Thought I'd start a thread for those who like the Desert Fathers and their often thought provoking quotes. Quotes meant to be that way, so you can meditate on their true meaning, and those who approach them wrongly may miss the meaning as they do not deserve to hear it, just as when Our Lord spoke in parables...
There's plenty of their material online as well as published in print for those who do not know them yet.
From the sayings of the Desert Fathers . . .
Abba Ammonas was asked, 'What is the "narrow and hard way?" (Mt. 7.14) He replied, 'The "narrow and hard way" is this, to control your thoughts, and to strip yourself of your own will, for the sake of God. This is also the meaning of the sentence, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you."' (Mt. 19.27)
It was said of him that he had a hollow in his chest channelled out by the tears which fell from his eyes all his life while he sat at his manual work. When Abba Poemen learned that he was dead, he said weeping, 'Truly you are blessed, Abba Arsenius, for you wept for yourself in this world! He who does not weep for himself here below will weep eternally hereafter; so it is impossible not to weep, either voluntarily or when compelled through suffering.'
It was also said of him (Abba Arsenius) that on Saturday evenings, preparing for the glory of Sunday, he would turn his back on the sun and stretch out his hands in prayer towards the heavens, till once again the sun shone on his face. Then he would sit down.
. . . Abba Abraham told of a man of Scetis who was a scribe and did not eat bread. A brother came to beg him to copy a book. The old man whose spirit was engaged in contemplation, wrote, omitting some phrases and with no punctuation. The brother, taking the book and wishing to punctuate it, noticed that words were missing. So he said to the old man, 'Abba, there are some phrases missing.' The old man said to him, 'Go, and practise first that which is written, then come back and I will write the rest.'
. . . Living nearby an earnest brother, who constantly experienced God mourning in his soul, dwelt another brother.
One day when the latter was preparing to go down to the city, he said to his virtuous brother: "My brother, be so kind as to take care of my garden until I return."
The other responded: "Believe me, my brother, to the best of my ability, I will not be negligent."
When his neighbor had departed for the city, the brother said to himself: "Lowly one, now that you have time, attend to the garden." But he remained standing for his prayer rule from that evening until morning, and did not cease chanting and praying with tears for the entire day.
Returning late, his neighbor discovered that his garden had been destroyed by porcupines. With some bitterness, he said to the brother: "May God forgive you, my brother; for you did not attend to my garden."
The brother replied: "Abba, God knows that I did my best to guard the little garden. I trust that He will grant the fruits thereof in time."
"In truth, my brother," replied the garden keeper, "it has been entirely destroyed and uprooted."
The earnest brother, wishing to console the garden keeper, told him: "I am aware of what you are telling me, my brother. God, however, is able to make the garden bear flowers and fruit anew."
"Come, let us water it," said the keeper of the garden.
"You go and water it now," the brother answered, "And I will water it at night."
Another time, when it had not rained for quite some time, the garden keeper sadly said to the earnest brother: "Believe me, my brother, that if God does not help, this year we will have no water at all."
And the brother replied: "Woe to us, my brother, if the wellsprings of the garden run dry; then, indeed, we will not be saved."
Now whereas the garden keeper was speaking about the tangible garden, the other brother meant tears and the secret garden of the heart, which he watered and cultivated that it might blossom.