Abba John of the Cells related this: “There was in Egypt a prostitute who was exceptionally beautiful and very wealthy, and men of rank used to come to her. One day she came to the church and wanted to go inside. The subdeacon standing at the doors would not let her enter, saying, ‘You are not worthy to enter the house of God, because you are unclean.’ As they argued, the bishop heard the commotion and came out. The prostitute said to him, ‘He will not let me enter the church.’ The bishop said to her, ‘You are not permitted to enter, because you are unclean.’ Struck with compunction, she said to him, ‘I will no longer commit fornication.’ The bishop said to her, ‘If you bring your money here, I will know that you will no longer commit fornication.’ When she brought it, he took it and burned it in the fire. She entered the church weeping and saying, ‘If this has happened to me here, what am I going to suffer there?’ She repented and became a vessel of election.”
Abba John of the Thebaid said, “A monk must first attain humility, for this is the first commandment of the Savior: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’”