Feast Day: July 6th
The Life of Saint Sisoes: When Saint Sisoes lay upon his deathbed, the disciples surrounding the Elder saw that his face shone like the sun. They asked the dying man what he saw. Abba Sisoes replied that he saw Saint Anthony, the prophets, and the apostles. His face increased in brightness, and he spoke with someone. The monks asked, “With whom are you speaking, Father?” He said that Angels had come for his Soul, and he was entreating them to give him a little more time for repentance. The Monks said, “You have no need for repentance, Father.” Saint Sisoes said with great humility, “I do not think that I have even begun to repent.”…
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Prayers
Troparion – Tone 1: Dweller of the desert and Angel in the body, you were shown to be a Wonder-worker, our God-bearing Father Sisoes. You received Heavenly Gifts through fasting, vigil, and Prayer: healing the sick and the Souls of those drawn to you by faith. Glory to Him Who gave you strength! Glory to Him who granted you a Crown! Glory to Him who through you grants healing to all!
Troparion – Tone 5: From your youth you followed the Angelic life and were therefore filled with many godly gifts. O Sisoes, emulator of the Angels, in the hour of your going forth from this life, you shone resplendently as the sun revealing your glory and illuminating our Souls!
Kontakion – Tone 4: In Asceticism you were revealed to be an Earthly Angel, continually enlightening the thoughts of the faithful with Divine signs. Therefore we honour you with faith, Venerable Sisoes.
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Sayings by Saint Sisoes
A brother whom another brother had wronged came to see Abba Sisoes and said to him, ‘My brother has hurt me and I want to avenge myself.’ The old man pleaded with him saying, ‘No, my child, leave vengeance to God.’ He said to him, ‘I shall not rest until I have avenged myself.’ The old man said, ‘Brother, let us Pray.’ Then the old man stood up and said, ‘God, we no longer need you to care for us, since we do justice for ourselves.’ Hearing these words, the brothers fell at the old man’s feet, saying, ‘I will no longer seek justice from my brother; forgive me, Abba.’
They said of Abba Sisoes that once when he was sitting down, he cried with a loud voice, ‘O misery!’ His disciple said to him, ‘What is the matter, father?’ The old man said to him, ‘I seek a man to speak to and I do not find one.’
“When there is someone who takes care of you, you are not to give him orders.”
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Abba Sisoes’ disciple often said to him, Abba, get up, and let us eat.’ And he would say to him, ‘Have we not eaten, my child?’ He would reply, ‘No, Father.’ The the old man would say, If we have not eaten, bring the food, and we will eat.’
When Abba Sisoes went to Clysma one day, some seculars came to see him. Though they talked a great deal, he did not answer them by so much as a word. Later, one of them said, ‘Why do you bother the old man? He does not eat; that is why he cannot speak.’ The old man replied, ‘For my part, I eat when the need arises.’
There was a Liturgy on the mountain of Abba Anthony and they had a small bottle of wine there. One of the old men took a jug and a cup and offered some to Abba Sisoes. He drank some. A second time, he also accepted some. But when he was offered some a third time, he did not accept it, saying, ‘Stop, brother, don’t you know that it is of Satan?’
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Abba Ammon complained to Sisoes that he could not memorize the wise sayings that he read in order to repeat them in conversation with men. The saint replied to him: “That is not necessary. It is necessary to attain purity of mind and speak from that purity placing your hope in God.”
Abba Ammoun of Rhaithou asked Abba Sisoes, ‘When I read the Scriptures, my mind is wholly concentrated on the words so that I may have something to say if I am asked.’ The old man said to him, ‘That is not necessary; it is better to enrich yourself through purity of spirit and to be without anxiety and then to speak.’
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A brother asked Abba Sisoes, ‘Did Satan pursue them like this in the early days?’ The old man said to him, ‘He does this more at the present time, because his time is nearly finished and he is enraged.’
“Make yourself little,” said he to a Monk, “renounce all sensual satisfactions, disengage yourself from the empty cares of the world, and you will find true peace of mind.”
Abba Sisoes expressed himself freely one day, saying, ‘Have confidence: for thirty years I have not Prayed to God about my faults, but I have made this Prayer to him: “Lord Jesus, save me from my tongue,” and until now every day, I fall because of it, and commit sin.’
A brother said to Abba Sisoes, ‘How is it that the passions do not leave me?’ The old man said, ‘Their tools are inside you; give them their pay and they will go.’
One of the brethren went to see Abba Sisoes on Abba Anthony’s mountain. While they were talking, he said to Abba Sisoes, ‘Have you already reached Abba Anthony’s stature, Father?’ The old man said to him, ‘If I had one of Abba Anthony’s thoughts, I should become all flame; but I do know a man, who with difficulty is able to bear Anthony’s thoughts.’
“Regardless in what way temptation comes to man, a man should give himself to the will of God and to recognize that temptation occurred because of his sins. If something good happens, it should be said that it happened according to God’s Providence.”
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A monk also asked Sisoes: How can I attain humility? The saint replied: When someone learns to acknowledge every man as being better than himself, then he has attained humility.
It was said of Abba Sisoes that when he was sitting in the cell he would always close the door.
A brother said to Abba Sisoes, ‘I am aware that the remembrance of God stays with me.’ The old man said to him, ‘It is no great thing to be with God in your thoughts, but it is a great thing to see yourself as inferior to all creatures. It is this, coupled with hard work, that leads to humility.’
“He who knowingly possess humility fulfils the whole of Scripture.”
A brother asked Abba Sisoes to give him a word. He said, ‘Why do you make me speak without need? Whatever you see, do that.’
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Abba Pistos related that which follows: Abba Pistos related that which follows: ‘We were seven Anchorities who went to see Abba Sisoes who lived at Clysma, begging him to give us word. He said to us, “Forgive me, for I am a very simple man. But I have been to Abba Or and to Abba Athre. Abba Or was ill for eighteen years. I made a prostration before him and asked him to give me a word. Abba Or said to me, ‘What shall I say to you? Go, and do what you see is right; God comes to him who reproaches himself and does violence to himself in everything.’ Abba Or and Abba Athre did not come from the same part of the country, yet until they left their bodies, there was great peace between them. Abba Athre’s obedience was great, and great was Abba Or’s humility. I spent several days with them, without leaving them for a moment, and I saw a great wonder that Abba Athre did. Someone brought them a little fish and Abba Athre wanted to cook it for the old man. He was holding the knife in the act of cutting up the fish and Abba Or called him. He left the knife in the middle of the fish and did not cut up the rest of it. I admired his great obedience, for he did not say, ‘Wait till I have cut up the fish.’ I said to Abba Athre, ‘Where did you find such obedience?’ He said to me, ‘It is not mine, but the old man’s.’ He took me with him, saying, ‘Come and see his obedience.’ He took the fish, intentionally cooked some of it badly, and offered it to the old man who ate it without saying anything. Then he said to him, ‘Is it good, old man?’ He replied, ‘It is very good.’ Afterwards he brought him a little that was well cooked and said, ‘Old man, I have spoiled it,’ and he replied, ‘Yes, you have spoiled it a little.’ Then Abba Athre said to me, ‘Do you see how obedience is intrinsic to the old man?’ I came away from there and what I have told you, I have tried to practice as far as I could.’