Four Monks

An Account Demetrios Recently Read
(But Can’t Remember Where)

Four brothers all decided to become monks and to share the same cell. Unfortunately, they are all hot-tempered, and every single day they quarreled. The other monks were extremely sad to hear the shouting going on every day. What they didn’t know was that after every fight, the brothers would always repent, ask forgiveness from God and from each other, and make up.

One day the monks heard no shouting from the four brothers. When the silence had lasted a long time, the monks decided to go check on the brothers, to see what was happening. They found all four of them prostrate on the floor, foreheads to the ground, bowing before each other and God – and all four dead.

"Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.” (Luke 12:37)

But of course, He didn’t simply happen to find these brothers watching and repenting. He purposely sought them at the right time.