A Fiery Body

Ἠρώτησάν τινες τῶν Πατέρων τὸν ἀββᾶν Μακὰριον τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, λέγοντες· Πῶς ὅτε ἐσθίεις καὶ ὅτε νηστεύεις, τὸ σῶμα σου ξηρόν ἐστι; Και λέγει αὐτοϊς ὁ γέρων· Τὸ ξυλον τὸ στρέφον τὰ καιόμενα φρύγανα, δι' ὅλου ἐσθίεται ἐκ τοῦ πυρός. Οὕτως ἐὰν καθαρεύσῃ ἄνθρωπος τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῳ φόβῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, αὐτὸς ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεσθίει τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ. Ἀποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Some of the Fathers questioned Abba Macarius the Egyptian, saying 'Why is it that whether you eat or fast, your body is emaciated?' The old man said to them, 'The wood that is used to turn burning sticks is eventually entirely devoured by the fire. Likewise if a man purifies his soul in the fear of God, that same fear of God consumes his body.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Dealing with a Thief

Ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Μακάριος, ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ὤν, εὐρεν ἄνθρωπον ἔχοντα κτῆνος καὶ συλοῦντα τὰς χρείας αύτοῦ· καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς ξένος παραστὰς τῷ συλοῦντι, συνεγέμου τὸ κτῆνος, καὶ μετὰ πολλης ἡσυχίας προέπεμπεν αὐτὸν, λέγων, ὅτι Ούδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν· ὡς αὐτὸς ἠθήλησεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο. Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ἐπὶ πᾶσιν. Ἀποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

While he was in Egypt Father Macarius came upon a man who owned a beast of burden stealing his possessions, and he came to the thief as if he was a stranger, and he helped him to load the animal, and he saw him off wishing him peace, saying, 'We have brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.' 1 'The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord in all things.' 2 Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia  1 1 Tim. 6.7 2 Job 1.21

An Angel On The Earth

Ἐποίησέ ποτε ὁ ἀββᾶς Μακάριος τετράμηνον, παραβὰλλων τινὶ ἀδελφῷ ἡμερούσιον· καὶ οὐχ εὖρεν αὐτὸν εὐκαιροῦντα ἀπο τῆς προσευχῆς οὐδὲ ἄπαξ· καὶ θαυμάσας ἔλεγεν· Ἰδοὐ ἐπίγειος ἄγγελος. ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Every day for four whole months father Macarius looked in on a certain brother, and he did not ever find him when he was not praying, not even once, and amazed he said, 'Behold, an angel on the earth.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Speaking To An Elder

Ἒλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Μακαρίου, ὅτι εἰ προσήρχετο αὐτῷ ἀδελφὸς, ὡς ἀγίῳ γέροντι καὶ μεγάλῳ μετὰ φόβου, οὐδὲν ἐλάλει αὐτῷ. Εἰ δὲ ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὡς ἐξουθενῶν αὐτον· Ἀββᾶ, ἆρα ὃταν ἦς καμηλίτης καὶ ἔκλεπτες νίτρον καὶ ἐπώλεις αὐτὸ, οὐκ ἔδερόν σε οἱ τηρηταί; Εἰ ταῦτά τις ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ ἐλάλει αὐτῳ μετὰ χαρᾶς, εἴ τι αὐτὸν ἠρώτα.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

They said about Father Macarius that if one of the brothers came to him and treated him as a holy elder, in great awe, he spoke nothing to him; but if one of the brothers spoke to him as to one of little worth, saying, 'Father, when you were a camel driver and stole nitre and sold it, did those who caught you whip you?' to the one who spoke so, he would reply cheerfully to whatever was asked. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Dealing with Insult

Ἐἶπεν ὁ αὐτὸς Μακάριος· Ἐάν τινι ἐπιτιμῶν, εἰς ὀργην κινηθῇς, ἴδιον πάθος πληροὶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἴνα ἄλλους σώσῃς σεαυτὸν ἀπολέσεις.   ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Macarius said, 'If someone insults you and you are moved to anger, you may satisfy your passion. But you have saved no one and you have ruined yourself.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Learning from the Dead

Ἀδελφὸς παρέβαλε τῳ ἀββᾷ Μακαρίῳ τῷ Αὶγυπτίῳ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῳ· Ἀββᾶ, εὶπέ μοι ῥῆμα πῶς σωθῶ. Καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Ὕπαγε εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ ὕβριον τοὺς νεκρούς. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν ὁ αδελφὸς, ὕβρισε καὶ ἐλίθασε· καὶ ἐλθων ἀπήγγειλε τῷ γέροντι. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐδέν σοι ἐλάλησαν; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Οὐκι. Λέγει αὐτῳ ὁ γέρων· Ὕπαγε πάλιν αὔριον, καὶ δόξασον αὐτούς. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν ὁ αδελφὸς, ἐδόξασεν αὐτοὺς, λέγων· Απόστολοι, ἄγιοι, καὶ δικαιοι. Καὶ ἧλθε πρὸς τὸν γέροντα, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἐδόξασα. Καὶ λέηει αὐτῷ· Οὐδέν σοι ἀπεκρίθησαν; Ἔφη ὁ ἀδελφός· Οὐχι. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Οἶδας πόσα ἠτίμασας αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐδεν σοι ἀπεκρίθησαν, καὶ πόσα εδόξασας αὐτους, καὶ οὐδέν σοι ἐλάλησαν· οὕτως καὶ σὐ, ἐὰν θέλῃς σωθῆναι, γενοῦ νεκρός· μήτε τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, μήτε τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν λογίσῃ, ὡς οἱ νεκροί· καί δύνασαι σωθῆναι.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

A brother came to father Macarius the Egyptian and said to him, 'Father, speak a word, how I may be saved.' The elder said, 'Go to the graveyard and insult the dead.' The brother went away and insulted them. He returned and the elder said to him, 'What did they say to you?' The brother said, ' Nothing.' The elder said, ' Tomorrow go again and acclaim them.' The brother went out and he praised them, saying, ' Apostles, saints and just men!' He went back to the elder and said to him ' I have praised them.' The elder said to him, ' What did they answer you?' And the brother said, ' Nothing.' The elder said, ' You see that you dishonoured them and they did not respond and you praised them and they said nothing; if you wish to be saved, be the dead. Neither to the injustice of men give thought, nor to their praise, like the dead. So you will be able to be saved.' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Judgement and Salvation

Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παφνούτιος ὁ μαθητὴς τοῦ ἀββᾶ Μακαρίου, ὅτι Παρεκάλεσα τὸν Πατέρα μου, λέγων· Εἰπε μοι λόγον. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Μὴ κακοποιήσῃς τινὰ, μηδὲ κατακρίνῃς τινά. Ταῦτα τήρει, καὶ σώζῃ.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Paphnutius, disciple of Father Macarius, said, ' I called on my father, saying, ' Speak me a word.' And he said to me, ' Do no evil to anyone, condemn no one. Hold to these things and you may be saved.' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia