FOR AVVA ANTONIE
1. Saint avva Antonie was once sitting in the wilderness, and he fell into laziness and into a deep darkness of thoughts, and was saying to God: Lord, I want to redeem myself and the thoughts do not allow me to. What shall I do in my misery? How will I redeem myself?
And, getting up for a while, he went outside and he saw someone, just like himself, sitting and knitting a rope, and then getting up from their work and praying, and then sitting again and knitting the rope; and then again getting up to prayer. This was the angel of the Lord, sent for Antonie’s straightening and toughening.
And he heard the angel saying: do that and redeem yourself. And upon hearding that, he took much joy and assurance, and by doing that he was redeeming himself.
2. In his teachings, for our benefit, Saint Antonie told us: one year I have completed, asking God to reveal to me the place of the righteous ones, and of the sinners.
And one night some voice from above called me saying: Antonie, get up and come!
And knowing whom I am supposed to listen to, I came out and looking, I saw someone like a giant, long, black, ugly and frightening, staying and reaching up to the clouds, having his hands streched in the sky, under which there was a lake like a sea. And I saw souls flying like some birds and as many passed from the hands of that long one, they were saved, and going from there, they were continuing the rest of the way without peril; and as many were hit by his hands, were stopped and were falling into that lake of fire. And for the ones who were flying off, he was gnashing his teeth, and for the ones who were falling down, he was happy.
And there was a voice towards me saying: understand what you see! These ones whom you see flying up are the the souls of the righteous ones who did not obey to that long one, and they go to Heaven. And the long one that stays is the enemy who grabs the guilty ones, stops them and does not allow them to go through, befalling them into Hell, for they have followed his will and they remembered the evil.
3. Avva Antonie said: the fathers of the old, when they were going into the desert, first they were healing themselves and by becoming chosen doctors, they were healing others, too. But when we come out of the world, before healing ourselves, we proceed to heal others, and the desease turns onto us, thus our final state is more bitter than our initial one, and we hear the Lord saying: doctor, first heal yourself (1).
______________________
(1) Luke IV, 23
4. This avva Antonie, searching at the depth of God’s judgements, asked, saying:
Lord, how is it that some live shortly, and die, while others get too old? Any why some are poor, while others are rich? And how is it that the wicked ones get rich, while the righteous ones are poor?
And a voice came to him saying: Antonie, mind your own self, for these are judgements of God, and it is not for your benefit to know them.
5. Someone asked avva Antonie saying: what should I guard in order to be pleasant to God?
And answering, the old man said to him: guard the ones that I order you! Wherever you go, always have God in front of yourself. And for anything you will do, have testimony from the Holy Scriptures, and from any place you will stay, do not move away hastily.
Preserve these three and you will redeem yourself.
6. Avva Anthoy said towards avva Pimen: this is the great work of the man, to assume his mistake in front of God, and to expect temptation until his last breath.
7. The same one said: no one who has not be tempted will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
For, he said, if the temptations would be lifted away then no one is to be redeemed.
8. Avva Pamvo asked avva Antonie: what shall I do?
The old man said to him: do not rely on your own righteousness, nor should you contrite yourself for what is passed, and master your tongue and your belly.
9. Avva Antonie said: I have seen all the traps of the enemy spread over the earth and I said with a sigh: who, then, can pass all of these? And I heard a voice telling me: humility.
10. He also said: there are some who have melted down their bodies with the austerity, but because they did not have the righteous judgement, they estranged themselves from God.
11. He also said: our life and death rest with our neighbour.
For if we win our brother, we win our God; and if we delude our brother, to Christ we mistaking.
12. He said again: as it is with the fish who die if they rest on dry land, so it is with the monks who rest outside their hermit cell, or spend time with the laymen: they weaken their quietness’ strenght. And so we should also hurry to our hermit cell, just like the fish do to the sea; so that we do not forget what we guard within ourselves, while we rest outside.
13. He said again: the one who rests in the desert and quiets himself, is free from three wars: that of the hearing, that of the speaking and that of the seeing; and only these ones he has to fight, that of the lust, or that of the idling.
14. Some brothers went to avva Antonie to let him know about the illusions they were seeing and to find out from him, whether they were true or from the devils.
And they had a donkey, and it died on their way there.
So, after arriving at the old man, before they mentioned anything, he said to them: how did the donkey die on the way here? They said to him: how do you know, avva? And he said to them: the devils showed me.
And they said to him: this is why we came for, to ask you, because we see illusions and many times they become true; are we being deceived? And the old man assured them, by using the example with the donkey, that it was from the devils.
15. There was someone who was hunting wild animals in the desert, and he saw avva Antonie joking with the borthers, and he
was distracted.
And the old man, wishing to assure him that he needs to descend a little bit towards the brothers, told him: set the arrow in your bow and strech. And he did so. And he told him: strech again. And he streched. Again he told him: strech.
And the huntsman told him: if I will strech it over the limit, the bow will break.
The old man told him: it’s the same with God’s work, if we extend it over the limit with the brothers, they easily break. So, we must sometimes descend a little bit towards the brothers.
When hearing these, the huntsman humbled himself. And gaining a lot understanding from the old man, he went away.
And getting strenghtened, the brothers went to their places.
16. Avva Antonie heard about a younger monk, who has done on the way a sign like this one: so that, seeing some old people travelling and getting weak, he ordered some wild donkeys so that they came and they carried the old people until they reached Antonie. So the old people told these to avva Antonie. And he said to them: it seems to me that this monk is a ship full of valuable goods, but I do not know whether it will reach haven. And after some time avva Antonie suddently starts to cry and to pull his hair and to lament. The disciples tell him: why are you crying, avva? And the old man said: a great pillar of the Church has now fallen. And he was saying that about the young monk. But go, he said, to him and see what has been done. So the disciples went and found the monk sitting on the mat and crying the sin he has done. And seeing the old man’s disciples he said: tell the old man to pray God to give me only ten days and I do hope that I will give an answer, namely that I will repent. And he died after five days.
17. A monk was praised by the brothers to avva Antonie. So when he went to him, he tempted him on whether he could bear to be treated dishonourably, and finiding out that he could not bear that, he told him: you are like a city which is decorated in the front, but in the back it is robbed by thieves.
18. A brother said to avva Antonie: Pray for me! The old man told him: neither me will save you, nor God, if you yourself will not strive, and will not pray to God.
19. Once some elders went to avva Antonie, and avva Iosif was with them. And because the old man (Antonie) wanted to examine them, he put forward a word from the Scripture and he started from the small ones to ask which is this word, and each of them was answering according to his might. And the old man was replying to each of them: you have not yet found out. After all of them, he said to avva Iosif: how do you say this word is? He answered: I do not know. So avva Antonie said: truly he found out the way, for he said he does not know.
20. Some of the brothers went to the Hermitage (1) to avva Antonie and when entering a boat to go to him they found out an elder who also wanted to go there, but the brothers did not know him. And while sitting on the boat, they were talking words of the fathers and from the Scriptures and again for their hand work. And the old man was silent. And when they arrived at the ford, it was found out that the elder was also going to avva Antonie. And after they arrived at the avva, he (Antonie) said to them: a good companionship you had in this elder. He said to the elder: good brothers you got with you, avva. And the elder said: they are good, it is true, but their yard (court) has no gate and the one who wants enters the stable and releases the donkey. And he was telling these, meaning, that they speak out that which come to the mouth.
______________________
(1) Here, the word Hermitage must be interpreted as the whole hermitage or ascetic desert from Egypt, and not a particular moastery.
