FOR AVVA IOAN COLOV
1. Some have said for avva Ioan Colov (+), that as he was going to an old man from Teba, at the Skete, he was sitting in the wilderness, and his avva took a dry wood, planted it, and told him: every day water this wood with a pot of water, until it will give fruit. And it was far from them, so that he was going in the evening, and was returning in the morning. And after three years, the wood lived, and gave fruit, and the old man took the fruit, brought it to the church, saying to the brothers: take, eat the fruit of obedience.
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(+) Meaning, short, small of stature, stocky.
2. It was said about avva Ioan Colov, that he once said to his oldest brother: I wanted to be without care, like the angels are without care, not working anything, but without stop serving God. And taking his coat off, he went out into the wilderness. And after a week, he returned to his brother, and after he knocked at the door, he heard him, and before opening he said: who are you? And he said: I am Ioan, your brother. And answering he said to him: Ioan made himself an angel and he is no more among people. And he was praying, saying: it is me! And he did not open to him, but let him struggle until morning. And then, opening to him, he said to him: you are a human, you need to work again so that you feed yourself. And he did a prostration, saying: forgive me!
3. Avva Ioan Colov said: if the emperor wishes to take a citadel, first he stops the water, and the food, and thus the enemies dying of hunger, they submit to him! IT is the same with the passions of the body: if the man lives with fasting and with hunger, the enemies get weaker towards his soul.
4. He said again, that the one who saturates himself and speaks with a child, there, he commited fornication in his mind with him.
5. He said again that as we was going up once on the way of the Skete with the weave (+), he saw that the one who was driving the camels was talking, and starting himself (avva) towards anger, and leaving the vessels, he ran away.
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(+) Meaning, the rope with the woven baskets.
6. Another time, again at the harvest reaping, he heard a brother talking to the one close to him in anger, and saying: you come out! And leaving the reaping, he (avva) ran away.
7. It happened that some elders at the Skete to eat together ones with others, and avva Ioan was with them. And a great elder got up to give the vase with water, and nobody accepted to take from him, except Ioan Colov. So, they marveled, and they said to him: how is it that you, being smaller than all, dared to be served by the elder? And he answered to them: me, when I get up to give the vase, I am happy if all will take, so that I will be rewarded. And this is why I accepted, so that I get him rewarded, so that he does not get griefed, that no one accepted from him. And as he said this, those ones marveled, and they benefited from his judgement.
8. As he was once sitting in front of the church, the brothers surrounded him, and they were asking him about his thoughts, and as one of the elders saw, and being fought by envy, said to him: your vase, Ioan, is full of poison. Avva Ioan answered to him: it is so, avvo, and this you have said for you only see the ones from the outside; yet if you would have seen then ones from the inside, what could you have said?
9. The fathers were saying that once, as the brothers were eating love (+), a brother laughed at the table. And as he saw him, avva Ioan cried, saying: what, then, has this brother in his heart, for he has laughed, having a duty even more to cry, for he is eating love?
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(+) Meaning, charity.
10. Once, some of the brothers came, to tempt him. For he was not letting his thoughts to wander, nor was he saying any thing of this age, and they said to him: we thank God, for it has rained a lot this year. And the palm trees have drunk, and they grow sprouts, and the brothers find work for their hands. Avva Ioan said to them: so is the Holy Spirit! When it will descend into the hearts of men (+), they renew themselves and they sprout God fearing branches.
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(+) In other book editions: the saints.
11. It was said about him that he once weaved a rope of two sprouts, and he sewed it into a sprout, and he did not realized until he was close to the wall. For his mind was occupied with the gazing at the higher things.
12. Avva Ioan said: I am like a man who sits under a large tree and sees many beasts towards him; and when he cannot stay against them, he rushes up in the tree, and he escapes. In the same way with me, I stay in my cell, and I see the cunning thoughts above me; and when I cannot [fight] against them, I run to god through prayer, and I escape from the enemy.
13. Avva Pimen said about avva Ioan Colov, that he has prayed to God, and the temptations were raised from him, and he was without anxiety; and he went and said to an old man: I see myself resting and I have no war. And the old man said to him: go, pray to God that the war and the anxiety and they humbleness that you had before come to you! For the soul improves through wars. So, he prayed, and after the war came, he did not pray that it be taken away from him, but he was saying: give me, Lord, patience in wars!
14. Avva Ioan said that one of the elders saw in a revelation that three monks were standing in this side of the sea. A voice was made towards them, from the other side, saying: take wings of fire and come to me! And two of them have taken and have flown on the other side, and the other one remained; and he was crying hard, and he was shouting. Then, later, he was given wings, too, but not of fire, but weak and powerless, and with effort deepening himself, and raising himself, with a lot of hardship he arrived on the other side. So it is with this people, although it takes wings, they are not of fire, but weak and powerless.
15. A brother asked avva Ioan, saying: how come that my soul, although it has so many wounds, is not ashamed to slander my neighbour? The old man told him a story about slender. There was a man, and he was poor, and he had a woman; and he also saw another beautiful one, and he took this one, too – but they were both naked. So, as a gathering was to happen somewhere, they asked him saying: take us with you. And taking both of them, he put them in a baking bag (+) and entering a boat, they arrived at that place. And after it became hot, and the people calmed down, one of them looked around and not seeing anyone, she jumped out into the garbage, and gathering some old clothes, si made herself a robe, and because of that she was walking around daringly. And the other one, sitting naked inside, was saying: look at this sinful woman, she is not ashamed to wonder naked. And her man got saddened and said: oh, amazing! This one at least is covering her shameful part, but you are altogether naked; and saying these, are you not ashamed? It is the same way with the slander.
