From the sayings of ABBA SHENOUTE THE ARCHIMENIDRITE about TEARS

“Abba Shenoute’s eyes were remarkable in that they were sunken and black, possibly making his gaze penetrating: “Tears to him were sweet as honey, so that his eyes were deeply sunken, like holes in walls, and because of the great flow of tears continually streaming from his eyes like water, they had become very black.”

“All those for whom the heavens rejoiced because they repented while they were still on earth will never have any passion or trouble in this place. Those for whom the heavens did not rejoice over because they did not repent while they were on earth will never have any joy or comfort in this place. Therefore till when are you going to remain to be lazy? I plead with you to lament over yourself as long as these lamentations will be accepted. If you have committed something that deserves lamenting, you have to lament it on your own, and all the saints will lament with you for your salvation. Blessed is he who laments over himself here on their own, for they will be rescued from the continuous gnashing of teeth and eternal weeping and will rejoice and enjoy a heavenly happiness.

Let us wake up, my beloved, before the door is closed and it is too late to repent when we start pleading in front of the door only to hear, ‘I do not know you.’ All this and worse we will hear if we keep on sinning.”