{"slug":"khazarzar-macarius-of-egypt-homiliae-7","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-macarius-of-egypt-homiliae-7","title":"Homiliae 7","title_source":"Homiliae 7","author":"Macarius of Egypt","genre":"homily","date":null,"tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash:floor","provider":"Baidu","generated":"2026-11-15T17:49:04Z","cost_usd":0.004775},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-macarius-of-egypt-homiliae-7","work_id":"khazarzar-macarius-of-egypt-homiliae-7","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":null,"url":null},"stats":{"passages":43,"english_words":11442,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":46125,"commentary_units":0,"commentary_kinds":0,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":0,"work_notes":0,"external_links":0,"timeline":0},"summary":{},"links":[],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-macarius-of-egypt-homiliae-7","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":43,"translated":43,"commentary_passages":0,"commentary_units":0,"english_words":11442,"source_letters":46125,"commentary_kinds":0},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Greek; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: homily in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 43 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar."}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":43},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΥ ΟΜΙΛΙΑΙ Τοῦ αὐτοῦ μοναχοῦ θείου πατρὸς Μακαρίου ἐπιστολὴ δευτέρα πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Συμεὼν τὸν ἀσκητὴν τὸν ἀπὸ Μεσοποταμίας τῆς Συρίας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ὄντας μετ' αὐτοῦ. ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΑ Μακάριος τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς καὶ ὁμοψύχοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Κυρίῳ. εἰρήνη ὑμῖν ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ἀπὸ Κυρίου πληθυνθείη, εἰρήνη ἡ ἐπου ράνιος ἡ ἀνατείλασα τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ φῶς· ἣν ἐκήρυξαν προφῆται καὶ ἐλάλησαν δίκαιοι καὶ εὐηγγελίσαντο ἄγγελοι. εἰρήνη ἐκείνη, ἣν ἐδέξατο Μαρία, καὶ ἐγέννησε σωτῆρα κόσμου· τὸν κατελθόντα πρὸς τοὺς νεκρούς, καὶ διαρρήξαντα τὰς πέτρας, καὶ ἀνοίξαντα τὰ μνημεῖα, καὶ ζωοποιήσαντα τοὺς νεκρούς, καὶ ἐξαγαγόντα τοὺς ἐγκεκλεισμένους, καὶ λύσαντα τοὺς πεπεδημένους, καὶ ἐλευθερώσαντα τοὺς δεδουλωμένους, καὶ διαρρήξαντα τὸ χειρόγραφον τῆς κατακρίσεως Ἀδάμ, καὶ γρά ψαντα νόμον ἐπουράνιον ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς, καὶ συμμίξαντα τὴν θεότητα τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι, καὶ ἐλευθερώσαντα τὴν κτίσιν, καὶ ἀποκτείναντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἄραντα τὴν κατάραν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ διαρρήξαντα τὸν φραγμὸν τῆς ἔχθρας, καὶ ἀναστήσαντα ἐκ τοῦ χοὸς τὸ κατακριθὲν σῶμα τοῦ Ἀδάμ, καὶ εἰσαγαγόντα αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τῆς ἐπαγγε λίας, καὶ ποιήσαντα περιπατῆσαι ἐν καινῇ ζωῇ τῇ μὴ ἀποθνησκούσῃ πάλιν, ἵνα γενώμεθα αὐτοῦ ἀδελφοί, καὶ γεννήσῃ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. οὗ ἤκουσαν στεῖραι, καὶ ἐσκίρτησαν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὰ ἔμβρυα αὐτῶν· ὦτα κωφῶν ἠνοίχθη, καὶ μογιλάλων γλῶσσα ἐλύθη· χωλοὶ περιεπάτησαν· παραλυτικοὶ ἰάθησαν, καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ κλινίδια αὐτῶν.","english":"MACARIUS: HOMILIES. A second letter of the same monk, the divine father Macarius, to the abba Symeon the ascetic, who is from Mesopotamia of Syria, and to the rest of the brethren who are with him. HOMILY 51. Macarius to the beloved and like-souled brethren in the Lord. Peace to you, may it be multiplied exceedingly from the Lord, the heavenly peace which has dawned on the world as light; which the prophets proclaimed and the righteous spoke of and the angels announced as good news. That peace which Mary received and bore the Savior of the world; who descended to the dead, and rent the rocks, and opened the tombs, and made the dead alive, and brought out those who were shut in, and loosed those who were bound, and set free those who were enslaved, and tore up the handwriting of Adam's condemnation, and wrote a heavenly law in souls, and mingled the Godhead with humanity, and set creation free, and killed sin, and took the curse away from the earth, and broke down the wall of enmity, and raised up from the dust the condemned body of Adam, and brought him into the paradise of the promise, and made him walk in a new life that does not die again, so that we might become his brothers, and he might beget us from his Father. Him barren women heard, and their unborn children leaped in exultation; the ears of the deaf were opened, and the tongue of the speechless was loosed; the lame walked; the paralyzed were healed, and took up their beds.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ὃν εἶδεν ἡ ἁμαρτωλὸς καὶ προσεκύνησε, καὶ ἀνεπλήρωσε τὰ ὀφειλήματα αὐτῆς τοῖς φιλήμασι τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ· ὃν ἰδὼν Ζακχαῖος ἐδέξατο ζωὴν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ· ὃν εἶδον τὰ ὕδατα καὶ μετεβλήθη εἰς οἶνον, καὶ ὀλίγοι ἄρτοι ὑπερεπερίσσευσαν· ὃς ἔδωκεν ἴασιν ἐκ τοῦ κρασπέδου αὐτοῦ τῇ αἱμορροούσῃ καὶ ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ αἵματος τῆς ῥύσεως αὐτῆς· ὁ περιπατήσας ἐπὶ κυμάτων θαλάσσης, καὶ ἐπιτιμήσας τῷ ἀνέμῳ καὶ ἡσύχασε, καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας συγκλείσας ἐν τῇ σαγήνῃ, καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἰχθύος ἑτέρου στατῆρα ἐνεγκών· ὃν εἶδον οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί, καὶ ἐδικαιώθησαν, καὶ πόρναι γεγόνασι σώφρονες, καὶ παρθένοι κατέλιπον τοὺς ὁρμα στοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὕπανδροι ἀνεχώρησαν τῶν συζύγων αὐτῶν, καὶ νυμφίοι καὶ νύμφαι κατήργησαν τοὺς γάμους αὐτῶν, καὶ βασιλεῖς λαβόντες τὰ διαδήματα, ἦλθον εἰς προσκύνησιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ δικασταὶ κατέλιπον τὰ δικαστήρια αὐτῶν, καὶ σοφοὶ κατεπάτησαν τὴν σοφίαν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἰατροὶ ἔρριψαν τὰ φάρμακα αὐτῶν, καὶ πλούσιοι ἀφῆκαν τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔμποροι κατέλιπον τὰς ἐνθήκας αὐτῶν· ὃν εἶδον ἄφρονες καὶ γεγόνασι συνετοί, καὶ ἰδιῶται γεγόνασι γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἁλιεῖς γεγόνασι κήρυκες, καὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες λόγον ἐλάλησαν πάσῃ γλώσσῃ. εἰρήνη ἐκείνη, ἡ δεξαμένη τὸ δῶρον τοῦ Ἄβελ, καὶ μεταστήσασα τὸν Ἐνὼχ τοῦ μὴ γεύσασθαι