July 19
Arsenius (354–412)
Bishop
Certain maxims of this famous anchorite have become proverbs, such as “I have often regretted having spoken, rarely having remained silent.” An intelligent and experienced man, he lived for many years in the Scythian desert and, after the arrival of the Vandals, in Tróas.
Biography
They say that a Roman matriarch made a trip to see him and ask for his prayers and found him thanks to Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria. When Arsenio yelled at her from the depths of his cave to leave him alone, the matron asked him to remember her at least, and Arsenio replied that he would rather promise to forget about her. The lady returned very troubled to tell the patriarch this, until Theophilus explained to her that it was her body and her face, not her soul, that Arsenio did not want to remember. Since she was neither young nor beautiful, she returned very happy, leaving an important alms to the patriarch. Although he appeared to be abrupt, Arsenio was very tender and cried so much as he meditated on the words of Jesus: "Is there greater love than that of him who gives his life for his friends?", that it is said that when he died he no longer had eyelashes on his eyelids.
Practical advice
Today, in the presence of God, remain silent in the face of an annoyance and turn it into prayer with external order and interior recollection.