Quotes from the Desert

[Shin]

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."

[Shin]

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.

[Shin]

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."

[ChristianCatholic]

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?

[Shin]

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.

[Shin]

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

[Shin]

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

[odhiambo]

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.

[Shin]

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'.

[odhiambo]

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?
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.

[Shin]

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!

[odhiambo]

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

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.

[Shin]

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

God keep you odhiambo!

[Shin]

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

[Patricia]

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

[Shin]

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

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