After visiting the abbot, each man departed in silence, forbidden from speaking to his companions until the following day. Some would go to their cells, and others, if they wished, would go for a walk in the monastery. Finally, each retired to his cell and went to sleep. At midnight, the sacristan would go around to all the cells carrying a bell. He’d rouse the monks and novices, and all would gather together with the abbot to pray the nocturne, which lasted an hour or less. Then all returned to sleep until dawn.
Each day, the large bell would ring for the morning prayer, and the mass would begin. Everyone attended mass, then went off to their designated work without any breakfast, until an hour before noon. Next they’d pray the sext prayer.9 Afterward, the bell would ring for lunch (as described earlier). It was incumbent upon every monk and novice to confess his sins and receive communion every day of the week.
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وكان بين المبتديين رجل اختيار طويل القامه شايب بلحيه بيضه مهيب فسالت بعض من الرهبان عن هل رجل كيف انه مسن في العمر ووصل لهل شيخوخه بيدخل للرهبنه وبيقف مع المبتديين فقلي الراهب ان سالت يا اخي عن هل رجل هذا كان شيخ ضيعه ورجل طعام عيش كل ليله بيلتقي في مايدته عشرين نفر واكثر وله من اولاد سبعة شباب مزوجين وبنات مزوجات ايضًا فهذا اتفق هو وامراته بانهم ينبدوا العالم ويكملوا حياتهم الباقيه في الرهبنه فراحت امراته ودخلت في دير راهبات وهو اجا الي هذا الدير من مدة ثلاث سنوات ولما واجه ابونا الريس جرمانوس وطلب منه بانه بيريد يدخل للرهبنه فلما الريس سمع منه هل كلام تعجب.
There was among the novices a tall, dignified elderly man, with gray hair and a white beard. I asked one of the monks about him. Why would a man enter the order at such an advanced age and join the ranks of the novices?
“You’re interested in his story, are you now, brother?” the monk said. “Well, it seems that the old man was once a village elder, and a generous one at that. Each night, he’d welcome twenty people or more to his dinner table. Seven sons he had, all married! And married daughters too. Now, this fellow and wife had made an agreement to give up worldly things and spend the rest of their lives in orders. His wife joined a convent, and he came to this monastery. That was three years ago. He met with the abbot, Father Jirmānūs, and asked him if he could become a monk.10 The abbot was incredulous.
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وقله يا اخي اعطيت زهرت عمرك للعالم والان عند اخر عمرك بتريد تعطي شيخوختك للرهبنه وقال هذا ابونا الريس ليمتحن عزمه فاجابه الشيخ الاختيار لعل الله بيقبلني مع الفعلة الاحد عشر ساعه يا ابونا فلا زال بيلح علي الريس ويتوسل اليه حتي حن عليه وقله يا اخي ما بيمكني ادخلك للدير واجملك مع الرهبان الا بعدما امتحن عزمك فقله الشيخ افعل بي كما تريد. حيندٍ قله الريس انكان ولا بد بتستقيم برات الدير من غير شركه مع الرهبان الي حين ما يشا ربنا فاجابه الشيخ فقله الشيخ امرني يا ابونا وانا بطيع امرك.
“‘Brother, you gave the bloom of your life to the world. And now, in old age, you choose to give the rest to monasticism?’ the abbot said, trying to test the old man’s resolve.
“‘Yes, Father,’ the old man replied. ‘And perhaps God will accept me among the laborers of the eleventh hour.’11
“He continued to beg and plead, and finally the abbot took pity on him, but insisted that he wouldn’t admit the old man to the monastery and let him join the monks until he tested his resolve.
“‘Do with me what you will,’ the old man replied.
“‘In that case, you’ll live outside the monastery without mingling with the monks, until such time as our Lord sees fit.’
“‘As you wish, Father,’ he said.
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فلما راء الريس هل عزم الذي له امره بانه يستقيم داخل باب الدير التحتاني بواب وكان ورا الباب بيت زغير مثل الكوخ فقله سمعًا وطاعه فاستقام ثلاثة سنين في ذلك البيت الزغير يحتمل برد الشتا وحر الصيف وهو صابر من غير شكوي ويقتنع بقليل من الماكل الذي يفضل من مايدة الدير فلما الرهبان والكهنه راو صبر هل رجل وثباته توسلوا الي ابونا الريس حتي يدخله للدير ويقبله من جملة المبتديين. حيندٍ قبل الريس طلبتهم ودخله ولبسوه توب المبتديين والان له ثلاثة اشهر في التجربه وهذه حكايته والسبب.
“Confronted with the old man’s determination, the abbot ordered him to serve as a gatekeeper, and lodged him in a little hut just inside the lower gate to the monastery. He spent the next three years living in that hut, enduring the cold of winter and the heat of summer without complaint, and contenting himself with the meager scraps he received from the monastery’s table. Seeing his steadfastness and perseverance, the monks and priests begged the abbot to admit the old man to the monastery and accept him among the novices.
“The abbot agreed, and they brought him in and clothed him as a novice. That was three months ago,” the monk concluded. “And that’s his story.”
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فلما سمعت من الراهب خبر هل رجل اعتجبت واتخزبلت في ذاتي والاغرب فيوم من ذات الايام دخلنا الي بيت المايده حتي نتغدي كالمعتاد فبعدما دخل الريس والرهبان للمايده وجلسوا الجميع حيندٍ اذن الريس للمبتدين