Book X (continued)

Chapter CXLV
The life of the blessed GENNADIUS, the patriarch of Constantinople and of his lector, Charisius.

We went to the cenobium called Salama, nine miles distant from Alexandria, and met two old presbyters there who told us that they were presbyters of the church of Constantinople. They told us about the blessed Gennadius, patriarch of Constantinople who was of a most gentle nature, pure of body, very abstemious.
They told us how he had been greatly troubled by a scandalous cleric called Charisius whom he summoned to an interview in an attempt to get him to amend his ways. But the man gave no signs of any improvement, so he ordered him to be whipped, as the paternal care of the church required. Neither admonishment nor whipping, however, produced any change for the better. (He indulged in magical practices and even in murder.)
Now Charisius was a lector in the church of the holy martyr Eleutherius, so the bishop called upon an apocrisarius (one who had the power of discernment of spirits) to pray to the blessed martyr, saying, "Holy Eleutherius of God, your servant Charisius is a great sinner. Either reform him or else kill him."
The apocrisarius went in to the oratory, stood before the altar, and stretched out his hands towards the martyr's tomb.
"Patriarch Gennadius brings a message to you, Eleutherius, O holy martyr of Christ, through me a sinner, that your servant has committed many sins. Either reform him or else kill him."
Next day Charisius that worker of wickedness was indeed found to be dead, and all were astonished and glorified God.

Chapter CXLVI
The vision of EULOGIUS, the patriarch of Alexandria

While we were in this same coenobium abbot Menas, the father of the monastery, talked to us about Eulogius the holy patriarch of Alexandria:
One night when he was celebrating matins and lauds in the Episcopal oratory, he noticed Julianus the archdeacon standing near him. He was annoyed at this sight, because Julianus had dared to come in without having been announced, but he said nothing. The psalms finished, he prostrated himself on the floor, and as he did this the person who appeared to be Julianus did the same. After the prayer Eulogius got up, but Julianus remained lying on the floor. The bishop turned towards him.
"Why don't you get up?" he asked.
"Unless you give me a hand to lift me up", was the reply, "I can't do it."
Eulogius stretched out his hand out to help him up and continued with the psalmody. But as he turned round a little while later he saw no one there. So when matins and lauds were over he called for his chaplain (cubicularius).
"Why didn't you tell me the archdeacon was coming in? He came in to me this night without being announced"
But the chaplain said that he had not seen anyone at all coming in. The patriarch did not believe him
"Call the doorkeeper," he said, and the doorkeeper arrived.
"Didn't Julianus the archdeacon come in here?" he asked. the doorkeeper swore that no one had either come in or out, and the bishop could say no more.
When morning was come the archdeacon came up to pray.
"Why don't you keep to the rules, archdeacon Julianus," said the bishop. "You came in here last night without being announced."
"For Heaven's sake (per orationes domini mei)," said the archdeacon, "I did not come up here last night, nor have I left my house at all apart from just now."
Then the great Eulogius realised that the person he had seen was Julianus the holy martyr, urging him to repair his shrine which for a long time had been neglected, falling apart, and almost becoming a ruin. And for the love which he had for the martyr, Eulogius speedily stretched out his hand and rebuilt the shrine, dedicating it anew, and furnishing it with all kinds of decorations, as befitted the shrine of a sacred martyr. 

Chapter CXLVII
The vision of EULOGIUS, the patriarch of Alexandria

Abbot Menas, the father of the monastery, told us that he had heard abbot Eulogius the patriarch of Alexandria telling the following story:
When I went to Constantinople I enjoyed the fellowship of Sir (dominus) Gregory, the archdeacon of Rome, an exceptionally great man, who told me a story about the most holy and blessed Leo, Roman Pontifex. He said that it had been recorded in the Roman church that when Leo had written to the holy Flavianus, the bishop of Constantinople, his letter against the heretics Eutyches and Nestor, he had placed it on the tomb of Peter the prince of apostles, accompanied by prayers and vigils and fasts.
"If I have all too humanly written with insufficient care or even missed anything out," he prayed to the chief of the apostles, "do you correct it, for to you was given this see and this church by our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ."
After forty days the Apostle appeared to him as he prayed.
"I have read, and made corrections," he said.
He took the letter from the tomb of the blessed Peter, opened it, and found it corrected by the apostle's own hand.

Chapter CXLVIII
The vision of Theodorus bishop of Darna concerning the most blessed LEO.

