Salvation Through Concession

Source: Life of St. Pachomius (commemorated on May 15th).

There was a small monastery about two miles to the south of Tabennesi. The father of that monastery would often come to see our Elder Pachomius because he loved him very much; and the words of God he heard from his mouth he would repeat to his own monks so that they too might hear God's commandments.

It happened that a brother of his monastery asked for a certain rank, and he replied to that brother, "Our father, Abba Pacho­mius, warned me not to do this because you are not yet worthy of that thing."

The brother grew angry and dragged him along, saying, "Come, let us go to him, and he shall have to prove that to me." The other followed him in amazement and sorrow wondering what was going to happen. When the two of them and one other came to Abba Pachomius, they found him busy building a part of the monastery wall. The brother approached our father Pachomius and said to him very angrily, "Come down and give me proof of my sin, O liar Pachomius!"

Elder Pachomius, thanks to his long suffering, gave him no word whatever in reply. The other went on and said to him, "Who compelled you to lie, you who pride yourself on clear vision while your light is darkness?" The man of God, Abba Pachomius, understood the wiles of the devil who was in that man, and he said to him respectfully, "I have sinned, forgive me. Do you never sin yourself?" And at once the brother's wicked anger calmed down.

Then our father Pachomius took the father of that monastery aside and questioned him, "What happened to this brother?" He answered him, "Forgive me, my lord father. The fact is that this man asked me for a thing that he does not deserve. I knew that he would not obey me, so I quoted you to him by name so he might perhaps have nothing to say. For I know that nothing is hidden from you. And behold, he has added an evil deed to his wickedness."

Then our father Abba Pachomius said to him, "Listen to me; give him that office so that by this means we may snatch his soul out of the enemy's hands. For if we do good to a bad man, he comes thereby to have a perception of the good. This is God's love, to take pains for one another." When they heard this teach­ing of our holy father Pachomius, they went away very comforted and giving thanks to God. When they arrived at their monas­tery, the father of the monastery gave the rank to the brother as he had asked, in accordance with our father Abba Pachomius' instruction.

A few days later, that brother came to regret his fault. Then he went back to our holy father Abba Pachomius, kissed his hands and feet, and said to him, "Truly, O man of God, you are much greater than what we hear of you every day. For the Lord knows that if you had not been patient with me the day I insulted you, sinner that I am, and if you had spoken some harsh word to me, I would have rejected the monastic life and gone back to the world. Blessed are you, O man of God, my lord father, for thanks to your patience and graciousness, the Lord has brought me back to life."