Once a monk from Rome came and lived in Scetis near the church. He had a servant who ministered to him. The priest, seeing his weakness and learning how splendidly he had lived before, sent him whatever he acquired or whatever was brought to the church. He remained in Scetis for twenty-five years and became well known for discernment. One of the great Egyptians heard about him and came to see him, expecting to find some extraordinary bodily austerity. He entered, greeted him, and after prayer they sat down. The Egyptian saw that the elder was wearing fine clothing, with a mat and a skin beneath him and a small pillow, and that his feet were clean and he wore sandals. He was scandalized, because the custom of that place was not like this but was rather one of harshness of life. The elder, however, had discernment and understood that he was scandalized. He said to his servant, “Make today a feast for us because of the Abba.” He had a few vegetables, which he cooked. At the proper time they rose and ate. The elder also had a little wine because of his weakness, and they drank it. When evening came they recited twelve psalms and went to sleep, and they did the same in the night. In the morning the Egyptian rose and said, “Pray for me,” and left without having benefited. When he had gone a short distance, the elder, wanting to help him, sent and called him back. When he returned, the elder received him joyfully and asked, “What country are you from?” He answered, “I am Egyptian.” “From what city?” He said, “I am not from a city at all.” “What was your work in your village?” He answered, “I was a field guard.” “Where did you sleep?” “In the field.” “Did you have bedding under you?” He answered, “Would I have put bedding under myself in the field?” “Then how did you sleep?” “On the ground.” Again the Roman asked, “What did you eat in the field, and what wine did you drink?” The Egyptian answered, “Is there food and drink in the field?” “Then how did you live?” He said, “I ate dry bread, and when I could I had a little salted food, and I drank water.” The elder said, “That is great toil. Is there a bath in your village for you to wash?” The Egyptian said, “No. We wash in the river when we wish.” When the elder had learned all the hardships of his former life, he wanted to help him and began to tell him about his own former life in the world. “I whom you see am a man of no account, but my home was the great city of Rome, and I was a great man in the emperor’s palace.” When the Egyptian heard this beginning, he was pierced with compunction and listened carefully. The elder continued, “I left the city and came to this desert. I whom you see had great houses and much wealth; I despised them and came into this little cell. I whom you see also had beds of solid gold covered with costly bedding, and in place of them God has given me this mat and this skin. My clothing was very costly; in place of it I wear these poor garments. Much gold was spent on my meals; in place of that God has given me these few vegetables and this small cup of wine. Many servants waited on me; in their place God inspired this elder to serve me. Instead of a bath I pour a little water on my feet, and because of my weakness I wear sandals. Instead of music and instruments I recite twelve psalms. Likewise at night, in place of the sins I used to commit, I now perform my small office in quiet. So I beg you, Abba, do not be scandalized by my weakness.” Hearing this, the Egyptian came to himself and said, “Woe to me! From much hardship in the world I have come to comfort, and the things I did not have then I now possess. But you have come from much comfort to hardship, from great glory and wealth to humility and poverty.” He went away greatly benefited, became the elder’s friend, and often visited him for profit, for the Roman was a man outstanding in discernment and full of the fragrance of the Holy Spirit.
The same elder related: “There was an elder who had an excellent disciple. In a moment of small-mindedness he drove him out, together with his sheepskin. The brother remained sitting outside. Later the elder opened the door and found him still sitting there. He made a prostration before him and said, ‘Father, the humility of your patience has conquered my small-mindedness. Come inside. From now on you will be the elder and father, and I will be the younger one and the disciple.’”