Patience

It is said that a hermit had a little boy living with him. Seeing him doing something that was not fitting, he said, "Don't do that," but the child did not obey him. Seeing that he was disobedient, the hermit washed his hands of his upbringing, and let him do as he liked.

For three days the boy kept the door of the room which had food in it shut and let the hermit go without anything to eat. The hermit did not say, "Where are you?" or "What are you doing out there?"

A neighbor of the hermit noticed that the boy was late in bringing food so he made a little stew, and passed it to the hermit through a hole in the wall of the cell. and asked him to eat. He said to the hermit, "Why is that disciple of yours so long away?"

The hermit said, "When he has leisure, he will come back."

~~Photo by Victoria Logue

Humility

Serapion said, "I have afflicted my body far more than my son Zacharias, but I cannot equal his humility or his silence."

103 Prayers

The brothers told this story: We once visited some hermits, and after the usual prayer we exchanged greetings and sat down. After we had talked with them, we got ready to go, and asked once again for prayers to be said.

But one of the hermits said to us, "What, haven't you prayed already?"

We said, "Yes, abba, when we came in,we prayed, and since then we have been talking."

He said, "I may be wrong, brothers; but one of you, while he was sitting and talking with you, offered a hundred and three prayers."

With these words he prayed, and sent us away.

Patience on Both Sides

There was a hermit in Scetis who lived in a satisfactory way, but he was not good at remembering what he heard. So he went to John the Short to ask him about his forgetfulness. He listened to John, went back to his cell and forgot what he had been told. He came a second time and asked him the same question, listened, went back, and forgot what he had heard the moment he reached his cell. Many times he went backwards and forwards, but could never remember.

He happened to meet John and said, "Do you know, abba, I've forgotten all you told me? I didn't want to disturb you, so I didn't come again."

John said to him, "Go and light a lamp," and he lit it. John said, "Bring more lamps and light them from the first," and he did so. John said to him, "Was the first lamp harmed, because you used it to light the others?"

He said, "No."

"In the same way," John replied, "I would not be harmed. If all the monks of Scetis should come to me, it would not keep me from God's love. So come to me whenever you want, and don't hesitate."

So, by patience on both sides, God cured the forgetfulness of the hermit. This was the work of the hermits of Scetis, to strengthen those who were attacked; their experience in conflict with themselves meant that they were able to help others along the way.

Bad Reputation

Three monks came to Achillas, and one of them had a bad reputation. The first monk said, "Abba. make me a fishing net."

He said, "I won't."

The second said to him, "Will you give us a memento of yourself to keep in our community?"

He answered, "I don't have time."

Then the third, the one who had the bad reputation, said to him, "Make me a fishing-net, and so I shall have a blessing from your hands, abba."

At once he answered, "I will do that."

But the first two, whose requests he had refused, said privately to him, "Why did you refuse our requests and consent to his?"

Achillas answered, "I could tell you that I would not do it because I had no time, and you would not be vexed. But if I did not do it for this monk, he would say, 'The hermit has heard my reputation and for that reason has refused to make me a net.' So immediately I set to work with the string, to soothe his soul and prevent him from being sad."

Where There is Work There is Rest

Poemen said this: Isidore, the presbyter in Scetis, once spoke to a group of monks and said, "My brothers, isn't work the reason we are here? But now I see that no work is done here. So, I will take my cloak and go where there is work and so I shall find rest."

Stand and be Strong

A hermit said about temptation: "Do you want to be saved? Go, and discipline yourself, 'Seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you' (Matthew 7:7).

In the world there are boxers who are hit hard and yet stand firm and receive crowns. Sometimes one is set upon by two at once, and their blows give him strength so that he overcomes them. Have you not seen what strength exercise brings? So, stand and be strong and the Lord will defeat your enemy for you."