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Sayings of the Fathers (Systematic Collection, Latin)

tr. Chadwick, 1958; selections

6. Part 6: That a Monk Should Possess Nothing

A brother was renouncing the world, and in giving his goods to the poor, he kept a little for his own support. And he came to Abba Antony. When the old man knew what he had done, he said: “If you would be a monk, go to the village yonder and buy some meat, and hang it about your naked body, and come back here.” And when the brother did so, dogs and birds tore at his body. He came back to the old man, who asked him if he had done what he was told. He showed St Antony his torn body. Then said St Antony: “People who renounce the world but want to keep their money, are attacked like that by demons and torn in pieces.”

Abba Daniel told this story about Abba Arsenius. An official once came bringing the will of a kinsman, who was a senator, and had left Arsenius a very great bequest. Arsenius took the will into his hands and wanted to tear it up. But the official fell at his feet, and said: “Please do not tear it; the blame will be on my head.” And Abba Arsenius said to him: “I died before he did. Now that he is dead, how can he make me his heir?” And he gave back the will, and would accept nothing.

Once Abba Arsenius fell ill in Scete, and in his plight needed just one penny. And he could not find one, so he accepted it as alms from someone, and said: “I thank thee, O God, that for thy name’s sake thou hast made me worthy to come to this, that I should have to ask for alms.”

They told this story of Abba Agatho. He and his disciples spent a long time in building his cell. After they had finished it, he began to live there; and in the first week he saw a vision harmful to himself. And he said to his disciples what the Lord said to his apostles: “Rise, let us go hence.”¹ But the disciples were exceedingly vexed, and said: “If you meant the whole time to move from here, why did we have to work so hard and spend so long in building you a cell? People will begin to be scandalized at us, and say: ‘Look, they are moving again, they are restless and never settle.’” But when he saw that they were afraid of what people would say, he said: “Although some may be scandalized, there are others who will be edified and say: ‘Blessed are they, for they have moved their abode for God’s sake, and despised all their property.’ Yet I say to you, whoever wants to come, let him come, because I at any rate am going.” They threw themselves on the ground before him, and begged to be allowed to go with him.

Abba Evagrius² said that there was a brother who had no possessions but a Gospel, and sold it to feed the poor. And he said a word which is worth remembering: “I have even sold the word which commands me to sell all and give to the poor.”

Abba Theodore, surnamed Pherme, had three good books. And going to Abba Macarius, he said to him: “I have three good books, and I am helped by reading them. But other monks also want to read them, and they are helped by them. Tell me, what am I to do?” And the old man said: “Reading books is good, but possessing nothing is more than all.” When he heard this, he went away and sold the books, and gave the money to the poor.

One of the fathers told a story of John the Persian, how from manifold virtue he attained to a deep simplicity and innocence. He dwelt in the part of Arabia that lies near to Egypt. And once he borrowed from a monk a shilling and bought linen with which to make things. And a brother came and asked him: “Abba, give me a little linen, and I will make myself a vest to wear.” John gave it gladly. Then another came and asked him for a little linen, so that he could make himself a coat. And he gave it. When many others came he gave it simply and with pleasure. Later the owner of the borrowed shilling arrived and asked for his money back. And the old man said to him: “I will fetch it for you.” And when he could not find the wherewithal to pay, he went to Abba Jacob the steward, and asked him for a shilling. On the way he found a shilling lying on the ground. He did not touch it, but said a prayer, and went back to his cell. And again came the owner of the shilling and began to speak harshly to him for his money. And John said: “I will give it back to you.” And again the old man went away, and found the shilling lying as before on the ground, and said a prayer, and went back to his cell. Then the owner began again to be troublesome: and the old man said: “Wait for me just once more, and I will bring you your shilling.” And he rose, and came to that place where he found the shilling on the ground. He said a prayer, and fetched it up, and came to Abba Jacob and said: “Abba, on my way here I found this shilling on the ground. Of your charity make proclamation among the neighbours, to see if anyone has lost it.” And the Abba summoned them and announced the find, but they could discover none who had lost it. Then John said to the Abba Jacob: “If no one has lost it, give it to that monk there, because I owe him a shilling.” And Abba Jacob was surprised that John, being pressed to pay his debt, had not at once picked the shilling up when he found it, and used it to pay.

There was another remarkable thing about Abba John. If anyone came to borrow something from him, he did not take it in his own hands and lend it, but said: “Come in, take what you need.” And when a borrower brought anything back, John used to say: “Put it back where you found it.” But if a man borrowed something and did not bring it back, the old man said nothing about it to him.

Some of the fathers said that a monk once came to the congregation at Cellia, and appeared before Abba Isaac in a small hood. And the old man rebuked him, and said: “This is where monks live. You are a man of the world, and cannot stay here.”

Abba Isaac said to the brothers: “Abba Pambo and our fathers used to wear ancient and much-patched clothes. You wear expensive clothes. Go away, you have abandoned this place.” When they were starting out for the harvest, he said: “Now I shall give you no more orders, for you never obey me.”

Abba Cassian said³ that one Syncleticus renounced the world, and divided his property among the poor. But he kept some for his own use, and was unwilling to accept either the poverty of those who renounced everything or the normal rule of monasteries. Basil of blessed memory said to him: “You have stopped being a senator, but you have not become a monk.”

