Book X (continued)

Chapter CC
How a YOUTH who was a goldsmith was adopted by a nobleman as his heir.

One of the holy fathers told us about a gifted youth who was apprenticed to a goldsmith in order to learn the trade. After he had been learning for some time, a certain nobleman asked that a golden cross should be made, ornamented with precious stones, so that he might offer it to the church. And since the young apprentice was proving himself to be very creative, his master gave the task to him. This gave the young man cause for thought.
"If this man can offer so much money to Christ," he said to himself, "why shouldn't I put my wages into it, so that Christ will take note that it is mine, just as he did the widow's two mites." So he calculated the amount that he would receive in wages, borrowed that amount, and put it into the cross.
The nobleman came and weighed the cross before the stones were set in it, and found that it was heavier than he had asked for. He turned on the young man and accused him of fraudulently adulterating the gold.
"He who alone can search the secrets of the heart knows that I have done no such thing," he said. "But when I saw how much money you were offering to Christ the Lord, I thought that if I could put my wages into it I could share with you, so that Christ would accept me just as he accepted the widow's two mites."
"Is that what you really thought, my son?" he asked in astonishment.
"It is indeed."
"In thinking like this you have given your whole self to Christ, and since you want to share with me, look, I take you as from today as my son, and make you my heir."
And he did take him to himself, and he did make him his heir.

Chapter CCI
The life of a NOBLEMAN of Constantinople whose father at death left him to the guardianship of Christ.

One of the fathers told us the following story:
I had occasion once to go to Constantinople and I was sitting in the church when a nobleman came in. He was of a well known family, and also of great faith. When he saw me he came up and greeted me warmly, then sat down and began to question me on matters to do with the salvation of the soul. I said to him that the things of heaven are given to them who put aside the things of the earth .
"Well said, father," he said. "He is blessed who puts all his hope in God and commits himself wholly to God. I am the son of someone who was very famous in the world. This father of mine was greatly devoted to almsgiving, and gave a great deal to the poor. One day he called me and showed me how much money he had. "'Son, would you rather,' he said, 'that I leave you all this money or simply leave you to the guardianship of Christ?'
"'I prefer Christ,' I said, delighted that he should have asked me this question, 'For all these things were once, today are, and tomorrow will perish, but Christ remains for ever.'
"Hearing this, he gave to the poor with an even greater generosity, so that when he died he had hardly anything at all to leave me. But poor though I was, I went humbly on, putting all my hope in Christ to whom he had left me.
"Now there was another very rich man, a leading citizen, whose wife feared God with a deep faith. They had an only daughter.
"'What does this only daughter of ours stand in need of,' the wife asked her husband. 'since God has blessed us with so much worldly goods? We could look into the possibility of marrying her to someone else who is important and rich, but if he were a bad-living man he might be forever beating her. So let us look out for a humble man who fears God, who will love her and cherish her for God's sake.'
"'I think you are right,' he replied. 'So go into the church, offer some fervent prayer, then sit down, and let the first person that comes in after that be the one whom the Lord sends us as bridegroom.'
"So she did as her husband had bidden her, and after she had prayed and sat down it was I who was the first person to come in. She sent her servant away, and approached me and began to question me.
"'Who are you, exactly?' she asked.
"'I am the son of so-and-so of this city,' I said.
"'The famous almsgiver?'
"'Yes, I am his son.'
"'Are you married?'
"'No' - and I told her what my father had said to me and what I had replied.
"'Glory to God," she said. "Your good guardian has now provided you with a wife and wealth, and you must use both in the fear of God.'
"And she entrusted her daughter and her wealth to me, and I pray that I may follow in my father's footsteps to the very end."

