A sermon of our holy father the prophet, Apa Shenoute, the archimandrite, which he preached in order that man should rouse himself from his negligences and go to the Church, to Christ, and receive the forgiveness of his sins, and keep his body holy, performing the word of the holy apostle who says: “For if we examined ourselves we should not be judged (1Corinthians 11:31), remembering our coming forth from the body and how we are laid in graves, and our standing before the judgment seat of God (cf. Romans 14:10), and the sentence which we shall receive according to all the things which we have done whether good or evil (cf. 2Corinthians 5:10). In the peace of God. Amen.

The spirit of God summons us always through the holy prophet: “Come up to Gilead and receive balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt.” (Jeremiah 26:11, in Septuagint) So therefore, Christians who are called in the holy calling (cf. 1Timothy 1:9), it is right for us to follow the proclamation of the Holy Spirit, and go up to Gilead and receive balm upon our grievous sores with which the evil spirits have smitten us. Each man according to [his] nature and each woman according to her ungodliness, both great and small, and each woman, they have destroyed their way before God. Is there then no balm in Gilead, and is there no physician there? Why has the healing of the daughter of my people not come up? (Jeremiah 8:22) Behold all the balm in the church, behold the physician there, behold Moses there and the prophets; the apostles are there and all the saints who have been from the beginning until now. The Lord of glory is there, crying out: “Come to me all who are weary and laden with their burdens, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble in my heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is pleasant and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) He also says: “Let him who thirsts come to me and let him who believes in me drink. As the scripture said: ‘Rivers of water of life shall flow from his belly.’” (John 7:37-38) Who then are the rivers of water of life which flow from Christ except the prophets and the apostles? Or what are their living waters except their words with which they teach continually in the churches of God? It is said about them: “Salvation is in his treasures, wisdom and understanding are with the Lord.” (cf. Is. 33:6) These are the treasures about which it is said: “His treasures make men rejoice.” (Proverbs 8:31) They do not rejoice over the things which they see but the things which they do not see. For the things which we see are transient (cf. 2Corinthians 4:18). The whole world will pass away and the things therein, but he who does the will of God will abide forever (1John 2:17). If in this age only we believe in Christ, then we are more wretched than all men. But now Christ has risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1Corinthians 15:19-20). And as for us, let us arise from the death of our sins in order that we may live with him. We were buried with him in the water of holy baptism (cf. Romans 6:4). For as in Adam all are dead, thus also in Christ Jesus all shall live (1Corinthians 15:22).

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Pseudo-Shenoute
On Christian Behavior (section 1)
Translated by K. H. Kuhn
(Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalum, vol. 207)