Let Me Be Your Servant

Four monks once came from Scetis to Pambo, wearing tunics of skin. Each described the goodness of one of the others, though not in his presence. One of them fasted much, one of the owned nothing, the third man was of great charity, and they said of the fourth that he lived in obedience to others for twenty-two years.

Pambo answered, "The latter has greater virtue than the others. Each of you others has to use his own will to keep what he has promised, but he roots out his self-will and makes himself the servant of another's will. People like that, if they persevere till death, are saints."