Didascalia Apostolorum

Historical source scan page 102

74 DIDASCALIA. because she does not know how she has believed, or of what place she is deemed worthy. But the widow who wishes to please God sits within her house, and meditates in the Lord by day and by night, without ceasing, at all times offering prayer and supplication, praying purely before the Lord, and receiving whatsoever she asketh, because all her mind is set upon this, for her soul is not greedy to receive, nor is her desire great to make great expenses, nor doth her eye wander about to see and desire anything and impede her mind. She doth not listen to wicked words to consent to them, for she goeth not out and gaddeth not without. Because of this her prayer is not impeded by anything, and her peacefulness, her quietness, with her purity, are accepted before God. Whatever she asketh of God she quickly receiveth her desire, for such a widow as she is f. 52 a loveth not silver, nor filthy lucre, and is not greedy nor covetous, but is constant in prayer, humble, not excitable, pure and modest ; who sitteth in her house and worketh with wool and flax, that she may provide something for those who are straitened, or make return to others and not receive anything from them, because she remembereth that widow to whom xii *i2tk our Lord bare witness in the Gospel, her who came and threw into the treasury two mites, which make one dinar, her whom when our Lord and 43 Teacher, the searcher of hearts, saw, He said unto us, O my disciples ! this 44 poor widow hath cast in more alms than all men, because they all from their abundance have cast in, but she hath cast in all the treasure that she had. (S. + That it is not fitting for widows to do anything without the command- ment of the Bishop.) It is therefore required of widows to be obedient to the Bishop, to be shamefaced and modest, to reverence the Bishop as [they reverence] God ; not to act according to their own will, nor to do anything except what is commanded them by the Bishop, nor talk with any one without counsel as if for conversion, nor go with any one to eat or to drink, nor should they fast with any one, nor receive aught from any one, nor put their hands upon nor pray for any one, except by the command of the Bishop ; but if some one do any thing that has not been commanded let her be prevented (S. reproved) because she has conducted herself without Ap. con. discipline. For whence dost thou know, O woman, from whom thou hast m. viii. received, or from what service thou hast been nourished, or on account of whom thou hast fasted, or on whom thou hast put thy hand ? Dost thou not know that about each of these things thou shalt give account to the 52 b Lord in the day of judgment, because thou hast been partaker of their works ?