FOR AVVA THEODOR OF FERMEI (+)
1. Avva Theodor of Fermei had earned three good books and went to avva Macarie and said to him: I have three good books, and I benefit from them, and I use them, and the brothers benefit from them. Tell me then, what should I do? Maybe I should keep them for my and the brothers’ benefit, or should I sell them and to give the money to the poor? And answering, the old man said: truly, the deeds are good, but better than all is the lack of wealth. And upon hearing this, he went, sold them, and gave the money to the poor.
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(+) There is a mountain in Egypt, which streches from the Skete towards the big desert, and it is called Fermi.
2. A certain brother, sitting by himself mostly at the cells (+) was getting troubled. And going towards avva Theodor of Fermei, told him about his trouble. And the od man said to him: go, humble your thought, and abide youself, and spend together with others! And after a while, he returned towards the old man and said to him: I am not resting not even together with the people. And the old man said to him: if you do not find rest by yourself, nor do you find peace with others, whey did you come out to the monk life? Is it not to suffer the troubles? Tell me, how many years do you have since you are in this way? The brother answered: eight. The old man said to him: truly I have in this way seventy years and not even in one day did I find rest, and you in eight years want to have rest? And upon hearing these, the brother went strengthened.
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(+) There is a place outside of the city Alexandria, which is called the hermit cells.
3. Once a brother went to avva Theodor and he traveled for three days, praying him to hear some word. And he did not answer to him. And he came out disgusted. And his apprentice said to him: avvo, how come you did not say any word, for he went away disgusted? And the old man said to him: truly, I did not talk to him, for his is a trader, and he wants to gain praise in foreign words.
4. Avva Theodor also said: if you are friendly with someone, and it will happen that he will fall into the temptation of fornication, if you can, give him a hand, and pull him upwards. But if he will fall into heresy, and he will not listen to you to return, quickly cut him off from you, so that in no way, by resting, for you to fall together with him into the hole.
5. It was said about avva Theodor of Fermei that these three conclusions he had more than the others: lack of wealth, asceticism, and running away from people.
6. Once avva Theodor was spending time with the brothers in the Skete, and as they were eating, they were taking the glasses with piety, silently and not saying the word: forgive! And avva Theodor said: the monks have lost the good habit, not saying: forgive!
7. A brother asked him, saying: avvo, do you want that I do not eat bread a few days? And the old man said to him: you do well to do that, for I have also done that. And the brother said to him: I want to put my chickpeas in the mill, to make it flour. The old man said to him: if you go again to the mill, bake your bread! And what is the need for this behaviour?
8. One of the old men came towards avva Theodor and said to him: there, so-and-so brother returned into the world. And the old man said to him: are you surprised about that? Do not be surprised, but rather be more surprised if you will hear that someone was able to escape from the mouth of the enemy.
9. A brother came to avva Theodor and he started to talk and to try things, which he had not yet done, and the old man said to him: you have not yet foud out the ship, nor did you set your vessels, and before you swam, you already reached that citadel? So, after you will first do othe work, you will arrive to those of which you are talking now!
10. This same one went once to avva Ioan who was eunuch from birth, and after they talked together, avva Theodor said: when I was in the Skete, the work of the soul was our main work, and we had the work of the hands under the work of the soul. And now the work of the soul was made to be under the work of the hands, and the one under the work became the work. And the brother (avva Ioan) asked him, saying: which is the work of the soul, which we now have under the work? And which one is the one under the work, which we now have as work? And the old man said: all those which are done for God’s commandment are the work of the soul; and to work for oneself, and to gather, these ones we should have under the work. And the brother said: enlighten to me this reason. And the old man said: there, you hear about me that I am sick, and you are commanded to visit me, but you say to yourself: should I leave my work now, and go? Better finish it first, and then go? It happens to you yet another reason, and maybe you do not even go. Then again, another brother says to you: help me, brother! And you say: should I leave my work and go and work with this one? So, if you will not go, you leave God’s commandment which is the work of the soul, and you do the one which is under the work, which is the work of the hands.
11. Avva Theodor of Fermei said that the man who is in repentance is not bound by the commandment.
12. This same one said: there is no other good deed, as not slandering.
13. He also said: the man who knows the sweetness of the cell, runs (from the world), and would never be dishonest to his neighbour.
14. He also said: if I will not distance myself from these charities, they will not allow me to be a monk.
15. He also said: many in this time have chosen the rest, before God gave it to them
16. A brother asked avva Theodor, saying: I want to fulfill the commandments. The old man said to him about avva Teona, for that one has also said once that he wanted to fulfill the thought of God, and taking flour he went to the bakery and made bread. And as some poor people asked him, he gave the breads. And again others asking him, he gave the baskets and the coat he was wearing. And he got into the cell, girdling himself over the shirt. And this is how again he was blaming himself, saying that he did not fulfill God’s commandment.
