22. Evergetis - Dumbarton Oaks

ELEVENTH CENTURY
“Anything that is exposed is light” (Eph. 5:13), the statement showing that what is not exposed is
complete darkness. So for what purpose do you reject the deed of light and do the deed of darkness,
my brother? “I am ashamed to ask,” he says. So while you do the opposite and something
which God hates you are not ashamed and you hesitate about what is good. Do not, I beg you.
However I know that many do this trampling their consciences underfoot, and think that they are
not noticed, which touches me to the depths of my heart, and I do not cease from weeping over
them because they neither realize that they are in that evil plight, alas, nor [p. 39] acknowledge
their passion. May the Lord have pity on them and guide them for their good as he manages all
things for our good. We must now return to the point from which we digressed.
So after you have eaten and said the customary grace and risen, you should sing the specified
office with the prayer and then go away to your own cells. At supper also, if someone who wishes
to have supper arrives after grace, he will incur the same penalty as he who was late at the midday
meal, if of course he does not have a reasonable excuse when he is asked. The one, however, who
because of abstinence does not come to the supper incurs no blame. Then when you are at supper,
only bread will be set before you and that in small quantities; but if some small fruits are set out by
the decision of the superior, you should gratefully partake of these also. Drink will be distributed
to you with the larger wine measure as is prescribed. But if in fact a feast happens to be celebrated
by one of the brothers with the knowledge of the superior, this regulation should not be observed
at supper but you should act in whatever way the one celebrating the feast wishes.
The disciplinary official should go in during the second sitting and, if there are some who
should have eaten at the first but missed it, he should enquire the reason for their absence. If their
excuse is reasonable, they are excused, but if it is unreasonable, we instruct him not to allow them
to eat. For to be late for meals for no reasonable cause is not something to be approved of, and this
practice must always be punished and discouraged as much as possible. So this is the procedure on
the ordinary days of the year.
10. Concerning the holy fasts.
But that is not the procedure during the holy fast days and especially during the first and greatest
fast, on the first day of which, that is Monday of the first week, the liturgy should not be celebrated
nor should care be taken with the table or food. However on the subsequent days of the same week
attention should be paid to the table, and whoever chooses should partake of food. This will be
composed of legumes soaked in water and perhaps some raw vegetables and fruits, and the drink
will be hot water flavored with cumin. That is apart from Friday. On this day you should eat two
dishes of food cooked without olive oil, and drink a better wine distributed in the larger measure
because of the feast of the great martyr St. Theodore, 20 which the superior must celebrate as a
duty and give you a refreshment. But if someone else of you wishes to celebrate this feast, we give
him permission to feed the brotherhood with some shellfish on the Saturday, but we will not eat
fish. [p. 41] You should carry out the first week of the great and holy Lent in that way.
On all Saturdays and Sundays of the same holy fast two cooked dishes containing olive oil
should be set out for you and for your drink the customary large measure of wine should be
distributed. The same thing should take place also on Wednesday in the middle of Lent and on the
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