DESERT WISDOM...
SAYINGS FROM THE DESERT FATHERS

These stories and sayings come from the Christian hermits from fourth - and fifth century Egypt.
They have been a source of inspiration to the Western monastic movement throughout its history and are considered by scholars to be one of the important groups of documents among early Christian writings. These stories are translated from the Latin and Greek texts.


A brother asked Abba Hieracus: Give me a word. How can I be saved? The old man said to him: Sit in your cell; if you are hungry, eat; if you are thirsty, drink; and just do not speak evil of anyone, and you will be saved.

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In Scetis, a brother went to see Abba Moses and begged him for a word. And the old man said: Go and sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.

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Abba Nilus said: Whatever you do in revenge against your brother who has hurt you will appear all at once in your heart at the time of prayer.

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The brothers asked Abba Agathon:  Father, which of the virtues of our way of life demands the greatest effort? He said to him: Forgive me, but there is no effort comparable to prayer to God. In fact, whenever you want to pray, hostile demons try to interrupt you. Of course they know that nothing but prayer to God entangles them. Certainly when you undertake any other good work, and persever in it, you obtain rest. But prayer is a battle all the way to the last breath.

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Abba James said: We do not want words alone, for there are too many words among people today. What we need is action, for that is what we are looking for, not words which do not bear fruit.

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Amma Theodora said: A teacher ought to be a stranger to love of domination, and a foreigner to vainglory, far from arrogance, neither deceived by flattery, nor blinded by gifts, nor a slave to the stomach, nor held back by anger, but rather should be patient, kind, and as far as possible humble. He ought to be be self-disciplined, tolerant, diligent, and a lover of souls.

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A brother asked an old man: What is humility? And the old man said: To do good to those who hurt you. The brother said: If you cannot go that far, what should you do? The old man replied: Get away from them and keep your mouth shut.

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Amma Syncletica said: It is good not to get angry. But if it should happen, do not allow your day to go by affected by it. For it is said: Do not let the sun go down. Otherwise, the rest of your life may be affected by it. Why hate a person who hurts you, for it is not that person who is unjust, but the devil. Hate the sickness, but not the sick person.

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Abba Joseph asked Abba Poemen: How should we fast? And Abba Poemen said: I myself think it's good to eat every day, a little at a time, so as not to get full. Abba Joseph said: Well, when  you were young, didn't you used to fast for two days at a time? And the old man said: Believe me, indeed I did, for three days, and even a week. But the great elders tried all of this, and found that it is good to eat every day, a little less each time. In this way, they showed us the royal highway, for it is light and easy.

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There was an old man who had a good disciple. One day he was annoyed and drove the disciple out. Yet the disciple sat down outside of the cell and waited. When the old man opened the door, he found him sitting there, and repented before him, saying: You are my father, for your humility and patience have overcome my narrow-mindedness. Come inside! From now on, you are the old man and the father, for sure, and I am the young one and the disciple. For your good works have surpassed my old age.

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It was said about one brother that when he had woven baskets and put handles on them, he heard a monk next door saying: What shall I do? The trader is coming but I don't have handles to put on my baskets! Then he took the handles off his own baskets and brought them to his neighbor, saying: Look, I have these left over. Why don't you put them on your baskets? And  he made his brother's work complete, as there was need, leaving his own unfinished.
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