17.
18. Avva Iosif fell ill once, and sent to avva Theodor, saying: come, so that I see you before I come out of the body. And it was about the middle of the week, and he did not go, but he sent, saying: if you will remain until Saturday, I will come; and if you will go, we will see each other in the other world.
19. A brother said to avva Theodor: tell me a word, for I am perishing! And, with hardship, the devout said to him: I am endangering himself, and what can I tell you?
20. A brother came to avva Theodor, to teach him to sew baskets, also bringing the knitted rope. And the old man said to him: go, and come here in the morning! And getting up, the old man softened the knitted rope for him, and prepared the beginning of the sew, saying: do this and this, and he left him. And entering into his cell, the old man sat down. And at the time, he set the food for the brother to eat, and he sent him to his place. In the morning the brother came again, and the old man said to him: take your rope from here and go, for you have come to get me into temptation and into cares! And he did not let him inside again.
21. The apprentice of avva Theodor said that once one came to sell him onion, and he filled him a vase. And the old man said: fill it up with wheat, and give it to him. And there were two heaps of wheat: one clean and one poor. And I filled his vase from the poor heap – says the apprentice. And the old man looked hard on me, and with sadness. And because of being frightened, I fell down and I broke the vase, and I prostrated to him. And the old man said: get up, it is not your fault, but I have mistaken that I told you! And the old man went it, and filled his sack with clean wheat, and gave it to him, together with the onions.
22. Once avva Theodor went with the brother to take water, and walking ahead, the brother saw a snake at the fire. And the old man said to him: go and step on its head! But, being afraid, he did not go. Then the old man came, and seeing him, the beast, ashamed, run into the desert.
23. Someone asked avva Theodor: avvo, are you also afraid that a befall might be made, because of a calamity? The old man said to him: even if the sky will get stuck to the ground, Theodor is not afraid; for it was asked of God that fear be removed from him. That is why he had asked him.
24. It was said about him that, having been made a deacon at the Skete, he did not want to accept to serve as a deacon, and he ran in many places. And again the elders brought him, telling him: do not renounce your work! Avva Theodor told them: allow me to pray to God, so that I know if He will assure me, to stay in the place of my work! And praying to Go, he was saying: if it is Your will, so that I stay in the place of my work, assure me! And it was shown to him a pillar of fire, from the earth to the sky, and voice was made saying: if you can make yourself like this pillar, go and serve as a deacon! And as he heard, he rekoned not to accept. So, as he came to the church, the brothers prostrated to him, saying: if you do not want to serve as a deacon, at least to hold the chalice. And he did not suffer even this, and he said: if you do not let me, I will go from this place, and so they let him.
25. It was also said about him that after the Skete was deserted, he came to stay at Fermi; and because he got old, had body had weaken. So, some brought he food, and the things that the first one was bringing to him, he was giving to the second one, and so on. And in the hour of tasting, he was eating what someone was bringing him.
26. It was said about avva Theodor that when he was staying at the Skete, the demon came to him, wanting to get in, and he bind it outside of the cell. And again another demon came to enter, but he bind this one, too. And as the third demon came, it found the two bind, and said to them: why are you staying here outside? And they answered to him: because inside (the devout) stays, and he does not allow us to enter. And this one, forcefully, was tempting to enter. And the old man bind this one. So, fearing the old man’s prayers, the demons were asking him saying: release us. And the old man said to them: go! And ashamed, they went away.
27. One of the fathers told about avva Theodor of Fermei, that he once came to him, in the evening, and found him wearing a thorn coat, having his chest bare, and keeping his head-cover in front of him. And there, an official came to see him, and as that one knocked at the door, the old man came out to open to him, and meeting him, he stayed at the door to talk to him. And the father, who was there, tool a piece of cloth, and covered his shoulders. But the old old man stretched his hand and took it off. And after the official went away, he said to him: avvo, why did you do that? The came to benefit, or do you want him to be deluded? And the old man answered to him: what are you telling me, avvo? Is it that we are still serving the people? I have done what I must. The one who wants to benefit, let him benefit; the one who wants to be deluded, let him be deluded. For I am welcoming in the way I am dressed. He also ordered his apprentice saying: if someone will come wanting to see me, do not tell him something wordly; but if I eat, tell that I eat, and if I sleep, tell that I sleep!
