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managing the need of the body according to the will of God. QUESTION 133. If he also murmurs because of food. RESPONSE. He has the judgment of those who murmured in the wilderness. For the Apostle says: Do not murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. QUESTION 134. If someone, being angry, refuses to take something for his need. RESPONSE. Such a one is worthy, even if he asks, not to receive, until the superior has tested that the passion has been healed, or rather the passions. QUESTION 135. Whether the one who is weary should himself seek something more than the usual. RESPONSE. If for the sake of the reward from God he undertakes the labor, he ought not to seek from this the comfort for his toil, but to prepare himself for the Lord's reward; knowing that, as he will be deemed worthy of the recompense for his labor, so also of the consolation for his distress from the man-loving God. However, the one appointed to do this, "Distribution was made to each. as any had need," must necessarily know each of the weary ones, and care for them as is fitting. QUESTION 136. Whether it is necessary for all to gather at the hour of the meal, and how should we treat the one who is absent, and comes after the meal. RESPONSE. If he was absent by necessity of the place or the work, as keeping the command of the one who said: "In whatever state each was called, brothers, there let him remain"; the supervisor of the common good order, having examined the matter, will grant pardon; but if, being able to arrive on time, he was not diligent, having recognized the fault of his negligence, let him remain without food until the appointed hour on the following day. 31.1173 QUESTION 137. Whether it is good to resolve for such a time, as it may be, to abstain from some particular food or drink. RESPONSE. Since the Lord said, "Not that I might do my own will, but the will of him who sent me," every decision of one's own will is precarious. Knowing this, David said: "I have sworn and I am determined to keep the judgments of your righteousness," not my own wills. QUESTION 138. Whether anyone in the brotherhood should be permitted to fast or keep vigil more than the others, according to his own will. RESPONSE. Since the Lord said, "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me," whatever anyone does according to his own will, this is his own, but alien to godliness; and there is a fear lest he hear from God concerning what he thinks he is doing, "Unto you shall be his turning, and you shall rule over him." And to wish for more in comparison with others, even in good things, is a passion of contentiousness arising from vainglory; which the Apostle shows is forbidden, saying: "For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves." Therefore, having put away our own wills, and the desire to seem to do something beyond the rest, we must obey the Apostle who exhorts and says: "Whether you eat, or whether you drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." For contentiousness, and vainglory, and self-satisfaction are completely alien to those who strive lawfully in the good contest. Therefore he says at one time, "Let us not become vainglorious"; and at another, "If anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God"; and at another time, "We ought not to please ourselves"; to which he adds more reproachfully: "For Christ did not please himself." But if anyone thinks he needs more, whether in fasting, or in vigil, or in any other thing, let him reveal the reason itself for which he thinks he needs more to those entrusted with the common care; and let him observe what has been approved by them. For often it will be necessary for what is sufficient for the need to be accomplished in another way. 31.1176 QUESTION 139. When the fast is intensified, we become weaker for the work. What then is better: to hinder the work for the sake of the fast, or to neglect the fast for the sake of the work. RESPONSE. Both fasting, and eating with the reason of the

