Feast Day: May 8th
The Life of Saint Arsenios: He was renowned for his austerity and silence…
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Prayers
Apolytikion – Tone 1: Thou didst spurn fleeting delights, when commanded from Heaven like Abraham, and in thy life thou didst emulate the Angels; thou wast famous in wisdom, word and deed. O God-bearing Arsenios, entreat Christ our God unceasingly that He will have mercy on our Souls.
Kontakion – Tone 2: While living on Earth thou didst show forth the life of the Angels, O God-bearing Arsenios, and thou wast granted their honour. Now as thou art standing with them before the Throne of God, thou dost pray for forgiveness for all.
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While still living in the palace, Abba Arsenios prayed to God in these words, ‘Lord, lead me in the way of salvation.’ And a voice came saying to him, ‘Arsenios, flee from men and you will be saved.’
Having withdrawn to the solitary life he made the same Prayer again and he heard a voice saying to him, Arsenios, flee, be silent, Pray always, for these are the source of sinlessness!’
It was said of him that, just as none in the palace had worn more splendid garments than he when he lived there, so no-one in the Church wore such poor clothing.
It was also said of him that on Saturday evenings, preparing for the glory of Sunday, he would turn his back on the sun and stretch out his hands in Prayer towards the Heavens, till once again the sun shone on his face. Then he would sit down.
Abba Daniel used to say this about him: ‘He never wanted to reply to a question concerning the Scriptures, though he could well have done so had he wished, just as he never readily wrote a letter. When from time to time he came to church he would sit behind a pillar, so that no-one should see his face and so that he himself would not notice others. His appearance was angelic, like that of Jacob. His body was graceful and slender; his long beard reached down to his waist. Through much weeping his eye-lashes had fallen out. Tall of stature, he was bent with old age. He was ninety-five when he died. For forty years he was employed in the palace of Theodosius the Great of divine memory, who was the father of the divine Arcadius and Honorius; then he lived forty years in Scetis, ten years in Troe’ above Babylon, opposite Memphis and three years at Canopus of Alexandria. The last two years he returned to Troe where he died, finishing his course in peace and the fear of God. He was a good man “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.” (Acts 11.24) He left me his leather tunic, his white hair-shirt and his palm-leaf sandals. Although unworthy, I wear them, in order to gain his blessing.’
It was said of him that he had a hollow in his chest channeled out by the tears which fell from his eyes all his life while he sat at his manual work. When Abba Poemen learned that he was dead, he said weeping, ‘Truly you are blessed, Abba Arsenios, for you wept for yourself in this world! He who does not weep for himself here below will weep eternally hereafter; so it is impossible not to weep, either voluntarily or when compelled through suffering.’
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It happened that when Abba Arsenios was sitting in his cell that he was harassed by demons. His servants, on their return, stood outside his cell and heard him praying to God in these words, ‘O God, do not leave me. I have done nothing good in your sight, but according to Your goodness, let me now make a beginning of good.’
“Strive with all your might to bring your interior activity into accord with God, and you will overcome exterior passions.”
A brother came to the cell of Abba Arsenios at Scetis. Waiting outside the door he saw the old man entirely like a flame. (The brother was worthy of this sight.) When he knocked, the old man came out and saw the brother marvelling. He said to him, ‘Have you been knocking long? Did you see anything here?’ The other answered, ‘No.’ So then he talked with him and sent him away.
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“I have often repented of having spoken, but never of having been silent.”
Someone said to blessed Arsenios, ‘How is it that we, with all our education and our wide knowledge get nowhere, while these Egyptian peasants acquire so many virtues?’ Abba Arsenios said to him, ‘We indeed get nothing from our secular education, but these Egyptian peasants acquire the virtues by hard work.’
One day Abba Arsenios consulted an old Egyptian monk about his own thoughts. Someone noticed this and said to him, Abba Arsenios, how is it that you with such a good Latin and Greek education, ask this peasant about your thoughts?’ He replied, ‘I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant.’
It was said of the same Abba Arsenios that he only changed the water for his palm-leaves once a year; the rest of the time he simply added to it. One old man implored him in these words, ‘Why do you not change the water for these palm-leaves when it smells bad?’ He said to him, ‘Instead of the perfumes and aromatics which I used in the world I must bear this bad smell.’
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“If we seek God, He will shew Himself to us, and if we keep Him, He will remain close to us.”
Someone said to Abba Arsenios, ‘My thoughts trouble me, saying, “You can neither fast nor work; at least go and visit the sick, for that is also charity.” ‘ But the old man, recognizing the suggestions of the demons, said to him, ‘Go, eat, drink, sleep, do no work, only do not leave your cell.’ For he knew that steadfastness in the cell keeps a monk in the right way.
Abba Daniel said of Abba Arsenios that he used to pass the whole night without sleeping, and in the early morning when nature compelled him to go to sleep, he would say to sleep, ‘Come here, wicked servant.’ Then, seated, he would snatch a little sleep and soon wake up again.
Abba Arsenios used to say that one hour’s sleep is enough for a monk if he is a good fighter.
The old man used to tell how one day someone handed round a few dried figs in Scetis. Because they were not worth anything, no one took any to Abba Arsenios in order not to offend him. Learning of it, the old man did not come to the synaxis saying, ‘You have cast me out by not giving me a share of the blessing which God had given the brethren and which I was not worthy to receive.’ Everyone heard of this and was edified at the old man’s humility. Then the Priest went to take him the small dried figs and brought him to the synaxis with joy.
Abba Daniel used to say, ‘He lived with us many a long year and every year we used to take him only one basket of bread and when we went to find him the next year we would eat some of that bread.”
Abba Daniel used to tell how when Abba Arsenios learned that all the varieties of fruit were ripe he would say, ‘Bring me some.’ He would taste a very little of each, just once, giving thanks to God.
Abba Mark asked Abba Arsenios, ‘Is it good to have nothing extra in the cell? I know a brother who had some vegetables and he has pulled them up.’ Abba Arsenios replied, ‘Undoubtedly that is good but it must be done according to a man’s capacity. For if he does not have the strength for such a practice he will soon plant others.’
Abba David related this about Abba Arsenios. One day a magistrate came, bringing him the will of a senator, a member of his family who had left him a very large inheritance. Arsenios took it and was about to destroy it. But the magistrate threw himself at his feet saying, ‘I beg you, do not destroy it or they will cut off my head.’ Abba Arsenios said to him, ‘But I was dead long before this senator who has just died,’ and he returned the will to him without accepting anything.
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Abba Arsenios used to say that a Monk traveling abroad should not get involved in anything; thus he will remain in peace.
Abba Mark said to Abba Arsenios, ‘Why do you avoid us?’ The old man said to him, ‘God knows that I love you, but I cannot live with God and with men. The thousands and ten thousands of the heavenly hosts have but one will, while men have many. So I cannot leave God to be with men.’
A Father went to see Abba Arsenios. When he knocked at the door the old man opened it, thinking that it was his servant. But when he saw that it was someone else he fell on his face to the ground. The other said to him, ‘Get up, Father, so that I may greet you.’ But the old man replied, ‘I shall not get up till you have gone,’ and in spite of much pleading he did not get up until the other had gone away.
Once at Scetis Abba Arsenios was ill and he was without even a scrap of linen. As he had nothing with which to buy any, he received some through another’s charity and he said, ‘I give you thanks, Lord, for having considered me worthy to receive this charity in your name.’
Abba Daniel, the disciple of Abba Arsenios, related this: ‘One day I found myself close to Abba Alexander and he was full of sorrow. He lay down and stared up into the air because of his sorrow. Now it happened that the blessed Arsenios came to speak with him and saw him lying down. During their conversation he said to him, And who was the layman whom I saw here?’ Abba Alexander said, ‘Where did you see him?’ He said, As I was coming down the mountain I cast my eyes in this direction towards the cave and I saw a man stretched full length looking up into the air.’ So Abba Alexander did penance, saying, ‘Forgive me, it was I; I was overcome by sorrow.’ The old man said to him, Well now, so it was you? Good; I thought it was a layman and that was why I asked you.’
One day Abba Arsenios came to a place where there were reeds blowing in the wind. The old man said to the brothers, ‘What is this movement?’ They said, ‘Some reeds’ Then the old man said to them, ‘When one who is living in silent prayer hears the song of a little sparrow, his heart no longer experiences the same peace. How much worse it is when you hear the movement of those reeds.’
Abba Daniel said that some brothers proposing to go to the Thebaid to find some flax said, Let us also take the opportunity to see Abba Arsenios.’ So Abba Alexander came to tell the old man, ‘Some brothers who have come from Alexandria wish to see you.’ The old man answered, Ask them why they have come.’ Having learned that they were going to the Thebaid to look for flax, he reported this to the old man, who said, ‘They will certainly not see the face of Arsenios for they have not come on my account but because of their work. Make them rest and send them away in peace and tell them the old man cannot receive them.’
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