Isidora the Fool

Ἐν τούτῳ μοναστηρίῳ παρθένος τις ἦν μία Ἰσιδώρα καλουμένὴ, διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ὑποκρινομένη μωρίαν καὶ δαιμονᾷν, προθεμένη δι’ αὐτῶν κατορθῶσαι τὴν ἀρετὴν, εἰς ἄκρον ἑαυτὴν ταπεινοῦσα καὶ κατευτελίζουσα. Ταύτην ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐβδελύξαντο αἱ λοιπαὶ, ὥστε μηδὲ συνεσθίειν αὐτῇ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκείνης μετὰ χαρᾶς καταδεξαμέντης. Ἀλωμένη οὖν περὶ τὸ μαγειπϊον ἐκείνη πᾶσαν ἐποίει ὑπηρεσίαν πάσαις αὐταῖς, ὡς δούλη ὑπακούσα εἰς πᾶσαν ὑπακοήν. Καὶ ἥν αὔτη ἡ μακαρῖτις (τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον) σπόγγος τῆς συνοδίας, ἔργῳ πληροῦσα τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ ἀγίῳ. Εὐαγγελίῳ, τὸ Ὁ θελων ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι μέγας, ἒστω πάντων δοῦλος καὶ πάντων διάκονος. Καὶ εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφος εἰναι, ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός. Τῶν οὖν ἄλλων παρθένων τὸ σχῆμα ἠν κεκαρμένων, ἐχουσῶν κουκούλλια ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν. Αὐτη δὲ ῥάκος ἀναδήσασα τὴν κεφαλὴν, οὕτως ἐποίει πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν. Ταύτην μασσωμένην οὐκ ἴδεν οὐ μία τῶν τετρακοσίων τὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς. Ἐπι τραπέζης οὐδέ ποτε ἐκαθέσθη, οὐδὲ κλάσματος ἄπρου μετέλαβέν ποτε, ἀλλὰ τὰς ψιχας σπογγολογοῦσα τῶν τραπεζῶν, καὶ τὰς χότρας περιπλύουσα, τούτοις ἠρκείτο, μή ὑποδρησαμένη ποτε, μὴ ὑβρίσασα τινα, μὴ γογγύσασα μικρὸν ἤ μέγα ῥῆμα, καίπερ ὑβριζομένη, καὶ καταρωμένη, καἰ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων μυσαττομένη. Περὶ ταὺτης τῆς ὁσίας τῷ ἀγίῳ Πιτηροὺμ παρέστη ὁ ἄγγελος ἐν τῷ Πορφυρίτῃ καθεζομένῳ ἀναχωρητῇ, ἀνδρὶ δοκιμωτάτῳ εὶς τὴν τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀρετήν. Και λέγει αὐτῷ. Διὰ τί μέγα φρονεῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς σαυτοῦ κατοπθώμασιν ὡς εὐλαβὴς, καὶ ἐν τοιούτῳ καθεζόμενος τόπῳ; θέλεις ἰδεῖν σου εὐλαβεστέραν γυναίκα; ἀπελθε εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν τῶν Ταβεννησιωτῶν, καὶ εὐρήσεις ἐκεῖ μίαν, διάδημα ἔχουσαν ἐπὶ τῆς πεφαλῆς αὐτῆς· ἐκείνη σου ἀμείνων ἐστί. Τοσούτῳ γὰρ ὄχλῳ πυκτεύουσα, καὶ διαφόρως πάσαις δουλεύουσα, τὴν ἑαυτῆς καρδίαν οὐδέποτε ἀπέστησεν τοῦ θεοῦ, καίπερ παρὰ πασῶν καταφρονουμένη. Σὺ δὲ κατεζομενος ὦδε ἀνὰ τὰς πόλεις πλανᾶσαι τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὁ μηδέποτε οἰκουμένην πατήσας. Ἀναστὰς δὲ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ τόποῦ ὁ μέγας Πιτηρούμ, ἦλθεν ἔως τοῦ μοναστηρίου τῶν Ταβεννησιωτῶν , καὶ παρακαλεῖ τοὺς διδασκάλους διαβῆναι εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν. Ὡς οὖν ἐπίδοξον τῶν Πατέρων καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀσκήσει γεγηρακότα θαῥοῦντες εἰσήγαγον αὐτὸν, διαπεράσαντες τὸν ποταμόν. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ εὔξασθαι αὐτοὺς, ἐπεζήτησεν ὁ μέγας πάσας τὰς παρθένους ἰδεῖν κατὰ πρόωπον. Πασῶν οὖν ἐλθουσῶν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἐκείνη οὐ παρεφαίνετο. Τέλος λέγει αὐταῖς, Λείπει μία, ἢν ἐδειξέν μοι ὁ ἄγγελος. