Today March 27

Today is the feast of St. John of Egypt, Desert Father. Now, there are many Desert Fathers named John and they're ALL "of Egypt"! Now, St. John the Dwarf seems to have a significantly different date of death, so I will go with another.

In his youth Abba John questioned an old man, "How have you been able to carry out the work of God in peace? For we cannot do it, not even with labor." The old man said, "We were able to do it, because we considered the work of God to be primary, and bodily needs to be subsidiary; but you hold bodily necessities to be primary and the work of God to be secondary; that is why you labor, and that is why the Savior said to the disciples, 'Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.' " (Matt 6:33)

A brother lived in a cenobium and he was a very vigorous ascetic. Some brothers who had heard about him in Scetis, came to see him. They entered the place where he was working. He greeted them, and turning round, went back to his work. When they saw what he was doing, the brethren said to him, "John, who clothed you in the habit? Who made you a monk? Have you not been taught to take the sheepskin from the brothers and to say to them, let us pray; or perhaps, sit down." He said the them, "John, the sinner, has no time to attend to that."

Abba John told us this story: "There was in Egypt a very rich and beautiful courtesan, to whom noble and powerful people came. Now one day she happened to be near the church and she wanted to go in. The sub-deacon, who was standing at the doors, would not allow her to enter saying, 'You are not worthy to enter the house of God, for you are impure.' The bishop heard the noise of their argument and came out. Then the courtesan said to him, 'He will not let me enter the church.' So the Bishop said to her, 'You are not allowed to enter it, for you are not pure.' She was filled with compunction and said to him, 'Henceforth I will not commit fornication any more.' The bishop said to her, 'If you bring your wealth here, I shall know that you will not commit fornication any more.' She brought her wealth and the bishop burnt it all in the fire. Then she went into the church, weeping and saying, 'If this has happened to me below, what would I not have suffered above? So she was converted and became a vessel of election."

It was said of Abba John that his obedience was very great. Now there were some tombs thereabouts where a hyena lived. The old man saw some dung in the place, and told John to go and fetch it. He said, "And what shall I do about the hyena, abba?" The old man said to him jokingly, "If she sets upon you, tie her up and bring her here." So in the evening, the brother went there. And lo, the hyena fell upon him. According to the old man's instruction, he rushed to catch her. But the hyena ran away. He pursued her saying, "My abba says I am to tie you up." He seized her and bound her. Now the old man was uneasy and sat waiting for him. When he returned, he brought the hyena on a rope. When the old man saw this he was filled with wonder, but he wanted to humiliate him, so he struck him, and said, "Fool, why have you brought a silly dog here?" Then the old man set her free at once and let her go.

It was said of young John that he spent twelve years serving Abba Ammoes when he was ill. He stayed sitting with him on his mat. But the old man did not pay much attention to him, so much so that though he worked very hard for him, never did he say to him, "Salvation be yours." But when he was at the point of death and the old men surrounded him, he took John's hand and said to him, "Salvation be yours, salvation be yours, salvation be yours." Then he entrusted him to the old men, saying, "He is an angel, not a man."