21. Some brothers went to avva Antonie and told him: tell us a word, how can we save ourselves? The old man told them: did you hear the Scripture? It is good for you. And they said: we also want to hear from you, father. And the old man told them: the Gospel says: if someone will slap you over the right cheek, turn the other one to him, too. They said to him: we cannot do this. The old man said to them: if you cannot turn the other one, at least suffer this one. They said to him: we cannot do this either. The old man said to them: if this one you cannot suffer either, do not give back for what you have gotten. And they said to him: we cannot do this either. So, the old man said to his disciple: boil a little food for them, for they are helpless. If you cannot do this and you do not want to do that, what can I do to you? There is need for prayers.
22. A brother, after withdrawing from the world and having given away his riches to the poor, keeping a few for himself, went ot avva Antonie. And becoming aware of this, the old man told him: if you want to become a monk, go in that village and buy meat, and put it around your bare skin, and come in this way over here. And when the brother did so, the dogs and the birds were tearing away his body. And when he came to the old man, he asked him, whether he did as he advised him. And that one, showing his torn body, avva Antonie said to him: the ones who withdraw from the world and want to have money, are being fought upon by the devils in this way, and they are torn.
23. The temptation happened once to a brother, in avva Ilie’s monastery, and he was sent away from there, and he went in the mountain to avva Antonie, and as the brother was staying with him, he sent him to the monastery, where he came from. And when the ones from the monastery saw him, again they sent him away. So he returned to avva Antonie saying: they did not want to receive me, father. So the old man sent him back saying: a ship broke in the middle of the storm and lost its load and with pain escaped to the shore. And you want to sink what escaped to the shore. And when they heard that avva Antonie sent him, they received received him immediately.
24. Avva Antonie said: I reckon that the body has a natural movement mixed with it, but it does not work unless the soul wills, but only marks in the body the passionless movement. There is also another movement which lays into feeding and fattening the body with foods and with drinks, from which the heat of the blood excites the body towards deed. That is why the Apostole says: do not stuff yourselves with wine into which is the fornication. (1) And again the Lord in the Gospel, commanding the disciples, says: be aware that your hearts do not get heavy with the satiety of the food and with drunkenness. (2) There is also another movement at the ascetic ones, which is made from the enmity and the jealousy of the demons. For this it has to be known, that there are three movements of the body: the natural one, another one from carelessness about food, and a third one from the demons.
_____________________
(1) Ephesians V, 18 ( 2 ) Luke XXII, 34
25. He also said, that God does not allow wars over this people as on the people of the old, for He knows they are weak and cannot bear it.
26. It was revealed to avva Antonie in the desert that in the town there is someone like him, a doctor by trade, who gives from his plenty to the ones in need and everyday sings “Holy Lord” with the angels.
27. He said again: the time will come for the people to become mad, and when they will see someone not getting mad, they will come over him, telling him that he is mad, because he is not like them.
28. Some brothers came to avva Antonie and put in front of him a word from the book of priesthood. So the old man went out into the desert and avva Ammona followed him secretly on his tracks, knowing his custom and after the old man distanced himself, staying in prayer he shouted with high voice: God, send Moses to teach me this word! And there came a voice talking to him. So avva Ammona said: I heard the voice which was talking, but I could not understand the strength of the word.
29. Three fathers had a custom, every year, they were going to the blessed Antonie. And the two were asking for his thoughts and for the salvation of the soul, and the third one was always quiet, not asking him anything. And after a long time, avva Antonie told him: here, it is so much time since you come here and you ask me nothing! And answering, the brother told him: it is enough for me to only see you, father.
30. It is said that one of the elders prayed to God to see the fathers and saw them without avva Antonie. So he said to the one who was showing him: where is avva Antonie? And he said to him: in the place where God is, there he is.
31. A brother was punished in the monastery for lechery and getting up he went towards avva Antonie. And the brothers from the monastery came to look for him and to take him, and they started to rebuke him, for he has done that way. And he was pleading, that he did nothing of that sort. And it so happened that avva Pafnutie was there, the one named Kefala, and he said a story like this one: I saw at the endge of the river a man stuck in the mud all the way to his knees and when some people came to give him a hand out, they pushed him in all the way to his neck. And avva Antonie told them, about avva Pafnutie: this is a real man, who can heal and save souls. So being humbled by the old man’s words, they prostrated to the brother.
32. Some were saying about avva Antonie, that he was spirit bearing, but he did not want to talk for people. But the ones that were happening in the world and the ones that were to come, he was heralding.
33. Once avva Antonie received letters from the Emperor Constantine to go to Constantinopole and he was wondering what to do. So he said to avva Paul, his apprentice: really, should I go? And his apprentice said: if you will go, your name will be Antonie; and if you will not go, avva Antonie.
34. Avva Antonie said: I do not fear God anymore, for I love Him. For the love drives away the fear.
35. The same one said: you should always have in front of your eyes the fear of God: remember the One who kills and makes alive (1). Hate the world and the ones that are in it, hate all the body rest, give up this life, in order to live to God. Remember what you have promised to God. For this is what he asks of you in the day of the judgement: to be hungry, to be thirsty, to wear poor clothes, to keep wake, to wail, to cry, to sigh with your heart, to try yourselves if you are worthy of God, to denigrate the body, in order to save your souls.
______________________
(1) Kings II, 6
36. Once avva Antonie went to avva Amun in the Nitria mountain and after they talked to each other, he said to avva Amun: because through your prayers the number of brothers increased and some of them want to build cells far away, so that they find peace, how far do you command the cells to be build to be from the ones over here? And he said: let’s taste some food at the ninth hour and let us start out to go through the desert and reckon the place. And after they went in the desert, up to when the sun set, avva Antonie said to him (Amun): let us pray and let us put here a cross, for that here should build the ones who want to build cells. So that also the ones over there, when they will come to the ones over here, after they will taste their small piece of bread at the ninth hour, the same way to come, and the ones who go from here, doing the same thing, to remain without disturbance, when they go to each other. And the distance is of twelve signs.
37. Avva Antonie said: the one who beats the piece of iron, first judges with his mind what will he do: a hatchet, a knife or an ax? The same way we should judge, which good deed do we plan to do, so that we do not wear ourselves for nothing.
38. He also said: submission with restrain defeats the beast.
39. He also said: I know monks who have fallen after many efforts, and came to losing their minds, because they trusted in their work and deceiving themselves they did not understand the commandment of the One who said: ask your father and he will reply to you (1).
______________________
(1) II Law, 32, 7.
40. He said again: if it is possible, how many steps the monk takes, or how many drops he drinks in his cell, he has to confess to the elders with courage, so that he does not err through them.
FOR AVVA ARSENIE
1. Avva Arsenie, while stil being in earthly palaces, prayed to God, saying: Lord, straighten me, so that I know how will I save my soul? And voice came to him saying: Arsenie, run from people and you will save your soul.
2. This one, after he went to the monks’ life, prayed again, saying the same word. And he heard voice saying to him: Arsenie, run, keep quiet, peace yourself, for these are the roots of the sinlessness.
3. The demons came once to avva Arsenie in the cell, upsetting him. And as the ones who were serving him came and were sitting outside of the cell, they heard him calling to God and saying: God, do not forsake me! Nothing good have I done in front of You, but give me according to Your goodness to set up beggining.
4. It was said about him that, just as no one in the palace was wearing better clothes than him while he was in the palace, the same way in the monk life no one was wearing worse clothes than he was.
5. Someone said to the blessed Arsenie: how is it that we, through so much apprenticeship and wisdom, have nothing, while these peasants and Egyptians have attained so many good deeds? Avva Arsenie answered to him: we have nothing from the teachings of the world, while these peasants and Egyptians, through their efforts have attained good deeds.
6. When avva Arsenie asked an old Egyptian for his thoughts, another one saw him and said: avva Arsenie, how come that, while you have so much Latin and Greek teaching, you are asking this peasant for his thoughts? And he said to him: I truly have the Latin teaching, but the alphabet of this peasan I have not learnt yet.