Chapter CCII
The life of ABIBAS, a lay person's son, a servant of God

One of the fathers told us about a layman who had a very devout son, very committed, accustomed to being very abstemious from early childhood, so much that he did not even drink wine. His greatest desire was to live in solitude. His father wanted to get him involved in business but had no success, as the son simply could not endure it. He had other brothers but he was the eldest. Since he distanced himself so firmly from what his father wanted, his father cursed him roundly and particularly ridiculed his continence.
"Why can't you be like your brothers? Why won't you take part in our business?"
But he stayed silent, and everyone loved him for his piety and modesty.
Now when the father was about to die some of his family and other friends of Abibas (for that was the young man's name) who thought that he must really hate Abibas, judging by the way in which he had cursed him, got together and decided to beg the father not to deprive the son of his inheritance. For he was very rich.
"We have come to you with a request," they said as they stood round him.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
"We are pleading with you that you don't neglect Abibas."
"You are pleading with me about him?"
"Yes, we are."
"Call him here."
They all thought that as usual he was intending to heap curses upon him, but when Abibas entered his father said:
"Come closer."
And when he had done so the father clasped the son's feet, weeping.
"Forgive me, my son," he said, "and pray to God that he will forgive me for the way in which I have mistreated you. You have been seeking Christ; my motives have been all of this world."
He then called his other sons.
"Abibas now will be your lord and father," he said. "Do whatever he tells you. It will be in his power to decide what each of you should have."
And this met with their approval.
As soon as the father was dead, Abibas shared out everything among the brothers. His own share he gave to the poor, keeping nothing for himself. He built himself a little cell in which he could live as a solitary, but no sooner had he finished building than he fell ill, and was in danger of death.
One of his brothers was with him, and it was on the feast of the holy Apostles.
"Go and celebrate with your family," he said.
"How could I possibly go away and leave you?"
"Just go, and if my hour is come, I will call you."
And when he did feel the time had come he went to the window [of his cell] and knocked on it. The brother had been keeping an eye on it, and Abibas waved to him, saying, "Come". No sooner had he come than Abibas gave up his spirit to God.
And they all wondered, giving glory to God, and saying, "It was the abundance of charity with which he loved Christ that brought him to such a worthy end."

Chapter CCIII
The story of a certain JEWELLER who saved his life at sea by means of a wise plan

One of the fathers told us about a certain jeweller, who gathered together some precious stones, gems and pearls and took ship with his sons on a business trip. In the providence of God he took a great liking to a boy on board who waited on him. He was very kind to this boy, sharing his own food with him. One day the boy heard the sailors talking among themselves, making plans to throw the jeweller into the sea for the sake of the jewels. The next time he came to offer his usual services to the jeweller it was with a very long face.
"Why are you looking so glum today, my son?" he asked. But he said nothing and tried to hide his grief.
"Come, tell me truly, what is the matter with you?"
"Thus and thus, have they made a plot against you," he said, bursting into tears."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, this is what they have decided to do to you."
The jeweller called his sons to him.
"What I shall tell you to do, see that you carry it out implicitly and without fail."
He laid out a cloth and told them to fetch his jewel cases, which he opened up and spread the jewels out on the cloth so that they could all see them.
"Is this what life is all about?" he said. "Am I in danger because of these? Must I do battle with the sea? And shortly die? Can I take anything with me out of this world? Throw all these things into sea."
In obedience to his words they picked them all up and threw them overboard. And the sailors were stupefied, knowing that their plans had been thwarted.

Chapter CCIV
How a religious WOMAN who feared God put to flight a monk's evil desires.

One of the fathers said:
There was a brother who got bitten by a serpent and went into the town to find a cure. A certain religious woman who feared God agreed to take him in and cure him. When he had nearly recovered from the poison the devil began to stir up lustful thoughts in him, and he tried to take her by the hand.
"Not so, father," she said. "Fear God. Bring to mind the grievous penances and remorse that you have endured in your cell. Think of the groans and tears which you have poured out."
After listening to this and other similar warnings the devil's attack departed from him. He was deeply embarrassed, and thought to depart immediately, unable for very shame to look her in the face.
"No, don't go, father," she said, pitying him 'in the bowels of Christ' (Colossians 3.12), "You still need some more poultices. Those thoughts of yours were not entirely your own fault, but came from the deceiving suggestions of the devil in hell."
And thus she was able to cure him and send him on his way with a blessing and no scandal.

Chapter CCV
The story of another prudent WOMAN who repulsed a monk's advances with her wise words.

One of them told us about someone else in a coenobium, who used to be sent out on monastery business. Whenever he went into the village he used to stay with a certain devout layman who lived there. This man had a recently widowed daughter living with him who had lived with her husband for one or two years. As the brother went in and out among them he began to be infatuated with her, which being a prudent woman she soon recognised, and so took care to keep out of his sight as far as possible. But one day her father had to go into the city on some necessary business leaving her alone in the house.
The brother came to visit according to his usual custom and found her alone.
"Where is your father?" he asked.
"He is away in the city."
He immediately began to struggle in a great interior battle, filled with a desire to force himself on her.
"Don't struggle," she said, very prudently. "My father will not be back until evening. Here we are, both of us, but I know that you monks never do anything without praying about it, so go and pray to God, and whatever he puts into your heart, let's do that."
But he would not agree to that and got even more agitated.
"Haven't you ever been with a woman?" she asked, observing his agitation.
"No, but I would love to know what it is like."
"You are getting all aroused, but you don't know how smelly we unfortunate women are. I am having my period at present," wanting to dampen his passion down, "and no one could come near me without ceasing to breathe because of the smell."
Listening to her saying these things and much more, he was stricken with compunction, and came to himself and wept.
"See now," she said when she realised he had calmed down, "if I had listened to you and given in, we would have committed a great sin, and after that how could you have looked my father in the face (lit. 'with what face, with what eyes would you have been able to look at my father')? And when you got back to the monastery, how would you have been able to listen to those holy men singing psalms? I implore you to be sober and vigilant, so as not lose the fruits of all your labour, and to be deprived of eternal reward because of one brief failure of will."
This brother took what she was saying to heart. He had suffered temptation and drawn back from it and he gave thanks to God who through the prudence and modesty of a woman had snatched him back lest he be overthrown and perish. He went back to the monastery and did penance for his sin.