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(+) Meaning, a bag made of earth.
16. The old man was also telling to the brother, about the soul who wants to repent. There was a beautiful woman in a city, and she had many lovers; and as a rich man came to her, he told her: promise me that you will defend your cleanliness, and I will take you as wife. And she promised him. And taking her, he brought her to his home. And the lovers, looking for her, were saying: so-and-so rich man took her to her to his house. So, if we will go to his house (+1) and it is found out, he will punish us; so let us go around the house, to wistle to her, and knowing the sound of the wistle, she will come down to us, and we will be blameless. And upon hearing the whistle, she covered her ears, and rushed into the the inner most room, and she locked the doors. And the old man was saying that the sinful woman is the sould, and her lovers are the additions and the people, and the rich man is Christ, and the inner most room is the everlasting resting place (+2), and the ones who whistle to her are the shrewd demons, and it (+3) always runs towards the Lord.
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(+1) In other places, to his door.
(+2) In other places, the defending of the mind.
(+3) Meaning, the soul.
17. As avva Ioan was once going up to the Skete with other brothers, the one who was guiding them lost the way, for it was night. And the brothers said to avva Ioan: what will we do, avvo, for the brother has lost the way, is it that we will die getting lost? The old man said to them: if we will tell him, he will grief, and he will be ashamed. But there, I will pretend, for I am weak, and I say that I cannot go, but I will rest here until morning. And he did that way. And the others said: we will not go either, but we will sit with you. And they sat until morning, and they did not hinder the brother (+).
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(+) In other places, they did not rebuke.
18. An old man was in the Skete, hard working with the body, but not being careful with the mind. So, he went to avva Ioan, to ask him about forgetfulness. And upon hearing word from him, he returned to his cell, and he forgot what avva Ioan told him. And he went again to ask him. And hearing as well the word from him, he returned. And after he reached his cell, he forgot again. And so, going many times, when he was returning, he was mastered by forgetfulness. And after these, upon meeting with the old man, he said to him: you know avvo, that I forgot again what you have told me? But, so that I do not upset you, I did not come anymore. Avva Ioan said to him: go and lit up the candel! And he lit it up.And he told him again: bring some more candels, and lit them up from it. And he did so. And avva Ioan said to the old man: did the candel get hurt because you lit up from it the other candels? And he said: no. And the old man said: it is the same with Ioan; if the whole Skete will come to me, it will not stop me from the gift of Christ. And so, when you want, come, without doubting anything! And so, throught the patience of both of them, God lifted up the forgetfulness from the old man. For this was the work of ones from the Skete, to give strength to the ones who were being fought upon, and to force themselves, in order to win each other towards goodness.
19. A borther asked avva Ioan, saying: what shall I do? For many a time a brother comes to take me to work, and I am evil and weak and I get tired when working. So, what will I do for the command? And, answering, the old man said: Halev said to Iisus, the son of Navi: I was forty years old, when Moise, the slave of the Lord sent me from Cadis Varni, me and you, to this ground, and now I am eighty-five years old. As I was then, I can also now come out to war (+). Thus, you too, if you can, as you come out, the same way come in, and go; and if you cannot do so, sit in your cell, crying for your sins. And if they will find you moaning, they will not force you to come out.
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(+) Iisus Navi, 14, 7.
20. Avva Ioan said: who sold Iosfi? And a brother answered, saying: his brothers: the old man said to him: no, rather his humbleness sold him. For he could have said, that he is a brother of theirs, and to argue against it; but keeping quiet, for humbleness, he sold himself, and the humbleness made him ruler over Egypt.
21. Avva Ioan said: as we left the easy burden, meaning to defame ourselves, we have undertaken the heavy one, meaning to straighten ourselves.
22. This same one said: the humble thinking and the fear of God are above all good deeds.
23. This same one was once staying in a church, and he sighed, not knowing that there is someone behind him. So, finding out, he made a prostration, saying: forgive me, avvo, for I have not yet learned!
24. This one was saying to his disciple: let us honour the One, and all honour us. And if we will defame the One who is God, we will all be defamed, and we go into perdition.
25. It was said about avva Ioan, that he came to the church in the Skete, and hearing words against other brothers, he returned towards his cell, and walking around it three times, thus he entered. And some brothers seeing him, were surprised why he did this, and coming to him they asked him, and he said to him: I had the ears full of words against. So, I went around, to cleanse them, and thus to entered with the quietness of my mind into my cell.
26. A brother came to avva Ioan’s cell, in the evening, striving to return. And as they talked about good deeds, morning dawned. And they did not know. And he came to walk him off, and they stayed talking until the sixth hour, and he brought him inside, and tasting, then he went away.
27. Avva Ioan was saying that the prison is to sit in the cell and to remember God always with inner attention. And this is: in the prison was I and you came to Me.(+)
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(+) Matthew, 25, 36.
28. Again he said: who is stronger than the lion? Yet for his stomach he falls into the trap, and all its strength is humbled.
29. He was also saying, that as the fathers of the Skete were eating bread and salt, they were saying: let us not force ourselves onto salt and onto bread. And thus, they were strong in the work of God.
30. A brother came to take the basket from avva Ioan. And coming out, he said to him: what do you want, brother? And he said: the basket, avvo! And getting inside to bring it, he forgot. And he sat down, sewing. Again he knocked in the door, and as he came out, he said to him: bring the basket, avvo. And getting inside, again he sat to sew. And that one knocked. And getting out he said to him: what do you want, brother? And he said to him: the basket, avvo. And taking him by the hand, he brought him inside saying, if you want baskets, take and go, for I do not have time.
31. A man with the camels came once, to pick the vases, and to go some other place. And he, getting inside to bring him the rope, forgot, having his mind stretched towards God. So, again he upset the man with the camels, who knocked in the door. And again avva Ioan, getting inside, he forgot. And the third time, as the man with the camels was knocking, he got inside saying: rope, camel, rope, camel. And he was saying these, so that he would not forget.
32. This same one was boiling in spirit. So, as someone went to him, praised his work (+). And he went quiet. Then again that one started a word, and again he was quiet. The third time he said to the one who came: since you came in here, you drove out God from me.
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(+) For he was working on rope for the baskets.
33. Some came to avva Ioan’s cell and they found him sleeping, and an angel sanding close and defending him. And they went away after they saw. And as he woke up, he said to his apprentice: did anyone come here while I was sleeping? And that one said: yes, so-and-so elder came. And avva Ioan knew that the elder was of his measures, and he saw the angel.
34. Avva Ioan said: I want that the man partakes a little bit from all of the good deeds. Therefore, every day when you wake up in the morning, set up a beginning to all the good deed and God’s command, with great patience, with fear, and long patience, with God’s love, with all the zeal of the soul and of the body, and with much humbleness, with the enduring of the sorrow of the heart and the guarding, with lot of prayer and subjection, with sighs, with the cleansing of the tongue and the guarding of the eyes, not giving honour to yourself and not getting anger, being peaceful and not rewarding evil for evil, not considering the mistakes of others, not measuring yourself, (+) being under all the creation, with giving up the matter and the bodily things, with the cross, with the asceticism, with the poverty in spirit, with the spiritual will and habit, with fasting, with repentance and with crying, with war fighting, with the right measure, with the cleansing of the soul, with good partaking, with the quietness of your hand work, with nightly watches, with hunger and thirst, with cold and with nakedness, with hardship, closing your tomb, as if you would have now died, so that you reckon that death is close to you in every hour.
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(+) Meaning, with others.
35. It was said about this avva Ioan, that after he was returning from grain reaping, or from the gathering with other elders, he was occupying himself with prayer, and with the thinking, and with the singing of psalms, until his reckoning was coming back to its orderliness.
36. One of the parents said about him: who is Ioan? For with his humbleness, he hanged the whole Sketis by his smallest finger.
37. One of the parents asked avva Ioan Colov: what is the monk? And he said: exertion. For the monk exters himself to everything; thus is the monk.
38. Avva Ioan Colov said, that some spiritual elder locked himself in a cell, and he was named in the city, and he had lots of praise, and it was made known to this one that one of the saints wanted to die, and thus, to come and bless him before he went to sleep. And he thought to himself: if I will get out during the day, the people will run after me, and lot of praise is done to me, and I will not be at peace with these. So, I will go in the evening, through the dark, and I will keep myself in secrecy from all. Thus, in the evening, coming out of the cell, as one who wants to keep himself in secrecy, there, two angels were sent from God, with torches, lighthing up ahead of him. And because of that, all the city ran after him, searching at that prainse. And as much as he thought of running from praise, he was praised even more. To these it is fulfilled the word that is written: each that humbles himself, will be praised. (+)
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(+) Luke 14:11
39. Avva Ioan Colov was saying: it is not possible for someone to build the house from top to bottom, but from the base upwards. They said to him: what is this word? He said to them: the base, it is the neighbour, to gain him, and to use him first. For of him are hanging all of Christ’s commandments.
40. Avva Ioan said that humbleness is the gate to heaven, and our parents, while rejoicing through many insults, they entered into God’s city.
41. This same one said to his brother: although in front of men we are very stupid and ignored, let us rejoice for that. So that we be praised in front of God.
42. This same one was one sitting in the Skete and the brothers around him, asking for their thoughts. And one of the elders said to him: Ioan, you are like a sinful woman who adorns herself, and which multiplies its followers. And hugging him, avva Ioan said: truly you are saying, father. And after that, one of his disciples asked him, saying: did you not perturb inside, avvo. And he said: no. For I Iam inside in the same way as I am outside.
43. It was said about avva Ioan that the parents of a young woman died, and she was left poor. And her name was Paisia. So, she thought about becoming a host for strangers, a house for welcoming monks of the Skete. She remained like this, welcoming strangers, for a long time, and giving rest to the monks; and after a while, after she spent the things, she started to lack things. So, some rebellious people stuck to her, and change her from the good thinking. And because of that she started to behave badly, so that she whored. The monks heard, and got very sad. And calling avva Ioan Colov, they said to him: we heard about that sister, that she behaves badly, too; when she was able to, she showed her mercy towards us, so now let us show mercy towards her, and help her. So, make the effort and go to her, and according to othe wisdom that God gave you, manage the ones for her. So, avva Ioan came to her, and said to the old woman guardian: tell your mistress that I came! And she sent him away saying: you, from the beginning have eaten what she had, and you want to enter to her? Thus, getting up, the old woman told her about him. And the young one says to her: these monks always wonder around the Red Sea, and they find gems. So, adorning herself, she said that he be brought to her. So, after he went up, she went ahead and sat on the bed. And as avva Ioan came, he sat close to her. And looking in front of her, he said to her: why did you defame Jesus, that you came to these? And she, upon hearing, froze completely; and bowing down his head, avva Ioan started to cry very much. And she said to him: avvo, why are crying? And after he looked, again bowing down crying, he said to her: I can see that Satan plays in front of you, and I will not cry? And she, upon hearing, said to him: is there repentance, avvo? He says to her: there is. She says to him: take me wherever you want! He says to her: let us go. And she got up to walk after him. And avva Ioan notice that she did not order anything, nor did she say anything for her house. And he wondered. So, after they got into the desert, evening fell, and making a small header out of sand, and marking the sign of the cross, he said to her: sleep here! And making for himself too, and a little farther away, and fulfilling his prayers, he went to sleep. And towards midnight, as he woke up, he sees a bright way marked, from the sky to her, and he saw the angels of God carrying her soul. Thus, getting up and going to her, he moved her with his food. And after he saw that she has died, he threw himself with the face to the ground, praying to God, and he heard that one hour of her repentance was received higher than the repentance of many, who delay and do not show the ardor of a repentance like this one.
