They said of Abba Dioscorus of Nachiaste that his bread was made of barley and lentils. Each year he would begin one particular discipline, saying, “This year I will not meet anyone,” or, “I will not speak,” or, “I will not eat cooked food,” or, “I will not eat fruit or vegetables.” He did this with every discipline: when he completed one, he took up another. And he did this year by year.
A brother asked Abba Poemen, “My thoughts trouble me, making me leave my own sins and pay attention to my brother’s shortcomings.” The elder told him this about Abba Dioscorus: he would sit in his cell weeping over himself, while his disciple sat in another cell. When the disciple came to the elder, he found him weeping and said, “Father, why are you weeping?” The elder said, “I am weeping for my sins.” His disciple said, “You have no sins, Father.” The elder answered, “Truly, child, if I were permitted to see my sins, three or four other men would not be enough to weep for them.”
Abba Dioscorus said, “If we wear our heavenly garment, we will not be found naked. But if we are not found wearing that garment, what shall we do, brothers? For we too will hear that voice saying, ‘Throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Now, brothers, it will be a great shame for us, after wearing the monastic habit for so long, to be found at the hour of need without the wedding garment. Oh, the repentance that will then come upon us! Oh, the darkness that will fall upon us before our fathers and brothers, as they see us being punished by the angels of punishment!”