Library › Sayings of the Fathers (Systematic Collection, Latin)

Sayings of the Fathers (Systematic Collection, Latin)

tr. Chadwick, 1958; selections

Part 13: That We Ought to Be Hospitable and Show Mercy with Cheerfulness

Some of the fathers once came to Abba Joseph in Panephysis, to ask him if they should break their fast when they received brothers as guests, and so could celebrate their coming. And before they asked their question, the old man said to his disciple: “Meditate on what I am going to do today.” And he put two seats, made of reeds, tied in bundles, one on his left and the other on his right, and said: “Sit down.” Then he went into his cell and put on rags; and he came out, and walked past them, and then went in again and put on his ordinary clothes.

The visitors were astonished, and asked him what it meant. He said to them: “Did you see what I did?” They said: “Yes.” And he said: “Did the rags change me for the better?” They said: “No.” He said: “Did the good garment change me for the worse?” They said: “No.” And he said: “So I am myself whether I wear good clothes or rags. I was not changed for better or worse because I changed my clothes. That is what we ought to do in receiving guests. It is written in the Holy Gospel, ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ So when visitors come, we ought to welcome them and celebrate with them. When we are by ourselves, we need to be sorrowful.”

When they heard it, they were astonished that he knew what they intended to ask him, and they glorified God.

Abba Cassian said:¹ “We came from Palestine to Egypt, and visited one of the fathers. After he had offered us hospitality, we asked him: ‘Why, when you receive guests, do you not keep the fast? In Palestine they keep it.’ He answered: ‘Fasting is ever with me. I cannot keep you here for ever. Fasting is useful and necessary, but we can choose to fast or not fast. God’s law demands from us perfect charity. In you I receive Christ: and so I must do all I can to show you the offices of charity. When I have bidden you farewell, I can return and make up my rule of fasting. The sons of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them: when he is taken from them, then they can fast.’²”

Abba Cassian also said:³ “We came to another old man and he invited us to sup, and pressed us, though we had eaten, to eat more. I said that I could not. He answered: ‘I have already given meals to six different visitors, and have supped with each of them, and am still hungry. Have you only eaten once and yet are so full that you cannot eat with me now?’”

In Scete there once went out an order that they should fast that week, and then celebrate Easter. During the week some brothers happened to come from Egypt to visit Abba Moses, and he cooked a little vegetable stew for them. The nearby hermits saw the smoke, and said to the clergy of the church: “What is that smoke? Moses must be disobeying the order, and cooking stew in his cell.” The clergy said: “We will talk to him when he comes.” On Saturday the clergy, who knew the greatness of his way of life, said to Abba Moses in front of the whole congregation: “Abba Moses, you have broken a commandment of men: but you have mightily kept the commandments of God.”

A brother came to Abba Poemen in the second week of Lent and told him his thoughts, and found peace of mind from his answer. Then he said: “I was almost stopped from coming to see you today.” And the old man said: “Why?” And he said: “I was afraid that the door would not be opened as it is Lent.” And Abba Poemen answered him: “We were not taught to shut wooden doors; the door we need to keep shut is the mouth.”⁴

A brother said to Abba Poemen: “If I give my brother anything like a piece of bread, the demons pollute the gift; for it makes it seem to be done to please men.” And the old man told him: “Even if it is done to please men, we still ought to give our brothers what they need.” And he told him this parable: “There were in a town two farmers. One of them sowed seed, and gathered a poor harvest: the other was idle and did not sow, and had no harvest to gather. If famine came, which of them would survive?” And the brother answered: “The one who sowed, even if the harvest was poor.” And the old man said: “It is so with us. We sow a few seeds, and they are poor—but in a time of famine we shall not die.”

A brother came to a hermit: and as he was taking his leave, he said: “Forgive me, Abba, for hampering you in keeping your rule.” The hermit answered: “My rule is to welcome you with hospitality, and to send you on your way in peace.”

A hermit, possessed of much virtue, lived not far from a community of monks. Some visitors to the community happened to go to see him and made him eat, though it was not the proper time. Later the monks of the community said to him: “Were you not disturbed, Abba?” And he answered: “I am disturbed when I do my own will.”

An old man in Syria, they said, lived near the way to the desert: and it was his work faithfully to refresh every monk who came from the desert, at whatever time he came. One day a hermit arrived, and was asked by him to sup. But the hermit refused, saying: “I am fasting.” The old man was grieved, and said: “I beseech you, do not pass by your servant, do not scorn me. Come, let us pray together. Look, here is a tree: let us obey him for whom the tree bows down when he kneels and prays.” So the hermit knelt and prayed: but nothing happened. Then the old man knelt down, and at once the tree bent its trunk as he did. They rejoiced at the sight, and gave thanks to God who is ever performing marvels.