7. Once the blessed Teofil the archbishop came with some boyar to avva Arsenie and asked this old man to hear from him a word. And the old man, being quiet for a little while, answered to him: but if I will tell you a word, will you obey it? And they promised that they will obey it. And the old man said to them: wherever you hear that Arsenie is, do not get close.
8. Another time, wanting again the archbishop to go to avva Arsenie, he first sent to find out if he will open the door to him. And the old man sent him this answer, saying: if you will come I will open to you, and if I will open to you I will open to everyone, and then I will not abide here anymore. Hearing these, the archbishop said: if I am going to send him away, then I will not be going anymore.
9. A brother prayed avva Arsenie to hear word from him. And the old man told him: as much as you are able to, stirve yourself, so that your inner work to be according to God and to overcome the outter passions.
10. He also said: if we will search for God, He will reveal Himself to us, and if we will hold Him, He will remain with us.
11. Someone said to avva Arsenie: the thoughts are upsetting me saying: you cannot fast, you cannot work, so at least go and visit the sick ones, for this is also love. And the old man, knowing the seedings of the demons, told him: go, eat, drink, sleep and do not work, but do not distance yourself from your cell. For the devout one knew that patience in the cell brings the monk to his discipline.
12. Avva Arsenie was saying: the foreign monk in the foreign country should not mix into anything and then he will have peace.
13. Avva Marcu said to avva Arsenie: why do you run from us? The old man told him: God knows, that I love you, but I cannot be both with the men and with God. The ones above, thousands and millions, have only one will, but the men have many wills. So I cannot leave God and come dwell with the men.
14. Avva Daniil was saying about avva Arsenie that he was spending the whole night waking and when he wanted to sleep in the morning, for the need of the nature, he was saying to the sleep: come, bad slave; and he was napping a little bit, sitting, and quickly he was waking up.
15. Avva Arsenie said that it is enough to the monk to sleep one hour, if he is ascetic.
16. The old men were telling, that once at the Skete a few dried figs were given, and as they were good for nothing they did not send to avva Arsenie, so that it does not give the impression of they offend him. And hearing that, the old man did not come to the church, saying: you separated me, by not giving me the blessing that God sent to the brothers and which I was not found worthy to take part of. And they all heard and they learnt from the old man’s humbleness. And the priest went and brought him the figs, and they brought him to the church with happiness.
17. Avva Daniil was saying: he has spent so many years with us, and every year we were preparing for him only one measure of wheat, and when we were going to him we were eating from that wheat.
18. Someone was also saying for avva Arsenie that only once a year he was changing the water in which he was softening the fig leaves and he was not adding to the old one. For he was weaving stripes and sewing them up to the sixth hour. And the old men asked him, saying: why do you not change the water from the leaves, for it smells so hard? And he said to them: in place of the spices and the aromas and the chrism, with which I have delighted myself in the world, I have to take this smell.
19. It was also said that after he was hearing that all sorts of fruits got past ripen, then he was saying himself: bring to me. And he was tasting only once, a little bit from all of them, and he was thanking God.
20. Avva Arsenie got sick once at the skete and he had gotten into such deep poverty that when he needed a flax shirt and he did not have what to buy it with, he took it as mercy from one and he said: Thank You, Lord, for having made me worthy to take mercy, for Your Name.
21. It was said for him, that his cell was thirty two miles away, and he was not easily coming out of it, for others were doing the service. And when the skete was deserted, he came out crying and saying: the world has lost Rome and the monks the skete.
22. Avva Marcu asked avva Arsenie saying: is it good that someone should not have endearment in their cell? For I have seen a brother who had a few plants and he was tearing them away. And avva Aresenie said: it is good, but according to the man’s disposition. For if he will not have strength in this way of behaving, he will again plant them.
23. Avva Daniil, the apprentice of avva Arsenie has told this, saying: I was once next to avva Alexandru and he got a pain, and because of that pain he layed with his face upwards. It happened that at that time the blessed Arsenie came, to talk to him and saw him laying down. So, after he talked to him, he told him: what layman was that one that I saw? And avva Alexandru told him: where did you see him? And he said: when I was coming down from the mountain, I looked over here towards the cave and I saw one laying with his face upwards. And he made a prostration to him, saying: forgive me, it was me; for a pain got me. And the old man said to him: it was you? Good! I thought that there is a layman, and that is why I asked.
24. Another time avva Arsenie said towards avva Alexandru: after you will finish cleaving your leaves, come and taste with me and if the visitors come, eat with them. But avva Alexandru was working slowly and softly, and coming the time, he still had leaves and willing to guard the old man’s word, he stayed to finish the leaves. So, seeing that avva Alexandru has not come, he took his lunch, thinking that he had visitors. And avva Alexandru, after he finished late, he went. And the old man told him: did you have visitors? And that one said: no! And he told him again: but how come you did not come? And he said: because you told me, that after I will finish cleaving the leaves I should come. That is why, willing to guard your word, I did not come. And the old man was amazed by his heed to detail, and he told him: earlier in the morning you should bind off your fasting, so that both your law to fulfill and your water to drink; for if you do not, your body will quickly get sick.
25. Avva Arsenie once went to a place and there was reed there, and the wind blowing made the reed sound. And the old man asked the brothers, what is this sound? And the brothers told him that it is the sound of the reed. The old man said to them: truly, if someone will sit in quietness and will hear bird’s sound, the heart does not have the same quietness; so much more yourselves, having the sound of those reeds.
26. Avva Daniil was saying that some brothers wanting to go to Tebaida for flax threads said: on this occasion, so that by happenstance, let’s also see avva Arsenie. And avva Alexandru entered and said to the old man: some brothers coming from Alexandria, want to see you. The old man said: find out from them, for what reason did they come. And finding out that they go to Tebaida for flax threads, he told the old man. And he said: truly, they will not see Arsenie’s face, for they have not come for me, but for their own concern. Host them and let them go in peace, telling them that the old man cannot meet them.
27. A brother went to avva Arsenie’s cell at the skete and looked through the window and saw the old man all over like a fire, for that brother was worthy to see wonderful things. And as he knocked, the old man came out and seeing the brother as frighten, told him: is it a long time since you are knocking? Is it that you saw something? And the brother answered to him: no! And after he talked to him, he let him go.
28. While avva Arsenie was once sitting at Canop, a virgin from a good family, who was very rich and fearful of God, came from Rome to see him. And she asked him, to persuade the old man, to receive her. And he came and asked him, saying: so-and-so virgin from a good family came from Rome and wishes to see you. And the old man did not acquiesce to meet her. So, after she was informed of these, she ordered for her animals to be prepared, saying: I believe to God, that I will see him, for not a human have I come to see, for in our city there are also many humans; but a prophet have I come to see. And after she has reached the old man’s cell, through God’s providence, she found the old man outside of his cell, lingering on some work. And seeing him she fell to his feet. And he lifted her with anger and looked at her saying: if you want to see my face, here it is, see it! And because of shame, she did not dare to look at his face. And the old man said to her: did you not hear of my deeds? Those are the ones that you should see. How did you dare travel such a long way over the sea? Don’t you know you are a woman and you are not supposed to get out anytime, anywhere? Or in order to go to Rome and to say to the other women that you saw Arsenie and the sea to become a road for women, for them to come to me? And she said: if the Lord wills wish, I will not let any of them come here. But pray for me and always mention me! And in answering he said: I pray to God for your mentioning to be erased from my heart! And hearing these, she left distressed. And as she came to the city, because of her sadness she fell to fever, and the blessed Teophil the archbishop was told about her, for she was ill. And coming to her, he was asking her to tell him what she had. And she said to him: oh, if I would not have come here! For I have said to the old man: mention me. And he said: I pray to God, for your mentioning to be erased from my heart. And here, I am dying of sadness! And the archbishop told her: don’t you know that you are a woman and through women the enemy brings the saints into war? That is why the old man said so. But for your soul he always prays. And thus her soul was comforted and she went with happiness to her own.
29. Avva Daniil recounted about avva Arsenie, that once a magister (teacher of the laws) came, bringing him a diata (a will) of a rich man, a relative of his, who was leaving him a very large inheritance. And taking it, he wanted to tear it and the magister fell to his feet saying: please, do not tear it, for I will lose my head for it. And avva Arsenie told him: I have died before that one, and he has died now. And he sent it back, accepting nothing.
30. It was also said about him, that on Saturday evenings, when it was turning towards Sunday, he was leaving the sun behind him and was stretching his arms to the sky, praying, until the sun was again shining in front of him and this is how he was sitting.
31. It was also said about avva Arsenie and about avva Teodor al Fermei, that more than anything they hated the people’s praise. That is why Arsenie did no easily received anyone, and avva Teodor was indeed receiving, but he was like a sword to them.
32. While he was sitting once in the lower parts and getting upset over there, avva Arsenie deemed to leave the cell, and without taking anything from it, this is how he went to his disciples, fathers Alexandru and Zoil. And he did so. And to Zoil he said: come with me to the river and find me a ship to go to Alexandria and this is how you will also be returning, floating with the ship to your brother! And Zoil was troubled by this word, so he fell silent. And this is how they split from each other. So the old man went down towards Alexandria’s areas and he felt sick with a great illness. And his companions said in between each other: maybe one of us upset the old man and this is why he split from us? And they did not find in between themselves nothing, neither that they would have not listened to him at any time. And after the old man got healthy again, he said: let me go to my fathers. And thus, coming back with the ship, he went to the rock where his helpers were. And while he was close to the river, an Ethiopian girl came and touched his sheepskin. And the old man scolded her. But the girl said to him: if you are a monk, go to the mountain! And the old man, humbling himself for this word, said to himself: Arsenie, if you are a monk, go to the mountain! And while these happened, Alexandru and Zoil came to him, and falling to his feet, the old man also threw himself down, and all the three of them cried. And the old man said: did you not hear that I fell ill? And they said to him: we heard. And the old man was saying: and why did you not come to see me? And avva Alexandru told him: because your departure from us was not pleasant, and many did not benefit, saying that if they would not have disobeyed the old man’s word, he would not have split from them. The old man said to them: and the people will say again that the she-pigeon did not find rest for her feet and returned in the ship to Noe (1). And this is how they comforted each other and he stayed with them till his end.
______________________
(1) Genesis VIII, 9
33. Avva Daniil said: avva Arsenie told this to us as for him, although maybe it was about his own self. For as an old man was sitting in his cell, a voice came to him saying: come and I will show you the works of men. And getting up, he went out, and it brought him in a place and it showed him a blackamoor cutting trees and making a big load, and that one was trying to lift it up, but could not. And instead of taking out of it, he was going and cutting more trees, and adding to the load. And he was doing this for a long time, and going a bit forward again it showed him a man standing next to a lake, and pulling water out of it, and pouring it into a holey funnel, from which it was again pouring into the lake. And it said to him again: come, let me show you another one: and he saw a church and two men on horses, keeping a pole across, one against another. And they wanted to enter through the door, and they could not, because the pole was accros, and none of them humbled himself behind the other one, in order to turn the pole straight, and because of that they remained outside the door. And the old man said: these are the people who wear the yoke with pride, as if it would be of the righteousness, and they did not humble themselves to straighten thenselves and to travel on the humble way of Christ. That is also why they are left outside of God’s Kingdom. And the one who was cutting trees, it is the man with many sins who, instead of repenting, adds on other transgressions, through his sins. And the one who was pulling water out, is the man who does good deeds, but because he has in them a bad mixure, he has waisted with it also his good deeds. So everyone must be awake in their deeds, so that he does not labor for nought.
34. The same one said that once some parents came from Alexandri to see avva Arsenie. And one of them was uncle to Timotei from the ages, who used to be archbishop of Alexandria and who was called not-earner, meaning poor. And he had companion one of his brother’s kids. And the old man was sick at that time and he did not want to meet them, so that others would not also come to upset him. At it was then at Troy’s stone, and they came back saddened. Afterwards, it happened that the barbarians invaded and he came, spending time in the lower parts. And when those heard, they came again to see him and he received them with happiness. And the old man told him: you have tasted bread and have drank water; while me, my son, truly nor bread, nor water did I taste, nor did I sit down, tormenting myself until I was made sure that you have reached your place, for you have also upset yourselves for my sake, but forgive me, brothers. And comforting themselves, they went.
35. This one was saying, that avva Arsenie called him one day and told him: comfort your parent, so that after he will go to the Lord, to pray for you and it will be good to you.
36. It was said for avva Arsenie, that when we got sick once at the skete, the priest went and brought him to the church, and put him on the sheet with a small pillow at this head. And when an old man came to see him, and saw him on the sheet and with the small pillow under his head, he got deceived saying: is this avva Arsenie? And he is laid on these? And the priest took him aside, and told him: what was your job, in your village, and he said: I was a shepherd. How did you – he said – spend your time? And he said: I was spending in a lot of hardship. And he said to him again: but now, how do you spend you time in the cell? And he said: mostly I am resting. And then he said to him: do you see this avva Arsenie? When we was in the world he was father to the emperors and thousands of sevants girded with golden waistbans, and all with bracelets and with silk clothes being dressed up, were all sitting in front of him, and expensive sheets were under him. So you, being a shepherd, did not have in the world the rest that you now have, while this one does not have here the delight that he used to have in the world. Therefore, so, you are resting, while this one is toiling. And upon hearing this, he humbled himself and he prostrated himself saying: forgive me, avva, that I have mistaken, for truly this is the true way, for this one came to humbleness, and I to rest. And having gained understanding, the old man left.
37. A father came towards avva Arsenie and knocking at the door, the old man opened to him, thinking it is his servant. And after he saw him that he is someone else, he fell with his face downwards. And that one told him: raise, avva, so that I can bow to you. And the old man told him: I will not raise, unless you leave. And asking many times, he did not raise until he left.
38. It was said for a brother who came to skete, to see avva Arsenie, that when he came to the Church, he was praying the clerics, to meet avva Arsenie. So they said to him: rest a bit, brother, and you will see him. But he said: I am not tasting anything unless I meet him. So they sent a brother to take them, for his cell was far. And knocking at the door, they both entered and bowing to the old man, they sat quietly. So the brother from the skete said: I am leaving, pray for me! And the foreign brother, finding no boldness towards the old man, said to the brother: I am also coming with you. And they exited together. But the foreign brother asked him saying: take me also to avva Moise of the thiefs. And coming to that one, he greeted them with happiness, and hosting them, he released them. And the brother who was taking them said to him: there, I took you to the foreign one and to the Egyptian; which of the two did you like? And he answered, saying: to me, this time, the Egyptian is the one that I liked. And hearing these, one of the parents, he prayed to God, saying: Lord, show me this thing, for one runs for Your Name, and another one hugs for Your Name. And there, two huge ships on the river where shown to him, and he saw avva Arsenie and the Spirit of God quietly floating in one of them; and avva Moise and the angels of God were floating in another one, and they were feeding him with honey combs.
39. Avva Daniil was saying, for as he was dying avva Arsenie ordered them, saying: do not care to do love (meaning charity) for me. For me, if I have made charity for myself, this I will find.
40. When avva Arsenie wanted to die, his disciples were disturbed. And he said to them: the time has not yet come; and when the time will come, I will tell you. But I will take you to trail at Christ’s court, if you will give my body to anyone. And they said: and what shall we do, for we do not know to burry it? And the old man said to them: don’t you know how to tie a rope around my leg, and pull me to the mountain? And this was the word of the old man, meaning, the old use to say: Arsenie, why did you come out (of the world)? For mistaking, I have repented many times; but for keeping quiet, never. And when he was close to dying, the borthers saw him crying and said to him: truly, you are afraid, too, father? And he said to them: truly, this fear, which is with me in this hour, it is with me since I became a monk. And so he died.
