FOR AVVA DANIIL
1. It was said for avva Daniil that, as the barbarians were coming in the skete, the fathers ran away. And the old man said: if God does not take care of me, why would I live. And he went through the midst of the barbarians and they did not see him. Then he said to himself: there, God took care of me and I did not die. You do, then, also, what is of the man, and run like the fathers did.
2. A brother asked avva Daniil, saying: give me a command and I will guard it. And he said to him: never stretch your hand in a bowl with a woman, and eat with her, and with this you will get rid a little bit of the demon of adultery.
3. Avva Daniil said that in Babylon the daughter of a high official had a demon. And her father had a beloved monk, and that one told him: nobody can heal your daughter, except those hermits, whom I know and if you will ask them, they will not want to do this, out of humbleness. But let us do this: when they will come in the market, pretend that you want to buy bowls. And when they will come to get their price money, let us ask them to say a prayer, and I believe she will get healed. Coming out in the market, they found out a disciple of the elders, sitting to sell his bowls. And they took him together with the vases, as if to get their price money. And when the monk came into the house, the demonized came and slapped him, and he turned the other cheek, according to the Lord’s command. And the demon, being tormented, shouted saying: oh, hardship! Jesus’ command pulls me out. And immediately the girl was cleansed. And after the elders came, he told them what was done. And they praised God and they said: the demon’s pride has a custom, to fall through the humbleness of Christ’s command.
5. Avva Daniil and avva Ammoi were once travelling. And avva Ammoi said: when will we sit at the cell, father? And avva Daniil said to him: who take away God from us now? God is in the cell and again God is outside of the cell.
6. Avva Daniil has told that as avva Arsenie was in the Skete, there was there a monk who was stealing the vases of the elders, and avva Arsenie took him to his cell, wanting to benefit him, and to give rest to the elders. And he was telling him: whatever you will want, I will give it to you, only do not steal. And he gave him gold and money and clothes and all that he needed. And he went away, and he was stealing again. So, the elders, seeing that he did not cease, sent him away saying: if there would be a brother who has a helplessness of not having enough, you have to accept him. But if he steals and after being adviced he does not ceae to, send him away. For he harms his soul and he also troubles all the ones who are in that place.
7. Avva Daniil of the faran told that our father avva Arsenie said about one from the skete, that he was great with the deeds, but foolish in faith, and he was mistaking for his foolishness, and was saying that the bread that we partake is not truly the Body of Christ, but some fantasy. (1)
And two old men heard that he had said this word, and knowing him great in life, reasoned that out of no malice and out of foolishness he says it. And they came to him and said to him: avva, we heard a word hard to believe about someone, that he was saying that the bread that we partake is not truly the Body of Christ, but is fantasy. The old man said: I am the one who said that. And they were praying him, saying: do not hold on like that, avva, but as the Rightpraising Chruch has teached. For we believe that this bread is truly the Bread of Christ, and the cup is truly, itself the Blood of Christ, and it is not a fantasy. For just as in the beginning, taking dust from the ground, He built man after His image, and nobody can say that it is not image of God, although the image cannot be understood, in the same way the bread, of which He said that it is My Body, so we believe that it is truly the Body of Christ. And the old man said: if I will not be entrusted out of a thing, I am not a complete annunciation. And they answered: let us pray to God the whole week for this mistery, and we believe that God will reveal to us. And the old man happily received the word, and he was also praying to God saying: God. You know that not out of malice I am not believer, but so that I do not delude myself into ignorance. Reveal to me, Lord Jesus Christ! Also, going to their cells, the old men were also praying to God saying: Lord Jesus Christ, let this mistery be revealed to the old man, so that he believes and he does not loose his labour! And God listened to both sides. And when a week was fulfilled, they came on Sunday at the church, and they sat together, only the three of them on a rug, and in the middle was the old man. And it was opened to them the understanding eyes. And when the bread was placed on the Holy Table, it was shown to only the three of them like a babe, and when the priest was stretching his hand to break the bread, there, the angel of the Lord coming down from heaven, having knife and sacrificing the babe, and pouring His blood into the cup. And when the priest broke the bread into small pieces, also the angel was cutting from the Babe small pieces. And when he got close to partake of the holy ones, it was given to the old man flesh with blood. And seeing, he got scared and he shouted saying: I believe Lord, that the bread is Your Body and the cup is Your Blood! And immediately the flesh in his hand became bread, according to the mistery. And he partook, thanking God. And the old men said to him: God knows the human nature, that it cannot eat raw flesh, and for this he changed His Body into bread and his Blood into wine, to the ones who receive with faith. And they thanked to God for the old man, that He did not allow for his labour to be lost. And all three of them went happily to their cells.