A brother said to Abba Pistamon: “What am I to do? I find it painful to sell what I make.” Abba Pistamon replied: “Abba Sisois and others used to sell what they made. There is no harm in this. When you sell anything, say straight out the price of the goods. If you want to lower the price a little, you may—and so you will find rest.” The brother said: “I have enough for my needs from other sources, do you think I need worry about making things to sell?” The old man answered: “However much you have, do not stop making things, do as much as you can provided that the soul is undisturbed.”

A brother asked Abba Serapion: “Speak to me a word.” The old man said: “What can I say to you? You have taken what belongs to widows and orphans and put it on your window-ledge.” He saw that the window-ledge was full of books.

Syncletice of blessed memory was asked: “Is absolute poverty perfect goodness?” And she said: “It is a great good for those who can. Even those who cannot bear it find rest to their souls though they suffer bodily anxiety. As sturdy clothes are laundered pure white by being turned and trodden underfoot in water, a sturdy soul is strengthened by freely accepting poverty.”

Abba Hyperichius said: “Freely to accept poverty is the monk’s treasury. Therefore, my brother, lay up treasure in heaven, where there will be endless time for rest.”

One of the holy men named Philagrius lived in Jerusalem and laboured to earn himself enough to eat. And when he was standing in the market-square trying to sell what he had made, by chance a bag fell on the ground near him, containing a great many shillings. The old man found it, and stood there thinking, “The loser must soon come here.” And soon the man who had lost it came lamenting. So Philagrius took him apart and gave him back his bag. The owner asked him to accept some of the shillings, but the old man would have nothing. Then the owner began to shout and call: “Come and see what the man of God has done.” But the old man fled away unperceived, and went out of the town, so that they should not know what he had done, nor pay him honour.

A brother asked an old man: “What must I do to be saved?” He took off his clothes, and put a girdle about his loins, and stretched out his hands and said: “Thus ought the monk to be naked of everything worldly, and crucify himself against temptation and the world’s struggles.”

Someone asked an old man to accept money for his future needs. But he refused, because the produce of his labour was enough for him. But when the man persisted, and begged him to take it for the needs of the poor, the old man replied: “My disgrace is twofold. I do not need, yet I accept: and I give to others, and so will suffer from vanity.”

Some Greeks once came to give alms in the city of Ostracine: and they sought out the stewards of the church to show them who was most in need. The stewards led them to a leper to whom they gave money. But he did not want it, and said: “Look, I have a few palm leaves to work, and I make plaits of them, and so get enough to eat.” Then the stewards led them to the house of a widow who lived with her daughters. When they knocked on the door, one of the daughters ran to open it though she was naked. Her mother had gone out to work as a laundress. They gave the daughter clothing and money. But she refused to accept it, and said that her mother had told her: “Trust in God’s will. Today I have found work to supply us with a livelihood.” And when the mother came back, they asked her to accept it. But she refused, saying: “I have my God to care for me. Do you want to take him away from me today?” They perceived her faith, and glorified God.

A great man came from far to Scete carrying gold, and he asked the presbyter of the desert to distribute it among the brothers. But the presbyter said to him: “The brothers do not need it.” And he was very pressing, and would not give way, and put a basket of money in the church porch. And the presbyter said: “Whoever is in need may take money from it.” No one touched it, some did not even look at it. And the old man said: “God has accepted your offering to him. Go away, and give it to the poor.” And he went away much edified.

Someone brought an old man money and said: “Take this to spend, for you are old and ill”: he was a leper. But the old man replied: “Are you coming to take me away from him who has fed me for sixty years? I have been infirm the whole of that time, and have needed nothing because God has fed me and given me what I need.” And he refused to accept it.

The old men told of a working gardener who gave away all his profit in alms, and kept for himself only enough to live on. But later Satan enticed his heart and said: “Store up a little money, as a provision to spend when you are old and infirm.” And he made a store of coins in a big pot. It happened that he fell ill, and his foot became gangrenous; and he spent all his coins on doctors, but grew no better. And an experienced doctor told him: “Unless you amputate your foot, the gangrene will spread through your whole body.” And they decided to amputate. But the night before the operation, he recovered his right mind, and did penance for what he had done, and groaned and wept saying: “Lord, remember my earlier good works, when I worked in the garden and ministered to the poor.” And when he said this, an angel of the Lord stood before him and said: “Where is your store of coins? Where is your hope in them gone?” Then he understood, and said: “I have sinned, Lord. Forgive me, I will not do it again.” Then the angel touched his foot, and it was healed at once.

And he rose at dawn, and went to the field to work. And at the appointed time the surgeon came with his instruments to amputate the foot. And people told him: “He went out at dawn to work in the fields.” Then the doctor, astonished, went out to the field where he was working. And he saw him digging, and glorified God that he had restored his health.

A brother asked an old man: “Would you have me save two shillings for myself, in case I fall ill?” The old man, seeing into his heart that he wanted to save them, said: “Yes.” And the brother went into his cell, and was worn down by his thoughts, saying to himself: “Do you think the old man spoke the truth to me or not?” He got up and went back to the old man, did penance, and asked: “For the Lord’s sake speak the truth to me, for I am troubled in my thoughts about those two shillings.” The old man said to him: “I told you to save them because I saw you intended to save them. But it is not good to save more than the body needs. If you keep two shillings, you will put your hope in them. And if by chance they are destroyed, God is then no longer thinking of our needs. Let us cast our thought upon the Lord: it is for him to care for us.”

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