Iberian Fathers, Volume 1

Questions and Answers of the Greek Fathers

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF THE GREEK FATHERS (Interrogationes et responsiones Graecurllm patrl/lIl) Paschasius to my venerable lord and father Martin, priest and abbot. When you asked me, most holy father, to translate into the Latin language the Lives of the Greek Fathers, which are carefully and eloquently composed, like many other works of the Greeks, I should have refused this unaccustomed task, if I had been allowed. I have never yet fashioned anything to be either written or read, being prohibited by my lack of ability and self-conviction. Lest I should be stealing an expression from the very wise Socrates, I dare not say that I know that I know nothing. Since I must accede to your request, I shall not mention my ability, but rather shall display even in an assigned work the confidence which lowe to you. But since there are many books of these eloquent men written in the Latin language , with the reading of which I have been admittedly acquainted under your instructions, if you happen to find anything inserted here from those sources or anything not eloquently expressed, please do not consider it my fault, because I have translated those writings exactly as they were in the manuscript that was given to me, although I admit that I am not able to do even that correctly. Hence, it remains for me to finish through your prayers what I have begun by your request. If you decide that it should be published, you must consent to improve it with your own words, for I shall not be satisfied that you liked any of it until I know that you disliked some of it. 117 118 PASCHASIUS OF DUMIUM CONTENTS Chapter Page 1 Conquering gluttony and gluttonous desire 119 2 Against avarice and concerning perfect renunciation ....................................... 123 3 A monk must not grieve if he loses or misses anything ..................................... 124 4 Endurance of poverty leads to eternal repose ... .. 125 5 Checking greed .............................. 125 6 Against anger and its causes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 126 7 Returning good for evil ....................... 128 8 Not getting even with our enemies. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 129 9 Perfect patience .............................. 129 10 No good deed should be overlooked for the sake of peace ................................... 130 11 Against the spirit of sadness which causes despair.. 131 12 Against the spirit of vainglory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 132 13 Against the spirit of pride .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 134 14 Perfect men are unwilling to perform miracles, even though they can, lest they be extolled. . . .. 136 15 It is sometimes useful to be left in sordid thoughts, lest we be extolled ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 137 16 How to avoid speaking ill of others. . . . . . . . . . . .. 139 17 Doing the will of one's neighbor .............. .. 140 18 Checking one's own qesires .................... 141 19 Serving the ill and on illness ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 142 20 Bodily weakness is an advantage to the soul. . . . .. 142 21 The fear of God ............................. 143 22 Repentance .................................. 144 23 Through repentance a man may be reconciled to God in one day ............................ 144 24 Even if a man transgresses, in his determination to repentance, he may be saved .............. 147 25 The attacks of demons ........................ 149 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF THE GREEK FATHERS 119 Chapter Page 26 How a man can suppress the vices within him 150 27 Perseverance ................................. 150 28 The toil of the blessed ........................ 151 29 The exhortation of religious teaching . . . . . . . . . .. 152 30 Avoiding curiosity ............................ 152 31 Avoiding strife ............................... 152 32 Silence ...................................... 153 33 Avoiding the honor of die priesthood . . . . . . . . . .. 154 34 The desert and why people flee into solitude. . . .. 155 35 What a hermit should observe ................. 156 36 What brothers are of equal merit . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 157 37 Temporal gain is to be abandoned for the sake of charity .................................... 158 38 What can be accomplished by lamentation or poverty for God's sake ......................... 159 39 In this life a man cannot find rest .... . . . . . . . . .. 160 40 Whence vices anse ........................... 161 41 How virtues must persist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 161 42 How to live in monasteries .................... 162 43 What is the observance of spiritual discipline. . . .. 164 44 The meditations of the twelve anchorites. . . . . . .. 167 Chapter 1 (1) A certain brother asked Abbot Sisoius how he should spend the time in his own cell; to whom Abbot Sisoius replied : "Eat your bread and salt, and let there be no need of cooking anything or of traveling abroad." To another who asked the same question he replied: "Daniel the prophet said: 'I ate not savory food.' "1 I Dan. 10.3. 120 PASCHASiliS OF DlJMIUM (2) One old man...