Sickness And Rest

Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββα ᾽Αρσενιου, ὅτι, ἀσθενήσαντος αὐτου ποτε εις Σκῆτιν, ἀπῆλθεν ὁ πρεσβύτερος, και ἥνεγκεν αὐτου εις τὴν ἐκκλησιαν, και ἒθηκεν αὐτοῦ. Και ιδοῦ εἱς τῶν γερόντων ἐλθων ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτὸν και ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εις τὸ Χαλαδπριον, και τὸ προσκεφαλαιον υποκατω αὐτοῦ, ἐσκανδαλισθῃ λεγων· Οὖτος ἐστιν ὁ ἀββᾶς ᾽Απσένιος; και εις ταυτα ἀνάκαιται; Λαβων δὲ αὐτὸν πρεσβύτερος και ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εις τὸ Χαλαδπριον, και τὸ προσκεφαλαιον υποκατω αὐτοῦ, ἐσκανδαλισθῃ λεγων· Οὖτος ἐστιν ὁ ἀββᾶς ᾽Απσένιος; και εις ταυτα ἀνάκαιται; Λαβων δὲ αὐτὸν πρεσβύτερος κατ᾽ ἰδιαν, λεγει αὐτῷ· Τι ἧν το ἕργον σου ἐν τῇ κὠμῃ ῾Ο δὲ εἷπε· Ποιμὴν ἤμην. Πῶς ουν, φησι, διῆγες τὸν βιον σου; ´Ο δε ἒφη· Εν πολλῷ κοπῳ διῆγον. Και λέγει αὐτῷ· Νυν οὖν πῶς διάγεις ἐν κελλιῳ; ῾Ο δὲ ἔφη· Μᾶλλον ἀναπαύομαι. Και λέγει αὐτῷ· Βλέπεις τοῦτον τον ἀββᾶν ᾽Αρσένιον; πατηρ Βασιλέων ὑπῆπχεν ὥν ἐν τῷ κοσμῳ, και χιλιοι δοῦλοι χρυσόζωνοι και ὃλοι μαναιάκια και ὁλοσήρικα φοποῦντες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ· πολύτιμα δὲ στρώματα ὑποκατω αὐτοῦ ἧν· σύ δὲ ποιμην ὥν, οὺκ εἱχες ἀνάπαυσιν· και οὗτος τὴν τροφὴν ἣν εἷχεϝ ἐν τῷ κοσμῳ, ὧδε ούκ εχει. Ιδου οὗν σὺ ἀναπαύῃ, κακεινος θλιβεται. ῾Ο δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα, κατενύγη, και ἒβαλε μετάνοιαν, λέγων· Συγχώρησον μοι, ἀββᾶ, ἡμάρτηκα· ἀληθῶς γὰρ αυτη ἐστιν ἡ ἀληθινὴ ὁδος, ὃτι οὗτοσ ἧλθεν εις ταπεινωσιν, ἐγώ δὲ εις ἀνάπαυσιν. Και ὠφεληθεις ὁ γέρων ἀνεχώρνσεν.   ᾽Αποφθεγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Πάλλαδιος Migne PG 65  101, 104

They say of Father Arsenius that when he fell sick in Sketis, a priest went out and brought him into the church and laid him down. And one of the elders coming there and seeing him laying on a reed mat with a pillow beneath him was scandalised, saying, 'This is Father Arsenius? He who is lolling about here?' And the priest took him a little apart and said to him, 'What work did you do in the village?' And he said, 'I was a shepherd.' 'How then,' he said, ' did you pass your life?' He said, 'Working in the fields.' And the priest said,' Now tell me what you do in your cell.' And he said, 'For the most part I am at peace.' And he said, 'You see Father Arsenius? In the world he shone as a teacher of Emperors. He had command of a thousand servants and those wearing grand symbols of office assisted him, and precious cloth was spread beneath him. You were but a shepherd and now you have rest; this man dwelt in a world of luxury which he now lacks. Behold, it is you who lay about, it is this man who suffers.' Hearing this he fell to his knees and was struck with repentance, saying 'Forgive me, Father, I have sinned; truly yours is the true way that one comes to humility; I have but rest.' And being forgiven the old man departed. Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia