on your own we pray for you no longer.'
"When I had read this passage, I closed the book and said to myself. 'Woe betide
you, Irenaeus, for you have gone off on your own and the fathers are no longer
praying for you.' I took the book back to the abbot straight away and came back here.
So, my sons, that's how I came to be here."

Chapter LVI
The life of JOHN, the disciple of a great old man who lived in the town of Caparasima

There is a region of Phoenicia called Ptolemais, in which there is a village called
Caparasima. In this village there was a great old man who had a disciple called John,
who had a great reputation as well, especially for his obedience. One day the old
man sent him off on an errand, giving him a bit of bread to sustain him on the way.
John went off and carried out the errand, then came back to the monastery and gave
back the bread to the old man.
"My son," said the old man as he gazed at the bread, "why have you not eaten the
bread I gave you?"
"Forgive me, father," he said, as he prostrated himself before the old man, "but you
gave me no blessing when you sent me off, and you did not tell me the bread was to
be eaten, so I didn't touch it."
The old man was amazed at the brother's discretion, and gave him a blessing.
After the old man's death this brother fasted forty days and a voice from heaven
came to him saying, "If you lay hands on anyone sick they will be cured." The next
morning, by divine providence, there came a man and to him bringing his wife with
him who was suffering from cancer of the breast. The man asked him to cure his
wife.
"I am a sinner," said the brother," and unworthy to do such things."
But the man persisted in begging him to agree to have pity on his wife. At last he did
lay hands on her, and made the sign of the cross on her breast, whereupon she was
immediately cured. From that time on God did many other signs through him, not
only during his own lifetime, but even after his death.

Chapter LVII
The death of SIMEON the Stylite, and abba JULIANUS, also a Stylite.

Simeon the Stylite was about forty miles from the city of Aegis in Cilicia; he was
struck by lightning and died. Now abba Julianus also was a Stylite, and quite contrary
to his usual practice and at an unusual time he told his disciples to put some incense
in the thurible.
"What for?" they asked him. They begged him to explain.
"Because my brother Simeon has just now been knocked over by lightning and is
dead," he said, "and look, his soul is going, leaping up with exultation."

Chapter LVIII
Another story about JULIANUS.

Abba Stephen Trichinas, superior of the monastery of our holy father Saba, told us
this also about abba Julianus the Stylite -
Not far from the place where he lived, a lion had appeared which had become
accustomed to killing numbers of the local population as well as foreigners. So one
day he called his disciple Pancras to him.
"Go about two miles south from here and you will find the lion lying down. Say to him,
'Julianus humbly asks you in the name of Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, to
go away from this province.'"
The brother went, found the lion lying down, spoke the words of the old man to him,
and the lion immediately went away.

Chapter LIX
The life of THALALEUS of Cilicia.

Abba Peter, a presbyter of the same monastery, told us about abba Thalaleus of
Cilicia who spent sixty years in the monastic life weeping continuously. He was
always saying that our time here is given to us for penitence, and we will be held to
account if we neglect it.

Chapter LX
The extraordinary deed of the HOLY VIRGIN by means of which her adolescent
admirer was conscience-stricken and became a monk

When we were in Alexandria one of the faithful told us the following story -
There was a holy virgin living a solitary life in her own home who worked very hard at
her own salvation. She regularly gave herself to fasts and vigils, and gave alms
freely. But the devil who hates everything good found the virtues of this woman so
insufferable that he prepared a campaign against her by stirring up in a certain young
man a devilish lust for her. He haunted the space outside her house. When the
woman tried to leave the house in order to go to church and pray, this young man
harassed her with lustful and impure looks. He would not let her pass with subjecting
her to seductive propositions and shameless suggestions, so that in the end the
aggressive behaviour of this young man prevented her from leaving her house at all.
One day the woman sent her servant out to the young man
"My mistress wants you," she said. "Come inside."
He went in, delighted, eager for the shameful deed, to where she was sitting on the
bed.
"Sit down," she said. "Tell me please brother, why do you harass me so grievously
that I can't go out of my own house?"
"Truly, I love you very much," he said, "and whenever I look at you I am totally
inflamed with desire."
"What can you see so beautiful in me that you should love me so?"
"It's your eyes. That's what has led me on."
When the woman realised that it was her eyes which had led him on she took a
distaff and gouged her eyes out.
When it sank in to the young man that she had actually gouged her own eyes out, he
was conscience stricken and went off to Scythia to become a monk.

 
Chapter LXI
The life of abba LEONTIUS of Cilicia.

Some of the fathers used to say of abba Leontius of Cilicia that he had a great
devotion to our Lady, the holy birthgiver of God, and for forty years he was to be seen
in a church dedicated to her. He had a wonderfully grave presence which he
preserved at all times.
They described how he dealt with any beggars who came to him. If they were blind,
he would put some money into their hands, but if they were not, he would put the
money at the base of a column, or on a bench, or on the steps of the sanctuary, for
the beggars to pick up. If any one asked him why he did not simply put the money
into their hands, he would reply, "Forgive me father, but it is not me giving the alms,
but my Lady the holy birthgiver of God, who provides food for both them and me."

Chapter LXII
The life of abba STEPHEN, a presbyter of the monastery of the Aeliotes.

One of the old men said of abba Stephen, a presbyter of the monastery of the
Aeliotes, that the devil would trouble his thoughts as he sat in his cell saying "Leave
this place. You are not doing any good here." He would reply, "I am not listening to
you. I know who you are. It is not possible for anyone to be deceived by you for
Christ the son of the living God himself is your adversary."

Chapter LXIII
The same.

It was also said of him that when he was sitting in his cell reading, the devil appeared
to him visibly and said, "Leave this place. You are not doing any good here."
"If you want me to go," he said to the demon, "make this chair I am sitting in move
about."
Now the chair he was sitting in was of wicker-work, and the devil made it move about
all over the cell.
"In spite of your speed and cleverness," he replied as he observed the devil's tricks,
"I have no intention of going away." He prayed, and the devil disappeared.

Chapter LXIV
The same.

Three old men visited abba Stephen the presbyter, and while they kept on talking
about what might be of benefit to the soul Stephen said nothing.
"You are not saying anything, father," they said to him. "We are visiting you because
we hoped to hear something helpful."
"Forgive me," he said, "but up to now I had not taken much notice of what you were
talking about. However I will share with you this thought that I have: day and night I
gaze upon nothing other than Jesus Christ hanging on the cross."
They were greatly edified on hearing this and so went on their way.

Chapter LXV
The same.
Abba Johannes Molybas told us another story about that blessed and venerable old
man, the presbyter Stephen.
He became ill with a disease of the liver which resulted in that holy soul of his
departing from the body. During his illness the doctors had ordered him to eat meat.
He had a brother living in the world who was very religious and lived a godly life, but
when he visited Stephen and saw him eating meat he was scandalised, and very
sorrowful to think that from a life of great abstinence and continence he had lowered
himself in his last hours to eating meat.
Later he fell into an ecstasy and someone appeared to him who said, "Why are you
so scandalised by this presbyter simply because you saw him eating meat? Don't you
realise that he was compelled to this by necessity, and did it purely through
obedience? You had no business being scandalised, and if you want to know your
brother's merits and glory, turn round and look behind you."
He turned round and saw Stephen crucified with the Lord.
"See the glory your brother has been given," said the voice in the apparition.
"Therefore glorify him who glorifies them who truly love him."

Chapter LXVI
The life of abba THEODOSIUS, solitary.

Abba Antonius, the superior of the monastery of the Aeliotes which he had built
himself, told us that abba Theodosius had told him this story about himself -
Before I entered the solitary life I once fell into an ecstasy and saw a man whose
brilliance outshone the brightness of the sun.
"Come," he said, taking my hand. "Your lot is to strive and fight."
And he led me into an infinitely large theatre which I saw was full of men in white
robes on one side and in black on the other. He thrust me into the theatre, and I saw
an enormous Ethiopian whose terrifying head reached up to the clouds.
"This is he whom you must fight with," said the man who had appeared to me.
Terrified by the appearance of this enormous person, I began to tremble with fear,
and pleaded with the splendid youth who had brought me in.
"What mortal man in all his weakness would be able to strive with him?" I said. "The
whole human race rolled into one would not be able to prevail against him!"
"Nevertheless you must fight against him," said the dazzling youth. "Go for him with
all speed and confidence, and once you have started, I shall be with you in support,
and will give you the crown ofvictory."
I began the contest, we fought together, and the dazzling judge gave me the crown.
And the large, shadowy crowd of Ethiopians fled howling, while those clothed in white
who remained gave praise to him who had been my helper and given me a famous
victory.

Chapter LXVII
The same
Abba Cyriacus, Theodosius' disciple, told us that this solitary had lived for thirty years
in solitude, eating every two days, keeping perpetual silence, speaking to no one. He
used signs rather than words if he needed to communicate. I witnessed this myself,
for I stayed in the monastery of the Aeliotes for ten years.

Chapter LXVIII
The same
When Abramius, the superior of New St. Mary heard that Theodosius had no cloak to
wear in winter, he bought one for him. While he was asleep, some time after
receiving it (for the old man slept in his cell), some robbers came and pulled it off him
and carried it away with them. But even after this deed he still said nothing.

Chapter LXIX
The life of abba PALLADIUS, and the old Thessalonican anchorite called DAVID.

Before Sophronius Sophista renounced the world, he and I once visited abba
Palladius in Alexandria, a holy man and true servant of God whose monastery was in
Thelazomenos. Both of us asked him to give us some teaching (verbum
aedificationis), and he began immediately:
"My little children," he said, "the time is short, so let us strive for a little while and
labour to enjoy the deathless benefits of eternity. Look to the martyrs, those heavenly
fighters, and see how they overcame in all things with strength and bravery. It was a
previous age which recognised them but they live forever in our memories, and we
can hardly admire their endurance enough. Everyone who hears of them is
astonished at how great was the patience of the blessed martyrs, more than human
nature would have thought possible. Some of them had their eyes torn out, some
their legs broken, some their hands cut off, others their feet. Some were suddenly
thrown into the fire and suffered crucifying agony as they slowly burned. It is certain
that the ocean depths were the resting place of some, the rivers others. Others were
thrown alive into the teeth of wild beasts like malefactors and criminals, suffering
various terrible agonies before death as they became the animals' food. There were
many other kinds of torments, defying description, thought up for the warriors of God
at the suggestion of the demon enemy of the human race, livid with spite towards
those very martyrs. O how bravely they endured! How great the faith with which they
fought, overcoming the weakness of the body by their spiritual strength! They
counted their present labours as nothing compared to the more excellent and
splendid rewards which were their hope. All these things truly showed how
wonderfully firm their faith was, through and through. Labouring a little while here
they now enjoy the greatest bliss in eternity. This indeed was why they bravely bore
the horrible punishments inflicted on their bodies at the instigation of our enemy the
devil.
"So then, if we endure tribulation, and overcome by the grace of God, we shall be
found lovers of God. For God is with us, fighting and conquering in us, soothing our
toil and sweat for the sake of his own honour. Therefore, my little children, knowing
what works and expectations the times demand of us let us become worthy through
quietness and silence. In this time granted to us we must make use of the eminently
good work of penitence, that we may be found worthy of the temple of God, and we
shall be rewarded with no mean or short-lived honour in the world to come."
He also said, "Let us always be mindful of him who had no where to lay his head."
(Matthew 8.20). And again, "Since Paul the Apostle says tribulation brings forth
patience (Romans 5.3), let us ensure that our minds are open to the kingdom of
heaven." And again, "'Little children, love not the world nor the things that are in the
world.'" (1 John.2.15)
And again, he said, "Let us keep watch over our thoughts, for that is the medicine of
salvation."
We asked abba Palladius if he would increase our awareness by telling us in what
sort of way would thoughts be expected to develop in the monastic state, and he told
us about an old man from Thessalonica:
"In my home area there was an anchorite from Mesopotamia called David about
three miles outside the city walls. He was a man adorned with many virtues, merciful
and abstemious, and had been enclosed in his cell for eighty years. For fear of the
barbarians there were soldiers keeping watch on the city walls every night, and those
who were looking out in the direction of the anchorite's cell noticed one night that it
seemed as if fire could be seen through the windows of his cell. The soldiers thought
that barbarians must have set fire to the old man's cell, but in the morning, the
soldiers went down and were astonished to find the old man quite unharmed and no
signs of fire in the cell. They were amazed to see the same appearance of fire on the
night following, and not only the next night but frequently afterwards so that it
became known to the whole city. Many people watched nightly on the city walls in the
hope of seeing this fire, which continued right up to the day of the old man's death.
Having seen this miracle myself not once, not twice, but many times, I said to myself,
'If God shows such glory to his servants in this life, how much more do you think he
will show in the life to come, when "their faces shall shine forth as the sun"' (Matthew
14.43)? This was the spur which made me take the monastic habit, my little children,
and choosing this way of life."

Chapter LXX
The life of the anchorite monk ADDAS of Mesopotamia.

The old man also told us that after this abba David, there was another monk called
Addas, also a Mesopotamian, who built himself an anchorage in a great plane tree in
another part of the region. He made a window in it through which he was able to talk
to visitors. When the barbarians came and laid waste the whole province they
happened to come by his place. As soon as one of them spied the old man he drew
his sword in order to kill him, but having lifted up his hand to strike he was unable to
bring it down, remaining motionless with his hand hanging in the air. When the other
barbarians saw this they were amazed and begged the old man to cure their
companion. The old man did pray, the man was released, and so he dismissed them
in peace.

Chapter LXXI
The beautiful words of a MURDERER to a monk who was following him on the way
to his execution.

This same abbot Palladius told us of someone arrested and found guilty of murder in
Arsinoe, a city of the Thebaid. After being tortured for some time he was at last
sentenced to be beheaded. He was taken out of the city for six miles to the place
where he had committed the murder and a monk followed on behind him in order to
witness the execution.
"Haven't you got a cell and manual work to attend to?" said the condemned man
when he saw the monk.
"Forgive me, brother," said the monk, "but yes, I do have a cell and work to do."
"Well, why aren't you sitting in your cell and weeping for your own sins, then?"
"You are right, brother. I am very neglectful of my duties, and find myself unable to
summon up any compunction in my heart. That is why I have come to watch you die,
in the hope that thereby I might find compunction."
"Go with the Lord, brother", said the guilty man, "and sit in your cell and give thanks
to our Saviour Jesus Christ. Since he was made human and died for us sinners,
human beings no longer suffer eternal death."

Chapter LXXII
A story of abbot PALLADIUS about an elderly murderer who falsely accused a young
man of the crime.

Abbot Palladius also told us this story about an elderly layman who hadcommitted
murder and was held in custody by the magistrate in Alexandria. After being tortured
he accused someone else of being his accomplice in the crime, a young man about
twenty years old. They were both subjected to many tortures, the older man accusing
the younger of being with him when the crime was done, and the younger denying it
vigorously, swearing that his conscience was clear of the murder, and that he had not
been with the older man at all. After the torture, they were sentenced to be
suspended [with hands outstretched] from a wooden yoke. They were taken five
miles outside the city to the place where it was customary for those guilty of this kind
of crime to be punished.
Now there was a ruined temple of Saturn about three hundred metres (uno stadio)
from the place. When the soldiers and spectators arrived there, they intended to
string up the young man first, but he threw himself on the ground and pleaded with
the soldiers:
"In the name of the Lord, please grant me the favour of being hung up facing the
East, so that I may look towards Him when I am hanging there."
"What do you mean?" the soldiers asked?
"Truly, sirs," replied the young man, "miserable though I am, it is only seven months
since I received holy Baptism and became a Christian."
Hearing this the soldiers were moved to tears for the young man. But the older man,
snorting with rage, said to the soldiers:
"In the name of Serapis let me be able to turn my face towards Saturn."
Hearing this blasphemy the soldiers left the young man and began to string up the
old man first. When he had been well and truly suspended from the wooden yoke,
behold, an Augustal official came rushing in.
"Don't kill the young man," he said to the soldiers. "Take him back [to the courtroom]."
The soldiers and everyone there were delighted. They took him back to the
courtroom, where the Augustalis acquitted him. The young man contrary to all
expectation was saved, and he went away and became a monk.
We have written this down not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of the
readers, that we may be convinced that the Lord knows how to deliver the faithful in
their tribulations.

Chapter LXXIII
The life of JOHN, an Alexandrian soldier

This same abbot Palladius also told us this story. There was a soldier in Alexandria
called John who followed this rule of life: He would stay in the monastery every day
from the morning up till the ninth hour, sitting alone in front of St Peter's steps,
wearing a tunic (cilicium), weaving baskets, totally silent, speaking to no one. He was
praying as he sat and worked with his hands, but the only words which he softly sang
were Save me, O Lord, I pray, from my secret sins. Let me not be confounded.
Having spoken he was then silent for about an hour, when he repeated this same
verse again, so that he repeated it seven times altogether during the day, and did not
say anything else. At the ninth hour, he took off his tunic and put on his military
uniform (militarem habitum) and his weapons (indumen-ta), and so hastened back to
his own barracks (signa, lit. 'standards' carried at the head of the legion). I stayed
there myself for eight years and was greatly edified by his silence and way of life.

Chapter LXXIV
A reliable statement from PALLADIUS, on the subject of heresy

The old man caught us one day and said to us: "Believe me, my little children, the
only reason for schisms and heresies coming in to the Church is that we do not love
God and each other with our whole heart."

Chapter LXXV
A miracle done by OUR LADY to the wife and daughter of a man of the faith who was
accustomed to giving hospitality to monks.

When we visited Palladius on another day, he told us the following story:
There was a man of the faith in Alexandria, very devout and generous, accustomed
to giving monks hospitality. He had a wife, very humble, who fasted daily, and also a
young daughter about six years old. He was a businessman, and one day he had to
go on a journey to Constantinople, leaving his wife, daughter and one servant at
home. As he was about to take ship, his wife asked him who would be their protector
in his absence.
"Our Lady the holy birthgiver of God," her husband replied.
One day when the wife was sitting working, her daughter being with her, the servant
hatched a plot to kill both the lady and her daughter, seize whatever he could and
flee. Taking a knife from the kitchen he went towards the triclinium where they both
were. When he got to the door he was suddenly stricken with blindness, nor could he
either go in to the triclinium or return to the kitchen. He stayed like that for about an
hour, trying in vain to go in, and at last began to call out to the lady
"Please, can you come here!" he cried
"No, you come here, rather," she said, seeing him standing in the doorway shouting
out rather than coming in, unaware that he was blind.
The servant again began to beg her to come to him, but she positively refused.
"Well, send your daughter to me, "he begged.
"Certainly not," she said. "If there is something you want, you come here."
The servant realised that there was nothing that could be done, turned the knife upon
himself and fell to the floor. The lady screamed when she realised what he had done,
and neighbours immediately rushed in. Some praetorian officials also arrived and
finding the servant still alive, learned everything, and glorified the Lord who had
saved both mother and daughter.

Chapter LXXVI
The drowning of MARY, a woman who was a sinner.

Palladius also told us this story:
A certain sea captain once told me about a voyage of his when he had several male
and female passengers aboard. Out on the high seas other ships seemed to be
sailing well under a favourable wind, some to Constantinople, some to Alexandria,
some to other places, but he could make no progress at all.
"We stayed put for about fifteen days," he said, "unable to move from where we were.
We became very depressed and desperate, not knowing whatever could be causing
this. As captain responsible for the care of the ship and everyone in her, I began to
pray about it to God. And indeed on a certain day a voice came to me saying: 'Get rid
of Mary and you will sail well.' 'What did that mean', I thought, 'and who is Mary?'And
as I turned this over in my mind the voice came again, saying: 'I tell you, get rid of
Mary and you will be all right.'
"'O Mary!' I shouted over and over again, wondering what this was all about and not
knowing who Mary was. But Mary herself heard me from where she wassitting and
said: 'Did you want me, sir?'
"'Could you come here, please,' I said. She got up to come straight away, and when
she had got to me I took her aside.
"'Mary, my sister,' I said, 'Are you able to see if it is my sins which are responsible for
the plight you are all in? '
"'In fact, Captain,' she said, with a deep groan, 'it is I who am the sinner.'
"'Why, what have you done, woman?' I asked.
"'Woe is me', she said. 'There is no sin in the book which I have not been guilty of.
And it is because of my sins that you have all been brought into this present danger.'
"And then the woman told me all about herself.
"'I'm a miserable wretch, Captain,' she said. 'I had a husband with whom I had two
sons, but when one of them was nine and the other five, my husband died and I was
a widow. But there was a soldier living near me whom I would have quite liked to
have as a husband, and I gave him some signals to that effect (misique ad ipsum
quosdam). But he wouldn't because he said he did not want a wife who had two
children by another man. But I was carried away with desire for him, and seeing that
he would not have me because of my children, I killed them both and then went to
him and said "See now, I no longer have any children". When he learned what I had
done with the children he said: "As the Lord lives in heaven, I certainly will not have
you!" So I fled, in fear that he would tell and I should be executed.'
"Even though I had heard this out of her own mouth, I was unwilling to throw her
overboard, and tried to put off coming to a decision.
"'Look,' I said, 'I will go down into a lifeboat, and if the ship then begins to move we
will know that it was my sins which were impeding her.' I called for the coxswain and
said, 'Lower the boat'. But once I was in the boat, neither the ship nor the boat still
made any movement. Coming back aboard again I said to the woman, 'Now you get
down into the boat'. The moment she got into it the boat turned round five times and
went straight to the bottom, carrying her with it. And after this the ship made such
good progress that in three and a half days' sailing we made up for the fifteen days
we had lost."

Chapter LXXVII
The story of three poor BLIND MEN, and how they came by their blindness.

My respected master Sophronius and I went once to the house of Stephanus the
philosopher to benefit from his teaching. It was about the middle of the day and he
lived near the church of the holy birthgiver of God known as the Dorothea, which our
blessed father Eulogius had built near the great Tetrapylum. When we knocked at the
philosopher's door, a maid opened up to us who said that he was asleep and we
would have to wait a while.
"Let's go to the Tetrapylum and wait there," I said to Sophronius. It was a place held
in great reverence in Alexandria, for it is said that Alexander, the founder of the city,
brought the bones of the prophet Jeremiah out of Egypt and reburied them there.
When we got there, about noon, we found no one inside except three blind men.
Without making a noise we sat down near these three men to read our books. They
were having a long conversation with each other.
"How did you come to be blind?" one of them asked the other.
"In my youth I was a sailor," he replied, "and while sailing from Africa on the high
seas I suddenly became blind, and could not see where I was going for the
whiteness in my eyes. And how did you become blind?" he asked the other.
"I worked in glass production of various kinds," he said, "the fire damaged both my
eyes, and I became blind."
Having questioned each other they both then turned to the third.
"Tell us how you also became blind," they asked.
"When I was young," he replied, "I hated work, I rejected it, I was just a layabout
(luxuriosus). But I had nothing to live on so I took to stealing. I had committed many
crimes, when one day I was standing in a certain place where I noticed a very richly
dressed corpse being carried by. I followed the funeral procession to see where it
would be laid. They went behind St John ['s church], and laid the body in a tomb.
They said the funeral prayers and departed. As soon as I was sure they had all gone,
I went in to the tomb and pulled off all the rich clothing, leaving nothing but a linen
cloth. As I was on my way out of the tomb, loaded up with many bundles, a wicked
thought said to me, 'Take the linen cloth as well, it is such a good one.' Alas, I went
back and took the linen cloth also, leaving the body quite naked. The dead man
suddenly sat up before my very eyes, thrust out his hands towards me and gouged
out my eyes. Terrified, I dropped everything, and found my way out of the tomb with
great danger and difficulty. So now, I have told you how I too became blind."
My respected master Sophronius nodded to me when we had heard this tale, and we
stole away.
"Abba John," he said, "we really have no need for any further study today. We have
already been educated quite enough."
I have told this tale that you also might be educated: there is no ill doer who may hide
from God. And we heard this tale from the very person it happened to.

Chapter LXXVIII
The astonishing miracle of a dead GIRL, who seized a grave-robber and would not
let him go until he had promised to become a monk.

Abba Johannes, the father of the monastery of Gigantum, told us a similar story from
the time when he had been at Theopolis:
It is not so long ago that I had a visit from a certain young man.
"Help me, for the love of God," he said, with many tears and convulsive sighs. "I need
to do penance."
I could see that he was very penitent and deeply sad.
"Tell me the reason why you are so filled with compunction," I said. "Don't hold
anything back, for God is surely able to help you."
"Abba," he said, "I am truly a great sinner."
"Believe me," I said, "Just as there are a great many different kinds of wounds, so
there are many different kinds of medicine. If you wish to be cured, tell me truly what
you have done, so that I can give you a penance which is suitable. For there is one
sort of cure for fornication, another for murder, another for avarice, another for lying,
another for anger. No need to go through the rest of the vices for you, but there are
various remedies for all the vices of the soul just as there are various remedies for all
the bodily ailments."
But he could do nothing but groan even more and strike his breast with tears and
convulsive sighs. Such was his distress and sorrow that his heart failed him and he
was quite unable to say a single word. I tried to concentrate his mind on his
desperate grief and his unbearable sins, unable as he was to describe his disaster, or
what had happened to him or what he had done.
"Listen to me, my son." I said, "Put a little order into your thoughts and describe to
me what you have done. Then perhaps our Lord may be able to offer you some help.
For of his ineffable mercy and boundless compassion he has suffered all things for
our salvation. He was a friend of publicans and welcomed the harlot who came to
him. He accepted the robber, and was called the friend of sinners. He will gather you
into his hands also, my son, as you turn to him in penitence. 'For he desires not the
death of a sinner, but rather that he turn from his wickedness and live'". (Ezekiel
33.11).
Then he made an effort to control his tears and sighs a little.
"I am a sink of iniquity, father," he said "fit neither for earth or heaven. Two days ago I
heard that a young girl belonging to one of the richest families of this city had died,
and was being buried with many costly garments in a tomb outside the city. From
force of a most wicked habit I went by night to the tomb, went in and set about
robbing her. I took everything she wore off her, not even sparing her loincloth, which I
also removed, leaving her naked as the day she was born. I had begun to leave the
tomb when she suddenly sat up in front of me, stretched out her left hand and seized
my right and said 'You most wicked man, aren't you ashamed to have stripped me
bare? Have you no fear of God and the reward of everlasting damnation? Ought you
not at the very least to have had respect for the dead? And if you are a Christian, do
you think it would have been right for me to stand naked before Christ? Have you no
respect for the female sex? Was it not this sex which gave you birth? Have you not
violated your own mother in what you have done to me? You wretched man, what
shall you plead before the tremendous judgment seat of Christ when faced with this
crime you have perpetrated on me. While I was alive no stranger ever so much as
saw my face, but now I am dead and buried you have stripped me and seen my
naked body. O, to what depths of human misery have you descended! How will you
be able to hold out your hands to receive the holy and precious body of our Lord
Jesus Christ? What will be in your heart?'
"I was totally overcome by panic and horror as I witnessed and heard all this.
"'Let me go,' I finally managed to say with fear and trembling, 'and I won't ever do this
again.'
"'Certainly not,' she said. 'You came in here of your own free will, but you shall not go
out again just as you please. This place will be a tomb for both of us, and don't think
that you will die quickly. You will suffer here for many days before you painfully deliver
up your wicked soul.'
"I wept and begged her to let me go for the sake of Almighty God, promising and
swearing an oath that I would never do such a wicked and shameful thing ever again.
And at last after my floods of tears and sighs she gave me her reply.
"'If you wish to live and be freed from my grasp you must promise me that if I let you
go you must not only refrain from such wicked and profane deeds in future, but
resolve immediately to renounce the world and become a monk, and serve Christ in
penitence for the evil you have done.'
"I swore.
"'In the name of God who will receive my soul,' I said, 'I will not merely do what you
say, but after leaving here I will never go back home but go with all speed to a
monastery.'
"'Put my clothes back on,' the girl then said, 'and leave me in the same state as you
found me.'
"I did so, she stretched herself out, and lay there, dead."
With this tale from the young man fresh in my ears I comforted and encouraged him,
urging him to penitence and continence. I tonsured him, gave him the monastic habit
and enclosed him in a mountain cave, where I left him giving heartfelt thanks to God
and struggling manfully for the salvation of his soul.

Chapter LXXIX
The great and astonishing miracle of the most holy EUCHARIST, in the time of
Dionysius the bishop of Seleucia.

When we came to Seleucia we called on abbot Theodore, the bishop of that city. He
told us the following story:
This is something that happened under my predecessor, Dionysius of holy memory,
bishop of this city. There was a businessman in the city, very rich, and very religious,
though a heretic, for he was a follower of Severus. [465-538, Monophysite Patriarch
of Antioch]. He had a servant who was a faithful communicant of the holy and
apostolic Church, and according to the custom of that province on Maundy Thursday
(die Sancto Coenae Dominicae) he received Communion, wrapped it in a fair linen
cloth and put it in a safe. It so happened, however, that after Easter this man of faith
was sent to Constantinople on business and gave the key of the safe to his master,
forgetting that he had left the holy Communion in it.
The master opened the safe one day and found the linen cloth with the holy particles
of Communion wrapped up in it. He was worried about this and did not quite know
what to do with them. He was reluctant to consume them, seeing that they were of
the holy Catholic Church, whereas he was a follower of Severus. So he put them
back in the safe, thinking that his servant would consume them when he came back.
But when Maundy Thursday came and the servant had still not come back, he
thought that perhaps he should burn them, rather than keep them there for a second
year. But when he opened the safe he found that the holy particles had germinated,
producing stalks and ears of corn. He was overcome with fear and trembling, picked
up the holy particles, and together with his whole household shouting Kyrie eleison
ran to the holy church, and to the most holy and venerable bishop Dionysius. This
great and terrible miracle, exceeding anything that might be thought or reasoned
about, or invented, was witnessed not by one or two or three or even several more,
but by the whole church, citizens and peasants, natives and visitors, travellers by
land and sea, men and women, old men and children, young men and seniors,
masters and servants, rich and poor, princes and subjects, wise and foolish, virgins
and monks, widows and married women, rulers and ruled. They too shouted Kyrie
eleison, though some praised God in other ways, but all truly gave thanks to God for
his ineffable miracles. And many who believed because of the miracle were added to
the holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

Chapter LXXX
The spring which was granted by God to the brothers of the monastery at Scopulus
through the prayers of their abbot THEODOSIUS.

