From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   October 17th - St. John the Short   
    (Also known as Yoannis Pi Kolobos or John Colobas)   
      
   Introduction   
      
   Saint John, surnamed Kolobos, that is ``the Little'' or the ``the Dwarf'',   
   was   
   among the most eminent saints that inhabited the desert of Skete. In the   
   Divine   
   Liturgy, he is mentioned in the Congregation of the Saints and in ``Pi   
   nishti''.   
      
   His Way to Monastic Life   
      
   He was born about the year 339, around the Theban region in Upper Egypt in a   
   poor but holy family. His desire for monastic life led him since his early   
   years   
   to remote places where he trained himself for this austere life style. It   
   was   
   not long before he was led by Divine inspiration to leave his town. He   
   retired,   
   when only eighteen years old, into the wilderness of Skete  (also called the   
   Natroun Valley) and set himself with his whole heart to put on the spirit of   
   Christ.   
      
   He went to become a disciple of the old hermit,  Aba Pemouah (Also known as   
   St.   
   Pambo who was the teacher of Saint Pishoy-the perfect man).  Abba Pemouah   
   tried   
   to deter him from adopting this harsh monastic life. By night an angel   
   appeared   
   to him asking him to accept the young John as a monk. After three full days   
   of   
   fasting and prayers, the master and the disciple witnessed an angel blessing   
   the   
   new cloths John was to put on.   
      
   His Obedience   
      
   Saint John renounced all distraction and entertainment; and since   
   monasteries   
   were not built at that time, only hermits were populating the desert. He   
   endured   
   all the difficult tests as an experienced master rather than a bright   
   disciple.   
   Aba Pemouah led him to perfect watchfulness, solitude, subduing the body,   
   meekness, silence, humility, simplicity and obedience.   
      
   Aba Pemouah, who was his director for his first lesson, bade him to plant in   
   the   
   ground a walking stick, and water it every day till it should bring forth   
   fruit.   
   Saint John did so with great simplicity, though the river was about 12 miles   
   away from the stick. When he had continued his task, without speaking one   
   word   
   about it, into the third year the stick, which had taken root, pushed forth   
   leaves and buds and produced fruit. The old hermit, gathering the fruit,   
   carried   
   to the church, and giving it to some of the brethren, said, ``Take, and eat   
   the   
   fruit of obedience''. Postumian, who was in Egypt in 402, assured that he   
   was   
   shown this tree which grew in the yard of the monastery and which he saw   
   covered   
   with shoots and green leaves.   
      
   About silence he taught him saying,  ``My son, be silent lest evil thoughts   
   overtake your mind and lose your soul. Particularly in church, we ought the   
   most   
   to be careful in order to be worthy of the presence of Holy Mysteries."   
      
   Consecration of the Mind   
      
   Saint John believed that the perfection of a monk consists in his keeping to   
   his   
   cell, watching constantly over himself and having God continually present to   
   his   
   mind. He never discoursed on worldly affairs and never spoke of ``News'',   
   the   
   ordinary amusement of the superficial. He stressed the importance of   
   ``quietness''; he says,  ``The longer quietness prevails, the weaker the   
   pains   
   of lusts become, and the healthier the mind becomes until it reaches   
   peace.''   
   His mind dwelt constantly on Divine issues; he used to take one of the   
   commandments each day and work hard to perfect it. He was so intent on the   
   things of God that he became very absent-minded. At his work he sometimes   
   plaited into one basket the material which should have made two, and often   
   went   
   wrong through forgetting what he was doing. One day when a carrier knocked   
   at   
   his door to carry away his materials and tools to another place, Saint John   
   thrice forgot what he went to fetch in returning from his door, till he   
   repeated   
   to himself, ``The camel, my tools. The camel, my tools. The camel, my   
   tools.''   
   The same happened when someone came to him to fetch the baskets he had made,   
   and   
   as often as he came back from the door he sat down again to his work, till   
   at   
   last he called the brother to come in, and take them himself.   
      
   He avoided the words of men and their discussions and so cultivated the   
   things   
   of peace that his words held the attention of all. A brother coming once to   
   speak to him for a few minutes, so ardent and sweet was their conversation   
   on   
   spiritual things that they continued it till morning. Perceiving it was day,   
   they went out, the one to return home, the other to go with him for a few   
   steps,   
   but their talk again returned to God and His Kingdom and it lasted till   
   midday.   
   Then Saint John took him again into his cell to eat a little; after which   
   they   
   really parted.   
      
   A Teacher Responsible for Many Souls   
      
   In 374, Abba Pemouah departed after 12 years of illness during which Saint   
   John   
   was ministering to him. At his last moments, Abba Pemouah called Saint John   
   ``the angel of God on earth'' and instructed him to make his abode next to   
   the   
   ``Tree of Obedience''. He went with Abba Pishoy who shortly later settled   
   two   
   miles away. Saint John then dug a cave and worshipped in it in solitude. His   
   virtues were spreading quickly and many monks, among which was his older   
   brother, came to him to learn about and follow his angelic life. He was then   
   leading by example; he surpassed all the elders in their self-control. When   
   he   
   had made a comment to a non-obedient brother during harvest, he begged him   
   to   
   forgive him and spent the whole year fasting  (eating only bread and salt   
   every   
   third day) praying,  ``Forgive me, O Lord, for I angered your creation''.   
      
   Saint John's disciples were increasing in number and came from everywhere to   
   his   
   abode by the  ``Tree of Obedience'' where a monastery was built and remained   
   open until the 17th century. We know how he had tested the good dispositions   
   of   
   Saint Arsenius when he first came to Skete. He became then responsible for   
   the   
   salvation of many of his children. A certain charitable young woman, named   
   Paesia, after the death of her parents opened her house to care for the   
   needy   
   and the strangers. She was so generous that her wealth was entirely spent   
   and,   
   not finding money to survive, she fell gradually into a disorderly life. The   
   monks entreated Saint John to try to reclaim her, and he went to her house   
   and   
   sitting down by her he said with his accustomed sweetness, ``What reason can   
   you   
   have to complain about Jesus that you should thus abandon Him?'' At these   
   words   
   she was struck silent, and seeing the saint in tears she said to him, ``Why   
   do   
   you weep?'' Saint John replied, ``How can I not weep whilst I see Satan in   
   possession of your heart?'' She was moved by his gentleness and concern for   
   her,   
   and grace entered into her heart and she asked him,  ``Father, is the path   
   of   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)