FOR AVVA ZINON
1. Avva Zinon, the apprentice of the blessed Siluam, said: you should not live in a named place, or sit with a man with a great name, or set a foundation to ever build yourself a cell.
2. It was said about avva Zinon, the at the beginning he did not want to take anything from anyone. And because of this, the ones that were bringing were leaving with disgust, for he was not taking. And others were coming to him, wanting to take, as from a great elder, and he did not have what to give to them, and they were leaving with disgust … The old man said: what shall I do? For both the ones who bring, and the ones who want to take leave with disgust. This is more useful: whoever will bring, I will take, and whoever will ask, I will give. And doing so, he was resting, and he was bringing peace to all.
3. An Egyptian brother went to Syria to avva Zinon and he was laying out his own thoughts in front of the old man. And he said, wondering: the Egyptians are hiding the good deeds that they have, and they always lay out the shrotcomings that they do not have. While the Syrians and the Greeks, they say they have the good deeds that they do not have, while they hide the shortcomings that they have.
4. Some brothers came to him and asked him, saying: what is the meaning of that word which is written in the Book of Iov: and the sky is not clean in front of Him? And answering, the old man said to them: the brothers have left their sins, and they are inquiring for the skies. But the meaning of the word is this: as only He is clen, for this it is said: even the sky is not clean.
5. The fathers were saying about avva Zinon, that as he was dwelling at the Skete, he came out of his cell during the night, going towards the meadow, and losing his way, spent three days and three nights walking and exhausting himself. As he fainted he fell down, ready to die. And there, a child stood in front of him, having a bread and a vase with water. And he was telling him: wake up, eat! And he, waking up, prayed, thinking that it was a ghost. And he said: you have done well. And he prayed again, the second time, and the third time. And he was saying to him: you have done well. So, getting up, the old man took, and ate. And after that he said to him: as far as you walked, that is far as you are from your cell; so get up, and come after me! And immediately he found himself at his cell. So the old man said to him: come in, do prayer for us. And as the old man got in, that one disappeared.
6. Some other time the same avva Zinon, walking through Palestine, and taking a rest, he sat down next to a water mellon farm, to eat. And the thought said to him: take a cucumber for yourself and eat, for what is it? And he, replying, said to the thought: the thieves go to the labours. So, try yourself from here, if you can stand labour. (1) and getting up, he stayed in the heat for five days. And frying himself, he said: I cannot stand the lahour. And he said to the thought: if you cannot, do not steal and eat!
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(1) In other books it is said : and he started beating himself. And then he says to the thought: if you cannot suffer (and the rest).
7. Avva Zinon said: the one who wants for God to quickly listen to his prayer, when he wakes up, he should stretch his hands towards God, before everything and before his soul, let him pray for his enemies, from his soul; and through this deed, or for what he will pray God, He will listen to him.
8. The fathers were saying that there was one in a village who was fasting a lot, so that he was called by name as the faster. And hearing about him, avva Zinon called him; and he went happily. And after they prayed, they sat down. So the old man started to work quietly, and the faster, not being able to speak with him, started to be upset by idelness. So he said to the old man: pray for me, avva, for I want to leave! And the old man said to him: why? And answering, he said: for my heart is like burning, and I do not know what’s with it. For when I was in the village, I was fasting till evening, and it never did this to me. The old man said to him: in the village you were feeding with your ears. But go from now, and eat at the ninth hour! And whatever you do, do it in hiding. And as soon as he started doing that, he was wating agrily the ninth hour, and the ones who knoew him were saying that the faster got demonized, and as he came, he told everything to the old man. And he said to him: this way is according to God.