41. It was also said, that all through his life when he was sitting for his hand work, he had a rag at his chest to wipe the tears that fell from his eyes, and when avva Pimen heard that he fell asleep, shedding tears, he said: happy are you, avva Arsenie, for you have cried over yourself in this world. For the one who does not cry over himself here, that one will cry for ever over there. So, either here willingly, or over there because of the torments, it is impossible not to cry.
42. Avva Daniil told about him, that he never was willing to speak any question from the Scripture, although he could have spoken, if he wanted to. Even letters he was not hasting to write. And when he was coming to the church sometimes, he was sitting behind the pillar, so that no one would see his face, nor him to look at another. And his face was angel-like, just like that of Iacov. He was wholy white, acquiesced in the body, but thin. An he had long beard, reaching down to his belly, and the eyes’ hair had fallen from crying. And he was long, but bent by old age. And he died when he was ninety five years of age. He spent in the palaces of the blessed-to-be-mentioned Teodosie the Great, for forty years, becoming a parent to his sons, Arcadie and Onorie. And he spent there forty years, and ten years he did at Troin of the Upper Babylon, close to Memphis and three years in the Canop of Alexandria and the other two he spent again in Troin and there is where he fell asleep, completing his journey with peace and fear of God. For he was a good man and full of Holly Spirit and of faith. And he left me his skin coat and the white cloth of hair and the shoes made of palm bark. And me, the worthless – says avva Daniil – I wore them so that I bless myself.
43. Avva Daniil also told about avva Arsenie, that once he called my parents, meaning avva Alexandru and Zoil and humbling himself, he said: because the demons are fighting with me, and I do not know whether they steal me in sleep, so tonight toil with me and defend me, if I slumber in the wake. And they sat, one on his right and another one on his left, from the evening, keeping quiet. And my parents were saying – told avva Daniil – that we fell asleep and did not wake up and did not feel him, whether he was slumbering. And towards the morning – God knows, whether he did that from himself so that we think that he fell asleep, or truly the sleep’s nature came – he blew three breaths and immediately he got up saying: did I truly sleep? And we answered: we do not know!
44. Some old men once came to avva Arsenie and they asked him a lot to meet them. And he opened to them. And they asked him to tell them word for the ones who quiet themselves and meet with no one. And the old man said to them: when the maiden is in her father’s house, many want to get engaged with her. And after she will take man, she is not liked by everyone; some defame her, while others laud her, and she is not honored as much as at first when she was hidden! It is the same with the things of the soul: after they are clarified, they cannot give trust to everyone.
FOR AVVA AGATHON
1. Avva Petru, the one of avva Lot, said that he once was at avva Agathon’s cell and a brother came to this one saying: I want to live with the borthers; so, tell me, how will I live with them? The old man said to him: just like in the first day, when you enter at them, that is how you should guard your foreignness in all the days of your life, so that you do not have boldness with them. Avva Macarie said to him: and what does boldness do? The old man said to him: bolness is like the big heat from which, when it is done, all run from its face, the fruit of the trees it spoils. Avva Macarie said to him: is the boldness so terrible? And avva Agathon said: there is no other passion more terrible than boldness; for it is the mother and the life giver of all the passions. And the toiler must guard himself from boldness, even if he will be alone in the cell. For I know that a brother, living for a long time in the cell, and having a little bed, said that he moved from the cell without knowing that little bed. One like that is a toiler and a fighter.
2. Avva Agathon said: the monk has to not let his conscience accuse him in anything.
3. He said again: without guarding the godly commandments, man does not advance in any good deed.
4. He said again: never have I gone to sleep having (something) on someone, nor did I let anyone go to sleep having (something) on me (1). That is, as much as I could.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Mat. V, 23 si Marc XI, 25.
5. It was said for agga Agathon, that some went to him, hearing that he has the right and big measure. And wanting to try whether he gets angry, they said to him: are you Agathon? We head about you that you are adulterer and proud. And he said: well, it is so. And they said to him: are you Agathon the gossiper and the slandered? And he said: I am. They said again: you are Agathon the heretic? And he said: I am not heretic. And they asked him, saying: tell us, why did you accept as many as we said to you, yet this word you did not suffer? He said to them: the first ones I acknowledge about me, as it is for the benefit of my soul. While this word, heretic, it is a split from God, and I do not want to split from God. And those ones, upon hearing, marveled about his right measure, and they left built-up, meaning benefited.
6. Some say about avva Agathon, that he did spend a long time building a cell together with his disciples, and after they have finished the cell, they came to sit in it. And the old man saw in the first week the thing that was of no use to him, and he said to his disciples: get up, let’s go from here. And they go disturbed, saying: if he had reason to move us, why did we put so much effort, building the cell? And by getting deceived in regards to us, the people will say: there, the fickle ones have moved again. And seeing them diminished in their souls, he said to them: while some will be deceived, yet again others will be built-up, saying: blessed are some like these, for it is for God that they moved, and all they have given up. Yet the one who wants to come, let him come, for I am moving. And they threw themselves to the ground, asking until they will be forgiven to travel with him.
7. It was also said about him, that he moved many times, only having at his waistband the little knife with which he was splitting the palm leafs.
8. Avva Agathon was asked: what is greater: the bodily effort, or the defending of the inner ones? And the old man said: the man is like a tree; thus, the bodily efort is the leaf, and the defending of the inner ones is the fruit. And because, as it is written: all the tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut and thrown into the fire (1), it is shown that for the fruit is all our effort, meaning for the guarding of the mind. But there is also need for the covering and the adornment of the leaves, which are the bodily efforts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Mat. VII, 19.
9. The brothers have asked him again, saying: which good deed, father, among the austerities, has more effort? He said to them: forgive me, I believe there is no other effort, aside from the prayer to God. For always when the man wants to pray, the enemy wants to cut him, for he knows that he does not stumble onto anything else, aside only from the prayer to God. And all the austerity that man will do, bearing into it, he begets peace. And prayer till the last breath, needs austerity.
10. And avva Agathon was wise with the mind and without cessation with the body, and he was filling himself with everything, with the work of his hands and with the food and with the clothing.
11. This one was walking on the road with his disciple and one of them, finding a small cup of green wood on the road, said to the old man: father, command me to take it. And the old man looked at him in marvel and said to him: did you put it there? And the brother answered: no! And the old man said: how, then, do you want to take what you did not put?
12. A brother came to avva Agathon, saying: let me live with you. And walking on the road, he found a bit of soap, and broght it to him. And the old man said: where did you find the soap? The brother said: on the road I found it, when I was walking, and I took it. The old man said to him: if you came to live with me, how did you take what you did not put? And he sent him to take it where he took it from.
13. A brother asked the old man: a commandment has reached me and where there is commandment, there is war. So I want to go for the commandment, but I am afraid of the war. And the old man said to him: if it was Agathon, he was completing the commandment and winning the war.
14. A synod was done at the skete for a reason and it had been settled, and afterwards this Agathon came and said to the fathers: you did not put the reason to good settlement. And they said to him: but who are you to say so? And he answered: the son of man. For it is written: if you judge righteousness by the truth, judge the unrighteous, sons of men. (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Psalm 57, 1.
15. It was said for avva Agathon, that for three years he exerted himself, keeping rock in his mouth, until he got used to shutting up.
16. It was again said for him and for avva Amun, that when he was seeing a vase, he was saying the price once and what it was given to them, they were taking quietly keeping silent. And again, when they wanted to buy something, whatever they were told, they were giving quietly, and they were taking the vase, without saying anything.
17. The same avva Agathon said: never have I given love, meaning charity; but my charity was to give and to take, reckoning that my brother’s benefit is a work of the fruition.