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τὴν χρείαν τοῦ σώμα τος οἰκονομοῦντι πρὸς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛΓʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γογγύσῃ διὰ βρῶμα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸ κρῖμα τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ γογγυσάντων ἔχει. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Μηδὲ γογγύζετε, καθώς τινες αὐτῶν ἐγόγγυσαν, καὶ ἀπώλοντο ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛ∆ʹ. Ἐάν τις ὀργισθεὶς παραιτῆται λαβεῖν τι τῶν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ τοιοῦτος ἄξιός ἐστι, κἂν ζητῇ, μὴ λαβεῖν, ἕως ἐὰν δοκιμάσῃ ὁ προεστὼς, ὅτι ἐθεραπεύθη τὸ πάθος, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ πάθη. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛΕʹ. Εἰ χρὴ τὸν κάμνοντα αὐτὸν ἐπιζητῆσαι πλέον τι τῆς συνηθείας. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ ἕνεκεν τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μισθαποδοσίας τὸν κάματον ἀναδέχεται, οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν ἐπιζητεῖν ὀφεί λει τὴν παραμυθίαν τοῦ κόπου, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου μισθαποδοσίαν ἑαυτὸν καταρτίζειν· εἰδὼς, ὅτι, ὡς τῆς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κόπου ἀμοιβῆς, οὕτω καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως ὑπὲρ τῆς στενοχωρίας παρὰ τοῦ φιλ ανθρώπου Θεοῦ καταξιωθήσεται. Ὁ μέντοι ἐπιτε ταγμένος ποιεῖν τὸ, ∆ιεδίδοτο ἑκάστῳ. καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν, ἀναγκαίως ὀφείλει γνωρίζειν ἕκαστον τῶν κοπιώντων, καὶ θεραπεύειν κατὰ τὸ προσῆκον. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛʹ. Εἰ ἀναγκαῖον πάντας συνάγεσθαι τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ ἀρίστου, καὶ τὸν ἀπολιμπανόμενον, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἄριστον ἐρχόμενον πῶς παρέλθωμεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν κατὰ ἀνάγκην τοῦ τόπου ἢ τοῦ ἔργου ἀπ ελείφθη, ὡς φυλάσσων τὸ παράγγελμα τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἕκαστος, ἐν ᾧ ἐκλήθη, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐν τούτῳ μενέτω· ὁ τῆς κοινῆς εὐταξίας ἔφορος δοκιμάσας συγγνώσεται· εἰ δὲ δυνάμενος συμφθάσαι, οὐκ ἐσπούδασε, γνωρίσας τὸ ἔγκλημα τῆς ἀμελείας, ἄσιτος μεινάτω μέχρι τῆς τετυπωμένης ὥρας ἐν τῇ ἐπιούσῃ. 31.1173 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛΖʹ. Εἰ καλόν ἐστι τὸ κρῖναι ἐπὶ τοσόνδε, εἰ τύχοι, χρόνον ἀποσχέσθαι τοῦδέ τινος τοῦ βρώματος ἢ τοῦ πόματος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, Οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με, πᾶσα κρίσις ἰδίου θελήματος ἐπισφαλής. Ὅπερ εἰ δὼς ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἔλεγεν· Ὤμοσα, καὶ ἔστησα τοῦ φυ λάξασθαι τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου, οὐ τὰ ἐμὰ θελήματα. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛΗʹ. Εἰ χρὴ ἐπιτρέπεσθαι ἐν ἀδελφότητί τινα πλέον τῶν ἄλλων νηστεύειν ἢ ἀγρυπνεῖν, κατὰ τὸ ἴδιον θέλημα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, ὅτι Καταβέβηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με Πατρὸς, πᾶν ὅπερ ἄν τις κατὰ τὸ ἴδιον θέλημα ποιῇ, τοῦτο τοῦ μὲν ποιοῦντός ἐστιν ἴδιον, τῆς δὲ θεοσεβείας ἀλλότριον· καὶ φόβος μήποτε ἀκούσῃ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ οὗ δοκεῖ ποιεῖν, Πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τὸ ἐν συγκρίσει δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τὸ πλέον θέλειν, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς καλοῖς, φιλονεικίας πάθος ἐστὶν ἀπὸ κενοδοξίας συμβαῖνον· ὅπερ ὁ Ἀπό στολος ἀπηγορευμένον δεικνύς φησιν· Οὐ γὰρ τολμῶμεν ἐγκρῖναι ἢ συγκρῖναι ἑαυτούς τισι τῶν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστανόντων. ∆ιόπερ ἀφεμένους τῶν ἰδίων θελημάτων, καὶ τοῦ θέλειν δοκεῖν ὑπὲρ τοὺς λοιποὺς ποιεῖν τι, πείθεσθαι τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ χρὴ παραινοῦντι καὶ λέγοντι· Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε. Φιλονεικία γὰρ, καὶ κενοδοξία, καὶ αὐταρέσκεια, παντελῶς ἀλλότρια τῶν τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα νομίμως ἀγωνιζομένων. ∆ιό φησι ποτὲ μὲν, Μὴ γενώμεθα κενόδοξοι· ποτὲ δὲ, Εἴ τις δοκεῖ φιλόνεικος εἶναι, ἡμεῖς τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, οὐδὲ αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ἄλλοτε, Ὀφείλομεν ἡμεῖς μὴ ἑαυτοῖς ἀρέσκειν· οἷς ἐπιφέρει ἐντρεπτι κώτερον· Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσεν. Εἰ δέ τις οἴεται χρῄζειν τοῦ πλείονος εἴτε ἐν νηστείᾳ, εἴτε ἐν ἀγρυπνίᾳ, εἴτε ἐν ᾡδήποτε ἄλλῳ, ἀποκαλυ πτέτω τοῖς τὴν κοινὴν ἐπιμέλειαν πεπιστευμένοις τὴν ὑπόθεσιν αὐτὴν, δι' ἣν νομίζει τοῦ πλείονος χρῄζειν· καὶ τὸ παρ' αὐτῶν δοκιμασθὲν παραφυλαττέτω. Πολ λάκις γὰρ ἑτέρῳ μᾶλλον τρόπῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν τῇ χρείᾳ γενέσθαι δεήσει. 31.1176 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΛΘʹ. Τῆς νηστείας ἐπιτεινομένης, ἀτονώτεροι γινό μεθα εἰς τὸ ἔργον. Τί οὖν χρὴ μᾶλλον· ἐμποδίζειν τῷ ἔργῳ διὰ τὴν νηστείαν, ἢ παρ ορᾷν ἐκείνην διὰ τὸ ἔργον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Καὶ τὴν νηστείαν, καὶ τὸ φαγεῖν μετὰ λόγου τοῦ