We arrived at the monastery of abbot Theodosius at Scopulus, which is a mountain
between Seleucia and Rosus Cilicia. The fathers showed us round the monastery,
which is about an arrow's flight in length, and pointed out to us a copious and
beautiful spring.
"This spring, brothers," they said, "is not natural, but was granted to us by divine
favour. For our holy father Theodosius fasted greatly and poured out many tears, and
with many prayers and prostrations obtained from God the gift of this water for our
use and consolation. Before this spring our fathers often went thirsty, but God who
listens to the needs of those who fear him of his infinite bounty gave us the blessing
of this water through the prayers of our holy father.
"And yet two years ago some of the brothers asked the father of the monastery to
build a bath house in the monastery. The abbot did not really like the idea, but
pandered to their weakness and agreed. The bath house was duly built in the
monastery, and after it had been used only once, that great and lovely spring, gift of
God, dried up. And to tell you the truth as Christians, we fasted and said many
prayers and made many prostrations that we might have the spring back again, but
without success. A whole year went by without any water in the spring, leaving us in
great difficulty. But as soon as our kind and gentle father pulled down the bathhouse,
God gave us back the water."

Chapter LXXXI
The well which was filled with water when a picture of abba THEODOSIUS was
lowered into it.

These same fathers told us the following story:
There is a woman of the faith in the Apamaean region who dug a well not so long
ago. It cost her quite a lot of money, requiring a lot of labour, but when it had been
dug to a great depth and no water was found, she was very upset and distressed
because of all the labour and expense. However a woman appeared to this worried
woman in her dreams, saying, "Send to Scopulus and get a picture of abba
Theodosius. Through him God will provide your water." The next day the woman sent
two men to get a picture of the holy man. When it was lowered into the well, the
water immediately began to flow so that the well was soon half full. They gave us
some of this same water to drink, and we drank and glorified God.

Chapter LXXXII
The life of JOHN, an old man of the monastery of Scopulus.

We were able to meet with John, an old man in this same monastery. The fathers of
the place told us that he was a very great Christian, a terrible foe of demons. He was
able to cure immediately anyone who came to him possessed of an evil spirit.

Chapter LXXXIII
More about JOHN

The fathers of the place also told us the following:
About twenty-four miles away from the monastery there is an industrial complex
(emporium) on a promontory called Narrow. A certain sea captain worked here and
built a ship of about two hundred and seventy thousand litres cubic capacity [thirty
thousand modii, corn measures or pecks, about 2 gallons each]. With a large team of
workmen (he employed about three hundred of them) he tried for two weeks to
launch the ship but could not get it to move anywhere near the sea, for it had been
bewitched by some very evil people. The captain was in great anguish and despair
and did not know what to do. But by the providence of God, John was travelling in
these parts. The captain saw him, and recognised him as a holy man.
"Pray for this ship, abba," he begged, "we can't launch it because of magic arts."
"Go home and prepare a meal for me," the old man said, "and God will come to your
aid." But he was only saying this in order to get the captain home.
As soon as he had gone the old man went alone to the ship, prostrated himself three
times, prayed to God and made the sign of the cross over the ship three times in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he went to the captain's home.
"Go back to your ship and launch it into the sea," he said.
The captain believed the old man's word. He went back with just a few people to help
drag it, and the ship was soon launched into the sea.

Chapter LXXXIV
The life and death of an ANCHORITE, a servant of God in the same monastery.

The fathers of this same monastery also told us this story:
There was an anchorite in these mountains, greatly beloved of God, who led a
solitary life for many years. Without anyone being aware of it he died in a narrow little
cave; we all thought he had gone to another part of the desert. But he appeared one
night in a dream to our present good father, abba Julian, best of pastors.
"Take some people with you," he said, "and come and bring me back from the place
where I am lying in Mount Cervus."
So our father took some of us with him up the mountain he had named. We searched
for several hours but could not find the anchorite's remains, for the entrance of the
cave was hidden at that time by snow and brushwood.
"Let us go down again, my sons", said our superior, when we were unable to find the
anchorite. We were just about to go when, behold, a goat appeared and stopped a
little way away from us, and then began to dig in the earth with its hoofs.
"Believe me, my sons," he said, when he saw the goat, "this is where the servant of
God is buried." So we dug and found his body incorrupt, which we took down to the
monastery and buried with honour.

Chapter LXXXV
How wheat in this same monastery was spoiled by germination when almsgiving was
stopped.

Another tale they told us:
It was the custom on Maundy Thursday for all the orphans and poor people of the
district to come here and receive half a pint (medium sextertium) of wheat, thirteen
pieces of blessed bread, a pint of wine, and half a pint of honey. Three years ago
there was a great shortage of wheat. In this district you could only buy twelve pints of
it for one unit of currency (numisma).
During Lent some of the fathers approached the abbot.
"Let's not give the customary wheat to the poor, father," they said, "lest the monastery
suffers, for wheat is in such short supply."
"Let us not break with the blessing of our father Theodosius," the abbot replied,
"Look, this is the old man's mandate. It ill behoves us to transgress it. Surely he
himself will look after us."
But the brothers persisted in their opinion.
"He will not be able to make up for what we might be able to give, " they said.
The abbot was very sad but allowed them to do what they wanted. So the usual
blessings did not take place that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Later, the person in charge of the storehouse opened the doors and found that all the
wheat in it had germinated, so that we had to throw it into the sea.
"He who brings to naught the wishes of our father," said the abbot, "must suffer the
consequences, and reap the reward of disobedience. We would have given away fifty
pecks, pleased our father Theodosius by our obedience, and given some help to our
brothers among the poor. As it is, we have lost about a thousand pecks of wheat.
What have we gained, my sons? How much harm have we done to ourselves? We
have done two things wrong. First, we ignored the mandates of our father; second,
we have trusted not in God but in our storehouse. Let us learn from this, brothers,
that it is God who rules the whole human race, and also that our holy father
Theodosius cares unseen for us his sons."

Chapter LXXXVI
Another ANCHORITE from the same monastery, who died immediately after
receiving holy Communion

Abba Egiarius told us this story:
I left Aega after the solemnity when the winter had become a bit more severe, and
came to the monastery of Scopulus. This is what happened when I was there. There
was an anchorite living a solitary life in those parts who used to come on Sundays to
receive the sacred mysteries. Only once did he cause scandal when for five weeks
he stayed away, not coming to the monastery as was his usual custom, which
distressed the brothers of the monastery very much. But on the Sunday when I was
there, he did turn up. The brothers of the monastery were glad to see him, prostrated
themselves and asked pardon, as he likewise prostrated himself and asked pardon of
them, so restoring charity all round. Then when the anchorite had received the body
and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ he went to the middle of the church and fell down
dead, even though he had previously shown no sign of any illness. The fathers of the
monastery realised that the anchorite had foreseen the day of his death, which is why
he had come so that he might pass to the Lord having nothing against anyone.

Chapter LXXXVII
How the body of the anchorite JOHN, called the Humble, was found

We visited a certain village six miles from Rosus where two old men who were not
monks (saeculares) gave us hospitality in a church which they had founded
themselves. This village was at the foot of a mountain. In the church they showed us
a marble monument which read: 'Christians, a great anchorite lies in this monument.'
"Do you know where he comes from?" we asked them.
"Seven years ago," they said, "all of us who live in this village noticed a light on the
top of the mountain like a burning fire, and we wondered who could have lit it. After
observing this for several days we went up there one day but could find no traces of
any fire - no fire, and no sign of anything having been burnt. But the following night
we saw the fire again. For three months we kept on seeing it. At last one night we
took some of the villagers, armed in case of wild beasts, and went up the mountain to
where the light appeared, and stayed near it until daylight. When morning had fully
come, we could see a small cave in the place where we had seen the light. We went
in, and found an anchorite, dead. He was wearing cilicium and pallium (tunic and
mantle) and held a silver cross in his hands. We also found a parchment with this
written on it: I AM JOHN THE HUMBLE, DIED ON THE DAY OF THE FIFTEENTH
INDICTION, by which we calculated that he had been dead for seven years, though
his body was as whole as if he had just died that day. We brought him down to the
church and buried him with honour.

Chapter LXXXVIII
The life of abba THOMAS apocrisarius of the coenobium of Apamia and the miracle
of his dead body.

When we visited Theopolis, one of the presbyters of that church told us about abba
Thomas, who was the apocrisarius (business manager, bursar, cellarer) of the
coenobium in Apamia. This old man came once on business to Theopolis, and after
staying there for a while, he died in Daphne, in the church of St Euphemia. The
clergy there buried him as a stranger in the strangers' burial ground, and the next day
they buried a woman whom they put on top of him. This was about the second hour;
but at the sixth hour the earth threw her up. The caretakers of the place were
astonished when they saw what had happened, but towards evening reburied her in
the same grave. Next day they found her on top of the grave, so they took the body
and put in another tomb. A few days later they buried another woman on top of abba
Thomas, the clerics of that place not being aware that Thomas would not allow
anyone to be buried on top of him. And again, the earth threw her up. At last they
realised that the old man would not allow a woman to be buried on top of him, and
they went and reported this to the Lord patriarch. He arranged that the whole city
should go to Daphne with candles, and carry the remains of the old man into the city
while singing psalms. They put the body of this holy man in the cemetery where the
bodies of many of the martyrs had been laid and built a small oratory over him.

Chapter LXXXIX
The body of a holy ANCHORITE found on Mount Amanus

While we were at Theopolis, one of the fathers told us that one day he had had to go
over Mt Amanus, where he came across a cave. He went in and found an anchorite
on bended knees, with his hands stretched up in the air, and his hair reaching down
to the floor. Thinking he was alive, he prostrated himself in front of him.
"Pray for me, father," he said. Getting no reply he got up and went a bit closer, to
greet him and embrace him, but as soon as he touched him he realised he was dead.
He left him and went out, and had not gone very far before he saw another cave. He
went in and found an old man there.
"Welcome, brother," said this old man. "Did you go into the other cave?"
"I did indeed," he replied.
"You didn't take anything away from there?"
"No".
"It is absolutely true, brother, that it is fifteen years since he died, and he looks as if
he had been dead no longer than hour."
The old man made a prayer for him, and the visitor went on his way glorifying God.

Chapter XC
The death of two ANCHORITES on Mount Phterigius.

There were two anchorites on Mount Phterigius above Rosus near the river Piape,
not far from the monastery of Theopolis in Scopulus. One of these was an old man,
the other was a young man, the elder's disciple. The old man died and his disciple
prayed and buried him on the mountain. After a few days, the disciple went down the
mountain to where there was some habitation and found a man working in a field.
"Do me a kindness, brother," said the disciple, "bring your spade and hoe and come
with me."
The farm worker followed him immediately, and when they got up the mountain the
disciple showed him the old man's grave.
"Dig here," he said.
When he had dug a grave the disciple stood in prayer and embraced the man
"Pray for me, brother," he said, and went down into the grave where he stretched
himself out on the body of the old man and immediately gave up his spirit.
The man covered the grave over again giving thanks to God. He had gone down the
mountain again for no more than a stone's throw when he said to himself, "Surely I
ought to ask a blessing from these holy men," but when he turned back, the grave
was nowhere to be found.

Chapter XCI
The life of abba GREGORIUS the anchorite, and his disciple THALELAEUS

One of the fathers told us about abba Gregorius who went about naked in the desert
for thirty-five years.
It was said about him that when he was in the mountains above the monastery of
abba Theodosius in Scopulus he had a disciple who died. Not having any tools to dig
the earth and bury his disciple, the old man went down the mountain to the sea,
where he found a ship putting in to shore. He asked the captain and crew to go with
him up the mountain to bury the brother. They willingly granted the old man's request,
gathered up the necessary tools, went up the mountain and dug a grave to bury the
brother in. One of the sailors called Thalelaeus was so overcome by compunction
because of the old man's virtues that he begged to be allowed to stay with him.
"You would not be able to put up with the hard labour of penitence," the old man said.
"I'm quite sure I could" (ita sane tolerare possum), he replied.
So he stayed with the old man for a year, working very hard at the holy exercises. At
the end of the year he prostrated himself before the old man.
"Pray for me, father," he said. "Through your prayers God has taken away from me
all the difficulty. I no longer get tired, I am no longer bothered by inclement weather,
neither summer heat nor winter cold, but remain absolutely peaceful."
The old man gave him his blessing, and after a further two years and a half, brother
Thalelaeus, foreseeing his own death, made a request to the old man.
"I beg you, take me to Jerusalem so that I can adore the holy Cross and the holy
resurrection of Christ my Lord and God, for the Lord is about to take me to himself at
this time."
So the old man took him with him to the holy city. They worshipped at the venerable
holy places and went down to bathe in the holy Jordan. Three days afterwards
brother Thalelaeus slept in the Lord and the old man buried him in the monastery of
Cupatha. Abba Gregorius the anchorite died a little while after, and the fathers of that
monastery buried him in the church.

 
Chapter XCII
The life of brother GREGORIUS of Cappadocia and how the body of PETER, a
solitary of the holy Jordan, was found.

The following tale was told to us, that is to brother Sophronius Sophista and me, by
our father abbot Gregorius, the archimandrite of the monastery of our holy father
Theodosius, in the desert near the holy city of Christ our Lord.
I had a brother here called Gregory of Cappadocia, who worked however in Phaselus
(a subsidiary cell of brothers?) Now one day when the brothers were making bread,
brother Gregorius lit the fire under the oven, but having lit it could not find anything to
clean it with, for the brothers had hidden the cloth by way of teasing him. So he went
into the oven and cleaned it out using his own clothing, and was not in the least bit
harmed by the fire. But when I heard about it, I rebuked the brothers for putting him
to the test like that.
Our father abbot Gregorius also told us that once when brother Gregorius was
feeding the pigs in Phaselus, two lions came after the pigs, but he picked up a stick
and drove them back to the holy Jordan.
The same father told us that when he was beginning to build the church of St
Quiricus in Phaselus and digging out the foundations, he had a dream about a monk
of very ascetic appearance, carrying a palm, and with a meagre robe of woven
rushes draped over his shoulders (gerens in humeris parvulum colobium de psiathio).
"Tell me, abba Gregorius," he said in a most gentle tone of voice, "is it right that after
so many labours, so much abstinence, you have left me out of the church you are
building?"
"Far be it from me to do so," he replied, in deference to the voice and appearance of
the man.
"But that is exactly what you have done."
"Who then are you, sir?"
"I am Peter, a solitary of the holy Jordan."
Next morning abba Gregorius hastened to dig in various places around the church
until he found a body lying there identical to what he had seen in his dream. When
the church was built, he put a splendid tomb in the right hand side of the church and
put the body in it.

Chapter XCIII
The life of abba SISINIUS who renounced his episcopate, and his disciple.

Our father Gregorius also told us the following:
"I went once to visit abba Sisinius. He it was who renounced his episcopate for the
sake of Christ and went to live a solitary life near the fortress of Bethabara, about six
miles from the holy Jordan. When I got there, I knocked at the door, which after a
very long time was answered by his disciple.
"'The fact is,' he said, 'that the old man is very ill, dying. But he has prayed God that
he might not die until he heard that you had arrived in this district.'
"For I had been on my way to the most religious Emperor Tiberius in Constantinople,
on business for the cenobium. The disciple went to tell the old man of my arrival, and
returned after a long delay.
"'Go in, father,' he said.
"When we went in, however, we found that the old man had fallen asleep in peace.
And I realised that as soon as he knew that it was I who had been knocking on the
door, he had passed over to the Lord. I embraced him, and this dead man said in a
soft and gentle voice, 'Welcome, my abbot,' and again fell asleep. I made his death
known locally so that they might come and bury him, and when they had come and
were digging a grave, the disciple said to them:
"'Do me a kindness, and make it a little wider, big enough for two.' And when the
grave was dug, he lay down upon a rush mat and rested in peace. So we buried
them both together, the old man and his disciple."

Chapter XCIV
The life of abba JULIANUS bishop of Bostrensis

Our father archimandrite Gregorius also told us about abba Julianus the bishop of
Bostrensis.
When he left the cenobium to be made bishop of Bostrensis, some people in that city
who hated the name of Christ decided to poison him. They bribed the servant who
administered the wine, and gave him some poison to put in the cup when he brought
it to the bishop. The servant did as he had been directed, and brought the poisoned
chalice to the bishop. The holy man took it, but by divine providence realised there
was treachery. He said nothing to the servant, but put the cup down in front of him
and sent for all the city fathers, among whom were the ones who had instigated this
treachery.
"If you thought to poison this humble Julianus," this blessed man said in a most
gentle voice, not wishing to actually name those responsible, "look, I drink this
poisoned cup in the presence of you all." He made the sign of the cross three times
over the cup, saying "In nomine Patris et Filii, et Spiritus sancti I drink this cup." And
he drank it all in the presence of them all, and was quite unharmed. When they saw
this, they prostrated themselves and sought pardon.

Chapter XCV
The life of PATRICIUS, an old man of the monastery of Scopulus

There was a very old man indeed in the coenobium of our holy father Theodosius,
(he said he was a hundred and thirty). He came from Sebaste, his name was
Patricius and he was of a very quiet and peaceful disposition. The fathers told us that
he had come from the monastery of Abazanus where he had been prior, but had
relinquished that position, fearing that he was in danger of Judgment, for he said that
only great men ought to be shepherds of the sheep who had the gift of reason. He
came here in order to live under obedience, judging that to be more favourable to
[the salvation of] his soul.

Chapter XCV
More about the same, and also about JULIANUS, a blind Arab.

There was another old man, a blind Arab called Julianus, who at one time was
scandalised by Macarius the archbishop of Jerusalem and refused to be in
communion with him. Abba Julianus decided one day to send a message to abbot
Simeon in the miraculous mountain (this mountain was about nine miles away from
Theopolis).
"I am blind," he said, "and cannot see where I am going. I have no one to help me,
but I can no longer remain in communion with Macarius. Tell me what I should do,
father, about this brother who is a fornicator and that other person bound to him with
an oath."
"Don't leave," abba Simeon replied to abba Julianus, "and don't separate yourself
from holy Church. But take note of this, my brother, when anyone falls into heresy,
there is a great old man in your coenobium called Patricius, who stays near the west
wall of the church opposite the sanctuary, in last place behind everyone else, and he
says that he makes a holy offering of prayer for everyone. And they do say that his
prayer is very holy indeed."

Chapter XCVII
The life and death of two BROTHERS who vowed never to be separated from each
other

Abba John Rutilus the anchorite said that he had heard from abba Stephen the
Moabite that there were two brothers in the coenobium of the holy abba Theodosius,
that great leader of monks, who vowed to each other never in life or in death to be
separated from each other. They were an example to everyone in the coenobium
until one of them was overwhelmed by sexual temptation.
"Let me go away, brother," he said, "for I am obsessed with thoughts of sex and
cannot get rid of them. I want to return to the world."
"No, don't, I beg you," said his brother, "don't throw away the fruits of all your labour."
"Either let me go, or else you come with me, for I must satisfy my desires."
But the brother did not want to part from him, so he went with him into the city. The
first brother went for some entertainment with a prostitute, the other remained
standing outside, pouring dust upon his head and beating his breast, until his brother
had finished his evil deed and come back out of the brothel.
"Just what have you gained from your sin, brother?" he asked. "What harm have you
done to yourself? Let's go back to the coenobium."
"I can't go back to the desert. You go back. I must stay in the world."
He begged and begged with no success. His brother refused to go back with him to
the desert, so they both stayed in the world together, doing manual labour for a living.
Now at this time Abba Abraham, who later became bishop of Ephesus, and who had
recently built in Constantinople a monastery known as 'Abraham's', was building his
own monastery, which became known as 'Byzantium'. These two runaway brothers
were working on the site, labouring for the stonemasons. When they got their wages,
one brother went day by day into the city and spent his money in riotous living
(luxuria), the other fasted and prayed and did his work quietly without talking to
anyone. When the other workmen saw him neither eating or speaking, but always as
if wrapped in thought, they told the holy abba Abraham about him and the way he
was carrying on. That truly great Abraham called him to his cell.
"Where do you come from, brother," he asked, "and what exactly are you up to?"
The brother told him everything from beginning to end, and why he was putting up
with all this for the sake of his brother.
"Perhaps God will accept my tribulations for the salvation of my brother," he said.
"God has given you your brother's soul," said Abraham as he let him go.
And as he left the cell, behold, his brother came rushing up to him.
"Brother, take me back to the desert so that I may save my soul," he said.
He immediately embraced him, and they went off to a cave near the holy Jordan,
where they enclosed themselves. After a short time during which the brother who had
been overcome by temptation made great strides in spirit towards God, he passed
away to the Lord. The remaining brother stayed in that cave in fulfilment of his vow,
until such time as he died himself.

Chapter XCVIII
More about the remaining brother.

After the death of his brother, an old man from the monastery of Calamon came to
see him.
"Tell me, brother," he said, "In all the time of your solitary life and your spiritual
exercises what did you get out of it?"
"Go away and come back in ten days, " he replied, "and I will tell you."
So the old man went away and came back in ten days only to find that the brother
had passed to the Lord. But he also found a potsherd on which was scratched
'Forgive me, father, but when I was saying the opus dei and the prescribed psalms I
never let my mind dwell on earthly things'.

Chapter XCIX
The life of ANTONIUS, an old man of the monastery of Scopulus.

The fathers of the monastery of our holy father Theodosius also told us the following:
"It is some years now since a certain old man called Antonius died. He gave great
attention to fasting during his lifetime and lived at a distance in a place called
Cotulas. One day in the desert there were some Saracens coming towards him, and
one of them saw him and drew his sword meaning to kill him. When he saw the
Saracen coming towards him however, he looked up to heaven and said, "Lord Jesus
Christ, your will be done". And the ground immediately opened up and swallowed the
Saracen, so the old man was saved and went back to the monastery glorifying God.

Chapter C.
The Life of PETER, a monk of Ponticus

The fathers of this place also told us that there was a monk from Ponticus there
called Peter who was adorned with many splendid virtues. Theodore the bishop of
Rosus told us that Peter one day met him at the monastery of Turrius, where he was
staying at that time.
"Do me a favour, brother Theodore," he said, "come with me to Mount Sinai which I
have made a vow to visit."
"All right, let's go," he said, although he did not really want to.
"Come, brother Theodore," he said, after they had crossed the Jordan, "let us pray
that neither of us will eat anything until we get to Mount Sinai."
"Truly, father, I would not be able to do that," he said. But the old man prostrated
himself and prayed and did in fact eat nothing until they got to Sinai, where he first of
all partook of the sacred mysteries before taking food. In the same way, as they
travelled from Sinai to visit the holy Menas [assistant to the archbishop] at Alexandria
the old man ate nothing. There again he communicated first before eating. From
there they came back to the holy city, and the old man ate nothing on the way. In this
holy place where Christ our God rose from the dead he eagerly received the most
holy mysteries, and then took food. So in this long and difficult journey the old man
ate only three times, once on Sinai, once in Alexandria, and once in the holy city.

Chapter CI
The Life of PARDUS, a monk of Rome

The fathers of this monastery also told us about another old man who had recently
died, called Pardus, who came from Rome. When he was a young man, he had been
a muleteer, and once when he had gone to Jericho with his mules, he was resting in
a hostelry when one of his mules kicked a little boy and killed him while Pardus
wasn't looking. Abba Pardus was terribly upset by this and went to Arnon where he
became an anchorite, and kept on grieving incessantly.
"I have committed murder," he would say, " and in the day of judgment it is as a
murderer that I shall be condemned."
Now there was a lion there near the river. Every day Pardus would go to the lion's
den, teasing and provoking the lion, hoping that it would come out and devour him,
but the lion never did him the slightest harm. The old man began to realise that he
was not going to have any success.
"I shall lie down on the track which the lion takes to the river," he said to himself, "so
that when he goes down to drink, he will make a meal of me."
The lion came out soon after he had lain down, and as if endowed with the gift of
reason, he quite peacefully jumped over the old man and did him no harm at all. By
this the old man was persuaded that God had forgiven him his sins. He came back to
the monastery again and lived in great abstinence, edifying everyone by the example
of his lifestyle until the day he died.

Chapter CII
The account of SOPHRONIUS SOPHISTA, of what happened to him while on a
journey.

Abbot John the scholar, abbot Quiricus and several other fathers and myself were all
with Sophronius one day when in response to a question he said:
"I was walking along this road when a number of dancing young people formed a ring
around me singing: 'Welcome, Sophronius! Sophronius is king!'"

Chapter CIII
The life and virtues of abba STRATIGIUS.

The fathers of the monastery said of abba Stratigius, who also was a father of this
famous monastery of our holy father Theodosius, that he was possessed of three
virtues to a greater extent than any other of the monks of our time - fasting, vigils,
ceaseless striving (iuge opus)

 
Chapter CIV
The life of abba NONNUS, who was a presbyter

While we were in the coenobium of our holy father Theodosius, the abbot Theodosius
who was bishop of Capitulias told us about abba Nonnus the presbyter.
"One night before the signal had been given for the night office I was lying in my bed
when I heard a gentle voice saying, Kyrie Eleison. After this had been repeated fifty
times I wanted to see who it was that was saying this. And looking through the
window of my cell, I saw an old man in the church bending his knees to make
prostrations. There was a star shining over his head enabling me to see that it was
Nonnus."
Another of the old men in this coenobium told us the following about abba Nonnus:
"One night before the signal was given I left my cell to go to the church, and I saw the
old man standing outside the church praying, with his hands stretched out to the
heavens. And his fingers shone like lamps of fire. I was badly shaken, and went
away."

Chapter CV
The life of the holy old man CHRISTOPHORUS, who was a Roman.

When we were in Alexandria we went to visit abba Theodore, who was at St Sophia
near the Lighthouse, who told us the following story:
I first renounced the world when I was in the coenobium of our holy father
Theodosius, in the desert near the holy city of Christ our God. I met there a great old
man called Christophorus, who was a Roman, before whom one day I prostrated
myself
"Do me a favour, father," I said, "and tell me how you went on when you were young."
After being asked again and again, the old man eventually realised that I was
enquiring for the good of my own soul, and agreed to my requests.
"I was full of great zeal, my son," he said, "when I first renounced the world, and
embraced the monastic life with great eagerness. During the day I took part in the
regular times of psalmody, and at night went down into the cave where the holy
Theodosius and the other holy fathers were accustomed to pray. I went down the
eighteen steps into the cave one at a time, prostrating myself a hundred times on
each one. When I got down there I stayed until the signal was given, then went to the
synaxis with the fathers. I did this work for eleven years without a break, with many
fasts, continence, obedience and with nothing apart from the barest essentials.
"Then one night as I was going down according to my usual custom, doing all my
usual acts of reverence, I got to the floor of the cave and fell into an ecstasy, and saw
the floor of the cave full of candles, some of which were lit and some not. I saw two
men wearing cloaks on top of white habits tending to the candles.
"'Why have you put these candles here,' I asked, preventing us from coming in to
pray?'
"'The candles belong to the fathers,' they said.
"'Then why are some alight and some not?' I asked.
"'There are some who want their candles lit and some who don't,' they said.
"'Tell me, please,' I said, 'is my candle lit or not?'
"'Pray, and we will light it,' they said.
"'I pray constantly,' I said. 'What more can I do?'
"As I said this I came to my senses, and looking round, could see nobody.
"'Christophorus,' I said to myself, 'there is much greater labour for you to do yet.'
"Next morning I left the monastery and travelled to Mount Sinai, taking nothing with
me but the clothes I stood up in. I worked there for fifty years at the end of which a
voice came to me:
"'Christophorus, Christophorus, go back to your own coenobium where you strove so
valiantly, and there you will be gathered to your fathers.'
And soon after he had told me all this, his holy soul rested in peace.
Theodore also passed on to us the following story, which abba Christophorus had
told him:
"One day I went in to the holy city in order to venerate the holy cross. After I had
done so and was going out, I saw a brother in the doorway of the chapel of the holy
cross. I also saw two crows impudently flying around in front of his face, flapping their
wings in his eyes and preventing him from going in. I knew at once that these were
demons.
"'Tell me, brother,' I said, 'Why are you standing in the middle of the doorway without
going in?'
"'Forgive me, father,' he said, 'but it's my thoughts. One of them says: go in and
adore the precious cross, the other says: no, just go away make baskets, and come
back to worship another day.'
"Hearing this, I took him by the hand and led him in to the chapel, and immediately
the crows flew off. I got him to adore the holy Cross and the holy resurrection of
Christ our God, and sent him away in peace."
The old man told me these things, said Theodore, because he saw that I was
burdened with a lot of tasks to perform and neglectful of my prayer.
.
Chapter CVI
The story of abba THEODORE, about the monk from Syria, who was a Severian.

Abba Theodore also told us the following:
There is a guest house here near the Lighthouse between St Sophia and St Faustus
and the man in charge invited me one day to go and stay there for a few days. So I
went, and found that one of the guests there was a monk from Syria who had nothing
except his tunic and mantle and a few loaves of bread. He was standing in a corner,
saying psalms day and night, and speaking to no one. When Sunday came I
approached him.
"Come with me, brother, to St Sophia," I said, "so that you can communicate in the
holy and venerable mysteries."
"No, I am not coming," he said.
"Please, why not?"
"I am a follower of Severianus, and I don't communicate in the Church."
On being told that he would not communicate in the holy and apostolic Church, and
yet being aware that he seemed to have an excellent way of life full of virtues, I went
away grieving to my cell and shut the door. I prostrated myself before God for three
days and prayed with many tears.
"Christ our God and Ruler," I prayed, "who of thy immense and ineffable mercy
turned from heaven and came down for our salvation, who became flesh of our holy
Lady, Mary ever virgin and birthgiver of our God, show me who has the right and
proper belief, us who belong to the holy Church, or those who follow Severianus."
On the third day a disembodied voice came to me.
"Go, Theodore, and you will see his faith."
So next day I went and sat near him, waiting to see something to explain the
meaning of what the voice had said. As God is my witness, my son, I saw a dove as
black as soot as if it had flown down the chimney, dirty and bedraggled. And I
realised that his faith was just like this sooty and disgusting bird that I could see.
This holy soul truly told us all this with many tears and sighs.

Chapter CVII
The life of abba GERASIMUS.

