Wisdom Stories

Here is one of the earliest accounts in existence of a young man requesting to become a monk. 

Pachomius, the founder of the communal form of monasticism, is just beginning his life as a monk.  A touching story, it surprises by its freshness and vivid description of a deeply human encounter between an old monk and idealistic young man which took place over sixteen centuries ago!

He knocked on the door of the cell. Immediately, the old man looked out through the window, saw him, and said roughly: “Why are you knocking?” - for he was abrupt in speech. Pachomius replied: “Father, I wish you would allow me to become a monk in your company”. The old man, Apa Palamoun replied: “What you ask is not so easy. Many young men have come here for that very purpose and could not bear this way of life – they turned back, because they were unwilling to labor at virtue. Now then – go settle down in a cell of your own, hold on firmly to what God has given you, and you will be honorable in His sight. Test yourself in the discipline of the monastic way of life to see if you can be steadfast – then, when you are ready, come back to me again. When you come back, I will be ready, as far as my own weakness allows, to labor along side you until you get to know yourself.” He went on to say: “This is my way of life which I learned from those who went before me: I always spend half the night and often the whole night in the recitation of scripture and prayer, while applying myself to manual work, lest I be overcome by sleep. Drinking wine, eating cooked meats – these things are quite unknown to me. I fast until evening, eating only one time during the day in summer, while in the winter, I eat every other or third day. I recite sixty prayers during the day, and fifty during the night. So – I have told you what the law of monastic life is. Now, go, try yourself in every point. If you are able to do what I have taught you, and if you do not timidly run away, then I will rejoice with you! When Pachomius heard Palamoun say this, he answered humbly: “I have been trying myself in everything for days before entrusting myself to your kindness!” Then Palamoun came down, opened the door, embraced him warmly and said: “Do not think, my son, that what I said to you about my harsh asceticism, prayers, and vigils, I said out of vainglory. Do not think either that I wish to impose on you in any way. I only mean to teach you how to work at your salvation so that you might have no pretext against me on the day of judgment.” He received Pachomius with joy and kept him in his company for days and tested him. After the old man had tried him for three full months, and seen his courage and his firm determination, he took a monk's habit with the belt and he placed it before the altar, and they spent the whole night praying over them. Then he clothed him with it at day-break, and they celebrated the morning prayer together with joy.