18. The same parent, when he was seeing a thing and his thought wanted to judge it, he was telling to himself: Agathon, you yourself do not do these! And this is how his thought was getting quiet.
19. This one said that the angry one, even if it may raise a dead, is not received by God.
20. Once avva Agathon had two disciples, who lived the hemit life differently. So, one day he asked one of them: how do you live in your cell? And he said: I fast till evening and I eat two pieces of dry bread. And he said to him: the ordinance of the food is good, not exerting too much. And he said to the other one: how do you live? And he said: I fast for two days and I eat two pieces of dry bread. And the old man said to him: you exert yourself very much, suffering two wars. Because, if someone eats every day and does not saturate himself, he is exerting himself. And it is another one to want to fast for two days and to saturate oneself. And you, fasting twice, do not saturate yourself.
21. A brother asked avva Agathon on the sin of fornication and he answered to that one: go, throw your helplessness in front of God, and you will have peace.
22. Once avva Agathon and one of the old men fell ill. And as they were lying in the cell, a brother was reading from the book of Genesis and he reached the point where Iacob says: Iosif is no more, Simeon is no more; and will you take Veniamin? And you will bring my grey head with sorrow to the grave! (1) And answering, the old man said: are the remaining ten not enough for you, avva Iacob? Avva Agathon said: stop it, old man! If God is the One who justifies, who is the one to condemn? (2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Genesis 42; 36 and 38.
(2) Romans 8; 33 and 34.
23. Avva Agathon said: if someone will be beloved to me and I will realize that he is leading me into a mistake, I take him away from me.
24. He said again: man has to be mindful in every hour of God’s judgement.
25. When some brothers were talking about love, avva Iosif said: do we know what love is? And he was saying about avva Agathon that he used to have a little knife, and a brother came to him and admired it, and he did not let him leave until he took the little knife.
26. Avva Agathon was saying: if it would have been possible for me to find a man covered with boils, to give him my body and to take his, it would have given me joy, for this is the pure love.
27. It was also said about him that he once came to the city to sell his bowls, meaning the work of his hands, and he found a stranger, given up on a street and sick, with no one to look after him. And the old man stayed with him renting a house, and from the work of his hands he was paying the rent, and whatever was left he was spending on the needs of the sick man. And he spent four months, until the sick man got healed. And so the old man went to his cell with peace.
28. Avva Daniil was telling that before avva Arsenie came to my parents, they also stayed with avva Agathon. And avva Agathon loved avva Alexandru, for he was austere and gentle. And it happened for all his disciples to wash their clothes in the river, and avva Alexandru was washing slowly. The other brothers said to the old man: brother Alexandru does not do anything. And because he wanted to calm them, he said to him: brother Alexandru, wash them well for they are flaxen. And when he heard, he got sad. And after this, the old man comforted him saying: did I not know that you are doing good? But these ones I told to you in front of them, in order to calm their mind with your obedience, brother.
29. It is told about avva Agathon, that he was endeavoring to fulfill all the commands and when he was passing into the boat, he first was getting the paddle, and when the brothers were going to him, immediately after prayer, his hand was setting the table, for he was full of God’s love. And when he wanted to pass away, he remained three days having the eyes open and unmoved. And the brothers moved him, saying: avva Agathon, where are you? And he answered to them: I am standing before the judgement. They told him: and are you afraid, father? He told them: truly I have endeavored according to my power, to guard God’s commandments; but I am a man, and how can I know that my ways have been pleasant to God! And they told him: but, don’t you hope that your way is according to God? The old man said: I do not hope, unless I will welcome God, for God’s judgement is one, and men’s judgement is another one. And when they wanted to ask him another word, he said to them: do good and do not talk to me now, for I have no time. And presently he passed away with happiness. For they were seeing him changing himself, in the way someone greets his friends and his beloved ones. He also had great watchfulness in everything, and he was saying that without great watchfulness man does not step to any good deed.
30. Once avva Agathon entered the city to sell his few bowls and he found a leper given up on the way. The leper said to him: where are you going, and avva Agathon answered to him: in the city, to sell some bowls. The leper said to him: do a merciful thing, and thake me there! And taking him on his back, he took him to the city. This one said to him: wherever you will sell your bowls, that’s where you should put me. And the old man did so. And after he was selling a bowl, the man with the boils was saying: how much did you sell it for? And he was answering: this much. He was saying again: buy me a pie. And he was buying him. And again he was selling another bowl. And the leper was saying again: and this one, with how much? And the old man was answering: that much. And he was telling him: buy me this thing. And he was buying him. So, after he sold all the bowls and he wanted to go, the man with the boils told him: are you leaving? And he answered to him: yes! And he told him again: do a merciful thing again, to take me back from where you found me! And taking him on his back, he brought him to his place. And he told him: blessed are you Agathon, by the Lord in heaven and on earth. And raising his eyes, he did not see anyone. For it was the angel of the Lord who had come to tempt him.
FOR AVVA AMMONA
1. A brother asked avva Ammona saying: tell me a word, to redeem myself. And the old man answered to him: go and do your thought, as the evil-doers do, who are in prison. For they always ask the people, where is the lord and when is he going to come. And from that abeyance, they cry. The same with the monk: he has to always be aware, and to rebuke his soul saying: woe to me! How will I stay in front of Christ’s judgement? And how will I answer to Him? If you will think like this always, then you can redeem yourself.
2. Some were saying for avva Ammona, that even a basilisk (venomenous serpent) did he kill. For going into the desert to pull water from the well, and seeing a basilisk, he put himself with his face down, saying: Lord, either I am to die, or this one! And immediately the basilisk cracked, by the power of Christ.
3. Avva Ammona said: fourteen years I have lived in the skete, praying to God night and day to grant me to overcome anger.
4. One of the parents told that there was an austere old man at the cells bearing a mat and walking, he went to avva Ammona. And the old man saw him bearing a mat and told him: this one is of no use to you. And the old man asked him, saying: three thoughts bother me: should I go into the desert, or go to another country where nobody knows me, or lock myself into the cell and meet no one, eating after two hours. Avva Ammona said to him: doing neither of these three is of use to you; rather, more resolutely sit in you cell and eat a little bit every day and always have the word of the tax collector in your heart. And you can redeem yourself this way.
5. A disgust happened to some brothers at their place, and wanting to leave it, they went to avva Ammona. And there, the old man was going with the ship on the water and seeing them walk on the edge of the river, he said to the sailors: take me to dry land. And calling the brothers, he said to them: I am Ammona, the one you want to go to. And comforting their hearts, he made them return back to where they came out from. For it did not have a soul harming reason, but human disgust.
6. Once avva Ammona came to cross a river and he found a boat getting ready, and he sat next to it. And another boat (raft) came and it crossed with the people who were there. And they said to him: you too, come avva, and cross to us. And he said to them: unless I cross with the regular boat, I am not getting into another one. And he had a bundle of palm leaves and he was sitting knitting a rope and again unknitting it, until the boad was ready, and so he crossed. So the brothers prostrated to him, saying: why did you do this? And the old man said to them: so that not always when the thought is hurrying me, to move. And this is also the parable, that we should walk in God’s way, with orderliness.
7. Once avva Ammona proceeded to go to avva Antonie, and he lost the way. And sitting, he slept a little bit. And waking up from sleep, he prayed to God saying: I pray to you, Lord my God, do not loose Your creature. And it was shown to him like the hand of a man, hanging from the sky, showing him the way, until he came and stayed above the cave of avva Antonie.
8. Avva Antonie prophesized to this avva Ammona, saying: you will grow into the fear of God. And taking him out of the cell, he showed him a rock and said to him: insult this rock and beat it. And he did so. And avva Antonie said: did the rock talk? And he said: no. And again said avva Antonie to him: in the same way, you will reach this measure. Which was done, for avva Ammona thus grew, that from much goodness he did not know what evilness was. And so, being made a bishop, they brought to him a maiden having in the womb, and they told him: so-and-so did this thing, give them canon, meaning punishment for sin! And he, marking the sign of the cross over her womb, ordered to be given six pairs of bed sheets saying: in case she walks, she gives birth, and will die, either her or her babe, and they will not have the things needed for burying? And her accusers told him: why did you to this? Give them canon! And he said to them: see, brothers, that she is close to dying, and what can I do? And he released her, and the old man did not dare to condemn anyone.