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See for this page 343 of St John Damaskene’s Teologhicon.
8. Also another brother struggling with the same thoughts about the Holy Misteries, as the above mentioned old man, doubting and not believing, was taken by the other brothers to the service and he was telling that he saw some like these, because the brothers whom had taken him were intensely praying so that it is shown to him from God the truth of the things, to give up the thoughts of not believing. So after the the service was completed, the brother told them saying: after the Apostole was read, as soon as the deacon got up to read the Holy Gospel, I saw the cover of the church opened and the sky showing up, and the deacon surrounded by fire from all sides. Then, after the Gifts were brought and were put forward, I saw the skies opening and over the godly Gifts there was fire coming down and after the fire lots of angels, and in their midst was a Babe and two other faces whose beauty cannot be told, for their brightess was like lightning. And those angels were around the table, and the Babe was sitting on the table, and after the priests got close to break the bread put forward, I saw the two wondeful faces that they got close and they held the hands and the feet of the Babe and with the knife that they were holding, they knifed the Babe and they poured His Blood into the cup, then they cut His Body into pieces and put Him on the bread. And immediately the breads became Body. And when the brothers got close to partake, clear body was given to me, and being unable to partake with it, I was crying. And I heard voice speaking to me in my ears: man, why do you not partake? Is it not this what you have asked? And I said: be merciful to me, Lord, for I cannot eat body. And again the voice said: know, therefore, that if man would have been able to partake with body, it is body that would have been found, as you have found, but he cannot eat body, and because of this God our Lord has set bread to be put forward. So, if you believed, you partake, too! And I said: I believe, God! And, as I said that, immediately the Body that I had in my hand became bread. And thanking God, I partook. And after the holy mistery service was completed, I also saw the cover of the church opened, and the godly and heavenly power again raising to the skies. The brothers, upon hearing these from the brother who was telling them and humbling themselves for such a gift of God, went away thanking Him and praising Him.
9. This same avva Daniil told for another great old man who was sitting in the lower parts of Egypt, that he was saying foolishly that Melhisedec is the Son of God, and it was revealed to the blessed Chiril, the archbishop of Alexandria about him. And he sent to him, but knowing that the old man was doing wonders and whatever he asks of God it is revealed to him, and that out of foolishness he said this word, he used this sort of wisdom, saying: avvo, please, because my thought is telling me that Melhisedec is the Son of God, and another thought tells me no, but he he is a man and a bishop of God. So, as I am doubting about this, I sent to you, so that you pray to God to reveal this to you and so that we know the truth. And the old man, daring in his way, said: give me three days and I will let you know what it is. So, going, he was praying to God for this word and coming after three days said to the blessed Chiril that Melhisedec is a man. And the archbishop said to him: how do you know, avva? And he said: God has revealed all patriarchs to me, this way, one by one going in front of me, from Adam to Melhisedec. And the angel told me that this is Melhisedec, and to believe that it is so. So, he was preaching himself that that Melhisedec is a man and the blessed Chiril rejoiced much.