FOR AVVA IOAN FROM THE CHINOVIE
1. A brother was living in a chinovie and was holding up very much to the asceticism. And as the brothers from the Skete heard about him, they came to see him. And they entered to the place where he was working. And he bowed to them, he turned back, and he started to work. And as the brothers saw what he did, they said to him: Ioan, who put this order onto you? Or who made you a monk and did not teach you to take from the brothers their things, and to say to them: pray, or sit? He said to them: Ioan the sinner does not have time for such as these ones.
FOR AVVA ISIDOR
1. It was said about avva Isidor, the priest of the Skete, that if anyone had a brother who would answer back, or not pay attention, or insulting, and they wanted to sent him away, he was saying to them: bring him here. And he was taking him, and through his long patience, he was redeeming the brother.
2. A brother asked him, saying: why are the demons afraid of you, brother? The old man said to him: since I made myself a monk, I am striving to not let anger rise up to my throat.
3. He was again saying that he has forty years since he feels the sin with his mind, but never did he agree to it, neighter to the one of desire, nor to the one of anger.
4. He was saying again: when I was young and I was sitting in my cell, I did not have a measure to my law. Night and day was my law.
5. Avva Pimen said about avva Isidor, that he was knitting a bunch of branches and the brothers were praying him saying: take a rest a little bit, for now you have gotten old. And he was saying to them, that if they will burn Isidor, and they will spread his ashes into the wind, there is no benefit to him, for the Son of God came here for us.
6. This same one said about avva Isidor, that his thoughts were telling him: you are a great man. And he was saying to them: am I like avva Antonie? Or did I make myself fully as avva Pamvo, or as the other fathers, whom God liked? When he was bringing these against, he was resting. And when the enmity was making him to decrease in his soul, that after all these he will be thrown into the travail, he was saying to them, that even though he will be thrown in the travail, he will find them underneath.
7. Avva Isidor said: I once went to the market to sell some small bowls, and seeing that anger was getting close to me, leaving the bowls, I ran away.
8. Avva Isidor once went to avva Teofil, the archbishop of Alexandria, and as he returned to the Skete, the brothers asked him: how was it. And he said: truly, brothers, I have not seen a human’s face, except that of the archbishop. And upon hearing, they were disturbed, saying: maybe, they sank, avvo? And he said: not so, but the mind did not win over me, to see anyone. And upon hearing, they wondered, and strengthened so that they guard the eyes from scattering.
9. This same Isidor said: the ability of the saints is this, that they know the will of God. For man triumphs over all with the subjection to the truth, for it is the icon and the likeness of God. But, more than all the addiction, the most horrendous is for man to follow his heart, meaning, his judgement (+1), and not the law of God, which at the beginning seems to man that it has some rest, but later on becomes crying for him. For they did not know the secrecy of the godly economy, nor did they find out the way of the saints, to walk on it. So now it is time, to do to the Lord, for the saving is in times of trouble. For it is written: through your patience you will gain your souls. (+2)
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( +1 ) Or, the will
( +2 ) Luke XXI, 19.
FOR AVVA ISIDOR PELUSIOTUL
1. Avva Isidor Pelusiotul was saying that the life without word is more useful than the word without life. For the life, even when it is quiet it is useful, but the word, even when it is shouted it is upsetting. But if both the word and the life will meet, they make an icon of the whole philosophy. (+)
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( +) Isid. C. the II-nd, Epistole 275
2. This same one was saying: honour the good deeds, do not bow in front of the delights. For the good deeds are works without death, while the delights are easily extinguished. (+)
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( +) The II-nd book, Epistole 116
3. He also said: many of the people truly desire the good deed, but they hesitate to walk on the way that it leads to it. While others do not even rekon there is good deed. We have to make those ones to drop the hesitation, and to invite these ones, for truly, the good deed is the good deed. (+)
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( +) The II-nd book, Epistole 69
4. He also said that evilness has distanced people from God and it has also split ones from others. So, we have to run away from this one with all the strength, and to run after the good deed, which both takes us to God, and it unites ones with others. And the skillfull unpretence is the border of the good deed and of the philosophy. (+)
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( +) The II-nd book, Epistole 131
5. He also said: as great is the higth of the humble thinking, and the pride’s fall, I advice you to love that one, and into this one not to fall. (+)
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( +) The II-nd book, Epistole 69
6. He also said: as the terrible and too daring addiction of the love of money knows no fulfilment, it drives the enslaved soul to the utmost evilness. Therefore, we should especially drive it away at the beginning. For if it will rule, it will be unconquered. (+)
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( +) The III-rd book, Epistole 24
FOR AVVA ISAAC, THE PRIEST OF THE CELLS
1. Once, some came to make avva Isaac priest, and as he heard, he ran in Egypt, and went into a field, and hid himself in the weeds. So, the fathers rushed on his tracks. And reaching that land, they sat to take a small rest over there (for it was night) and they released to donkey to graze. But the donke went, and stayed above, where the old man was. And in the morning, looking for the donkey, they also found avva Isaac, and they wondered. And wanting to bind him, he did not allow them, saying: I am not running anymore, for it is the will of God, and wherever I will run, to this I will arrive.