θανάτου, καὶ τὸν Νῶε σκεπάσασα ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ. ὁ πληθύνας τὰς εὐλογίας τοῦ Ἁβραάμ, καὶ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ κληρονόμον καταστήσας τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐξ οὗ σπέρματος ἐγεννήθη ὁ σωτὴρ τῶν αἰώνων· ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἐκ μήτρας, τοῦ δέξασθαι τὰς εὐλογίας τῶν πρωτοτόκων·","english":"whom the sinful woman saw and worshiped, and fulfilled her debts with the kisses of his feet; whom Zacchaeus saw and received life in his house; whom the waters saw and were changed into wine, and a few loaves overflowed abundantly; who gave healing from his hem to the woman with the flow of blood, and she was delivered from the fountain of the flow of her blood; who walked upon the waves of the sea, and rebuked the wind and it was still, and enclosed the fish in the net, and again from another fish brought a stater; whom sinners saw and were justified, and prostitutes became chaste, and virgins abandoned their impulses, and married women withdrew from their husbands, and bridegrooms and brides annulled their marriages, and kings, taking their diadems, came to worship him, and judges abandoned their judgment seats, and wise men trampled on their wisdom, and physicians threw away their medicines, and rich men left their wealth, and merchants abandoned their stores; whom fools saw and became prudent, and laymen became scribes, and fishermen became heralds, and those who had no speech spoke in every tongue. That peace which received the gift of Abel, and removed Enoch so that he should not taste death, and sheltered Noah in the ark. He who multiplied the blessings of Abraham, and made Isaac heir of the promise, from whose seed was born the Savior of the ages; who chose Jacob from the womb, to receive the blessings of the firstborn;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"ὁ γενόμενος μετὰ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ καὶ λαβὼν τὸν ζυγὸν τῆς\n\nδουλείας ἐκ τοῦ τραχήλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ λύσας ἐξέβαλεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς, καὶ ἐποίησε κύριον τῆς Αἰγύπτου· ὁ ἐν βάτῳ πυρὸς ὀφθεὶς τῷ Μωσεῖ, καὶ δοὺς αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν ὑποτάσσειν πάντα τὰ κτίσματα, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ποιήσας δραμεῖν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· ὁ ἐνδυναμώσας Ἰησοῦν τὸν τοῦ Ναυῆ, καὶ νικητὴν ποιήσας ἐν πάσαις ταῖς συμβολαῖς τῶν πολέμων· ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος τὸν Σαμουὴλ εἰς ἱερέα, καὶ τὸν Δαβὶδ χρίσας ὀπίσω ποιμνίων· ὁ ἐξ ὀλίγου ἀλεύρου ἐν τῇ ὑδρίᾳ καὶ ἐλαίου ὀλίγου ἐν τῷ καψάκῃ τῆς χήρας, ποιήσας πηγὴν πλησμονῆς εἰς ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἕξ. ὁ ἀποστείλας ἵππους καὶ ἅρμα πυρὸς πρὸς Ἠλίαν καὶ εἰσαγαγὼν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ χαρισάμενος Ἐλισσαίῳ πνεῦμα διπλοῦν καθὼς ᾐτήσατο· ὁ κελεύσας ξύλῳ ποιῆσαι θαυμάσια ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ῥάβδῳ ξηρᾷ τοῦ Ἀαρὼν ποιῆσαι καρπόν. εἰρήνη ἐκείνη, ἡ ἐνδυναμώσασα τὸν Ἰὼβ ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς, καὶ ἐξαγαγοῦσα τὸν Λὼτ ἐκ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ τοῦ πυρός. ὁ γενόμενος μετὰ τῶν πατέρων πάντων, ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες καὶ ὃν ἀγαπήσαντες ἐξῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπομεί ναντες ὀνείδη καὶ θλίψεις· καὶ ἐγένοντο ξένοι καὶ πτωχοί, καὶ πάροικοι καὶ δεδιωγμένοι, ἐξουδενώσαντες τὸν κόσμον, καταφρονήσαντες τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ ἀρνησάμενοι ἑαυτούς· καὶ ἐπειράσθησαν παντὶ πειρασμῷ, καὶ ἐβλήθησαν εἰς θηρία, καὶ γεγόνασι θέατρον τῷ κόσμῳ· καὶ διελ θόντες διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀναψυχήν.","english":"He who was with Joseph in a foreign land and took the yoke of slavery from his neck, and loosed him and brought him out of prison, and made him lord of Egypt; he who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and gave him authority to subdue all creation, and made the sea run before him; he who strengthened Joshua the son of Nun, and made him a conqueror in all the engagements of wars; he who chose Samuel for a priest, and anointed David after the flocks; he who from a little flour in the jar and a little oil in the widow's cruse made a fountain of abundance for three years and six months; he who sent horses and a chariot of fire to Elijah and brought him into heaven, and granted Elisha a double spirit as he asked; he who commanded the wood to work wonders in Egypt, and the dry rod of Aaron to bear fruit. That peace which strengthened Job in his temptations, and brought Lot out of the flood of fire. He who was with all the fathers, in whom they also believed and whom they loved, and went out after him, enduring reproaches and afflictions; and they became strangers and poor, and sojourners and persecuted, despising the world, disdaining death, and denying themselves; and they were tempted with every temptation, and were cast to wild beasts, and became a spectacle to the world; and passing through fire and water they came out into refreshment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"ταῦτα δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί, ἵνα γνῶτε ὡς ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας ἐκτίσθη ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐχ ἡσυχάζει ὁ πονηρὸς ποιεῖν πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων. ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ τῷ σώματι ᾧ ἐσμὲν ἐνδεδυμένοι, λοιπὸν μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου, οἰκεῖ καὶ ἀναστρέφεται μεθ' ἡμῶν πονηρῶς καὶ δολίως ἐν ταῖς πανουργίαις καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτοῦ. ὅσοι δέ εἰσι νήπιοι καὶ ἀγύμναστοι τῶν πολέμων αὐτοῦ περισσοτέρως τραυματίζονται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς νηπιότητος αὐτῶν· ἐφ' ὅσον δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ζητοῦσιν οὐ πίπτουσι· γέγραπται γὰρ Φυλάσσων τὰ νήπια ὁ Κύριος· ὅπλον γὰρ οὐράνιον οἱ Χριστιανοὶ ἐνδεδυμένοι ἐν αὐτῷ ποιοῦσι πόλεμον, ὡς εἷς πρὸς ἕνα, κρυπτῶς, ἐν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄνθρωποι κατέναντι ἀλλήλων πολεμοῦντες καιροὺς ἔχουσιν ἐν οἷς πολεμοῦσι, καὶ μετὰ τὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους πόλεμον ἕκασ τος αὐτῶν ἀναπαύεται καὶ καθέζεται ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἡσυχίας καὶ εἰρήνης· ὅσοι δὲ μετὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ πόλεμον ποιοῦσι, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἐν ἀγῶνι στήκουσιν· ἐν ἑνὶ γὰρ οἴκῳ, ὅς ἐστι τὸ σῶμα, κατέλυσε ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς, πρὸς ὃν πολεμεῖ· ἐκεῖ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀναστρέφεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐγγύτερός ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς πᾶσαν ὥραν· διὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ἡσυχάζουσιν οὔτε ἀναπαύονται, ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσωνται ὅπλον καὶ δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους, ἐπειδὴ ἐπίστευσαν καὶ ἔγνωσαν διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐστὶ μετ' αὐτῶν ὁ φονεὺς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος·","english":"These things I have written to you, beloved brothers, so that you may know that from the day Adam was created upon the earth until the consummation of the age, the evil one does not rest from waging war against the saints. For in this very body with which we are clothed, after the transgression of the first-formed man, he dwells and moves among us wickedly and deceitfully in his cunning and his devices. But all who are infants and untrained in his wars are wounded by him all the more because of the simplicity of their infancy; yet insofar as they seek the Lord in truth, they do not fall; for it is written, The Lord guards the infants. For clothed with a heavenly weapon, Christians wage war in it, as one against one, secretly, in their own souls. And men who war against one another have times in which they fight, and after the war against one another each of them rests and sits in his own country in quietness and peace; but those who wage war against Satan stand in struggle night and day. For in one house, which is the body, the soul of a man and Satan, against whom he wars, have taken up lodging; there he dwells in it and moves about, and for this reason he is nearer to the soul every hour; for this reason they do not rest or take their ease until they put on the weapon and power from on high, since they have believed and known through God that the murderer of mankind is with them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"καὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς τοὺς πολέμους αὐτῶν ἥδονται, ἐν οἷς ἔγνωσαν ὅτι τὸν θεὸν ἀγα πῶσι, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ πολεμοῦσι σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ θεοῦ. ὀλίγοι δέ εἰσι καὶ σπάνιοι οἱ εἰδότες ὅτι ἐστὶ μετ' αὐτῶν ὁ ἀφανιστὴς τῶν ψυχῶν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐν θλίψει εἰσί, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπὶ γῆς ὃς παρακαλέσει αὐτούς, ἐπειδὴ προσέχουσι καὶ προσδοκῶσιν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἵνα δέξωνταί τι ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τῷ ὅπλῳ τοῦ πνεύματος νικῶσιν. ἐξ οὐρανοῦ γάρ ἐστιν ἣν δέχονται δύναμιν, μὴ φαινομένην ὀφθαλμοῖς σαρκός· ὅσον γὰρ τὸν θεὸν ζητοῦσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, δύναμις θεοῦ κρυπτῶς πᾶσαν ὥραν βοηθεῖ αὐτοῖς· εἰ δὲ καὶ πειράζονται ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκαταλιμπάνει αὐτοὺς ὁ Κύριος ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐμποδισθῆναι καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖον πειρασθῆναι· αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ πόλεμοι διδάσκουσιν αὐτοὺς γνῶναι τί ἐστιν ὁ Σατανᾶς, καὶ πῶς φθείρει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ πάθη τῶν πολέμων διδάσκουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐγγίζειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου· καὶ ἐπὰν γνῶσι τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἑαυτῶν,","english":"And they take delight even in their own wars, in which they have come to know that they love God, and that they do battle with Satan together with the power of God. But few and rare are those who know that the destroyer of souls is with them; therefore they are in affliction, and there is no one on earth who will comfort them, since they attend to and await things from heaven, so that they may receive something within themselves, and in that power and weapon of the Spirit conquer. For the power which they receive is from heaven, not appearing to the eyes of the flesh; for as much as they seek God with their whole heart, the power of God secretly helps them every hour. And even if they are tempted by Satan because of their weakness, the Lord does not abandon them to be hindered for long and tempted beyond measure; but the wars themselves teach them to know what Satan is, and how he corrupts men; and the very passions of the wars teach them to draw near to God, the Savior of the world; and when they have come to know their own weakness,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"μὴ δυνάμενοι νικῆσαι, τότε ζητοῦσιν ἐκ θεοῦ ὅπλον σπουδαίως· καὶ οὕτως ἐνδυσάμενοι τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ πνεύματος, γίγνονται νικηταί, καὶ πίπτει ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν ὁ ἐχθρὸς τῶν ψυχῶν. δι' ὧν ὅπλων καταλύεται τὰ τείχη τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ κυκλώσαντα τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ ψυχαὶ αἱ ἐγκεκλεισμέναι εἰς σκότος εἰς φῶς ἐξέρχονται, καὶ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν τὸν οὐράνιον ἐγγίζουσι, καὶ κάλλος ὡραιό τητος θεϊκὸν ἐνδύονται, καὶ δόξαν καὶ δύναμιν περιζώννυνται, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα τοῦ πονηροῦ πνεύματος μανθάνουσιν, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπό στολος Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου συμμίγνυνται, καὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ποιοῦσι. γινώσκετε οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί, ὅτι ὅσοι ἑτοιμάζουσι τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς γενέσθαι γῆν τοῦ οὐρανίου σπόρου, ἐκεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς σπεύδει σπεῖραι τὰ ζιζάνια αὐτοῦ· διὸ καὶ ἐπειράσθητε ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, καὶ ἀκηκοότες ἐλυπήθημεν ἐπὶ πολύ. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἴστε· ὡς εἰ μή τινες ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ζητήσουσι τὸν Κύριον, οὐ πειράζονται ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ φανερῶς, ἀλλὰ κρυπτῶς καὶ δολίως διὰ τῆς ἀπάτης αὐτοῦ ἐξαφανίζει τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, φθείρων καὶ ἀπαλλοτριῶν ἀπὸ θεοῦ· καὶ τὰ νῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, θαρσεῖτε καὶ μὴ δειλιάσητε ἐν μηδενί, καὶ μὴ πτύρεσθε ἐν ταῖς φαντασίαις τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου, καὶ ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ μὴ γίνεσθε συγκε χυμένοι ἐν πλείοσι καὶ ἀπρεπέσι κραυγαῖς, ἔσεσθε δὲ ἐκδεχόμενοι τὴν χάριν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν πόνῳ ψυχῆς καὶ πείνῃ νοός· οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ὑμᾶς μόνον τοιαῦτα γεγόνασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὅμοια γεγόνασι πρός τινας· ταῦτα δὲ συμβέβηκεν ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ καιρῷ·","english":"When they are unable to conquer, then they earnestly seek a weapon from God; and thus, having put on the full armor of the Spirit, they become conquerors, and the enemy of souls falls beneath their feet. Through these weapons the walls of sin that encircled the soul are thrown down, and souls that were shut up in darkness come out into the light, and draw near to their Father in heaven, and are clothed with a divine beauty of comeliness, and are girded about with glory and power, and they learn all the devices of the evil spirit, as the apostle says, For we are not ignorant of his thoughts, and they are mingled with the Holy Spirit, and they do the will of the Father who is in heaven. Know then, beloved brothers, that wherever people prepare their own souls to become ground for the heavenly seed, there the enemy hastens to sow his tares; and for this reason you also were tempted by the enemy, and when we heard it we were greatly grieved. And know this also: that unless certain people seek the Lord with their whole heart, they are not tempted by Satan openly, but secretly and deceitfully, through his deception, he makes the souls of men to vanish, corrupting them and estranging them from God. And now, brothers, take courage and do not be cowardly in anything, and do not be alarmed at the phantasies of the alien one, and in prayer do not become confused with many and unseemly cries, but be waiting for the grace of the Lord in the labor of the soul and the hunger of the mind; for such things have happened not to you only, but here too similar things have happened to certain people; and these things came about in the first season.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"ὅτε γὰρ ἤρξαντο προσ καρτερεῖν ἐν προσευχαῖς, ἐν πειρασμοῖς ἐκλυδωνίσθησαν διὰ τὸ ἀγυ μνάστους αὐτοὺς εἶναι, καὶ διὰ τὴν νηπιότητα αὐτῶν συνεχύθησαν. τὸ λοιπὸν, ἀδελφοί, θαρσεῖτε καὶ παρακαλεῖσθε καὶ ἐκδέχεσθε, μεριμνῶντες ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, σπουδάζοντες προσκαρτερεῖν τῇ προσευχῇ, καὶ μὴ ἐκκακήσῃ ὁ νοῦς ὑμῶν, γέγραπται γὰρ Ὑπομονῆς χρείαν ἔχετε, ἵνα ποιήσαντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ κομίσησθε τὰς ἐπαγγελίας. καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἶπεν Ἐὰν δύο ὑμῶν συμφωνήσωσιν, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, λήψονται· ὅσοι γὰρ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ τὸν θεὸν ζητοῦσι, δύναμιν θεϊκὴν δέχονται ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς, καὶ οἱ τοιοῦτοι τῷ οὐρανίῳ χρίσματι προσεγγίζοντες αἰσθάνονται ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τῆς γεύσεως καὶ γλυκύτητος τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος· οἱ τοιοῦτοι μείζονές εἰσι πάντων ἀνθρώπων τῶν κατοικούντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ γενομένη μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων καὶ φυλάξασα αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς πειρασμοῦ, αὕτη ἔσται μεθ' ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος· ἀμήν. τ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Β Ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἔργον ἀληθείας ἐπιζητεῖ. εἶτά ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ λέγειν, τὸ ἀκούειν, καὶ τὸ ποιεῖν· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἀκούει τις τοῦ λέγοντος, ἵνα τῆς ἀκοῆς τὸ ἔργον ἐκτελέσῃ. ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ Κύριος ἐγεννήθη, ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ σωτηρία τῶν ἀνθρώπων· σήμερον γέγονε καταλλαγὴ θεό τητος πρὸς ἀνθρωπότητα καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος πρὸς θεότητα· σήμερον ἐσκίρτησε πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις· οἱ ἄνωθεν ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς τοὺς κάτω καὶ οἱ κάτω πρὸς τοὺς ἄνω· σήμερον τοῦ σκότους θάνατος γέγονε καὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζωή·","english":"For when they began to persevere in prayers, they were tossed about in temptations because they were inexperienced, and because of their infancy they were confounded. For the rest, brothers, take courage and be encouraged and wait, caring for your souls, striving to persevere in prayer, and do not let your mind grow weary, for it is written, You have need of endurance, so that having done the will of God you may receive the promises. And the Lord said, If two of you agree, truly I say to you, whatever they ask, they shall receive; for as many as seek God in truth receive divine power in their souls, and such as these, drawing near to the heavenly anointing, perceive in themselves the taste and sweetness of the age to come; such as these are greater than all men who dwell on the earth. The peace of the Lord which was with all the holy fathers and kept them from every temptation, this shall be with you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; amen. Homily 2. The word of God seeks the work of truth. For to a man there is speaking, hearing, and doing; for this reason one hears the speaker, so that he may fulfill the work of hearing. On this day the Lord was born, the life and salvation of men; today there has come reconciliation of Godhead to humanity and of humanity to Godhead; today all creation leaped for joy; those above sent to those below and those below to those above; today the death of darkness has come to be and the life of man.