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AN ABBA OF ROME (This is almost certainly Arsenius)

1. There was a monk from Rome who lived at Scetis near the church. He had a slave to serve him. The priest, knowing his bad health and the comfort in which he used to live, sent him what he needed of whatever anyone brought to the church. Having lived twenty-five years at Scetis he had acquired the gift of insight and became famous. One of the great Egyptians heard about him and came to see him, thinking he would find him leading a life of great corporal austerity. He entered and greeted him. They said the prayer and sat down. Now the Egyptian saw he was wearing fine clothing, and that he possessed a bed with a coverlet and a small pillow. He saw that his feet were clean and shod in sandals. Noticing all this, he was shocked, because such a way of life is not usual in that district; much greater austerity is required. Now the old man had the gift of insight and he understood that he was shocked, and so he said to him who served him, ‘We will celebrate a feast today for the abba’s sake.’ There were a few vegetables, and he cooked them and at the appointed hour, they rose and ate. The old man had a little wine also, because of his illness; so they drank some. When evening came, they recited the twelve psalms and went to sleep. They did the same during the night. On rising at dawn, the Egyptian said to him, ‘Pray for me,’ and he went away without being edified. When he had gone a short distance, the old man, wishing to edify him, sent someone to bring him back. On his arrival he received him once again with joy and asked him, ‘Of what country are you?’ He said, ‘Egypt.’ ‘And of what city?’ ‘I am not a citizen at all.’ ‘And what was your work in the village?’ ‘I was a herdsman.’ ‘Where did you sleep?’ He replied, ‘In the field.’ ‘Did you have anything to lie upon?’ He said, ‘Would I go and put a bed under myself in a field?’ ‘But how did you sleep?’ He said, ‘On the bare ground.’ The old man said next, ‘What was your food in the fields, and what wine did you drink?’ He replied, ‘Is there food and drink in the fields?’ ‘But how did you live?’ ‘I ate dry bread, and, if I found any, green herbs and water.’ The old man replied, ‘Great hardship! Was there a bath-house for washing in the village?’ He replied, ‘No, only the river, when we wanted it.’ After the old man had learnt all this and knew of the hardness of his former life, he told him his own former way of life when he was in the world, with the intention of helping him. ‘I, the poor man whom you see, am of the great city of Rome and I was a great man in the palace of the emperor.’ When the Egyptian heard the beginning of these words, he was filled with compunction and listened attentively to what the other was saying. He continued, ‘Then I left the city and came to this desert. I whom you see had great houses and many riches and having despised them I have come to this little cell. I whom you see had beds all of gold with coverings of great value, and in exchange for that, God has given me this little bed and this skin. Moreover, my clothes were the most expensive kind and in their stead I wear these garments of no value. Again, at my table there was much gold and instead of that God has given me this little dish of vegetables and a cup of wine. There were many slaves to serve me and see how in exchange for that, God troubles this old man to serve me. Instead of the bath-house, I throw a little water over my feet and wear sandals because of my weakness. Instead of music and lyres, I say the twelve psalms and the same at night; instead of the sins I used to commit I now say my rule of prayer. So then I beg you, abba, do not be shocked at my weakness.’ Hearing this, the Egyptian came to his senses and said, ‘Woe to me, for after so much hardship in the world, I have found ease; and what I did not have before, that I now possess. While after so great ease, you have come to humility and poverty.’ Greatly edified, he withdrew, and he became his friend and often went to him for help. For he was a man full of discernment and the good odour of the Holy Spirit.

(From: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Benedicta Ward, P. 208)

NICON

1. A brother asked one of the Fathers saying: ‘How does the devil present temptations to the saints?’ The old man said to him, ‘There was one of the Fathers, named Nicon, who lived on Mount Sinai. And someone went into a Pharanite’s tent and finding his daughter alone, sinned with her. Then he said to her, “Say it was the anchorite, Abba Nicon, who did this.” So when her father came and heard about it, he took his sword and went to confront the old man. When he knocked on the door, the old man came out. But when he drew his sword, intending to kill him, his hand withered. Then the Pharanite went and spoke to his priests, and they sent for the old man. When he came out, they inflicted many blows on him and wanted to drive him away, but he begged them, saying, “For God’s sake, let me stay here that I may do penance.” So they kept him apart for three years and ordered that no-one should see him.

He spent three years coming each Sunday to do penance and to beg everyone saying, “Pray for me.” Later, the man who had committed the sin and thrown the temptation onto the anchorite was possessed with the devil, and he admitted in church: “It was I who committed the sin and said the servant of God should be falsely denounced.”

Then the whole congregation went to do penance before the old man, saying, “Forgive us, abba.” He said to them, “As to forgiveness, be forgiven; but as for staying here I shall not remain here any longer with you, for no-one here had enough discernment to show compassion towards me.” With that, he left that place.’ The old man said, ‘You see how the devil presents temptations to the saints.’

(From: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Benedicta Ward, P. 156)

Abba John the Dwarf

34.  Abba John said, ‘I think it best that a man should have a little bit of all  the virtues. Therefore, get up early  every day  and acquire the beginning of every virtue and every commandment of God. Use great patience, with fear and long-suffering, in the love of God, with all  the fervour of your soul and  body. Exercise great humility, bear with  interior distress; be vigilant and pray often with  reverence and groaning,  with  purity  of  speech  and  control  of  your  eyes.  When you  are  despised  do  not  get  angry;  be  at  peace,  and  do  not  render evil for evil. Do not pay attention  to  the faults of others, and do not try  to  compare  yourself  with  others,  knowing  you  are  less  than every  created  thing.  Renounce everything material and that which is of the flesh. Live by  the cross,  in warfare,  in poverty  of spirit,  in voluntary  spiritual  asceticism,  in  fasting,  penitence  and  tears,  in discernment,  in  purity  of  soul,  taking  hold  of  that  which  is  good. Do your work in peace.  Persevere  in  keeping  vigil,  in  hunger  and thirst,  in  cold  and  nakedness,  and  in  sufferings.  Shut yourself in a tomb as though you were already dead, so that at all times you will think death is near.

(From: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Benedicta Ward, P. 92)