2. Avva Isaac said: When I was younger, I was sitting with avva Kronie and he never told me to do any thing, although he was old and was trembling; but he was getting up by himself and was giving the vase to me and also to everyone. And I also sat with avva Teodor of the Fermei and he was not telling me to do anything either; but even the table he was setting himself and was saying: brother, if you want, come and eat. And I was saying to him: avvo, I came to you to benefit, and how come you do not tell me to do something? And the old man was always silent, and I went and let the elders know. And as the elders came to him, they said to him: avvo, the brother came to your holiness, to benefit, and why do you not tell him what to do? And the old man said to them: am I chinoviarh, to direct for him? Truly, I do not tell him anything, but he wants, what he sees me doing, he will also do. So, since them, I was getting ahead, and I was doing whatever the old man wanted to do. And whatever he was doing, he was doing silently, and this taught me to do silently.
3. Avva Isaac and avva Avraam were living together, and upon entering avva Avraam, he found avva Isaac crying. And he said to him: why are you crying? And the old man said: why should we not cry? For where are going to go? Our parents have fallen asleep, because the work of our hands is not enough for payment we give for the renting of the boats, getting to go to the elders. And now we are left poor. That is why I am crying.
4. Avva Isaac said: I know a brother, who was reaping with the sickle. And he wanted to eat a wheat ear, and he said to the owner of the land: do you want me to eat a wheat ear? And he, upon hearing was surprised, and said to him: is this land yours, father, and I are asking me? Up to that much was the brother attentive.
5. He said again to the brothers: do not bring children here, for four churches got deserted in the Skete, because of children.
6. It was said about avva Isaac, that he was eating with his bread the ashes from the censer used in the liturgy.
7. Avva Isaac was saying: our fathers and avva Pamvo were wearing old clothes with many stiches and sevenia (+), and now you wear expensive ones. Go away from here! You have deseted the ones from here. And when he wanted to go to sickle reaping, he was saying to them: I do not give you commands anymore, for you do not guard them.
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(+) Meaning of palm tree.
8. One of the fathers told that one of the brothers once came, wearing a small culion (++) in the Cells’ church, in front of avva Isaac, and the old man rushed him away, saying that the places over here belog to the monks, and as he is a layman, he cannot remain here.
9. Avva Isaac said: never did I bring into my cell a throught about the brother who upset me, and I strived to not let brother into his cell, whom to have a thought over me.
10. Avva Isaac fell ill with a big sickness, and spent a lot of time in it. And the brother made a little boiling for him, and he also put in it plums, and the old man did not want to taste it, and the brother was praying him saying: take a little bit avvo, for the weakness. Truly, brother, I wanted to spend in this illness thirty years.
11. Some were saying about avva Isaac, that as he wanted to end, the elders gathered at him, and they were saying: what will we do after you, father? And he said: did you see how I walked in front of you? If you also want to follow and to guard God’s commandments, He will send His gift, and He will defend this place. While if you will not guart them, you will not live in this place. For we were also saddened when our fathers were about to die. But as we guarded God’s and their commandments, we stayed, just as they would be with us. You do the same, and you will be saved.
12. Avva Isaac said that avva Pamvo used to say, that the monk should wear such a coat, that if he puts it out of his cell for three days, nobody would take it.
FOR AVVA IOSIF THE ONE FROM PANEFO
1. Once, some of the parents went up to avva Iosif from Panefo to ask him about the meeting of the brothers that are hosted at them, if it is right to address them, and to show bolness towards them. And before he was asked, the old man said to his apprentice: pay attention to what I want to do today, and bear! And the old man put two things, one to the right and another to his left, and said: sit. And he entered in his cell, and he dressed with old beggar’s clothes, and coming out he went through their midst, and coming in again, he dressed up with his clothes. And coming out again, he sat in the middle of them. And they were frightened by the old man’s deed. And he said to them: did you pay attention, what did I do? They said: yes. And he said to them, so, if I myself am in both clothes, just as the first one did not change me, the same way neither did the second one harm me. In this way we have a duty to do with receiving the foreign brothers (+1) according to the Holy Gospel. Give, it says, the ones of Cesar, to Cesar, and the ones of God, to God (+2). So, when there are brothers coming, with boldness (+3) should we receive them. And when we are aside, we need crying, so they spend time with us. And as they heard, they wondered, that he even said the ones from their hearts, before they asked him, and they praised God.
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(+1) In others, at the meeting of the brothers.
(+2) Matthew 22, 21.
(+3) In others, with kindness.
2. Avva Pimen said to avva Iosif: tell me, how should I make a monk out of myself? And he said: if you want to find peace bother here and there, for every thing say: who am I? And do not judge anyone.
