FOR AVVA THE ROMAN
1. Once, a Roman monk came, who once had been an official of the palace, and he lived in the Skete, close to the church. He had a slave here, who was serving him. So, as the priest saw his weakness, and finding out from what rest he is, whatever God was providing as it came to the church, he was sending it to him. And as he did twenty five years in the Skete, he became a foreseer, and a signed. So, as one of the great Egyptians heard about him, he came to see him, awaiting to find out from him some greater bodily time. So, entering at him, he bowed to him, and as they made a prayer, they sat down. But the Egyptian was seeing him, that he wears soft clothes, and a sack, and lather under it, and a small pillow. He had clean feet and with sandals (a sort of shoes). As he saw these, he deluded himself for in that place there was no such life, but rather the strict living. But, as the old man was freseer, he understood that he deluded himself and he said to the servant: make a feast for us us today, for avva! A few greenery also happened, and they boiled them and, at the proper time, getting up, they ate. The old man also had a little bit of wine, for weakness, and they drank. After evening came, they read the twelve psalms, and they went to sleep. Also the same in the night. So, getting up in the morning, the Egyptian said to him: pray for me! And he got out, without benefit. After he went for a little bit, as the old man wanted to benefit him, sending, he called him back. And after he came, he received him again, joyously. Then he asked him, saying: from what country are you? And he answered to him: I am Egyptian. But from which city/ and he said: I am not wholy from city. And he asked him: what is your work, in your village? And he answered: I was guard in the field. And he said to him: where were you sleeping? And he said to him: at the field. Did you have a cloth under yourself? And he said: yes, at the field I had to put cloth under myself. But how? And he said: down. And he said to him again: but what did you have to eat at the field? Or what wine were you drinking? And he answered: is there food and dring at the field? But how were you living, answer? I was eating dry bread and whatever I was finding, a little bit of meat, and water. And replying, the old man said: great difficulty! But is there a bath in the village for you to wash? No, but in the river, when we want. So, after the old man asked him about all of these, and found out the hardship of his first life, wanting to benefit him, told him his living in the world, the one before, saying: as for me, the humble one that you see me, I am from the great city of Rome, and I made myself great in the palace of the emperor. As the Egyptian found out the beginning of the word, he humbled himself and was listening carefully what was being said. And he said to him again: so, I left the city, and I cam in this desert. And again, me, the one who you see, I had great houses and many things, and defaming these, I cam into this small cell. Again, me, the one whom you see, I had everywhere gold beds, with expensive covers, and instead of them God gave me this poor cover and the skin. My clothes were of great price, and instead of them I wear these poor clothes. At my lunch there was much gold being spent, and instead of the gold God gave me a little bit of greenery, and this little cup of wine. And the ones who were serving were many sevants, and instead of those, God has arranged this old man who is serving me. And instead of the bath, I put a little bit of water on my feet, and sandals for my weakness. Instead of the harps, I read these twelve psalms. In the same way, also in the night, instead of the sins that I was doing, now with rest I do this little prayer. Please, then, avvo, doo not be deluded by my weakness. Hearing these, the Egyptian, and coming to himself, he said: woe to me! For from the much grief of the world, I came to rest, and the ones that I did not have then, I do have now. And you, from much rest, you came to much grief, and from much praise and richness, you came to humbleness and poverty. And benefiting much, he went away. And he became a friend to him, and he was coming often to him for benefit, for he was a man with the right reckoning, and full of the good fragrance of the Holy Spirit.
2. This same one has said that there was an old man having a good apprentice and, out of the diminishing of the soul, he brought him out of the door with his waistcoat. And the brother beared outside sitting and, as the old man opened the door, he found this one sitting. And he bowed to him saying: oh, father, the humbleness of your long patience has won over the diminishing of my soul. Come inside for from now on you are elder and parent, and me young and apprentice!
FOR AVVA RUF
1. A brother asked avva Ruf: what is the quietness? And which is its benefit? And the old man said to him: the quietness is to stay in the cell with fear and knowledge of God, avoiding us from mentioning evil, and high thinking. As this type of quietness is giving birth to all good deeds, it protects the monk from the fiery arrows of the enemy, not letting him get hurt by them. So, brother, gain this one, remembering the time of your death, for you do not know in what time does the thief come; so then, wake up for your soul!
2. Avva Ruf said that the one who lives into obedience of a spiritual father has more reward than the one who lives alone in the desert. And this one was saying that one of the fathers has told, saying: I saw four cohorts in the sky. In the first one was the man who is sick and gives thanks to God; in the second cohort was the one who was following the love for strangers, and in this he lives and serves. In the third cohort was the one who was walking in the desert and does not see human, and in the fourth cohort was the one who lives in obedience to a father, and he obeyes him for the Lord. And the one for obedience was wearing golden chain and shield, and more glory had than the others. And I said to the one who was advicing me: how come this smaller one has more glory than the others? And he, answering, said to me: because the one who walks in the love for strangers, does his will, and the one who is in the desert went with on his will, and this one who has obedience, leaving all his will, depends on God and on his elder. For this he took more glory than the others. So, sons, this is why it’s good the obedience who is done for the Lord. Did you hear, sons, in part, a little sign of this happening! Oh, obedience, the salvation of all believers! Oh, obedience, the birthgiver of all good deeds! Oh, obedience, the finder of the Kingdom! Oh, obedience, who opens the skies and raise the men from the ground! Oh, obedience, the feeder of all saints, from which they suckled milk, and through which they became perfect! Oh, obedience, who lives together with the angels!
FOR AVVA ROMANO
1. As avva Romano wanted to pass away, his apprentices gathered at him, saying: how must we lead ourselves? And the old man said: I do not know that I ever said to any of you to do something sometime, if first I did not set my thought, that it should not get angry, if he should not do what I said to be done. And thus all our time we lived in peace.