- Our Holy Father Sisoës the Great of Egypt (429)
- One of the greatest of the Desert Fathers, he lived in asceticism at
Scetis in Egypt. After the death of St Anthony the great, Abba Sisoës
became a hermit in Anthony's cave, saying "Thus in the cave of a lion, a
fox makes his dwelling." In his own lifetime he was granted the grace
to heal the sick, drive out unclean spirits, and even raise the dead.
-
As his death approached after a long life in the desert, his brethren
gathered around him. His face began to shine, and he said, "See, Abba
Anthony is here!" then, "See, the choir of the prophets is here!" Seeing
that he seemed to be speaking with someone, his brethren asked him who
it was. He replied, "The Angels are here, and I am asking them for time
to repent." Amazed, they asked him what he could have to repent of, to
which he replied, "Brethren, I do not know if I have even begun to
repent." Finally, his face became as bright as the sun, and he said,
"See, the Lord is here, and He says, 'Bring Me the vessel of the
desert.'" With this, he gave his soul up to God, and his entire dwelling
was filled with light and sweet fragrance.
-
Some of his teaching, as told in the Prologue:
"St Sisoës taught his monks: 'When temptation comes to a man, that man
must give himself over to the will of God, and acknowledge that the
temptation comes upon him because of his sins. If something good comes
to pass, he must acknowledge that it comes about by the providence of
God.' A monk asked him: 'How can I please God and be saved?' The saint
replied: 'If you desire to please God, withdraw from the world,
separate yourself from the earth, leave aside creation and draw near to
the Creator, unite yourself to God with prayers and tears, and you will
find rest in this world and in the next.' A monk asked Sisoes: 'How can
I acquire humility?' The saint replied: 'When a man learns to regard
every man as better than himself, he thus acquires humility.' Ammon
complained to Sisoes that he could not memorise the wise sayings that he
had read, to be able to quote them in conversation with others. The
saint replied: 'It is not necessary. That which is necessary is to
acquire purity of mind and to speak from this purity, placing one's hope
in God.'"
source: http://www.abbamoses.com
|