9. It was said about him, that some people came to him to judge among themselves, and the old man was pretending to be crazy. And there, a woman was saying to her neighbor: this old man is crazy. And the old man heard her and calling her, she told her: how much austerity have I bear through the wilderness, to gain this craziness, and should I loose it today for you? No!
10. Once avva Ammona came to a place to taste something, and there was one there who had a bad name. And it happened that a woman came and entered in the cell of the brother how had a bad name. So, the ones who lived in that place got disturbed when they found out, and they gathered themselves to send him away from the cell. And knowing that bishop Ammona is in that place, coming to him, they asked him to go together with them. And the brother understood, and he took the woman, and hid her in a large vessel. And before the crowd came, avva Ammona saw what had been done, and for God he covered it. So he entered, and he sat above the vessel, and he ordered for the whole cell to be searched. So, after they searched and did not find the woman, avva Ammona said: what is this? May God forgive you! And praying, he made all of them go, and taking the brother by the hand, he said to him: be aware of yourself, brother! And saying that, he left.
11. Avva Ammona was asked: which is the tight and narrow way? And answering, he said: the tight and narrow way is this, that someone forces his thought and cuts his wills for God. And this is what was said by the apostoles: There, we left all, and came after You. (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Matthew 19, 27.
FOR AVVA AHILA
1. Three old men went once to avva Ahila, and one of them had a bad name. And one of the old men said to him: avva, make a toil (a net) for me! And he said: I won’t do it. And the other one said to him: do a merciful thing, so that we have your remembering in the monastery! And he said: I have no time. The other one, who had a bad name, tells him: make a toil for me, avva, so that I have it from your hands. And he answered immediately, saying: I will do it for you. And they said to him, to this one you said you will do it? The old man said to them: I said to you that I will not do it, and you were not saddened, for I have no time. Yet to this one, if I will not do it, he will say: because of hearing about my sin, the old man did not want to do it, and immediately we cut the thread. So, I have lifted up his soul with this, so that one like him is not swallowed by sadness. (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(l) 2nd Corinth 2, 7.
2. Avva Vitimie said: while coming down once to the the skete, some gave me a little bit of honey, to give to the old men, and I knocked at the door of avva Ahila’s cell, to give to him. And he said: truly, brother, it was not my will for you to knock at my door now, even if this would have been manna. But do not go to another cell, either. So I went to my cell, and brought it to the church.
3. Avva Ahila once came to avva Isaia’s cell in the skete, and found him eating; this one had put salt and water in a bowl, and seeing that the old man hid the bowl behind the ropes, he said to him: tell me, what do you eat? And he said: forgive me, avva, for I was cutting the palm leaves and I went through the heat of the day, and I put in my mouth bread with salt; for my throat dried up because of the heat, and the bread would not come down. Because of this I was forced to put a little bit of water over the salt, so this way I can taste. So, forgive me! And the old man said: come and see Isaia, that he eats gravy in the skete. If you want to eat gravy, go to Egypt.
4. One of the old men came to avva Ahila and saw him spitting blood from his mouth, and he asked him: what is this, father? The old man answered: it is the word of the brother who saddened me, and he forced me not to herald it to him, and I have prayed to God to take it way from me. And his word became like the blood in my mouth, and I spit it down, and I found my peace, and I forgot my sadness.
5. Avva Ammoi was saying: myself and avva Vitimie went to avva Ahila, and we heard him reading this word: “do not be afraid Jacob, to descend into Egypt.” (1) And he stayed for a long time, reading this word. And as we knocked, he opened and he asked where are we from. And fearing to say that we are from the cells, we said that we are from the Nitria mountain. And he said: what can I do to you, if you are from afar. And he got us inside. And we found that he was working during the night a lot of weaving for the baskets. And we asked him to tell us a word. And he said: since last night I have weaved twenty yards; and truly, I do not need them; but so that God does not get angry and blame me, saying, that although I could work, I did not work, for this I am toiling and work with all my strenght. And having gained understanding, we went away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Genesis, 46, 3.
FOR AVVA AMMOI
1. It was said about avva Ammoi, that when he was going to the church, he was not letting his disciple to walk next to him, but farther away. And if he was coming to ask him about thoughts, after he was telling him, immediately he was sending him away saying: so that no foreign word falls about, while we speak about what is beneficial. That is why I do not let you close to me.
2. It was also said about avva Ammoi, that he was sick on the bed for many years, and never has he allowed his thought to note the inner cell, to see what it has. For they were bringing him many things for the sickness. And when Ioan, his disciple, was entering and exiting, he was closing his eyes, so that he does not see what he does, for he knew him to be a faithful monk.
3. Avva Pimen said that a brother came to avva Ammoi asking from him a word. And staying with him for seven days, the old man did not answer to him. And seeing him off, he said to him: be aware of yourself, for to me the sins have made themselves a dark wall between myself and God.
4. It was said about avva Ammoi that he made fifty measures of wheat, for his use, and he set them in the sun. And before they were well dried up, he saw in that place a thing that was of no use to him. And he said to his disciples: let us go from here. And they got very sad. And seeing them sad, he told them: are you sad for the bread loaves? Truly, I have seen some people running and leaving the painted alcoves together with membrane books and they did not even close the doors, but they left leaving them open.
FOR AVVA AMMUN OF NITRIA
1. Avva Ammun of Nitria went to avva Antonie and said to him: I reckon that I have more hardship, and how come your name was magnified more among the people than mine? Avva Antonie said to him: because I love God more than you.
2. The same avva Ammun went to avva Pimen and said to him: when I go to the cell of my neighbor, or when he comes to me for a need, we hesitate to talk to each other, so that no foreign word comes up. And the old man said to him: it is well that you do that, for youth needs guarding. Avva Ammun said again: the old men who increased in good deeds did not have in themselves anything else, or foreign in their mouth to talk about. And he asked again: so, if I will need to talk to my neighbor, do you want me to talk from the Scriptures or from the words of the old men? The old man said: if you cannot keep silent it is better to talk from the words of the old men and not from the Scripture, for it is not a small danger.
3. A brother came from the skete to avva Ammun and said to him: my father is sending me to the service and I am afraid of fornication. The old mand said to him: in any hour the temptation will come to you, say like this: God of powers, for the prayers of my father, rescue me! So, one day a girl locked the door after him. And he, shouting in a loud voice, said: God of powers, for the prayers of my father, rescue me! And immediately he found himself on the way towards the skete.
FOR AVVA ANUV
1. Avva Ioan told that avva Anuv and avva Pimen and the other brothers of theirs, being from one womb, and becoming monks in the skete, when the mazachs came and deserted the skete, first they went away from there and came to a place called Terenut, until they will find out how they should stay. And they remained for a few days there, in an old temple (an idol’s temple). And avva Anuv, who was older than the other ones, said towards avva Pimen: do a merciful thing, you and your brothers, each of you find your peace by yourself, and let us not meet each other this week. And avva Pimen said: as you want, we will do. And they did so. And there was a stone idol in that temple, and avva Anuv was waking up every morning and was throwing rocks in the idol’s cheek, and in every evening he was saying to it: forgive me! And he filled the whole week doing so. And on Saturday, they meet each other and avva Pimen said to avva Anuv: I saw you, avva, this week, that you were throwing rocks in the cheek of the idol, and after that you were making a prostration to it. Tell me then, what faithful person does that? The old man said: I did that for you. When you saw me that I threw rocks in the idol’s cheek, did it speak or did it get angry? Avva Pimen answered: no. Again asked the old man: but when I was doing a prostration to it, did it get perturbed and said: I do not forgive you? Avva Pimen said: no. And the old man said: and we, brothers, are seven brothers; if you want us to live together, let us become like this idol which, whether it is insulted or praised, it does not get perturbed. But if you do not want to become like that, here, there are four gates in this temple; each of you, go wherever you want. And upon hearing, the brothers threw themselves down saying: as you want, father, that is how we do, and we listen to the way you will tell us. And avva Pimen said: we spent together all our time, working according to the word that the old man said to us. And he named one of us as housekeeper. And all that he was setting for us, we were eating, and it was not possible for any of us to say: bring us something else, or we want to eat this. And we spent all our time in restfulness and peace.
