Many abbesses were bestowed with the grace of true leadership and spiritual discernment. They guided many nuns and sometimes gave counsel to them as well as to monks. Some of their sayings were treasured by the desert fathers. One of those abbesses was St. Sarah, she lived in Pelusium, and her sayings were mentioned in the “Apophthegmata,” from which are quoted the following texts:
It was said about Abbess Sarah that for thirteen years she was fiercely attacked by the demon of lust; and she never prayed deeply that the battle should cease, but all that she used to ask of God was, “O God, grant me strength!”
Once the same spirit of lust attacked her more insistently, reminding her of the vanities of the world. But she gave herself up to the fear of God and maintained the rigor of her fasting and went up to the roof to pray. Then the spirit of lust appeared to her in a bodily form and said to her, “Sarah, you have overcome me.” She replied, “It is not I who have overcomeyou, but my Lord Christ!”
It was mentioned that for 60 years she lived beside a river and never lifted her eyes to look at it.
What he wrote
Among her other sayings mentioned in the Apophthegmata: - “When I put out my foot to ascend the ladder, Iplace death before my eyes before lifting up theother foot.” - “It is good to give alms for men’s sake; even if itis only done to please men; through this one canbegin to seek to please God.” - “If I asked God that all men should approve of myconduct, I should be doing penance at the door ofeveryone. But I shall rather pray that my heartmay be pure towards all, while I am far from allof them.” - She said to some brothers, “It is I who am a man (struggling violently against sin), you who arewomen(brides of Christ).”
Once some monks of Scetis came to visit Abbess Sarah. As she offered them a small basket of fruit, they ate the bad fruit and left the good. So she said to them, “You are true monks of Scetis.”