Today March 21

Today, besides being Good Friday, is the feast of the beloved St. Serapion, Desert Father, died c. 370. He was also a bishop, a fearless defender of (and correspondent with) St. Athanasius, and an exile for his beliefs. He was an author, too, and wrote many admonitions, including: "The mind is purified by spiritual knowledge, the spiritual passions by charity, and the irregular appetites by abstinence." Wise words, especially today.

He was against all forms of avarice, even in the (gulp) possession of books. When a brother asked him for "a word," Abba Serapion looked around his cell and paused. He was reluctant to speak, but the brother begged him. He got an earful. "What shall I say to you? You have taken the living of widows and orphans and put it on your shelves." For he saw them full of books. Sigh.

He was unafraid of anyone. When he ran into a prostitute he said to her, "Expect me this evening for I should like to come and spend the night with you." The prostitute, not wanting to lose an opportunity, agreed. When Serapion arrived, he asked if the bed was ready. When she said it was, he said he must first fulfill his "rule of prayer." The woman started trembling as he prayed the psalms and after each one said a prayer for her conversion. When he was finally finished, she collapsed on the ground. He now started reading from St. Paul's Letters. The woman was moved to profound repentance and gave her life to God right then and there. He found her a home in a convent and later witnessed her holy death.

And finally, the story is told of a brother who came to Serapion for advice. When Serapion asked him to let him wash his feet, the brother refused, saying he was "unworthy." When Serapion asked him to join him in prayer, the brother again refused, saying he was "a sinner." Serapion then told him to stay in his cell, pay attention to himself, and do some manual work. When the brother got offended at this, Serapion let him have it. "Up to now you have called yourself a sinner and accused yourself of being unworthy, but when I admonished you lovingly, you were extremely put out. If you want to be humble, learn to bear generously what others inflict upon you."

Wise St. Serapion, pray for us.