About a mile away from the Jordan there is a monastery known as abba Gerasimus'
monastery. When we visited it the old men living there told us about abba Gerasimus.
One day as he was walking by the banks of the Jordan he met a lion in the way,
roaring loudly. He was holding in the air one swollen paw covered in bloody matter,
caused by a sharp sliver of reed embedded in it. When the lion saw the old man he
stood still and held out the wounded paw with the reed in it, as if weeping and asking
to be cured. When the old man realised the plight the lion was in he took the lion's
paw, probed the wound and drew out the reed along with a quantity of pus, carefully
cleaned the wound and bandaged it and sent the lion on his way. But when the lion
realised he had been cured, he refused to desert the old man but followed him
everywhere like a disciple following a master. The old man was amazed at the
gratitude which a wild beast was capable of, and looked after it from then on, feeding
it on bread and soaked vegetables.
Now this monastery had an ass, which they used for carrying water from the Jordan
to supply the brothers' needs. And it became the old man's custom to let the lion
guard the ass while it was grazing. The lion would go with the ass down to the banks
of the Jordan and watch it while it grazed. One day, however, the lion wandered off
for quite a distance, just when a camel driver from Arabia came along, saw the ass,
caught it and took it away with him. Finding the ass missing the lion returned to the
monastery and hung his head, obviously grief-stricken, before abba. Gerasimus, who
thought that the lion must have eaten the ass.
"Where is the ass?" he said.
But the lion, just as human being might do, looked away and said nothing.
"Well the Lord be blessed if you haven't eaten it!" said the abba. "So everything that
the ass used to do you will have to do from now on."
So the lion henceforth had to carry a harness containing four amphorae in which he
carried water for the monastery.
One day a soldier came to the old man to ask his blessing. When he saw the lion
carrying water and learned the reason for it, he took pity on the lion, and offered the
old men three numismas to buy another ass for this task, so that there would be no
need for the lion to do it. Soon after this transaction was completed and the lion
relieved of his burden, the camel driver who had stolen the ass came back carrying
wheat for sale in the holy city and he still had the ass with him. As he was crossing
the Jordan he met the lion, and as soon as he had seen it he let the camels go and
fled. But the lion recognised the ass, ran up to it and took the ass's halter in his
mouth just as he used to do. He joyfully led the ass and three camels back to the old
man, roaring loudly, because he had found the ass which was lost. So the old man
who had thought that the lion had swallowed the ass now learned that the lion had
suffered a great injustice. He called the lion "Jordan", and he never left the old man
but continued to live in the monastery with the brothers for more than five years.
In the providence of God the lion was not in the monastery when the old man passed
to the Lord and was buried. But a little while after the lion came into the monastery
and abbaSabbatius, Gerasimus' disciple, noticed the lion looking for the old man.
"Jordan," said Sabbatius, " our father has left us both orphans and passed to the
Lord. Try and get used to it, and come and take some food."
But the lion would not eat, and kept on looking about this way and that way,
searching for the old man, roaring loudly, unable to bear the old man's absence.
Abba Sabbatius and the other old men stroked his neck and told him over and over
again that the old man had passed to the Lord and had left us, but whatever they
said they were unable to lessen his grief or his roaring. The more they tried to cherish
and console him by their words, the greater his grief, the louder he roared and
lamented, showing in his voice, his face and his eyes his distress at not seeing the
old man.
"Come with me, seeing that you don't believe us," said abba Sabbatius to him at last,
"and I will show you where our old man has been laid." So he led the lion to where
the old man was buried, about five paces outside the church.
"This is where our old man is buried," said abba Sabbatius to the lion, as he stood
above abba Gerasimus' grave. And Abba Sabbatius prostrated himself over the old
man's grave. The lion understood what was said to him, and when he saw abba
Sabbatius prostrate on the grave, weeping, he too lay down, striking head forcefully
on the ground and roaring. And suddenly, there he died, on the old man's grave.
Now all this happened not that a lion should be thought to have a rational soul, but
because God wishes those who glorify him to do so not only in this life but also after
death, and to show us what kind of dependence the beasts had upon the first man,
before he was disobedient to the command and was expelled from the paradise of
delights.

Chapter CVIII
The life of a PRESBYTER, who was a virgin, and also his WIFE, a virgin likewise.

In the island of Samus, there is a coenobium known as Charixenus' monastery, and
there we met the prior, abba Isodore, a man of great virtue, of great charity towards
everyone, notable for his simplicity and humility, who we know was made bishop of
that region a little later. This is what he told us:
About eight miles from the city there is a village with a church, in which there is a
rather wonderful presbyter. In spite of his protests, his parents compelled him to take
a wife, although he did not want to. He was still a young man and legitimately married
to a wife, but not only did he refrain from the enticing delights of passion, but also
persuaded his wife to live chastely and modestly. They both learned the psalter by
heart, and sang the psalms together in the church, keeping their virginity to the end.
One day a false accusation was made to the bishop against this presbyter, and the
bishop, who was unaware of his way of life, had him taken out of the village into the
prison in which clerics who had erred were locked up and given remedial treatment.
On the first Sunday on which he was in prison a most beautiful youth appeared to
him.
"Come, sir presbyter," said the youth, "go into the church and offer the holy oblation."
"I can't. I'm locked up," he replied.
"I will unlock the prison. Come, follow me."
And he unlocked the doors and went out in front of him. Once they were out, he
walked to the village, a mile distant.
When daylight came, the governor of the prison went to see his prisoner, and when
he saw he wasn't there he ran to the bishop.
"The presbyter has escaped," he said, "even though the key has never left my
possession."
The bishop guessed where he might have fled to, sent one of his servants off.
"Go and see if the presbyter has gone back to his own village," he said. "But don't
speak to him for the time being."
The servant went off and found that the presbyter was in the church offering the holy
oblation. He went back to the bishop and told him that that was where the presbyter
was, and that he was making the offering. The bishop became more and more angry
and swore that next day he would deprive the presbyter of his office in total disgrace.
But the following night the same figure appeared to the presbyter as before.
"Come," he said, "let us go back to the place in the city where the bishop locked you
up."
And he took the presbyter with him and led him back to be locked up in the prison,
without the governor being aware of it. The next day the bishop learned from the
governor that the presbyter had come back into custody without his knowledge. The
bishop sent and enquired from the presbyter how it was that he had got out of the
prison and got back in again without the governor being aware of it.
"A very beautiful and well dressed young man," he said, "on the staff of your
episcopate, so he said, opened the doors for me and walked before me for the mile
to my village early on the Sunday morning, and came to bring me back the night
after."
The bishop summoned all his staff, but the presbyter recognised none of them. Then
the bishop knew that it was an angel of God who had done all this, so that the virtue
of the presbyter should no longer be hidden, but that all should learn from it and
glorify God who glorifies those who glorify him. Greatly edified, the bishop let him go
in peace, but with many harsh words for those who had accused him unjustly.

 
Chapter CIX
The life of abba GEORGIUS, who never became agitated.

Abba Theodosius, a gentle and humble man who was bishop of Capitoliadis, was a
disciple of abba Georgius, one of the fathers of the monastery of abba Theodosius.
Theodosius watched him for the space of twelve years to see whether Georgius
would ever become agitated about anything, but he never once saw him at all upset,
no matter how much in all that time there was any idleness, negligence, decadence
or disobedience going on.
"For who governed his eyes," he said, "like our holy father Georgius? Or who closed
the doorways of his ears like this blessed man? Who bridled his tongue like this
father of ours? What shining light ever illuminated the earth as our father lit up the
hearts of us all?"

Chapter CX
The sayings of a certain outstanding holy OLD MAN, an Egyptian.

My friend Sophronius and I went to a monastery eighteen miles from Alexandria to
see a man of great virtue, an Egyptian.
"Give us a word, father," I said, "by which we may live, for my friend Sophronius has
a desire to renounce the world."
"You do well, my son," he said, "to renounce the world and save your soul. So remain
in the cell you have chosen, soberly and watchfully, keeping silent and restful, and
praying without ceasing. Continue to hope in God, my sons, that he will send you the
knowledge of himself which may illuminate your souls."
Again he said: "Flee from human company, my sons, if you wish to be saved. People
today never cease trying to manipulate others, and to go around every possible city
and region in order to gather for themselves the rewards of avarice and empty fame,
and fill their souls with vanity."
Again he said: "Let us flee now, my sons, for the time is drawing near."
Again he said: "Alas, alas, how much we weep, how much we do penance, for the
fact that we are not willing to repent!"
Again he said: "When we are praised we don't know how to accept it with humility,
when we are reviled, we can't put up with it. Something happens to make us feel
pleased with ourselves, something else fills us with misery, but you never gain any
lasting good from either self-congratulation or misery.
Again he said: "Our great and wonderful fathers gave nourishment to many; I am
unable to take care of a single sheep, but am subject to the bites of wild beasts."
Again he said: "This is how the demons work: They tempt a soul into sin, then cast
him into despair in order to destroy him utterly. They are forever saying to the soul.
'When you are dead, won't your name perish forever?' But if you keep your soul in
sobriety, you will on the contrary cry out, saying, 'I shall not die, but live, and declare
the works of the Lord.' (Psalms 118.17). This greatly provokes the demons and they
cry out, 'Flee into the mountains like a sparrow' (Psalms 11.1), but our reply to this is,
'But he is my God, my Saviour and my defence, therefore I shall not be moved'
(Psalms 62.6)"
Again he said: "Be the doorkeeper of your own heart, forbidding entry to strange
thoughts. Always ask, 'Are you one of ours or do you belong to the enemy?'"

Chapter CXI
The deeds of a certain BALD MAN, dressed in sacking

When my friend Sophronius and I were in Alexandria, we were going one day to the
church of Theodosius when we met a bald man in the village, dressed in a sack
coming down to his knees. He gave the appearance of being stupid or mentally
lacking.
"Give me some money," abba Sophronius said to me, "and we will test the virtue of
this man coming towards us."
So I offered him five nummi which he took and gave to this simpleton, who took it
saying nothing. As we followed him discreetly, he turned off from the road and lifted
up to heaven his right hand holding the money. He then prostrated himself before
God, put the money down on the ground and went his way.

Chapter CXII
The life and death of LEO, a Cappadocian monk.

When that man of faith, Tiberius Caesar, was emperor, we went up to Oasis, where
we met a monk called Leo, a man of Cappadocia highly versed in divine matters.
Many people had told us many admirable things about him. And certainly, after we
had had some intimate conversation with him and experienced the holiness of this
great man, we were wonderfully edified, especially by his humility and silence, the
meagreness of his possessions and the charity which he showed towards everyone.
But this venerable old man used to say, "Believe me, my sons, I have the power to be
a king (regnare habeo)."
"No, you believe us, abba Leo," we would say, "no one from Cappadocia has ever
become a king. This thought of yours is out of order."
"It is true, my sons," he repeated, "that I do have the power to be a king." And no one
could move him from this position.
Now during the invasion of the Mazices, after they had plundered and laid waste the
whole province, they arrived at Oasis, killed some of the monks and took most of
them captive. Among them were abba Johannes (he was lector of the great church of
Constantinople), abba Eustathius of Rome, and abba Theodorus of Cilicia. The three
of them were rather infirm.
"If you take me to the city," said abba Johannes to the barbarians, after they had
bound him, "I will ensure that the bishop will give you twenty-four numismas for us."
They agreed, and one of the barbarians led him to the city so that he could see the
bishop. Abba Leo and several other fathers were in the city, and for that reason had
not been attacked. So Johannes went in to the bishop and asked for the ransom of
twenty-four numismas, but the bishop found that he could not scrape together more
than eight. He offered these eight to the barbarian, but he would not accept them.
"Either you give me the twenty-four numismas or I keep the monk," he said.
So they had no option but to hand abba Johannes, weeping and sighing,back to the
barbarian, who took him back to the camp.
But after three days abba Leo took the eight numismas and went out to the desert
place where the barbarians were.
"Why don't you take me, along with these eight numismas," he said, "and let these
three men go. They are very frail and would not get very far through the desert. It
would kill them, and you would have gained nothing. Whereas I am perfectly healthy
and would be able to give you service."
And the barbarians agreed to take Leo and the eight numismas and to let the three
men go. Abba Leo went with them to their own place, and when he got to be past the
age of being able to serve them, they beheaded him. And so abba Leo fulfilled the
Scripture, 'Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friends'
(John 15.13). Then at last we understood what he had meant when he said, "regnare
habeo", for indeed, he who lays down his life for his friends does indeed reign as a
king.

Chapter CXIII
The advice of abba JOHANNES DE PETRA.

I took my companion Sophronius with me to abba Johannes of Petra.
"Speak a word to us, " we asked him.
"Love stripping yourself of all possessions," he said, "and love self-control. Believe
me when I tell you that when I was a young man in Scete, one of the old men was
suffering from his spleen, so four of the monasteries in that place were asked if they
could supply a little bit of vinegar, but none of them had any. That was what their
poverty, asceticism and self-control was like (paupertas, nuditas et continentia).

Chapter CXIV
The life of abba DANIEL of Egypt.

A holy man told us the following about abba Daniel of Egypt.
This old man went up to Therenutis once to sell his work, where a young man made
him a request.
"For the Love of God, sir (senior)," he said, "come to my house and pray for my wife
who is sterile."
The old man agreed to his request, went home with him and prayed over his wife. By
the will of God the woman conceived, and there were those who did not fear God
who began to spread scandalous rumours about him.
"It was the husband who was the infertile one," they said. "The woman was
impregnated by that old man."
This rumour came to the ears of the old man, and he wrote a letter to the husband.
"Let me know when your wife gives birth," he wrote.
So when the woman gave birth, the young man sent word to the old man, saying,
"God and your prayers, father, have caused my wife to give birth."
So abba Daniel went to visit the young man.
"Prepare a meal," he said, "and invite your friends and relations."
When they had all dined, the old man took the baby into his arms.
"Who is your father, my child?" he asked the infant.
"This man" said the infant, pointing at the young man. And this little infant was only
twenty-five days old.

Chapter CXV
The advice of abba JOHANNES of Cilicia

Abba Johannes of Cilicia, the prior of Raythum, said to the brothers:
"My sons, just as you have fled from the world, fly also from the sins of the flesh.
And again he said: "Let us imitate our fathers who lived in this place in silence and
such great austerity of life."
And again he said, "Let us not pollute this place, my sons, which our fathers cleansed
of demons."
And again he said, "This place is for monks, not businessmen."
And again he said, "I found some old men here who lived for seventy years in this
place living on nothing but herbs and dates."
And again he said, "I have lived here seventy-six years, withstanding many evil and
horrible attacks from the demons."

Chapter CXVI
The BROTHER who was falsely accused of stealing a numisma

When we were in Raythum, abba Andreas Messenius told us the following story.
When I was a young man, I went with my abbot from Raythum to Palestine where we
stayed with a certain old man. This old man had one numisma which he had put
down somewhere and then forgotten where he had put it, and accused me of stealing
it.
"Brother Andreas has stolen my numisma," he said to the fathers of that place.
As soon as my abbot heard about this he summoned me.
"Tell me, Andreas," he said, "Did you steal the old man's numisma?"
"I'm sorry, father," I said, "but I did not."
Now I had a cloak which I went away and sold for one numisma, which I took back to
the old man and prostrated myself before him.
"Forgive me, father," I said, "for Satan deceived me and I did steal your numisma"
Now there was a layman standing by.
But the old man said, "Don't worry, my son. I have lost nothing."
"For the Lord's sake, father," I said, prostrating myself again, "take the numisma.
Here it is. And pray for me. For Satan entered into me and I stole the coin and
caused you all this trouble."
"But, my son, I have not lost anything" he said for the second time.
Then the layman, seeing that I could not understand this said, "The fact is, brother,
that when I arrived here yesterday evening I found this old man weeping, and
prostrating himself and asking forgiveness in great distress.
"For pity's sake," I said, whatever is the matter?"
"I have grossly slandered my brother," he said, "accusing him of stealing a numisma,
but look, I have found it."
And the old man was greatly edified by the fact that even though I had not stolen the
numisma, I had offered to give him another, saying that I had indeed stolen it.

Chapter CXVII
A brother possessed by a demon, healed by abba ANDREAS.

A brother possessed by a demon went to abba Simeon Stylites on his wonderful pillar
begging him to pray for him and cast out the demon.
"Where do you live?" asked Simeon
"In Raythum," he replied.
"I am astonished," said the old man, "that you have gone to the enormous trouble of
making this long journey to come and see me, a sinful man, when you have so many
great fathers in your own monastery. Go back and ask abba Andreas to pray for you.
He will cure you."
So the brother went back to Raythum, and prostrated himself before abba Andreas,
as Simeon had said.
"Pray for me, father," he said.
"Abba Simeon can take the credit for any cure," said abba Andreas as he offered a
prayer. The brother was immediately cleansed and gave thanks to God.

Chapter CXVIII
The life of MENAS, a monk deacon in Raythum

Abbot Sergius of Raythum told us the story of a certain deacon brother called Menas.
Menas once had to go out on an errand but went back to secular life. We don't know
what happened to him there except that he abandoned his monastic habit and
became a secular. Quite some time after, he journeyed to Theopolis, and on the way
back to Seleucia, he saw in the distance the monastery of the holy abba Simeon
Stylites.
"I'll go and have a look at this great Simeon," he said to himself. "I've never seen him
before."
As he drew near to the pillar, Abba Simeon saw him and by divine inspiration knew
that he was a monk and an ordained deacon. He called his servant to him.
"Bring me some scissors," he said. And they brought them.
"Blessed be God, tonsure that man," he said, pointing out the brother from among the
crowd standing around the pillar.
He was awestruck by the old man's words and seized by great fear, but he submitted
to the tonsure saying nothing, aware that God had revealed to the old man who he
was.
When he had been tonsured, Simeon said. "Say a prayer, deacon", which he did.
"Go back to Raythum, from where you came" Simeon then said.
" I am afraid that the fathers' frowns will be more than I can bear," he said.
"Believe me my son," said Simeon, "you need not fear. The fathers will take you back
with joyful faces and grateful hearts. They will be full of joy and exaltation that you
have turned again. And know this, my son, God will perform a sign in you, to
convince you that his immense and ineffable goodness has forgiven you your sin."
So he went back to Raythum where the fathers welcomed him with open arms and
reinstated him in his holy office. And one Sunday while he was administering the holy
and life-giving blood of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, suddenly one of his
eyes went blind. And the fathers knew by this sign that God had pardoned his sin,
according to the word of the great Simeon.

Chapter CXIX
A demon dressed as a monk visits the cell of a certain old man in Raythum.

When we visited abba Eusebius, a presbyter of the monastery of Raythum, he told us
of how a demon dressed as a monk knocked on the door of an old man's cell.
"Offer a prayer," said the old man when he opened the door.
"Now and always and unto the ages of ages, Amen," said the demon.
"Offer a prayer," the old man repeated.
"Now and always and unto the ages of ages, Amen," the demon said again.
"Offer a prayer and say, 'Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and always and unto the ages of ages, Amen.'"
As soon as the old man had said this, the demon vanished as if driven back by fire.

Chapter CXX
Three MONKS, found dead by Pharanite fishermen

Fishermen from Pharan told us the following story.
One day we crossed the Red Sea to Buchrin, and after we had caught some fish we
turned back and came to Pereleus. We wanted to cross over to Raythum, but were
held up for ninety days by contrary winds and stormy seas. Walking about in the
great desert, however, we found the bodies of three anchorites under a rock, dressed
in tunics and with their sheepskin cloaks placed nearby. We gathered them up and
took them to the ship and immediately the sea calmed and the contrary winds
became favourable. We crossed over with a following wind and came to Raythum
where the fathers buried them with the ancient fathers.

Chapter CXXI
The life and death of GREGORIUS, of Byzantium and of GREGORIUS of Pharan, his
disciple.

The fathers of this place told us about Gregorius of Byzantium and his disciple
Gregorius of Pharan, who lived on an island in the Red Sea. The island had no water
supply, but they carried water for their use from the mainland. They had a raft which
they went out in to get water. One day they left the raft in the sea moored to a large
stone, and at night time a huge wave broke the rope and the raft was lost. These
fathers were left without any means of getting water. Eight months later some monks
from Raythum came and found them both dead. And on the wall of their inner
chamber were found written the following words: ABBA GREGORIUS OF PHARAN
DIED HAVING GONE TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS WITHOUT WATER. I HAVE GONE
THIRTY-SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT DRINKING. We found that both their bodies were
incorrupt, and took them to be buried in Raythum.

Chapter CXXII
Two monks who came naked into church for Communion, unnoticed by anyone
except abba STEPHEN.

When we visited abba Stephen the Cappadocian in Mount Sinai he told us the
following story:
Some years ago when I was in Raythum I was in Church on Maundy Thursday, and
after the offering of the sacred oblation with all the fathers present, I saw two
anchorites come in. They were naked, but none of the fathers noticed their
nakedness except me. When they had received the body and blood of the Lord, they
went out of the church and were about to go away. I went out as well, however, and
prostrated myself before them.
"Do me a kindness," I said, "and take me with you," so they knew that I had seen
them naked.
"No, stay where you are and be at peace," they said.
I begged them once more to take me with them.
"You can't come with us, " they said, "stay where you are. The place where you are is
a good place."
But they did say a prayer with me, and then as I watched they walked on the water of
the Red Sea and crossed over to the other side.

Chapter CXXIII
The life of abba ZOZIMUS, of Cilicia.

We travelled to where abba Zozimus was staying on Mount Sinai. He it was who had
renounced the episcopate and retired to his cell. He was a man of great abstinence,
and he old us this story:
When I was a young man, I left Sinai and went to Ammoniaca with the intention of
staying there, and I found an old man dressed in a monastic tunic (colobium de
sibino). As soon as he saw me and before I could greet him he said, "Why have you
come here Zozimus? You can't stay here. Go away."
"Please tell me, father," I said, realising that he knew me, and prostrating myself,
"How is it that you know who I am?"
"Two days ago a man appeared to me and said, 'Look, a monk called Zozimus is
about to visit you. Don't let him stay with you. It is my will to entrust the church of
Babylon in Egypt to him."
The old man fell silent and left me, walking off about a stone's throw. He spent the
next two hours in prayer then came back to me and kissed me on the cheek.
"Beloved son," he said, "you are very welcome, for God has led you here in order to
commit my body to the earth."
"How many years have you been here, abba?" I asked.
"I have completed forty-five years." And his countenance appeared to me as if lit up
by fire. "Peace be with you, my son, and pray for me."
And saying this he gathered himself together and fell asleep. I dug a grave and
buried him, and two days later I departed, glorifying God.

Chapter CXXIV
Another story of this man.

This old man also told us the following :
About twenty years ago I took my disciple Johannes with me to Porphyrites,
intending to settle there. Having arrived, we found two anchorites there and stayed
near them. One of them called Paul was from Galatia, the other called Theodorus
was from Malta and had been at the monastery of abbot Euthymius. They both wore
clothing made from oxhide (ex pellibus bubalorum). I stayed there for nearly two
years; we were all about four hundred metres (duobus stadiis) apart from each other.
One day my disciple John sat down on a serpent which stung him so that he died,
with blood pouring out of him profusely. In great anguish I went to the anchorites, who
saw me coming, in great agitation and affliction. They called out to me before I had
said anything to them at all;
"What's the matter, abba Zozimus?" they said, "Is your brother dead?"
"He is indeed dead", I said.
They came with me and saw where he was lying on the ground.
"Don't be so sad, abba Zozimus," they said. "Divine help is at hand."
They called out to the brother. "Brother Johannes, arise, your old man has need of
you."
And immediately the brother got up from the earth. They carried out a search for the
beast, and when they had found it they broke it in two.
"Abba Zozimus," they then said to me, "Go back to Sinai, for the Lord wishes to
entrust the church of Babylon to your care."
We went back immediately. A few days after we had got back, the abbot sent me and
two others to serve (under the patriarch of) Alexandria. The most blessed Apollinaris
of Alexandria made all three of us bishops, one to Heliopolis, one to Leontopoleos,
and me to Babylon.

Chapter CXXV
The lovely deed of abba SERGIUS the anchorite.

One of the fathers at Sinai told us about abba Sergius the anchorite.
When he was at Sinai, he was put in charge of the burdones (beasts of burden). On
a journey one day they suddenly saw a lion on the pathway. Drivers and beasts
(burdonarii burdonesque) took fright and fled. But abba Sergius took a eulogia (?
sacred text) from his wallet and offered it to the lion
"Accept this eulogia of the fathers," he said, "and go back so that we can proceed."
The lion took the eulogia and departed.

Chapter CXXVI
The splendid response of abba ORENTUS of Mount Sinai.

The holy fathers of that place told us about abba Orentus, who came in to church one
Sunday wearing a coarse woollen cloak inside out, so that outwardly it presented a
most ugly sight. As he stood in choir some of the officials (dispensatores) approached
him.
"Why have you come into church with your cloak inside out," they said to him,
"shaming us in front of the strangers who are with us?"
"You have turned Sinai inside out," he replied, "without anyone saying anything to
you, and yet you are asking me why I have turned my cloak inside out. Get away with
you, put right what you have turned inside out and I will put right what I have turned
inside out."

Chapter CXXVII
The life of abba GEORGIUS of holy Mount Sinai and of an OLD WOMAN from
Phrygian Galatia.

Amma (abbatissa) Damiana, a solitary, the mother of Athenogenus, the bishop of
Petra, told us about a certain abbot in the holy Mount Sinai called Georgius, a man of
great virtue and abstinence. One Holy Saturday this Georgius as he sat in his cell,
conceived a great desire to celebrate Easter Day in the holy city, and to receive the
holy mysteries in the church of the holy Resurrection of Christ our God. He spent the
whole day turning this thought over in his prayers. When the evening was well
advanced, his disciple came to him.
"Father," he said, "give the word for us to go to the synaxis."
"You go," said the old man, "and when it is time for holy Communion come and tell
me and then I'll come."
But when it came time for holy Communion in the church of the holy Resurrection, he
found himself there near the blessed archbishop Peter, who gave him holy
Communion along with the other presbyters. The Archbishop noticed him and turned
to Menas, his syncellus or assistant.
"When did the abbot of Mount Sinai arrive?" he asked.
"I didn't notice him throughout all the time of your prayers. I have only just seen him
now."
"Go and tell him not to go away. I would like him to come and take food with me."
And he took this message to the old man.
"God's will be done," said Georgius.
When the service came to an end, he worshipped at the holy shrine and found
himself back in his cell. And his disciple was knocking on the door saying, "Come and
receive Communion, father." So the old man went into the church with his disciple
and once more received the holy mysteries
Meanwhile Peter the archbishop was saddened that he had not been obeyed, and
when the solemnities were over, he sent a message to abba Photinus, the bishop of
Pharan and to the fathers of Sinai that Georgius should be sent to him. When the
messenger had arrived and delivered the letter, the old man sent to the patriarch
three presbyters, that great man, abba Stephen of Cappadocia, whom we have
mentioned above, abbot Zozimus whom we have also mentioned, and Dulcitius of
Rome. They carried a letter from the old man:
"Far be it from me, my most holy lord, to hold your Angel (i.e. 'messenger') in
contempt, but your beatitude should know that in six months time both you and I will
pass over to Christ our Lord and God, and then I shall give you all due veneration."
The presbyters also told him that it was very many years since he was last in
Palestine. They also brought a letter from the bishop of Pharan who likewise
confirmed that for nearly seventy years he had not been away from Sinai. The holy
and most gentle Peter then summoned all the bishops and clerics who had been
there as witnesses, who said:
"We all saw him and greeted him with a holy kiss."
After six months were up, the old man and the patriarch both rested in peace, just as
the old man had prophesied.
Here is another story amma Damiana told us:
One Good Friday, before I was enclosed (as an anchoress), I went to (the church of)
Saints Cosmas and Damian and spent the whole night there. Late during the night,
an old woman from Phrygian Galatia came in and gave everyone in the church two
small coins (minuta). This was at the time when a niece of mine, and of the most
faithful Emperor Mauritius, had come to pray in the holy city and had stayed there for
the whole year, and I had taken her with me to Saints Cosmas and Damian, so that
we were in church together.
"Look," I said, "here comes this old woman who gives everyone two small coins."
(For she had often given them to me.) "Don't be proud. Take them."
"Must I accept hand-outs?" she said indignantly.
"Just take them. She is a holy woman of great virtue. She fasts all week, and
whatever profit is left over from her work, she distributes to those in church. She is an
eighty-year-old widow. So take the two coins and give them to someone else, so long
as you don't spurn this old woman's sacrificial offering."
As we were talking together, the old woman came by, giving out the coins. She gave
them to me without saying anything, but as she gave them to my niece she said,
"Take these and buy food."
After she had gone, we realised that God had revealed to her that I had told my niece
to accept the coins and give them to the poor. So she sent one of her servants out to
buy some lupini (?small buns) with the two coins and ate them. And she took God to
witness that they tasted as sweet as homey, so that she was amazed and glorified
God who gives such graces to his servants.

Chapter CXXVIII
The life of ADELPHIUS bishop of Arabessus, and blessed JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

We went to visit abba Athanasius in the monastery of our holy father Saba. He told us
that he had heard the following story being told by Athenogenus, the bishop of Petra,
the son of amma Damiana:
My aunt (avia mea) Joanna had a brother called Adelphius, bishop of Arabessus. She
herself was abbess of a monastery of women. This bishop went out one day to visit
his sister in her monastery. As he went in to the courtyard (atrium) of the monastery,
he saw a sister possessed of a demon lying on the pavement. The bishop called out
to his sister:
"Doesn't it worry you that this sister is being troubled and besmirched like this? You
surely must know that as abbess you have authority over all your sisters?"
"What can I do against a demon?" she replied.
"What do you think you have been doing all these years?" replied the bishop, who
then made a prayer and cleansed that sister of the demon.
Athanasius also passed on to us this story just as bishop Adelphius' venerable sister
Joanna had told it.
When the most holy bishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom, was exiled to
Cucusum, he came to stay in our house, which was the means of giving us a great
trust in God and love for him.
"When the most blessed John died in exile," my brother Adelphius said, "I was
incredibly sad that such a great man, famous throughout the world, a shining light of
the Church of God, should die in exile from his throne. So I begged God with many
tears to reveal to me his present state, whether he had been numbered among the
patriarchs. I prayed for a long time and was carried up into an ecstasy, and I saw a
magnificent man holding out his hand to me and leading me into a most glorious and
illustrious place where he showed me all the doctors of the church. I looked around
everywhere, to see if I could find him whom I sought, my greatly beloved John. But
after showing me all of them and identifying each one by name, he led me outside,
still holding me by the hand. I followed him sadly, because I had not seen blessed
John among the fathers and leaders of the Church. But as I was going out the
doorkeeper stopped me.
"'What is the matter? Why are you sad?' he said. 'Nobody who ever comes in here
goes out sad.'
"'The cause of my sadness,' I said, 'is that I did not see my beloved bishop John of
Constantinople among all the other doctors.'
"'Do you mean John chief among penitents?'
"'Yes, him.'
"'Nobody alive in the flesh can see him. For he is right there by the throne of the
Lord.'"

