Syntagma ad monachos

Our father among the saints Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, a compendium of teaching for monastics and all Christians, both clergy and laity. The life of the sons of the Catholic Church, and especially of the anchorites or monks within her, is as follows. We are saved by grace, but grace wills that her own children and sons of wisdom be self-determined, and, having tested the good in every virtuous action, to emulate it and so to act. Therefore, prepare yourself as worthy of this right faith, beloved, having set before you to guard these things. They strive: you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul, and your neighbor as yourself. You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not fornicate, you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not practice sorcery, you shall not cause dissension. Abstain from strangled meat, from meat offered to idols, and from blood. And these are the manifest sins; the commandments that appear as lesser, for which we will also render an account, are these. First, monastics and the continent must be separated from women, and, if possible, neither enter into conversation with them nor be eager to see them, lest some harm occur if the heart commits adultery through the sight of the eyes. Also guard against being double-tongued, double-minded, a liar, a slanderer, a busybody, shameless, wandering, senseless, self-willed, uttering foul speech from the lips, or any oath at all; but yes, yes, no, no; and if necessity arises in conversation, say "Know," or "I speak the truth," or "I do not lie.

Do not take the venerable name in an oath, nor any other oath, as the Gospel says. For all these things are not fitting nor proper to do, but they even expel from the Church one who does not guard against them, and some of them even kill. Furthermore, do not expose yourself before anyone, except by necessity in a bath due to an illness occurring in great weakness. Do not call a brother "Raca" nor "fool." Do not participate in the feasts of the gentiles; do not observe the sabbaths. Do not practice magic, do not use drugs, nor have another do these things for you for a disease or the pain of sufferings. Do not go to an enchanter, nor put a phylactery on yourself, nor perform purifications, nor have these things done for you, nor let them be done to you by another. Guard the body from all filthiness and licentiousness. Do not have a woman brought in, as some have given them the name "beloved," but they will likely be found hateful to them. Do not have a grudge against anyone, for the prayer of one who has a grudge is not accepted by the Lord. Do not pray together with a heretic, nor with gentiles. Do not break the fast, that is, Wednesday and Friday, unless you are weighed down by some illness, except for Pentecost alone and Epiphany. Keep the Lent of the holy Church and the week of holy Pascha with careful observance. Break the fast when a brother visits you, but not the appointed fast (Wednesday and Friday, and Lent and the week of the Passion), but the one from your own choice, that is, Monday and Tuesday and Thursday. Do not fast on Saturday and Sunday, except for the Great Saturday of holy Pascha.

The fast of the fourth day and the preparation day until the ninth hour is prescribed. And if you do anything beyond this, it is according to your own choice; but if you are able to do even more, you practice nobly. While fasting and living your life, take care not to become puffed up; for puffing up is a snare of the devil, through which he fell from heaven, and likewise he now casts down men by ensnaring them through it. Let no one mislead you into fasting at all on the Lord's day, nor into kneeling at all, nor during Pentecost; for it is not a custom of the Church. And do not allow certain Marcionists or another heresy to mislead you into fasting specifically on the Sabbath and the Lord's day. Do not neglect the assemblies. Prepare yourself worthily for the mysteries, lest you come to judgment. Do not neglect to wash the feet of brothers who come to you; for such a commandment will be demanded of those who have been arrogant about it, even if they are bishops; for our Lord himself first washed them, commanding them to do likewise. Do not become a lover of money, a lover of base gain, a lover of possessions, a lover of wealth; for such persons cannot please God. And do not engage in business at all. There are many lands that do not sow, and their inhabitants, if they have no skills, are compelled to engage in business, even if they are monks, and they do business badly, but necessity compels them. Do not take interest. Do not buy up anything at a price lower than the current market price. Love every person and be at peace with all, even with those with whom you do not pray, if it is possible on your part, apart from heresy. If you have, share with the one who does not have; if you do not have, you will not be accused.

If someone asks you for something, give it for use, and take back the principal from him when he has it, without interest. Do not deal deceitfully before the Lord. For if you have produce or silver, and someone seeks to borrow from you, if, in order not to receive interest, you sell more dearly so that you may buy cheaply at the time—that is, at a low price—God will catch the clever in their cunning; for consider and see that instead of one interest you will be found taking three or four interests. Be humble and quiet, trembling always at the words of the Lord. Do not be quarrelsome, do not strike a person, or only your small child for discipline, and that with caution, watching lest through you a death occur, for there are many occasions of death. Do not mock any person. Do not abhor anyone because of their appearance. Be careful with your clothing, neither using soft garments nor coming forward in clothing that appears to be the garb of the righteous—that is, filthy. And if you have a sackcloth to mourn your sins, see that your sackcloth is not visible, but let it be hidden within. And do not clothe yourself in skins, lest you receive glory from men. Do not grow your hair at all; for the apostle has cut off such a practice. Do not shave your beard, and do not use barbers to be shorn. If you are able to fast even for a week, show it to no one. Abstain from meats, not as abhorring them but as cutting off the body from indulgence and considering yourself unworthy, and reaching for heavenly things instead of earthly ones; for everyone who moderates in abundance of food helps his body toward self-control.

