Saints' Discussion Forums

Abba Mateos said, "I prefer a light and steady activity, to one that is painful at the beginning but is soon broken off."

He also said, "The nearer a man draws to God, the more he sees himself a sinner. It was when Isaiah the prophet saw God, that he declared himself, "a man of unclean lips." [Is. 6:5]

He also said, "When I was young, I would say to myself: perhaps one day I shall do something good; but now that I am old, I see there is nothing good about me."

There was a monk named Pambo and they said of him that he spent three years saying to God, 'Do not glorify me on earth' But God glorified him so that one could not gaze steadfastly at him because of the glory of his countenance.

It was said of Abba Silvanus that at Scetis he had a disciple called Mark, whose obedience was great. He was a scribe. The old man loved him because of his obedience. He had eleven other disciples who were hurt because he loved him more than them. When they knew this, the elders were sorry about it and they came one day to him to reproach him about it. Taking them with him, he went to knock at each cell, saying, "Brother so and so, come here; I need you," but none of them came immediately. Coming to Mark's cell, he knocked and said, "Mark." Hearing the old man's voice, he jumped up immediately and the old man sent him off to serve and said to the elders, "Fathers, where are the other brothers?" Then he went into Mark's cell and picked up his book and noticed that he had begun to write the letter "omega", but when he had heard the old man, he had not finished writing it. Then the elders said, "Truly, abba, he whom you love, we love too, and God loves him."

Your collection of the sayings of the Desert Fathers is vast and enlightening. Their words and actions are subtle and profound.

What books have you compiled them from?

Let's see, I will answer your question, but with saying these are not recommendations there are significant issues with some of these works. With that disclaimer..

There are some free Fathers of the Desert works on the Internet Archive, not yet reviewed and prepared enough for here. There are various free excerpts of these writings online, Flowers of the Desert, there is St. John Cassian's Conferences and Institutes, there is St. John Climacus' the Ladder, and these next are Catholic writings mainly but put out by "Orthodox" publishers, an additional caution, that is the earlier volumes of the Philokalia, and the 4 volumes of the Evergetinos which has a good deal I have not yet found elsewhere. Then there's another short compilation of the Desert Fathers writings, which I forget the title of, and cannot seem to find on my desk or shelf at the moment I have used.. There are many little compilation works out there..

I do not like using non-Catholic publishers for some translations but sometimes there are no other alternatives in English, and the state of the Catholic publishing business today is not good (this is an understatement by far) in any case.

He who struggles to attain to a measure of perfection ought not to limit his prayer to specific hours or a specific time, but should pray ceaselessly, except when there is some serious need, or in case of illness; only then should one limit prayer. Continual and unceasing prayer constitutes a commandment from the Lord, Who requires us to pray "day and night." And a fundamental recommendation put forth by the Apostle Paul is that we pray "without ceasing" to Almighty God.

. . .

There was in a certain city a harlot who was beautiful and had many lovers. One day, the ruler of the city visited her and said: "Promise me that you will abandon your harlotry and live henceforth in chastity, and I will take you as my lawful wife." She gave her word, and the ruler took her to wife, bringing her to live in his own home.

Her former lovers came looking for her and unable to find her, said amongst themselves: "Let us go the ruler's house and, rather than entering -- since he might discover us and punish us -- stand opposite the house and whistle to her. Perhaps she will recognize the sound of the whistling and come down to meet us, and then we will not be responsible, but she."

So they went to the ruler's house and began to whistle. When the woman heard the whistling she stopped her ears and went into an inner chamber and closed the doors. Since she could not hear them, they left empty handed.

Abba John explains this parable as follows: "The harlot is the repentant soul, her lovers are the demons, and the ruler is Christ; the inner chamber of the house is the inner self-control of the mind.

Therefore, if the soul that is warred upon by the demons through its passions withdraws into itself and has recourse to God through prayer, the enemies will never prevail over it."

Several brothers asked Abba Agathon, "Father what virtue requires the greatest toil for those striving in the monastic state?"

"Forgive me," the Elder replied to them, "but I am of the opinion that no virtue requires greater effort than prayer to God. For whenever a man is about to pray, the demons want to impede him. They know fully well there is nothing more effectual than prayer in hindering their work. Whatever other form of ascesis man might pursue, as long as he perseveres in it, he will attain rest; prayer, however, requires one to strive until his last breath."

- from the writings of the Desert Fathers

A nun from the convent of which Equitius the Great was Abbot went to the garden and, seeing a head of lettuce, desired it. And without even making the sign of the Cross, she voraciously ate it. Immediately, an unclean spirit entered into her and cast her to the ground. Those who were thereabouts, on seeing this occurrence, quickly called for Father Equitius to come to the aid of the endangered nun.

Now, the Father having come immediately to the garden, the devil that was thrashing the nun began to cry out and say in his defense; "What did I do? I was just sitting on top of the lettuce when she came and bit into me."

The man of God then angrily ordered the spirit to leave the nun and never again to enter into her.

Straightaway this unclean spirit left her and never again dared to come near her.

- the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great

There is a lesson to be learned from the above incident from the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great. Had the nun made the Sign of the Cross or call on the Lord to bless the lettuce before she ate, the devil would have fled.