Chapter CXXIX
The life of a STYLITE

Abba Athanasius also told us that he had heard abba Athenogenus, the bishop of
Petra, talking about a certain Stylite who lived in his region. Everyone who came to
him had to speak to him from below as he had no ladder. If any brother ever said to
him that he wanted to reveal his secret thoughts he would tell them in a gentle voice
to come to the step of the column and he would go to a different place on the column
where they could converse with each other, though the Stylite was always above and
the brother below. But nobody else who was there was able to hear what they were
saying.
Abba Athenogenus also said that there were two lay people very close to each other
who were in the habit of visiting the Stylite together over many years. Neither of them
ever went without the other. But it so happened one day that one of them came by
himself without the other's knowledge. He knocked at the Stylite's door for many
hours, but the old man would not open to him, so that eventually he gave up and
went away. On his way back he met his friend who was also on his way to see the
Stylite, so they joined up again and came back together. But when they knocked at
the door the old man ordered that the one who had come last should go in alone. He
went in, and asked the old man to let his companion in too. But the old man said that
he was not able to receive him. For quite some time he refused all his pleading and
perseverance, but said at last; "It is God who has turned him away. That is why I
cannot receive him." And he died two days after they had returned home.

Chapter CXXX
The teachings of ATHANASIUS and his wonderful vision

Abba Athanasius said: "Our fathers practised continence and poverty and
detachment from all things up to the time of their death. But we have stuffed our
stomachs and moneybags full."
He also said: "Our fathers made it their business to avoid distractions to the soul. But
in our days we have them aplenty, as well as our manual work"
Abba Athanasius also told us this about himself:
"I was wondering once about what was worth striving for and what was not. And I
went into an ecstasy, and someone came to me and told me to follow him. He led me
into a place full of light and glory and set me in front of a doorway, the like of which it
is beyond my power to describe, for we could hear inside a countless multitude
praising God. We knocked on the door and someone inside heard us and called out:
"'What do you want?'
"'We want to come in,' said my guide.
"'No one who lives carelessly can enter here. But if you want to come in, go back and
strive to be able to count all the vanities of the earth as nothing worth.'"

Chapter CXXXI
The life of abba ZACHAEUS of holy Sion

Procopius, a learned man (scholasticus) from Porphyrites, told us about abba
Zachaeus:
My two sons fell ill in Caesarea, where there was a widespread epidemic. I was very
worried about my sons that they might die, and I did not know what to do.
"Even if I send for them," I said to myself, "and bring them back here, it is still not
possible to escape the wrath of God. But if I leave them there, they may die and I
shan't see them again."
Unable to make up my mind I said, "I will go to abba Zachaeus and do what he says."
So I went to holy Sion, which is where he had always lived, but could not find him. I
went into the courtyard of (the church of) holy Mary the birthgiver of God, and found
him standing in a corner of the courtyard, where I told him about my sons. He heard
me out, and then turning to the East he lifted up his eyes to heaven, saying nothing
for the next two hours, until at last he turned towards me.
"Have faith and don't worry," he said, "Your sons will not die from this disease."
And it turned out as the old man said. As I have said, it was Procopius, a learned
man, who told us this.

Chapter CXXXII
More of the same.

We visited abba Cyprian, nicknamed Cuculas, whose monastery was outside the
gate of Caesarea, and this is what he told us:
When that savage and horrible epidemic laid waste this city, I shut myself up in my
cell and prayed to God to have mercy on us and turn away the threat of his wrath,
and there came a voice to me saying, "Abba Zacchaeus is the mediator of this
grace."

Chapter CXXXIII
A holy MONK who rendered a Saracen hunter immobile for two days.

One of the heathen Saracens living in Clysmus told us the following story:
I once went to abba Antony's mountain with the intention of hunting him down and I
saw from afar this monk sitting on the side of the mountain, holding a book and
reading from it. I went up towards him, intending to strike him down, perhaps even to
kill him. When I got near to him he held out his right hand towards me and said,
"Stop!" And for two days and two nights I stayed there unable to move from the place
where I was.
"For the sake of the God whom you worship," I said at last, "let me go."
"Go in peace," he said, and at last I was able to move from the place where I was.

Chapter CXXXIV
The life of THEODORE the anchorite.

There was an anchorite near the holy Jordan called Theodore. One day he came to
my cell.
"Can you do me a kindness, abba John?" he asked. "I wonder if you could find a
book for me containing the whole of the New Testament."
After a search I found out that abba Petrus had one, he who was afterwards bishop
of Chalcedon. I went to see him and he showed it to me. It was on parchment, (in
membranis), very beautiful.
"How much is it worth?" I asked.
"Three numismata," he replied. "Are you wanting to buy it? Or is it for someone
else?"
"In actual fact, (crede mihi), father, it is an anchorite who wants it."
"If it is an anchorite who wants it, let him have it for nothing. And take these three
numismata as well. If he is pleased with the book let him keep it, but if not, well, you
have three numismata. Buy something else for him, whatever you like."
So I took the book to the anchorite who accepted it and went off back to the desert.
After about two months he came back to my cell.
"Look, abba, John," he said, "I am very troubled in my mind about having this book
without paying for it."
"Don't worry about it," I said. "Abba Petrus has plenty of money and he is a very kind
man. Just be glad for it."
"No, I can't rest until I have paid for it."
"Have you got the money to pay for it?"
"No, but lend me something to wear." For he was naked.
So I gave him a tunic and cloak, and he went off to get work on the reservoir that
Johannes the patriarch of Jerusalem was constructing in Sigma, where he earned a
wage of nine minuta a day. He used to come to me in the monastery of the Aeliotes,
where after having worked all day he ate only nine lupini.
Eventually out of his wage of nine minuta he saved up three numismata.
"Take the money, and the book, back to its owner," he said. "Give him the money if he
is willing to take it, but if not, give him back the book."
I carried this message back to abba Petrus, who did not want to accept either the
money or the book. But I persuaded him to take the money, lest he be seen to
despise the anchorite's hard work.
In the end he did accept it, and I hastened to return the book to the anchorite who
went back to the desert with great joy.

Chapter CXXXV
Five VIRGINS who decided to leave the monastery and were attacked by a demon.

My brother Sophronius and I visited the monastery of the Eunuchs near the holy
Jordan where Abba Nicholaus, a presbyter of that monastery, told us the following:
In my region (he was from Lycia), there is a monastery of about forty virgins. Five of
the virgins in this monastery agreed among themselves to get out of the monastery
one night and get themselves a man. So they agreed on a night, and when all the
nuns were asleep they got dressed and went out. Immediately all five were attacked
by a demon. They went no further out of the monastery but confessed their sin and
gave thanks to God, saying,
"Thanks be to God, the giver of all good gifts, who allowed this attack on us lest our
souls perish."

Chapter CXXXVI
The kindness of abba SISINIUS, towards a Saracen woman.

Abbot Johannes, a presbyter, of that same monastery related to us what abba
Sisinius had told us about himself.
One day I was singing Terce in my cave near theholy Jordan, when a Saracen
woman came into the cave, placed herself near me and began taking her clothes off.
I did not allow that to disturb me, but went on to finish my psalmody in all
peacefulness and the fear of God.
"Sit down so that I can talk to you," I then said to her, "and then I shall do what you
decide."
Once she had sat down I continued speaking to her.
"Are you a Christian or a gentile? "I asked.
"Christian," she said.
"And don't you know that those who fornicate will be punished?"
"Yes, I know full well."
"Well, why do it then?"
"Because I'm hungry."
"Don't commit fornication," I said, "Come to me every day, and as God provides, I will
give you food."
From then on she came to me daily and for as long as I stayed at that place I shared
with her whatever food God sent me.

Chapter CXXXVII
Abbot Johannes' story about abba CALLINICUS.

This same abbot Johannes told us this story:
When I was a young man, I had a great desire to visit the most well known and
greatest of the fathers, so that they might bless me and instruct me. Once I had
heard about that great abba Callinicus who was enclosed in the monastery of abba
Saba, I asked one of the brothers who knew him to introduce me to him. Once we
had got there somebody was standing at the old man's window talking with him for
what seemed like hours, so that I was beginning to think he would never see me and
that he would not want to see me anyway. But at last he moved away and allowed
me to go up and greet the old man and be blessed by him.
"Pray for this your servant also, father," said my companion, "for he is among the
finest of those who come here."
"I know him already, my son," said the old man, for twenty days ago as I was going
down to the holy Jordan he met me on the way asking me to pray for him.
"'And what is your name?' I asked him.
"'Johannes.' he said.
"That's how I know him."
So by this I knew that at the very moment when I had been making up my mind to go
and see him, God had revealed my name to him and who I was.

Chapter CXXXVIII
Abba SERGIUS, the anchorite, and the foreign monk who was baptised.

This same old man told us the following story:
When abba Sergius was in Roban, after he had left Sinai, he sent a young monk to
us at this monastery for us to baptise him. I asked how it was that only now he was to
be baptised, and Abba Sergius' servant said: "At the time when abba Sergius came
to us wanting to stay with us in the desert, he sent this young man to us to be
prepared for becoming a monk. I questioned him closely lest he commit himself to
this way of life in too much of a hurry and without due testing. But when I was
satisfied of his commitment,I took him to the old man. When he saw him, before
anything could be said, he took me aside:
"What does this brother want?" he asked
"He wants to stay with us."
"Take it from me, brother, he is not baptised. Take him to the monastery of the
Eunuchs and get him baptised in the holy Jordan."
Astonished at what he had said, I questioned the brother about who he was and
where he came from. He said he came from the West, his parents were pagans, and
he did not know whether he had been baptised or not. So then we instructed him in
the catechism, got him baptised in the Jordan, and he remained in the monastery,
giving thanks to God.

Chapter CXXXIX
The prediction abba Sergius made about GREGORIUS, the prior of the monastery
of Pharan

Abba Sergius the anchorite had a disciple called Sergius Armenius who told us that
abba Gregorius had asked him again and again to introduce him to the old man. So
there came a day when he did take Gregorius to meet the old man, who lived near
the Dead Sea. As soon as abba Sergius saw him he greeted him warmly, brought
water and washed his feet, spent the whole day talking to him about the spiritual
development of the soul, and did not let him go until the next day.
"Do you know, father," I said after Gregorius had gone, "I am scandalised that I have
brought great numbers of bishops, presbyters and other people to you, but you have
never washed the feet of any of them except abba Gregorius."
"My son," he said, "What abba Gregorius had done I know not, but what I do know is
that today I saw a patriarch coming into my cave, for I saw him wearing the pallium
and carrying the book of the Gospels."
This came true, for six years later we witnessed abba Gregorius, by the providence
of God, being made patriarch of Theopolis as the old man had predicted.

Chapter CXL
The life of that same GREGORIUS, patriarch of Theopolis.

One of the old men said of this patriarch Gregorius of Theopolis that of all his virtues
the greatest were almsgiving, forgetfulness of injuries, and the gift of tears. He had
the greatest compassion for sinners. And we often had proof of these things.

Chapter CXLI
The wise reply of abba OLYMPIUS.

A brother once came to abba Olympius in the monastery of abba Gerasimus near the
Jordan.
"Abba," he said, "How do you manage to put up with excessive heat and all these
insects as you sit in your cave?"
"My son," he replied, "I suffer these now, so that I may be delivered from future
torment. I suffer from the insects now, that I may avoid the worm that does not die. I
endure this heat now in fear of the punishment of eternal fire. For these things are
temporal, those are eternal."

Chapter CXLII
Another wise reply, from abba ALEXANDER

There was another brother who came to abba Alexander, the superior of the
monastery of abba Gerasimus.
"Abba," he said, "I want to leave this place where I live, for I am weighed down with
depression (accedia) and weariness of mind."
"That, my brother," said abba Alexander, "is a sign that you do not keep either the
kingdom of heaven or the torments of eternity in the forefront of your mind. If you
were thinking earnestly of these things in your cell you would not be experiencing any
depression."

Chapter CXLIII
The life of DAVID, the robber chief, after he became a monk.

When we were in the city of Antinoe in the Thebaid, we visited the sage Phibanon,
who, much to our benefit, told us about a certain robber called David. He had robbed
a great number of people in the region of Hermopolis, many of whom he killed; his
crimes were without number. There was no one who could be compared to him for
the cruelty of his deed; he was the most famous of all.
One day as he returned with about thirty of his companions from committing his
robberies, he suddenly became conscience stricken for the wickednesses he had
committed, and leaving his companions he went to a monastery and knocked at the
door.
"What do you want?" asked the doorkeeper.
"I want to be a monk," said the robber chief.
The doorkeeper went in and told the abbot, who came out and noticed that the
robber chief was already fairly well advanced in age.
"You could not live here," said the abbot, "for the brothers have to put up with very
hard work and severe abstinence. You have been used to a very different way of life
and would hardly be able to endure the privations of a monastery."
" Just take me in, so that I can do all those things."
"You would not be able to put up with it," said the abbot, persisting in his refusal.
"You should know that I am David, the robber chief, and I have come hither to do
penance for my sins. But if you don't accept me, I swear by him who dwells in heaven
that I will go back to my former way of life, gather together my companions and come
and kill the lot of you, and destroy this monastery."
This threat was enough to make the abbot take him in, tonsure him and give him the
habit. This novice then began to fight the spiritual battle like a veteran, and outshone
everyone else in the monastery by his abstinence and obedience and the practice of
humility. All the monks, of whom there were about seventy, admired him and looked
to him as an example of holiness and every kind of virtue.
Then one day as he sat in his cell, an angel of the Lord was sent to him.
"David, David," said the angel, "God has wiped out your sins, and from now on you
will be a miracle worker."
"I can hardly believe," he replied, "that God in such a short time can have forgiven all
my sins which are greater and more in number than the sands of the sea."
"The priest Zechariah did not believe me either," said the angel, "when I promised he
would have a son (Luke 1.18), and I did not spare him but bound his tongue to teach
him not to be sceptical about what I was saying to him. Nor shall I spare you. From
now on you will be dumb." David prostrated himself on the ground.
"I spoke when I was in the world," he said, "doing my wicked deeds and spilling
human blood, but now I only want to serve God and offer him praise, so will you then
bind my tongue so that I cannot speak?"
"You will speak in fulfilling the prescribed psalmody," said the angel, "but other than
that you will be dumb."
And so it came to pass. God did many signs through him. He could speak to sing the
psalms, but not a word could he say at any other time.
The man who told us this affirmed that he had seen this man, and he glorified God.

Chapter CXLIV
The teachings of one of the OLD MEN who were in the Cells.

This is what one of the old brothers in the Cells said:
Let us not hanker after the fleshpots of Egypt subjecting us to the pernicious tyranny
of Pharaoh.
Again he said: Would that people put as much effort into seeking what is best as they
do into following the ways of evil. They eagerly frequent public stage-shows and
frivolous pornographic displays; they become avaricious, boastful and dishonourable.
Would that they would channel that effort into seeking after righteousness. We should
never be forgetful of the high regard God has for us and what power we have over
the demons.
Again the old man said: There is nothing greater than God, nothing equal to him, and
nothing which is not infinitely smaller. So what can be more powerful or blessed than
having God as our helper?
Again he said: God is everywhere, and hastens to the help of those who are striving
in devotion and spiritual warfare. He does not honour those who merely profess to be
holy, but those who prove it by what they do. If God is there how can anyone be
betrayed or come to any harm?
Again he said: The strength of a person does not come naturally, but lies in the
pursuit of perfection and the help of God. Let us take good care of our souls, my
sons, as much as we do our bodies.
Once more the old man spoke: Let us bind to ourselves the remedies for the soul –
devotion, justice, humility, submission. Christ our God, the great healer of souls, is at
hand and wills our cure. So let us not neglect or despise him.
Once more he spoke: God wishes us to be sober and frugal. But we wretches have
allowed ourselves to be led astray into amusements and pleasures.
Again the old man said: Let us commend ourselves to God, as St Paul said, as those
who are alive from the dead (Romans 6.13), not looking to the past, but forgetting
what has gone before and pressing towards the mark for the prize of our high calling
(Phil.3.13-14)
"Why is it that I am always passing judgment on my brothers?" one of the brothers
asked the old man.
"It is because you do not know your own self," he replied. "If you knew yourself you
would be blind to the vices of your brothers."

Chapter CXLV
The life of the blessed GENNADIUS, the patriarch of Constantinople and of his lector,
Charisius.

We went to the cenobium called Salama, nine miles distant from Alexandria, and met
two old presbyters there who told us that they were presbyters of the church of
Constantinople. They told us about the blessed Gennadius, patriarch of
Constantinople who was of a most gentle nature, pure of body, very abstemious.
They told us how he had been greatly troubled by a scandalous cleric called
Charisius whom he summoned to an interview in an attempt to get him to amend his
ways. But the man gave no signs of any improvement, so he ordered him to be
whipped, as the paternal care of the church required. Neither admonishment nor
whipping, however, produced any change for the better. (He indulged in magical
practices and even in murder.)
Now Charisius was a lector in the church of the holy martyr Eleutherius, so the
bishop called upon an apocrisarius (one who had the power of discernment of spirits)
to pray to the blessed martyr, saying, "Holy Eleutherius of God, your servant
Charisius is a great sinner. Either reform him or else kill him."
The apocrisarius went in to the oratory, stood before the altar, and stretched out his
hands towards the martyr's tomb.
"Patriarch Gennadius brings a message to you, Eleutherius, O holy martyr of Christ,
through me a sinner, that your servant has committed many sins. Either reform him
or else kill him."
Next day Charisius that worker of wickedness was indeed found to be dead, and all
were astonished and glorified God.

Chapter CXLVI
The vision of EULOGIUS, the patriarch of Alexandria

While we were in this same coenobium abbot Menas, the father of the monastery,
talked to us about Eulogius the holy patriarch of Alexandria:
One night when he was celebrating matins and lauds in the Episcopal oratory, he
noticed Julianus the archdeacon standing near him. He was annoyed at this sight,
because Julianus had dared to come in without having been announced, but he said
nothing. The psalms finished, he prostrated himself on the floor, and as he did this
the person who appeared to be Julianus did the same. After the prayer Eulogius got
up, but Julianus remained lying on the floor. The bishop turned towards him.
"Why don't you get up?" he asked.
"Unless you give me a hand to lift me up", was the reply, "I can't do it."
Eulogius stretched out his hand out to help him up and continued with the psalmody.
But as he turned round a little while later he saw no one there. So when matins and
lauds were over he called for his chaplain (cubicularius).
"Why didn't you tell me the archdeacon was coming in? He came in to me this night
without being announced"
But the chaplain said that he had not seen anyone at all coming in. The patriarch did
not believe him
"Call the doorkeeper," he said, and the doorkeeper arrived.
"Didn't Julianus the archdeacon come in here?" he asked. The doorkeeper swore that
no one had either come in or out, and the bishop could say no more.
When morning was come the archdeacon came up to pray.
"Why don't you keep to the rules, archdeacon Julianus," said the bishop. "You came
in here last night without being announced."
"For Heaven's sake (per orationes domini mei)," said the archdeacon, "I did not come
up here last night, nor have I left my house at all apart from just now."
Then the great Eulogius realised that the person he had seen was Julianus the holy
martyr, urging him to repair his shrine which for a long time had been neglected,
falling apart, and almost becoming a ruin. And for the love which he had for the
martyr, Eulogius speedily stretched out his hand and rebuilt the shrine, dedicating it
anew, and furnishing it with all kinds of decorations, as befitted the shrine of a sacred
martyr.

Chapter CXLVII
The vision of EULOGIUS, the patriarch of Alexandria about Leo, Roman Pope

Abbot Menas, the father of the monastery, told us that he had heard abbot Eulogius
the patriarch of Alexandria telling the following story:
When I went to Constantinople, I enjoyed the fellowship of Sir (dominus) Gregory, the
archdeacon of Rome, an exceptionally great man, who told me a story about the
most holy and blessed Leo, Roman Pontifex. He said that it had been recorded in the
Roman church that when Leo had written to the holy Flavianus, the bishop of
Constantinople, his letter against the heretics Eutyches and Nestor, he had placed it
on the tomb of Peter the prince of apostles, accompanied by prayers and vigils and
fasts.
"If I have all too humanly written with insufficient care or even missed anything out,"
he prayed to the chief of the apostles, "do you correct it, for to you was given this see
and this church by our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ."
After forty days the Apostle appeared to him as he prayed.
"I have read, and made corrections," he said.
He took the letter from the tomb of the blessed Peter, opened it, and found it
corrected by the apostle's own hand.

Chapter CXLVIII
The vision of Theodorus bishop of Darna concerning the most blessed LEO.

Theodorus the most holy bishop of the city of Darna in Libya told us the following:
When I was chaplain to the holy pope Eulogius, I saw in a dream a man of most
worshipful appearance and aristocratic demeanour.
"Announce my arrival to the holy pope Eulogius," he said.
"Who is it who is asking to be announced?" I said.
"I am Leo, the Roman pontifex," he said.
So I went in and announced him.
"The most holy and blessed pope Leo, who occupies the see of Rome, wishes to
speak with you."
On hearing this, pope Eulogius got up and ran quickly to meet him. They greeted
each other, said the prayers and sat down.
"Do you know why I have come to see you?" the divine and exalted Leo said to the
holy Eulogius.
"No"
"I have come to thank you for the magnificently orthodox (rite) reply you wrote to my
brother Flavianus, the patriarch of Constantinople. You have enlarged upon the
meaning of my own declaration, and brought to naught the prayers of the heretics.
Be well assured, brother, that you have given your divine labours and studies not
only to me, but even to Peter the supreme chief of the apostles, and also to him who
above all others is of the truth, Christ our God."
I witnessed this vision not once only but twice and thrice. This threefold apparition
reassured me and I ran to tell the holy pope Eulogius about it. When he had heard it
he wept and lifted up his hands to heaven
"I give you thanks, Christ our God and master," He said, "for that you have seen fit to
let me be a herald of your truth, unworthy though I am, and in your most high and
ineffable kindness, through the prayers of your servants Peter and Leo, you have
stooped to accept the two mites of my own modest and insignificant endeavours.

Chapter CXLIX
The most astonishing story which Amos the Patriarch of Jerusalem related about
LEO, the Roman pontifex.

When abbot Ammos went down to Jerusalem and was made patriarch, all the fathers
of the desert monasteries went down to pay their respects (adorare) to him, among
whom were my abbot and I. This is what he had to say to us:
"Pray for me, my fathers, for a great and heavy burden is laid upon me. The dignity of
this priesthood fills me with terror above measure. Peter and Paul and their like may
well be able to rule over rational souls, but I am but a miserable sinner. More than
anything else I fear the burden of my ordination, for I have found it written that the
blessed and angelic Pope Leo, who presided over the Roman Church, kept up a vigil
of prayer for forty days at the tomb of the apostle Peter, beseeching him to intercede
before God for his sins to be forgiven. At the end of the forty days the apostle Peter
appeared to him.
"'I have prayed for you,' he said, 'and all your sins are forgiven, except for what
pertains to your sacred office. This alone you will be required to answer for, whether
you have done well or perchance done otherwise.'"

Chapter CL
The life and holiness of the BISHOP of the town of Rumellum

This is what abbot Theodorus of Rome told us:
Far from the city of Rome there is a small town called Rumellum, and in this little
town there was a bishop of great virtue and merit. One day certain citizens of that
town went to the blessed Agapetus, pastor of Rome, with an accusation against their
bishop of using the sacred vessels to dine from. Although this was all he had to go
on, the Pontifex was aghast, and sent two of his clerics to arrest the bishop and walk
him back to Rome, where he was immediately imprisoned. The third day of his
imprisonment was a Sunday. And when the Pope was still in bed as Sunday was
dawning, he saw in a dream someone standing in front of him.
"On this Sunday it is not for you to offer the saving Sacrifice, nor for any other of the
bishops in this city except for that one bishop that you have put in prison. I desire that
he should make the offering today."
The Pope awoke, and wondered doubtfully about the vision he had seen.
"Such terrible accusations I have listened to about him, and he to make the offering?"
A second time ,the voice of the vision came to him.
"I have told you, the bishop in your prison is the only one who may make the
offering."
He still hesitated, until the message was repeated for a third time. The Pontifex
hastily stirred himself into action, summoned the bishop before him and interrogated
him.
"What sort of a man are you?" he asked
"I am a sinner," he replied and would not say any more. The Pope could see that he
could not be persuaded to say anything else.
"Today you must make the offering," he said.
So the bishop stood in front of the holy altar, with the Pope beside him and the
deacons standing about them, and began the holy solemnity of the Mass. And when
he came to the prayer of oblation he did not finish it, but began it again a second
time, then a third, and then a fourth. Everyone by this time had become very unhappy
about the delay.
"What is this all about?" said the Pontifex. "You have said the prayer for the fourth
time without getting to the end of it."
"Forgive me, holy father, "replied the bishop. "But I have not discerned the usual
descent of the Holy Spirit, which is why I have not completed the prayer. But let that
deacon standing nearby carrying the fan be removed. I have no authority to remove
him myself."
The divine Agapetus commanded the deacon to go, and immediately both bishop
and Pope discerned that the holy Spirit had come. And the canopy over the altar
came down of its own accord and hid from view the Pope, the bishop, and all the
deacons around the holy altar for the space of about three hours.
By this miracle the venerable Agapetus then recognised the holiness of this bishop,
and regretted the suffering he had caused him because of what he now knew to have
been a false calumny. From then onwards he determined never to act hastily on any
accusation, but to proceed to a mature and considered judgment after great
deliberation.

Chapter CLI
The story which abba John of Persia told about the blessed Pope GREGORY bishop
of the city of Rome.

 
We visited abba John of Persia who told us the following story about the great and
blessed Gregory, bishop of Rome:
I went to Rome in order to worship at the tomb of the holy apostles Peter and Paul,
and I was standing one day inthe middle of the city when I heard that Pope Gregory
was about to come by that way, so I determined to reverence him. As the Pope came
towards me he saw that I was coming forward to reverence him, and as God is my
witness, brothers, he prostrated himself on the ground before me, and would not get
up till he saw that I had got up first. Then he greeted me with great humility and gave
me three numismata with his own hand, bidding me to give them wherever I thought
necessary. So I glorified God who had given this man such humility and pity and
charity towards all.

Chapter CLII
The life and sayings of MARCELLUS of Scete, abbot of the monastery of Monidion.

We visited abbot Marcellus of Scete in his monastery of Monidion, where this man of
authority (senior), wishing to be of benefit to us, told us the following:
When I lived in my own country (he was from Apamia), there was a charioteer there
called Phileremus. On the day when he had been beaten, his supporters turned
against him.
"Phileremus does not win the crown in this city!" they chanted.
Later on I came to Scete [the desert of the monks] and whenever I was tempted to go
back to my own country and town I said to myself: "Phileremus does not win the
crown in this city!" And thanks be to God this thought kept me there for thirty years,
until such time as the barbarians came and laid Scete to waste, taking me prisoner
and selling me in Pentapolis.
Abbot Marcellus also told us the following story about himself, as if he were talking
about some other old man in Scete:
One night he got up as usual in order to sing psalms and he had scarcely begun
when he was disturbed by a piercing sound like a trumpet of war.
"Where is this trumpet sound coming from, making such a terrible noise?" he said to
himself. "There are no soldiers here, and we are far from the field of battle."
And as he turned these questions over in his mind, he heard the voice of a demon
standing near him.
"Oh yes, there is war," it said. "So if you don't want to fight and do battle, go back to
sleep and you won't be attacked."
Again the old man said:
"Believe me, my sons, there is nothing like perpetual meditation on the psalms to turn
the demons and Satan, the author of their perdition, against us, or to upset, annoy,
irritate, wound, cast down and dishearten them. The whole of Scripture is for our
benefit and is a serious annoyance to the demons, but no part of it as much as the
psalms. For if one section of the people is singing the praises of the Emperor, those
who are not joining in do not get upset about it. But if they turn to insulting and
threatening behaviour against those who don't join in, then they should expect
retaliation. Similarly, the demons do not get as upset by other parts of Scripture as
they do by the psalms. For when we meditate on the psalms, we partly pray for
ourselves as we praise God, and partly we hurl curses at the demons. That is, we are
praying for ourselves, when we say. 'Have mercy upon me, O God, after your great
goodness, and according to the multitude of your mercies wipe out my offences'
(Psalm 51.1); or again, 'Cast me not away from your sight, and do not take your holy
spirit away from me'; or again, 'Cast me not away in my old age; when my powers are
failing, do not abandon me' (Psalm 71.19). But we are harassing the demons when
we say 'Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered, and let those that hate him
flee before his face' (Psalm 68.1); or again, 'I saw the ungodly proud and exalted
among the cedars of Lebanon; I passed by and lo, they were no more, I sought them
and their place could not be found' (Psalm37.35-36); or again, 'Let their swords enter
into their own hearts'; or again, 'He opened a pit and dug it, and he is fallen into the
hole he made. His mischief shall be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity shall
descend upon his own crown'" (Psalm 7.15).
Again the old man said: "Believe what I am telling you, my sons: for anyone who
renounces the world and takes up the monastic life there is great praise and honour
and glory, for the things of the spirit (intellectualia) are greater than the things of the
flesh (sensibilia). By the same token, for the monk who abandons the habit there is
nothing but confusion and ignominy, even though he were to be made Emperor."
Again he said: "In the beginning man was made in the image of God, but after he fell
away from God he was in the image of the beasts."
Once more he spoke: "Just as our nature is prone to disordered desires, brothers, so
does the purposeful yoke of abstinence tame them."
Again the old man said: "Make proof of the good life by experience, without any fear
of that being invalid."
Once more he spoke: "Don't be surprised that although you are human you are
capable of becoming an Angel. Glory on a par with the Angels is set before us, even
as we are promised nothing but agony as we strive towards it."
Again the old man said: "Nothing draws monks towards friendship with God like the
beauty and truth of chastity, which is pleasing to God, as the holy and divine Spirit
testifies through the blessed Paul. Chastity encourages you to persevere with
integrity in waiting ever upon the Lord without distraction." (1 Cor.7.35)
Again he said: "My sons, let us leave marriage and the procreation of children to
those who are intent upon the things of the earth and desire what the present offers
without a thought of the future life. They do not strive to acquire eternal goods and
cannot tear themselves away from temporal and transient things."
Again he said: "Let us make haste to take flight from a carnal way of life, just as
carnal Israel took flight from the slavery of Egypt."
Once more he spoke: "We have the most beautiful and pre-eminent gifts of God set
before us, my brothers, in exchange for the harmful pleasures of the world."
Again the old man said: "Let us flee from avarice the mother of all evil."