10. Avva Daniil from the Skete and his disciple once went to the upper Tebaida, at the remembering of avva Apolos, and the fathers came out to welcome him about seven stadies, being about five thousand in number. And it was possible to see them stretched on their abdoments on the sand, like in an angels’ order, whom fearfully receive Christ; for some we laying their clothes on the way in front of him, and others were wetting the ground with the tears. And coming out, the archimandrite bowed seven times in front of the old man’s face, and kissing each other, they sat down and they prayed him to hear a word from him, for he was not easily talking to anyone. So, after they sat out of the monastery, on the sand, for the church would not fit them, avva Daniil said, his disciple: if you want to save yourselves, love poverty and silence, for the whole life of the monks hangs on these two good deeds. And the disciple gave the letter to one of the brothers and he translated it into Egyptian. And after it was read to to fathers, they all cried and they were seeing the old man off crying; for nobody was daring to say to him: do a merciful thing. And arriving at Ermupoli, he said to his disciple: go, knock at the gate of that monastery and tell that I am here! For there was a monastery for women, which was named of Ieremia, in which there were three hundered sisters. And the disciple went and knocked. And the gate keeper told him in a thin voice: save yourself! Welcome! What do you order? He said to her: call for me the mother archimandrite, for I want to talk to her. And she said: she does not meet anyone ever, so tell me, what do you roder and I will tell her. And he said: tell her that a monk wants to talk to her. And she went and told her. And the abbottess came and asked him: what do you order? And the borther said: that you do a good deed, that I sleep here with an old man, for it is evening and the wild animals should not eat us. The mother said to him: it is useful for you to be eaten by the beasts from outside rather than by the ones from insider, for no man ever enters here. The brother said to her: avva Daniil is, the of the Skete. And upon hearing that, she opened the gates and went out running, and the same way all the gathering, and they layed their knitting from the gate all the way down, to where the old man was, falling at his feet, and kissing the marks left from his feet. And entering into the moastery, the abbottess brought a basin a filled it with warm water, and with weeds, and put the sisters into two groups, and she washed the old man’s feet, and those of his disciple, and taking a glass, was scooping from the basin, and was pouring on the sisters’ heads, and then she poured on her chest, and onto her head. And one could see them all like unmoved rocks, without sound, for all their answer was through signs. The old man said to the abbottess: is it because of devoteness to us, or are the sistes always like this? And she said: your serfs are always like this, oh master, pray for them! And one of them lied in the middle of the yard sleeping, with broken and tattered clothes. And the old man said: who is this one who sleeps here? And one of the sisters sid: it is a drunk and what to do with her, we do not know, for if we would send her away from the monastery we would be afraid of the punishment, but if were to let her in, she is distracting the sisters. The old man said to his disciple: take the basin and throw its content over her. And when he did that, the sister woke up as if from drunkenness. So the abottesse said: master, she is always this way. And taking the old man they entered into the refectory and they made dinner to the sisters, saying: bless your servants, so they eat in front of you! And he blessed them, and only her and her second sat with them. And to the old man they put a bowl, which had soaked vegetables and raw, and dates and water, and to the disciple they gave warms lentils and a little bit of bread and wine mixed. And the sisters got much food: fish and wine plenty, and they ate very well, and nobody spoke. And after they got up, the old man said to the abbottess: what is it that you did with us, that we have to eat well, while you ate the good ones? And she said to him: you are a monk, and I served you a monk’s food, and your disciple is a monk’s disciple and I served him a disciple’s food, and we are beginners, and we ate beginners’ food. And the old man said: may your love be remembered, it has truly served us. And going to rest, the old man said to his disciple: go and see where that drunkard who was laying in the middle of the court sleeps. And he went and saw, and came and told him, that it wasa at the end of the exists (1). The old man said: keep wake with me this night. And after all the sisters have fallen asleep, the old man took his disciple and came down through the back, and saw the drunkard that she got up, and she stretched her hands to the sky, and her tears flowed like a creek, and was doing the prostrations to the ground, and when she felt that any of the sisters were coming to the exists, she was throwing herself to the ground, snorting. So the old man said to his disciple: call the abbottess to me, quietly! And going, he called her and the second, and they were watching the whole night what she was doing. And the abbottess was crying saying: a rumour was made about us among the sisters, and she understood, and she went softly when the old man was sleeping, and stole his staff and his chest cover, and she opened the door of the monastery, and wrote a note, and put it on the door’s hinge, saying: pray and forgive me for anything I have mistaken to you, and then she disappeared. And after day broke, they looked for her, and did not find her; and they were to the gate, and they found the door open, and the note on it. And great crying was done in the monastery, and the old mand said: I have come here for her, for this sort of drunkards are beloved by God. And all of them were confessing to the old man, saying what they have done to her. And the old man prayed, and both went to their cells, giving praise and thanking God, the only One who knows Himself how many hidden serfs he has.
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( 1 ) W.C.
