Preparing For Sunday

Ἔλεγον πάλιν περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὀψὲ σαββάτων ἐπιφωσκούσης Κυριακῆς, ἤφιε τὸν ἥλιον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔτεινε τὰς χεϊρας αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐχόμενος, ἕως πάλιν ἔλαμψεν ὁ ἥλιος εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὕτως ἐκαθὲζετο. Ἄποφθέγματα των Αγίων Γερόντων, Παλλάδιος Ελενουπόλεως Source: Migne PG 65.97c

Again they was said of Father Arsenius that on the evening before the Lord's day, he would turn his back on the sun and stretch out his hands to heaven in prayer, until the sun shone on his face again, and then he would sit.   Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Declining Company

Εἴπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Μάρκος τῷ ἀββᾷ  Ἀρσενίῳ· Διατί φεύγεις ἡμᾶς; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὁ Θεὸς οἴδεν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι εἴναι μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Αἱ ἄνω χιλιάδες καὶ μυριάδες ἔν θέλημα ἔχουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι πολλὰ θελήματα ἔχουσιν. Οὐ δύναμαι οὖν ἀφεῖναι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐλεῖν μετὰ ἀνθρώπων. Ἀποφθεγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.92a

Abba Mark said to Abba Arsenius, 'Why do you keep away from us?' The elder said to him, 'God knows that I love you, but I cannot live with God and with men. The thousands and ten thousands above have one will, while men have many. Thus I  cannot leave God and come among men.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Thinking of Oneself

Εἰπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Νισθερῶς, ὅτι ὀφείλει ὁ μοναχὸς καθ' ἑσπέραν καὶ πρωιας λόγον ποιείν. Τί ὧν θέλει ὁ Θεὸς ἐποιήσαμεν, καὶ τί ὦν οὐ θέλει οὐκ ἐποιήσαμεν; καὶ οὕτως τρακτεύοντες ἑαυτῶν τὴν πᾶσαν ζωήν. Οὕτως γὰρ ἔζησεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος. Σπούδαζε ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρεστάναι τῷ Θεῷ χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. Οὕτω προσεύχου τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς παρὼν παρόντι· καὶ γὰρ ἀληθῶς πάρεστι. Μὴ νομοθέτει ἑαυτόν· κρῖνε δὲ μηδένα. Μοναχοῦ ἀλλότριον ὑπάρχει τὸ ὀμνύειν, ἐπιορκεῖν, ψεύδεσθαι, καταρᾶσθαι, ὑβρίζειν, γελᾷν. Ὁ δὲ πλέον τῆς ἀξίας τιμώμενος ἥ ἐπαιρούμενος, πολὺ ζημιοῦται. ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Nisteros said that every day a monk should, morning and evening, say to himself, 'Of what God wishes, what have I done? And what of those things which do not please Him have I not done?' And thus he examines his whole life. This indeed is how Father Arsenius lived. Be diligent, then, that every day you stand before God without sin, so that when you pray to God, He shall be present, for truly He is near. Do not compose laws for yourself and condemn no one. It should be foreign to a monk to denounce, to lie, to curse, to be proud, to mock. He who honours himself, or elevates himself above his worth, he shall be damned. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Tears Here and There

Ἔλεγον δὲ ὅτι ὅλον τὸν χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, καθεζόμενος εἰς τὸ ἐργόχειρον αὐτοῦ, ῥάκκος εἶχεν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ, χάριν τῶν δακρύων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμὴν ὅτι ἐκοιμήθη, δακρύσας εἶπε· Μακαριος εἶ, ἀββᾶ Ἀρσένιε, ὅτι ἔκλαυσας ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ὦδε, Ὁ γάρ μὴ κλαίων ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ὧδε, αἰωνιως ἐκεὶ κλαύσεται. Εἴτε οὖν ὥδε ἑκὼν, εἴτε ἐκεῖ ἀπὸ βασάνων, ἀδύνατον μὴ κλαῦσαι.   ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

And they said of Father Arsenius that the whole of his life when he sat to work with his hands he had a rag in his lap for the sake of the tears that fell from his eyes. Hearing he had passed away, Father Poimen said weeping, ' Blessed are you, Father Arsenius, that you lamented here, for he who does not weep here shall lament in eternity. He who does not weep readily here, there, on account of the torments, shall not be able to refrain from lamenting.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Education And Virtue

Ἐιπέ τις τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἀρσενίῳ· Πῶς ἡμεὶς ἀπὸ τοσαύτης παιδεύσεως καὶ σοφίας οὐδὲν ἔχομεν, οὖτοι δὲ οἱ ἀγροῖκοι καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι τοσαύτας ἀρετὰς κέκτηνται; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος· Ἡμεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου παιδεύσεως οὐδὲν ἔχομεν· οὖτοι δὲ οἱ ἀγροὶκοι καὶ Αἰγύπτοι ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πόνων ἐκτήσαντο τὰς ἀρετὰς. ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.88d-89a

Someone said to the blessed Arsenius, 'How is it that we for all our education and knowledge have nothing, yet these peasants and Egyptians have acquired such virtue?' Father Arsenius said to him, 'We have nothing from our worldly education, but these peasants and Egyptians by their own travails have acquired virtue.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

A Change of Clothing

᾽Ελεγον περι αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὥσπερ οὐδεις παλατιου ἐφορει βελτιονα αὐτοῦ ἐσθητα· οὐτως οὐδε εις τὴν ᾽Εκκλησιαν εὐτελεστεραν τις αὐτοῦ ἐφορει.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

They said about Arsenius that just as no one in the imperial palace was clothed in raiment surpassing his, so now no one in the church was clothed so vilely. Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

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