Chapter CLIII
The reply of a MONK of the monastery of Raythum to his brother in the world.

There were two brothers living in the world in Constantinople, very religious, and very
strict in fasting. One of them renounced the world, went to Raythum and became a
monk. After a while the other brother came to Raythum to pay his monastic brother a
visit. In the course of his stay he saw this brother taking food at the ninth hour.
"Brother," he said, scandalised, "when you were in the world you never ate before
sunset."
"Quite so," the monk replied, "but when I was in the world my ears fed me, for I
gained enormous nourishment from the vain praise and glory given me by men,
which made the labour of fasting easier to bear."

Chapter CLIV
The life of THEODORE, a secular man, but a man of God.

Abbot Jordan, the solitary, said that with two other anchorites he had visited abba
Nicholaus near the river Betasimus (between holy Elpidium and the monastery
known as the Strangers, where he lived in a cave). We found that there was a
secular with him. We were asking abba Nicholaus about how to save our souls, but
he turned to the secular:
"You say something to us on that subject," he said.
"What could I say that would be of any benefit to you?" he said. "I wish that I could
even say something of benefit to myself."
"Nevertheless, say something," the old man said.
"For twenty-two years I have never eaten before sunset, except on Saturdays and
Sundays, "he said. "I used to work in the household of a very rich, wicked and
avaricious man. I was with him for fifteen years, working night and day, for a pittance
which he did not part with willingly. Through all those years he bullied me mercilessly.
But I said to myself, 'Theodore, if you put up with this man for the wages he is paying
you, he will be preparing you for the kingdom of heaven. Moreover I have kept my
body pure from women to this very day."
Hearing this, we were greatly edified.

Chapter CLV
The story of abbot JORDAN about the three Saracens who killed each other.

Abbot Jordan also passed on to us the following story which abba Nicholaus had told
him:
During the time of the most faithful emperor Mauritius, Namanes, the leader of the
Saracen people, was going about plundering in the area where I was, near Arnon
and Aidon. I happened to see three Saracens who had with them an extremely
handsome youth of about twenty years, whom they had taken prisoner and bound.
When this young man saw me he began to weep and begged me to rescue him from
them, so I did beg the Saracens to release him.
"We are not going to release him," one of the Saracens replied in Greek.
"Take me and let him go," I said, "for he is not able to endure this affliction."
"We are not going to release him," he repeated.
"Will you not take a ransom for him?" I asked, making a third attempt. "Give him to
me, and I will pay you whatever you ask."
"We can't give him to you, for we have promised our priest that we would give him
anyone we found of outstanding beauty, to be offered up in sacrifice. Now go away,
for if you hinder us for much longer your head will roll on the ground."
So then I prostrated myself on the ground.
"Christ our God and Saviour save your servant," I prayed.
And immediately the three Saracens were possessed by devils, and they drew their
swords and killed each other. I took the young man with me to my cave and
comforted him. He refused to leave me, but renounced the world and lived with me
for seven years in the monastic habit, until he fell asleep.

Chapter CLVI
The reply of a certain OLD MAN to two philosophers.

Two philosophers once came to an old man and asked him for some edifying
conversation, but the old man said nothing.
"Haven't you got anything to say to us, father?" they asked.
"I know that you are enthusiastic about fine words," he replied, "But I say that you
philosophers are not enthusiastic about truth. How long will it take you to learn to
speak as if you did not know how to speak? What your philosophy needs is to
meditate perpetually on death and to become accustomed to silence and stillness."

Chapter CLVII
The story of two MONKS of the monastery of the Syrians in Subenorum, about the
dog who showed a brother the way.

Sophronius Sophista and I went to the monastery of Calamon near the Jordan,
where Alexander was the abbot, and met there two monks of the monastery of
Subenorum in Syria. This is what they told us:
Ten days ago a pilgrimage organiser (?susceptor peregrinorum) arrived at Subiba
Besorum, asking for alms and giving a blessing (eulogia). He made a request to the
abbot of the monastery.
"It would be a great favour if you could send to the nearby monastery of the Syrians
for them to come and receive the blessing, and also pass the message on to the
monastery of Charembe so that they too can come."
So the abbot sent a brother to the abbot of the Syrians in Subenorum.
"Come to the monastery of Besorum," he said to the abbot, "and send a message to
the monastery of Charembe, so that they can come too."
"I'm sorry, brother," said the abbot, "but I have no one I can send. Could you be so
kind as to go there yourself and tell them?"
"I've never been there before," he said, "and I don't know the way."
So then the old man spoke to his little dog:
"Go with this brother to the monastery of Charembe with the message he wants to
give them."
So the dog went off with the brother until they stood at the monastery door.
And those who told us this story showed us the very dog, which they still had with
them.

Chapter CLVIII
The ass which served the monastery of Mardes

There is a very high mountain near the Dead Sea called Mardes, where anchorites
dwelt. Their garden was about six miles away at the bottom of the mountain on the
shores of the Dead Sea, so they kept a paid gardener there. Whenever they wanted
to send to the garden for olives they saddled their ass and gave him a command:
"Go down to the gardener and bring back olives."
The ass immediately went down to the garden by itself, stood outside the gate and
kicked it. At once, the gardener came out and loaded it up with olives and sent it off
with its burden. The ass can be seen day by day, going up and down, serving the
needs of the old men alone, and paying heed to nobody else.

 
Chapter CLIX
The life of SOPHRONIUS, the solitary, and the teachings of MENAS, the superior of
the coenobium of Severianus.

Abbot Menas, the superior of the coenobium of Severianus said that abba
Sophronius, the solitary, lived naked near the Dead Sea for almost seventy years, his
only food being herbs.
And he also said this about him: that he once heard him saying, "I have prayed to the
Lord that the demons may not come anywhere near my cave. And I have seen them
coming, standing almost three miles away, and not daring to come any closer."
Abbot Menas would also say to the brothers of the coenobium, "Let us flee from the
conversation of the world, my sons, which is very dangerous for young monks."
Again the old man said: "People of every age should embrace penances, young and
old alike, that they may earn the reward of enjoying eternal life with glory and praise,
the young because in the flower of youth when concupiscence holds sway they have
put their necks under the yoke of chastity, the old because by reason of their long life
they have been able to turn an inveterate inclination to evil towards better things."

Chapter CLX
How a demon appeared to a certain OLD MAN in the shape of the blackest of boys.

Abbot Paul, the superior of the coenobium of abbot Theognotus, told us that an old
man had told him the following:
I was in my cell one day, working with my hands (I was weaving a basket and
repeating psalms), when I saw a little Ethiopian boy come in through the window,
stop in front of me and begin doing acrobatics.
"Aren't I a great acrobat?" he asked. I kept on saying psalms and did not reply.
"Don't you find my acrobatics pleasing?" he said.
But again I did not reply.
"I suppose you think you are doing great things, you evil old man. But I'm telling you,
you have been making mistakes in the sixty-fifth, sixty-sixth, and sixty-seventh
psalms."
I got up and prostrated myself before God and worshipped him, and the demon
vanished.

Chapter CLXI
The life of abbot ISAAC, and how a demon also appeared to him in the shape of a
young man.

There is a mountain about six miles distant from Lycos, a city of the Thebaid, where
some of the monks live in caves, others in cells. We went there and met abba Isaac,
a Theban, who told us the following:
Fifty years ago I was making a mosquito net when I made a mistake in my work and I
could not find out where it was, let alone repair it. I spent the whole day utterly
defeated, unable to discover what I had done wrong. I was almost in despair, when I
saw a young man come in through the window.
""You've made a mistake," he said, "but give me your work and I will put it right."
"Get out," I said. "You'll not get me to do that."
"But you will be damned if you do your work badly"
"No call for you to worry about that."
"But I am just sorry for you because your work is lost."
"Both you and he who sent you have come here with evil intent."
"No, it is you have drawn me here, and you are mine."
"What do you mean?
"For the last three Sundays you have communicated while harbouring uncharitable
thoughts towards your neighbour."
"You're lying"
"I'm not lying. You are angry with him because he is so slow (propter lenticulam). And
I am the one in charge of anger and the memory of insults. So, therefore, you are
mine."
At this, I left my cell immediately, went to my brother, prostrated myself before him
and begged his forgiveness, whereupon we were reconciled. When I returned to my
cell I found that the demon had destroyed the mosquito net completely and also the
rush mat on which I prayed, so envious of our charity had he become.

Chapter CLXII
The reply of abba THEODORE of Pentapolitanus on the question of relaxing the rule
of abstinence from wine.

Fifteen miles from Alexandria there is the monastery of Calamon, between the
Eighteenth monastery and Maphora. Sophista Sophronius was with us and we
interviewed abbot Theodore of Pentapolitanus.
"When any of us go visiting someone, father," we asked, "or when anyone comes to
visit us, is it a good thing to relax the rule of abstaining from wine?"
"No" replied this senior monk.
"How is it then that the ancient fathers used to relax this rule?"
"The ancient fathers, great and strong as they were, knew how to relax and then
tighten up again. For our generation, my sons, it is not safe to relax and then tighten
up, for if we once relax our rule of abstinence, we would be incapable of returning to
the austerity of our religious life."

Chapter CLXIII
The life of abba PAUL of Helladicus.

Abbot Alexander, father of the monastery of Calamon, told us the following;
When I was with Paul of Helladicus one day in his cave, somebody knocked at the
door. Paul opened the door and went out with some bread and steeped chickpeas for
the visitor to eat. I supposed it was some pilgrim, but when I looked out the window I
saw it was a lion.
"Why are you giving him food, father?" I asked. "What's the reason?"
"I warned him never to harm anyone, neither man nor beast, but that he should come
to me daily and I would give him his food. He has been doing this for seven months
now, twice a day, and I feed him."
I visited him again a few days later to buy a wine jar from him (for making them was
his work)
"How are you, father," I said. "And how's the lion?"
"Not good," he said.
"How's that?"
"Yesterday he came here for his food and I saw that there was blood all over his chin.
'What's this?' I said. 'You have been disobedient and eaten flesh. God bless me! I am
not going on feeding you. You are taking the fathers' food, and all the time you are
eating flesh! Away with you!' But he seemed reluctant to go. So I took a thin rope,
folded it into three, and gave him three sharp blows with it, after which he did go."

Chapter CLXIV
The reply of VICTOR the solitary to the monk who was timid

A brother came to abba Victor, a solitary in the monastery of Elusa with a question
"What should I do, father, for I am troubled with timidity of mind?"
"It is a sickness of the soul. The weaker your eyes are, the greater effort you have to
make to enjoy what light there is. If your eyes are healthy, less effort is needed. In
just the same way, if your soul is fearful, temptations appear bigger than they really
are and disturb you immoderately. But if your soul is healthy, temptations are more
easily endured."

The life of a robber whose name was CYRIACUS

One of the faithful told us about a robber called Cyriacus who used to carry out his
robberies round about Emmaus in Nicopolis. He was so violent and cruel that he was
known as "the wolf". He had a band of robbers with him who were a mixture of
Christians, Hebrews and Samaritans.
One Holy Week a group of people from the Nicopolitan district went up to the holy
city to have their infant children baptised. Once the ceremony was over they were
making their way back home to celebrate the holy day of Resurrection when the
robbers stopped them, their leader not being with them. The men all ran away and
escaped, but the robbers, all of them Hebrews and Samaritans, threw the newly
baptised infants on to the ground, seized the women and raped them.
As the men fled, they met the leader of the robbers, who asked them why they were
running. When they had told him what had happened, he took them with him back to
his companions, where he found the infants still lying on the ground. When he had
learned who was responsible for the atrocity, he cut their heads off and gave the
children back to the men. (They could not take the women back for they had been
defiled.) So the leader of the robbers saved the men and children and conducted
them back home.
Some time later the leader of the robbers was captured and spent the next ten years
in prison. None of the magistrates ordered his execution, but eventually he was
granted a pardon.
"It is due to those infants that I escaped a bitter death," he always used to say. "For I
often used to see them in my dreams saying to me: 'Don't be afraid. We will make
excuses for you.'"
I spoke with him myself at a later date, as also did Johannes, the presbyter of the
monastery of the Eunuchs. And he himself confirmed the story, giving glory to God.

Chapter CLXVI
The life of a ROBBER turned monk, who later, having taken back his secular clothes,
was beheaded.

A story from abbot Sabbatius:
When I was in the monastery of abbot Firminus a robber arrived and spoke to abbot
Zozimus Cilices.
" I am guilty of many murders," he said, "and I beg you for the love of God make me
a monk, so that now at last I may give up crime."
So the old man instructed him, made him a monk and gave him the holy habit. After a
while he spoke to the robber and said:
"Believe me my son, you had better not live here, for if the governor hears about you
he will have you arrested and executed. You are also at risk from any of your
enemies. Take my advice and let me take you to the coenobium of abbot Dorotheus
near Gaza and Maiuma." So he went, and after having been there nine years and
learnt the psalter and all the details of monastic observance, he went back to the
monastery of Firminus and said to abbot Zozimus:
"Take pity on me, father. Give me back my secular clothes and take back my
monastic habit.
"Why my son?" he said in dismay.
"As you know, father, I have spent nine years in the coenobium, fasted according to
my ability, lived chastely, and have been disciplined in silence and in the fear of God.
I know that of his infinite goodness, God has forgiven me many of my sins, but I am
constantly aware of a little boy standing in front of me saying: 'Why did you kill me?' I
see him in my dreams, in church, when I go to Communion, and when I am in the
refectory. There is never a moment when he gives me any peace. So, father, I wish to
go, and give myself up to death for this little boy. For I am guilty of having killed this
little boy, for no reason, for nothing."
So he took back his secular clothes and departed. As soon as he got to Diospolis in
these clothes he was arrested and executed the next day.

Chapter CLXVII
The life and death of abba POEMEN, solitary

Abbot Agathonicus, the superior of the fortified coenobium of our holy father Saba,
told the following story:
I went one day to Ruba to visit abba Poemen the solitary. After I had found him and
revealed to him my thoughts he left me alone in a cave. It was winter, very cold at
night, and I suffered terribly from the freezing conditions. In the morning the old man
greeted me.
"How has it been, my son?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, father, but I have had a dreadful night because of the cold."
"My son, I did not feel the cold at all."
This astonished me, for he was almost naked.
"Do please tell me how it is that you felt nothing of this extremely bitter cold."
"A lion came and slept near me to keep me warm. Nevertheless, I tell you, brother,
that I really deserve to be devoured by wild beasts."
"Tell me why, I beg you!"
"In our home province," (for we were both from Galatia) "where I was once a
shepherd, I refused to give hospitality to a passing pilgrim, and he was devoured by
dogs. I could have kept him safe, but I didn't, and sent him on his way where he was
torn to pieces. So I am only too aware that I ought to die the same sort of death."
And so it came to pass. Three years later he was torn to pieces by wild beasts, as he
prophesied.

Chapter CLXVIII
The sayings of ALEXANDER, one of the old men.

Here is what abba Alexander said to the brothers:
"Our fathers embraced the desert and toil. We, however, prefer cities and relaxation."
Again the old man said: "In our fathers' time these were the virtues which flourished:
nakedness and humility; in us there is nothing but avarice and pride to be found."
Once more he said: "Our fathers never washed their faces, but we frequent the public
baths and watering places."
Again the old man said: "Alas, my sons, we have lost the angelic way of life."
Abba Vincentius his disciple said to him, "Indeed, father, we are weak."
"Why do you say we are weak, Vincentius? Our bodies are as strong as Olympic
athletes, believe me. It is our souls which are weak."
Again he said: "We are very good at eating and drinking well and also dressing well.
We don't understand how to abstain or humiliate ourselves."
Once more he said: "Woe to you, Alexander, woe to you! Great will be your confusion
when all the others will receive the crown of glory."

Chapter CLXIX
The life of a blind OLD MAN in the monastery of Abbot Siscus

There was an old man who was blind living in the monastery of abbot Siscus in
Scete. His cell was about a mile away from the well, but he never permitted anyone
to fetch his water for him. Instead, he made a rope and fixed one end of it to the well
and the other to his cell. The rope lay on the ground and when he wanted water he
walked along the rope. Whenever the wind stirred up the sand and buried the rope,
he held it in his hand and uncovered it, and again laid it on the ground and walked
along it. When one of the brothers asked the old man to let him carry the water, he
replied: "My son, I have been drawing water in this way for twenty-two years, and
would you now rob me of this my labour?"

Chapter CLXX
The life of a holy WOMAN, who died in the desert

From the monastery of Sampson, about twenty miles from Jerusalem, two fathers
once went on pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. This is what they told us when they came
back:
When we were on our way back from worshipping in the holy mountain, it happened
that we took a wrong path and wandered completely alone in the desert for several
days. At last, however we saw that we were walking towards a narrow cave in the
distance. We could see a small pool of water, with grass growing round it, and signs
of human habitation.
"There must surely be a servant of God in this place," we said to each other.
When we went in, we could not see anybody but we could hear someone crying.
After a further search we found a sort of a bed with someone lying on it. We came
nearer and asked this servant of God to speak to us. When we got no reply we went
nearer and lifted him up, only to find that though the body was still warm the soul had
departed to the Lord. So we realised that he had died the moment we entered the
cave. So we dug a grave in the cave, and one of us took off the cloak he was wearing
to wrap his body in. As we lifted the body out of the place, it was lying to prepare it for
burial in the usual way we discovered it was a woman, and we glorified God. We said
the prayers for the dead over her and buried her.

Chapter CLXXI
The life of two remarkable men, THEODORE the philosopher, and ZOILUS the lector

There were two remarkable men of great virtue in Alexandria, Theodore the
philosopher, and Zoilus the lector. We were very friendly with both of them, the former
because of his discipline and learning, the latter because we came from the same
country and shared a similar education. Abba Theodore possessed nothing except a
travelling cloak and a few books. He slept either in the lecture hall [scabellum, prop.
part of the stage machinery of a theatre] or in whatever church he went into. In the
end he renounced the world in the coenobium of Salcime where he lived out his life
to a glorious end. Zoilus the lector showed just as much a preference for poverty. He
also possessed nothing but a travelling cloak and a few books. He spent his time in
copying books. When he died, he was buried in the monastery of abbot Palladius.
One of the fathers went to Cosmas the scholar to question him about these two men,
Theodore the philosopher and Zoilus the lector.
"Which of these two was the greater in the way he laboured in his spiritual
exercises?"he asked.
"There was nothing to choose between them in the matters of food, shelter and
clothing, rejection of anything superfluous, nakedness, humility and frugality.
Theodore the philosopher went barefoot and was foolish enough to damage his
eyesight in learning both the old and new Testaments by heart. But he had the
consolation of having brothers, a following of friends who were associated with him in
working and teaching. On the other hand not only is Zoilus to be praised for his
hospitality, but also worthy of commendation is his solitude, his immense capacity for
work, and his custody of the tongue. But he had no following of friends and
associates and no business dealings. Completely unconcerned with any worldly
affairs, he allowed himself no respite or amusements, and was beholden to nobody in
his personal requirements - he cooked for himself, washed his own clothes - never
took pleasure in reading simply for its own sake, was always ready to accommodate
himself to others, lived completely free from frivolity, sadness, extravagance of any
sort, and was unmoved by any discomfort caused by the unending attentions of
insects, in spite of the sparseness of his clothing. He found considerably more
refreshment in the very work itself than in being idle, for he had the liberty of carrying
on night and day just as he wished. For although the extent of his labours set bounds
to this liberty, yet it also kept to a minimum any involvement in worldly matters, apart
from the occasional business meeting.
"To each one therefore his own reward, commensurate with his own labours and the
measure of his resurrected life, that is, his purity of mind and spirit, his service, his
fear of God, his charity, his compunction, his labouring in psalmody and prayer, and
the virtues hidden to men but laid open to God."

 
Chapter CLXXII
The life of the aforesaid COSMAS the scholar

On the subject of this Master Cosmas the scholar, many have said one thing, others
another, many more many other things. We have looked at them all and diligently
assessed them, and chosen to write down only those things which make for useful
reading. He was a humble man, compassionate, abstinent, virginal, quiet, equable,
sociable, friend of strangers, lover of the poor. This marvellous man was an immense
help to us, not only because of his character, but also his teaching and the fact that
he had a greater supply of books than anyone else in Alexandria, which he freely and
gladly lent to anyone who asked. He had no other possessions. In the whole of his
house you could see nothing but books, a reading desk, a small couch and a table.
He let everyone come in and read and ask whatever they wanted. I used to visit him
every day, and it is absolutely true that I never found him doing anything except
reading, or writing commentaries against the Jews. He had a great zeal for
converting that nation to the truth, so that he often sent me to Hebrew people in order
to contend with them by means of his writings. He never willingly went outside his
own home himself.
I went one day to this Master Cosmas the scholar, and since I had great confidence
in him I asked him a question:
"Be kind to me," I said, "and tell me how long you have been pursuing this way of
life."
He stayed silent, and would not reply, so I asked him again.
"Tell me, for the Lord's sake."
He still kept silence for a little while, then said:
"Thirty-three years."
And hearing this I glorified God.
I questioned him again when I visited him onanother occasion.
"Do me an even greater kindness, " I said, "in the knowledge that I am only asking for
the benefit of my own soul. I beg you, tell me, in all this long time you have been
living in this way, how have you arrived at such quietness and continence?"
"How ever can a secular man gain any virtue at all, living always in his own home as
he does?"
"Tell me, for the Lord's sake, so that I may profit from it."
At last, in the face of so much urging from me, he said:
"Forgive me, but I have been led by three things: Not to swear, not to lie, and not to
mock."

Chapter CLXXIII
The wonderful deed of THEODORE the anchorite, who by his prayers turned sea
water into fresh.

There was an anchorite in the Jordan district called Theodore, an eunuch, who,
needing to travel to Constantinople, boarded a ship. The ship was delayed so long in
the sea that the water failed, and sailors and passengers alike were in great distress
and anxiety. The anchorite stood up and lifted up his hands to the God of heaven
who saves our souls from death, offered a prayer and made the sign of the cross
over the sea:
."Blessed be God," he said to the sailors, "Drink as much of the water as you need."
They filled all their vessels with fresh water from the sea, and all of them glorified
God.

Chapter CLXXIV
The wonderful deed of a SEA CAPTAIN, a religious man, who prayed to the Lord for
rain.

This is what abba Gregorius the anchorite told us.
When I boarded ship to leave Byzantium there was also a scribe and his wife on
board going on pilgrimage to the holy city. The captain was a very religious man, who
fasted strictly. In the course of the voyage, the servants of the scribe wasted so much
water that we were very short of it, with the journey only half way through. We
suffered great privation. It was a pitiable sight to see women, children and infants
burning with thirst, lying around half dead. We had been suffering this for three days
when the scribe decided he could put up with it no longer, and drawing his sword he
made as if to kill the captain and crew.
"This suffering of ours is all their fault," he cried, "because they did not load enough
water."
"No, don't do it," I begged the scribe. "Let us rather pray to Jesus Christ, our true
God, who does great and marvellous things without number. Look at the captain. You
can see that he has been spending his time fasting and praying these three days."
The scribe was pacified, and on the fourth day at about the sixth hour the captain
stood up and cried with such a loud voice: "Glory to you, Christ our God!" that his
voice filled us with wonder.
"Spread out canvas sheets," he ordered the sailors, and no sooner had they obeyed
than a cloud overshadowed us and poured out such quantities of rain that there was
sufficient collected to fill all our containers. It was a great and awesome miracle, for
the ship sailed on with the cloud following us, and the rain falling nowhere else save
on the ship.

Chapter CLXXV
The story of the Emperor ZENO, a man much given to almsgiving.

One of the fathers told us about a woman whose daughter the Emperor Zeno had
grievously wronged. This woman spent a lot of time in the church of our holy Lady the
birthgiver of God crying and weeping.
"Grant me a judgment against the Emperor Zeno," she would pray.
After carrying on like this for quite some time, the holy birthgiver of God appeared to
her.
"Believe me, woman, I have often been minded to give you vengeance, but his
generosity overrides me." For he was indeed a very compassionate man and gave
many alms.

Chapter CLXXVI
The beautiful story of abba ANDREAS about ten men on a journey, among whom
was a young Hebrew.

While we were in Alexandria, Andreas Octavusdecimus told us this story:
As a young man I was a very undisciplined trouble-maker. Once there were nine
others beside myself who were in danger of being arrested because of our rioting, so
we fled to Palestine. There was one of our number who was a student (? industrius),
and another who was a Jew. While passing through the desert, the Jew became
mortally ill. As God's my witness we were in great distress about him and did not
know what we could do for him. However as is usual among a band of confederates
we did not desert him; each one of us carried him to the limit of each one's ability,
hoping to get him to some city or market town rather than let him die in the desert.
But lack of food and the severity of his fever, together with the devastating effect of
thirst and the heat of the sun, brought his failing strength to the brink of death. We
could carry him no longer, and with many tears we decided to leave him in the desert,
fearing for our own death. In great distress we put him down on the sand, and when
he saw that we were about to leave him he began to plead with us.
"In the name of God who made heaven and earth, the God who spreads out the
heavens, who came down for the salvation of human kind, who is judge of the living
and the dead, please don't let me die a Jew, but have some Christian pity for me and
baptise me, so that I may pass from this life as a Christian and go to God."
"To tell you the truth," we said, "we can't do that, for we are only laymen, and that is
the work for bishops and presbyters. In any case we haven't any water."
But he went on appealing to us as before and tearfully pleaded anew.
"You are Christians. Don't deprive me of a share in that divinely gracious gift."
As we were wavering in great perplexity, the student was inspired by God.
""Lift him up and take his clothes off, " he said, and when with great difficulty we had
done so, he filled both his hands with sand and poured it over his head three times,
saying "Theodore is Baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit". And at the name of the one, holy, consubstantial and adorable Trinity we
all said: "Amen". And as God is my witness, brothers, Christ our God immediately
strengthened and healed him, so that not a trace of his former illness or any kind of
suffering remained. Healthy and strong, he completed the rest of the journey through
the desert with rosy cheeks and great energy, running on in front of us. In
amazement at such a sudden change we all praised and glorified the ineffable
majesty and benevolence of Christ our God.
When we got to Ascalon, we took him to the blessed and holy Dionysius, the bishop
of that city and told him what had happened to our brother on the way. The holy and
admirable Dionysius was astonished at being told of such a new and unheard of
miracle, and called all the clergy together to tell them the whole matter and decide
whether pouring of sand over this brother should be considered a true Baptism or
not. Some said it ought to be because of the unheard of greatness of the miracle;
others disagreed.
"No," they said, "because Gregory the Theologian has already listed the various
forms which Baptism might take, saying: 'Firstly Moses baptised in water, in the cloud
and in the sea. Secondly, John baptised, not as a Jewish Baptism, but with water and
repentance. Thirdly Jesus baptised, but with the Holy Spirit, and that was the perfect
Baptism. I also recognise a fourth - that is, in the blood of martyrdom, and a fifth, the
Baptism of tears.' So much for Gregory; with which of these, therefore," they asked,
"was this person baptised, that we may confirm there to have been a genuine
Baptism? Especially in view of what the Lord said to Nicodemus: 'Except you are
baptised with water and the Spirit, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'" (John
3.5)
"What then?" others said. "It is not written that the apostles were baptised. Did they
not enter the kingdom of God?"
"They were baptised," argued others on the contrary. "For Clement Stromateus notes
in Hypotyposeon 5 that Christ is said to have baptised Peter only, but Peter baptised
Andrew, and James and John, and they baptised the rest of them."
These arguments and many others having been aired, it seemed good to the blessed
Dionysius to send the brother to the Jordan to be baptised there, and the student he
ordained to the diaconate.

Chapter CLXXVII
The unhappy death of A MONK of Egypt who wanted to live in the cell of Evagrius the
heretic

While we were staying in [the monastery of] Nonnum in Alexandria, abbot Johannes
Cilix told us the following:
A monk visiting us from Egypt told us that a brother from a distant country once came
to the Cells asking to live there, and prostrated himself before the presbyter, begging
that he might be allowed to live in the cell of Evagrius.
"You can't live there," said the presbyter, taking a step backwards. "My son, there is a
most fierce demon there who seduced Evagrius, robbed him of the true faith and
filled him up with wicked teachings. He does not allow anyone to stay alive there."
"Nevertheless if I am to stay in this place," he persisted, "it is in that cell that I shall
die."
The presbyter at last was persuaded.
"On your own head be it," he said. "Go, and take that cell."
The brother stayed in the cell for a week, and when Sunday came he appeared in
church, much to the relief of the presbyter who was very worried about him.
On the next Sunday he did not appear in the church. When the presbyter missed him
he sent two brothers to find out why he had not come. When they got to the cell they
went inside and found that the brother had strangled himself with a fine rope.

Chapter CLXXVIII
The life of an OLD MAN of the coenobium of Scholars, a man of simplicity.

Abbot Gregorius, presbyter of the coenobium of Scholars, told us that there was a
great old man there, extremely disciplined, who was nevertheless somewhat simple
when it came to matters of faith. Whatever was being discussed, he was apt to make
dreadful blunders. One day an angel of God appeared to him.
"Tell me, old man," the angel said, "When you die how do you want to be buried, like
the monks of Egypt or the monks of Jerusalem?"
"I don't know," he said.
"Think about it," said the angel. "Weigh up the arguments. And in three weeks time I
will come back and hear what you have to say."
The old man went to another monk and told him what the Angel had said to him. He
was struck dumb at what he was told, but eventually looked hard at him and, inspired
by God, asked him:
"Where do you receive the holy mysteries?"
"Wherever I can," he said.
"You must never receive Communion anywhere but in the holy Catholic and apostolic
Church," he said, "where the four holy synods are accepted. That is, Nicaea, where
there were three hundred and eighteen fathers, Constantinople, a hundred and fifty,
first council of Ephesus, two hundred, and Chalcedon, six hundred and thirty. When
the Angel comes back, tell him that you wish to be buried according to the rites of
Jerusalem."
After three weeks the Angel came back
"Well, old man, have you thought?"
"Jerusalem," he said.
"Good, good," said the Angel. And immediately the old man gave up his spirit.
All this happened lest he lose the fruit of all his labours and be condemned with the
heretics.

