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Snapshots
of the Divine
Life:
Short Lessons
from the
Lives & Sayings
of the Saints
26/11/09
Last Updated: 23/01/10
Main Index:
Arrangement by Saint Name:
Matthew I of Alexandria, Pope St., (15th Century)
#1 Animals | Saying/Incident: | Moral: | One day, while yet living in the desert, Pope St Matthew I of Alexandria was walking from one cell to another when a mother hyena approached him and began walking besides him, bearing the load of a bundle of clothes he had been carrying on his way. Sensing, by the spirit, that the mother hyena was in need of his service, Pope St Matthew let her take the lead so that she might direct him to where he might be able to assist her. The mother hyena eventually lead Pope St Matthew to a deep chasm, and stood at its brink with her eyes raised towards him imploringly. Pope St Matthew descended into the chasm to discover that the mother hyena’s cub had fallen into it. Placing it on his shoulder, he climbed back up the chasm and returned it to its mother. The mother hyena licked the Pope’s feet to show her appreciation. The next day, Pope St Matthew heard scratching at his door. Opening it, he found the mother hyena of the previous day accompanied by another mother hyena and her blind cub. Kneeling before them, Pope St Matthew placed his right hand on the disabled eyes of the cub and prayed for its healing. By his prayers, the cub’s eyesight was restored, and the hyenas lay at his feet licking them in gratitude. | The animals are as much the object of God’s Love as we, and so we are expected by our common Creator to serve them with compassion even as we are so commanded to love our fellow man. Man’s original authority over the animals, as delegated to him by God in Paradise, was not a dictatorial type of authority, but rather a paternal one entailing nurturing care. The Saints, exemplars of the restored paradisiacal human condition, consistently model the charitable disposition to animals inherent to the Christian calling, thus reminding us that amicable communion, not only with our fellow humans, but with our fellow creatures, is integral to our communion with God. The attitude of fear and enmity, amplified in particular in the typical human response to an animal of the type dealt with by Pope St Matthew I (the hyena) is a consequence of man’s fall from Grace which Saints such as Pope St Matthew have, by the life of Grace, reversed in the here and now. |
Sisoes, Abba St., (5th Century)
#1 Vengeance | Saying/Incident: | Moral: | A monk, to whom a brother did injustice, came to Abba Sisoes and told him: “A brother did injustice to me and I want to pay him back.” But the Elder began to beg him: “Don't do that, my child, but rather leave the revenge to God.” And the one said: “I won't calm down until I have paid him back.” The Elder told him: “Let's pray, brother.” And when he rose up, he said: “God, we don't need You anymore; for we take revenge for ourselves.” The monk, having heard this, fell before the Elder's feet, saying: “I'll go and make it up with my brother. Forgive me, Abba.” | Abba Sisoes’ prayer suggests that the pursuit of vengeance is a type of atheism in that it presumes a Godless world where the crude and violent circle of human justice displaces the authority and wisdom of God’s justice. Retributive satisfaction, as per the wisdom of Divine Justice, does not, despite all appearances, restore any genuine sense of balance with which True Justice is ultimately concerned; pursuing it as if it does denies the providential authority of God’s Justice. |
Yusab of Fuah, St., (18th Century)
#1 Fasting | Saying/Incident: | Moral: | "Don't fast with bread and salt whilst you eat the flesh of your brethren through judgement and slander". | Fasting is a means to an end; that end being, generally speaking, the elevation of the spirit on the wings of virtue. To engage in sinful acts whilst fasting is to defeat the very purpose of fasting. In likening slander/judgment of a brother to the eating of their flesh (i.e. meat), St Yusab in effect implies that slander/judgment is a form of breaking the fast. |
Arrangement by Subject:
Animals
#1: Matthew I of Alexandria, Pope St., (15th Century) | Saying/Incident: | Moral: | One day, while yet living in the desert, Pope St Matthew I of Alexandria was walking from one cell to another when a mother hyena approached him and began walking besides him, bearing the load of a bundle of clothes he had been carrying on his way. Sensing, by the spirit, that the mother hyena was in need of his service, Pope St Matthew let her take the lead so that she might direct him to where he might be able to assist her. The mother hyena eventually lead Pope St Matthew to a deep chasm, and stood at its brink with her eyes raised towards him imploringly. Pope St Matthew descended into the chasm to discover that the mother hyena’s cub had fallen into it. Placing it on his shoulder, he climbed back up the chasm and returned it to its mother. The mother hyena licked the Pope’s feet to show her appreciation. The next day, Pope St Matthew heard scratching at his door. Opening it, he found the mother hyena of the previous day accompanied by another mother hyena and her blind cub. Kneeling before them, Pope St Matthew placed his right hand on the disabled eyes of the cub and prayed for its healing. By his prayers, the cub’s eyesight was restored, and the hyenas lay at his feet licking them in gratitude. | The animals are as much the object of God’s Love as we, and so we are expected by our common Creator to serve them with compassion even as we are so commanded to love our fellow man. Man’s original authority over the animals, as delegated to him by God in Paradise, was not a dictatorial type of authority, but rather a paternal one entailing nurturing care. The Saints, exemplars of the restored paradisiacal human condition, consistently model the charitable disposition to animals inherent to the Christian calling, thus reminding us that amicable communion, not only with our fellow humans, but with our fellow creatures, is integral to our communion with God. The attitude of fear and enmity, amplified in particular in the typical human response to an animal of the type dealt with by Pope St Matthew I (the hyena) is a consequence of man’s fall from Grace which Saints such as Pope St Matthew have, by the life of Grace, reversed in the here and now. |
Fasting
#1: Yusab of Fuah, St., (18th Century) | Saying/Incident: | Moral: | "Don't fast with bread and salt whilst you eat the flesh of your brethren through judgement and slander". | Fasting is a means to an end; that end being, generally speaking, the elevation of the spirit on the wings of virtue. To engage in sinful acts whilst fasting is to defeat the very purpose of fasting. In likening slander/judgment of a brother to the eating of their flesh (i.e. meat), St Yusab in effect implies that slander/judgment is a form of breaking the fast. |
Vengeance
#1 Sisoes, Abba., (5th Century) | Saying/Incident: | Moral: | A monk, to whom a brother did injustice, came to Abba Sisoes and told him: “A brother did injustice to me and I want to pay him back.” But the Elder began to beg him: “Don't do that, my child, but rather leave the revenge to God.” And the one said: “I won't calm down until I have paid him back.” The Elder told him: “Let's pray, brother.” And when he rose up, he said: “God, we don't need You anymore; for we take revenge for ourselves.” The monk, having heard this, fell before the Elder's feet, saying: “I'll go and make it up with my brother. Forgive me, Abba.” | Abba Sisoes’ prayer suggests that the pursuit of vengeance is a type of atheism in that it presumes a Godless world where the crude and violent circle of human justice displaces the authority and wisdom of God’s justice. Retributive satisfaction, as per the wisdom of Divine Justice, does not, despite all appearances, restore any genuine sense of balance with which True Justice is ultimately concerned; pursuing it as if it does denies the providential authority of God’s Justice. |
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