A hunter of wild desert animals happened to come to Abba Antony’s mountain. He was disturbed to see that Abba was affording consolation to the brethren. The Elder, wanting to calm him down and show him that sometimes it was necessary to allow the brethren some relaxation, he said to him: “Notch an arrow in your bow and draw it back.” The hunter did so. The Elder said, “Draw it tighter.” The hunter drew the bowstring tighter. The Elder again said, “Even tighter.” The hunter answered, “If I over tighten the bow, it will break.” To that Abba Antony replied, “It is the same with God’s work. If you strain the powers of the brethren beyond their capacity, they will soon fall away from doing God’s work. It is essential that from time to time they be given a degree of relaxation. On hearing this, the hunter expressed his agreement, and departed from the Elder having received something of great use; the brethren, confirmed in a correct attitude toward their podvig, went to their cells.
Commentary by Holy Hierarch St. Ignaty Brianchaninov:
This is an extremely important account! All spiritual struggles taken on without corresponding strength are abandoned. The impression left by an abandoned excessive podvig is so harmful that the spiritual strugglers who abandon an immoderate podvig ordinarily abandon any podvig at all, and turn to a careless way of life, to spiritual disorder. St. Isaac the Syrian says, “Immoderate work is followed by despondency, and despondency, by frenzy,” i.e. by disorder! Here one may add that consolation is the name for a certain relaxation in the usual order of the brethren’s way of life, primarily in the realm of food. When fish, wine, or fruit is part of their meals, it is referred to as a consolation. When on great Feast Days, all of these things are part of the meal, the consolation is referred to as a great one. When a sick person or an elder is clothing more comfortable than that generally worn by the brethren, that is also called a consolation.