2. Avva Anuv said: since the Name of Christ was called over me, no lie came out of my mouth.
FOR AVVA AVRAAM
1. It was said about an old man, that he has done fifty years without eating bread, nor wine easily drinking, and he was saying that he has killed the fornication and the love of silver and the vainglory. And hearing that he said this word, avva Avraam came to him. And he told him: did you say this word? The old man answered: yes. And avva Avraam said: here, get into your cell, and you find on your mat a woman: can you reckon that she is not a woman? The old man answered: no, but I am fighting with the thought, not to touch her. Then Avraam said: there, you did not kill the passion, for it is alive; but it is bound. Again, when you walk on the road, you see rocks and ground, and in the middle of these, gold; can the mind reckon this as those? The old man said: no, but I am fighting with the thought, not to take it. And avva Avraam said: there, the passion is alive, but it is bound. Further on, said again avva Avraa: there, you hear about two brothers that one loves you and the other hates you and talks bad about you. If they would come to you, will you have both of them in the same way? The old man said: no, but I am fighting with the thought, to do good to the one who hates me, just as to the one who loves me. Avva Avraam said to him: so there, the passions are alive, but are only bound by the saints.
2. A brother asked avva Avraam saying: if it will happen to me to eat often, what is it? And answering, the old man said: what are you talking about, brother? This is how much you eat, or do you reckon you came to work the land?
3. Avva Avraam was saying about one from the skete, that he was a writer, and was not eating bread. So a brother came to him, asking him to write him a book. So the old man, having his mind to seeing, skipped some lines, and missed some pauses, when he wrote. And his brother, taking it and wanting to put some pauses, he found some skipped words and said to the old man: avva, there are lines missing. The old man said to him: go first and do the ones that are written, and then you will come and I will write for you the other ones, too.
FOR AVVA ARI
1. Avva Avraam went to avva Ari. And as they were sitting, a brother came to the old man and said to him: tell me, what shall I do so that I save myself? And he said to him: go, spend this year eating in the evening bread and salt, and come again and I will tell you! And he went and did so. And after the year passed, the brother again came to avva Ari, and avva Avraam happened then to be there. And the old man said again to the brother: go, fast this year also, eating every second day. And after the brother went away, avva Avraam said to avva Ari: why do you tell all brothers easy trails, while to this one you put hard ones? The old man said to him: the brothers, just as they come searching, they go away in the same way; while this one comes for God, to obey word. For he is a toiler, and anything I will tell him, he will do it with application. That is why I also tell him, the word of God.
FOR AVVA ALONIE
1. Avva Alonie said: if the man will not say in his heart that only me and God are in the world, he will not have rest.
2. He said again: if I would not have broken everything, I could not have build myself up; meaning, if I would not have left away all that it seems good to me from my will, I could not have acquired good deeds.
3. He also said: if man will want, from morning to evening he reaches in the godly measure.
4. Avva Agathon asked avva Alonie once, saying: how will I be able to hold my tongue from telling lies? And avva Alonie answered to him: if you will not lie you will make many sins. And he said: how does that come? And the old man answered to him: there, two people have killed in front of you, and one of them ran into your cell. And there, the governor is looking for him, and asks you saying: did the killing happened in front of you? If you will not lie, you will give the man to death. Better, let him in front of God without any bindings, for He knows all.
FOR AVVA APFI
1. It was told about the bishop of Oxirinh, namely avva Apfi, that while he was a monk, he was living many a hard ascetical deeds life. And after he was made bishop, he wanted to utilize (to try) the same hard ascetical life in the world, too, but he could not. And he threw himself in front of God, saying: is it because of the bishopry, that the gift went away from me? And it was revealed to him that it was not so. Then you were alone in the desert and as there was no man, God was helping you; while now you are in the world, and the people are helping you.
FOR AVVA APOLLO
1. There was an old man at the cells, namely Apollo. And if anyone was coming to ask for him for any sort of work, happily he was going, saying: with Christ I have to work today for my soul, for this is the soul’s payment.
2. It was said for some avva Apollo from the skete, that he was a countryman, a sheep shepherd. And seeing in the fields a woman carrying in the womb, being urged by the devil, he said: I want to see how the baby sits in her womb. And splitting her up, he saw the baby. And immediately his heart hurt him, and humiliating himself, he came to the skete and told the parents what he has done. And he heard them singing: the days of our years in themselves seventy years, and if they will be in power, eighty years. And what is more that these, tiredness and pain (1). And he said to them: I am forty years old and I have not done one prayer, and now, if I will live another forty years, I will not stop praying God, to forgive my sins. So, he was not doing any handworking, but was always praying, saying: I have sinned as a man, and You as a God cleanse me! So this prayer became a thought to him, day and night. And there was a brother living with him, and he heard him saying: I have upset You, I have upset You, Lord. Let me rest a bit. And it was trusted to him, that God forgave him all his sins, and the one about the woman, while the one about the child it was not trusted to him. And one of the old men told him: the one about the child was also forgiven to you by God, but He lets you in sorrow, for it is useful to your soul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 89, 10 and 11.
3. This same one said, about receiving the brothers: we have to bow to the brothers who come to us; for not to them, but to God do we bow. For it is said that if you saw your brother, you saw your Lord God. And this we have taken from Avraam.(1) And when you receive them, force them to comfort, for this also we have learnt from Lot, who received the angels.(2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Genesis 18, 2.
(2) Genesis 19, 2.
FOR AVVA ANDREI
1. Avva Andrei was saying: these three are needed to the monk: loneliness, poverty, and silence in patience.
FOR AVVA AIO
1. It was said for an old man from Tebaida, namely avva Antian, that he undertook many austerities in his youth, and in the old age he got sick and he lost his sight, and because of his sickness the brothers were bringing him much comfort, and were feeding him in his mouth. And they asked avva Aio about this, meaning, what will it be because of this comforting? And he answered to them: I am telling you that if his heart will desire and will descend into sweetness, even if he will eat one fig, God will lift away from his efforts. And if not, guarding his efforts fully, for without wanting he is forced, and those will earn their reward.
FOR AVVA AMMONATHA
1. A boyar once came to Pelusiu and he wanted to ask for tribute from the monks, just like from laymen. And all the brothers gathered at avva Ammonatha for this, and they appointed some of the fathers to go to the emperor, and avva Ammonatha told them: there is no need for this annoyance, but even harder quiet yourselves in your cells, and fast for two weeks, and with the gift from Christ, I will do this myself. And the brothers went to their cells, and the old man quieted himself in his cell. So, after fourteen days were fulfilled, the brothers got saddened about the old man, because they did not see him gone somewhere, saying that he left their issue forsaken. And in the fiftheen day the brothers gathered, as promised. And the old man came to them, having the charter sealed by the emperor. And seeing, the brothers were amazed, saying: when did you bring this, avva? And the old man told them: believe me, brothers, that in this night I went to the emperor, and he wrote this charter. And coming to Alexandria, I had it signed for the boyar, and thus I came to you. And hearing, they got frightened, and they prostrated to him. And so their need was completed, and the boyar did not upset them anymore.