11. Avva Daniil, the priest of the Skete told saying: when I was younger I came to Tebaida and I went down into the city to sell the work of my hands. And there was a man there, named Evloghie, and his trade was stone breaker, who had this work from early age: whatever he was earning out of the work of his hands every day, he was spending and till evening he was fasting, and in the evening he was coming out in the city, and he was bringing to his house the strangers that there were, and he was washing their feet with his hands, for he had no one else together with him. And he was feeding them according to his possibilities, and out of the food that was left, he ate some, while the rest he was throwing to the dogs of the village, for even to those the man was showing his mercifulness. So, this one, having also hosted me many times, together with other brothers, made me wonder much of his good deed, for I was frightened by his mercifulness and love of people, and of his gentleness and humbleness of soul. And returning to the Skete, and sitting in the cell, I devoted myself to fasting for three weeks, praying to God to give him more to spend, so that he can do good to many others. So, missing my strength because of the fasting, I was laying almost dead, and falling asleep I saw one with a godlike face standing in front of me and saying: Daniil, what is with you? And I said to him: I gave my word to Christ to not taste bread, until He will listen to me about Evloghie, the stone breaker, to bless him, to do good to more people. And He said: no, for he will harm himself, and now he is well; but if you want to be given him, set yourself guarantor for his soul that he will redeem himself when given more, and I will give it to him. And I said again: give him more, Lord, for all to praise Your holy name through him. That One answered: I said to you, that he is well now. And I said to Him: out of my hands ask for his soul! So, immediately it seemed to me, that I was at the Holy Resurection and I saw a child sitting on the holy rock, and Evloghie standing on his right, and looking toward me the child said towards the ones who were there: is this the one who set himself guarantor for Evloghie? And they answered: it is so, truly, Lord! And again said the child: tell him, that I will ask for the guarantee. And I said: do so, Lord, ask it from me, but give it to him! And I see that much money are poured into his chest holder. And as much those were pouring, that much Evloghie’s chest holder was receiving. So, waking up, I knew that my prayer had been listened to, and I praised God. And Evloghie, going to his work and hitting a rock, hears an empty sound and digging, he find a cave filled with money, and getting scared, he was thinking to himself: what shall I do? If I will take these to the city, the ruler will hear, and will take them, and I will put myself in danger. But instead, I will go to an outside country, where nobody knows me. And renting some animals, as he would have had to cary stones, he carried the monies to the river, and putting them in a ship, he went to Byzantium. And Iustin the elder was reigning, and he gave much money to the emperor and to the higher ups, and in little time he was named leader of the pretors, and he purchased a big house, which even today is known as the Egyptian’s. And having two years passed, and I knew nothing of the ones that had been done, I saw in a dream that I was at the Holy Resurection and I saw again the child, sitting on the holy stone. And remembering Evloghie, I said to myself: where would Evloghie be? And after a little bit I see him, pulled by an arabian, away from the face of the child. And waking up, I knew what the vision meant and I said to myself: woe to me, the sinner, for I have lost my soul! And getting up, I went to the city, as if for selling the work of my hands, and awaiting to find Evloghie, deep evening fell, and nobody came to take me in for the night. So I get up and I ask an old woman, and I say to her: grandma, give me three paximas (biscuits) to eat, for I have not eaten today. And she went, and brought me a little bit of broth, and set it in front of me, and sitting close, started to talk to me, saying useful words: avva, don’t you know that you are young, and you should not have come to the city. Or don’t you know that the monastic order requires quietness. And whatever else? And I said to her: what do you order that I should do, for I have come to sell the work of my hands? And she said to me: at least, if you sell the work of your hands, do not rest in the city, if you want to be a monk, go to the Skete! And I said to her: is there in this city no God feareful man, to gather the take in the strangers? And she