The Catholic World, Vol. 03, April to September, 1866Various
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 03, April to September, 1866
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
It is the land, of Christ and his apostles, the birth-place of
our religion. We hope the day of resurrection for its decayed and
languishing churches may not be far distant.
------
From The Month.
SAINTS OF THE DESERT.
BY THE REV. J. H. NEWMAN, D.D.
1. Abbot Antony pointed out to a brother a stone, and said to him,
"Revile that stone, and beat it soundly."
When he had done so, Antony said, "Did the stone say anything?" He
answered, "No."
Then said Antony: "Unto this perfection shalt thou one day come."
2. When Abbot Arsenius was ill, they laid him on a mat, and put a pillow
under his head, and a brother was scandalized.
Then said his attendant to the brother: "What were you before you were
a monk?" He answered, "A shepherd." Then he asked again, "And do you
live a harder or an easier life now than then?" He replied, "I have
more comforts now." Then said the other, "Seest thou this abbot? When
he was in the world he was the father of emperors. A thousand slaves
with golden girdles and tippets of velvet waited on him, and rich
carpets were spread under him. _Thou_ hast gained by the change which
has made thee a monk; it is thou who art now encompassed with
comforts, but he is afflicted."
3. When Abbot Agatho was near his end, he remained for three days with
his eyes open and steadily fixed.
His brethren shook him, sayings "Abbot, where are you?"
He replied, "I stand before the judgment seat."
They said, "What, father! do you you too fear? think of your works."
He made answer: "I have no confidence till I shall have met my God."
4. Abbot Pastor was asked, "Is it good to cloak a brother's fault?"
He answered: "As often as we hide a brother's sin, God hides one of
ours, but he tells ours in that hour in which we tell our brother's."
5. The Abbot Alonius said: "Unless a man says in his heart, I and my
God are the only two in the world, he will not have rest."
6. Abbot Pambo, being summoned by St. Athanasius to Alexandria, met an
actress, and forthwith began to weep. "I weep," he said, "because I do
not strive to please my God as she strives to please the impure."
7. An old monk fell sick and for many days could not eat, and his
novice made him some pudding. There was a vessel of honey, and there
was another vessel of linseed oil for the lamp, good for nothing else,
for it was rancid. The novice mistook, and mixed up the oil in the
pudding. The old man said not a word, but ate it.
The novice pressed him, and helped him a second time, and the old man
ate again.
When he offered it the third time, the old man said, "I have had
enough;" but the novice cried, "Indeed, it is very good. I will eat
some with you."
When he had tasted it, he fell on his face and said: "Father, I shall
be the death of you! Why didn't you speak?"
The old man answered: "Had it been God's will that I should eat honey,
honey thou wouldst have given me."
{17}
From The Literary Workman.
JENIFER'S PRAYER.
BY OLIVER CRANE.
IN THREE PARTS.
I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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