Chapter CLXXIX
The life of a HOLY WOMAN from the holy city.

We visited abba John Rutilus, the anchorite, who told us a story he had heard from
John the Moabite:
There was a certain holy woman in the holy city, very religious, who walked in the will
of God. The devil was envious of this virgin, and instilled in the heart of a certain
young man an impure and diabolical passion for her. This wonderful virgin discerned
the devil's wickedness and was troubled lest the young man lose his soul, so she
took a blanket, and a few loaves [hard loaves to be prepared by steeping in water]
and went to the desert, hoping not only that her departure would free the young man
from his temptation and be the salvation of him, but also that she would find security
in solitude and grow in merit.
A long time afterwards, lest her excellent way of life remain unknown, by the
dispensation of God an anchorite saw her one day in the desert near Jordan.
"What are you doing in this desert, mother?" he asked.
"Forgive me, father," she said, wishing that he would go away, "but I seem to have
lost my way. For the love of God, be so kind as to direct me."
"Believe me, mother, you haven't lost your way," he said, inspired by God to discern
what she was. "You have no need of a known path. Now you know that to tell lies is
of the devil, so tell me the truth about why you have come here."
"Forgive me, abba," she said, "but there was a youth who was in danger of perdition
because of me, so I fled to the desert, thinking it better to die here rather than be a
stumbling block to anyone, as the Apostle says (2 Cor.6.3, 1 Cor.8.9)"
"How long have you been here, then?"
"Seventeen years, by the grace of Christ."
"And how have you survived"
"See this blanket and these few loaves. They came into the desert with me, and God
has shown such kindness towards me in my lowliness that they have been sufficient
for me ever since, and have not grown any less. And you should know this, too,
father, that God's benevolence has so protected me for these seventeen years that
no man has ever seen me except you today, though I have been able to see them
all."
The anchorite listened and glorified God.

Chapter CLXXX
The life of JOHANNES the anchorite, who lived in a cave near the town of Sochus

We heard about abba Johannes the anchorite from the most holy Dionysius,
presbyter of the holy church of Ascalon and guardian of the sacred vessels. To
illustrate how great he was in his generation, and to tell of his superlative merits in
the eyes of God, he told us the following story:
The old man lived in a cave near the town of Sochus, about twenty miles from
Jerusalem. He was a man greatly given to venerating the martyrs, and would travel
sometimes to Ephesus for St John, sometimes to Euchaita for St Theodore,
sometimes to St Thecla in Seleucia Isauria, sometimes to St Sergius in Saraphas,
now to this saint, now to that.
Now he had in his cave an image of our immaculate Lady, the birthgiver of God, Mary
ever virgin, carrying in her arms Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, and whenever he
decided to go away - whether to the empty desert, or Jerusalem to adore the holy
cross and other holy places, or to pray at Mt Sinai, or to martyrs at great distances
from Jerusalem - he would as an invariable rule take a candle, light it, and stand in
prayer beseeching God to watch over his journey. Then fixing his gaze on the image,
he would say:
"Holy Lady, birthgiver of God, I am about to go on a long journey which will take
many days. Do you take care of this your candle, tend it so that it may not be
extinguished during this venture of mine, for I take this journey trusting in your help."
His prayer concluded, he would go off on his journey, and when it was over,
sometimes after a month, sometimes after two or three months, or even five or six
months, he would come back to find the candle still burning without diminution, just
as he had asked at the beginning of his journey. Never did he find this candle had
gone out of its own accord, whether rising from sleep, or returning from pilgrimage, or
coming back to the cave from the desert.

Chapter CLXXXI
More of the same

The venerable presbyter Dionysius also told us the following story about abba
Johannes:
One day the old man was walking near the village of Sochus where he had his cave,
when he saw a large lion coming towards him out of the countryside. He was on a
footpath between thorn hedges, so narrow that it would barely allow a single person
unencumbered by any burden to pass through it. The old man and lion could see
each other approaching, but the old man did not turn back to let the lion through, nor
could the lion turn round because of the narrowness of the path, nor would it have
been in the least bit possible for them to pass each other. The lion saw that the
servant of God was intending to keep on going, he could not go back himself, so he
stood up on his hind legs and by the weight and strength of his body pushed back the
hedge on the old man's left to make a space sufficient for this righteous man to pass
by without difficulty, brushing against him as he did so. When the old man had gone
by, the lion extricated himself from the hedge and continued his own journey.
Another brother said that when he visited abba Johannes, he found that his cave was
completely bare.
"How can you live here without any of the necessaries of life?" he asked.
"My son," he replied, "this cave is a market place of the spirit. It gives and it takes."

Chapter CLXXXII
The life of abba ALEXANDER of Cilicia, who when near to death was attacked by a
demon.

About two miles away from the holy town of Bethlehem, there is the monastery of St
Sergius, called Xeropotamus. Abbot Eugenius was in charge, a very devout man,
who later was made bishop of Hermopolis in the lands of the Thebaid in Egypt. When
we visited him he told us the following story about abba Alexander of Cilicia:
Towards the end of Alexander's life in the caves near the holy Jordan, he accepted
Eugenius into his monastery. For almost the last three months of his life he was
bedridden. Ten days before he passed to the Lord, he was attacked by a demon
"Wretch!" he said to the demon, "you have come to me in the evening of my life. Not
very bold, is it, for here I am, confined to bed and unable to move. It just shows up
your own weakness, you most miserable of creatures. If you were really powerful and
capable, you should have approached me fifty or sixty years ago, when strengthened
by Christ I would have shown up your own weakness, defied your boasting, and
broken that rigid and inflexible neck of yours. Now, however, it is not weakness I am
constrained by, but simple infirmity. But I thank my God to whom I am hastening that
after so many years of labour and weariness I shall be able to show him the injuries I
have suffered from you, now that you have attacked me so grievously at the hour of
my death."
Much more in the same strain he said hour by hour, until at last on the tenth day he
quietly gave up his spirit in peace to the Lord Christ.

Chapter CLXXXIII
The wonderful deed of an old Egyptian man named DAVID.

Abba Theodore of Cilicia told us the following story:
When I was living in Scete there was an old Egyptian man there called David who
went out one day to take part in the harvesting. This was the custom in Scete, to go
to the farms to help in the harvesting. So the old man went to a farm where he
worked for a wage in the employ of a farmer. As he was reaping at about the seventh
hour it became so hot that he went and sat down in a little hut, where the farmer
came by and saw him.
"Why aren't you reaping, old man?" he said angrily. "Don't you realise I am paying
your wages?"
"Yes, of course I do. But this excessive heat is causing the grains of wheat to fall out
of the ears, and I don't expect any improvement until this heat passes. I would not
want you to suffer any loss."
"Get up and work, even if they all catch fire."
"You don't care if they all catch fire?"
"Not at all", he said in a fury.
So the old man got up,and suddenly the whole field was in flames. The farmer ran to
some of the other old men who were working in another part of the field.
"Come with me," he cried, "and beg that old man to pray, that the fire may be
extinguished!"
So they came and prostrated themselves before him.
"But he was the one who said 'Let it catch fire'" said David. Nevertheless he went and
stood between the part that was on fire and the part that wasn't on fire. He prayed.
And immediately the fire was extinguished. So the remaining part of the field was
saved.

Chapter CLXXXIV
The life of abbot JOHN THE EUNUCH, and also a young MONK who decided not to
drink any water, and also an OLD MAN deeply dedicated to prayer.

While we were in Nonnum in Alexandria, we decided that we would benefit from a
visit to the monastery of abba John the Eunuch. We met this old man who had been
wearing the monastic habit for eighty years. We have never met anyone to match the
depth of his kind-heartedness, not only to human beings but also to brute animals.
So what did he do? Nothing other than to call together all the dogs in the monastery
every morning and give them their food. He would also put out flour for the smaller
ants and grains of wheat for the big ones. He moistened bread and spread it out on
the roofs for the birds to eat. Not only was this his invariable rule, but nothing else
was beneath his notice for as long as he lived in the monastery, neither door nor
window, nor spetlum (? stone glazed windows), nor candle, nor writing tablet - to cut
a long story short, there was nothing in the monastery which he was not aware of.
Besides, he could not keep anything in his own possession for one hour, neither
book, nor money, nor extra clothing, but would give it all away to the poor; he was
concerned only with the future life.
They also told us another story about him to illustrate his kind-heartedness and
compassion. A farmer came to him one day wanting to borrow a numma. Seeing he
did not have one (indeed he never had any money), he went straight away and
borrowed the money from the monastery and gave it to the farmer who promised to
pay it back after a month.
When two years had gone by and the farmer had still not paid it back, he summoned
him and asked him to pay the money back.
"God knows I haven't got it," he said
"Well let me tell you that I know a method whereby you can pay me back."
"Tell me what it is and I will do it," he said, thinking that the old man would
commandeer something.
"As the opportunity arises, when you have nothing else to do, come here to me and
make thirty genuflexions before me and I will give you one silver coin."
He willingly agreed, and whenever he had some free time from his work, he would go
to the abbot and do his agreed number of prayers, after which the abbot would give
him a silver coin and also something to eat and drink as well as giving him some food
to take away for his family. When he had done this twenty four times, i.e. the value of
one golden nummum, he gave it back to the abbot, who sent him away with his
blessings.
Abbot John the Eunuch also told us the following story:
When we visited the coenobium of abbot Apollo in the Thebaid, we met there a young
brother who had with him his natural father who was also one of the monks. The
young man had decided that for the rest of his life he would not drink water, wine or
any other sort of liquid. He ate kitchen-garden greens to quench his thirst. He also
had the job of cooking bread.
After persevering in this style of abstinence for three years he fell grievously ill and
was near to death. Burning with fever and suffering from an immense thirst, he was
urged by everyone to take a little liquid, but he would not by any means agree. So the
abbot called for a doctor and urged him to try all reasonable means of getting the sick
man to submit. When the doctor saw the brother in such dire straits, he began to
urge him to take some liquid but he still would not agree.
"Bring me a large tub," the doctor said to the abbot.
He brought it, and the doctor filled it with four large amphorae of warm water, and
immersed the man in it up to his waist for an hour.
The abbot was present while this was happening, and he told us that after the man
was lifted out of the water, the doctor took a measurement and found that the greater
part of the water had been absorbed.
See what force continent monks will bring to bear on themselves, depriving
themselves of the necessities of life in order to obtain an eternal reward.
He also told us that in the same coenobium, he saw a brother who used a large plank
as a prayer mat. The places where he put his hands and knees were hollowed out to
a depth of about four inches because of the frequency of his genuflexions.

Chapter CLXXXV
The life of a faithful WOMAN, who by an admirable display of wisdom converted her
pagan husband to the faith

When we were in the island of Samus, we met the respected Maria, who worked
among the poor. She was the mother of Sir Paul, who was being prepared for
baptism [domnus Paulus candidatus]. She told us the following story:
When I was in the city of Nisibis, there was a Christian woman who had a pagan
husband. They were quite poor, though they did have fifty numismata.
"Let's hand this money over to a usurer," the husband said one day to his wife, "to get
some interest on them. We have been keeping them as some sort of status symbol,
but they are decreasing in value."
"If you want to give them to a usurer," said this good wife, "let's give them to the
usurer who is the God of the Christians."
"And where can we find this God of the Christians to give them to him?"
"I'll show you. And if you agree, it's not just that you won't lose anything, but he will
give you interest and double your capital."
"Let's go then. Show him to me and we will give to him."
So she led her husband to the holy church, which had five large doorways. As she
took him into the portico she showed him the poor:
"The God of the Christians will accept anything you give to them," she said, "for they
all belong to him."
So he quite happily began to give his money to them, after which they went home.
Three months later he found himself embarrassed by not having anything to meet
necessary expenditure.
"Wife," he said, "as far as I can see, the God of the Christians is not going to give us
anything as he ought to do, and now we are embarrassed for lack of money."
"He will give. Go back to the place where you gave the money and you will soon be
shown how."
He hurried back to the holy church, to the place where he had given his money to the
poor, walked all around it, but saw no one who could repay what he was owed except
a fresh lot of poor people sitting there. As he was wondering to whom he could say
anything, or from whom he could expect payment, he looked down at the floor near
his feet and saw one of the numismata which he himself had given to the poor. He
bent down and picked it up and went home.
"Well I've been to the church," he said to his wife, "and believe me, wife, I did not see
the God of the Christians as you said I should, and no one gave me anything, except
that I noticed this numismata where I had earlier been giving them to the poor."
"He who rules the world by the unseen power of his hand has shown this to you," this
wonderful woman said. "Now, husband, go and buy something for us to eat today;
tomorrow he will provide for us again."
So he went and bought some bread and wine and fish and brought them back home
to his wife. As she began to clean the fish and gut it, she found in its stomach to her
amazement a very beautiful stone, although she did not know what it was. She
plucked it out and showed it to her husband.
"Look at this stone which I have found in the fish."
He too was astonished at its beauty, though not knowing what it was.
After they had eaten, he said to his wife:
"Give me the stone and I will go and sell it. Perchance I may be able to get
something for it."
As I have said, he did not know what it was, he was so simple and ignorant. So he
took the stone and went to a moneychanger who bought and sold such things, and
found him on the point of shutting up shop and going home (for it was evening on the
same day).
"Would you be willing to buy this stone?" he asked.
"How much do you want for it?"
"Give me what you think."
"Will you take five numismata for it?"
The seller thought that he was being made fun of.
"All that great amount of money for it?" he said
The buyer thought he was being sarcastic.
"Well, take ten for it."
The seller said nothing, still thinking he was being made fun of.
"Take twenty," said the buyer.
Again the seller said nothing.
The buyer went to thirty, then forty, then fifty, by which time the seller began to realise
that the stone was worth a great deal more than he had thought. The buyer
eventually got up to three hundred, which he held out to the seller. He accepted it,
handed over the stone and went happily back to his wife.
"However much did you get for it?" she asked when she saw his joyful face. She
thought he must have sold it for five or ten mites at most. He showed her the three
hundred numismata and gave them to her.
"All that is what I sold it for," he said.
"See what the God of the Christians is like," she said, in admiration of the boundless
mercy and goodness of God. "How good! How bountiful! How inexhaustible his
riches! Look! he hasn't just given you back the fifty numismata you lent him, but in
hardly any time at all has restored it sixtyfold. You must now know that there is no
other god in heaven or earth save him alone."
This miracle had such an effect on him, and so convinced him of the truth through his
own experience, that he quickly became a Christian, and glorified God and our
Saviour Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit, giving abundant thanks for the
wisdom of his wife, though whom a true knowledge of God had in truth been granted
to him.

Chapter CLXXXVI
The life of MOSCHUS, a merchant of Tyre

We visited abbot Eustachius, superior of the cenobium of abba Saba, who repeated
to us the story which Moschus, a merchant, had told him when he was at Tyre:
When I was in business, I once went off to the baths at the end of the day and on the
way encountered a woman standing in the gloom. I spoke to her and she consented
to come with me. Much to the joy of the devil, I did not go and bathe but went straight
home to a meal, which I entreated her to share with me. However, she would not
taste a thing. When at last we got up and went to the bedroom, and I made as if to
embrace her, she tearfully cried out with a loud voice.
"Alas, what a wretch I am!" she cried.
I asked her in some agitation why she was crying.
"My husband is a speculator", she said, crying even more bitterly, "and all his
property and the property of others was lost in a shipwreck. For that, he has been
imprisoned and I have got nothing, not even enough to take him a bit of bread. So
because of my extreme poverty I decided to sell my body, just so I could find a bit of
bread to take to him. For all we had has been lost."
"How much does he owe?" I asked her.
"Five pounds of gold," she said.
So I gave her the gold and said:
"See, by the grace of God I have not touched you. Settle the debt with this gold,
redeem your husband, and pray for me."
Some time later a false accusation was laid against me to the Emperor that I had
mismanaged his business affairs. So he gave an order that all my assets were to be
confiscated, and that I was to be stripped and dragged through Constantinople to the
prison. I had been there quite some time, with only one tunic to wear apart from my
underwear (? camisia), when I was told that the Emperor had decided to put me to
death. I wept in despair for my life. Crying and sobbing, sleep at length overcame
me, and I saw that woman whose husband had been in prison.
""What is wrong, Sir Moschus?" she said. "Why are you imprisoned?"
"I am the victim of a false accusation, and I think the Emperor has decided to put me
to death."
"Would you like me to speak to the Emperor for you, to ask for your freedom?"
"Surely he doesn't know you?"
"Ah, but he does."
When I awoke I was not quite sure what it meant. But she appeared to me a second
and a third time, saying:
"Don't be afraid. Tomorrow I will see you are set free."
At daybreak, on the order of the Emperor I was taken into the palace. As I went in, he
looked at me in my dirty and ragged tunic and said:
"I have decided to have mercy on you. Go, and amend your ways."
And I saw that same woman standing at the Emperor's right hand.
"Be strong and fear not," she said.
And the Emperor ordered everything to be given back to me, adding some more
goods besides, and restored me to my previous state, in the same position as I had
before.
That same night the woman appeared to me again.
"You know who I am?" she said. "I am that same woman on whom you had pity, and
for the love of God did not touch my body. See, I have freed you from danger. See
the mercy of God, that through me on whom you had mercy, mercy has been shown
to you, as if to say, 'In that you have done this to me I have magnified my mercy upon
you.'"

Chapter CLXXXVII
The teaching of abbot JOHANNES of Cyzicus on how to acquire virtue.

When going up one day to the holy mount of Olives from the holy Gethsemane, we
came across the monastery of abbot Abraham, the superior of which was abbot
Johannes of Cyzicus. We questioned him about how one could acquire virtue.
"Anyone who desires to acquire virtue," he said, "must first of all hate the contrary
vice. Otherwise he can acquire nothing. So if you would cultivate mourning (luctus)
you must hate facetiousness (risus). If you wish to be humble you must always abhor
pride. If you wishes to be abstemious you must hate gluttony. If you wish to be chaste
detest lust. Naked, fly from worldly goods. Anyone who would be compassionate
must beware of avarice. Anyone who longs for the desert, should avoid cities. If you
would find peace hate presumptuousness. Anyone who would be a pilgrim should
hate drawing attention to himself. Anyone who desires to keep anger in check should
fly from much socialising. If you wish to endure insults, detest cursing. Anyone
wishing to be undistracted should remain in solitude. Anyone wishing to bridle his
tongue should prevent his ears from hearing many things. Anyone with a constant
desire to fear God should love affliction and poverty.

Chapter CLXXXVIII
The life of two BROTHERS who were moneychangers in Syria.

Abbot Theodore, the superior of an ancient monastery told us the following story:
There were two brothers in Constantinople who were moneychangers. The elder of
them said to the younger:
"Let's go back to Syria and take possession of our paternal home."
"Why should we both undertake this task?" said the younger. "You go, and I will stay
here, or else I will go and you stay here."
They came to an agreement that the younger should go. A short time after he had
gone, the one who stayed in Constantinople saw in a dream a most handsome old
man of very commanding presence who said:
"Did you know that your brother is fornicating with a vagabond's wife?"
He woke up very distressed, and troubled in mind.
"Is his lapse my fault" he wondered, "for letting him go off by himself?"
He saw the same person a second time, saying:
"Don't you know that your brother is ruining himself with this vagabond's wife?"
And again he was very distressed. And a third time he saw the same person, saying
this time:
"Don't you know that your brother has abandoned his lawful wife and united himself
to this vagabond's wife?"
So from Constantinople he wrote to his brother telling him to drop everything and
come back. When he got the letter, the younger brother did drop everything and went
back to his brother. Hardly had he greeted him when he took him into the church and
in sorrow began to accuse him.
"Do you call this acceptable behaviour, brother, to commit adultery with a vagabond's
wife?"
The younger brother swore by almighty God that he had not committed adultery or
been with any woman apart from his lawful wife.
"Well is there some other even more serious sin that you have done," he asked.
"Truly I am not conscious of having done anything wrong - unless it is that I went to
Communion with some monks of the Severian teaching that I found in our village. I
didn't know there was anything wrong in that. I am not aware of anything else I have
done."
Then the elder brother realised what it meant when he was told that his brother had
committed fornication. For he had abandoned the holy Catholic and apostolic
Church, and by ruining himself in the unauthorised heresies of Severian, a vagabond
indeed, he had contaminated the nobility of the true faith.

Chapter CLXXXIX
The life of a WOMAN, who kept the faith for her businessman husband, and God
came to the aid of both.

When we were in the guesthouse at Ascalon, abba Eusebius, a presbyter, told us of
a ship-owning business man who lost all his property and that of others, though he
himself escaped from the shipwreck. When he came back to Ascalon, his creditors
seized him, threw him into prison and took possession of everything in his house,
even his wife's clothing. She was greatly distressed, and worried that in her poverty
she was unable to provide any food for her husband. She was sitting in tears in the
prison one day when a rather important looking man came in giving alms to the
prisoners. When he saw this free woman sitting with her husband, he fell in love with
her, for she was very beautiful, and told her to leave the prison and come with him.
She thought that he was going to give her something, so she freely did as she was
told.
"What is the problem?" he asked, when he had taken her home. "Why were you in
the prison?"
She told him all.
"If I pay his debts, will you sleep with me tonight?"
"Sir, I have heard what the Apostle said," she said, with a mixture of charm and
modesty, "that a woman has not power over her own body, but the husband
(1Cor.7.4). Let me therefore go and ask my husband, and I will do whatever he says."
So she went and told him everything. Now he was a most conscientious man, with a
very deep affection for his wife, and he was not immediately carried away by the
hope and desire of getting out of prison, but rather groaned and wept.
"Go back, wife, and tell the man you refuse," he said, "for I put my trust in our Lord
Jesus Christ, who will not finally abandon us."
So she went back to the man and said:
"I have asked my husband and he is not willing,"
Now at this time there was also a robber in the prison who had been there since
before the businessman had been arrested. He had observed everything and heard
what the man and his wife had been saying to each other.
"See what a sad case they are in," he said, stifling a groan. "Liberty could have been
important to them. They could have accepted the money and been freed. But they
valued chastity more than money. They refused the prospect of a normal life, rather
than let her chastity be violated. And what shall I do, miserable wretch that I am, who
have never thought about God and am a murderer to boot."
He called them over to the window of the cell in which he was confined.
"I am a robber and murderer," he said to them "and soon the judge will be visiting
here and he will order my execution for murder. I have been listening to your
praiseworthy decision and been struck with compunction. So, go and dig in a certain
place in this city and take the money you find there. When you have settled the debt
you will find there is something left over for yourselves. And pray for me that I may
find mercy."
A few days later the judge did indeed arrive in the city and ordered the robber to be
led out and decapitated.
"If you like, husband," the wife said the next day, "I will go to the place the robber
said. Perhaps he was speaking the truth."
"Do what you think best," he said.
That evening she took a small spade, went to the place, and dug. There she found a
jar. She picked it up and hurried away. Before long she had discreetly paid off all the
debts to the creditors and to others from money that had been borrowed.
All debts having been met, she was able to free her husband from prison. And the
man who told us this story added: "See how God multiplies his mercy upon those
who keep the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Chapter CXC
The miracle of the wood given to abba BROCHA the Egyptian

Athanasius of Antioch told us this story of abba Brocha the Egyptian:
When Brocha came from Egypt to Seleucia near Antioch, he went out of the city into
a desert place to build there a small cell for himself. Having completed it all but the
roof he went into the city and called on one of the leading citizens of Seleucia and
Antioch, one Anatolius Curvus, whom he found sitting outside the front door of his
house.
"Do me a kindness," he said, "and let me have a little wood to roof my cell with."
Anatolius was very annoyed, and pointed out to Brocha a large piece of timber lying
in front of the house big enough to have been made into a mast for a very large
merchant ship (arbor navis onerariae quinquaginta millium)
"See that piece of wood?" he said. "You can take that away with you."
"Bless you," said abba Brocha. "I will carry it home."
"God bless you, too," said Anatolius, still furious.
Brocha took hold of the timber, lifted it up from the ground all by himself, put it on his
shoulders and went off with it to his cell. Struck dumb with amazement by this
magnificent and stupendous miracle which had just been done, he generously gave
Brocha even more timber, sufficient not only to construct a roof, as he had asked, but
to cater for many other useful needs.

Chapter CXCI
The balanced life of the holy JOHN Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople

The holy John, archbishop of Constantinople, was given the name Chrysostom
(golden-mouthed) because of the wonderfully accurate purity of his teaching and the
splendid beauty of his eloquence. It was said of him that from the time of his saving
Baptism onwards, he never swore an oath, nor compelled anyone else to swear an
oath, never lied, never cursed anybody, never slandered or made fun of anybody.

Chapter CXCII
The story of a certain MONK of the monastery of the divine Pope Gregory, how he
was restored from excommunication after his death.

A holy presbyter from Rome called Peter told us a story about the most blessed
Gregory, Bishop of that city. During his time of being Pontifex Maximus, he greatly
edified a monastery of men by giving them a rule that they should not possess any
money, not even a single obolus. Now, one of the brothers of the monastery made a
request to his brother living in the world.
"I have not got a tunic. Do me a favour and buy me one."
"Here are three numismata," the brother replied. "Take them and buy what you like
with them".
Another monk saw that this brother had three numismata in his possession, and went
and told the abbot, who in his turn reported it to the most holy Pope Gregory.
Gregory's reaction was to order that the transgressor of the monastery's rules should
be excommunicated.
Not long afterwards this excommunicated brother died without Pope Gregory being
aware of it. Two or three days later, when the abbot went and told him, he was very
distressed that the brother had departed this world before being absolved from the
penalty of excommunication. He wrote a prayer in the form of a letter and gave it to
one of the archdeacons with instructions to read it out loud over the brother's grave.
By this letter he absolved the dead from the bonds of excommunication. The
archdeacon went as he was told and read this short pronouncement over the
brother's grave.
That night the abbot saw the dead brother.
"Are you not dead then brother?" he asked.
"Indeed, I am."
"And where have you been up till today?"
"Truly, sir, yesterday I was in prison, but as of yesterday I have been freed."
And everyone was made aware that at the very time when the archdeacon had read
the words of absolution over the brother he was released from excommunication and
his soul was freed from judgment and damnation.

Chapter CXCIII
The wonderfully charitable deed of the holy abbot APOLLINARIIS, Patriarch of
Alexandria, towards a rich young man reduced to poverty.

We were told that the holy abbot Apollinaris, patriarch of Alexandria, was an
exceptionally merciful man, overflowing with compassion, and this story about him
confirms it.
There was a young man in Alexandria who was the son of one of the leading citizens
famous for his dignity and wealth. On the death of his parents, he was left with
extensive assets both in gold and in shipping concerns. Unfortunately he did not
manage his affairs to the best advantage, and losing everything was reduced to
extreme poverty. It was not as if he had wasted his patrimony in riotous living, as
many rich people have the habit of doing, but that shipwrecks and various other
failures had caused his downfall. So from the heights of opulence he became one of
the poorest, as the Psalmist says, 'They ascend to the heavens, and descend into
the abyss' (Psalms 107.26). This young man once far above being worried by money,
was now brought low and in need.
The blessed Apollinaris heard about this and saw how much misery and poverty the
young man had fallen into. He took pity on his situation, his parents having been so
well endowed, and would gladly have helped him by supplying him with food, but felt
that that would be somewhat embarrassing. But his heartstrings were touched every
time he saw him, with his mean clothing and sallow face showing how povertystricken
he was. While the pontifex was worrying about all this one day, by divine
inspiration he hit upon a marvellous plan, typical of the great and holy man he was.
He summoned the Nomicus, or treasurer of the holy church.
"Can you do something for me very secretly, Master Treasurer," he asked.
"I trust in the Son of God, sir, that I shall tell nobody of whatever instructions you may
give me, nor shall anyone learn from me whatever you may share with me, your
servant."
"Go then, and write out a bond for fifty pounds of gold which the holy church owes to
Macarius the father of this wretched youth. Fix a signature to it, and conditions, and
rates of interest and bring it back to me."
With all speed the treasurer immediately did as the pontifex had asked, and brought
the bond back to him. But since the young man's father had been dead ten years, the
paper on which the bond was written looked rather too new.
"Come, Sir Treasurer," said the pontifex, "bury this bond in the wheat or barley bin for
a few days, and then bring it back to me."
On the day appointed he brought back the bond, which looked rather ancient after
what he had done to it, and gave it to the pontifex.
"Now, Sir Treasurer, go to the young man and say to him. 'What will you give me if I
hand over to you a bond for a considerable sum of money which is owed to you?' But
see that you do not accept more than three numismata for giving him the bond."
"Truly, my lord, if you were to say, I would not accept anything."
"No, I want you to take three numismata."
So he went to the young man as he had been told.
"Would you give me three numismata if I were to show you something of great value
to yourself?" he asked.
He promised he would.
"Five or six days ago," the treasurer pretended, "while turning out some ecclesiastical
files, I found this bond, and I remembered that your father Macarius, who trusted me,
had handed it over to me on some occasion. It has been with me since he died. I had
completely forgotten about it, and had never thought of handing it back to him."
"This person who owes the money," said the young man, "is he wealthy?"
"Yes, indeed he is, and well-intentioned. You will be able to recover the debt from him
without any trouble."
"God knows I haven't any money at present, but if I get back what is mine I will give
you what you asked and even more than three numismata."
And then the treasurer gave him the bond for fifty golden pounds.
He took it and hurried to the pontifex, and prostrating himself before him gave him
the bond. He looked at it, read it, and then pretended to be very upset.
"Where have you been all this time?" he said. "Your father has been dead for ten
years. Get away, I'm not going to meet this now."
"Truly, my lord, it has not been in my possession. Your treasurer has had it and I
knew nothing about it. But may God have mercy upon him for giving it back to me
now, saying that he had found it among his papers at home."
"Well, I'll think about it. Leave the bond with me and give me some time."
After a week he returned to the bishop to plead with him.
"Why have you waited so long before presenting this bond?" he asked, making as if
to be unwilling to give him any money.
"God knows, my lord, that I haven't got enough to feed my family. If you have any
inspiration from God, have mercy on me."
Then the holy Apollinaris pretended that this prayer had persuaded him.
"All right, I will give you the whole sum. All I ask, brother, is that you don't ask the holy
church for any interest on it."
"I will do whatever you want or command. If you wish to take something out of the
principal, do so."
"No, no. It is enough that you forego the interest."
And so he handed over the fifty pounds of gold, and let him go, reminding him again
not to ask for interest.
Such was the work of that great Apollinaris, such was his holy trickery and
compassion. And by means of his holy blessing, God looked with such favour on the
young man that he emerged from poverty and was restored to his former state and
position, and excelled in good works and wealth even more than his parents, and
especially grew in great strength of soul.

