Abba

“ I know, O Lord, that this is impossible with man, and that it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into thy kingdom. But, Abba, Father, all things are possible with thee! Enable me, therefore, by the all-sufficiency of thy grace, to sell all things in affection, to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow thee every day. Give me that faith which overcometh the world. Grant that I may not indulge myself in the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, or make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lust thereof. ”

“ Of sparkling Truths, shine on thy Flock.
Thou, God in [1] Love to know the Grace imparts:
To call Him Abba in our Hearts.
From Dotrines Strange, O keep us clear:
Let us our own true Master hear:
Ev'n Jesus Christ with Faith sincere. ”

“ O grant me the aid of thy Spirit, that I may with a deeper faith, a more enkindled love, bless thee, who through thy Son hast privileged me to call thee Abba, Father! O, thou, who hast revealed thyself in thy holy word as a God that hearest prayer; before whose infinitude all differences cease of great and small; who like a tender parent foreknowest all our wants, yet listenest well-pleased to the humble petitions of thy children; who hast not alone permitted, but taught us ”

“ And the angel of God ascended into heaven. And when Abba ‘Ebelo had received the Offering from the hand of the angel, his body became white like snow, and he and the desert monk rejoiced, and glorified God until the evening. And the shepherd Abba Ebeloy did not cease to pray as of old, saying, “I have sinned seventy times seven; I have done evil, forgive me, for Thou art God, and the Good Father; there is no man without sin, and God is not without mercy.” ”

“ And the saint remained in the monastery of Abba Macarius for six days, and after this they took him and carried him to the church, and his sons the monks received him as the Hebrews received our Redeemer, and they cried out before him, saying, “Blessed is he who cometh in the Name of God.” And they laid him in his place, and signs and wonders took place through him. And after the death of this Saint Abba John, Abba Mark the archbishop, who lived after him, went up to the desert of Scete, and he entered the church of Saint Abba John, and bowed low before him ”

“ And having come to his brother, he urged him to let him become a monk, and when he refused Abba Matthew went to the monastery of Saint Abba ‘Amoni, of the monastery of Tona, and took refuge in the church. And when the brethren had entreated his brother, he allowed him [to become a monk] , and he went to the monastery of Saint Abba ‘Abufana, and Abba ‘Abrem made him a monk; and he fought the spiritual fight with fasting and prayer until he attained the power of the monks. ”

“ What the Abbot should be like. An abbot who is worthy to preside over a monastery ought always to remember what he is called, and carry out with his deeds the name of a Superior. For he is believed to be Christ's representative, since he is called by His name, the apostle saying: "Ye have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we call Abba, Father." And so the abbot should not—grant that he may not—teach, or decree, or order, any thing apart from the precept of the Lord; but his order or teaching should be sprinkled with the ferment of divine justice in the minds of his disciples. ”

“ But as the procession passed beneath us, and I saw it was thee, O Abba, to whom they were doing honour, I cried with all the rest, and Zeenat and I embraced each other. But when they brought thee, and I looked at thee, and laid thee down, I feared, yea, I feared thy time had come; yet the Lord hath spared thee, and thou art a saint now, one that men may worship without sin. ”

“ And Saint Abba Nob went to his monastery and finished his fight nobly, and he departed to Christ, Whom he loved. Salutation to Abba Nob.
And on this day also is celebrated the commemoration of Markora, and Thomas, and Philip. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.
Senne 24 (July 1) On this day Saint Abba Moses the Black became a martyr. Men have marveled at the spiritual fight of this man, for he seized the kingdom of heaven by force, even as the Holy Gospel saith (Matthew xi, 12) . This saint was strong in body, and a mighty man in all his deeds. ”

“ ABBEY (Lat. abbatia; from Syr. abba, father) , a monastery, or conventual establishment, under the government of an abbot or an abbess. A priory only differed from an abbey in that the superior bore the name of prior instead of abbot. This was the case in all the English conventual cathedrals, e.g. Canterbury, Ely, Norwich, &c., where the archbishop or bishop occupied the abbot’s place, the superior of the monastery being termed prior. ”

“ Nay, my son, go back into the world and live a life of comfort and ease like unto that of all other men.” And Abba John said unto him, “O my father, for God’s sake do not turn me back for I have come to be under thy authority and under the shadow of thy prayer. And if thou wilt accept me I believe that God will make thy heart will-disposed towards me.” Now Saint Abba Bamoy was wont never to do anything hastily, and he entreated God concerning Abba John so that He might reveal to him His works. And the angel of the Lord appeared and said unto him, “God saith unto thee ”

“ And the holy elder Abba Anthony taught Saint Abba Macarius all the path of the holy ascetic life, and he strengthened him, and spoke many things concerning the working of righteousness. And he revealed unto him the method of warfare of the Satans, and he said unto him also, “They will fight against thee in thy mind secretly in vain, and they will work against thee openly to the death in order that thou mayest be perfect; when they fight against thee endure patiently to the death.” ”

“ Use your will to keep your mental faculties in conscious realization of your true relation to Infinite Mind, as one of His vehicles, and you will not grieve the Spirit. Know that God is the Spirit within you, and never forget that He is also Abba, Father, outside you. Abba, Father, longs for us far more than we long for Him. Around us always are the everlasting arms. ”

“ The head of an abbey we call an abbot, a name coming, through the Church-Latin abbas, from the Syriac abba, "father"; here again recurs the correlation of priest and father. It is interesting to note that both the words papa and abba, which we have just discussed, and which are of such importance in the history of religion, are child-words for "father," bearing evidence of the lasting influence of the child in this sphere of human activity. Among the ancient Romans we find a pater patratus, whose duty it was to ratify treaties with the proper religious rites. ”

“ At that time the abbot of their monastery died, and [the monks] wanted to appoint as abbot the elder Abba Lucianus, his teacher. And Abba Lucianus took his disciple Longinus, and they went forth from Cilicia, and came to a city of Syria, and they took up their abode in a church. And our Lord Christ did not wish that their righteousness should be hidden, for a city which is set upon a hill shall not be hidden; and God wrought many signs and wonders by their hands, and they received praise and honor from men. ”

“ And Abba Timothy answered and said unto him, “If it be that the Three Holy Ones are One Being, as thou sayest in thy madness, behold the mention of the Three is destroyed, and thy Christian baptism is destroyed, for thou wast baptized in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and thou hast denied the Holy Three, as thou sayest in thy madness. ”

“ An abbey is a religious community, governed by an abbot or an abbess.
The word abbot—abbas in Latin and Greek, abba in Chaldee and Syriac—came from the Hebrew ab, meaning father. The Jewish doctors took this title through pride; therefore Jesus said to his disciples: "Call no one your father upon the earth, for one is your Father who is in heaven." ”

“ Through his prayers the world is kept in a right course, and the earth giveth its fruit. Through him the dew falleth on the earth, and the sun riseth upon all the sinners of the earth, and because of his goodness God beareth all the creation of the children of men.” And when Abba Anthony heard these words he rose up, and went into the Inner Desert, believing that God was with him, and that He would make straight his road. ”

“ On the third night, at dawn, our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, appeared unto Abba Abraham with a bright and joyful face, and she said unto the archbishop, “What is it that hath come upon thee?” And she said unto him, “Fear not, I have accepted all thy tears which thou hast shed in my church, and now rise up, and get thee out into the ‘street of iron’ which leads into the market, and there thou shalt find a one-eyed man bearing a pot of water on his shoulders, lay hold upon him, for he shall make manifest this sign unto thee. ”