said to me: oh, what have you said, avva? We used to have here a stone breaker, and he was doing many good deeds to the strangers. And God, seeing his deeds, gave him gift. And today he is a patrician, as I hear. And here these, I said to myself: it is I who has done this killing. And immediately getting into a boat I went too Byzantium, and asking and finding Evloghie’s home, I was sitting next to the gate, wanting to see him, when he will come out. And so, after a little while, I see him soon with ceremony, and surrounded by many people, and I said to him: have mercy on me, I have something particular to tell you! And he did not pay attention, and also the ones were going ahead hit me, and I was running ahead, and again I was shouting, and again the ones in the end hit me. And doing this for four weeks, I could not talk to him. And in the end as I was shouting again, one of his servants run with a stick in his hand, and he beat be so much with it, that it almost left me dead. Then, after a long time, getting a little bit stronger, I said to myself: let’s go to the skete, and if God wills, He will save Evloghie! And I went down to the sea, and fining out a boat from Alexandria sailing off right then, I got on it, and because of the hardship and of the beatings, I fell asleep. And I seem myself again at the Holy Resurection and that child also sitting again and staring at me with terror and saying: you will not go, but you will fulfill the guarantee. And me, because of fear, I could not even open the mouth. And he orders to two who stand in front of Him, and taking me, they bind me with the hands back, and they hanged me with the head down, telling me: do not set yourself as a guarantee over your power, and do not speak against God. And me, because of the sadness and hardship, I did not reply anything. So, as I was hanged liked that, there was a voice saying: the Augusta (meaning the Emperess) is coming, and seeing her, I took courage and I cried: have mercy on me, the proprietress of the world! And turning towards me, she said: what do you want? I said: I am being hanged for Evloghie’s guarantee. And she said to me: I will pray for you. And I saw that she went and she kissed the feet of the child, and the child said to me: do not do this thing again. And, being covered by fear, I said: no, Lord, forgive me, and he ordered and they released me and he told me: go to your cell. See also how I will bring Evloghie to the initial order. So, waking up, I was happy with great joy that I was released from this guarantee. And sailing with the boad, I came to the Skete, thanking God. And after three days I hear that Iustin the emperor has died, and Iustinian became emperor. And after a while I was made known that four of the higher-ups raised against the emperor, one of which was Evloghie. And the three being caught, their heads were chopped off, and Evloghie ran during the night. And the emperor ordered that whereever he will be found, that he should also be killed. So, asking about him with purposefulness, I found out that he returned to his place, and he started again the stone breaking, not showing to anyone that he is the one who had been made a patrician (boyard) in Constantinopole, but another Egyptian was that one. And he was testifying that all those years he was in the Holy Places. So, I came down again in that city, to ensure the ones about him, more clearly. And as the evening fell, there was Evloghie coming and calling the strangers to host them. And seeing him, I sighed and sheding tears I said to God: how great have become Your deeds, Lord, all have You made into wisdom! Truly, You, Lord, make poor and make rich, You humble and You raise, and Your judgements are countless! And taking me together with other poor people, we went to his house, and washing our feet, he set the table for us. And after we ate, taking him aisde, I told him: how are you, avva Evloghie? And he said: pray for me, avva, for I am poor, not having anything in my hands! And I said to him: oh, if only you did not have even the ones that you have! And he said: what for, avva? Or, did I ever upset you with anything? Then I told him all that had been done. And crying enough, he said: pray, avva, that God will send the things needed, and from now on to straighten myself! And I said: truly, son, do not allow for anything else to be entrusted to you from Christ, as long as you will be in this world, aside from the payment for this hardship. And wishing him well, I returned and Evloghie remained like this, digging stones, and receiving strangers till the end of his life, and becoming a hundered years, he did not renounce this deed, but God was giving him strength, until he fulfilled the jorney of this life.
