Being humble

(Quotations from Desert Fathers)

Humility is freedom

Abba Anthony said, "I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, "What can get through from such snares?" Then I heard a voice saying to me, "Humility."
(p. 2, Abba Anthony the Great 7)

Regard yourself as being the same as others

A brother questioned Abba Motius, saying, "If I go to dwell somewhere, how do you want me to live?" The old man said to him, "If you live somewhere, do not seek to be known for anything special {i.e. by setting oneself apart from the common practice of Christians}... For these things make an empty reputation and later you will be troubled because of this. For men rush there where they find these {special} practices." The brother said to him, "What shall I do, then?" The old man said, "Wherever you live, follow the same manner of life as everyone else and if you see devout men, whom you trust doing something, do the same and you will be at peace. For this is humility: to see yourself to be the same as the rest. When men see you do not go beyond the limits, they will consider you to be the same as everyone else and no-one will trouble you."
(p. 148, Abba Motius 1)

A brother who had sinned was turned out of the church by the priest; Abba Bessarion got up and went with him, saying, "I, too, am a sinner."
(p. 42, Abba Bessarion 7)

Refrain from evaluating, comparing, and judging

If you take little account of yourself, you will have peace, wherever you live.
(p. 178, Abba Poemen 81)

To throw yourself before God, not to measure your progress, to leave behind all self-will; these are the instruments for the work of the soul.
(p. 172, Abba Poemen 36)

A brother who shared a lodging with other brothers asked Abba Bessarion, "What should I do?" The old man replied, "... do not compare yourself with others."
(p. 42, Abba Bessarion 10)

The monk must die to his neighbour and never judge him at all, in any way whatever.

To die to one's neighbour is this: To bear your own faults and not to pay attention to anyone else wondering whether they are good or bad. ...do not think anything bad in your heart towards anyone, do not scorn the man who does evil, do not put confidence in him who does wrong to his neighbour, do not rejoice with him who injures his neighbour. This is what dying to one's neighbour means.
(p. 141, Moses 1, 7)

Be meek, not scornful

There is no other virtue than that of not being scornful.
(p. 75, Abba Theodore of Pherme 13)

Choose the meekness of Moses (Num. 12:3) and you will find your heart which is a rock changed into a spring of water (Ex. 17:5-6, Ps. 105:41).
(p. 233, Amma Syncletica 11)

Do not rail against anyone, but rather say, "God knows each one." Do not agree with him who slanders, do not rejoice at his slander and do not hate him who slanders his neighbour... Do not have hostile feelings towards anyone and do not let dislike dominate your hearts; do not hate him who hates his neighbour. This is what peace is: Encourage yourself with this thought...
(pp. 142-143, Abba Moses 7)

Beware of self-righteousness

I prefer a sinful man who knows he has sinned and repents, to a man who has not sinned and considers himself to be righteous.
(p. 225, Abba Sarmatas 1)

Abba Poemen said to Abba Isaac, "Let go of a small part of your righteousness and in a few days you will be at peace."
(p. 187, Abba Poemen 141)

The thief was on the cross and he was justified by a single word; and Judas who was counted in the number of the apostles lost all his labour in one single night and descended from heaven to hell. Therefore, let no-one boast of his good works, for all those who trust in themselves fall.
(p. 159, Abba Xanthias 1)

A brother settled outside his village and did not return there for many years. He said to the brethren, "See how many years it is since I went back to the village, while you often go up there." This was told to Abba Poemen and the old man said, "I used to go back up there at night and walk all round my village, so that the thought of not having gone up there would not cause me vain-glory."
(p. 183, Abba Poemen 110)

If you fast regularly, do not be inflated with pride, but if you think highly of yourself because of it, then you had better eat meat. It is better for a man to eat meat than to be inflated with pride and to glorify himself.
(pp. 106-7, Abba Isidore the Priest 4)

Know that the last shall be first

The holy Fathers were making predictions about the last generation. They said, "What have we ourselves done?" One of them, the great Abba Ischyrion replied, "We ourselves have fulfilled the commandments of God." The others replied, "And those who come after us, what will they do?" He said, "They will struggle to achieve half our works." They said, "And to those who come after them, what will happen?" He said, "The men of that generation will not accomplish any works at all and temptation will come upon them; and those who will be approved in that day will be greater than either us or our fathers." (cf. Mk. 10:31)
(p. 111, Abba Ischyrion 1)

©1999 by Deb Platt

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