Dear reader, Ash Wednesday officially begins Lent, which ends with the season of passion. So that we live it with a true spirit of penance, I offer you these “sentences of the holy Fathers of the desert”, choose the one that best suits your spiritual life.
1. It was told of Abbot Arsenio that, all his life, when he sat down for manual work, he had a cloth on his chest, because of the tears that continually ran from his eyes.
2. A brother begged Abbot Ammonius: "Tell me a word." The old man told him: “Adopt the mentality of the criminals who are in prison. They ask:
3. "Where is the judge? When will he come?" and waiting for his punishment they cry. Also the monk must always look up and command his soul saying:
4. "Woe is me! How can I stand before the judgment seat of Christ? How can I account for my actions?" If you meditate like this continuously, you can be saved."
5. Abbot Evagrius said: “When you are in your cell, collect yourself and think about the day of death. Picture to yourself that body whose life disappears: think of this calamity, accept the pain and abhor the vanity of this world. Be humble and vigilant so that you can always persevere in your vocation to hesyquia and you will not waver. Also remember the day of the resurrection and try to imagine that divine, terrible and horrific judgment. Remember those who are in hell. Think of the present state of their souls, of their bitter silence, of their cruel moans, of their fear and mortal agony, of their anguish and pain, of their spiritual tears that will never end, and will never ever be mitigated. Remember also the day of the resurrection and imagine that divine judgment, frightful and terrible and in the midst of all this the confusion of sinners in the sight of Christ and God, in the presence of angels, archangels, powers and all men. He thinks of all the torments, of the eternal fire, of the worm that does not die, of the darkness of hell, and even more of the gnashing of teeth, terrors and torments. He also recalls the goods reserved for the righteous, their confidence and security before God the Father and Christ his Son, before the angels, archangels, powers and all the people. He considers the kingdom of heaven with all its riches, its joy, and its rest. He preserves the memory of this double destiny, groans and cries at the judgment of sinners, feeling his disgrace and fears not to fall into the same state yourself. But rejoice and jump for joy thinking of the goods reserved for the just and hurry to enjoy these and get away from those. I will take care never to forget all this, whether you are in your cell or out of it, nor throw it out of your memory and with it you will flee from sordid and evil thoughts».
6. Abbot Elías said: «I fear three things: one, the moment when my soul will leave the body; the second the moment of appearing before God; the third when sentence is pronounced against me».
7. Archbishop Theophilus, of holy memory, said when he died: "Happy you, Abbot Arsenio, who always kept this hour in mind."
8. It was said among the brothers that, in the course of a fellowship meal, a brother burst out laughing at the table. And when he saw it, Abbot Juan wept and said: «What does this brother have in his heart who starts laughing when he should rather cry, since he eats the agape?».
9. Abbot James said: "Just as a lamp illuminates a dark room, so the fear of God, when it bursts into the heart of man, enlightens him and teaches him all the virtues and divine commandments."
10. Some parents asked Abbot Macarius, the Egyptian: "Why is your body always dry, the same when you eat as when you fast?" And the old man said: "Just as the wood with which the logs that burn in the fire are handled, always ends up being consumed, so also when a man purifies his spirit in the fear of God, this fear of God consumes even his bones. ».
11. The elders of Mount Nitria sent a brother to Scythia, Abbot Macarius, to ask him to come where they were. In case he did not come, let him know that a large crowd would come to see him, for they wanted to visit him before his departure to the Lord.
When he reached the mountain, a large crowd of brothers gathered around him. And the elders asked him for a word for the brothers. Then Macario, drowned in tears, told them:
"Let us cry brothers, let our eyes fill with tears, before we go there where our tears will burn our bodies." And they all wept and fell on their faces to the ground saying: "Father, pray for us."
12. Traveling one day through Egypt, Abbot Pastor saw a woman who wept bitterly
next to a tomb and said: «Even if they offered him all the pleasures of the world, he would not tear his soul from tears. In the same way the monk must always cry for himself.
13. Once again Abbot Pastor was crossing, with Abbot Anub, the region of Diolcos, they came near the tombs and saw a woman violently beating herself and crying bitterly. They paused for a moment to look at her. They continued on their way and soon after they found a person and Abbot Pastor asked him: "What happens to that woman to make her cry like that?" The other answered: «She has lost her husband, her son and her brother». Then Abbot Pastor said to Abbot Anub: “I tell you that, if a man does not mortify all carnal desires and does not get an affliction like this, he cannot become a monk. Well, for that woman her soul and her whole life are in tears ».
