Sayings of the Desert Fathers (alphabetical collection) 101.1–104.1

Peter, presbyter of Dios, whenever he prayed with others, since he was obliged by the priesthood to stand in front, humbly placed himself behind, making confession, as is written in the Life of abba Antony. He did this without grieving anyone.

Once a Roman monk came and lived at Scetis near the church; he had one servant who served him. The presbyter, seeing his weakness and learning from what comfort he came, sent him whatever he provided and whatever came to the church. And spending twenty-five years at Scetis, he became clairvoyant and famous. One of the great Egyptians heard about him and came to see him, expecting to find in him some greater bodily discipline. Going in he greeted him; and after praying they sat down. The Egyptian sees him wearing soft clothes, with a bed and a skin under him and a small pillow, and having his feet clean, with sandals; and seeing this he was offended, because in that place there was no such way of life, but rather austerity. And the old man, being clairvoyant, perceived that he was offended, and says to the one who served him, “Make us a feast today because of the abba.” He had a few vegetables, and cooked them; and at the hour they got up and ate. The old man also had a little wine because of his weakness; and they drank. And when evening came, they said the twelve psalms and slept; and likewise in the night. Getting up in the morning, the Egyptian says to him, “Pray for me.” And he left without having been helped. And when he had gone a little way, the old man, wanting to help him, sent and called him back; and when he came, he received him again with joy and asked him, saying, “What country are you from?” And he says, “An Egyptian.” “And from what city?” He said, “I am not a city man at all.” And he says, “What was your work in your village?” And he says, “A field guard.” And he says, “Where did you sleep?” He said, “In the field.” “Did you have a bed under you?” he says. And he says, “Could I have had a mattress under me in the field?” “But how then?” He said, “On the ground.” He says to him again, “And what food did you have in the field? Or what wine did you drink?” He answered again, “Is there food or drink in the field?” “But how did you live?” he says. He says, “I ate dry bread, and if I found a little salt fish, and water.” The old man answered, “Great hardship. And is there a bath in the village, so that you could wash?” He said, “No, but in the river when we wanted.” When the old man had drawn him out on all these things, and learned the hardship of his former life, wanting to help him, he told him his own former way of life in the world, saying, “I, the humble one you see, am from the great city of Rome, and I became great in the emperor’s palace.” And when the Egyptian heard the beginning of the word, he was pierced to the heart, and listened carefully to what he said. And again he says to him, “So I left the city and came to this desert; and again, I whom you see had great houses and much wealth; and despising them, I came to this little cell; and again, I whom you see had beds all of gold with costly coverings; and instead of them God has given me this bed and this skin; again, my clothes were worth a great price; and instead of those I wear these cheap garments; again, at my meals much gold was spent; and instead of that God has given me these few vegetables and this little cup of wine. There were many slaves who served me; and look, instead of them God has moved this old man to serve me; instead of a bath, I pour a little water on my feet, and wear sandals because of my weakness; again, instead of music and lyres, I say the twelve psalms; and likewise in the night, instead of the sins I used to commit, I now quietly perform my little service. So I beg you, abba, do not be offended at my weakness.” Hearing this, the Egyptian came to himself and said, “Woe is me, for from great affliction in the world I have come to rest, and what I did not have then, I have now; but you have come from great rest to affliction, and from great glory and wealth to humility and poverty.” And greatly helped he went away, and became his friend, and visited him often for help; for he was a man of discernment, and full of the fragrance of the Holy Spirit.

The same said that there was an old man who had a good disciple; and out of irritation he threw him out with his sheepskin. But the brother waited, sitting outside. And the old man, opening, found him sitting, and made a prostration to him, saying, “Father, the humility of your patience has overcome my irritation. Come in; from now on you are the old man and the father, and I the younger and the disciple.”

A brother asked abba Rufus, “What is stillness, and what is its benefit?” The old man says to him, “Stillness is to sit in the cell with fear and knowledge of God, abstaining from remembering wrongs and from pride. Such stillness, being the mother of all the virtues, guards the monk from the fiery arrows of the enemy, not letting him be wounded by them. Yes, brother, acquire it, remembering the departure of your death, for you do not know at what hour the thief comes. So then, keep watch over your own soul.”

Abba Rufus said that one who lives in obedience to a spiritual father has a greater reward than one who withdraws alone in the desert. He also said that one of the Fathers related, saying, “I saw four ranks in heaven: the first rank, a man who is ill and gives thanks to God; the second rank, one who pursues hospitality and is devoted to it and serves; the third rank, one who pursues the desert and does not see a man; the fourth rank, one who lives in obedience to a father and submits to him for the Lord’s sake. And the one who was there for obedience wore a golden collar and a medallion, and had more glory than the others. And I,” he says, “said to the one guiding me, ‘How is it that this one, who is the least, has more glory than the others?’ He answered me, ‘Because the one who pursues hospitality does it by his own will; and the one in the desert withdrew by his own will; but this one who has obedience, having left all his own wills, hangs on God and on his own father; for this reason he received more glory than the others.’ Therefore, children, good is the obedience done for the Lord’s sake. You have heard, children, in part, a small trace of this achievement. O obedience, salvation of all the faithful! O obedience, mother of all the virtues! O obedience, finder of the kingdom! O obedience, opening the heavens and raising men from earth! O obedience, food of all the saints, from which they were nursed, and through you were made perfect! O obedience, companion of the angels!”

When abba Romanus was about to die, his disciples gathered to him, saying, “How ought we to conduct ourselves?” The old man said, “I do not know that I ever told any of you to do anything without first making up my mind not to be angry if he did not do what I said; and so we have lived all our time in peace.” [Beginning of the letter S.]