A Few Thoughts from the Desert

These are short stories about the desert Abbas from Thomas Merton's WISDOM IN THE DESERT.

1. Abbot Lot came to Abbot Joseph and said: Father according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and according as I am able I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts: now what more should I do? The elder rose up in reply and streched out his hands to heaven and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said: Why not be totally changed into fire?

2. Once Abbot Macarius was on his way home to his cell from the marshes, carrying reeds, and he met the devil with a reapers sickle in his path. And the devil tried to get him with the sickle and could not. And he said: I suffer great violence from you Macarius, because I cannot overcome you. For see, I do all the things that you do. You fast and I eat nothing at all. You watch, and I never sleep. But there is one thing alone in which you overcome me. Abbot Macarius said to him: What is that? Your humility the devil replied, for because of it I cannot overcome you.

3. Abbot Joseph said to Abbot Pastor: Tell me how I can become a monk. The elder replied: If you want to have rest here in this life and also in the next, in every conflict with another say: Who am I? And judge no one.