9. Two brothers, living separately, were going to each others. And one of them said to the other: I want to go to avva Zinon and to tell him a thought. The other one also said: I want this, too. So they both went together. And taking each one separately, they said their thoughts, and one of them saying them fell in front of the old man, praying him with many tears that he will pray to God for him. And the old man said to him: go, do not weaken yourself, and do not talk badly about someone, and do not get lazy in your prayer! And he went away, and healed himself. And the other one, telling his thought to the old man, added softly and carelessly: pray for me! But he did not ask intently. And after a while it happeneded that they met each other. And one of them said: when we went to the old man, did you tell him the thought that you were saying that you want to tell him? And that one said: yes, I told him! That one asked: did you benefit after you told him? The brother answered: yes, I benefited, for because of the old man’s prayers God healed me! And the other one said: me, although I confessed to him my thoughts, I did not feel any release. And the one who benefited told him: and how did you pray the old man? That one answered: I told him: pray for me, for I have this thought! And he said: me, as I confessed to him, I wet his feet with my tears, praying him to pray God for me. And through his prayer God healed me. And these were were told by the old man, teaching us that it is right for whoever prays any of the fathers for thoghts, to pray with intent, and with his whole heart, just like to God. And then he will receive. And the one who confesses with carelessness, or tempts, does not benefit, but brings condemnation upon himself.
10. Avva Zinon was saying that the blessed Serghie, the abbot from Pediada told him a story like this: once, he was saying, as were travelling with a holy father, and there being other brothers with us, too, we lost our way. And not knowing where to go, we found ourselves in the crops, and we stepped a little bit on the crops. And the plough man perceiving, for it happened that he was working there, started to shame us and to say with anger: are you monks? Are you afraid of God? If you had the fear of God in front of your eyes, you were not doing this. So, immediately that holy old man tells us: nobody speak on behalf of the Lord! And he was praying to the plough man with gentleness, saying: you are saying rightly, son; if we had the fear of God we would not have done this, but for the Lord, forgive us, for we have sinned! And that one, being overcome by the old man’s lack of meanness and of his humbleness, running to us, he fell to the old man’s feet, saying: for the Lord, forgive me, and take me with you! And the blessed Serghie added: there, what the gentleness and goodness of the holy man was able to do, with the help of God! And it redeemed the soul which was made in the image of God, which God wants, more than countless worlds with their monies.
11. Once we went to one of the fathers and we asked him saying: if someone has a thought and sees himself defeated; and many times, reading those that the parents said for a thought like that, attempts to do those, and cannot do them in any way, then what is it better: to tell the thought to one of the fathers, or to strive by himself to put into practice those that he has read, and to be fulfilled with his own knowledge? The old man answered: that he has to let know the one who can help him, and to not realy onto himself. For someone canno try to help himself, and even more will be defeated by passions. For to me, when I was young, one of these happened. For I had a passion of the soul, and I was being defeated by it. And hearing about avva Zinon, that he has healed many who were like that, I wanted to go and let him know; and the satan was stopping me, saying that as you know what you have to do, do as you read, and do not go and upset the old man.