28. Once three burglars came over him, and two of them were holding him, and one was carrying away his vases.And after they took out the books, and they wanted to also take his vase, then he told them: this one leave it! But they did not want to. And shaking his hand, he threw both of them. And seeing that, the burglars got frightened. And the old man said to them: do not be afraid at all. Split all the things into four parts, and take three; and one part leave. And this is how they did. And he took the vase which he was going to the church with.
FOR AVVA THEODOR FROM THE ENNAT
1. Avva Theodor from the Ennat said: when I was younger, I was living in the desert. So I went to the bakery to bake two crumbs, and I found there a brother who wanted to bake breads and did not have anyone to give him a helping hand. And I left my own, and I gave him a helping hand. And after we finished, another brother came, and again I gave him a helping hand, and he baked the breads. And again, a third one came, and I did the same. And so I was doing with each of the ones who came, and I baked six breads. And afterwards I baked my two, as there was nobody coming.
2. It was said about avva Theodor and avva Lukie from Ennat, that they did fifty years moking their thoughts and saying: after this winter, we will leave from here. And again, when the summer was coming, they were saying: after this summer, we will go from here. And so they did all the time, the ever mentioned fathers.
3. Avva Theodor of Ennat said: if God will account four our laziness in the prayer, and for the slugging in the reading of the psalms, we cannot be saved.
FOR AVVA THEODOR FROM THE SKETE
1. Avva Theodor from the Skete said: a thought is coming to me, and it is disturbing me, and it is upsetting me, but the deed it cannot do, but it only preventing me from working the good deed. And the watchful man, saking the thought from himself, is getting up to prayer.
FOR AVVA THEODOR FROM ELEFTEROPOLE
1. Avva Avraam the Ivirian asked avva Theodor from Elefteropole, saying: how is it good, father: should I gather praise, or shame? And the old man answered to him: I want to gatherpraise, not shame. For if I will do a good thing, and I will be praise myself, I can condemn my mind, for I am not worthy of this praise. But shame comes out of bad things. So, how can I sooth my heart, after people got troubled by myself? Therefore, it is better to do the good, and be praised. And avva Avraam said: you have said well, father.
2. Avva Theodor said: the lack of bread melts the monk’s body. And the old man was saying: the wakes melts the body more.
FOR AVVA THEONA
1. Avva Theona said: it because the mind is moving away from the watching of God, that is why we are enslaved by the bodily passions.
FOR THEOFIL THE ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA
1. The blessed Theofil the archbishop once went to the Nitria Mountain, and the avva of the mountain (+) came to him. And the archbishop said to him: what did you find out more on this path, father? And the old man answered to him: to condemn myself and to defame myself always. Avva Theofil said to him: there is no other way, aside from only this one.
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(+) There is a place outside of the city Alexandria, which is called the hermit cells.
2. The fathers once came to Alexandria, being called by Theofil the archbishop, to make prayer to break-down the idols’ temples. And as they were eating with him, they were given veal meat and they were eating without doubting anything. And as the archbishop took a piece, he gave it to the elder who was closest to him, saying: here, this piece is good, eat avvo! And they, answering, said: until now we ate vegetables, and if this is meat we are not eating anymore. And did not bring any one of them to taste out of it.
3. This avva Theofil the archbishop once went to the Skete. And as they gathered his brothers, they said to avva Pamvo: tell the bishop a word, so that he benefits. The old man said to them: if he does not benefit from my silence, neither can he benefit from my word.
4. The same avva Theofil was saying: what kind of fear and convulsion and need we are to see, when the soul leaves the body! For to us comes an army, and power from the adverse dominions, the masters of the darkness, the rulers of decit and the beginings and the authorities, the spirits of evilness, and as in a sort of judgement they keep the soul, bringing over it all its sins, the ones known and the ones unknowl, from youth to the age when it reposed. So, they stay telling on him all that he has done. What sort of convulsion, then, do you rekon that the soul has in that hour, until the decision will come out, and he will be released? That is that the hour of its need, until it will see what ending it will beget. And again, the godly powers say close to the face of the adverse ones, and they bring the its good ones. Pay attention then that, the soul stays in the middle, with lots of fear and convulsion it stays, until it will beget its judgement decided from the Right Judge. Ahd if it will be worthy, those ones get admonished, and he is taken from them, and that is why it is without care, or if I should say better, it lives as it is written: as to the ones which are glad, all of them have their place at You. (+1) The is fulfilled those which are written: the pain, the sadness and the sighing have run away. (+2) Then, escaping, it is going to that happiness and untold glory, in which it will also sit down. And if it will be found out that it lived with laziness, it hears the too dreadful voice: let the unbeliever be lifted, so that it does not see the Lord’s glory. (+3) Then a day of wrath is taking him, a day of sorrow and of need, a day of gloom and of darkness, being given to the outmost darkness, and in the everlasting fire being condemned, for ever, without end it will be tormented. Where is the pride of the world, then? Where is the vain praise? Where’s the delight? Where’s the spoil? Where’s the illusion? Where’s the rest? Where’s the praise? Where’s the money? Where’s the high lineage? Where’s the father? Where’s the mother? Where’s the brother? Which of these will be able to pull out the one who is burned in the fire, and it is kept in the bitter torments? These, because they are to be done, how are we to be, in good deeds and with right faith? What sort of love are we indebted to gather? What sort of life? What sort of behaviour? What sort of way? What sort of watchfulness/ what sort of prayer? What sort of care? For these it says, waiting, to force ourselves to be found unsoiled and clean in peace by Him (+4), so that we become worthy to hear Him saying: come, the blessed ones of My Father, to inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world (+5) to the ages of ages, Amen.
