The Monk and the Ass

Ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἀββᾶς Νισθερῶος παρὰ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ποιμένος, πόθεν ἐκτήσατο τὴν ἀρετὴν ταύτην, ὅτι ὅτε δήποτε συνέβη θλὶψις εἰς τὸ κοινόβιον, οὐκ ἐλάλει, οὐδὲ ἐμέσαζεν, ἀπεκρίνατο· Συγχώρησόν μοι, ἀββᾶ· ὁτε εἰσῆλθον ἀρχὴν εἰς τὸ κοινόβιον, εἶπον τῷ λογισμῷ μου, ὅτι Σὺ καὶ ὁ ὅνος ἕν ἐστε. Ὥσπερ ὁ ὅνος δέρεται καὶ οὐ λαλεῖ, ὑβριζεται καὶ οὐδὲν ἀποκρίνεται, οὕτως καὶ σύ· καθὼς ὁ ψαλλμὸς λέγει· Κτηνώδης ἐγενήθην παρὰ σοὶ, κὰγὼ διαπαντὸς μετὰ σοῦ. ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Nistheroos asked Father Poimen how he had acquired this virtue, that when he came upon difficulties in the monastery he said nothing nor did he impose himself in the midst of them. He answered, 'Forgive me father, on coming into the monastery, I say to my soul, 'You are the one ass here. Like an ass is struck and says nothing, and is outraged and does not respond, so even you. As the Psalm says, 'I am become a beast beside you and always I am with you.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia