Abba Arsenios - 4.0

21. It was said of him that his cell was thirty-two miles away and that he did not readily leave it: that in fact others did his errands. When Scetis was destroyed he left weeping and said, 'The world has lost Rome and the monks have lost Scetis.

22. Abba Mark asked Abba Arsenius 'Is it good to have nothing extra in the cell? I know a brother who had some vegetables and he has pulled them up.' Abba Arsenius replied, 'Undoubtedly that is good but it must be done according to a man's capacity. For if he does not have the strength for such a practice he will soon plant others.'

23. Abba Daniel, the disciple of Abba Arsenius, related this: 'One day I found myself close to Abba Alexander and he was full of sorrow. He lay down and stared up into the air because of his sorrow. Now it happened that the blessed Arsenius came to speak with him and saw him lying down. During their conversation he said to him, 'And who was the layman whom I saw here?' Abba Alexander said, here did you see him?' He said, 'As I was coming down the mountain I cast my eyes in this direction towards the cave and I saw a man stretched full length looking up into the air.' So Abba Alexander did penance, saying, 'Forgive me, it was I; I was overcome by sorrow. 'The old man said to him, 'Well now, so it was you? Good; I thought it was a layman and that was why I asked you.'

24. Another time Abba Arsenius said to Abba Alexander,
'When you have cut your palm-leaves, come and eat with me,
but if visitors come, eat with them.' Now Abba Alexander
worked slowly and carefully. When the time came, he had
not finished the palm leaves and wishing to follow the old
man's instructions, he waited until he had finished them.
When Abba Arsenius saw that he was late, he ate, thinking
that he had had guests. But Abba Alexander, when at last he
had finished, came away. And the old man said to him, 'Have
you had visitors? "No, 'he said. 'Then why did you not come?
'The other replied, 'You told me to come when I had cut the
palm-leaves; and following your instructions, I did not come,
because I had not finished.' The old man marvelled at his
exactitude and said to him, 'Break. your fast at once so as to
celebrate the synaxis untroubled, and drink some water,
otherwise your body will soon suffer.'

Ciao!

+TOM