That One Must Be Watchful Not to Judge Anyone

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From the Wisdom of the Desert Fathers.

In a monastery there were two remarkable brothers who soon merited to see the grace of God descend upon each other. Now one day it happened that one of them went out of the monastery on a Friday and saw someone who was eating in the morning, and he said to him, ‘Why are you eating at this hour on a Friday?’ Later there was the synaxis [assembly] as usual. Now his brother saw that grace had withdrawn from him, and he was grieved. When they had returned to the cell he said to him, ‘My brother, what have you done? Indeed, I do not see the grace of God upon you as it used to be.’ The other answered him, ‘I am not aware of having done anything wrong, either in act or in thought.’ His brother said to him, ‘Have you spoken any words?’ Then he remembered and said, ‘Yesterday I saw someone who was eating outside the monastery early in the day, and I said to him, ‘Why are you eating at this hour on a Friday?’ This is my sin. But labor with me for two weeks, praying God to forgive me.’ They did this, and at the end of two weeks one brother saw the grace of God come upon the other and they were comforted and gave thanks to God.

About Fr. Stephen Freeman

Fr. Stephen is a retired Archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America. He is also author of Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe, and Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame, as well as the Glory to God podcast series on Ancient Faith Radio.



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3 responses to “That One Must Be Watchful Not to Judge Anyone”

  1. Sophocles Avatar
    Sophocles

    Father bless,

    Thank you for your site. This is my first time commenting here. I must admit, I really enjoy those sites that tend to have fireworks go off between the Orthodox and Roman Catholics in polemical debates. I state this because for this Lenten Season I will forsake getting online except for this site. Thank you once again.

    In Christ and in fellowship,

    Sophocles

    p.s. Great post. It got my attention because of above stated like for things polemical where “We’re right”.

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