Saint Sharbel Makhluf, Hermit: ad singulárem pugnam erémi

Saint Sharbel Makhluf, Hermit: ad singulárem pugnam erémi

Deus, qui sanctum Sarbélium, presbýterum, ad singulárem pugnam erémi vocásti et omni génere pietátis imbuísti, concéde nobis, quǽsumus, ut, imitatóres domínicæ passiónis effécti, regno eius mereámur esse consórtes.

 O God, who called the priest Saint Sharbel Makhluf to the solitary combat of the desert and imbued him with all manner of devotion, grant us, we pray, that, being made imitators of the Lord's Passion, we may merit to be co-heirs of his Kingdom.

There was a brother who lived in the desert of the Thebaid and the thought crossed his mind, “Why do you live here in this useless way? Get up and go to the monastery and there you will make progress.” So he went and found Abba Paphnutius and told him about this thought. The old man said to him, “Go and stay in your cell; make only one prayer in the morning and one in the evening and one at night. When you are hungry, eat, when you are thirsty, drink; when you are tired, sleep. But stay in the cell and take no notice of this thought.” The brother went and found Abba John and told him what Abba Paphnutius had sad and Abba John said, “Don’t pray at all, just stay in the cell.” So the brother went and found Abba Arsenius and told him all about it and the old man said to him “Do as the others have told you. I have nothing to say but that,” and he went away satisfied.