Peanut Gallery: A lesson for our times from a person who lived 1400 years ago. Some things never change.

Once Agatho was going on a journey with his disciples. One of them found a small bag of green peas on the road, and said to him, ‘Abba, if you say so, I will pick it up.’ Agatho looked at him in astonishment, and said, ‘Did you put it there?’ The brother replied, ‘No.’ Agatho said, ‘Why do you want to pick up something you did not put down?’

PENGUIN GROUP (UK) (2003-03-27). The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (p. 20). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.

Anthony said, ‘He who sits alone and is quiet has escaped from three wars: hearing, speaking, seeing: but there is one thing against which he must continually fight: that is, his own heart.’

PENGUIN GROUP (UK) (2003-03-27). The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (p. 8). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.

A brother asked a hermit, ‘Tell me something good that I may do it and live by it.’ The hermit said, ‘God alone knows what is good. But I have heard that one of the hermits asked the great Nesteros, who was a friend of Antony, ‘What good work shall I do?’ and he replied, ‘Surely all works please God equally? Scripture says, Abraham was hospitable and God was with him; Elijah loved quiet and God was with him; David was humble and God was with him.’ So whatever you find you are drawn to in following God’s will, do it and let your heart be at peace.’

PENGUIN GROUP (UK) (2003-03-27). The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (p. 5). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.