Theodorus the most holy bishop of the city of Darna in Libya told us the following:
When I was chaplain to the holy pope Eulogius I saw in a dream a man of most worshipful appearance and aristocratic demeanour.
"Announce my arrival to the holy pope Eulogius," he said.
"Who is it who is asking to be announced?" I said.
"I am Leo, the Roman pontifex," he said.
So I went in and announced him.
"The most holy and blessed pope Leo, who occupies the see of Rome, wishes to speak with you."
On hearing this, pope Eulogius got up and ran quickly to meet him. They greeted each other, said the prayers and sat down.
"Do you know why I have come to see you?" the divine and exalted Leo said to the holy Eulogius.
"No"
"I have come to thank you for the magnificently orthodox (rite) reply you wrote to my brother Flavianus, the patriarch of Constantinople. You have enlarged upon the meaning of my own declaration, and brought to naught the prayers of the heretics. Be well assured, brother, that you have given your divine labours and studies not only to me, but even to Peter the supreme chief of the apostles, and also to him who above all others is of the truth, Christ our God."
I witnessed this vision not once only but twice and thrice. This threefold apparition reassured me and I ran to tell the holy pope Eulogius about it. When he had heard it he wept and lifted up his hands to heaven
"I give you thanks, Christ our God and master," He said, "for that you have seen fit to let me be a herald of your truth, unworthy though I am, and in your most high and ineffable kindness, through the prayers of your servants Peter and Leo, you have stooped to accept the two mites of my own modest and insignificant endeavours.

Chapter CXLIX
The most astonishing story which Amos the Patriarch of Jerusalem related about LEO, the Roman pontifex.

When abbot Ammos went down to Jerusalem and was made patriarch, all the fathers of the desert monasteries went down to pay their respects (adorare) to him, among whom were my abbot and I. This is what he had to say to us:
"Pray for me, my fathers, for a great and heavy burden is laid upon me. The dignity of this priesthood fills me with terror above measure. Peter and Paul and their like may well be able to rule over rational souls, but I am but a miserable sinner. More than anything else I fear the burden of my ordination, for I have found it written that the blessed and angelic Pope Leo, who presided over the Roman Church, kept up a vigil of prayer for forty days at the tomb of the apostle Peter, beseeching him to intercede before God for his sins to be forgiven. At the end of the forty days the apostle Peter appeared to him.
"'I have prayed for you,' he said, 'and all your sins are forgiven, except for what pertains to your sacred office. This alone you will be required to answer for, whether you have done well or perchance done otherwise.'"

Chapter CL
The life and holiness of the BISHOP of the town of Rumellum

This is what abbot Theodorus of Rome told us:
Far from the city of Rome there is a small town called Rumellum, and in this little town there was a bishop of great virtue and merit. One day certain citizens of that town went to the blessed Agapetus, pastor of Rome, with an accusation against their bishop of using the sacred vessels to dine from. Although this was all he had to go on the Pontifex was aghast, and sent two of his clerics to arrest the bishop and walk him back to Rome, where he was immediately imprisoned. The third day of his imprisonment was a Sunday. And when the Pope was still in bed as Sunday was dawning he saw in a dream someone standing in front of him.
"On this Sunday it is not for you to offer the saving Sacrifice, nor for any other of the bishops in this city except for that one bishop that you have put in prison. I desire that he should make the offering today."
The Pope awoke, and wondered doubtfully about the vision he had seen.
"Such terrible accusations I have listened to about him, and he to make the offering?"
A second time ,the voice of the vision came to him.
"I have told you, the bishop in your prison is the only one who may make the offering."
He still hesitated, until the message was repeated for a third time. The Pontifex hastily stirred himself into action, summoned the bishop before him and interrogated him.
"What sort of a man are you?" he asked
"I am a sinner," he replied and would not say any more. The Pope could see that he could not be persuaded to say anything else.
"Today you must make the offering," he said.
So the bishop stood in front of the holy altar, with the Pope beside him and the deacons standing about them, and began the holy solemnity of the Mass. And when he came to the prayer of oblation he did not finish it, but began it again a second time, then a third, and then a fourth. Everyone by this time had become very unhappy about the delay.
"What is this all about?" said the Pontifex. "You have said the prayer for the fourth time without getting to the end of it."
"Forgive me, holy father, "replied the bishop. "But I have not discerned the usual descent of the Holy Spirit, which is why I have not completed the prayer. But let that deacon standing nearby carrying the fan be removed. I have no authority to remove him myself."
The divine Agapetus commanded the deacon to go, and immediately both bishop and Pope discerned that the holy Spirit had come. And the canopy over the altar came down of its own accord and hid from view the Pope, the bishop, and all the deacons around the holy altar for the space of about three hours.
By this miracle the venerable Agapetus then recognised the holiness of this bishop, and regretted the suffering he had caused him because of what he now knew to have been a false calumny. From then onwards he determined never to act hastily on any accusation, but to proceed to a mature and considered judgment after great deliberation.

Chapter CLI
The story which abba John of Persia told about the blessed GREGORY bishop of the city of Rome.

We visited abba John of Persia who told us the following story about the great and blessed Gregory, bishop of Rome:
I went to Rome in order to worship at the tomb of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and I was standing one day in  the middle of the city when I heard that Pope Gregory was about to come by that way, so I determined to reverence him. As the Pope came towards me he saw that I was coming forward to reverence him, and as God is my witness, brothers, he prostrated himself on the ground before me, and would not get up till he saw that I had got up first. Then he greeted me with great humility and gave me three numismata with his own hand, bidding me to give them wherever I thought necessary. So I glorified God who had given this man such humility and pity and charity towards all.

