On Meekness
Abba Zosimas told me the following story he heard from Abba Sergius: “Once, when we were traveling with a holy Old Man, we lost our way. Not knowing in which direction we were traveling, we found ourselves in a field that was just sown, and we trampled on some of the seed.
When the farmer became aware of this – for he happened to be working there – he began to insult us greatly, saying angrily: ‘What sort of monks are you? Do you suppose that you are afraid of God? If you held the fear of God before your eyes, you would not have done this.’
So the holy man immediately told us that no one should speak at all. Instead, he replied with meekness: ‘You are right, my child. If we possessed the fear of God, we would not have done this.’ However, that man again insulted us angrily, and the Old Man once more replied:
‘What you say is true; had we been monks, we would not have done this. Yet, for the Lord’s sake, forgive us; for, indeed, we are at fault.’
The farmer was surprised and came and threw himself before the Old Man’s feet, saying: ‘Forgive me, for the Lord’s sake, and take me with you.’ The blessed Sergius would conclude: ‘That man truly followed us, and even came to wear the monastic habit.’” The blessed Abba Zosimas added: “Look at what the meekness and good will of the saint were able to achieve, with God’s grace, for the salvation of a person created in the image of God which God desires more so than thousands of worlds and riches.”
Reflections (Dialogismoi) of Abba Zosimus 13.a
(trans., Fr. John Chryssavgis)
When the farmer became aware of this – for he happened to be working there – he began to insult us greatly, saying angrily: ‘What sort of monks are you? Do you suppose that you are afraid of God? If you held the fear of God before your eyes, you would not have done this.’
So the holy man immediately told us that no one should speak at all. Instead, he replied with meekness: ‘You are right, my child. If we possessed the fear of God, we would not have done this.’ However, that man again insulted us angrily, and the Old Man once more replied:
‘What you say is true; had we been monks, we would not have done this. Yet, for the Lord’s sake, forgive us; for, indeed, we are at fault.’
The farmer was surprised and came and threw himself before the Old Man’s feet, saying: ‘Forgive me, for the Lord’s sake, and take me with you.’ The blessed Sergius would conclude: ‘That man truly followed us, and even came to wear the monastic habit.’” The blessed Abba Zosimas added: “Look at what the meekness and good will of the saint were able to achieve, with God’s grace, for the salvation of a person created in the image of God which God desires more so than thousands of worlds and riches.”
Reflections (Dialogismoi) of Abba Zosimus 13.a
(trans., Fr. John Chryssavgis)
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