Gifts And Suffering

Εἶπε ὁ ἀββᾶς Φορτᾶς· Εἰ θέλει με ὁ Θεὸς ζῇν, οἶδεν πῶς οἰκονομὴσει με· εἰ δὲ οὐ θέλει, ἵνα τί μοι τὸ ζῇν; Οὐ γὰρ παρὰ πάντῶν ἐδέχετό τι, καίτοι κλινήρης ὤν· ἐλεγε γάρ· Εἀν προσφέρῃ μοί τίς τί ποτε, καὶ οὐχὶ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, οὔτε ἐγὼ ἔχω τι δοῦναι αὐτῷ, οὔτε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαμβάνει μισθόν· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὸν Θὸν προσήνεγκε· καὶ ἀδικεῖται ὁ προσενέγκας. Δεῖ γὰρ τοὺς ἀνακειμένους τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν βλέποντας μόνον, οὕτως εὐλαβῶς διακεῖσθαι, ὡς μήτε ὕβριν τινὰ ἠγεῖσθαι, κἂν μυριάκις ἀδικούμενοι τύχοιεν. Ἀποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.436b

Father Phortas said, 'If God wants me to live, He knows how to treat me, but if he does not wish it, what is it to me to live?' He did not accept anything from anyone, even though he was bedridden, for he said, 'If at some time someone brings me something and it is not for the love of God, not only have I nothing to give to him, but he gains no reward from God because he did not bring it for the sake of God, and he who has brought it suffers a wrong. It is necessary that those who are dedicated to God and look to Him alone, are thus so piously disposed that they do not treat anything as an injury, not even if it happens that one is wronged a thousand times.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia