Anecdotes of Discipline and Faith
I visited the holy father Macarius at the very midday, and burning exceedingly with thirst I asked for water to drink; but he says: Be satisfied with the shade; for many now traveling or sailing are lacking even this.
Then, while I was speaking words to him concerning training in self-control: Take courage, he says, child, in twenty whole years I have taken no satiety of bread, nor of water, nor of sleep; for I ate my bread by weight, I drank water by measure, and leaning myself against the walls, I snatched a small part of sleep.
The death of his father was announced to one of the monks; but to the one who announced it he says: Stop blaspheming; for my father is immortal.
One of the brothers asked one of the elders whether he orders him, on visiting the house, to eat with his mother and sisters; but he said: With a woman you shall not eat.
One of the brothers possessed only a gospel, and having sold it he gave it for food to the hungry, uttering a word worthy of remembrance: For I, he says, have sold the very word that says to me: Sell your possessions and give to the poor.
Greek
Παρέβαλον κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν σταθερὰν μεσημβρίαν τῷ ἁγίῳ πατρὶ Μακαρίῳ καὶ λίαν ὑπὸ τῆς δίψης φλεγόμενος ᾔτουν ὕδωρ πιεῖν· ὁ δέ φησιν· ἀρκέσθητι τῇ σκιᾷ· πολλοὶ γὰρ νῦν ὁδοιποροῦντες ἢ πλέοντες καὶ ταύτης ἐστέρηνται. Εἶτα λόγους μου πρὸς αὐτὸν περὶ ἐγκρατείας γυμνάζοντος· θάρσει, φησίν, ὦ τέκνον, ἐν ὅλοις ἔτεσιν εἴκοσι οὔτε ἄρτου, οὔτε ὕδατος, οὔτε ὕπνου κόρον εἴληφα· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἄρτον μου ἤσθιον σταθμῷ, τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ ἔπινον μέτρῳ, τοῖς τοίχοις δὲ ἐμαυτὸν παρακλίνων μικρόν τι τοῦ ὕπνου μέρος ἀφήρπαζον. 95 Ἐμηνύθη τινὶ τῶν μοναχῶν θάνατος τοῦ πατρός· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀπαγγείλαντα, παῦσαι, φησί, βλασφημῶν· ὁ γὰρ ἐμὸς πατὴρ ἀθάνατός ἐστιν. 96 Ἐπύθετό τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἑνὸς τῶν γερόντων εἰ κελεύοι τῇ μητρὶ καὶ ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς συμφαγεῖν αὐτὸν παραβαλόντα τῷ οἴκῳ· ὁ δέ, μετὰ γυναικός, εἶπεν, οὐ βρώσῃ. 97 Ἐκέκτητό τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν εὐαγγέλιον μόνον, καὶ τοῦτο πωλήσας ἔδωκεν εἰς τροφὴν τοῖς πεινῶσιν, ἄξιον μνήμης ἐπιφθεγξάμενος ῥῆμα· αὐτὸν γάρ, φησί, τὸν λόγον πεπώληκα τὸν λέγοντά μοι· πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς.