Shepherd of Hermas 50

1"Have you come?" I say, "Because, sir, I am keeping a station."

2"What," he says, "is a station?" I say, "I am fasting, sir." He says, "And what is this fasting that you are fasting?" I say, "As I have been accustomed, sir, so I fast."

3He says, "You do not know how to fast to the Lord, nor is this useless fast that you fast to him a fast."

4I say, "Why, sir, do you say this?"

5He says to me, "I tell you, this is not fasting, the kind you suppose you are fasting to the Lord. Listen to a parable. A vineyard, not having weeds, will give more fruit, not being choked by the weeds. So the servant took up [his tool], dug the vineyard, and pulled up all the weeds that were in the vineyard. And that vineyard became very comely and thriving, having no weeds to choke it.

6"After a time the master of the servant [and of the field] came and went into the vineyard. And seeing the vineyard well fenced, and even dug, and [all] the weeds pulled out, he rejoiced greatly over his servant on account of his deed. Summoning again his friends and his son, the master announced to them the deed the servant had done with his portions which he had received; and they approved all the more that the servant should become co-heir with his son."