of my brother. And the elder says to him regarding abbot Dioscorus, that he was in his cell weeping over himself; his disciple, however, was sitting in another cell. When A therefore he approached the elder, he found him weeping, and said to him: Father, why do you weep? The elder replied: I am weeping for my sins. His disciple then said to him: You have no sins, Father. The elder answered: In truth, child, if I were permitted to see my sins, three or four others would not suffice to weep for them.
3. Abbot Dioscorus said: If we wear our heavenly garment, we shall not be found naked; but if we be not found wearing that garment, what shall we do, brethren? For we too are to hear that voice which says: Cast him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now, however, brethren, it is a great disgrace to us, that after wearing the habit B for so many years, we should be found at the hour of need destitute of the wedding garment. O what repentance is about to befall us! O what darkness is about to come upon us before our Fathers and our brethren, when they see us being tormented by the angels who are the exactors of punishment!
Of Abbot Dula.
1. Abbot Dula said: If the enemy compels us to abandon quietude, let us not listen to him; for there is nothing like it, nor like abstinence. This combines with the other to help against him; for they sharpen the internal eyes.
2. He said again: Cut off the relations of the many, lest the war against your mind become troublesome, and disturb the manner of your quietude.
Beginning of the letter E.
Of Saint Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus.
1. Saint Epiphanius the bishop related C that, in the time of the blessed Athanasius the Great, crows flying around the temple of Serapis were crying out incessantly, and abbot Amoun of Nitria, and abbot Paul of Phoca, and abbot Amoun of Arabia in Egypt, and abbot Mios of the Thebaid, and Macarius of Scetis, and abbot Macarius the Alexandrian, and Paphnutius the Sındonita, and abbot Urser of Thegua, and abbot Ammonius the Cheneurite, and all the rest of the just, when they themselves shall have been taken up into the kingdom of heaven, while we are cast out into the outer darkness? That is: What sadness is about to seize abbot Antony, abbot Amoun of Nitria, abbot Paul of Phoca, abbot Amoun of Arabia in Egypt, abbot Mios of the Thebaid, Macarius of Scetis, abbot Macarius the Alexandrian, Paphnutius the Sındonita, abbot Urser of Thegua, abbot Ammonius the Cheneurite, and all the rest of the just; when they indeed shall have been taken up into the kingdom of heaven, but we shall have been cast into the outer darkness? D
A and cried out, "Cras, cras!" And the Greeks, or Gentiles, standing before the blessed Athanasius, shouted: "Evil old man, tell us what the crows are croaking." And he replied: "The crows are croaking, 'Cras, cras'; and 'Cras' in the tongue of the Ausonians, or Latins, signifies the day that is shortly to come." And he added, "For on the next day you shall see the glory of God." And next, the death of the Emperor Julian was announced. When this had happened, the people ran together and shouted against Serapis, saying: "If he did not please you, why were you taking his gifts?"
2. The same man related that there was a certain charioteer in Alexandria, who was the son of a woman named Mary. He fell in an equestrian contest; but then rising, he passed beyond the one by whom he had been thrown, and carried off the crown. Then the crowd shouted: "The Son of Mary has fallen, and has risen, and has conquered." While this cry was B still resounding, a rumor spread among the people concerning the temple of Serapis, that the great Theophilus, having returned, had overthrown the idol of Serapis and had become master of the temple.
3. (13) It was made known to the blessed Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, by the abbot of the monastery which he had in Palestine: "Through your prayers, we have not neglected our canon, or office and psalmody, but we zealously celebrate the third, the sixth, and the ninth [hours]." But he, reproving them, indicated to them through these words: "Clearly you neglect the other hours of the day, being idle from prayer. For it behooves a true monk to have prayer and psalmody in his heart without intermission."
4. (16) Saint Epiphanius once sent to the abbot Hilarion, entreating him and saying: "Come, let us see one another C before we depart from the body." And when he had arrived, they were affected with mutual joy. While they were eating, a bird was brought in. The bishop took it and gave it to the abbot Hilarion. The old man said: "Forgive me, for from the time I assumed this habit, I have not eaten anything slaughtered." Then the bishop said: "But I, for my part, from the time I assumed the habit, have not allowed anyone to sleep while holding a grievance against me, nor have I myself slept while holding a grievance against anyone." The old man said to him: "Grant me pardon, for your way of life is greater than mine."