So when I was starting to go and talk to him, the war was easing down on me, because of craftiness of the devil, so that I would not go. And after I was giving in not to go, again I was overcome by the passion. And this is what the enemy crafted against me for a long time, not allowing me to let the old man know. And many times I went to the old man, wanting to tell him the thought, and the enemy was not allowing me, bringing shame into my heart and saying: as long as you know how to heall yourlsef, what is the need to tell anyone? For you are taking care of yourself; you know how the parents said. And these, he was saying, was bringing to me the envious one, so that I do not show to the doctor the passion, and get healed. And the old man knew that I have thoughts, but he was not showing me, waiting for I reveal them myself. And he was teaching me for the righteous life, and he was letting me go. And in the end, crying, I said to myself: till then, you wretched soul, you do not want to heal yourlse? Other people come from afar to the old man, and they get healing, and you are not ashamed, and having the doctor close by, you do not want to heal yourself? And inflamed in my heart, I got up and I said to myself, that if I will go to the old man and I will not find anyone over there, I will know that it is the will of God to confess my thoughts. And as I went there, I could not find anyone. So the old man was teaching me as usual for the salvation of the soul, and how could anyone to cleanse the filthy thoughts. And as I was again ashamed and not confessing, I wanted to leave, and the old man got up, made a prayer, and was seeing me off, walking in front of me, all the way to the outside door. And I was tormented by thoughts, to tell the old man or not to tell, and stepping slowly, I was walking after him; and the old man, turning, and seeing me tormented by the thoughts, nudges me gently in my chest and says to me: what do you have? I am also human. And as the old man said this word to me, it was shown to me that my heart was opened, and I fell to his feet, praying him with tears and saying: have mercy on me! And he said to me: what do you have? And I said to him: don’t you know what I have? And he said to me: you have to say what you have. And me, with great shamed, I barely confessed my passion. And he said to me: but why are you ashamed to say it for so much time? Am I not also a human? And dod you want me to tell you what I know? Are there not three years since you have these thoughts, and coming here you do not confess them? And confessing, and falling and praying, I said to him: have mercy on me for God, and teach me, what shall I do! And he said to me: go, and do not get lazy in your prayer, and do not slander anyone! And me, going to my cell, and not getting lazy in my prayer, with Christ’s gift, and with the old man’s prayer, from then on I was not bothered by that passion anymore. So, after a year passed, a thought like this came to me: maybe God released me because of His mercy, and not because of the old man? And as that came to my mind, I went to him, wanting to tempt him, and taking him aside, I bowed to him saying: pray for me, father, for the thought that I have confessed to you sometime! And he let me fallen at his feet and being quiet for a little bit, he said to me: get up, have faith towards me! And as I heard that, I wished that the earth would swallow me because of my shame, and getting up, I could not look at him, and with amazement and fright I left to my cell.
FOR AVVA ZAHARIA
1. Avva Macarie said to avva Zaharia: tell me, which is the work of the monk? He said to him: are you asking me, father? And avva Macarie said: I have annunciation towards you, son Zaharia, for there is the one who urges me to ask you. Avva Zaharia said to him: as I rekon, father, the one who does his own loathing into everything, this one is monk.
2. Avva Moise once came to pull out wather, and found avva Zaharia praying near the well, and the Spirit of God sitting over him.
3. Avva Moise said towards brother Zaharia sometime: tell me, what will I do. And hearing, he threw himself down, to his feet, saying: are you asking me, father? The old man said to him: believe me, son Zaharia, that I have seen the Holy Spirit coming down over you, and because of this I am forced to ask you. Then Zaharia took his culion from him head, put it under his feet, and stepping on it said: if the man will not crush himself like this, he cannot be a monk.
4. As avva Zaharia was once sitting in the Skete, a vision came to him, and waking up he made it known to his father Carion, and the old man, as he was labouring, was not skilful about these, and getting up he beat him, saying that it is from the demons. But he was left with the thought to this. And waking up, he went to avva Pimen in the night, and made this thing known to him, and how his insides are burning, and as the old man that it is from God, he said to him: go to so-and-so old man, and watever he will tell you to do, do it! And as he went to the old man, before he asked anything, the old man started, and told him everything, and that the vision is from God. But, go, and obey your father!
5. Avva Pimen said that avva Moise asked avva Zaharia, when he was close to dying, saying: what do you see? And he said to him: is it not better to keep quiet, fater? And he said to him: there, son; keep quiet! And in the hour of his death, while avva Izidor was sitting, looking at the sky he said: rejoice, my son Zaharia, for the gates of the heavenly Kingdon have been opened for you.
