Desert Fathers: Restoring the sinner
Once a brother in the community of Elias fell when he was tempted. He was expelled from the community, and went to the mountain to Antony.
When he had been with him for some time, Anthony sent him back to his community, but when they saw him, they sent him away again. So he went back to Anthony and said, “They won’t have me, abba.” So anthony sent a message to them saying, “A ship was wrecked in the ocean and lost its cargo, and with great difficulty the empty ship was brought to land. Do you want to run the ship that has been rescued onto the the rocks and sink it?”
They realized that Antony had sent him back, and at once accepted him.
– De vitis Patrum, Sive Verba Seniorum, Liber V