12. Avva Paladie told us once, that as he was once entering Alexandria together with avva Daniil for a certain need, they met a young man coming out of the bath house, for he had bathed. And upon seeing him, the old man sighed and told me: do see this brother, the name of God will be defamed through him. But let us go after him, to see where he stays. And going on his tracks, we came in after him. And taking him aside, the old man said to him: oh brother, as you are young and healthy, it is not due to you to bath; for rest confident, son, that you are harming many, not only lay people but also monks. That one answered to the old man: if I would still be pleasing to the people, I would not be the servant of Christ. For it is written: do not judge and you will not be judged. Then the old man bowed in front of him saying: forgive me for the Lord, for I have mistaken like a man. And we went away from him. And I said to the old man: maybe the brother is unable, and then he will not be sentenced? And the old man, with sighs and tears said: may the truth entrust you, brother, I have seen more than fifty demons surrounding him and pouring mud on him, and an arabian woman sitting on his shoulders and kissing him and another arabian woman ahead of him dancing and teaching him shamefulness, and the demons around him going and enjoying him, and the holy angel I did not see either close, nor far from him. Because of this I reckon that he was full of all filth. And I confess that which is told by even his clothes, for they are of goat skin, and soft and twisted at the wire, and also that he stays without shame in the middle of this city, in which also the ones who got old into ascetic deeds, coming in for compulsory needs, they strive to get out quickly, so they do not suffer some spiritual harm. And then another one: if he was not loving himself and loving caressing and loving whoredom, he would not have had undressed himself without shame in the bath house, and would not have looked at others also naked, when our holy fathers Antonie and Pahomie, Amon and Serapion, and the other God bearing fathers, have decreed that no one of the monks, unless in great illness and need, should not uncover himself. For even themselves, when for some necessary needs, wanting to cross rivers, and there being no boat, they would not not bear to uncover themselves, for they were bashful of the holy angel, who was following after them, and of the sun which was shining, although no man was seeing them, but they were praying to God, and passing through the sky, for the man loving and awesome God immediately was receiving and in glorious way was fulfilling and with the deed was doing their right and full of piety prayer. And upon telling me these, the old man calmed down. And after we returned to the Skete, not many days have passed and brothers coming from Alexandria told us that the named brother, the priest (for he also had ordination), who was sitting at the church of Saint Isidor, the one who had come from Constantinopol a while before, (and this was theo one for which the old man spoke), it was found out that he was whoring with Salentarie’s woman, and being caught by his servants and by the neighbours, he had his two balls cut off, together with the body’s limb, and after the cutting having lived three more days, he died, making himself a disgrace and a shame to all the monks. And upon hearing that, I got up and went too avva Daniil and told him the ones that happened. And upon hearing, the old man shed tears and said: the punishment for the proud one is the fall. And the old man meant with this, that if that one would not have been ill with pride, and would have received his advice, he would not have suffered one like this, through which also the other proud ones will be punished, if they will not learn through the fall of that one, to run from a abyss like this.
13. Avva Evloghie’s apprentices have told that, as the old man sent us to Alexandria to sell the work of our hands, he ordered us not to do more than three days. And if you will do more than three days, I am not guilty of your sin, he was saying. And we asked him: how come the monks are spending day and night in the cities and in the villages with the lay people, and they do not harm themselves? And he said: believe me, sons, that I after I made myself monk, I spent thrity eight years not coming out of the Skete, and after that I went to Alexandria together with avva Daniil, to pope Eusebie, for a need. And entering into the city, I saw many monks, and I was seeing that some of them were hit by raens over the cheeks, and others were hugged by naked women and they were talking in their ears; and ahead of others, as they were naked, children were playing and they were smearing them with human faeces, and I was seeing others that they were holding knives and they were cutting human bodies, and they were giving them to the monks to eat. And I understood that each of the monks, in whatever passion they were fallen into, they were having that sort of demons who were following them, and were talking in their mind. Because of this, brothers, I do not want you to ever rest in the city, so that not to be bothered by this sort of thoughts, and even more of demons.
14. Avva Daniil went up once, from the Skete to Terenut, and on the way he entered a temple to sleep. And in there were old idols of the Helens and taking one, he put it as a log, under his head. And the demons (the devils), seeing his boldness and wanting to scare him, were shouting to a woman, calling her on her name, and saying: so-and-so, come with us to the bath! And another demon hearing, was answering as if from the idol which was under the old man’s head, and was saying: I have a stranger over me, and I cannot come! But the old man did not fear, but daring, he was hiting the idol saying: go into the darkness, if you cannot, and upon hearing the demons all shouted with great voice saying: he overcame us! And they ran ashamed.
