March 28, 1999
Various Teachings on Prayer
and the Virtues
In this issue, we will look at the teachings of Abba Nilus and Abba
Nisterus. Unfortunately, there is no biographical information on either of these Desert
Fathers available, beyond the fact that they lived in the Egyptian desert. First, a few
thoughts from Abba Nilus on prayer, and then some teachings from Abba Nisterus on several
of the spiritual virtues:
BEGIN: Abba Nilus said, "Everything you do in revenge against
a brother who has harmed you will come back to your mind at the time of prayer."
"Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absence of
anger."
"Prayer is a remedy against grief and depression."
"Go, sell all that belongs to you and give it to the poor and
taking up the cross, deny yourself; in this way you will be able to pray without
distraction."
"Whatever you have endured out of love of wisdom will bear
fruit for you at the time of prayer."
"If you want to pray properly, do not let yourself be upset or
you will run in vain."
"Do not be always wanting everything to turn out as you think
it should, but rather as God pleases; then you will be undisturbed and thankful in your
prayer." END
Abba Nisterus on the spiritual virtues:
BEGIN: Abba Nisterus the Great was walking in the desert with a
brother. They saw a dragon and they ran away. The brother said to him, "Were you
frightened too, Father?" The old man said to him, "I am not afraid, my child,
but it is better for me to flee, so as not to have to flee from the spirit of
vainglory."
A brother questioned an old man saying, "What good work should
I do so that I may live?" The old man said, "God knows what is good. I have
heard it said that one of the Fathers asked Abba Nisterus the Great, the friend of Abba
Anthony, and said to him, "What good work is there that I could do?" He said to
him, "Are not all actions equal? Scripture says that Abraham was hospitable and God
was with him. David was humble, and God was with him. Elias loved interior peace and God
was with him. So, do whatever you see your soul desires according to God and guard your
heart."
Abba Joseph said to Abba Nisterus, "What should I do about my
tongue, for I cannot control it?" The old man said to him, "When you speak, do
you find peace?" He replied, "No." The old man said, "If you do not
find peace, why do you speak? Be silent and when a conversation takes place, it is better
to listen than to speak."
A brother saw Abba Nisterus wearing two tunics and he questioned
him saying, "If a poor man came to ask you for a tunic, which would you give
him?" He replied, "The better one." And if someone else asked you for one,
what would you give him?" The old man said, "Half of the other one." The
brother said, "And if someone else asked for one, what would you give him?" He
said, "I should cut the rest, give him half, and gird myself with whatever was
left." So, the brother said, "And if someone came and asked you for that, what
would you do?" The old man said, "I would give him the rest and go and sit down
somewhere, until God sent me something to cover myself with, for I would not ask anyone
for anything."
Abba Nisterus said that a monk ought to ask himself every night and
every morning, "What have we done that is as God will and what have we left undone of
that which he does not will?" "He must do this throughout his whole life. This
is how Abba Arsenius used to live. Every day strive to come before God without sin. Pray
to God in his presence, for he really is present. Do not impose rules on yourself; do not
judge anyone. Swearing, making false oaths, lying, getting angry, insulting people,
laughing, all that is alien to monks, and he who is esteemed or exalted above that which
he deserves suffers great harm."
They said of Abba Nisterus when he lived at Rhaithou that for three
weeks of the year he would weave baskets, making six each week." END
From Sr. Benedicta Ward, "The Sayings of the Desert
Fathers," (Kalamazoo, Michigan: Cistercian Publications, 1975), pp. 153-155
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