You cannot as we do, sit in your cell, and weep for your sins; and I asked them: When it becomes winter, do you not shiver? and when it becomes hot, are your bodies not burned? And they said: God has made this providence for us; and neither in winter do we shiver, nor in summer does the heat harm us. For this reason I said to you, that I have not yet become a monk, but I have seen monks. Forgive me, brothers. Abba Macarius, when he was dwelling in the utter desert; and he was withdrawing alone in it, and further down was another desert of many brothers. And the old man was watching the road, and sees Satan, coming up in the form of a man, to pass by him; and he appeared as if wearing a linen tunic full of holes; and from each hole hung a small flask. And the great old man says to him: Where are you going? And he said to him: I am going to remind the brothers. And the old man said: And for what purpose are these little flasks of yours? And he said: I am carrying tastings for the brothers. And the old man said: And all these? He answered: Yes; if one does not please someone, I bring another; and if not even this one, I give another; certainly at least one of them will please him. And having said these things he went away; but the old man remained watching the roads until that one returned again. and when the old man saw him, he says to him: May you be saved; but he answered: How can I be saved? The old man says to him: Why? And he says: Because they all became fierce towards me, and no one tolerates me. The old man says to him: So you have no friend there? And he answered: Yes, I have one monk there as a friend, and at least he obeys me; and when he sees me, he turns like a whirlwind. The old man says to him: And what is the brother called? And he says: Theopemptos. And having said these things he went away, and getting up, Abba Macarius goes to the desert further down, and when the brothers heard, taking palm branches they came out to meet him. And so each one prepared himself 34.241 thinking that the old man was going to stay with him. But he was seeking who the one called Theopemptos on the mountain was. And finding him, he entered into his cell. And Theopemptos received him rejoicing. And when he began to speak with him in private, the old man says: How are things with you, brother? And he said: By your prayers, well. And the old man said: Do the thoughts not war against you? And he said: For now I am well; for he was ashamed to say. The old man says to him: Behold how many years I have practiced asceticism, and I am honored by all, and the spirit of fornication troubles me, an old man. Theopemptos answered, saying: Believe me, Abba, me too; but the old man pretended that other thoughts also warred against him, until he made him confess; then he says to him: How do you fast? And he says to him: Until the ninth hour. The old man says to him: Fast until late, and practice asceticism; and memorize the Gospel and the other scriptures; and if a thought comes up to you, never look down, but always up; and immediately the Lord helps you. And having instructed the brother, the old man went out to his own desert. And watching again he sees that demon, and says to him: Where are you going again? And he says: To remind the brothers, and he went away. And when he returned again, the holy one says to him: How are the brothers? And he says: Badly. And the old man says: Why? And he said: They are all fierce; and the greater evil is that the one I had as a friend who obeyed me, even he, I do not know from where, has been perverted, and not even he obeys me, but he has become fiercer than all; and I swore no longer to set foot there, except after a time. And having spoken thus he went away, leaving the old man; and the holy one entered into his cell. Abba Macarius the Great visited Abba Antony on the mountain, and when he knocked on the door, he came out to him and said to him: Who are you? And he said: I am Macarius; and closing the door he went inside and left him. and seeing his patience he opened for him. And jesting with him he would say: For a long time I have desired to see you, hearing the things about you. and having shown him hospitality he gave him rest; for he was

