Abba Daniel - 1.0

Here are some sayings from the Apophthegmata Patrum to read and contemplate for our daily practice of spiritual direction + spiritual formation.



Daniel was a disciple of Arsenius. He was present at his death in AD 449. Daniel being left his tunic, hair, shirt and sandals said, 'And I unworthy wear them that I may receive
a blessing.'

1. It was said concerning Abba Daniel, that when the barbarians invaded Scetis and the Fathers fled away, the old man said, 'If God does not care for me, why still live?' Then
he passed through the midst of the barbarians without being seen. He said to himself therefore, 'See how God has cared for me, since I am not dead. Now I will do that which is human and flee with the Fathers.'

2. A brother asked Abba Daniel, 'Give me a
commandment and I will keep it.' He replied, 'Never put your
hand in the dish with a woman, and never eat with her; thus
you will escape a little the demon of fornication.'

3. Abba Daniel said, 'At Babylon the daughter of an
important person was possessed by a devil. A monk for
whom her father had a great affection said to him, "No-one
can heal your daughter except some anchorites whom I
know; but if you ask them to do so, they will not agree
because of their humility. Let us therefore do this: when
they come to the market, look as though you want to buy
their goods and when they come to receive the price, we will
ask them to say a prayer and I believe she will be healed."
When they came to the market they found a disciple of the
old men setting there selling their goods and they led him
away with the baskets, so that he should receive the price of
them. But when the monk reached the house, the woman
possessed with the devil came and slapped him. But he only
turned the other cheek, according to the Lord's Command.
(Matt. 5.39) The devil, tortured by this, cried out, "What
violence! The commandment of Jesus drives me out."
Immediately the woman was cleansed. When the old men
came, they told them what had happened and they glorified
God saying, "This is how the pride of the devil is brought
low, through the humility of the commandment of Christ."'

4. Abba Daniel also said, 'The body prospers in the
measure in which the soul is weakened, and the soul prospers
in the measure in which the body is weakened.'

5. One day Abba Daniel and Abba Ammoes went on a
journey together. Abba Ammoes said, 'When shall we, too,
settle down, in a cell, Father?' Abba Daniel replied, 'Who
shall separate us henceforth from God? God is in the cell,
and, on the other hand, he is outside also.'

Ciao!

+Tom