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(+1) Psalm 85, 7.
(+2) Isaia XXXV, 10 and 51, 11.
(+3) Isaia XXVII, 10.
(+4) II Peter, III, 14.
(+5) Mathew XXV, 34.
5. This same avva Theofil the archbishop, going to end, said: blessed are you, avvo Arsenie, for your alwys remembered this hour!
FOR AMMA (MOTHER) THEODORA
1. Mother Theodora asked avva Theofil, what is that word of the apostole: treasuring the time? (+) And he told her: the wording shows the gain. Meaning: did it come to you a time of shming? Buy time with humble thinking, and with long patience the time of shaming, and pull the gain towards you. Did it come to you a time of dishonor? Buy time with the suffering of the evilness, and gain. If a dishonest defamation will come to you, gain with the patience and with the hope. All the opposing one, if we will want, will be made gains to us.
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(+) Colossians IV, 5
2. Mother Theodora said: force yourselves to enter through the narrow door (+) for just as the trees, if they will not bear winters and rains, they cannot give fruit, and in the same way, this age is winter for us (++) and to the heavens’ kingdom we will not be able to become partakers, except through many sufferings and temptations!
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(+) Matthew VII, 13
(++) Acts XIV, 22
3. She also said: it is good to find one’s peace, for the wise man brings peace. (+) For it is truly a great thing to the virgin girl and to the monk to find peace, but especially to the youngsters. But the deceiver comes and makes the soul heavy with laziness, and diminishing the soul, with thoughts; then he makes the body heavy with sicknesses, with weaknesses, with the weakening of the knees, and of all the limbs, and the strength of the sould and of the body is weakening, and everyone can say: I am weak, and I cannot do my cannon. But if we will wake up, all of these will dissipate. For there was a monk and when he was to do his canon, the coldness and the heats were getting onto him (meaning, the fever) and he head was hurting him much. And he was saying to himself: there, I am sick and I will die, so let me get up before I die and do my cannon. And after his cannon was ending, his fever was also ending, and again, with this reckoning the brother was resisting, and he was doing his cannon, and so he overcame the deceitful one.
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(+) Matthew VII, 13
4. Mother Theodora was also saying that a pious man was once insulted by someone, and this one was saying towards him: I could have said the same to you, but the law of God is shutting my mouth.
5. This mother also said: the one who teaches is due to be a foreigner to the love of ownership, to the love of silver, of vain glory, away from pride, not being mocked by flattery, not being enslaved by gifts, not being conquered by the womb, not being mastered by anger, but long patient, gentle with all the might, humble thinker especially, lenient and bearing the affliction, care taking and loving of souls.
6. The same mother was saying again that not the painstaking, nor the wakefulness, nor any kind of hardhip does save, except for the truly humble thinking. For there was a hermit who was driving demons away and he was asking them: with what are you coming out? With the fasting? And they were answering: we do not eat, nor do we drink. But with the wakefulness? And they were answering: we do not sleep. With the reclusion? And they were saying: we dwell in deserted places. With what then do you come out? And they were answering: nothing overcomes us, aside from the humble thinking, for it is the overcoming of the demons.
7. Mother Theodora said again, that there was a monk who, because of the multitude of temptations, was saying: I am leaving from here. And after he set his sandals (+) onto his feet, he saw another man who was also putting on his sandals, and the man said to him: is it not for you that you are leaving? There, I go farther than you, where ever you will go. And this man was the devil, who was making his temptations.
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(+) Some footwear made only of the sole.