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Μίαν ἔχομεν σαλήν· ἐν τῷ μαγει. ῥίῳ ἐστίν. Οὔτω γὰρ ἐκεῖ καλοῦσι τὰς πασχούσας. Λέγει ὁ μέγας· Ἀγάγετε κὰκείνην, ἄφετε ἴδω αὐτήν. Ἀπῆλθον οὖν φωνῆσαι αὐτήν. Ἡ δὲ οὔχ ὑπήκουσεν τότε αἰσθομενη τοῦ πράγματος· ἴσως γὰρ καὶ ἀπεκαλύφθη αὐτῇ. Σύρουσιν οὖν αὐτὴν μετὰ βίας ἀγουσαι καὶ λέγουσαι αὐτῇ· Ὁ ἅγιος Πιτηροὺμ ἰδεῖν σε θέλει. Ἤν γὰρ οὖτος ὀνομαστός. Ἀχθείσης οὖν αὐτῆς, ἐθεάσατο ὁ μέγας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸ ῥάκος ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆς καὶ τοῦ μετώπου. Καὶ πεσὼν αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πὸδας, λέγει αὐτῇ· Εὐλόγησόν με ἀμμᾶ. Πεσοῦσα δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, ἔλεγεν· Σύ με εὐλόγησον, κύριέ μου· Ἰδοῦσαι δὲ τούτο πᾶσαι, ἐξέστησαν λέγουσαι αὐτᾡ· Ἀββᾶ, μὴ πάσχε ὕβριν· σαλὴ γάρ ἐστιν. Λέγει αὐταϊς πάσαις ὁ ἅγιος Πιτηρούμ· Ὑμεϊς ἐστε σαλαί. Αὔτη γὰρ καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐμοῦ ἀμείνων οὖσα ἀμμᾶς ἐστιν· καὶ εὔχομαι ἀξιος αὔτῆς εὐρεθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως. Ἀκούσασαι δὲ τούτων ἔπεσαν αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πόδας, κλαὶουσαι καὶ ἐξομολογούμεναι πᾶσαι, πῶς διαφόρως τὴν ἀγιαν ταύτην ἐλύπουν· ἡ μὲν λέγουσα. Ἐγὼ αὐτὴν ἂεὶ ἐχλεύαζον· καὶ ἄλλη· Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ σχῆμα αὐτῆς ταπεινὸν κατεγέλων· καὶ ἑτέρα. Ἐγὼ αὐτὴν ὕβριζον σιωπῶσαν· καὶ πάλιν ἀλλη· Ἐγὼ τοῦ πίνακος τὸ ἀπόπλυρα πολλάκις αὐτῇ κατέχεα· ἀλλη· Πληγὰς αὐτῇ ἐγὼ ἔδωκα· καὶ ἑτέρα πάλιν· Ἐγὼ ἤμην κονδύλος αὐτῇ ἐντριψαμένη· ἀλλη πάλιν· Ἐγὼ πολλάκις τὴν ῥινα αὐτῆς ἐσιναπησα· καὶ ἁπαξαπλως, πᾶσαι διαφόρους ὕβρεις ἀπήγγελλον πεποιηκοϊαι εἰς αὐτήν. Δεξάμενος οὖν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν ὁ ἅγιος Πιτηροὺμ, καὶ εὐξάμενος ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἅμα αὐτῇ, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ παρακαλέσας τὴν τιμίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δούλην, οὕτως ἐξῆλθεν. Μετὰ δὲ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ὑπὸ πασῶν τιμωμένη μεγάλως, καὶ παρὰ πασῶν θεραπεὺομένη, μὴ ἐνεγκοῦσα ἐκείνη ἡ μακαρῖτις τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν παρὰ πάσης τῆς ἀδελφότητος, καὶ τὰς ἀπολογίας, ἄχθος τοῦτο ἡγησαμένη, λάθρα ἐξῆλθεν τοῦ μοναστηρίου· καὶ ὅπου ἀπῆλθεν, ἤ ποῦ κατέδυ, ἤ ποῦ ἐτελεύτυσαν, ἔγνω οὐδεὶς ἄχρι τῆς δεῦρο.   Ἡ Προς Λαυσον Ἱστορια, Παλλαδιος

In this monastery was a certain nun named Isidora, who for Christ appeared as a fool, indeed as one possessed, and by the greatest humility and abasement she proved an example to virtue. The rest of the nuns there held her in contempt, not understanding her, and she with grace accepted it. She was kept in the kitchen there to serve everyone, as a slave attendant to every command, and she was happy, so to speak, to be the sponge of the assembly, fulfilling her service, for as it is written in the Gospel: 'He among you who wishes to be great let him be the slave and servant of all.' 1 And 'If someone would appear wise in this age let him be a fool that he might be wise.' Though all the others were tonsured, she heaped rags on her head and with these rags wrapped around her head she performed her every service. Not one of the other four hundred even knew how old she was, for they would not