14. Abbot Pastor also said: "The function of penthos is twofold: it cultivates and cares" (cf. Gen 2:15).
15. A brother asked Abbot Pastor: «What should I do?». He replied: "When Abraham arrived in the promised land he bought a tomb, and for this tomb he inherited the land" (cf. Gen 23). And the brother said to him: "What tomb is this?" "It is," answered the old man, "the place of phentos and tears."
16. Athanasius, of holy memory, begged Abbot Pambo to go down to the desert of Alexandria.
When he got there, he saw a comedian and he started crying. Those present asked him why she was crying, and he told them: «Two things have disturbed me: first, the perdition of that woman; secondly, that I am not as determined to please God as she is to please depraved men».
17. One day Abbot Silvano, sitting among his brothers, went into ecstasy and fell face down on the ground. And after a long time, he woke up crying. And the brothers asked him, "What's the matter with you, father?" And as they insisted he said: "I have been kidnapped to the place of judgment and I have seen many who wore our habit going to torment and many men of the world going to the Kingdom." Since then, the old man gave himself up to penthos and did not want to leave his cell. And if he was forced to go out, he covered his face with his hood saying: "What need is there to see this temporary light, which is useless?"
18. Syncletica, of holy memory, said: «For the sinners who are converted, first work and hard combat await them, and then an ineffable joy. It is the same thing that happens to those who want to light a fire, first they fill with smoke and because of the inconvenience of it they cry, and thus they get what they want. Because it is written: "The Lord your God is a devouring fire" (Dt 4, 24). We too with tears and labors must kindle the divine fire within us».
19. Abbot Hyperiguius said: «The monk who watches, works day and night with his continuous prayer. The monk who hits his heart makes tears flow from him and quickly reaches the mercy of God ».
20. Some brothers, accompanied by some laymen, went to Abbot Felix and begged him to say a word to them. The old man was silent. As they continued to insist, he said to them: "Do you want to hear a word?" "Yes, father," they replied. And the old man then said: “Now there is no word. When the brothers questioned the elders and did what the elders told them, God inspired the elders what they should say. Now, since they ask and do not do what they hear, God has withdrawn his grace from the elders so that they find what they should speak, since there is no one to do it ». Hearing these words, the brothers said between sobs: «Father, pray for us».
21. It was told of Abbot Hor and Abbot Theodore that, while covering the roof of a cell with mud, they said to each other: "What would we do if God visited us right now?" And weeping each one left his work and returned each one to his cell.
22. An old man told that a brother wanted to convert, but his mother prevented him. But he did not cease in his purpose and said to his mother: «I want to save my soul». After much resistance, seeing that he could not prevent his desire, the mother gave him permission. Fact monk lived negligently. His mother died and shortly after he became seriously ill. He had an abduction and was taken to the place of judgment and found his mother among the condemned. She was surprised to see him and said: «What is this, son? Have you also been sentenced to come here? What happened to those words you said: "I want to save my soul?"». Confused by what he heard, in pain, he did not know what to answer his mother. God's mercy willed that after this vision he would recover and be cured of his illness. And reflecting on the miraculous character of this vision he locked himself in his cell and meditated on his salvation. He did penance and wept for the faults committed before his negligence. His compunction was so intense that when they begged him to loosen up a little, lest the many tears harm his health, he refused to be comforted and said: "If I could not bear my mother's reproach, how can I bear my shame in life ?" the day of judgment in the presence of Christ and his holy angels?"
23. An old man said: «If it were possible for the souls of men to die of fear, when Christ comes after the resurrection, the whole world would die of terror and fear. What will it be like to see the heavens tear apart and God showing his wrath and indignation, and the innumerable armies of angels and all humanity gathered? We must therefore live accordingly, since God is going to hold us accountable for all our actions».
24. A brother asked an old man, "Father, why is my heart hard and why do I not fear the Lord?" «In my opinion, replied the old man, he who reproaches himself in his heart will attain the fear of God». And the brother said to him: «What reproaches?». The old man replied: “On every occasion man must remember his soul: remember that you have to appear before God. Or also: what have I to do with men? I believe that if you persevere in these dispositions, the fear of God will come».
25. An old man saw one who was laughing and said to him: "We must give an account of our whole life before the Lord of heaven and earth, and you laugh?"
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