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Tuesday August 18 2026, 02H06
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On one occasion the steward of Scete went up to Constantinople, and the Emperor seeing him asked him how the fathers in Egypt were; and the steward did homage, and answered and said to the Emperor, 'Behold, they eat each other, and live.' Now when the Emperor heard this, he marvelled, and asked him, 'What is the meaning of 'They eat each other?' And the steward said, 'The meaning of 'They eat each other' is this: When it happens that one of them is going to die, he commands that whatsoever he has will be given to various men according to their needs; and similarly when a man works he brings [the results of] his labour, and refreshes all the brothers therewith, and in this way they live.' The Emperor said to him, 'Verily blessed are ye, for you are saved and freed from the cares of the world, and also from the judgement of Gehenna. We, on the other hand, are troubled by the cares of the world, and Gehenna is prepared for us because of our sins.'