οὐ δύνασαι ὡς ἡμεῖς, κάθου εἰς τὸ κελλίον σου, καὶ κλαῦσον τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου· καὶ ἠρώτησα αὐτούς· ὅταν γίνηται χειμών, οὐ ῥιγᾶτε; καὶ ὅταν γίνηται καῦμα, οὐ καίεται τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν; οἱ δὲ εἶπον· ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταύτην· καὶ οὔτε τῷ χειμῶνι ῥιγῶμεν, οὔτε τῷ θέρει τὸ καῦμα ἡμᾶς ἀδικεῖ. διὰ τοῦτο εἶπον ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὔπω γέγονα μονα χός, ἀλλ' εἶδον μοναχούς. συγχωρήσατέ μοι, ἀδελ φοί. Ὁ ἀββᾶς Μακάριος ὅτε ᾤκει ἐν τῇ πανερήμῳ· ἦν δὲ μόνος ἐν αὐτῇ ἀναχωρῶν, παρακάτω δὲ ἄλλη ἔρημος ἦν πλειόνων ἀδελφῶν. παρετήρει δὲ ὁ γέρων τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ὁρᾷ τὸν σατανᾶν, ἀνερχόμενον ἐν σχή ματι ἀνθρώπου, παρελθεῖν δι' αὐτοῦ· ἐφαίνετο δὲ ὡς στιχάριον φορῶν λινοῦν τρωγλωτόν· καὶ κατὰ τρυμαλιὰν ἐκρέματο ληκύθιον. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων ὁ μέγας· ποῦ πορεύῃ; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀπέρ χομαι ὑπομνῆσαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς. ὁ δὲ γέρων εἶπε· καὶ ἵνα τί σοι τὰ ληκύθια ταῦτα; καὶ εἶπε· γεύματα ἀποφέρω τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. ὁ δὲ γέρων εἶπε· καὶ ταῦτα ὅλα; ἀπεκρίθη· ναί· ἐὰν μὴ τὸ ἓν ἀρέσῃ τινί, φέρω ἄλλο· ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο, διδῶ ἄλλο· πάντως δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν κἂν ἓν ἀρέσει αὐτῷ. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀπῆλθεν· ὁ δὲ γέρων ἔμεινε παρατηρούμενος τὰς ὁδοὺς ἕως πάλιν ἐκεῖνος ἐπανῆλθε. καὶ ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ γέρων, λέγει αὐτῷ· σωθείης· ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη· ποῦ ἔνι μοι σωθῆναι; λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· διὰ τί; ὁ δὲ λέγει· ὅτι πάντες ἄγριοί μοι ἐγένοντο, καὶ οὐδείς μου ἀνέχεται. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· οὐδένα οὖν φίλον ἔχεις ἐκεῖ; ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη· ναὶ, ἕνα μοναχὸν ἔχω ἐκεῖ φίλον, καὶ κἂν αὐτός μοι πείθεται· καὶ ὅτε ὁρᾷ με, στρέφεται ὡς ἀνέμη. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· καὶ τίς καλεῖται ὁ ἀδελφός; ὁ δὲ λέγει· Θεόπεμπτος. εἰπὼν δὲ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν, καὶ ἀναστὰς ὁ ἀββᾶς Μα κάριος ἀπέρχεται ἐπὶ τὴν παρακάτω ἔρημον, καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀδελφοὶ, λαβόντες βαΐα ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ. καὶ λοιπὸν ἕκαστος ηὐτρεπίζετο 34.241 νομίζων, ὅτι παρ' αὐτῷ ἔμελλε καταλύειν ὁ γέρων. ὁ δὲ ἐζήτει, τίς εἴη ὁ καλούμενος Θεόπεμπτος ἐν τῷ ὄρει. καὶ εὑρὼν εἰσῆλθε εἰς τὸ κελλίον αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ Θεό πεμπτος ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν χαίρων. ὡς δὲ ἤρξατο ἰδιάζειν αὐτὸν, ὁ γέρων λέγει· πῶς τὰ κατὰ σὲ, ἀδελφέ; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· εὐχαῖς σου, καλῶς. εἶπε δὲ ὁ γέρων· μὴ πολε μοῦσί σε οἱ λογισμοί; ὁ δὲ εἶπε· τέως καλῶς εἰμι· ᾐδεῖτο γὰρ εἰπεῖν. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· ἰδοὺ πόσα ἔτη ἀσκῶ, καὶ τιμῶμαι παρὰ πάντων, καὶ ἐμοὶ τῷ γέ ροντι ὀχλεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πορνείας. ἀπεκρίθη λέγων ὁ Θεόπεμπτος· πίστευε, ἀββᾶ, καὶ ἐμοί· ὁ δὲ γέρων προεφασίζετο καὶ ἑτέρους λογισμοὺς πολεμεῖν αὐτῷ, ἕως ποιήσει αὐτὸν ὁμολογῆσαι· εἶτα λέγει αὐτῷ· πῶς νηστεύεις; ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτῷ· τὴν ἐνάτην. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· νήστευε ἕως ὀψὲ, καὶ ἄσκει· καὶ ἀποστήθιζε τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων γραφῶν· καὶ ἐάν σοι ἀναβῇ λογισμός, μηδέποτε πρόσχῃς κάτω, ἀλλὰ πάν τοτε ἄνω· καὶ εὐθέως σοι ὁ κύριος βοηθεῖ. καὶ τυ πώσας ὁ γέρων τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐξῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἔρημον. καὶ παρατηρῶν πάλιν ὁρᾷ ἐκεῖνον τὸν δαίμονα, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ποῦ πάλιν ἀπέρχῃ; ὁ δὲ λέ γει· ὑπομνῆσαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν. ὡς δὲ πάλιν ἐπανῆλθε, λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἅγιος· πῶς οἱ ἀδελ φοί; ὁ δὲ λέγει· κακῶς· ὁ δὲ γέρων λέγει· διὰ τί; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἄγριοί εἰσιν ὅλοι· καὶ τὸ μεῖζον κακόν, ὅτι καὶ ὃν εἶχον φίλον ὑπακούοντά μοι, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν διεστράφη, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτός μοι πείθεται, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἀγριώτερος ἐγένετο· καὶ ὤμοσα μηκέτι τὰ ἐκεῖ πατῆσαι, εἰ μὴ μετὰ χρόνον. καὶ οὕτως εἰπὼν ἀπῆλθεν ἐάσας τὸν γέροντα· καὶ ὁ ἅγιος εἰσῆλθε εἰς τὸ κελλίον αὐτοῦ. Παρέβαλεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Μακάριος ὁ μέγας τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀντωνίῳ εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ κρούσαντος αὐτοῦ τὴν θύ ραν ἐξῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· σὺ τίς εἶ; ὁ δὲ ἔφη· ἐγώ εἰμι Μακάριος· καὶ κλείσας τὴν θύραν εἰσῆλθε καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν. καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν ὑπο μονὴν αὐτοῦ ἤνοιξεν αὐτῷ. καὶ χαριεντιζόμενος μετ' αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν· ἀπὸ πολλοῦ χρόνου ἐπεθύμουν σε ἰδεῖν, ἀκούων τὰ περὶ σοῦ. καὶ φιλοξενήσας αὐτὸν ἀνέπαυ σεν· ἦν γὰρ