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| Tabula |
Tuesday September 01 2026, 07H29
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The brothers said, 'On one occasion a congregation of monks assembled on the great festival of the Resurrection, and there were gathered together in the monastery all the Fathers, and all the recluses, and other monks, and all the old men in the congregation were asked, Which is the mightiest and most severe war which can come upon monks? And they all agreed that no war is harder or more cruel than that which makes a man to leave his cell and depart, and that when that war is fought down, all other contests may be easily reduced. Explain to us the meaning of these words.' The old man said, ' Constant spiritual repose in a cell has hope closely bound up in it, but going out there from is united to despair. As long as a man lives in spiritual repose, and loves the quiet of the cell, little by little he goes forward, one step at a time, according to the order of succession; and he has hope that in our Lord he will vanquish each of the passions, and that through his repose and labours he will acquire spiritual excellences and the grace of Christ. But if the life becomes tedious to him, and he go forth and leave his cell, and wander about, he will neither vanquish the passions, nor acquire spiritual virtues, but he will incline to despair, and to utter destruction. Therefore the Fathers have well said that no war is more cruel than the war of wandering.'
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