3. This same one again asked avva Iosif, saying: what will I do, when the passions are getting close? Should I stay against them, or should I let them come in? The old man says to him: let them enter, and fight them. So, returning to the Skete, he was sitting, and as someone of the Tebeians came to the Skete, he was saying to the brothers that he asked avva Iosif, saying: if the passion will get close to me, shall I stay against it, or shall I let it enter? And he said: no way should you let the passions enter, but immediately cut them off. And as avva Pimen heard that avva Iosif said that to the Tebeian, he got up and went to him in Panefo and said to him: avvo, I entrusted to you my thoughts and you answered to me in one way, and in another way to the Tebeian. The old man said to him: don’t you know that I love you. And he said: it is so. And were you not asking me to tell you just like I would say to yourself? And he said: it is so. The old man said to him: if the passions will enter and you will give and will take with them, you become more skilled; and I spoke just like I would speak to myself. But there are others to whom it is not useful that the passions even close to them, but they need to immediately cut them off.
4. A brother asked avva Iosif, saying: what will I do, for I can not bear hard labours, neither can I work and give love. (+) The old man said to him: if you cannot do neither of these, at least guard your knowledge about the neighbour, from all the evil – and you will be saved. For God requires the soul without sin.
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(+) Mercy giving.
5. One of the brothers was saying: I once went to the lower Iraclia, towards avva Iosif and he had in his monastery a beautiful mulberry tree, and he says to me in the morning: go, eat! And it was Friday. And I did not go, because of the fasting. And praying him, I said: for God, tell me this reasoning? There, you were saying to me: go, eat! And me, because of the fasting, did not go, and I was ashamed of your order, thinking with what reasoning does the elder tell me to. So, what was I supposed to do? For you were telling me: go! And he said: the fathers do not talk straight to the brothers, but more of the crooked ones. And if they see that they do the crooked ones, do not tell them the crooked ones anymore, but the truth, knowing that they are listening in everything.
6. Avva Iosif said to avva Lot: you cannot become a bonk if you will not become like the file, thoroughly burining.
7. Avva Lot went to avva Iosif and said to him: avvo, according to my strength I do the little cannon and the little fasting and the prayer and the reading and the quietness, and according to my strength I am clean with the thoughts. What else am I to odo? So, getting up, the old man stretched his hands to the sky, and his fingers became like ten torches of fire. And he said to him: if you will, make yourself all like fire!
8. A brother asked avva Iosif saying: I want to get out of the chinovie and to sit outside. And the old man said to him: where you see your sould that it finds rest and it does not harm, sit. The brother says to him: I find rest both in the chinovie and outside. What do you want me to do? The old man says to him: if you find rest both in the chinovie and outside, put both minds I balance, and see wherever you see that your mind benefits more and holds, that is what you should do.
9. One of the old men went to his friend, for going together, to inquire avva Iosif, and he said: tell your apprentice to prepare for us the donkey. And he said: call him, and whatever you will want, he will do. He says to him: what is his name? And he said: I do not know. And he said: how much time does he has with you, that you do not know his name? And he said to him: two years. And he said: if you for two years do not know the name of your apprentice, me, what need do I have to find it in one day?
10. The brothers gathered once at avva Iosif, and as they were sitting and asking him, he rejoiced and with full zeal he was saying to them: I am emperor today. For I have rulled over passions.
11. The fathers were saying about avva Iosif the one from Panefo, for as he was about to end, the elders were sitting, and he paid attention to the window and calling his apprentice, said to him: bring me my staff. For this one supposes that I have become old, and I cannot against him anymore. And as he grabbed the staff, the elders saw that like a dog was released through the window, and made itself unseen.
FOR AVVA IACOV
1. Avva Iacov said: greater is for someone to estrange oneself, then to welcome strangers.
2. He was also saying that when someone is praised by others, he should reckon his sins and put them into his mind, for he is not worthy of the praise that it is said to him.
3. He was also saying that as the candle lites up in the dark room, so does the fear of God, when it will come into the man’s heart, it lites him up, and it teachs him all the good deeds and the Lord’s commands.
4. He said again: there is not only need for words, for there are many words between people in this time. For this is what is searched for, and not the words that bear no fruit.
FOR AVVA IERAX
1. A brother asked avva Ierax, saying: tell me a word, to redeem myself. The old man said to him: sit in your cell, and if you are hungry, eat, and if you are thirsty, dring, and do not slender anyone, and you will redeem yourself!
2. This same one said that never did he said worldy words, nor did he want to hear.
FOR AVVA IOAN THE GELDED
1. Avva Ioan the gelded, being younger, asked an old man, saying: how is it that you were able to do God’s work with peace, yet we cannot do it even with effort? And the old man answered: we were able, having the work of God as our object (+1), while the bodily care, being too small a thing. While you have as object the bodily care, while God’s work you do not have because of need. That is why you are tireing. And this is why the Saviour said to the disciples: you of little fait, first search for the Kingdom of God and all these will be added to you. (+2)
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(+1) Meaning, the great thing, and which is holding the first place.
(+2) Matthew VI, 33.
2. Avva Ioan said that our parent avva Antonie said: I never chose my benefit, and did not want it more than the benefit of my brother.
3. Avva Ioan the cilician, the abbot of Rait was saying towards the brothers: sons, just as we have run from the world, let us run from the body’s desires.