sit with her at table and they would ward her off to eat apart, but she did not respond to this, she did not assert her pride, she did not reply with a little or great word, although insulted and rejected, and to the many she was an absurdity. Regarding this woman, then, an angel appeared to the Holy Piteroum in the Porphyrites, when he was sitting withdrawn. The angel said to him, ' Why do you think that you will more easily obtain great things sitting in this place? Do you wish to know of a woman more advanced than you? Go then to the monastery of Tabennisi and seek one there who has a crown upon her head. She is better than you. She struggles with the crowd and endures every suffering, and her heart does not fall away from God though she is abused by everyone. But you sit here wandering in your mind through city streets you have never never walked down.' The Great Piteroum rose and went to the monastery of Tabennisi and begged the guardians there to let him meet the women. On account of his fame and age they gladly allowed him access and he crossed over the river. Then after praying for them the great man looked among the women for the one he sought but she did not appear to him among all those gathered together. Eventually he said to them, 'The one who the angel told me to find is not here.' They replied, 'We do have a crazy woman here; but we keep her in the kitchen.' The famed one said ' Bring her out and allow me to see her.' And so they went and summoned her. But she did not obey sensing what was happening, indeed perhaps it was revealed to her. But by force they dragged her out, saying to her, ' The holy Piteroum wishes to see you,' for his name was famous. And as she stood there troubled, seeing her face and the rags on her head, Piteroum fell down at her feet and said, ' Bless me, mother.' And she fell down at his feet and said, ' You bless me, my lord.' And everyone seeing these things were astonished and they said to him, 'Father, do not suffer her; she is a crazy woman' The Holy Piteroum said to them, ' We are the mad; she is better than us and the mother of you and me; and I pray I will be worthy of her on the Day of Judgement.' Hearing this they all fell at his feet, weeping and confessing how they had grieved this holy woman: one said ' I doused her with dirty water'; another said, ' I mocked her plain attire.' And another: 'I was haughty and silent with her.' And another: ' I threw plate scrapings at her.' And another: ' I beat her.' And another: ' I rapped her knuckles .' And Another: I often spread mustard on her nose.' And in general everyone lamented the pride with which they had treated her. Having received their confessions the Holy Piteroum prayed for them, which was of much comfort to the handmaid of Christ, and so he departed. But after a few days, the Holy Woman could no longer endure staying where she was on account of the great honour and considerate attention she now received from everyone, and all the glory and praise which they now bestowed upon her, and so in secret, to save herself, she left the monastery. And no one knew where she went, nor where she ended up, nor indeed what became of her. Lausiac History, Palladius of Galatia  1 Mt 20 26-27 2 1 Cor 3.18