Chapter CXCIV
The rebuke given by an OLD MAN of Scete to a monk who went into a tavern.

An old man from Scete once went into Alexandria to sell his wares and saw a young
monk going into a brothel. The old man was greatly distressed and waited outside for
the young man to come out. As soon as he did, the old man took the younger by the
hand and took him apart.
"Don't you realise, brother, that you are wearing the angelic habit? Is this just youthful
ignorance on your part? Don't you know how many are the snares of the enemy? Are
you not aware of the many dangers lying in wait for monks in cities, through the eyes,
the ears, and in various other shapes and disguises. And yet you have gone boldly
into a brothel, hearing things you should not want to hear, and seeing harmful things
in the company of shameless men and women. Please don't, my son, don't act like
this, but fly to the desert where with God's help you may be saved."
"Go on, old man," the younger man replied. "All God asks for is purity of heart."
"Glory to God," the old man said, lifting up his hands to the heavens. "Here have I
spent fifty-five years in Scete and I have not yet got purity of heart. And yet this man
possesses purity of heart even in the midst of a tavern. God keep you, my brother,
and let me not be confounded of my hope."

Chapter CXCV
The life of EVAGRIUS the philosopher, converted to the faith of Christ by Synesius,
bishop of Cyrene.

When we were at Alexandria, Leontius of Apamia, a most faithful and religious man,
arrived from Pentapolis, for he had been living for many years in Cyrene. This was in
the days of Eulogius, the holy patriarch of Alexandria, who later became bishop of
that same city of Cyrene. In the course of some friendly conversation with us,
Leontius told us the following story.
In the time of the most blessed Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, the bishop of
Cyrene was a philosopher called Synesius. When he came to Cyrene, he met up with
a philosopher called Evagrius, who had been a companion of his when studying the
liberal arts. He was a dearly beloved friend, although a pagan, much given to the
worship of idols. Bishop Synesius did everything he could to convert him from idols to
the worship of Christ. He took an immense amount of trouble upon himself in this
matter, for the great love that he had for him of old. Evagrius put up with this
treatment rather grudgingly, for he had no desire to accept Synesius' teaching. But
the bishop, for the great affection which he had for him refused to become tired of
trying, continued daily to urge him and teach him and persuade him to believe in
Christ and receive his Sacraments. Evagrius replied to his persistent teaching.
"Truly, my lord bishop, among other things which I can't stand about Christians is the
fact that they say that this world will come to an end, and all the people from the very
beginning will rise with their bodies, to be clothed in immortal and incorruptible flesh
and live for ever, and will be rewarded according to their works. Compassion on the
poor will be rewarded by God, for those who share their money with the poor and
needy will find treasure in heaven, and will be returned a hundredfold in the
regeneration to eternal life bestowed on them by Christ. Everything they say seems
to me to be a ridiculous deception, a fable."
But Synesius asserted that everything in Christianity was true, there was nothing
false or contrary to truth, and he cited many documents to try and persuade him.
And at last he did succeed in converting Evagrius, and he baptised him and his sons
and his whole household. Furthermore, not long after the baptism he gave three
hundred pounds of gold to the bishop for distribution to the poor.
"Take this gold and give it to the poor," he said, "and write me a bond, so that Christ
may honour it in the next life."
He took the gold and gladly gave him the bond he had asked for.
Some years later this philosopher became mortally ill. On the point of death he gave
instructions to his sons.
"When you are arranging my funeral, put this document in my hands and bury it with
me."
On his death the sons did exactly as they had been requested and buried the bond
with him. The third day after the burial, he appeared to bishop Synesius as he was
sleeping at night.
"Come to the tomb where I am buried", he said, " and take back your bond.
Satisfaction has been made. I have had the debt repaid, and lest you should have
any doubt about this, I have receipted it with my own hand."
Now the bishop did not know that the bond had been buried with him, but next
morning he summoned the man's sons.
"Did you, by any chance, inter anything in the tomb with your father?"
"Nothing, apart from the usual grave clothes," they replied, thinking that the bishop
must have been talking about coins.
"No document at all buried with him?"
They still did not know that he was talking about a bond as such.
"Oh yes, my lord," they said, "he did give us some document or other when he was
dying and told us to bury him with the document in his hands, but not to let anyone
know."
Then the bishop told them of the dream he had had that night, and he took them to
the tomb, along with some clerics and leading citizens. They opened the tomb and
found the philosopher lying there, still with the bond in the bishop's handwriting
clutched in his hand. But something had been added to it in the philosopher's
handwriting:
"I, Evagrius, philosopher, bid you, my most holy lord bishop Synesius, greeting. I
have received payment for the debt herein written by your hand, and have no further
claim against you for the money which I gave you, and through you to Christ our God
and Saviour."
All those present were absolutely amazed at what they were reading and for the next
few hours did not stop crying Kyrie Eleison, glorifying the God who does wonderful
things, and gives his servants such great proofs of how he keeps his promises.
This same lord Leontius declared that the bond receipted by the philosopher had
been preserved right up to the present day, and was kept in the sacristy of the church
of that holy Cyrenian, and whenever a new sacristan was installed, he was charged
to take care of it with all diligence along with all the other holy vessels, and finally to
hand it over whole and undamaged to his successor.

Chapter CXCVI
The miracle which happened to the CHILDREN of Apamia, when in play they
repeated the words of the prayer of consecration.

Gregorius, the bishop of an African province, was a most faithful man, a lover of
monks and the poor, always rejoicing in everything that was good. He told us the
following story from his home town of Thorax in the province of Apamia, the second
province of Syria:
There is a farm about forty miles from the city called Gonagus, where the children
used to feed the cattle out in the fields. As children will, they enjoyed playing games,
and as they were playing one of them said to the others:
"Let's celebrate Mass, and offer the sacrifice and receive communion, just as the
presbyter does in the holy church."
They all thought it was a great idea, and decided on one of them being the ordained
presbyter, and two other boys the ministers. They were out in a level area where they
were able to choose a large rock to serve as an altar, on which they placed some
bread and an earthenware vessel containing wine. The one acting as a presbyter
stood in the middle, with the two ministers one on each side of him. The 'presbyter'
said the words of the holy oblation, and the other two stirred the air by using the
scarves [fasciolae, 'small bandages'] they wore as fans. The 'presbyter' was familiar
with the words of consecration because it was the custom in church for boys to serve
at the altar and they were the first after the presbyters to receive the communion of
the holy and worshipful mysteries of Christ our God. Since it was the custom in some
places for the presbyter to say the prayers of the holy sacrifice out loud, the boys had
learnt them from hearing them so often as they stood nearby.
When all had been done according to the custom of the church up to the breaking of
the bread and communion, fire fell from heaven on to the altar and burnt everything
up, so that nothing remained, neither stone nor anything that had been placed on it.
This happened so suddenly that the boys all fell to the ground in fright, and remained
there for a long time, half dead, speechless, not able to get up. When they did not
return home at the usual time (for they just lay terror-struck on the ground), their
parents came out from the village to find out why. When they found all the boys lying
insensible on the ground, unaware of anything around them, they cried out to them
but received no answer. They picked them up and carried them home, each his own
son, while they could do nothing but gaze on the boys as they continued in this kind
of trance. They were completely dumbfounded, not having the faintest idea of the
reason for their unconscious state, and having no way of being able to find out. For
however often they flung their questions at them all day long they could not get an
answer, and so could not understand what had happened.
A whole day and night passed by before the boys little by little began to come to
themselves. They related everything that had been done and what had happened to
them, and they took their parents and all the local inhabitants out to show them the
place in which the miracle had occurred, and pointed out to them the traces left of the
fire that had fallen from heaven.
As they gradually took in what had happened and became convinced by the signs left
behind, they ran back to the city and told the bishop everything. He was
overwhelmed by how great this unusual miracle was, and hastened out with all his
clerical staff to interview the boys. Having heard what they had to say and inspected
the traces of celestial fire, he put all the boys into a monastery. Over the place itself
he built a very extensive monastery, putting the holy altar of the church on the very
spot where the fire had fallen.
That most faithful man, lord Gregory, told us that he had seen one of the boys himself
and knew that he was a monk in the monastery where the miracle had occurred. And
Gregory, that venerable man, bore witness to this great and truly divine, stupendous
miracle that had happened in our own time.

Chapter CXCVII
The story told by RUFFINUS about the holy Athanasius and his childhood
companions.

Ruffinus, the ecclesiastical historian, tells a similar story from an earlier age about
children at play. The most holy Athanasius, bishop of the great city of Alexandria, was
a famous champion of the truth and an unparalleled teacher for the whole world, and
in his account of the childhood of Athanasius, Ruffinus describes how his future
elevation to the episcopate was divinely prefigured:
In writing down a few things about the men of old, it seemed right to me to gather
together the memories of their contemporaries about how they lived from their youth
up, and how they developed. So we go back to the time when the most holy
Alexander (he who condemned the ungodly Arius) presided over the church after
Achilles, as the holy Peter, archbishop and martyr, had predicted. One day when
Alexander was standing on a small rise looking out to sea, he saw some boys playing
on the shore as boys will. They were acting out ecclesiastical rituals, one of them
pretending to be a bishop. He watched them for some time, and could see that they
were trying out some of the greatest and most sacred mysteries. Disturbed by this,
he called his clergy and having showed them what he had seen, he told them to go
and get all the boys and bring them to him. As they stood before him he questioned
them about what their game was, what they had been doing and exactly how they
had done it. At first they were frightened, and, just like boys, denied everything. But
gradually they laid it all bare from beginning to end, and admitted that they had been
baptising catechumens at the hands of Athanasius whom they had chosen to be
bishop. He then thoroughly interrogated them about which ones had been baptised,
how they had done it, what had been the questions and what the responses. He
realised that everything had been done in accordance with the rituals of our religion,
and having discussed the matter with his clerics, he declared that since all had been
solemnly done by question and answer, there would be no need to baptise them
again, as they had carried out everything that the priests usually did. Next, he called
their parents together, and calling on God as his witness he enrolled Athanasius in
the church, to be instructed there along with all those who [in play] had been his
priests and deacons.
After a short while, Athanasius was able to read and write perfectly [a Notario
perfecte instructus esset], and was fairly proficient in Grammar. He was like a bond
deposited in good faith by God, and his parents therefore handed him over as
destined for the priesthood. From then on he was nurtured like Samuel in the temple,
and whenever Alexander in his old age visited his bishops, Athanasius followed him
wearing the vestment (amictus) of priesthood, which in Hebrew is the Ephod.
The battles of Athanasius against the heretics in the church were so many and so
famous that you would have thought that these words of scripture had been written
especially for him: 'I will show him how much he must suffer for my sake' (Acts 9.16).
For the whole world conspired to persecute him, kings of the earth and the nations
were moved, and kingdoms and armies gathered against him. But he relied on the
power of divine wisdom, where it says: 'Though a host should stand against me, yet
shall my heart not be afraid. If war rise up against me, even in this I will not lose
hope.' (Psalms. 27.3). He achieved so many great things that I cannot be persuaded
there have ever been any greater. One can only be struck dumb by the multitude of
his deeds. The mind falls into confusion in trying to decide what to write down about
him, what to leave out. So we just call to mind a few things. His reputation will tell of
everything else, it will tell how even in small things truth was paramount for him, and
nothing can be added to truth.

Chapter CXCVIII
The reply of the holy ATHANASIUS, bishop of Alexandria, as to whether anyone can
be baptised without faith.

After the aforesaid holy Athanasius became bishop of Alexandria, he was once asked
whether it was possible for anyone without faith to be baptised according to the
rituals and teachings of the Christians, and what should we think of anyone who was
baptised pretending to have faith or on some other pretext, and how would God
receive such a person. Athanasius replied:
"I heard once from our elders that an angel in human form appeared to blessed
Peter, bishop and martyr, when there were somemortally ill people taking refuge in
Baptism because they were afraid of death. The angel said: 'Why are you turning out
so many empty vessels (marsupia,pouches) even though they have been signed
[with the cross]. They are utterly worthless and empty, with no inner life.' So as far as
one can judge, from what the angel said, there are those who bear the sign of
Baptism simply because they thought that if they were to be baptised they might get
something out of it [ forgiveness of sins], and that is the only reason that they were
baptised."

Chapter CXCIX
The story of a rather simple OLD MAN, who saw Angels when offering the
Sacrament.

One of the fathers told us about an old man living a pure and holy life who used to
see Angels standing on the right and on the left when offering the Sacrament.
However, he had learnt his rite of consecration from heretics, so because he was
rather simple and unversed in divine doctrine, he was saying things which were not in
accordance with the true faith when making the offering, unaware that he was in
error.
But one day by divine providence a deacon was with him who was skilled in divine
doctrine, and he was there when the holy old man was offering the sacrifice.
""The words you use in making the offering," he said to the old man, "are those of
heretics, men of erroneous opinions."
But because the old man saw Angels when making the offering he was not troubled,
and took no notice of what the deacon said but treated him with derision. The
deacon, however, persisted.
"You are wrong, abba," he said "for the Catholic faith of mother Church does not
admit of the words you use."
The old man began to realise that the deacon was really serious in his arguments,
and the next time he saw the Angels at the saving oblation as usual he spoke to
them.
"This deacon here tells me this and that. Why should he be telling the truth?"
"Listen to him," said the Angels, "for he does speak the truth and is on the right path."
"Why haven't you told me this, then?"
"God has so decreed that humans should be corrected by humans."
And from that time on he was corrected, giving thanks to God and his brother.

Chapter CC
How a YOUTH who was a goldsmith was adopted by a nobleman as his heir.

One of the holy fathers told us about a gifted youth who was apprenticed to a
goldsmith in order to learn the trade. After he had been learning for some time, a
certain nobleman asked that a golden cross should be made, ornamented with
precious stones, so that he might offer it to the church. And since the young
apprentice was proving himself to be very creative, his master gave the task to him.
This gave the young man cause for thought.
"If this man can offer so much money to Christ," he said to himself, "why shouldn't I
put my wages into it, so that Christ will take note that it is mine, just as he did the
widow's two mites." So he calculated the amount that he would receive in wages,
borrowed that amount, and put it into the cross.
The nobleman came and weighed the cross before the stones were set in it, and
found that it was heavier than he had asked for. He turned on the young man and
accused him of fraudulently adulterating the gold.
"He who alone can search the secrets of the heart knows that I have done no such
thing," he said. "But when I saw how much money you were offering to Christ the
Lord, I thought that if I could put my wages into it I could share with you, so that
Christ would accept me just as he accepted the widow's two mites."
"Is that what you really thought, my son?" he asked in astonishment.
"It is indeed."
"In thinking like this you have given your whole self to Christ, and since you want to
share with me, look, I take you as from today as my son, and make you my heir."
And he did take him to himself, and he did make him his heir.

Chapter CCI
The life of a NOBLEMAN of Constantinople whose father at death left him to the
guardianship of Christ.

One of the fathers told us the following story:
I had occasion once to go to Constantinople and I was sitting in the church when a
nobleman came in. He was of a well known family, and also of great faith. When he
saw me, he came up and greeted me warmly, then sat down and began to question
me on matters to do with the salvation of the soul. I said to him that the things of
heaven are given to them who put aside the things of the earth .
"Well said, father," he said. "He is blessed who puts all his hope in God and commits
himself wholly to God. I am the son of someone who was very famous in the world.
This father of mine was greatly devoted to almsgiving, and gave a great deal to the
poor. One day he called me and showed me how much money he had. "'Son, would
you rather,' he said, 'that I leave you all this money or simply leave you to the
guardianship of Christ?'
"'I prefer Christ,' I said, delighted that he should have asked me this question, 'For all
these things were once, today are, and tomorrow will perish, but Christ remains for
ever.'
"Hearing this, he gave to the poor with an even greater generosity, so that when he
died he had hardly anything at all to leave me. But poor though I was, I went humbly
on, putting all my hope in Christ to whom he had left me.
"Now there was another very rich man, a leading citizen, whose wife feared God with
a deep faith. They had an only daughter.
"'What does this only daughter of ours stand in need of,' the wife asked her husband,
'since God has blessed us with so much worldly goods? We could look into the
possibility of marrying her to someone else who is important and rich, but if he were a
bad-living man, he might be forever beating her. So let us look out for a humble man
who fears God, who will love her and cherish her for God's sake.'
"'I think you are right,' he replied. 'So go into the church, offer some fervent prayer,
then sit down, and let the first person that comes in after that be the one whom the
Lord sends us as bridegroom.'
"So she did as her husband had bidden her, and after she had prayed and sat down
it was I who was the first person to come in. She sent her servant away, and
approached me and began to question me.
"'Who are you, exactly?' she asked.
"'I am the son of so-and-so of this city,' I said.
"'The famous almsgiver?'
"'Yes, I am his son.'
"'Are you married?'
"'No' - and I told her what my father had said to me and what I had replied.
"'Glory to God," she said. "Your good guardian has now provided you with a wife and
wealth, and you must use both in the fear of God.'
"And she entrusted her daughter and her wealth to me, and I pray that I may follow in
my father's footsteps to the very end."

 
Chapter CCII
The life of ABIBAS, a lay person's son, a servant of God

One of the fathers told us about a layman who had a very devout son, very
committed, accustomed to being very abstemious from early childhood, so much that
he did not even drink wine. His greatest desire was to live in solitude. His father
wanted to get him involved in business but had no success, as the son simply could
not endure it. He had other brothers but he was the eldest. Since he distanced
himself so firmly from what his father wanted, his father cursed him roundly and
particularly ridiculed his continence.
"Why can't you be like your brothers? Why won't you take part in our business?"
But he stayed silent, and everyone loved him for his piety and modesty.
Now when the father was about to die, some of his family and other friends of Abibas
(for that was the young man's name) who thought that he must really hate Abibas,
judging by the way in which he had cursed him, got together and decided to beg the
father not to deprive the son of his inheritance. For he was very rich.
"We have come to you with a request," they said as they stood round him.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
"We are pleading with you that you don't neglect Abibas."
"You are pleading with me about him?"
"Yes, we are."
"Call him here."
They all thought that as usual he was intending to heap curses upon him, but when
Abibas entered his father said:
"Come closer."
And when he had done so the father clasped the son's feet, weeping.
"Forgive me, my son," he said, "and pray to God that he will forgive me for the way in
which I have mistreated you. You have been seeking Christ; my motives have been
all of this world."
He then called his other sons.
"Abibas now will be your lord and father," he said. "Do whatever he tells you. It will be
in his power to decide what each of you should have."
And this met with their approval.
As soon as the father was dead, Abibas shared out everything among the brothers.
His own share he gave to the poor, keeping nothing for himself. He built himself a
little cell in which he could live as a solitary, but no sooner had he finished building
than he fell ill, and was in danger of death.
One of his brothers was with him, and it was on the feast of the holy Apostles.
"Go and celebrate with your family," he said.
"How could I possibly go away and leave you?"
"Just go, and if my hour is come, I will call you."
And when he did feel the time had come he went to the window [of his cell] and
knocked on it. The brother had been keeping an eye on it, and Abibas waved to him,
saying, "Come". No sooner had he come than Abibas gave up his spirit to God.
And they all wondered, giving glory to God, and saying, "It was the abundance of
charity with which he loved Christ that brought him to such a worthy end."

Chapter CCIII
The story of a certain JEWELLER who saved his life at sea by means of a wise plan

One of the fathers told us about a certain jeweller, who gathered together some
precious stones, gems and pearls and took ship with his sons on a business trip. In
the providence of God he took a great liking to a boy on board who waited on him.
He was very kind to this boy, sharing his own food with him. One day the boy heard
the sailors talking among themselves, making plans to throw the jeweller into the sea
for the sake of the jewels. The next time he came to offer his usual services to the
jeweller it was with a very long face.
"Why are you looking so glum today, my son?" he asked. But he said nothing and
tried to hide his grief.
"Come, tell me truly, what is the matter with you?"
"Thus and thus, have they made a plot against you," he said, bursting into tears."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, this is what they have decided to do to you."
The jeweller called his sons to him.
"What I shall tell you to do, see that you carry it out implicitly and without fail."
He laid out a cloth and told them to fetch his jewel cases, which he opened up and
spread the jewels out on the cloth so that they could all see them.
"Is this what life is all about?" he said. "Am I in danger because of these? Must I do
battle with the sea? And shortly die? Can I take anything with me out of this world?
Throw all these things into sea."
In obedience to his words they picked them all up and threw them overboard. And the
sailors were stupefied, knowing that their plans had been thwarted.

Chapter CCIV
How a religious WOMAN who feared God put to flight a monk's evil desires.

One of the fathers said:
There was a brother who got bitten by a serpent and went into the town to find a
cure. A certain religious woman who feared God agreed to take him in and cure him.
When he had nearly recovered from the poison the devil began to stir up lustful
thoughts in him, and he tried to take her by the hand.
"Not so, father," she said. "Fear God. Bring to mind the grievous penances and
remorse that you have endured in your cell. Think of the groans and tears which you
have poured out."
After listening to this and other similar warnings the devil's attack departed from him.
He was deeply embarrassed, and thought to depart immediately, unable for very
shame to look her in the face.
"No, don't go, father," she said, pitying him 'in the bowels of Christ' (Colossians 3.12),
"You still need some more poultices. Those thoughts of yours were not entirely your
own fault, but came from the deceiving suggestions of the devil in hell."
And thus she was able to cure him and send him on his way with a blessing and no
scandal.

Chapter CCV
The story of another prudent WOMAN who repulsed a monk's advances with her
wise words.

One of them told us about someone else in a coenobium, who used to be sent out on
monastery business. Whenever he went into the village, he used to stay with a
certain devout layman who lived there. This man had a recently widowed daughter
living with him who had lived with her husband for one or two years. As the brother
went in and out among them he began to be infatuated with her, which being a
prudent woman she soon recognised, and so took care to keep out of his sight as far
as possible. But one day her father had to go into the city on some necessary
business leaving her alone in the house.
The brother came to visit according to his usual custom and found her alone.
"Where is your father?" he asked.
"He is away in the city."
He immediately began to struggle in a great interior battle, filled with a desire to force
himself on her.
"Don't struggle," she said, very prudently. "My father will not be back until evening.
Here we are, both of us, but I know that you monks never do anything without
praying about it, so go and pray to God, and whatever he puts into your heart, let's do
that."
But he would not agree to that and got even more agitated.
"Haven't you ever been with a woman?" she asked, observing his agitation.
"No, but I would love to know what it is like."
"You are getting all aroused, but you don't know how smelly we unfortunate women
are. I am having my period at present," wanting to dampen his passion down, "and
no one could come near me without ceasing to breathe because of the smell."
Listening to her saying these things and much more, he was stricken with
compunction, and came to himself and wept.
"See now," she said when she realised he had calmed down, "if I had listened to you
and given in, we would have committed a great sin, and after that how could you
have looked my father in the face (lit. 'with what face, with what eyes would you have
been able to look at my father')? And when you got back to the monastery, how
would you have been able to listen to those holy men singing psalms? I implore you
to be sober and vigilant, so as not lose the fruits of all your labour, and to be deprived
of eternal reward because of one brief failure of will."
This brother took what she was saying to heart. He had suffered temptation and
drawn back from it and he gave thanks to God who through the prudence and
modesty of a woman had snatched him back lest he be overthrown and perish. He
went back to the monastery and did penance for his sin.

Chapter CCVI
The means by which a certain aristocratic LADY was taught docility (mansuetudo).

One of the fathers told us of an aristocratic lady of senatorial rank who was on a
pilgrimage to worship at the holy places. When she got to Caesarea, she decided to
rest for a while and visited the bishop.
"Could you send me one of your nuns (virgines)," she asked him, "to instruct me and
teach me how to fear God?"
So the bishop chose a nun noted for her humility and sent her to the lady. After a
while, the bishop went back to visit her.
"How is that nun I sent you getting on?" he asked.
"She is a very good person, but not much use to my soul, for she lets me please
myself in everything, because she is so humble."
So the bishop sent a rather more severe nun to her who criticised her, calling her a
'stupid little rich woman' and other uncomplimentary things.
After a while the bishop once more enquired.
"How is that other nun behaving herself?"
"She really is doing my soul a great deal of good."
And this is how the lady acquired docility.

Chapter CCVII
The life of a GIRL of Alexandria, who was lifted out of the sacred font by holy Angels.

Abbots Theonas and Theodore told us that in the time of the patriarch Paul, there
was a girl of very rich parents who was left an orphan. She had not as yet been
baptised. One day she was walking in the orchard which her parents had left her (for
there are orchards even in the midst of the city), when she saw a man preparing a
noose to strangle himself with. She ran over to him.
"What are you doing, man!" she said.
"Leave me alone, woman, for I am in deep trouble."
"Tell me why, and perhaps I may be able to help you."
"I am heavily burdened by debt, and my creditors are almost suffocating me, so I
choose rather to put an end to my life than go on living like this."
"I beg you, take what I have, and settle your debts. Only do not destroy yourself." And
truly she gave him her all.
But then she found herself in difficulties, not having enough left to live on. Deprived of
parental care she took to prostitution to earn a living.
People who knew her and what her parents had been like wondered among
themselves.
"Who can understand all this except God alone? Perhaps God has allowed her soul
to fall into sin for some reason known to him alone and for the time being he has
abandoned her."
Not long after this the girl became ill, and coming to herself she was consciencestricken
and approached her neighbours.
"For the Lord's sake have pity on my soul and beg the Pope to make me a Christian."
But they all turned her away.
"Who is going to take her on, harlot that she is!" And they persecuted her mercilessly.
In these narrow straits she found herself in the presence of an Angel in the shape of
a man, who took compassion on her.
"I want to become a Christian," she said, "but there is no one willing to speak for me."
"Is that what you really want?" he asked.
"Yes, indeed, sir, and please, will you ask for this to be given me?"
"Don't be sad any longer", he said. "I will bring you some people who will speak for
you." And he brought two other holy Angels to her who led her into the church,
transformed into very aristocratic personages, well known members of the Augustal
class. They called the clerics, a presbyter and a deacon, who were in charge.
"Will your charity make the promises for her?" the clerics asked.
"Yes indeed, we will promise for her."
So they took her to Baptism, and lifted her up, clothed in the white garments of the
newly baptised. They put her down, and vanished.
When she went home, the neighbours saw that she was clothed in white.
"Who has baptised you then?" they asked.
She told them the whole story.
"There were some people who came and took me into the church, spoke for me to
the clerics and had me baptised."
"Who were they?"
"I can't really tell you who they were!"
The neighbours went to report it to the bishop, and the bishop spoke to the clerics in
charge of baptisms.
"It was you who baptised this woman?"
"Yes, we baptised her at the request of two Augustal people."
The bishop summoned the two people whom the clerics had named.
"Was it you who vouched for this woman's faith?"
"We don't know anything about it; we didn't even know that it had been done."
Then the bishop realised the truth.
"This is the work of God," he said.
He got the girl to come and see him.
"Tell me, my daughter," he said, "about any good deeds you have done."
"I am only a very poor little prostitute. What good could I have possibly done?"
"You have never ever done anything good at all?"
"No - except that I once saw a man trying to strangle himself because of being
pressurised by creditors, and I liberated him by giving him all my money."
And as she said this, she fell asleep in the Lord, freed from all her sins, both
voluntary and involuntary. And the bishop glorified the Lord.
"Thou art just, O Lord, and thy judgments are right." (Pslams, 119.137)

 
Chapter CCVIII
The beautiful advice of an OLD MAN to a brother fighting against depression.

A brother fighting against depression sought advice from one of the old men.
"What shall I do? For I am attacked by thoughts telling me that it was a complete
waste of time to have renounced the world, and salvation is beyond my reach."
"Don't you know, brother," the old man said, "that even if you cannot enter the
promised land it is better to perish in the desert than to go back to Egypt."

Chapter CCIX
The beautiful explanation that A MAN gave of the meaning of the words And lead us
not into the time of testing in the Lord's prayer.

One of the holy men said that when we pray to the Lord, 'Lead us not into the time of
testing', we are not praying not to be tested (for that is impossible), but that we may
not be swallowed up by the testing, if we do anything displeasing to Christ. This is
what it means not to enter into the testing. For the holy martyrs were tested by
tortures, but were not overcome. They were not swallowed up by the testing, just as
anyone fighting with beasts is not swallowed up as long as he has not been eaten.
When he has been eaten, then he has been swallowed up by the testing. It is like this
in every attack of the passions. As long as we are not overcome by the passion we
have not been swallowed up by the test.

Chapter CCX
How a holy BISHOP in disagreement with another bishop conquered by means of
humility

One of the fathers told us about two neighbouring bishops between whom a quarrel
had arisen. One of them was rich and clever, the other very humble. The clever one
was doing everything in his power to discredit the other. When the latter realised
what was happening he spoke to his clerics about it.
"By the grace of Christ, it is possible we can win," he said.
"Who could possibly prevail against him, my lord?"
"Just be patient for a while, and you will witness the mercy of God."
He waited for a day when the clever bishop was celebrating a feast of the martyrs,
and he called his clerics to him and said:
"Follow me, and whatever you see me doing, you do the same, and we shall come
out victorious."
"Whatever are you thinking of doing?" they wondered.
However, they approached the bishop as he was processing with the whole
population of the town singing a Litany. He fell at his feet along with all his clerics,
saying:
"Forgive us, my lord. We are your servants."
He was astonished and conscience stricken by such a display of humility from a
bishop, and the Lord touched his heart. He grasped the other's feet and said:
"You are my lord and father."
From that day on the greatest charity and concord was established between them.
The humble bishop explained it to his cleric thus:
"Have we not conquered by the grace of Christ? So then, if you have an enemy do
likewise and you will be victorious."
And the old man added: "The humble man has more glory than a king, does he not?
For the king is praised for his appearance, the humble man is praised always and
everywhere, and is called blessed."

