Hear No Evil, See No Evil and Speak No Evil

March 19, 2016 | A Word From the Desert

An old man said, 'The life of the monk is obedience, meditation, not judging, not slandering, not complaining. In truth it is written, "You who love the Lord, hate evil" (Ps 97:10).

The life of the monk is:

• not to take of him who is unjust;
• not to look at what is evil;
• not to interfere in everything;
• not to listen to irrelevant words;
• not to steal, but rather to give;
• not to be puffed up in his heart;
• not to have thoughts of fornication;
• not to be greedy;
• to do everything with discernment.

The life of the monk consists in these things.

Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Artwork: Phyllis Nicoll