Teaching (Book of Orsiesius)

Contents

The digitization is noisy (long s read as f, ligatures broken, marginal Bible references run into the text).

Reading pages: 1–18 · 19–32 · 33–49 · 50–56

1. 1Orsiesius opens with Baruch's call to exiled Israel, read as God's fatherly correction that leads to repentance.
2. 2Israel's exile is a warning to the monks that negligence will cost them their heavenly city.
3. 3God's patience is not ignorance; sinners will be separated from the fathers unless they follow them.
4. 4The monks are urged to examine themselves and trust in the Lord like the tree planted by the waters.
5. 5The monks should keep their Father's commandments and the law of the Lord, which gives life and raises the fallen.
6. 6The monks are to wake, resist the devil, and persevere in what they have begun, following Jesus.
7. 7Superiors must care for both the bodies and the souls of the monks and share their labour.
8. 8Monks who care only for their own salvation are rebuked with Ezekiel's words against the shepherds who neglect the flock.
9. 9Superiors must treat all alike, never abandon an offending brother in anger, and forgive as they hope to be forgiven.
10. 10Those in charge of brothers must answer at Christ's judgment for themselves and for those entrusted to them.
11. 11Everyone in the community, from heads of monasteries to ordinary brothers, will give account for others and must bear their burdens.
12. 12The brothers should hold to the founder's precepts, and heads of monasteries should care for their flocks with mercy rather than harshness.
13. 14The deputies of the monastery must lead in virtue, like the faithful servant rather than the wicked one.
14. 15Superiors of the houses must teach, comfort, and bear with the brothers, seeking their neighbours' good and not their own.
15. 16Superiors who show favouritism will be judged by the same measure, and they share the guilt of sins committed through their negligence.
16. 17Superiors must watch over their flocks like the shepherds of Bethlehem and the good shepherd, as Christ charged Peter to feed his sheep.
17. 18The deputies of the houses should keep the elders' precepts humbly and bear fruit in the Lord.
18. 19The brothers are urged to watch, obey their fathers, keep their bodies chaste as God's temple, and be ready like the wise virgins.
19. 21Since the superiors provide everything, the monks must own nothing and not go back to worldly possessions.
20. 22The monks should keep only the clothing the rule allows; those who divert common goods to themselves face the rich man's fate.
21. 23All the brothers, rich and poor, are to live as equals and love one another as Christ commanded.
22. 24A brother who takes the side of one rebuked by his superior subverts him and sows discord.
23. 25Instead of turning a brother against his teacher, one should lead him back to the right way.
24. 26Monks must not keep or lodge private property, not postpone giving up their goods until death, and not profane the monastery as the house of God.
25. 30Having renounced the world, the monks must not turn back to comfort and forget their Father's institutions.
26. 31Monks who have left everything yet cling to avarice and self-interest stand under the prophets' rebuke.
27. 32Those who despise the elders' precepts would have done better never to have known the way of justice.
28. 33God calls the monks through the prophets and Christ to return to him with all their heart.
29. 34As soldiers of Christ and sons of light, the monks must keep free of worldly affairs and walk in the light.
30. 36The negligent are warned with the prophets' laments over Israel, which forsook God for other things.
31. 37God's mercy toward repentant Israel is held out to the monks if they wake and serve him.
32. 38The monks are to wake from sleep, love God first and then one another.
33. 39A monk may accept nothing from relatives or friends; if he lacks what the rule allows, the superior is to blame.
34. 40Heads of monasteries must care for the needy brothers as shepherds who will give account.
35. 41The sons of God must expect the world's hatred and not envy those who prosper in this life.
36. 42The saints passed through this world in sorrow, but tribulation has its time and gives way to joy.
37. 43Only those who keep the Lord's law will inherit his holy mountain; the rest stand under the prophets' rebukes of Zion.
38. 44By keeping Christ's commandments the monks show they love God and will receive his dwelling with them.
39. 45The monks are urged to repent with the words of Hosea, so that God may heal them and make them fruitful.
40. 46The monks must not squander their Father's labours by returning to comfort and possessions, but wait on the Lord, who renews strength.
41. 47Remembering all that Pachomius did for them, the monks must not let his work decay but cry to the Lord and trust his covenant.
42. 49God still calls to repentance, and those who return he will build up by his Spirit.
43. 50The common life of the cenobia comes from God, as in the church of Acts, and leads through suffering with Christ to the fathers' fellowship.
44. 51The monks must read, learn and meditate on the Scriptures continually, as Pachomius commanded.
45. 52Scripture urges the young to take up the yoke early, with the examples of Joshua, David, Timothy, Daniel and Joseph.
46. 53The lives of the saints are a pattern; the monks must not grieve the Spirit and must fear God alone.
47. 54The monks are to put away anger quickly, forgive, imitate the meekness of the saints, and love one another.
48. 56In farewell Orsiesius commends the brothers to God, as Paul did, and sums up: fear God and keep his commandments.