Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Not by bread alone

"Another elder visited one of the fathers; he cooked a few lentils and said to the visitor:  'Let us offer a short synaxis.'  The one recited the entire Psalter then the brother repeated from memory the two great prophets.  The visiting elder departed when dawn broke; they forgot about the food."

     Anonymous saying of the Desert Fathers no. 150/4.70.  The anonymous sayings of the Desert Fathers:  a select edition and complete English translation, ed. & trans. John Wortley (Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press, 2013), 103.