4. He said again: let us follow our parents, with the type of hard life and quietness they sat here.
5. He said again: sons, let us not taint this place which our parents cleansed of demons.
6. He said again: this place is of the ascetics, not of the traders.
FOR AVVA IOAN FROM THE CELLS
1. Avva Ioan from the Cells told saying that a sinful woman was in Egypt, beautiful and very rich, and the boyards were coming to her. So, in one of the days she had time to come to the church, and she wanted to come inside. But the ipodeacon, who was staying at the doors, did not let her, saying: you are not worthy to enter into the house of God, for you are unclean. And while they were arguing, the bishop heard the quarrel and came out. So the woman said to him: are you not letting me to enter the church? And the bishop said to her: you are not free to enter, for you are unclean! And she, humbling herself, said to him: I will not sin again! And the bishop said to her: if you will bring here all your riches, I know that you will not sin anymore. And after she brought them, the bishop took them, and burned them. And they entered the church, she crying and saying: if here it is was done so to me, what will I suffer over there? And she repented, and she made herself a vase of the choice.
2. Avva Ioan of Tebaida said: the monk owes, before all, to complete the humble thinking, for this is the first comman of the Redeemer, Who says. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. (+)
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(+) Matthew V, 3.
FOR AVVA ISIDOR THE PRIEST
1. It was said about avva Isidor the priest, that once a brother came to ask him to lunch. And the old man did not suffer to go, saying that as Adam was deceived by food, he was settled out of heaven. The brother said to him: are you still afraid to get out of your cell? And he told him again: my son, I am afraid that the devil, raging like a lion, looks for whom to swallow (+1), and many times he was saying that if someone will give himself to the drinking of wine, he will not escape the haunting of thoughts. For even Lot, being forced by his daughters, got drunk with wine, and through drunkenness, the devil found him easily towards the lawless sin. (+2)
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(+1) I Peter V.8
(+2) Genesis 19, 33, 35.
2. Avva Isidor was saying: if you desire the Kingdom of Heaven, defame the money, and hold on to the godly rewarding.
3. He said again: living after God is impossible if you will be loving caresses and loving silver.
4. He said again: if you fast according to the law, do not pride yourselves. But if you praise yourselves for this, it is better to eat meat, rather than someone to become proud and to praise oneself.
5. He said again: the apprentices must love the true enducators as parents, and they should be afraid of them as lords. And the fear should not diminish because of the love, and the love should not darken because of the fear.
6. He also said: if you desire salvation, take all that lead you to it.
7. It was said about avva Isidor that, as some brother was going to him, he was running even deeper into the cell. And the brothers were saying to him: avvo, what is this that you do? And he was saying: is it not also that the beasts, running in their dens, escape? He was saying these for the benefit of the brothers.
8. An old man was saying that in the times of the great Isidor, the priest of the Skete, there was a deacon brother who, for his many good deeds, he wanted to make him a priest, to remain in his place, after he died. And he, out of piety, he did not touch the ordinantion, but remained a deacon. So, this one, out of the haunting of the enemy, was envied by one of the old men, and as they were all in the church for the service, the old man went and he put his book in secret into the cell of the deacon, and coming he told avva Isidor, saying, that someone of the brothers stole his book. And, being surprised, avva Isidor said: never before did something like this happen in the Skete. So, the old man who secretely put the book said to the priest: send two of the elders with me, to search the cells. So, as they went, first they felt through the others’ cells, and then they went to the deacon’s cell, and finding that book there, they brought it to the priest in the church, and told where they found it, as the deacon was there, and heard. And he prostrated himself to avva Isidor, in front of the crowd, saying: I have mistaken, give me canon, and they gave him canon that for three weeks not take communion. So, the brother was coming to the service, and was staying in front of the church, and was bowing in front of all the crowd, saying: forgive me, for I have mistaken! And after three weeks, he was welcomed at the communion. And immediately the old man who had blighted him became demonized, and he started confessing himself shouting and saying: I have blighted the servant of God. And as a prayer was done for him, by all the church, he was not healing. Then the great Isidor said, in front of all the brothers, pray for him, for you were blighted! And if not through you, then he will not be healed through anyone else, either. And as he prayed, immediately the old man became healed.
FOR AVVA IOAN THE PERSIAN
1. One of the parents told about avva Ioan the Persian, for out of his great gift, he came into deep un-evilness. For this one was dwelling in the Egyptian Arabia, and he once borrowed a golden coin from a brother, and he purchased flax, to work. And a brother came praying, and saying: give me a little bit of flax, avvo, so that I do a leviton (dressing) for myself! And he gave him, with happiness. In the same way, yet another one one came praying: give me a little flax, to do myself a apron! And he also gave him the same. And others, asking, he gve shortly, with happiness. In the end, the owner of the golden coin comes, asking for it, and the old man said to him: I am going to get it for you. And not having where to give it from, he got up to go to avva Iacov of the deacon, to pray to him to give him the coin, to pay to the brother. And going, he found a golden coin on the ground, and he did not touch it. And making prayer, he returned to his cell. And the brother came again, upsetting him for the coin. And the old man said to him: no doubt I bear the care, and as he went, he found again the coin down, where it was, and making prayer, he returned to his cell. And there, in the same way the brother who was upsetting him came, and the old man told him the without a doubt this time he will bring it to ohim. And getting up, again he came to that place, and found it sitting there. And making prayer, took it, and he came to avva Iacov, and he said to him: avvo, as I was coming to you, I found this coin on the way. So, help, and give word in the parish, maybe someone lost it, and if its owner will be found, give it him. Then, the old man went, and for three days he let it be known, and nobody was found to have lost the coin. Then, the old man said to avva Iacov: so, if nobody lost it, give it to this brother, for I owe to him, and coming to get mercy (+) from you, and to pay the debt, I found it. And the old man was amazed, how being in debt and finding it, did not take it, to give it. And this was also a wonder of him, for if anyone was coming to borrow something, sometime from him, he was not giving himself but was saying to the brother: go, take yourself whatever you need, and if he was bringing, he was saying: put it back in its place! And if the one who had taken was not bringing anything, he was not saying anything.
