Book 22

While I was fasting, and sitting on a certain mountain, and thanking the Lord for all that he had done with me, I saw the shepherd sitting by me, and saying: Why have you come here so early? Because, sir, said I, I have a station.

What, said he, is a station. I am fasting, sir, said I. But, said he, what is this fast, which you are fasting? I am fasting, sir, said I, as I have been accustomed.

You do not know, said he, how to fast to the Lord, and this useless fast which you are fasting to him is not a fast? Why, sir, said I, do you say this? I tell you, said he, that this fast which you think to fast is nothing, but I will teach you what is a fast, acceptable and complete to the Lord. Listen, he said:

God does not wish such a vain fast. For if you thus fast to God you do nothing for righteousness. But fast to God in this way:

do nothing evil in your life, but serve the Lord with a pure heart; keep his commandments, and walk in his ordinances, and let no evil desire arise in your heart, but believe in God, that if you do these things and fear him, and refrain from every wicked act, you shall live to God; and if you do this you will fulfil a great fast and one acceptable to God.

Listen to the Parable which I am going to tell you concerning Fasting.

A certain man had a field, and many servants, and on part of the field he planted a vineyard. And he chose out a certain servant, who was faithful, in good esteem and honour with him, and he called him and said to him: Take this vineyard which I have planted, and fence it until I come, and do nothing more to the vineyard. And follow this order of mine and you shall have your freedom from me. And the master of the servant went abroad.

Now when he had gone the servant took and fenced the vineyard, and when he had finished the fencing of the vineyard he saw that the vineyard was full of weeds.

Therefore he reasoned in himself, saying: I have finished this order of the Lord; I will next dig this vineyard, and it will be better when it is dug, and having no weeds will yield more fruit, not being choked by the weeds. He took and dug the vineyard, and pulled out all the weeds which were in the vineyard. And that vineyard became very beautiful and fertile with no weeds to choke it.

After a time the master of the servant and the field came, and entered into the vineyard, and seeing the vineyard beautifully fenced, and moreover dug, and all the weeds pulled up and vines fertile, he was greatly pleased at the acts of the servant.

So he called his beloved son, whom he had as heir, and his friends whom he had as counsellors, and told them what he had ordered his servant, and what he had found accomplished. And they congratulated the servant on the character which the master gave him.

And he said to them: I promised this servant his freedom if he kept the orders which I gave him. Now he has kept my orders, and has added good work in the vineyard, and greatly pleased me. So in reward for this work which he has done I wish to make him joint heir with my son, because, when he had a good thought he did not put it on one side, but carried it out.

The son of the master agreed with this plan, that the servant should be joint heir with the son.

After a few days he made a feast and sent to him much food from the feast. But the servant took the food which was sent to him by the master, kept what was sufficient for himself, and distributed the rest to his fellow-servants.

And his fellow-servants were glad when they received the food, and began to pray for him, that he might find greater favour with his master, because he had treated them thus.

His master heard all these events, and again rejoiced greatly at his conduct. The master again assembled his friends and his son and reported to them what he had done with the food which he had received, and they were still more pleased that the servant should be made joint heir with his son.

I said: Sir, I do not know these parables and I cannot understand them if you do not explain them to me.

I will explain everything to you, he said, and everything that I talk with you.

I will show you his commandments and if you do anything good, beyond the commandment of God, you will gain for yourself greater glory, and shall be more honourable with God than you were destined to be. If then, you keep the commandments of God, and add these services also, you shall rejoice, if you keep them according to my commandment.

I said to him: Sir, I will keep whatever you command me, for I know that you are with me. I will be with you, said he, because you have such zeal for doing good, and I will be with all, said he, who have this zeal.

This fast, said he, if the commandments of the Lord are kept, is very good. You shall therefore keep this fast, which you are going to observe in this way:

First of all, keep from every evil word, and from every evil desire and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you keep these things, this fist shall be perfect for you.

And you shall do thus: After completing what has been written, in that day on which you fast you shall taste nothing except bread and water, and you shall reckon the price of the expense for that day which you are going to keep, of the foods which you would have eaten, and you shall give it to a widow or an orphan or to some one destitute, and you shall thus be humble-minded that through your humility he who receives it may fill his soul and pray to the Lord for you.

If then you thus fulfil the fast as I commanded you, your sacrifice shall be acceptable to God, and this fast shall be written down to your credit, and the service which is thus done is good and joyful and acceptable to the Lord.