Chapter CLII
The life and sayings of MARCELLUS of Scete, abbot of the monastery of Monidion.

We visited abbot Marcellus of Scete in his monastery of Monidion, where this man of authority (senior), wishing to be of benefit to us, told us the following:
When I lived in my own country (he was from Apamia), there was a charioteer there called Phileremus. On the day when he had been beaten, his supporters turned against him.
"Phileremus does not win the crown in this city!" they chanted.
Later on I came to Scete [the desert of the monks] and whenever I was tempted to go back to my own country and town I said to myself: "Phileremus does not win the crown in this city!" And thanks be to God this thought kept me there for thirty years, until such time as the barbarians came and laid Scete to waste, taking me prisoner and selling me in Pentapolis.
Abbot Marcellus also told us the following story about himself, as if he were talking about some other old man in Scete:
One night he got up as usual in order to sing psalms and he had scarcely begun when he was disturbed by a piercing sound like a trumpet of war.
"Where is this trumpet sound coming from, making such a terrible noise?" he said to himself. "There are no soldiers here, and we are far from the field of battle."
And as he turned these questions over in his mind he heard the voice of a demon standing near him.
"Oh yes, there is war," it said. "So if you don't want to fight and do battle, go back to sleep and you won't be attacked."
Again the old man said:
"Believe me, my sons, there is nothing like perpetual meditation on the psalms to turn the demons and Satan, the author of their perdition, against us, or to upset, annoy, irritate, wound, cast down and dishearten them. The whole of Scripture is for our benefit and is a serious annoyance to the demons, but no part of it as much as the psalms. For if one section of the people is singing the praises of the Emperor, those who are not joining in do not get upset about it. But if they turn to insulting and threatening behaviour against those who don't join in, then they should expect retaliation. Similarly, the demons do not get as upset by other parts of Scripture as they do by the psalms. For when we meditate the psalms, we partly pray for ourselves as we praise God, and partly we hurl curses at the demons. That is, we are praying for ourselves, when we say. 'Have mercy upon me, O God, after your great goodness, and according to the multitude of your mercies wipe out my offences' (Psalm 51.1); or again, 'Cast me not away from your sight, and do not take your holy spirit away from me' (ibid.11); or again, 'Cast me not away in my old age; when my powers are failing, do not abandon me' (Psalm 71.19). But we are harassing the demons when we say 'Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered, and let those that hate him flee before his face' (Psalm 68.1); or again, 'I saw the ungodly proud and exalted among the cedars of Lebanon; I passed by and lo, they were no more, I sought them and their place could not be found' (Psalm37.35-36); or again, 'Let their swords enter into their own hearts' (ibid.15); or again, 'He opened a pit and dug it, and he is fallen into the hole he made. His mischief shall be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity shall descend upon his own crown'" (Psalm 7.15).
Again the old man said: "Believe what I am telling you, my sons: for anyone who renounces the world and takes up the monastic life there is great praise and honour and glory, for the things of the spirit (intellectualia) are greater than the things of the flesh (sensibilia). By the same token, for the monk who abandons the habit there is nothing but confusion and ignominy, even though he were to be made Emperor."
Again he said: "In the beginning man was made in the image of God, but after he fell away from God he was in the image of the beasts."
Once more he spoke: "Just as our nature is prone to disordered desires, brothers, so does the purposeful yoke of abstinence tame them."
Again the old man said: "Make proof of the good life by experience, without any fear of that being invalid."
Once more he spoke: "Don't be surprised that although you are human you are capable of becoming an Angel. Glory on a par with the Angels is set before us, even as we are promised nothing but agony as we strive towards it."
Again the old man said: "Nothing draws monks towards friendship with God like the beauty and truth of chastity, which is pleasing to God, as the holy and divine Spirit testifies through the blessed Paul. Chastity encourages you to persevere with integrity in waiting ever upon the Lord without distraction." (1 Cor.7.35)
Again he said: "My sons, let us leave marriage and the procreation of children to those who are intent upon the things of the earth and desire what the present offers without a thought of the future life. They do not strive to acquire eternal goods and cannot tear themselves away from temporal and transient things."
Again he said: "Let us make haste to take flight from a carnal way of life, just as carnal Israel took flight from the slavery of Egypt."
Once more he spoke: "We have the most beautiful and pre-eminent gifts of God set before us, my brothers, in exchange for the harmful pleasures of the world."
Again the old man said: "Let us flee from avarice the mother of all evil."

Chapter CLIII
The reply of a MONK of the monastery of Raythum to his brother in the world.

There were two brothers living in the world in Constantinople, very religious, and very strict in fasting. One of them renounced the world, went to Raythum and became a monk. After a while the other brother came to Raythum to pay his monastic brother a visit. In the course of his stay he saw this brother taking food at the ninth hour.
"Brother," he said, scandalised, "when you were in the world you never ate before sunset."
"Quite so," the monk replied, "but when I was in the world my ears fed me, for I gained enormous nourishment from the vain praise and glory given me by men, which made the labour of fasting easier to bear."


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