joasia wrote:When anyone came respectfully to Abba Macarius, desiring to hear some exhortation from him, he received no answer at all. But if anyone came despising Macarius and did violence to him in such words as these, "Lo you there, father Macarius! You used to be a camel-driver, and steal the salt. How your master used to beat you when he caught you robbing him!" willingly, even joyfully, Macarius used to speak to such a man of whatever he wished to hear.
Why is that? Sorry, my computer is tempermental and I couldn't make the link.
The devil comes bearing phrases of flattery. Humble saints do not want to hear flattery because they don't want to fall into sin.
A saint will not return evil for evil, but will earnestly try to save the souls of unbelievers.
Those Christians who came to St. Macarius with pride in their souls or with no real desire to repent were not given an answer. The saints could often read souls and know that their intentions were not to please God. Saints like St. Macarius did not receive all visitors in order to prevent a visitor from pridefully returning home and telling everyone how well Macarius received him.