Two brothers once came to an old man, whose custom it was not to eat every day. When he saw them, he greeted them gladly, and said: “A fast has its reward.” And “He who sups from a motive of charity, obeys two commandments. He leaves his self-will, and refreshes his brothers.”

An old man in Egypt lived in a desert place. And far away lived a Manichaean who was a priest, at least was one of those whom Manichaeans call priests. While the Manichaean was on a journey to visit another of that erroneous sect, he was caught by nightfall in the place where lived this orthodox and holy man. He wanted to knock and go in and ask for shelter; but was afraid to do so, for he knew that he would be recognized as a Manichaean, and believed that he would be refused hospitality. But, driven by his plight, he put the thought aside, and knocked.

The old man opened the door and recognized him: and he welcomed him joyfully, made him pray with him, gave him supper and a bed. The Manichaean lay thinking in the night, and marvelling: “Why was he not hostile to me? He is a true servant of God.” And at break of day he rose, and fell at his feet, saying: “Henceforth I am orthodox, and shall not leave you.” And so he stayed with him.

A monk of the Thebaid received from God the grace of ministry, to minister to the poor as they had need. In a village once he happened to be holding a love-feast. And a woman clad in tatters came up to him to receive her share. When he saw the tatters, he meant to take a great handful, so as to give her a big helping: but his hand was kept nearly shut, and he took little. Another, well-dressed, woman came up: and seeing her clothes, he meant to take a little handful for her: but his hand was opened, and he took a big helping. So he made enquiry about the women, and he found that the well-dressed woman had been a lady who had sunk to poverty and clothed herself well because she felt that she had a standard to maintain before her family. But the other had put on tatters so as to receive more.

A monk had a poor brother living in the world, to whom he gave all the profit from his work. But the more he gave him, the poorer he became. So the monk went and told an old man what was happening. The old man said to him: “If you take my advice, you will give him nothing more, but will tell him: ‘Brother, I have given you what I had. It is yours to work now, and give me of the produce’: accept whatever he brings you, and give it to any poor pilgrim or old man whom you find, and ask them to pray for him.”

The monk listened to the advice, and did so. When his brother from the world came, he spoke to him as the old man advised, and his brother went away grieved. And then, the next day, he brought the monk a few vegetables from the garden. The monk accepted them, and gave them to some old men, asking them to pray for his brother. He received a blessing from them and returned home. Later his brother brought him vegetables and three loaves of bread: and he accepted it and gave it, and again received a blessing. But the third time his brother brought costly articles, wine and fish. The monk was astonished at the sight, and called in poor men, and fed them. But he said to his brother from the world: “Do you not need all that bread?” And his brother said: “No, Lord. When I used to accept presents from you, it was as though a fire entered into my house and consumed it: but now, while I am receiving nothing from you, I have plenty, and God blesses me.”

So the monk went and told the old man what had happened. And the old man said to him: “Do you not know that the monks’ work is a fire which consumes wherever it passes? It is best for your brother that he should eke out a pittance from his own effort, and be prayed for by holy men: then he receives God’s blessing, and he will have plenty.”

One of the old men said: “There are some who do good, yet the devil insinuates a mean spirit into their souls, so that they lose the reward of all the good that they do. When I was once living in Oxyrhynchus with a priest who was generous in almsgiving, a widow came to ask him for a little barley. He said to her: ‘Go and fetch a measure, and I will weigh you some.’ She brought a measure. But he weighed the measure in his hand and said: ‘It is too big’: and he made the widow ashamed.

After she had gone, I said: ‘Priest, did you lend barley to that widow, or what?’ He said: ‘No; I gave it her.’ But I said: ‘If you wanted to make her a free gift, why were you so exact about the measure and made her ashamed?’”

An old man lived a common life with another brother, and he was an old man with a merciful disposition. Once in a time of famine, people began to come to his door to take part in a love-feast, and the old man ministered bread to everyone who came. But when his brother saw this, he said: “Give me my share of the bread, and do what you like with your share.” The old man divided the bread into two, and went on giving away his own share as usual. But a multitude flocked to the old man, hearing that he gave to all comers. And God, seeing his purpose, blessed that bread.

But the brother who had taken his share, gave none away: and he ate up his bread, and said to the old man: “I have only a little of my bread left, Abba: so take me back to a life in common.” And the old man said to him: “I will do whatever you want.” And again they began to live together and have everything in common. Again, they had plenty of food, and again the needy kept coming to receive a love-feast.

One day the brother happened to go in and see that there was no bread left. And a poor man came, asking for the love-feast. So the old man said to the brother: “Give him some bread.” And he said: “There is none left, father.” And the old man said: “Go in, and look for some.” The brother went in, and saw the bin full of loaves. He was afraid at the sight, and took some and gave to the poor man. And he recognized the faith and goodness of the old man, and glorified God.

Previous · Contents · Next