15. Avva Daniil was saying for avva Dula that first he spent fourty years in the monastic commune life, then he quiteted himself at the Skete, and he was numbered among the great fathers. So this one was saying that, trying in many ways, he found out that the ones who spend time in the monastic commune life, more and faster do they progress in the work of good deeds, as compared to the ones who quiet themselves, if they will have and they will use the obedience out of a pure heart. For a brother was in a monastic commune life, with a stupid face and slandered more than all who were in it, and with his mind great and honest. This one, being insulted and slandered by all, and many time being beaten unjustly, he endured bravely, not saying anything to anyone; and another of the brothers who were there, being induced by the devil, stole the holy vases from the Church, in secret from all the others. Afterwards, as a search was run for the stolen ones, all that sticked the blame on the brother who was slandered, and out of assumption this one was condemned for stealing the holy ones. And as that one was saying that he has no knowledge of that thing what so ever, with the suggestion from the abbot, they took his monk’s order from him, and putting him in irons, they gave him to the administrator of the monastery for search. This one, after he even beat him enough with oxen stripes, and other punishments he gave him, because that one had nothing to confess, but rather he was putting forward the lack of knowledge of that deed, he sent him to the ruler of the place, to punish him more. And that one, showing over him types of torments, and with fire burning his body, and with lack of food for many days and with dark and stifling prison punishing him, after again he found out denial of stealing the holy ones, with the will of the abbot and of the brothers, he condemned him to death, as the law orders, for the punishment for stealing of the holy ones is death. And so he was taken to have his head chopped off. And the brother who had stolen then holy ones, seeing and suffering with his soul, coming to the avva said: I was let know that the holy vases were found out, thus for this hurry up that the brother’s head not be chopped off. And he lets the ruler of the place know, and the brother being released, he came into the communal life. And living three more days, he went towards the Lord, giving his sould while he was praying and had fallen onto his knees. So, as all from the moastery came, and finding out his body standing like this into humbleness (meaning on his knees), they took him and brought him into the church, so that it is laid there! And hitting the wooden board, all the monastery was gathered, and all were running to that body, each of them wanting to take a bit of the clothes, or of the hair, for blessing. And avva, fearing that the body may also be broken, brought it into the altar room, and they clocked it with lock, waiting for the monastery’s avva to also come. And after a little while, that one coming, and all making fire, and putting incese, they were looking for the body to take it out of the altar room and they were rushing the abbot of the monastery to quickly open. And that one, opening and coming inside with many others, they found the clothes and the shoes of the deceased, yet the body was nowhere. So all have started to praise God and to run one to another with tears, and say: see, brothers, what sort of gifts causes to us the long patience and the humbleness! Let us exert then, also ourselves to suffer the temptation and the slander for the Lord, and we will be praised and honoured and we will reign forever together with Him.
FOR AVVA DULA
1. Avva Dula said: if the enemy forces us to give up the quietness, let us not listen to him, for there is nothing like it and like the fasting, as help against him. For they give sharp sight to the inside eyes.
2. He said again: cut off the friendliness of the many, so that war does not raise against your mind, and the way of the quietness to be disturbed.
FOR AVVA DIOSCOR
1. The fathers were telling for avva Dioscor, the bishop of Nahiasta, that his bread was of barley and lentil, and every year he was setting up beginning of a life, saying: may in this year that I do not meet anyone, or that I do not talk, or that I do not eat broth, or that I do not eat fruit, or vegetables. And he was doing this way the whole work, and after he was finishing one, he was taking another, and he was doing this in all the years.
2. A brother asked avva Pimen, saying: the thoughts are disturbing me, and they do not let me take care of my sins, and they make me mind the shortcomings of the brother. And he told him the old avva Dioscor, for he was in his cell, crying for his sins, and his apprentice was sitting in another cell. So, when the old man was going, and was saying to him: father, why are you crying? And the old man was saying: I cry my sins. So, the apprentice was saying to him: you do not have sins, father! And the old man answered: truly, son, if I will cease seeing my sins, there are not enough other three or four, to cry for them.
3. Avva Dioscor said: if we will dress up in the heavenly dress, we will not find ourselves naked. But if we will not be found to be wearing that dress, what will we do, brothers? For we are also to hear that voice which says: throw him into the darkness from outside, there will be the crying and the gnashing of the teeth. Much shame will be to us, if having worn this habit so much time, we will find ourselves in the time of need not having the wedding dress. Oh, what contrition will follow! Oh, what darkness will fall upon us in front of our fathers and our brothers, who will see us being tormented by the fearsome demons!