Venerable Agathon of Egypt (V)

The Venerable Agathon of Egypt (V) was a contemporary of Macarius the Great (commemorated 19 January). He laboured in one of the deserts of Egypt, considered himself the greatest of sinners, and was distinguished by wonderful humility. Once monks came to the Venerable Agathon and asked: “Art thou Abba Agathon?” “Before you stands a sinful servant of God,” the venerable father answered. “Rumour has it that thou art proud and intemperate,” the monks went on. “It is the whole truth,” the saint replied. “They also say that thou art a liar and judgest others.” “That is true too,” he confirmed. “And it seems thou art a heretic as well,” the monks persisted. “That is a lie,” Saint Agathon denied, and added: “Every man is a child of sin, inclined to evil by nature, and so no sin is foreign to us; but heresy? That is the conscious rejection of the truth of God!”

When the Venerable Agathon was asked which labour was better for salvation, the outward or the inward, he answered: “Man is like a tree. Outward, bodily activity brings forth leaves, spiritual activity brings forth fruit. Holy Scripture teaches: ‘Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire’ (Matt. 3:10); from this it is clear that the chief thing is the fruit, the spiritual labour, but the tree also needs leaves to protect this fruit.”

The Venerable Agathon died in 435. For the last three days he sat silent and thoughtful, as if watching something. He told the monks that he saw himself at the judgement of the Lord. “Art thou afraid too, father?” they asked him. “I have kept the commandments of God with all my strength, but can I be sure that my works were pleasing to the Lord? I will not believe it until I see God: the judgement of men is one thing, and the judgement of God is quite another,” and as soon as he had said this, the saint reposed.