Chapter CCXI
How an OLD MAN freed from prison the brother who had stolen his goods.

A certain abbot told us that near our coenobium there was a most gentle old man of
great virtue. In a neighbouring cell there was a brother who, one day when the old
man was absent, by the instigation of the devil went in to the old man's cell and stole
his books and vessels. The old man came back and saw his door was open, went in
and found that his vessels and all his books had gone. He went to the brother to tell
him what had happened and found the vessels still out in the open, for the brother
had not had time to put them away. The old man did not want to embarrass the
brother or start an argument with him, so he pretended that he had a sudden call of
nature and went out. He stayed out quite some time, giving the brother time to
remove the vessels and hide them. When the old man did eventually go back he
began to talk to the brother about something quite different and did not remonstrate
with him at all.
After a few days the theft was discovered by some of the brothers, and they put him
in prison without the old man knowing anything about it. When he did discover,
however, that the brother was in prison, but not knowing why, he came to our
monastery, which is something which he quite often did, and made me a request.
"Do me a kindness, and let me have some food supplies."
"You've got a guest with you, perhaps?
"Indeed, yes."
The old man gathered these foodstuffs up in order to go to the brother in prison with
some comfort and cheer. And as soon as he entered, the brother threw himself at the
old man's feet.
"It is because of a crime against you, abba, that I am here. I am the one who stole all
your things. But look, one of your books and your cloak are in such a place, and the
other things are in this place and also that place."
"Well, my son, I didn't actually come here on that account - and you can be
absolutely sure about that. I had no idea that it was on my account that you are here.
But when I heard that you had been arrested, I was very sorry, and I came here to
cheer you up. See, I have brought you some food. And I will do everything I can to
see that you are released."
He went to see some of the people in authority, who took note that he was a man of
virtue, and they gave orders that the brother should be released from custody.

Chapter CCXII
How two OLD MEN displayed marvellous patience towards robbers.

An old man of great virtue was visiting us once when we were reading the lives and
sayings of the fathers, which this old man delighted in reading above all things. They
were always in his heart and in his speech, and he profited immensely from them.
We had got to the point in the reading where robbers entered an old man's cell, and
said:
"We are intending to take everything you have in your cell."
"Help yourselves, my sons, to everything you can see."
And they gathered up everything and went. The old man realised that they had
overlooked a little bag hanging up [on a hook], so he took it down and ran after them
shouting loudly.
"Take this also, my sons. You overlooked it in my cell."
They were astounded at the old man's tolerance, and put everything back in its place
in the cell.
"Truly here is a man of God," they said.
After we had read this, the old man said to me:
"I have found this a very profitable example, abba."
"How is that, father?"
"I read this when I was once living near the river Jordan, and were struck with
admiration for this old man. 'Lord God,' I said, 'who have deigned to call me to wear
this habit, make me worthy to follow in his footsteps.' I was burning with the greatest
desire to imitate him, and after two days some robbers did come and knock on my
door. 'Thanks be to God,' I said to myself. 'It is time for my desire to bear fruit.' I
opened the door, greeted them kindly, lit a lamp, and began to show them everything.
'Don't worry,' I said to them, 'I put my trust in the Lord. I won't keep anything back
from you.' They asked me if I had any gold, and I said that I had three numismata,
which I put before them. They took them, and departed in peace."
"And did they come back to you, as those others did to that old man?" I asked.
"No, God did not allow that to happen. In any case, I would not have wanted them to
come back."

Chapter CCXIII
Why there are signs and divine wonders in the holy Church

An old man said:
Signs and divine wonders are done in the Church right up to the present day
because of those who have spewed forth ungodly heresies and who still do so today,
especially because of the pernicious schisms of that brainless Severianus and all the
rest of them. The signs are for the purpose of building up and consolidating weak
souls, and for converting those heretics if only they will. Marvels have been done in
the holy Catholic and apostolic Church from the beginning of the faith right up till now
by the holy fathers and most blessed martyrs.

Chapter CCXIV
The miracle of the Baptismal font in the state of COEANENSIS

The village of Soruba is at the foot of the mountains in the state of Coeanensis.
There is a baptistery there which at the feast of the Epiphany fills with water, getting
gradually deeper over a space of three hours. Once a Baptism has been performed
the water level begins to disappear, and after three hours has completely gone.

Chapter CCXV
Another baptismal miracle in the fortress of CEDEBRATIS

In the fortress of Cedebratis at the foot of the mountains in the state of Aenoandron,
there is a baptistery made out of one block of stone which fills up all by itself on the
holy paschal feast of the Resurrection. The water stays there till Pentecost; after
Pentecost it vanishes.
Both these miracles occur in the province of Lycia. If anyone does not believe this, let
him make the small journey to Lycia and test the truth for himself.

Chapter CCXVI
Prudent advice on the subject of not swearing rash oaths, and not keeping to what
has been rashly sworn.

Once when I was in the holy city, a certain man of the faith approached me.
"A certain antagonism has arisen between my brother and me," he said, "and he is
not willing to be reconciled with me. Could you go and see him and urge him to
relent."
I was quite happy to do so, so went to see him and spoke to him about the things
which make for charity and concord. He seemed to be agreeing with me for a while,
but then came out with an objection.
"I can't be reconciled," he said, "because I have sworn on the cross to be at odds
with him from that time forth."
I smiled!
"That oath of yours has as much force as if you had said 'By your precious cross, O
Christ, I swear that I will not obey your commandments but give myself over to your
enemy the devil'. We should not only abandon such things which we have spelled out
so wickedly, but also afflict ourselves with severe penances for wickedly determining
to do things contrary to our salvation. For if Herod had done penance and not carried
out the oath which he had foolishly uttered, he would never have committed the
dreadful crime of beheading the Forerunner of Christ. And Basil himself confirms this
opinion, when he uses the example from the scriptures of how the Lord wanted to
wash the feet of the blessed apostle Peter, who at first vigorously resisted and then
changed his mind.

Chapter CCXVII
The wise advice of an OLD MAN that a monk should not have dealings with a
woman.

An old man said:
My sons, salt is obtained from water, and if it is put back into water it dissolves and
disappears. Similarly a monk comes from a woman, but if he gets involved with a
woman, he likewise is dissolved and disappears and is no longer a monk.

Chapter CCXVIII
How abbot SERGIUS by his patience put to shame a farmer who raged at him.

Abbot Sergius, the superior of the monastery of abbot Constantine, told us the
following story:
Once when we were on a journey with a certain holy old man, we wandered off the
way, and without realising it found ourselves unintentionally in a newly planted field,
crushing the plants with our feet. When the farmer who was working there saw us, he
immediately unleashed a storm of angry abuse at us.
"Call yourself monks who fear God? If you had the fear of God before your eyes you
would certainly not have done that."
The holy old man turned to us;
"For the Lord's sake, don't any of you reply." Then turning to the farmer he said:
"You are quite right, my son. If we feared God we would not have done that."
But he kept on raging, and hurling invectives at us. The old man spoke to him again.
"You are telling the truth, my son, for if we were true monks we would not have done
what we did. But for the Lord's sake, please forgive us for we have sinned."
Overcome at last by such great humility, the farmer came nearer and fell at the feet of
the old man.
"No, it is I who have sinned. Forgive me, and for the Lord's sake, let me go with you."
And the blessed Sergius told us that the farmer followed them and took the habit.

Chapter CCXVIV
How a certain BROTHER by his humility was reconciled with a deacon who was
angry with him.

One of the senior men told us the following story from his own experience:
I stayed for a short time in the monastery of abbot Gerasimus where I shared a cell
with another brother, whom I dearly loved. As we were sitting together one day
talking about matters profitable to the soul, I happened to mention a certain saying of
abba Poemen.
"In my own experience," he said, "I have learned the strength and peacefulness of
those words of abba Poemen, as also their forceful efficacy. For I once had a deacon
in the monastery who was most dear to me, and whom I loved very much. Somehow
or other he came to suspect me of something which had upset him, and he began to
be quite miserable, and did not look upon me so kindly as he used to. Seeing that he
was so unhappy, I began asking him the reason.
"'Because of what you have done,' he said.
"I could not think of anything I had done, and tried to persuade him that my
conscience was completely clear.
"'Sorry, brother,' he said, 'but I am not convinced.'
"So I left him and went to my cell and examined my conscience as to whether there
was something I was guilty of, but could find nothing. So one day when he had the
holy chalice in his hands to give communion to the brothers, I went up to him and
swore on that very chalice that I had done nothing wrong. He would not accept that.
So I went back to my cell again, turning over in my mind the words of the holy
fathers. I believed in their truth, and little by little began to change my mind.
"'This deacon cares for me very deeply,' I said to myself, 'and it was out of charity that
he told me what was in his heart - that I should be sober and vigilant, and not try to
do anything more than just keep control of myself. Miserable wretch! you said you
had done nothing wrong, and yet you must have committed sins without number
which you are not aware of. Where are they, the sins I did yesterday, or three days
ago, or ten days ago? Recollect them if you can. Oh yes, there is this you have done,
and that, and this other thing you had forgotten about.' I was deeply moved, to realise
that there were these things I had done which had escaped my memory, and I gave
thanks to God, and also to the deacon, for it was through him that the Lord had seen
fit to convince me of my sins and do penance for them.
"I got up and went to the deacon to apologise and also thank him. When I knocked at
his door, he opened up immediately and got in first by prostrating himself in front of
me.
"'Forgive me brother,'he said. 'It was a demon who suggested to me that I should
suspect you falsely. Truly, God has convinced me of your innocence.'
"And he would not let me make any apology to him.
"'It's not necessary,' he said.
"So I was greatly edified, and glorified Father, Son and holy Spirit, the unchanging
and indivisible Trinity, to whom be honour, kingdom, power and glory and unto the
ages of ages. Amen."

End of Book X

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Appendix 3 to Vitae Patrum. Sayings of the Egyptian Fathers

By an unknown Greek author
Translated into Latin by Bishop Martin Dumiensis, 6th century

1.Abba John said to his disciples: "The Fathers ate only bread and salt, and thus
became strong in the work of God while inhibiting themselves. Let us also therefore
restrict ourselves to bread and salt, for it behoves the servants of God to be
constricted in this way for the Lord himself said that narrow was the gate and strait
the way that leads to life." (Matt.7.14)

2.A brother asked the same old man: "What is the effect of the fast and vigils that we
do?"And he replied: "They bring humility to the soul, as it is written in Scripture; 'Look
upon my adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin.' (Psalm 25.17) If your soul
strives like this, God will bring you mercy and strength."

3.Abba Poemenius said: "Have no truck with thoughts of sexual sin or slandering of
your neighbour; do not allow their venominto your mind. For if you once allow them
entry, you will immediately begin to feel how poisonous they are and that is the
beginning of losing your way. But rather by prayer and good works bring your enemy
to naught. Drive him back and you will have peace."

4.A brother asked an old man: "How should I deal with passionate thoughts, father?"
And the old man replied: "Pray to God that your eyes may see your salvation which
comes from God who surrounds you and preserves you."

5. A brother going to market asked Abba Poemenius: "How should I go about selling
my goods?" And the old man said: "Don't sell anything for more than it is worth, and if
you are pressurized, don't be upset by anyone who forcefully tries to beat you down,
but sell to him without losing your peace of mind. When I have been going to market I
have never wished to gain in my prices at my brother's expense, holding fast to the
hope that my brother's gain is a source of fruitfulness."
6. = V.iv.8
7. = V.x.56
8. = V.i.14
9. = V.xvii.20
10. (cf V.xv.11) An old man said: "In living with your neighbour be like a pillar of stone,
which does not get angry when insulted, or conceited when praised."
11. & 12. = V.iv.20
13. Similar to 11 & 12
14. = V.xvii.10
15. = V.x.34

16. Abba Macarius said: "If a monk is harmed or slandered by his brother, he is
himself at fault if he does not drive anger from his heart and hasten to make his
peace with him. The Shunamite would not have been found worthy to receiive Elisha
into her house unless she was innocent of any quarrel with anyone. Now the
Shunamite personifies the soul and Elijah the Holy Spirit, showing that the soul does
not deserve to receive the Holy Spirit unless it is pure. Unforgiving anger blinds the
eye of the heart and deprives the soul of prayer.

17. The brothers talked to Abba Poemenius about a brother who fasted in exemplary
fashion for six days a week but who had a dreadful temper, and asked whether this
could be acceptable. The old man replied: "Anyone who has learned to fast for six
days without conquering his bad temper needs to spend more time in a little hard
work at it."

18.Abba Poemenius had a brother monk living with him in his cell who had a quarrel
with another brother living outside their monastery. Abba Poemenius said to him:
"Brother, I wish you wouldn't pursue a quarrel with someone outside our monastery."
But the brother wouldn't listen to him. So Abba Poemenius went to another old man
and said to him: "My brother monk has a quarrel with someone outside our
monastery and we are getting no peace because of it."The old man said to him:
"Poemenius, do you mean to tell me that here you are, still alive? Go back to your
cell and think on the fact that by this time next year you may be in the grave."

19.While Abba Poemenius sat quietly in the cell, the brothers quarelled fiercely
among themselves, but Poemenius said nothing to them at all. When Abba
Paphnutius came in and found them wrangling, he said : "Why do you let them go on
without telling them to stop their arguments?" Poemenius said to him: "They are
brothers. They will make it up in due course." "How can you say that?" said
Paphnutius. "You can watch them quarrelling almost to the point of shedding blood,
and you can say they will make it up?"Abba Poemen said to him: "Brother, you
should think in your heart that I am not here at all." This was the quality of the
stillness and silence of Abba Poemenius.

 
20.Some heretics once visited Abba Poemenius and began to criticise the
Archbishop of Alexandria, but Poemenius said nothing. He simply called his disciple
and said: "Set the table and give them something to eat, and let them go in peace."

 
21.A brother asked Abba Poemenius: "How should you go about sitting in your cell?"
And he replied: "To sit in your cell is clearly to work with your hands, to meditate on
the word of God, to be still and eat bread in solitude. Sitting in hiddenness and
stillness he begins to discipline his thoughts. Wherever he goes he observes the
canonical hours of prayer, and does not fail to meditate in private. Thus he cultivates
a good way of life (bona conversatio) and departs from evil."

22. = V.iii.22
23. Abba Macarius said: "If a monk can learn to treat scorn as praise, poverty as
riches, and hunger as a feast, he will never die. If you believe in God and seek him in
everything you do, you cannot fall into unclean thoughts and the wiles of the devil."

24.An old man said: "Going, coming, or sitting or whatever it is you are doing, keep
God always before your eyes and the enemy has no terrors for you. Anyone who
keeps this thought in his mind is possessed of the power of God."

25. A brother said to Abba Peter: "In my cell my soul is at peace, but when I go out
and hear what the other brothers are talking about I get into a turmoil." The old man
replied: "You have the key to the door of your brother's mouth.""How do you mean?"
the brother asked. "It's you who ask him things," the old man said, "so he replies, and
you hear things you had rather not." The brother asked; "What should we do then
when we meet with a brother? How should we converse with him?""All teaching is
summed up in the one word, Mourning ('luctus' = mourning, grief, lamentation,
compunction).

26.A brother asked Abba Sisois: "At what point should one cut off one's emotions?"
(abscidere passiones, cut off passions) And the old man replied: "The moment any
emotion arises in your heart cut it off at once. The soul is very fragile, but be
prepared for battle lest you suffer defeat.

27.A brother asked Abba Agathon about his emotions, which he could not overcome.
The old man replied: "There is a large container of them inside you. Give them arrhas
retributionis ipsorum (?) and they will depart.

28.A brother visited a hermit who welcomed him gladly. When it came time to depart
he said: "I'm sorry, father, if I have interrupted your way of life."The hermit replied:
"My way of life, brother, is to receive in peace all who come, and take leave of them
in charity."

29.A brother asked an old man why it was that although God through the Holy
Scriptures promises the soul good things, nevertheless the soul does not desire to
rest in them but inclines after transitory and unclean things. The old man replied: "It is
because the soul has not yet tasted the joys of heaven which would make it seek
God whole-heartedly that it turns more readily to things unclean."
30.A brother asked an old man why it was that the soul savoured its emotions, and
he replied: "The soul delights in its emotions but it is the Spirit of God who keeps it in
check. We therefore should weep and take note of what in us is unclean, begging
God who can accomplish all things to cut off from us the seeds of evil. Mary kneeling
before the sepulchre wept, and straightway was in His presence. So it is with the soul
if it loves tears."
31.A brother said to an old man: "Give me, abba, a word whereby I may live," and he
replied: "Go, ask God to give you mourning and humility, and keep your own sins
always in mind."
32.It was said of Abba Poemonius that before leaving his cell to join the brothers in
church, he would sit still for an hour passing judgment on his own thoughts, and only
then would he go in.
33.A brother asked an old man what he should do about his sins, and he replied:
"Anyone who wants to be freed from sin can only be freed by tears, and anyone who
wants to build up virtue can only build with tears. The Scripture itself is tears. Our
fathers said this to their disciples: 'Weep. There is no other way to life except this.'"
34. = V.iii.13
35.Abba Moyses said: "If prayer and action do not go together, your labour is in vain.
So then, when you pray that your sins may be forgiven, make sure that you do not
offend again. When you have lost the desire to sin and walk permanently in the fear
of God, then God welcomes you with joy."
36.A brother asked an old man what one should do about all the temptations which
come upon one, and all the thoughts which come from the devil, and he replied:
"Weep always in the sight of the goodness of God, that he may make haste to come
to your aid. For it is written: 'The Lord is my helper and I shall triumph over my
enemies.'" (Psalm 118.7)
37.A brother asked an old man: "Suppose someone strikes a servant in punishment
for a fault, what should the servant say to his master?" And he replied: "Even if the
servant is not at fault, he should say: 'I have sinned. Have mercy on me.' and nothing
else. But if he recognises his sins and confesses what it is that he has done, his
master will forgive him."
38.A brother asked an old man where one should fly to if there were to be
persecution for the faith, and he replied: "Wherever you hear that people are
orthodox and faithful, fly there."
39. = V.ix.8
40.A brother asked an old man what he should do about the thoughts which troubled
him and the old man said: "Question them: 'What do I want with you? What need do I
have of you?' - and you will find peace. Be willing to be held in low esteem, cast selfwill
behind you, be careful for nothing, and your thoughts will cease to bother you."
41.A brother asked an old man: "How is that sometimes when singing psalms time
flies and I finish them quite quickly?" And he replied: "This is the sign of someone
who really loves God. It is only when depressed by the action of demons that we
need to drive ourselves vigorously, motivated by the fear of God and God's love."
42.The same old man said: "A fly will not come near a boiling pot, though it will alight
on a tepid one. Similarly, the devils fly from the monk who is burning with the divine
Spirit, though they will deceive a tepid one."He also said: "If persecuted by the
enemy, first of all fly, secondly fly, thirdly be like a great sword against them, get out
from under them, kill them."
43. = V.xiii.5
44.Some brothers from Scete once came to Abba John as he sat and worked in
silence and after they had greeted him he turned back ('conversus in alteram patrem',
sic, misprint for partem?)and began to work again. The brothers said to him: "John,
who was it gave you the monk's habit, and why did he not teach you when receiving
brothers to ask them to say a prayer or ask them to sit down?"John said to them:
"Sinners are never at leisure," to which Abba Theodore replied: "How right you are.
God does not require such requests from anyone who is in constant prayer and
penitence."
45.A brother asked Abba Poemen what he should do, and he replied: "The Scripture
says: 'I acknowledge my faults and my sin is ever before me.'" (Psalm 51.3)
46.A brother asked an old man what he should do and he replied: "Learn to love how
to do violence to yourself, unsheathe your sword and go to war."The brother said to
him: "My thoughts prevent me." The old man replied: "Scripture says: 'Call upon me
in the time of trouble, so will I hear thee and thou shalt praise me.' (Psalm 50.15) Call
upon God then and he will save you.
47. = V.iii.19
48. = V.iii.15
49. = V.xv.17
50. = V.xi.13
51.A brother asked an old man the meaning of : "When I was in prison you came to
me." And the old man replied: "The Lord accepts what is done to one's neighbour as
being done to himself. At the same time, since 'being in prison' is the same as 'being
in one's cell', anyone who in the cell constantly remembers God can quite properly
hear God addressing him with the words: 'I was in prison and you came to me.'"
52.A brother asked Abba Besarion: "What shall I do, for my thoughts trouble me?"
And he replied: "Just be still. Don't measure yourself up against those of great
reputation, but just be quiet in your own heart."
53.A brother asked Abba Antony what it meant that anyone should consider himself
as of no account. And he replied: "It means to consider yourself to be like an irrational
beast which has no discernment, as it is written in Scripture: 'I am become as it were
a beast before thee, nevertheless I am always by thee.' (Psalm 73.21-22)
54. = V.i.2
55.A brother asked an old man: "Is it a good thing to be highly regarded by people?"
He replied: "There is no virtue in that. Don't desire to be highly regarded by your
brethren. Run away from that."
56.A brother asked an old man the meaning of humility, and he replied: "Perfect
humility is shown in blessing those who do you evil." And the brother said: "What if
you can't rise to the measure of being able to do that?" And he replied: "Walk away
from it, and be still."
57.A brother asked an old man: "What makes a perfect monk?" And he replied:
"Humility. You are raised up to the heights in proportion as you are brought down low
through humility."
58.A brother asked an old man: "How can you keep on being humble?" And he
replied: "By keeping your sins constantly in mind."
59.Abba Poemenius groaned and said: "All the virtues except one are evident in my
cell, and it is by this one virtue that a man stands or falls." The brothers asked him
what this virtue was and he replied: "Always to accuse oneself."
60.A brother asked an old man: "Please pay me a visit if you think I am worthy to
wash your feet." But he would not. A second and a third time he asked with the same
result. At last he went to the old man's cell and did penance before him, beseeching
him to visit him in his cell. And the old man agreed. The brother asked him: "How was
it that you didn't come all the times I asked you before?" And the old man replied:
"When it was with words only that you asked, I wasn't persuaded in my heart that I
should come. But when I saw in you the monastic virtue of humility, then I came with
joy."
61.An old man said: "How can anyone teach someone else something which he has
not learnt himself and also put into practice?Therefore always be humble enough to
learn."
62.An old man said: "The virtue of a monk lies in being always suspicious of himself."
63.An old man said: "You can't inspect your thoughts from outside, but only when
they rise up from within. If you are a warrior, expel them."
64.An old man said: "The work of a monk is to see thoughts coming from afar."
65.An old man said: "Unforeseen crises prevent us from rising to better things."
66. An old man said: "Don't set your own standards, but measure yourself against
those whose life is irreproachable."
67.An old man said: "If you don't cut off every occasion of sin, you will continue to be
led astray."
68.An old man said: "Every task which falls to a person can be an occasion of
victory."
69.An old man said: "Every carnal delight is an abomination in the sight of the Lord"
70.An old man said: "If the flesh causes certain thoughts to come to you, once, twice,
or even three times, pay no attention."
71. = V.xi.5
72.An old man said: "Pilgrimage is keeping silent."
73.An old man said: "People who curb their appetites and are immune from worldly
considerations will find peace."
74.An old man said: "A monk must be single-hearted, and he will be on the way to
salvation,"
75.An old man said: "Whatever you see or hear, don't gossip about it to your brother;
it only breeds battles."
76.An old man said: "Self will and laziness, especially if habitual, drag a monk down."
77.An old man said: "Charity, silence and private meditation make for purity of heart."
78.An old man said: "Anything out of proportion comes from the demons."
79.An old man said: "What is the point of building up somebody else's house and
pulling down your own?"
80.An old man said: "Each person begins with a wall of self will, as of bronze and
stone, between the self and God. Therefore if you can overcome your own self will
you can truly say: 'With the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.'" (Psalm 18.29)
81. An old man said: "If we depart from the straight and well marked path we wander
off into dark and thorny places; that is, if we cease to weep for ourselves and our
sins, we begin to neglect our neighbour."
82.An old man said: "Anyone who slanders his neighbour is not a monk, anyone who
returns evil for evil is not a monk, nor he who is bad tempered, greedy, proud,
avaricious, puffed up or verbose. The true monk is humble and quiet, loving, with the
fear of God always in his heart."
83.An old man said: "See that you don't condemn a brother who stands up to you.
How do you know whether the Holy Spirit is in you or him?"
84.An old man said: "Humility, chastity and the fear of God are greater than all the
other virtues."
85.An old man said: "If anyone wills to cause a monk actual harm, his cause is just if
he resists as he would against the devil."
86.An old man said: "Whatever things a person may be upset by, whether great or
small, let them all be held in contempt, whether in thought or deed."
87.An old man said: "Humility is no burden, but provides the seasoning in everything
burdensome."
88.An old man said: "To be humble and self deprecatory is like a protective wall for a
monk."
89.An old man said: "Anyone wishing to build a house needs to amass many
materials in order to bring his work to completion; so a monk must take great care in
bringing the work of God to completion."
90.An old man said: "Blessed is the one who undertakes to work hand in hand with
grace."
91.An old man said: "There is no greater virtue than to despise no one."
92.An old man said: "To do violence to self in all things, this is the way of God, this is
the work of the monk."
93.An old man said: "Doing violence to yourself makes you like the Confessors."
94.An old man said: "If you keep your mortality always in mind you will lose your
faint- heartedness."
95.An old man said: "Speak as a free person, not as a slave."
96.An old man said: "It is impossible to advance in virtue without custody of the
tongue. Custody of the tongue is the primary virtue."
97. = V.iii.4
98.An old man said: "Wherever you live, don't look out for those who are comfortable,
but for the needy who lack food and shelter."
99.An old man said: "If you are in the grip of some passion and without having done
anything about it pray to God about something else, he will not hear you. First pray
about your own battle, and when you have then knocked and entered ask anything
you like for other people."
100. An old man said: "There are three important things: the fear of God, diligent
prayer, and doing good to your neighbour."
101. An old man said: "Humility and the fear of God which you ought always to have
in you are like the breath in our nostrils without which we can't live."
102. An old man said: "What is the use of starting anything if you don't study to finish
it? Starting without finishing is worth nothing."
103. An old man said: "If you cannot give your whole hearted agreement to
somebody don't regard him as if he were your conscience."
104. An old man said: "Decide never to do harm to anyone, and be open hearted
towards all."
105. A brother asked an old man whether he should do anything about it if he saw
some neglect in his brothers. And he replied: "Whether they are older than you or of
the same age admonish them humbly without being censorious, lest in this you lose
your own humility."
106. A brother asked an old man: "The brothers living with me want me to be their
teacher. What do you think I should do?" And he replied: "Practice what you teach
them. And give them not only moral precepts but also practical means of carrying
them out."
107. It was said of Abba Macarius the Greater that like God he protected the whole
world. He carried the burden of human sin, he was like an earthly God to his
brothers, covering their sins, and as if blind and deaf to the things which he did see
and hear."
108. Abba Moyses asked Abba Silvanus: "Is it possible to begin again every day?"
And he replied: "A true workman can begin again every day. He must understand that
each one of the many virtues is of equal importance. On rising each day let him make
a new beginning in every virtue and in every commandment of God, in much
patience and longsuffering, in the fear and love of God, in humility of mind and body,
in much forbearance, in tribulation, in staying in the cell, in prayer and intercession,
with groaning, purity of heart, custody of the eyes and tongue and speech, in denial
of material things and carnal desires, in the warfare of the cross, that is in
mortification and poverty of spirit, in spiritual temperance and agonised battle, in
penitence and mourning, simple of mind and few of words, in fastings and nightly
vigils, and in manual work as St Paul teaches when he says: 'working with my hands,
in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in labours and tribulations, in need and
difficulties and persecutions, in pitfalls and caverns and caves of the earth.' (2 Cor.11)
'Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only' (James 1.22) , let your talents bring
forth double, wearing the bridal garment, founded upon the rock, and not on the
sand. Be faithful in almsgiving, steadfast in faith, remembering the day of your death
is at hand, and care nothing for the things of this world as if you were already in the
grave. Be sparing in food, be humble and mourn. Let the fear of God be in you at all
times. For it is written: 'In the fear of God, we have accepted and given birth to the
spirit of salvation even from the womb.' (Isaiah 26.9) If there be any virtue look to
these things. Do not reckon yourselves to be among the great but consider yourself
to be lower than all other creatures, worse than any other human sinner. Gain
discretion, know yourself, do not judge your neighbour nor delight in other people's
sins, but weep for your own sins, and do not interfere in other peoples affairs. Be
gentle in spirit and not angry. Think no evil in your heart about anyone, bear no
malice, and entertain no hatred towards anyone who bears malice towards you
without a cause. Don't be upset by his malice, or turn against him in his need and
tribulation, render no evil for evil, but be at peace with all - this is the peace of God.
Do not entrust yourself to the evildoer, but do not rejoice in anyone who does evil to
his neighbour. Slander no one, for God knows all and sees each one of us. Do not
believe the slanderer or rejoice in his evil speech. Do not hate anyone because of his
sins, for it is written: 'Judge not that you be not judged' (Matthew 7.1). Do not despise
the sinner but pray for him that God will patiently turn him and have mercy on him, for
the Lord is of great power. And if you hear about anyone doing evil things say 'Who
am I to judge? For I too am a sinner, dead because of my sins, and mourning my
own wicked deeds. He who is dead has no quarrel with anyone. Anyone then who
thinks of these things and earnestly pursues them is a worker for universal justice
under the grace and power of our Lord.
109. Abba Moyses gave the following seven precepts to Abba Poemenius, which if
followed will lead to salvation by anybody whether they be in the cenobium, or in
solitude or in the world:
1.In the first place, as it is written, love God with all your heart and with all your mind.
2.Love your neighbour as yourself.
3.Do to death all evil in you.
4.Do not judge your brother in any dispute.
5.Do no evil to another person.
6.Before departing this life cleanse yourself of every fault of mind or body.
7.Always be of a humble and contrite heart. These things can be achieved by anyone
who thinks of his own sins and not his neighbour's, and trusts in the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without

end. Amen.

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