Sint Antonius.
Ek lees die onderstaande stuk vanmiddag. Dit kom uit 'n heel ander konteks en sou vir sommige vreemd wees.
Maar die wysheid daarin loop diep: wat saak maak is nie wat 'n mens alles kan oopkrap of verstaan of ken nie. Wat tel is of 'n mens jou eie huis in orde kry en God vertrou om in goddelike wysheid die regte ding te doen.
Hier is die gedeelte:
When Abba Anthony thought about the depth of the judgments of God, he asked, “Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age?
“Why are there those who are poor and those who are rich? Why do wicked men proper and why are the just in need?”
He heard a voice answering him, “Anthony, keep your attention on yourself; these things are according to the judgment of God, and it is not to your advantage to known anything about them.”
Someone asked Abba Anthony, “What must one do in order to please God?”
The old man replied, “Pay attention to what I tell you: whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes, whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved.”
Abba Anthony said to Abba Poemen, “This is the great work of man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath.
He also said, “Whoever has not experienced temptation cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” He even added, “Without temptations no-one can be saved.”
Abba Pambo asked Abba Anthony, “What ought I to do?” and the old man said to him, “Do not trust in your own righteousness, do not worry about the past, but control your tongue and your stomach.”
Abba Anthony said, “I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, “What can get through from such snares?” Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Humility.’”
He also said, “Some have afflicted their bodies by asceticism, but they lack discernment, and so they are far from God.”
He said also, “Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ.”
One day some old men came to see Abba Anthony. In the midst of them was Abba Joseph. Wanting to test them, the old man suggested a text from the Scriptures, and, beginning with the youngest, he asked them what it meant.
Each gave his opinion as he was able. But to each one the old man said, “You have not understood it.” Last of all he said to Abba Joseph, “How would you explain this saying?” and he replied, “I do not know.”
Then Abba Anthony said, “Indeed, Abba Joseph has found the way, for he has said: ‘I do not know.’”
Antony the Great (c.251-356): Thirty-Eight Sayings, 2-9, 17, translated by the Sr Benedicta Ward SLGin The Sayings of the Desert Fathers; online text here.
Sien ooh: http://enlargingtheheart.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/antony-the-great-always-have-god-before-your-eyes/
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