FOR AVVA ZOSIMA
1. The blessed Zosima was telling that once he stayed for a short time in avva Gherasim’s lavra and he had there one whom he loved. So, one day, as we were sitting and talking for good use, the word that avva Pimen had said came up, that the one who blames himself in every place is the one who finds rest. And also the word said by the avva of the mountain of Nitria. Because as he was asked: what did you find the most in this way, father, he answered: to blame and to defame yourself always. That word was approved by the one who asked, saying: there is no other way, except for this one. So, as were were mentioning these, we were saying amongst ourselves wondering, how much strength the words of the saints have. Truly, whatever they said, they have said out of doing and out of truth, as the great Antonie said. And this is why they are strong, because they were told by the ones doing the things, as a wise man orders, saying: your words should be confirmed by life. Speaking these amongst ourselves, that one said: I have also tried in practice these words, and the rest that comes out of working them. For once I used to have in this lavra a truly beloved deacon who somehow assumed about me a thing that was disgusting him. So he started behaving towards me gloomily. And seeing him gloomy about me, I asked him so that I know the cause of the disgust. And he said to me: you have done this thing, and because of that I am saddened about you. And me, not knowing in my self a thing like that, that he was saying that I did, I was testifying him that I have no knowledge of that thing. And he was not giving in, but said to me: forgive me, I do not believe! So, going to the cell, I was trying myself harded, if I did anything like that, and I was not finding so. After that I saw him holding the holy chalice and partaking the brothers and I testified to him with this, saying: I do not know that I have done what you are saying. But he did not give in this way either. So coming again to myself, and remembering these words of the wholy fathers, and truly believing them, I turned the thought a little bit; and I said into itself: the deacon truly loves me, and coming into love, he showed me what his heart had for me, so that I wake up, and do not do a thing like this again. Yet, vile soul, as long as you said that you did not do this thing, remember the other evil things that you have done, and you do not remember, and reckon that, as you have forgiven the things that you have done yesterday and the day before yesterday, in the same way you have done thing thing, and you have forgotten. So, out of this thought I bowed my heart this way, that I have truly done it and I forgot it, as with the ones before. Then I have started thanking God and the deacon the through him I was entrusted to know my mistake and to repent for it. So, waking up with this sort of thoughts, I went to the deacon’s cell, to bow to him, and to ask for forgiveness, as well as to think him. And sitting next to the door, I knocked into it. And that one opening up, and seeing me, immediately he bowed to me first, saying: forgive me, for I have been taunted by the demons, when I suspected you for that thing! Truly God has entrusted me that you are not part of this thing in any way, nor do you know of it at all. But as I also started to answer for this and to confirm to him, that one cut short my word saying: it is not necessary! So, the blessed Zosima added, saying: there is the true humbleness, as it was shown by the heart of the one who loves it! For not only that he did not become mad over the deacon, for one, and that he assumed for himself that which he did not know and without a word he disgusted about himself, and for another, that he did not accept his confirmations, which were so that they could have bent even an enemy, and even more so a true friend. Not only, then, that he did not become mad for this, as we said, but he also took over himself the mistake that he did not do, judging that one’s word more trusty than his heart, and not only that, but he induced himself to humble himself in front of him, and to thank him that he was released from the sin that he did not know in any way.
2. The blessed Zosima told that there was an old man who lived closed to a monastery, and he was very good and kind. That is why the ones in the monastery loved him a lot, and they were honouring him. Close to the old man lived a brother. So, one day when he was absent, the brother got urged by the enemy, went and opened the old man cell’s, and getting in he tool all his vases and books, and went away. And after a little bit the old man returned, and as soon as he saw his cell opened and he entered, and not finding his cases, he went to the brother to tell him what had happened. But staying outside of that one’s cell, and calling the borther, as soon as he saw his vases put in the middle of the cell, for the brother did not gather them, and not wanting to prove him, or to make him ashamed, pretending a need, that his stomach upsets him, he went away from the brother’s cell, until he will pick up the vases from the middle.
