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Tuesday March 19 2024, 04H45
Ioseph, Sponsus B. V. M. Sollemnitas
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They used to say about one of the fathers who had lived in the world, that when he was in the desert he was occupied in fighting [his desire] to return to his wife whom he had married before [he became a monk], and when he related the matter to the fathers, they appointed him certain works, so that he might be kept back from the fight [within him]. Now because he was an obedient man and one who laboured, he performed these works in excess, and at length his body became so emaciated that he was unable to rise up from his place. And, by the operation of God, a certain father who was a stranger came to the place of Scete, and he passed by the cell of that monk and found it to be empty; and as he passed by he said in his mind, 'How is it that no man has come out to L meet me from this cell? And he went back there, and knocked, saying, 'Perhaps he is sick '; and when he knocked the brother who was grievously sick went forth, and the father said to him, ' What is your sickness, O father?' And the brother told him of all his suffering, saying, ' I belonged to the world, and the Enemy made war upon me through my wife, and I told the fathers the story, and they imposed upon me severe labours ; and having performed these my body has become ill, and the war has waxed stronger against me.' Now when the old man heard these things, he was grieved, and he said to him, 'The fathers have imposed upon you great labours as if [you hadst been] a mighty man, but if you will listen to my feeble [voice] you will relinquish those labours, and partake of a little food, at the appointed time, and will sing and pray a little, and will cast your business upon God. For by your pains and sickness you will not be able to conquer this matter, because our body is like to a garment ; if you take care of it, it will last, but if you neglect it, it will come to an end.' Now the brother having heard these things acted thus, and in a few days the war passed away from him.
Q: "What does one learn in the
desert?"
Father Mina: "To have
an authentic sincere Love towards Christ"
Q: "What experience of God do we make here?"
Father Mina: "We make
the experience of the personal intimate friendship
with the person of the Lord Jesus-Christ... The
interior real lived sentiment of the intimacy with the
Lord: I Am with you."
Q: "Thank you"
Father Mina was
the first companion of Father Matta El-Maskine, one of
the first 7 hermits of the Saint Macarius Monastery. He
lives here in the manner of the first monks of the
desert.
La
lumière du désert
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