Chapter CCVI
The means by which a certain aristocratic LADY was taught docility (mansuetudo).

One of the fathers told us of an aristocratic lady of senatorial rank who was on a pilgrimage to worship at the holy places. When she got to Caesarea she decided to rest for a while and visited the bishop.
"Could you send me one of your nuns (virgines)," she asked him, "to instruct me and teach me how to fear God?"
So the bishop chose a nun noted for her humility and sent her to the lady. After a while, the bishop went back to visit her.
"How is that nun I sent you getting on?" he asked.
"She is a very good person, but not much use to my soul, for she lets me please myself in everything, because she is so humble."
So the bishop sent a rather more severe nun to her who criticised her, calling her a 'stupid little rich woman' and other uncomplimentary things.
After a while the bishop once more enquired.
"How is that other nun behaving herself?"
"She really is doing my soul a great deal of good."
And this is how the lady acquired docility.

Chapter CCVII
The life of a GIRL of Alexandria, who was lifted out of the sacred font by holy Angels.

Abbots Theonas and Theodore told us that in the time of the patriarch Paul there was a girl of very rich parents who was left an orphan. She had not as yet been baptised. One day she was walking in the orchard which her parents had left her (for there are orchards even in the midst of the city), when she saw a man preparing a noose to strangle himself with. She ran over to him.
"What are you doing, man!" she said.
"Leave me alone, woman, for I am in deep trouble."
"Tell me why, and perhaps I may be able to help you."
"I am heavily burdened by debt, and my creditors are almost suffocating me, so I choose rather to put an end to my life than go on living like this."
"I beg you, take what I have, and settle your debts. Only do not destroy yourself." And truly she gave him her all.
But then she found herself in difficulties, not having enough left to live on. Deprived of parental care she took to prostitution to earn a living.
People who knew her and what her parents had been like wondered among themselves.
"Who can understand all this except God alone? Perhaps God has allowed her soul to fall into sin for some reason known to him alone and for the time being he has abandoned her."
Not long after this the girl became ill, and coming to herself she was conscience-stricken and approached her neighbours.
"For the Lord's sake have pity on my soul and beg the Pope to make me a Christian."
But they all turned her away.
"Who is going to take her on, harlot that she is!" And they persecuted her mercilessly. In these narrow straits she found herself in the presence of an Angel in the shape of a man, who took compassion on her.
"I want to become a Christian," she said, "but there is no one willing to speak for me."
"Is that what you really want?" he asked.
"Yes, indeed, sir, and please, will you ask for this to be given me?"
"Don't be sad any longer", he said. "I will bring you some people who will speak for you." And he brought two other holy Angels to her who led her into the church, transformed into very aristocratic personages, well known members of the Augustal class. They called the clerics, a presbyter and a deacon, who were in charge.
"Will your charity make the promises for her?" the clerics asked.
"Yes indeed, we will promise for her."
So they took her to Baptism, and lifted her up, clothed in the white garments of the newly baptised. They put her down, and vanished.
When she went home the neighbours saw that she was clothed in white.
"Who has baptised you then?" they asked.
She told them the whole story.
"There were some people who came and took me into the church, spoke for me to the clerics and had me baptised."
"Who were they?"
"I can't really tell you who they were!"
The neighbours went to report it to the bishop, and the bishop spoke to the clerics in charge of baptisms.
"It was you who baptised this woman?"
"Yes, we baptised her at the request of two Augustal people."
The bishop summoned the two people whom the clerics had named.
"Was it you who vouched for this woman's faith?"
"We don't know anything about it; we didn't even know that it had been done."
Then the bishop realised the truth.
"This is the work of God," he said.
He got the girl to come and see him.
"Tell me, my daughter," he said, "about any good deeds you have done."

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