5. The same man said that the image and figure of Christ, Melchizedek, blessed Abraham, the root of the Jews; how much more does the Truth itself, Christ, bless and sanctify all who believe in Him? D
A and the woman with the issue of blood is silent and is called blessed; but the Pharisee cries out and is condemned; the publican does not even open his mouth and is heard.
7. The same said: The prophet David prayed in the night-watches, at midnight he would wake, before the dawn he would entreat, at dawn he would stand ready, in the morning he would beseech, in the evening and at mid-day he would supplicate; and for this reason he said: "Seven times a day I have praised thee" (Ps. CXVII, 164).
8. He said again: The possession of books is necessary for those Christians who are able to acquire them. For the very sight of the books by itself makes us more listless toward sin, and urges us rather to be stirred up toward righteousness.
9. He said again: There is great security against sinning in the reading of the Scriptures.
10. He said again: A great precipice and deep abyss is the ignorance of the Scriptures.
11. He said again: It is a great betrayal of salvation to know none of the divine laws.
12. The same said: The sins of the righteous are about the lips, but those of the ungodly flow from the whole body. Whence David sings: "Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth, and a door for the enclosure about my lips" (Ps. CXL, 3). And: "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue" (Ps. XXXVII, 2).
13. The same was asked: Why are there ten legal commandments, but nine beatitudes? And he said: The Decalogue is equal in number to the Egyptian plagues; but the enumeration of the beatitudes is an image of the threefold Trinity.
14. The same was asked if one righteous man B suffices to appease God, and he said: Yes, for He Himself said: "Search for one who does judgment and justice, and I will be merciful to all the people" (Jerem. V, 1).
15. The same said: God grants even the principal portion to sinners who repent, C as to the harlot and the publican; but the righteous He asks— D
and from the just, he even demands interest. A And this is what he said to the apostles: "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
16. He also said this: that God sells righteousness B to those who are eager to buy it for very little—for a small morsel of bread, a cheap garment, a cup of cold water, or a single obol.
17. He also used to add this: that when a person borrows from a man because of poverty or the need for wealth, he manifests gratitude while paying it back, but does so secretly out of shame. But the Lord God does the opposite: receiving a loan in secret, he repays it before the angels, archangels, and the just.
Of Saint Ephrem
1. (21) When the abbot Ephrem was still a child, he saw a dream or vision, that a vine grew upon his tongue, and it increased and filled everything under heaven, and it was exceedingly fruitful. And all the birds of heaven came and ate of the fruit of the vine; and as much as they ate, the fruit of it grew even more.
2. (22) On another occasion, one of the holy men was granted this vision: he saw an angelic order descending from heaven according to the command of God, having a roll in its hands, that is, a volume written within and without. And they said to one another, "To whom must we deliver this?" Some were saying, "To this one," while others named another. But they answered and said, "Truly they are holy and just, yet no one can receive this except Ephrem." Then the elder saw that they handed the roll to Ephrem. Rising in the morning, he heard Ephrem commenting, and like a fountain it flowed from his mouth; and he knew that the things proceeding from the lips of Ephrem were from the Holy Spirit.
3. (25) At another time when Ephrem was passing by, at the instigation of someone, a harlot came to entice him with blandishments to shameful intercourse, or at least to provoke him to anger; for no one ever saw him getting angry. He said to her, "Follow me." And when he had approached a place crowded with people, he said to the woman, "Come, do what you desire in this place." But she, having looked at the crowd, said to him, "How can we do this, D with such a great crowd standing by, and not be ashamed?" But he said to her, "If we are ashamed before men, we ought to be much more ashamed before God, who exposes the hidden things of darkness." Whereupon she, suffused with shame, departed having accomplished nothing.
Of Eucharistos the man of the world
Two of the Fathers besought God that