188- I Heard Nothing

At the door of the parish of Fayoum, the priest asked about his grace Bishop Abram. They told him that he was sitting, as usual, on his couch. So he went in.

When the father bishop saw the priest, he welcomed and hugged him, asking about him. The priest sighed bitterly saying, “I couldn’t sleep all night, father.”

“Why?”

“Because of my colleague the other priest.”

 Anba Abram stayed silent without any response. But the priest continued complaining of his colleague. Then Anba Abram asked one of the people working in the parish called Rizk to get him a cup of coffee.

The priest drank it and continued in his complaints. Anba Abram asked for another cup of coffee for the priest.

The priest continued talking bitterly and the bishop did not utter a word or show any response. Finally the priest ended his conversation saying, "I’ve burdened you with my complaints but you didn’t answer with a word or guide me."

Anba Abram looked at him and said, "I’ll ask for another cup of coffee for you. Relax your mind. Believe me I didn’t hear anything of what you said."

The priest was greatly embarrassed and he apologized because of his complaints against his colleague and asked the bishop to pray for him so he could control his tongue and not to condemn anyone. Then he bent his head pleading for the prayers of Anba Abram to ask God's forgiveness for his sins.

When the priest finished, he left Anba Abram to find his colleague priest in front of him so he embraced and kissed him forgetting everything he did.

The priest went back to Anba Abram after some time. The bishop inquired about his colleague. The priest answered that all things were fine and that his colleague whom he thought was a troublemaker beforehand has become extremely nice to him and that he even has felt that he was not worthy of his fellowship and his blessings. The priest was even praising his colleague. The bishop rejoiced and looked happily at him saying, "Hurry to the church and take part in the holy mass."

The priest left Anba Abram and hurried to the church where he took part in the mass with the other priests feeling great spiritual and heavenly happiness. The mass ended quickly and the priest headed to the front door carrying a Korban (The Holy Bread) but he found it closed. The priest knocked at the door until the janitor opened and was surprised and asked the priest, “How did you go into the church?”

“The door was open.”

“I didn’t open it.”

“How did this happen. I already took part with the other priests in the service of the Holy Mass.”

“Which Mass?”

“The Holy Mass.”

“There was no Holy Mass today.”

“I tell you, I took part in the prayers myself and this is the Korban of offering.”

Then the priest realized that he was praying in a Holy Mass with a group of hermit priests as a reward for his repentance from his colleague's condemnation and the great love his heart carries.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: لم أسمع شيئًا.

+ Let my tongue stop condemning others.

Let my heart and mind look at You in heavens.

+ Let me not be occupied by the weaknesses of others,

So I could enjoy my partnership with the holy saints.

+ Let me not condemn anyone, to avoid the eternal condemnation.

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