There was once a certain monastery in the middle of a desert where a community of monks meditated and prayed, striving to overcome their shortcomings and attune to Divine perfection. One day one of the monks was found to have committed a serious fault, and in order to judge the case and choose a proper punishment, the monks sent a message to their wisest of their order, a monk named Anthony, who lived alone, even further out in the wilderness.

At first, Anthony refused, but the brothers insisted that there must be a judgment and so at last he agreed to come.

When brother Anthony arrived, though, they saw that he was bent under the weight of a large jar that he carried on his back. The jar had a hole in the bottom, and sand was running from the hole.

The monks looked at Anthony, perplexed, and Anthony explained, “I am summoned to judge my brother. My own sins are spilling out behind me like the sand from this cracked jar, but if I don’t look back and don’t notice my own sins, then I am able to judge my brother.”

Then the other monks gave up their request for a judgment, and Anthony returned to his cell.