3. When Abba Macarius dwelt in the great desert, he was the only one living as an anchorite, but lower down there was another desert where several brothers dwelt. The old man was surveying the road when he saw Satan drawing near in the likeness of a man and he passed by his dwelling. He seemed to be wearing some kind of cotton garment, full of holes, and a small flask hung at each hole. The old man said to him, 'Where are you off to? 'He said, 'I am going to stir up the memories of the brethren.' The old man said, 'And what is the purpose of these small flasks?' He replied, 'I am taking food for the brethren to taste.' The old man said, 'All those kinds?' He replied, 'Yes, for if a brother does not like one sort of food, I offer him another, and if he does not like the second any better, I offer him a third; and of all these varieties he will like one at least.? With these words he departed. The old man remained watching the road until he saw him coming back again. When the old man saw him, he said to him: 'Good health to you.' The other replied: 'How can I be in good health?' The old man asked him what he meant, and he replied, 'Because they all opposed me, and no one received me.' The old man said, 'Ah, you did not find any friends down there?' He replied, 'Yes, I have a monk who is a friend down there. He at least obeys me and when he sees me he changes like the wind.' The old man asked him the name of this monk. 'Theopemtus,' he replied. With these words he went away. Then Abba Macarius got up and went to the desert below his own. When they heard of it the brothers took branches of palm to go to meet him. Each one got ready, thinking that it was to him the old man was coming down. But he enquired which was the one on the mountain called Theopemptus, and when he had found out he went to his cell. Theopemptus received him with joy. When he was alone with him the old man asked him, 'How are you getting on?' Theopemptus replied, 'Thanks to your prayers, all goes well.' The old man asked: 'Do not your thoughts war against you?' He replied: 'Up to now, it is all right,' for he was afraid to admit anything. The old man said to him, 'See how many years I have lived as an ascetic, and am praised by all, and though I am old, the spirit of fornication troubles me.' Theopemptus said, 'Believe me, Abba, it is the same with me.' The old man went on admitting that other thoughts still warred against him, until he had brought him to admit them about himself. Then he said, 'How do you fast?' He replied, 'Till the ninth hour.' 'Practise fasting a little later; meditate on the Gospel and the other Scriptures, and if an alien thought arises within you, never look at it but always look upwards, and the Lord will come at once to your help.' When he had given the brother this rule, the old man then returned to his solitude. He was watching the road once more when he saw the devil, to whom he said, 'Where are you going this time?' He replied, 'To arouse the memories of the brothers,' and he went away. When he came back the saint asked him, 'How are the brothers? 'He replied that it had gone badly. The old man asked him why. He replied, 'They are all obdurate, and the worst is the one friend I had who used to obey me. I do not know what has changed him, but not only does he not obey me any more, but he has become the most obdurate of them all. So I have promised myself not to go down there again at least not for a long time from now.' When he had said this, he went away leaving the old man, and the saint returned to his cell.
4. One day Abba Macarius the Great came to Abba
Anthony's dwelling on the mountain. When he knocked on
the door, Anthony came out to him and said to him, 'Who
are you?' He replied, 'I am Macarius.' Then Anthony went
inside and shut the door leaving him there. Later, seeing his
patience, he opened the door and received Macarius with
joy, saying to him, 'I have wanted to see you for a long time,
having heard about you.' He rendered him all the duties of
hospitality and made him rest for he was very tired. When
evening came, Abba Anthony soaked some palm-leaves for
himself, and Abba Macarius said to him, 'Allow me to soak
some for myself.' He replied: 'Do so.' Having made a large
bundle, he soaked them. Then sitting down in the evening
they spoke of the salvation of the soul, while they plaited the
leaves. The rope which Macarius was making hung down
through the window in the cave. Going in early, blessed
Anthony saw the length of Abba Macarius' rope and said,
'Great power comes out of these hands.'
5. Concerning the devastation of Scetis, Abba Macarius
said to the brethren, 'When you see a cell built close to the
marsh, know that the devastation of Scetis is near; when
you see trees, know that it is at the doors; and when you
see young children, take up your sheep-skins, and go away.'
6. Again, wishing to comfort the brethren, he said, 'A
mother came here with her little child, possessed with a
devil, who said to his mother, "Get up, woman, let us go
away from here." She replied, "I cannot walk any further,"
and the little child said to her, "I will carry you myself." I
wondered at the devil's tricks and how eager he was to
make them flee.'
Ciao!
+Tom
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