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(+) Mercyfullness
2. It was said about avva Ioan the Persian that as some evil men came to him, he brought a basin, and he was praying them to wash their feet, and those ones, becoming transformed through godliness, started to repent.
3. Someone said to avva Ioan the Persian: so much hardship we did for the Kingdom of heavens, can we inherit it? And the old mand said: I belive I will inherit the Jerusalem from above, which is written in the heavens (+1). For trustworthy is the one who promised (+2). And why would I not believe? Loving of strangers, like Avraam, I made myself, kind like Moses, holy like Aaron, patient like Iov, humbly thinker like David, ascetic like Ioan, mourner like Ieremia, teacher like Pavel, trustworthy like Petru, wise as Solomon. And I believe that the thief, that the One Who gave me these, because of His kindness, he will also give me the Kingdom!
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(+1) Epistle to the Hebrews XII 22-23.
(+2) Epistle to the Hebrews X 23.
FOR AVVA IOAN THE TEBEAN
1. It was said for the small Ioan the Tebean, the apprentice of avva Ammoi, that he served for twelve years the old man when he was sick, and he was sitting with him on the harar, and the old man was not looking at him. And although he strived a lot with him, he never told him: be saved! And when he wanted to terminate, as the old men were sitting, he grabbed his hand, and they told him: be saved, be saved! And he entrusted him to the old men, saying: this is an angel, not a human!
FOR AVVA IOAN, THE APPRENTICE OF AVVA PAVEL
1. It was said about avva Ioan, the apprentice of avva Pavel, that he had a great obedience. For there were tombs in a place, and a lioness lived there; and the old man saw in that place oxen dung, and was saying to Ioan to go and bring them. And he said: but will I do, avvo, about the lioness? The old man, jokinly said: if it will come over you, tie it up, and bring it here! So, the brother went there in the evening, and there, the lioness came over him. And him, according to the old man’s word, rushed to catch it, and the lioness ran. And as he was running after it, he was saying: my father is waiting for me to tie you. And catching it, he tied it. And the old man was upset, and he was sitting, waiting for him. And there, he came, holding the linoness tied up. As he saw, the old man was amazed. And, wishing to humble him, he hit him, saying: you no-good! Did you bring me a crazy dog here? And the old man immediately untied it, and released it, so it went away.
FOR AVVA ISAAC THE TEBEAN
1. Once avva Isaac the Tebean went to a monastery and saw a brother that he mistook, and he condemned him. And after he went out into the wilderness, the angel of the Lord came and sat in front of the door of his cell, saying: I am not allowing you to enter. And he was praying, saying: what is the reason? And answering, the angel said to him: God sent me, saying: tell him, where you command to put the brother who has mistaken, whom you have judged? And immediately he repented, saying: I have mistaken, forgive me! And the angel said: get up, God has forgiven you! But guard yourself from now onwards, that you do not judge anyone, before God has judged him.
2. It was said about avva Apollo, that he had an apprentice, namely Isaac, thoroughly punished to all the good deed. And he gained the peace of the Godly Liturgy, and when we was exiting the church, did not letanyone to come in his way. For this was his word, that everything is good in its time, that there is a time for every thing (+). And after he was exiting the church, as he was rushed by fire, this is how he was running, and trying to get to this cell. And many time it was given to othe brother from the church a biscuit and a glass of wine, but he was not taking, not renouncing the blessing of the brothers, but keeping the peace of the church. And it happened, that he layed down because of sickness, and as the brothers heard, they came to visit him. And ask the brothers sat down, they asked him, saying: avvo Isaac, why after exiting the church you are running from the brothers? And he said to othem: I am not running from the brothers but from the evil craft of the demons. For if someone will keep a torch lit up, and he will stay in the wind, it will get extinguished from the wind. So with us, as we are lit up by the Holly Spirit during the Holly Liturgy, if we will rest outside of the cell, our minds will darken. This was the way of the devout avva Isaac.
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(+) Ecclesiastes III, 1.
FOR AVVA IOSIF THE TEBEAN
1. Avva Iosif the Tebean said: three cohorts are honoured in front of the Lord: when the man is sick and he is being added temptations and he receives them thankfully. And the second one is when someone makes all his things clean in front of God and they have nothing of the humans. And the third, when someone sits under the obedience of a spiritual father and he is giving up all his will. This one has one more wreath, but I chose the sickness.
FOR AVVA ILARION
1. Avva Ilarion from Palestine, once went to the mountain, towards avva Antonie. And Avva Antonie said to him: welcome, bright star which araises in the morning! And avva Ilarion said to him: peace to you, column of light, which lits up the world!
FOR AVVA ISHIRION
1. The brothers parents of the Skete have prophesyzed for the last generation. What have we worked?, they were saying. And answering, one of them, great with the life and with the name, avva Ishirion, said: we have fulfilled God’s commands. And answering, the brothers said: but the ones after us, what will they do, then? And he said: they will arrive to half of our work. And the brothers said: but those after them? Avva Ishirion said: in no way do they have works, the ones of that generation and that row, but the temptation will come to them. And the ones who will be found clarified in that time, will be found greater than us and than our parents.