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"σήμερον ὁδὸς γέγονε πρὸς θεὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ θεοῦ ὁδὸς εἰς τὴν ψυχήν· τὸ πρὶν γὰρ ἔλεγεν ὁ προφήτης Ὁδοὶ Σιὼν πεν θοῦσι παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἐρχομένους εἰς ἑορτήν, τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἐρήμωσιν καὶ τὸν ἀφανισμὸν αἰνισσόμενος, οὔτε γὰρ ὁδὸς θεοῦ εἰς ψυχὴν καὶ ἀνθρώπου διάνοιαν ἦν οὔτε ψυχὴ εἰς θεὸν περιεπάτει· σήμερον ἀγαλλιᾶται τὰ πεδία καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἡ γῆ τῆς ψυχῆς δεχομένη ὄμβρον ἐξ οὐρα νοῦ. Ὁ\n\nΚύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο· ὅτι τὸ πρὶν κύριος καὶ βασιλεὺς ὁ Ἀδὰμ κατασταθεὶς ἰδοὺ διὰ τὴν παράβασιν δοῦλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας γέγονε· σήμερον βασιλεύει τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, Δεῖ γὰρ αὐτόν, φησί, βασιλεύειν· σήμερον Ἐστερέωσε τὴν οἰκουμένην, τὴν πρὶν ἔρημον ψυχὴν καὶ σαλευομένην καὶ τρέμουσαν, ἐν φόβῳ καὶ δειλίᾳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κατεχομένην, Ἐν γὰρ τῇ κατάρᾳ, φησί, στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς ἐν ἄμμῳ ᾠκοδόμητο, ἐν σάλῳ καὶ τρόμῳ ἦν· σήμερον εἰς τὴν ἀσάλευτον πέτραν τῆς θεότητος ἡ οἰκία τῆς ψυχῆς ᾠκοδομήθη. χαίρουσιν ἄγγελοι, οὐρανοί, ἀστέρες, ἥλιος, σελήνη, ἡ γῆ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ, ὄρη καὶ βουνοὶ σκιρτῶσιν· εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἐξέρχεσθαι ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὸν Ἰσραὴλ συνέχαιρε πάντα τὰ κτίσματα, οὐρα νὸς σκέπων νέφει φωτὸς ἡμέρας, καὶ νυκτὸς ἐν στύλῳ πυρός, τὰ ὄρη ὡσεὶ κριοὶ καὶ οἱ βουνοὶ ὡς ἀρνία προβάτων, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Χριστοῦ γεννηθέντος σήμερον. καὶ γὰρ τὸ πρὶν πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις ἐβόησεν εἰς φθορὰν μετενεχθεῖσα, πεσόντος τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τοῦ ὄντος βασιλέως αὐτῶν, ὃν εἰκόνα θεοῦ ἰδίαν ὑπάρχοντα ἦλθεν ὁ Κύριος ἀνακαινίσαι καθὼς ἔδει καὶ ἀνακτίσαι·","english":"Today a road has come into being for human beings toward God, and a road of God into the soul. For formerly the prophet said, \"The roads of Zion mourn because there are none coming to the feast,\" hinting at the desolation and destruction of the soul. For neither was there a road of God into the soul and the human mind, nor did the soul walk toward God. Today the plains rejoice and all things in them, the earth of the soul receiving rain from heaven. The Lord has reigned, he has clothed himself with beauty. For formerly Adam, having been appointed lord and king—behold, because of transgression he has become a slave of sin. Today he reigns over his enemies; for \"He must reign,\" it says. Today \"He has established the world\"—the soul that was formerly desert and shaken and trembling, held in fear and cowardice by sin. For \"In the curse,\" it says, \"you shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth.\" For since her house was built upon sand, she was in tossing and trembling. Today the house of the soul has been built upon the unshakeable rock of divinity. Angels rejoice, the heavens, the stars, the sun, the moon, the earth, and all things in it; the mountains and the hills skip for joy. For if when Israel went out of Egypt all creation rejoiced together—heaven covering the day with a cloud of light, and by night with a pillar of fire, the mountains like rams and the hills like lambs of sheep—how much more today, when the true Christ has been born. For formerly all creation cried out, having been brought into corruption, when Adam fell, who was their king, whom the Lord came to renew and restore, as was fitting, since he was his own image of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"ἐπληρώθη ὁ χρόνος τῆς καταδίκης τοῦ ἀνθρώ που· ἐπληρώθησαν οἱ προκατηγγελμένοι ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν καιροί· νῦν ἀνακαλεῖται ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ τῆς ἐξορίας, Ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἐπληρώθη ὁ χρόνος τῶν δεσμῶν καὶ τῆς φυλακῆς καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ σκότει καταδίκης τοῦ Ἀδάμ. σήμερον αὐτῷ γέγονε λύτρωσις καὶ ἐλευθερία τῆς καταλλαγῆς, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἡ συνάφεια πρὸς τὸν θεόν· σήμερον ἤρθη ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ παρρησία ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ ἐνορᾶν καὶ κιρνᾶσθαι τῷ πνεύματι· σήμερον ἀπολαμβάνει ἡ νύμφη τὸν ἑαυτῆς νυμφίον· σήμερον ἑνότης καὶ κοινωνία καὶ καταλλαγὴ τῶν ἐπουρανίων καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων γέγονε, θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος. ἔπρεπε γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐνδυσαμένῳ τὸ σῶμα ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ καταλλάξαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τῷ ἰδίῳ Πατρί· ἄνοπλος ἐλθών, τὸ ὅπλον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔλαβεν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐπολέμησε καὶ ἀπέκτεινε τὸν θάνατον· διὰ σώματος νεκροῦ ἐθανατώθη ὁ ἐχθρός· διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου ὅπλου κατέκρινεν ἐν τῷ σώματι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἐπερχόμενοι διὰ τῶν ἰδίων τῆς πόλεως ὅπλων καὶ μαγγάνων, λέγω δὴ τῶν βαλλίστρων ἢ ἄλλων τινῶν, σπουδάζουσι καθελεῖν τὰ τείχη, οὕτως καὶ ὁ ἐχθρὸς λαβὼν ὑποχείριον τὸν Ἀδάμ, ὥσπερ ὅπλῳ χρησάμενος τῷ αὐτοῦ σώματι, δι' αὐτοῦ ἐνεμήθη καὶ ᾐχμαλώτευσε πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους·","english":"The time of humanity's condemnation has been fulfilled; the times foretold by the prophets have been fulfilled; now he is called back from captivity and exile, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near; the time of Adam's bonds and imprisonment and condemnation in darkness has been fulfilled. Today redemption and freedom of reconciliation have come to him, and communion with the Spirit, and union with God; today the shame of his face has been taken away, and boldness has been given him to look with unveiled face and to be mingled with the Spirit; today the bride receives her own bridegroom; today unity and communion and reconciliation of things heavenly and things earthly have come to be—God and man. For it was fitting that he who had put on the body should come and turn back and reconcile human beings to his own Father. Coming unarmed, he took the weapon of humanity, which is the body, and through it he made war and put death to death; through a dead body the enemy was put to death; through his own weapon he condemned sin in the body. For just as enemies advancing by means of the city's own weapons and engines—I mean the ballistae or certain other things—strive to bring down the walls, so too the enemy, having taken Adam under his hand, using his own body as a weapon, through it ravaged and took captive all human beings.