They said of Abba Peter the Pionite in the Cells that he did not drink wine. When he grew old, the brothers made him a little wine mixed with water and begged him to take it. He said, “Believe me, I count it as spiced wine.” Thus he judged himself even over the diluted wine.
A brother said to Abba Peter, the disciple of Abba Lot, “When I am in my cell, my soul is at peace. But if a brother comes to me and speaks about outside matters, my soul is disturbed.” Abba Peter told him what Abba Lot used to say: “Your key opens my door.” The brother asked, “What does this saying mean?” The elder said, “If someone comes to you, you say to him, ‘How are you? Where have you come from? How are the brothers? Did they receive you or not?’ Then you open your brother’s door and hear things you do not want to hear.” The brother said, “That is true. Then what should a person do when a brother comes to him?” The elder said, “Mourning is entirely a teacher. Where there is no mourning, it is impossible to guard oneself.” The brother said, “When I am in my cell, mourning is with me; but if someone comes to me, or if I leave the cell, I do not find it.” The elder said, “It is not yet subject to you; it is only on loan. For it is written in the Law, ‘When you acquire a Hebrew servant, he shall serve you six years; in the seventh year you shall send him away free. But if you give him a wife and he has children in your house, and he does not want to leave because of his wife and children, you shall bring him to the door of the house, pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall be your servant forever.’” The brother asked, “What does this saying mean?” The elder said, “If a person labors as much as he can at some practice, whenever he seeks it for use, he will find it.” The brother said, “Show me charity and explain this saying to me.” The elder said, “Even an illegitimate son does not remain in service; but a true-born son does not leave his father.”
They said of Abba Peter and Abba Epimachus that they were companions at Raithu. While they were eating in the church, the brothers compelled them to come to the table of the elders. With great difficulty Abba Peter went alone. When they rose, Abba Epimachus said to him, “How did you dare to go to the table of the elders?” He answered, “If I had sat with you, the brothers would have urged me, as an elder, to give the blessing first, and I would have been regarded as greater than you. But when I went among the Fathers, I was the least of all, and I became humbler in my thought.”
Abba Peter said, “We should not become exalted when the Lord does something through us. Rather, we should give thanks that we were counted worthy to be called by Him.” He used to say that it is useful to think this way about every virtue.