Besa, abbot of the White Monastery near Sohag in Upper Egypt, in a Coptic sermon On Individual Responsibility for Sin claims that the saints cannot do anything for sinners who do not repent; written in the late 5th century.
E02929
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
Literary - Sermons/Homilies
Besa
Besa, Sermon, ed. Kuhn 36.2.4:
ⲏ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲛⲛⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲛⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲁⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲧⲉⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲙⲟⲥⲉ ⲛϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲥⲟⲟϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲥⲁⲁⲛϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲕⲁⲕⲓⲁ ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲟϫⲛⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧϫⲁϩⲙ
‘Or how shall the spirits of the righteous and all the saints, whose words we read, repose with you, while the demons breed inside you and repose in your foul-minded thoughts, and nurture their wicked deeds through your machinations and your defiled mind?’
Ed. Kuhn 36.3.4:
ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲙⲟⲕϩ ⲁⲛ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲛϩⲧⲏⲧⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ⲱ
ⲛⲉⲃⲓⲏⲛ · ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲗⲁⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲡⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁⲛⲁⲅⲕⲏ
‘But you are not troubled at heart concerning yourselves nor again do you have pity upon yourselves, O wretched ones, so that no one among all the saints will have pity upon you at the time of your need.’
Ed. Kuhn 36.4.2:
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁϭⲓⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁϭⲓⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁ ⲛⲙⲧⲟⲛ · ⲉⲉ
ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲣⲱ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲕⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ
‘And if you will not find the saints to let you be with them in heaven, and if you will not find a resting-place, why then did you forsake them?’
Text and translation: Kuhn 1956, p. 76–77 and 121–122 (text), p. 115–117 (trans.), lightly modified.
Sermon/homily
Cult PlacesCult building - monastic
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the veneration of saints
Source
The discourses and letters of Besa come from nine different parchment codices found in the library of the White Monastery, dating to the 7th/8th and 8th/9th centuries.Discussion
This discourse has recently been considered to be a product of Besa’s predecessor Shenoute, rather than of Besa himself.Bibliography
Edition:Kuhn, K.H., Letters and Sermons of Besa, CSCO vol. 157 (text) and CSCO vol. 158 (trans.) (Leuven, 1956).
Discussion:
Behlmer, H., Heilige Schriften als Waffe der Rhetorik. Autoritative Texte und ihre literarische Verarbeitung im Werk des ägyptischen Klostervorstehers Besa (in preparation).
Gesa Schenke
9/6/2017
ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00518 | Saints, unnamed | Certain |
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