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ Κύριος, ὥσπερ ὅπλον λαβὼν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, δι' αὐτοῦ τὰ τείχη καὶ τὰ ὀχυρώματα τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν μηχανὴν καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν κατασκευὴν, ᾗ κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐχρήσατο, διέλυσε καὶ ἠφάνισε κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον Ὡς τὸ σκότος αὐτῆς, οὕτως καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς· Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται· νεκρὰ γὰρ ἦν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις τὸ πρὶν ἀπὸ θεοῦ, ἄκαρπος· στεῖρα καὶ ἄγονος ἡ ψυχή. νῦν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ σπέρμα ἐδέξατο, ἵνα δυνηθῇ καρποὺς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐνεγκεῖν. ὁ Ἀδὰμ εἷς ἦν, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἡ γυνή, καὶ εἰ μὴ συνήφθη Ἀδὰμ τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καρποὺς οὐκ ἐποίει· οὕτως ἐὰν μὴ συναφθῇ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ κοινωνήσῃ τῷ Χριστῷ, καρποὺς τοῦ πνεύμα τος ἐνεγκεῖν οὐ δύναται. τὸ σπέρμα γὰρ τὸ θεϊκὸν ὁ λόγος, ὁ πεσὼν εἰς τὴν θεοτόκον Μαρίαν, εἰς πάσας τὰς πιστευούσας ψυχὰς πίπτει, καὶ οὕτως γεννῶνται ἐκ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ γεννήματος τῆς σωτηρίας, καθώς φησι Διὰ τὸν φόβον σου, Κύριε, ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας, καὶ οὕτως καρποφορεῖ ψυχὴ τῷ θεῷ. Ἡ γυνὴ γάρ, φησίν, ὅταν ὠδίνῃ, λύπην ἔχει· ἐπὰν δὲ γεννήσῃ, χαίρει, ὅτι ἐγεννήθη ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν κόσμον· καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ λαβοῦσα τὸν ἐπου ράνιον σπόρον, ἕως ἂν ὠδίνῃ θλίψιν ἔχει, βασανιζομένη ὑπὸ","english":"Likewise also the Lord, taking humanity as a weapon, through it destroyed and made to vanish the walls and strongholds of the evil one, and all his device and evil contrivance which he used against humanity, as it is said: \"As its darkness, so also its light\"; \"For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.\" For human nature was formerly dead, apart from God, unfruitful; the soul was barren and childless. Now it has received seed from heaven, so that it might be able to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. Adam was one, and from him came the woman, and if Adam had not been joined to his wife, he would not have produced fruit; so too, unless the soul is joined to and has fellowship with Christ, it cannot bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. For the divine seed is the Word, which fell into Mary the God-bearer, and falls into all believing souls, and thus they are begotten from the spiritual birth of salvation, as it says: \"Because of your fear, O Lord, we conceived in the womb and were in travail and brought forth the spirit of salvation,\" and thus the soul bears fruit to God. For the woman, it says, when she is in travail has sorrow; but when she has given birth, she rejoices, because a human being has been born into the world; and the soul, having received the heavenly seed, so long as it is in travail has affliction, being tormented by","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"ποικίλων πειρασμῶν, ἐπὰν δὲ γεννήσῃ, τουτέστι τελειωθῇ, χαίρει διηνεκῶς χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ, ὅτι ἐγεννήθη ἐπουράνιος καὶ καινὸς ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν ἄνω κόσμον. καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ σῶμα λαβὼν ὁ Κύριος ἀνήνεγκε καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἄνω ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, οὕτως καὶ νῦν τὰς πιστευούσας ψυχὰς καὶ ἀξίας τοῦ θεοῦ μεθιστᾷ καὶ μεθίστησιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, γεννήσας αὐτὰς ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου πνεύματος, καθώς φησιν ὁ Κύριος Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν. οἱ γὰρ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ πιστοὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ μένοντες ἄνω ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς διακονοῦσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ἄνω καθεζόμενος εἰς τὸν θρόνον τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ κάτω ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαῖς ὡς ἐνθρόνοις ἐπανα παύεται· μέλη γὰρ καὶ σῶμα αὐτοῦ εἰσι, πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία τῶν ἁγίων, αὐτὸς δὲ ἡ κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τυγχάνει· ὥσπερ γὰρ μία ψυχὴ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ σώματί ἐστι, καὶ ἕκαστον μέλος τοῦ σώματος ὑπὸ τῆς μιᾶς ψυχῆς διοικεῖται, οὕτω πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς θεότητος ζῶσι καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ διοικοῦνται, καὶ ἕκαστον μέλος ζῇ ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει καὶ τῇ θεϊκῇ ψυχῇ. καὶ ὡς τὸ σῶμα ἐὰν ᾖ παρὰ χεῖρα ἢ παρὰ πόδα ἢ παρ' ὀφθαλμόν, ἐπίμωμός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὕτως καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ χωρὶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ θεϊκοῦ πνεύματος ἀτελὴς καὶ ἐπίμωμός ἐστιν, ἀπόβλητος τῆς βασιλείας τυγχάνουσα· Ἐὰν μή τις γάρ, φησί, γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. δύο γὰρ χεῖρες καὶ δύο πόδες καὶ δύο ὦτα τέλειος ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ καὶ δύο πτεροῖς τὸ ὄρνεον δύναται πετασθῆναι, ἑνὶ δὲ πτερῷ πετασθῆναι οὐ δύναται·","english":"of various temptations, but when it has given birth, that is, been perfected, it rejoices continually with joy inexpressible, because a heavenly and new human being has been born into the world above. And just as the Lord, having taken a body, brought it up and seated it above at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest, so also now the souls that believe and are worthy of God he transfers and has transferred into his kingdom, having begotten them from above from his own Spirit, as the Lord says: The one who believes in me has passed over from death into life. For those who are truly faithful, even while remaining on earth, serve the Lord above in the heavens, and he himself, seated above on the throne of his Majesty, rests below upon the souls of the saints as upon thrones; for they are his members and his body, the whole church of the saints, and he himself is the head of the church. For just as there is one soul in the whole body, and each member of the body is governed by the one soul, so all the saints live in the Spirit of the Godhead and are governed by it, and each member lives in the substance and the divine soul. And as the body, if it is maimed at the hand or the foot or the eye, the person is blemished, so also the soul without the heavenly soul and the divine Spirit is imperfect and blemished, being cast out from the kingdom; for unless one is born from above, he says, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. For two hands and two feet and two ears make a perfect human being; but also with two wings the bird can fly, yet with one wing it cannot fly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"ἀλλὰ καὶ δύο διαθῆκαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐδόθησαν, καὶ χωρὶς τῆς καινῆς ἡ μία ἀδύνατος ἦν· καὶ πάντα τὰ ζεύγη, δύο ὄντα, ἕν ἐστι, καὶ οὕτω τέλεια ἀποδείκνυνται. οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἀληθῆ χριστιανὸν εἶναι δεῖ· ὁ γὰρ Κύριος εὐδόκησεν αὐτὸν ἔχειν δύο ψυχάς, μίαν τὴν κτισθεῖσαν καὶ μίαν ἐπου ράνιον ἐκ τοῦ θεϊκοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ οὕτω δύνανται εἶναι τέλειοι καὶ χρήσιμοι εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἱπτάμενοι καὶ κουφιζόμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν πτερύγων τοῦ πνεύματος. ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀρρενικῶς ὀνομάζεται ἡ δὲ γῆ θηλυκῶς, οὕτω νυμφίος ὁ οὐράνιος Χριστός, καὶ νύμφη αὐτοῦ ἡ ὡραία ψυχὴ καὶ ἀπαθής· καὶ ἄνωθεν μὲν ὄμβρος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ κατέρχεται, αὕτη δὲ ὡς γῆ καλλίστη δεχομένη τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ πνεύματος ἀποδίδωσιν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ Εὔα χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ Ἀδὰμ συναφείας στεῖρα καὶ ἄκαρπος ἦν, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος συναφείας καὶ συγκράσεως τοῦ ἐπου ρανίου νυμφίου Χριστοῦ χήρα καὶ ἄκαρπος καὶ στεῖρα τυγχάνει τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἐπουράνιος νυμφίος ἄνευ τῆς σπουδῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοῦ θελήματος οὔτε οἰκεῖ εἰς αὐτὸν οὔτε κιρνᾶται· ὥσπερ γὰρ οἶνος κιρνώμενος ὕδατι πόσιμος καὶ ἡδύς ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ θεότης ἑαυτὴν κεράσασα τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι ἦλθεν ἵνα πάντας τοὺς θέλοντας καὶ πιστεύοντας κεράσῃ τῷ ἰδίῳ πνεύματι, καὶ οὕτως εἰς ἡδυτάτην καὶ εὔνοστον μεταβληθῶσι προαίρεσιν. ὥσπερ δὲ βαφὲν ἔριον ἐν πορφύρᾳ ἓν γέγονεν, οὕτω καὶ τελείως βαπτιζόμεναι ψυχαὶ τῷ πνεύματι πορφύρα πνευματικὴ ἀποτελοῦνται κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον Τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν·","english":"But also two covenants were given to human beings, and without the new one the one was powerless; and all the pairs, being two, are one, and in this way they are shown to be perfect. So also the true Christian must be: for the Lord willed that he have two souls, one the created one and one heavenly from the divine Spirit, and in this way they can be perfect and useful for the kingdom of heaven, flying and being lifted up by the wings of the Spirit. For just as heaven is named in the masculine and the earth in the feminine, so the heavenly Christ is the bridegroom, and his bride is the beautiful and passionless soul; and from above the rain comes down from God, and she, like the finest earth, receiving it, returns the fruits of the Spirit. For just as Eve without union with Adam was barren and unfruitful, so also a soul without union with the Spirit and mingling with the heavenly bridegroom Christ is found to be a widow and unfruitful and barren for the kingdom of heaven. But also the heavenly bridegroom, without the human being's zeal and will, neither dwells in him nor is mingled with him; for just as wine mingled with water is drinkable and sweet, so also the Godhead, having mingled itself with humanity, came so that it might mingle all who are willing and believe with its own Spirit, and so they might be changed into a most sweet and well-disposed disposition. And just as wool dyed in purple has become one, so also souls perfectly baptized in the Spirit are made a spiritual purple, according to what is written: That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"ὥσπερ καὶ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου κερασθὲν τῇ θεότητι θεός ἐστιν· ὥσπερ δὲ σίδηρος βληθεὶς εἰς πῦρ πῦρ ἐστι, καὶ οὐδὲν δύναται αὐτοῦ ἅψασθαι ἢ ἐγγίσαι, ἐπεὶ ἀφανί ζεται καὶ ἀναλίσκεται, εἰ μὴ μόνον τὸ πῦρ μετὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἢ ἄνθρακες πυρὸς μετὰ ἀνθράκων δύνανται εἶναι ἀβλαβεῖς, οὕτω καὶ πᾶσα ψυχὴ διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ πνεύματος καθαρισθεῖσα καὶ πῦρ καὶ πνεῦμα γενομένη δύναται εἶναι μετὰ τοῦ ἀχράντου σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ψυχὴν δὲ ἀμύητον τούτου τοῦ πνεύματος ἀδύνατον ἐκεῖ προσεγγίσαι, ἢ ἀποβλέ ψαι εἰς τὴν θείαν ἐκείνην ἀστραπήν, καὶ ζῆν ἐν αὐτῇ. ἕκαστον γὰρ πρᾶγμα ἐκεῖ ἐστι καὶ ἐκεῖ ζῇ, ὅθεν ἐγεννήθη· τὰ ζῷα τὰ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι διὰ τὸ ἐκεῖ γεννηθῆναι ἐκεῖ ζῶσι·\n\nτὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἱπτάμενα ἐν τῷ ἀέρι εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναπαύονται. ὁμοίως καὶ ἡ τῶν ψυχῶν διαγωγή, καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς τοῦ πνεύματος πτέρυγας ἐπάνω ἐστὶν εἰς τὰ ὕψη τῆς θεότητος, ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἐγεννήθησαν. ὥσπερ δὲ ἡνίοχος κατέχων τὰ λῶρα ἡνιοχεῖ καὶ ἄγει τὰ ζῷα ὡς οἶδε καὶ ὡς βούλεται, οὕτως καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις ἡνιοχεῖ καὶ κυβερνᾷ τὰ κτίσματα ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπίσταται· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς μεγαλωσύνης καθεζόμενος, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς διοικῶν καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις συνὼν καὶ συνοι κῶν· αὐτός ἐστιν ἄνω, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι κάτω· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεός, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ζῶν, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀποθανών· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τῶν πάντων Κύριος, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τῶν πάντων δοῦλος· αὐτός ἐστι τὸ ἀρνίον, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ θυσία·","english":"Just as the body of the Lord, being mingled with the Godhead, is God; and just as iron cast into fire is fire, and nothing can touch it or come near it, since it is destroyed and consumed, except that only fire with fire, or coals of fire with coals, can be unharmed, so also every soul purified through the fire of the Spirit and become fire and spirit can be with the undefiled body of Christ. But a soul uninitiated into this Spirit cannot approach there, or look upon that divine lightning, and live in it. For each thing is there and lives there, from where it was born; the creatures in the water, because they were born there, live there; the birds of heaven, flying in the air, rest in it. Likewise also the conduct of souls, and the air of those who have the wings of the Spirit is above, into the heights of the Godhead, for from there they were born. And just as a charioteer holding the reins drives and leads the beasts as he knows and as he wills, so also the Lord in the highest drives and steers the creatures in heaven and on earth as he himself knows; for he himself is in the heavens, seated at the right hand of the Majesty, and he himself is the one administering the things on the earth and being with all the saints and dwelling with them; he himself is above, and he himself is below; he himself is God, and he himself is man; he himself is the living one, and he himself is the one who died; he himself is the Lord of all, and he himself is the servant of all; he himself is the lamb, and he himself is the sacrifice.