Discourse 41

An epistle which he wrote to a certain one of the brethren who loved silence, concerning how Satan disguises himself in order to hinder the fervent ones from the tranquility of silence, under the guise of love for the neighbor and for the one who is near and who is a stranger, and of what is fitting, that everything should be set in order by his own eyes, instead of the knowledge of God which is found in silence, as was shown by the death of our first fathers. For you know that the lover of silence is you, and in many ways Satan hinders you under the guise of usefulness, in that he knows the thought of your mind, just as he has stripped you of this useful, encompassing, and many-troubled thing. O useful brother, like a limb to its partner, to help your good intention with the word of discipline, it became vain for me. Which I gathered from wise men in conduct, and from the books of the fathers and from experience, I have learned this: that if a man does not despise honors and disgraces, and does not endure for the sake of silence shame, distress, and deprivations, even unto death, and becomes a laughingstock, and is considered foolish and stupid by his beholders, he does not attain the benefits of silence. For if once a man opens the door to causes, Satan does not cease to bring upon him, through causes, various afflictions, along with violent and unceasing disturbances.

For this reason, my brother: if you truly love the conduct of silence—that which has no disturbance, no tumults, and no interruption in the midst—as the ancients were adorned by it, then you are able to complete this despised desire, while you resemble your fathers and take in your mind, as if by patterns, the memory of their histories. For those among them who loved perfect silence did not devote themselves to establishing love for a neighbor through the ease of their standing, nor were they ashamed of fleeing from the encounters of persons who were honored by the world. And when they fled thus, the helpers of their brothers were not considered among the acquaintances and wise, nor among the evangelists and consolers and revealers of distinction, as it is said of some of them: as if to expel by the Spirit—those who honored stillness and flight more than encounter with a neighbor. A person who has not learned the sweet tranquility of the silence of his cell is not like one who flees from his neighbor because he shuns his encounter, but because of the fruit he plucks from silence. For how would they have fled? Abba Arsenius did not strike anyone he met. But Abba Theodore, when he met someone, was like a sharp sword in his encounter.

Now then: not even at the greeting of a man would he ask, when he was found outside his cell like a stranger. But the holy Arsenius, not even again would anyone go to his greeting to give it to him. On one occasion one of the fathers went to see Abba Arsenius, and the old man opened when he thought it was his servant. And when he saw that it was a stranger, he threw himself on his face. And when he had greatly entreated him, saying, "Rise, father, that I may greet you at the door and go," that holy one, however, remained lying down and said, "I will not rise until you go." And he did not rise until he left him and departed. Now this was done by that blessed one: not as if he gave him one hand, then another hand came. A man from among the fathers saw the order of the matter, lest you say that perhaps it was because of his smallness that he acted thus. But one of the fathers says to him: "We have a testimony of a very great one from another side, lest you say that he was foolish with one and with another because of his honor he would take him by the face and play with him. But a single equality was established in the desert, from the encounter of all ranks. And one was considered in his eyes to be the same as the flesh upon their encounters for the sake of silence, the great as the small.

And what happened to him on one occasion from all the more: for the sake of the honor of silence and stillness. For you know that when the blessed Theophilus, the chief of the bishops of Alexandria, went to him in haste, together with the judge of the region, as though for the honor and welcome of the saint’s sight. When they sat with him, not even a small word did he speak, as though for their honor; and when they had greatly desired to hear his word, and when the chief of the bishops had pressed him on this, the old man was silent for a little while, and then answered and spoke a word, and said to them: “And if I speak to you, will you keep it?” And they confessed to him. The old man said: “Wherever you hear that Arsenius is, do not go near there.” Have you seen the wonder of the old man? Have you seen the contempt for the honor of a man? This one knew how to pluck the fruits of silence, while not considering that blessed one, that he was a man who was Catholicos and head of the whole Church. When this occurred to me: that if once for all a man were to put himself down in the world, what profit is death to life? And I was reminded of this beginning full of love from the blessed Macarius, when he said to him: “Why, then, do you flee from me?

The holy old man made a wonderful spiritual departure, worthy of praise: God, I do not know whether I love you, but I am not able to be with God and with the children of men. Another time, the chief of the bishops sent to him concerning this. And the old man sent to him, saying: If he who comes opens the door for you, then if you open, you open for everyone. And if you open for everyone, then here I cannot remain. And this teaching of the pearl of great price, he did not learn from another side, but from the divine voice itself he learned it. For the sake of the children of men: flee, and you will live. Do not associate with idle persons and lovers of pleasures, who are accustomed to cast the reversals of their words upon this, and to speak against it, as if it were a human discovery in the matter of stillness. For behold, it is a teaching from heaven. And do not suppose that this was said to him concerning flight and departure from within the world, and not concerning that which is equally also for those who flee, after they have again left the world and are now in the dwelling of the monastery, and again pray to our Lord: How can I see well? Lord, lead me to life. For he thought that now, henceforth, something else would be heard by him.

And the divine voice again said to her, when she made him hear the word of the teaching: while he added as if for a sign, and said: Flee and be silent, and be still. For great benefit and help for the brothers is seen in this: for it is not a small thing for you to be occupied with them, as it is to flee from them. And when these things were revealed by divine revelation, the blessed Arsenius received: that while he was still in the world, he commanded to flee; and also when he was with the brothers, that same thing was said to him. Then it was confirmed and known: that it is not sufficient for the life of the anchorites to flee only from worldly people, but equally from everyone. For is there any man who has the ability to speak against the divine voice? And to Abba Antonius it was said in a revelation: If you wish to be in stillness, go not only to Thebaïs, but to the inner desert. If then God thus commands us to flee from all, and thus loves stillness while his friends persevere in it, what pretexts remain to remain in association and proximity with people? If then to Antonius and Arsenius, caution was of great benefit and flight helped, how much more so to the weak?

And if the whole world were to come, upon their words and the help that from seeing them was lacking, God would honor their being in stillness more than the help of the whole of medicine. How much more so for one whose very standing he is not able to guard properly? You know of another from among the saints, whose natural brother was sick. And he confined himself in another cell. And when the time of his departure from the world drew near, he sent to him, saying: Even now, come, let me see you before I depart from the world, even by night. And I will commend you and depart. And I will not be troubled. That blessed one did not consent, not even at that time, when natural affections are accustomed to disturb, to overcome the boundaries of the will, saying: If I go out, it will not be that my heart is pure before God, that in brothers of the spirit I should rejoice that I have done a deed. For the honor of the sick one is greater than that of Christ. And his brother died, and he did not see him. Do not think that the relaxation of thoughts is the cause of its being set aside. It is not to be despised, nor does it enslave to dissolution, and the opportunity from above for the abolition of stillness.

If the victory of such a saint is great, and Christ, when He is clothed in their words, loves the place where stillness is honored, what other distress is there that does not give a hand to be clothed when it arises? That commandment: that you love your Lord God more than your whole self and more than your whole heart, and more than the whole world, and the victory and its own, is fulfilled thus, when you stand here. Even that which commands concerning the love of the neighbor is contained within it. Do you wish to acquire the love of the neighbor, as the commandments of the Gospel? Within yourself? Withdraw from him. And then: the flame of his love will be kindled in you, and you will burn to see him, as to see the face of an angel. Do you wish again that your beloved ones should be distressed for you? After some days you will see their faces. Truly, the medicine is the teacher of all. Be strong.