We should always say grace before every meal or drink, great or small.

And so too, afterwards we should give thanks.

I think also a clue is in 'desire' and 'ate voraciously'.

I always remember a comment you made on a similar topic. Not rushing to eat no matter how hungry we are or words to that effect.
You know how some people almost "attack food", eat voraciously as mentioned above, noisily? ;D
I think from now on , whenever I come across such people, and they are there, no doubt, I will remember the nun and the devil.

It's a flaw I have to watch out for! God help me!

'I learn that some people are going down to the gardens and asking the gardener for vegetables to eat and that when, because of the rule, they do not get any, they pick a fight with the gardener. This is utterly satanic and is to occur no longer, since those of you who behave thus will be subjected to punishments. Is what is put before you not sufficient? How are you going to make war on passion if you are defeated by a cabbage? You will become weaker than a feather if you do not fortify yourself by thought through self-mastery.'

St. Theodore the Studite

Defeated by cabbages!

How can it be a flaw if what you say is what is pleasing to the Lord?
How would others learn if those who are blessed with knowledge do not disseminate that knowledge?
No, it is not a flaw at all. Keep on pointing out how it should be for those who are seeking to know the Lord. :crucifix:

You think too well of me! I meant I have a fault of at times eating voraciously!

God keep you odhiambo!

I too will now remember her the better I am thinking!  :crucifix:

Good practice to at least making the sign of the cross before eating, I think.

Yes, the sign of the cross is the beginning of everything.  ;D

I use the simple short grace, "Bless us O Lord, and these Thy gifts we are about to receive, through Christ Our Lord, Amen."

I'm of the belief that grace before and after meals will keep one healthy in mind and body though that isn't the reason why we should say grace but rather simply to give thanks to God for the food that sustains us.

One of the priests on Audio Sancto did a sermon on saying grace. He mentioned that in these times it's of the utmost importance to call a blessing down on everything we put into our mouthes, even a glass of water.

Below is no doubt a repeat quote but I find them beneficial to me spiritually and so I like to go over them every now and again.

"When the holy Abba Anthony lived in the desert he
was beset by accidie, and attacked by many sinful thoughts.
He said to God, 'Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts
do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my affliction? How
can I be saved?' A short while afterwards, when he got up to
go out, Anthony saw a man like himself sitting at his work,
getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down and
plaiting a rope, then getting up again to pray. It was an
angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard
the angel saying to him, 'Do this and you will be saved.' At
these words, Anthony was filled with joy and courage. He
did this, and he was saved.

There's nothing like a so greatly consoling word from the desert.

Abba Poimen said that someone once asked Abba Paisos: "What should I do, since my soul is insensitive and does not fear God?" Abba Paisos answered him: "Go and cleave unto a man who fears God, by your association with him, you will also learn from him to fear God."

The Blessed Synkletike said: "IF you have resolved to fast, do not plead illness as an excuse or give up fasting on account of it; for even those who do not fast often fall into the same or more grievous diseases. If you have begun something good, do not desist from it just because the Enemy towards you through illness; let him, rather, be foiled through your patient endurance."

People about to go on a voyage first unfurl the ship's sails to catch a favorable wind; later on the may encounter a contrary wind, yet the sailors do not immediately throw the ship's cargo overboard because of a small gale. They rest for a short while or contend against the turbulance of the waves; after this has passed, they resume their voyage unharmed.

In the same way, when an adverse spirit assails us, let us, for our part, stretch out on the Cross as our sail and accomplish our ascetic voyage without fear.

A brother saw Abba Nisthero wearing two tunics and said to him: "If a poor man came and asked for clothing, which of the two tunics would you give him?"

The Elder answered: "The better of the two."

The brother then said: "If another poor man asked you for something, what would you do?"

"I would give him the other one and then immediately go and sit somewhere, until God should send me something with which to cover myself; for I seek nothing from anyone else."

Aside from the other virtues which she possessed, St. Synkletike did not lack that remedy which is salvific for the body; that is, she so loved fasting, that she did not reckon any of the other ascetic practices to be its equal. She believed that it was the safeguard and foundation of the other virtues; and if ever, out of necessity, she ate something more than she was accustomed to eating, she suffered the opposite of what happens to those who eat; that is to say, her face turned yellow and she became debilitated. Just as therefore, men prune unfaithful branches from trees with many branches, so she would remove the thorny outgrowths of her mind (inappropriate thoughts) with prayer and fasting; and if any thorny growth flourished for just a short while, she would impose different punishments on herself and would test her body with a variety of labors.

- from the Life of St. Synkletike

Abba Ammoes and Abba Bitimios once visited Abba Achillas. It was very early, and they found him working, plaiting rope. They asked him to direct a few beneficial words to them, and he replied:

"Since yesterday evening up to this time, I have been plaiting rope at full pace, though, in fact, I do not need to do so much work. However, I am working thus, lest God find it necessary to chastise me, saying, "Why, despite the fact that you are able, do you not work?" Therefore, I labor with all my strength."

The Fathers were benefitted by these words and departed.

- the sayings of the Desert Fathers