The Hoods of the Egyptian Monks

There are some other things in the dress of the Egyptians that have to do not so much with caring for the body as with shaping the character, so that the very form of their clothing may help them keep simplicity and innocence. By day and by night they constantly wear very small hoods that come down to the base of the neck and the shoulders and cover only the head. By imitating the actual dress of little children, they are continually moved to keep the simplicity and innocence of little children. These men have returned to childhood in Christ, and at all hours they sing with heart and soul: “Lord, my heart is not lifted up, nor are my eyes raised high. I have not walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things beyond me. If I was not humble-minded, but lifted up my soul: as a child that is weaned is toward his mother.” [a]