Then, returning, he started telling the brother of something else, not mentioning anything of the cell, or the vases that he lost. And after a few days, the old man vases were proven. And some acquintances of the old man took the brother to the prison, without the old man knowing. And the old man, hearing that the brother is in prison, and not knowing the reason for which he had been put into prison, going to the abbot of the neighboring monastery, where he was honoured by all the brothers for his good deeds, told him: be good and give me a few eggs and a few breads! And the abbot told him: but did anyone come to you, avvo? And the old man said: yes! So, the abbot ordered, and it was given to him as many as he wanted. And the old man tooll the bread and the eggs, and went to the prison where the brother was, and come in. And upon seeing the old man, he ran and fell to his feet saying: forgive me! For it is for you that I am here, for I have stolen your vases. And here, your book is at so-and-so, and your coat is at so-and-so. And one by one he counted all of them. But the old man said to him: May your heart be sure, my son, for not for these have I entered here, and I do not know that for me you entered here. But hearing that your are put into prison, and not knowing the reason, and getting sad for upsetting you, I came to soothe you. And here are the eggs and the breads, which I have brought for you. But, as I found out that you are held here for me, I will do everything until, with the help of God, I will get you out of the prison. And going, he prayed some of the ones praised by the world, for the old man was known to these ones too, for his good deed, and upon those sending, the brother was taken out of the prison.
Avva Zosima was saying that as he went to the Holly Citadel (1), someone who loved Christ came to him and told him: avva, I have a brother who sits with me, and out of the evil ones we had a persecution among us. And then I repented, yet that one does not want to make peace with me. Come down then, for the Lord, and talk to him the ones about peace. And as soon as he heard, he called that brother immediately, and talked to him the ones proper for peace and unity. And at first he seemed to give in, and then rekoning, he said: I cannot make peace with him because I vowed on the Cross that from now on I will not be at peace with him. And the abbot, smiling, told him: your oath, brother, has this type of strength, as you would have said: I vow on your Cross, Christ, that I will not guard Your commands, that I will do the will of Your devil enemy! So, oh brother, not only you are indebted to make the evil anger rest, but also to repent, and to feel sorry for it, and to be sad for your insolence, so that you will not be taken by it again. For even Irod, if he would have repented, and would not have strengthen his oath, then he would not have done that terrible killing, cutting the For-runner of Christ. So, the brother, humbling himself because of this, repented in front of his brother and of avva Zosima, and thus, with the gift of God, they united again into love.
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(1) Jerusalem.
3. The blessed Zosima told about an old man, saying: as I was in a monastery from Tir, an improved old man came to us. Then, as we were reading the words of the old men – as it was always the habit – we got to the story of that old man, whom thieves came over, took all his things and went away, leaving a small bag, which the old man took, and running after them was saying: sons, take what you have forgiven in your cell! And they, being amazed by his kindness, brought back all that they had taken from his cell. So, as we read this story, the old man who came to us said to me: this word benefited me a lot. And as I have prayed him to tell me what benefit did he get through it, he said: once, as I was dwelling in the places next to the Jordan, I read this story. And wondering of the old man, for his lack of meanness, and kindness, I was saying towards God: Lord, Who has honoured me to come in the way of this holy elders, honour me to walk on their steps, and to travel the same way that they have traveled, while they were counsel by Your grace. As I have prayed these to God, and having in me this desire, two days have passed, and as I was sitting in the cell, I felt that some people came to the cell, who have also stayed and knocked at the door. And as I knew they were thieves, I said to myself: thank God! Here is the time for me to show the fruit of the desire! And so opening, I received them with kindness, and turning the light up, I started to show them the things, saying to them: do not be disturbed. I believe to the Lord that I will not hide anything from you. And they said to me: do you have gold? And I have answered to them: yes, I have three coins, and I have opened the vase in front of them, and taking those, and all the things, they went in peace. And me – said the blessed Zosima – joking, I said to the old man: what happened afterwards? Maybe they returned as the ones from the old man before us? And he immediately answered: may God not allow that. For I did not even want that, for them to return, what they have taken. You see, then – said Zosima – his betterment, and the praise of God gave him his desire and his preparation. For not only he did not get upset for the taking away of all the things that he had, but he has also rejoiced, as if he was honour of a thing which was truly too great.
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(1) This story is also in the Limonariu, but with certain difference.