Abba, why don’t you set aside the loaves that belong to me?

 

A holy Elder lived with his disciple in a hut, not far from a large village. At one point, a great calamity befell the region, and the poor people were nearly dying of hunger. In their desperation, many would come and knock at the hermit’s hut. Being a man of great mercy, he would wholeheartedly give away whatever he happened to have. The disciple, however, noticing that their supply of bread was dwindling, said to the Elder one day, with some distress:

“Abba, why don’t you set aside the loaves that belong to me? From now on, you can give alms only from your own share. At this rate, we shall both soon go hungry.”

The kind-hearted Elder set aside the disciple’s loaves without a word, and continued to give from his own portion to the poor. But God, seeing his good intention, blessed the bread; the more he gave away, the more it multiplied. Meanwhile, the disciple consumed his own share. When he was left with nothing but a few crumbs, he went to his Elder and begged that they might eat together once again. The Elder accepted him back without the slightest objection. By now, however, the number of beggars had increased, and the novice began to grow resentful once again. He scowled.

"Give him a loaf of bread," the Elder commanded, pretending not to notice the novice’s grimace.

"It seems to me that we don’t even have enough for ourselves to eat," the novice said aloud, ensuring the beggar would hear him.

"Go and look carefully," the Elder instructed.

Reluctantly, the novice went to the storeroom. But when he opened the door, he was struck with astonishment: it was filled to the very top with fresh, well-baked loaves of bread! From that day on, he placed great trust in his holy Elder and became eager to bring relief to the poor.

Every Sunday, after the Divine Liturgy, a kind priest would gather the poor of his parish and distribute the money collected in the "poor box." One Sunday, a woman appeared, wearing old, tattered clothes and looking utterly destitute. The priest felt pity for her. He reached into the box, intending to give her as much money as his palm could hold; but when he withdrew his hand, he saw that he had grasped only a few coins. He hastened to give her something, for another woman was waiting behind her, also hoping for a handout. The woman was wearing well-kept clothes. The priest surmised that she was one of those who beg without any real need. Deciding not to let her leave empty-handed—which might have caused her shame—he reached into the chest once more, and his cupped hand filled with gold coins.

Being a devout man, he recognized this as divine intervention. He inquired about both women and learned that the one who appeared well-dressed came from a respectable family; however, due to a series of unfortunate events, they had fallen into poverty and were suffering greatly. Out of a sense of dignity, she continued to wear neat, well-maintained clothing. The other woman, by contrast, would put on rags whenever she went out to beg, so that people would be more inclined to give to her.