There is an interesting story about Abba Mark the Egyptian
in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers.
Abba Mark was tempted by the devil to distrust and disparage the priest who
brought him communion in his cell, which Abba Mark did not leave for 30 years.
[The devil] brought it about
that a demoniac went to the old man, under the pretext of asking for prayers.
[He] cried out, “Your priest smells of sin, do not let him come near you any
more.”
But Mark, filled with the
spirit of God, said to him, “My son, everyone rids himself of impurity, but you
bring it. It is written: ‘Judge not for that you be not judged.’ However even
if he is a sinner, the Lord will save him, for it is written: ‘Pray for one
another that you may be healed.’”
When he had said this and when
he had prayed, he drove the devil out of the man and sent him away healed.
When the priest came…the old
man received him with joy. Seeing the absence of malice in the old man, the
good God showed him a marvel. When the priest prepared himself to stand before
the holy table, this is what the old man related:
“I saw the angel of the Lord
descend from heaven and place his hand on the priest’s head and he became like
a pillar of fire. I was filled with wonder at this sight, and I heard a voice
saying to me, ‘Man, why are you astonished at this? In truth, if an earthly
king does not allow his nobles to stand in his presence in soiled garments, but
only arrayed in glory, how much more will the divine power purify the servants
of the holy mysteries who stand before the heavenly glory?’”
And the noble athlete of
Christ, Mark the Egyptian, became great and was judged worthy of this grace
because he had not judged the priest.
Lord
Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.
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