Do not take wine at all, or only taste it and bless the Creator. If you, like Timothy, fall into illnesses because of your severe discipline, use a little wine; for a little is a medicine for healing, but using it in large quantity will envelop you in both weaknesses—if you do, up to one or two cups, but no more. If you can walk barefoot, you will be nobly disciplined; but if it is absolutely necessary to wear shoes, let your footwear be plain. Do not desire to be adorned with decorated shoes, the trappings of courtesans. Be content with what is present. And if you have a more abundant discipline of meats and wine, and you go abroad, do not wish to boast about yourself, but be equal to the brothers, as when you use vegetables and boiled foods. And if necessity requires you to eat fish sauce or even partake of fish, if you wish, do so only to that extent, and then resume your first ascetic practice. Again, if you fall ill and take an egg, there is no sin. But if you are overcome by the illness and take fowl or meat, it is a defeat for you; do not count it as a sin, but grieve that you have been cut off from your discipline and relaxed from your firm resolve. If you are compelled by illness, use the bath once or twice; when healthy, you have no need of a bathhouse. You, the monk and priest, wish to sleep on the ground if you are healthy. Above all, undertake a craft. Work in the field, so that you do not eat idle bread. Rather, have from your hands the means to give rest to brothers and strangers, and if possible to widows, orphans, and the needy.

If you dwell among people and have a paternal plot or a field to cultivate, justly gathering fruits and having nothing of injustice, first offer the firstfruits to the priests, then be willing to give rest also to widows and others from righteous labors, not from usury or excesses or trades or extortions. But if you sit in a monastery, do not insult the discipline of the monastery. If you possess a plot while withdrawing into a monastery, you have not withdrawn, but you mock and are mocked. While sitting in a monastery, do not wish to be idle and be fed by others; but you must either learn a craft or work, so that you may somehow procure your daily food. If you have younger men around you, first be humble and do not wish to be a teacher. But if you see souls being saved through your way of life, wishing to perfect the double of the five talents which you have received, care for the souls around you. And restrain the younger men to keep each of them to himself in both speech and conduct, apart from only the table and the assembly and psalmody. In sleeping, let each cover himself separately, and let each have his own tunic or a hidden sack, so that if he prays at night they may be found ready. Be willing to keep vigil in moderation with psalms and prayers, and by day to pray frequently. Do not linger in prayer or cry out and babble, but sing psalms in moderation, so that the souls may not become weary. Be willing to train the children to be silent.

Do not enter a tavern at all, but if necessity arises while you are abroad and you have need of food or drink, send someone to purchase it, and eat and drink in a church, in a secluded place of it. If there is no church in the place nor a house of orthodox Christians, and necessity befalls you and you enter an inn, wish to stay in an inn where there are neither women nor a tavern, and this with grief. If, then, having kept the aforementioned commandments and having guarded yourself from the aforementioned faults, you complete your course in faith and chastity and conduct, according to what has been said, you will procure for yourself a great and good rank. These are the commandments and precautions of the aforementioned faith, which if you perform and keep the faith, you will be a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. If anyone contradicts the aforementioned, he is contradicting God; for he will handle the divine scriptures and understand the tradition of the church, and he is able to comprehend that concerning all these things the Lord commands. We, in order not to be long-winded, have not set forth the testimonies. And these are the commandments for monks and other pious Christians. If any priest wishes to minister precisely, with the aforementioned

of commandments, be sober, diligent, forbearing, kind, loving toward orphans, loving toward the poor, hospitable, loving toward the good, tranquil, steadfast in faith and opinion and speech, abstaining from women, not neglecting the flock, not loathing anyone. Do not be partial, reproving before all. Do not allow a scabbed sheep in the flock, but first cleanse it with repentance, and then gather it into the fold. Know how each must be shepherded, what to enjoin upon widows, what upon monks, what upon laymen, what upon catechumens. Enjoin upon women in church not to speak at all, but in all things to be silent and pray, and not to adorn themselves with gold or clothing, and that their faces not be seen, and not to kiss men’s hands. Let catechumens pray separately or outside the sanctuary. Let the whole people listen in fear and silence to the word of the Lord. Not only will those who sin pay the penalty, but also those who rejoice over those who sin. Concerning offerings, the priest must be sober; for if he receives from a soldier who has shed blood, or from an extortioner, or from a thief, or from a merchant, or from a perjurer, or from a rich defrauder, or from a tax collector who exacts, or from a usurer, or from a grain hoarder, or from any sinner, such a priest, if he receives from such persons, offers a lame and blind offering from them to God. For you, the layman, it is not permitted to judge the priest, unless you see a transgressor, flee from him. If you keep these things, the priest procures for himself a good rank and great confidence in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit is the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.