You shall therefore keep these things thus with your children and all your house, and if you keep them you shall be blessed, and all who hear them and keep them shall be blessed and shall obtain from the Lord whatever they ask.

I besought him much to explain to me the parable of the field and the master and the vineyard and the servant who fenced the vineyard, and the fences, and the weeds which were pulled up from the vineyard, and the son, and the friends the counsellors. For I understood that all these things are a parable.

He answered and said to me: You are very importunate with asking. You ought not, he said, to ask at all, for if it be necessary for it to be explained to you it will be explained. I said to him: Sir, whatever you show me and do not explain I shall have seen in vain, and not understand what it is. So likewise it you speak parables to me and do not interpret them to me, I shall have heard something from you in vain.

He answered and said to me again: Whoever, said he, is God’s servant, and has his Lord in his heart, seeks understanding from him and receives it, and he interprets every parable, and the sayings of the Lord which were spoken through parables are made known to him. But as many as are weak and idle in prayer, those hesitate to ask from the Lord.

But the Lord is very merciful and gives unceasingly to all who ask from him. But you, since you have been given power by the Holy Angel, and received from him such intercession and are not idle, wherefore do you not seek understanding from the Lord and receive it from him?

I said to him: Sir, when I have you with me I needs must ask you and enquire of you, for you show me all things and talk with me, but if I had seen or heard them without you, I should have asked the Lord that it might be explained to me.

I told you, said he, just now, that you are obstinate and importunate in asking for the, explanations of the parable. But since you are so persistent I will explain to you the parable of the field and all the other consequences of it, that you may make them known to everyone. Listen, now, he said, and understand it.

The field is this world, and the Lord of the field is He who created everything, and perfected it and gave it strength. And the servant is the Son of God, and the vines are this people which he planted.

And the fences are the holy Angels of the Lord who support his people. And the weeds which are pulled up out of the vineyard are iniquities of the servants of God. And the food which he sent to him from the supper is the commandments which he gave to his people through his Son, and the friends and counsellors are the holy Angels who were first created. And the absence of the Master is the time which remains before his coming.

I said to him: Sir, all is great and wonderful and all is glorious. How then, said I, could I understand it? Nor is there any other man, however understanding he may be, who can understand it. Moreover, sir, said I, explain to me what I am going to ask you.

Say, said he, what you wish. Why, said I, sir, is the Son of God in the parable given the form of a servant?

Listen, said he: The Son of God is not given the form of a servant., but is given great power and lordship. How, sir? said I, I do not understand.

Because God planted the vineyard, said he, that is, created the people, and gave it over to his Son. And the Son appointed the angels over them to keep them. And he himself cleansed their sins, labouring much and undergoing much toil. For no vineyard can be dug without toil or labour.

When, therefore, he had cleansed the sins of the people, he showed them the ways of life, and gave them the law which he received from his Father.

But listen why the Lord took his Son and the glorious angels as counsellors concerning the heritage of the servant.

The Holy Spirit which pre-exists, which created all creation, did God make to dwell in the flesh which he willed. Therefore this flesh, in which the Holy Spirit dwelled, served the Spirit well, walking in holiness and purity, and did not in any way defile the spirit.

When, therefore, it had lived nobly and purely, and had laboured with the Spirit, and worked with it in every deed, behaving with power and bravery, he chose it as companion with the Holy Spirit; for the conduct of this flesh pleased him, because it was not defiled while it was bearing the Holy Spirit on earth.

Therefore he took the Son and the glorious angels as counsellors, that this flesh also, having served the Spirit blamelessly, should have some place of sojourn, and not seem to have lost the reward of its service. For all flesh in which the Holy Spirit has dwelt shall receive a reward if it be found undefiled and spotless.

You have the explanation of this parable also.

I am glad, sir, said I, to hear this explanation. Listen, now, he said. Guard this flesh of yours, pure and undefiled, that the spirit which dwells in it may bear it witness, and your flesh may be justified.

See to it, lest the idea enter your heart that this flesh of yours is mortal, and you abuse it in some defilement. For if you defile your flesh you defile also the Holy Spirit, and if you defile the flesh you shall not live.

But, if, sir, said I, there was any previous ignorance before these words were heard, how can the man who defiled his flesh be saved? For the former ignorances, said he, it is possible for God alone to give healing, for he has all power, if, for the future, you defile neither the flesh nor the spirit; for both are in communion, and neither can be defiled without the other. Keep, therefore, both pure, and you shall live to God.