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ μόσχος ὁ τυθείς, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θύων ἀρχιερεύς· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ παθών, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀπαθής· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ νυμφίος, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ νύμφη. αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ νυμφών, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ παστός· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ παράδεισος, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ πόλις Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ναὸς καὶ τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων· αὐτός ἐστι τὸ πέλαγος, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ τροφὴ τῶν ψυχῶν, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τούτων τρεφόμενος· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς ζωῆς· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀλη θινή, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ οἶνος τῆς εὐφροσύνης· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ μαργαρίτης, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρός· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ σαγήνη, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ πολεμιστής· αὐτός ἐστι τὸ ὅπλον, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ περιτομή, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὸ σάββατον καὶ ὁ νόμος· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ σινάπεως κόκκος· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀμπελών, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν τὸ ἄροτρον· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ χάρις, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ πίστις· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ γάμος, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ὁδός, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ θύρα· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὸ φῶς τῶν ψυχῶν· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ζωή, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία· αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ αὐτός ἐστι τὸ τέλος· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ πάντων ἐπέκεινα, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι γινόμενος. τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ θεῖον γέννημα ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ, ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν· δόξα τῇ μεγαλειότητι αὐτοῦ· δόξα τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ·","english":"He himself is the calf that is sacrificed, and he himself is the priest who sacrifices; he himself is the one who suffered, and he himself is the impassible one; he himself is the bridegroom, and he himself is the bride. He himself is the bridal chamber, and he himself is the marriage bed; he himself is paradise, and he himself is the tree of life; he himself is the city Jerusalem, and he himself is the temple and the holy of holies; he himself is the sea, and he himself is the inhabited world; he himself is the food of souls, and he himself is the one who is fed by their salvation; he himself is the living bread, and he himself is the water of life; he himself is the true vine, and he himself is the wine of gladness; he himself is the pearl, and he himself is the treasure; he himself is the dragnet, and he himself is the warrior; he himself is the weapon, and he himself is the conqueror; he himself is the circumcision, and he himself is the sabbath and the law; he himself is the head of the church of the saints, and he himself is the grain of mustard seed; he himself is the vineyard, and he himself is the plow; he himself is grace, and he himself is faith; he himself is the marriage, and he himself is the wedding garment; he himself is the way, and he himself is the door; he himself is the sun of righteousness, and he himself is the light of souls; he himself is life, and he himself is the kingdom; he himself is the beginning and he himself is the end; he himself is the one beyond all things, and he himself is the one who becomes all things in all. This sacred and divine offspring was born for us on this day, the salvation and the life of our souls; glory to his majesty; glory to his love for mankind.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"δόξα τῇ ἀνεικάστῳ προνοίᾳ αὐτοῦ περὶ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν. παρακαλέσωμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ πιστεύ σωμεν δέξασθαι αὐτόν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς εὑρόντες αὐτὸν ἀπολαύσωμεν αὐτοῦ, τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν γινομένων ἐν ἡμῖν βουλήσει πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.\n\nτ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΓ ὁ βουλόμενος θεῷ εὐαρεστῆσαι καὶ υἱὸς θεοῦ γενέσθαι καταξιωθῆναι πρὸ πάντων τῆς μακροθυμίας δραξάμενος ὀφείλει εὐχαριστεῖν ἐν ταῖς ἀπαντώσαις θλίψεσι διαφόροις, στενοχωρίαις τε καὶ ἀνάγκαις· λέγω δὴ νοσημάτων καὶ παθῶν, ἤτοι πνευματικῶν θλίψεων τῶν ἐπαγομένων ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς πονηρίας πνευμάτων, ἤτοι ζημιῶν σωματικῶν ἀδοξιῶν τε καὶ ὕβρεων ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἐπαγομένων· ἅπερ πάντα ἐμπόδια τυγχάνει, τοῦ τῆς βασιλείας ἀλλοτριῶσαι καὶ μὴ προσεγγίσαι τὴν ψυχὴν τῷ θεῷ. ἐν τούτοις τοίνυν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀπαντῶσιν ὁ βουλόμενος εὐδοκιμῆσαι παρὰ Χριστῷ ὀφείλει χαίρειν, ἥδεσθαι καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶν, καὶ τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ὁρμῇ ζέειν, καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει πρὸς αὐτὸν σπεύδειν, καὶ ὅτε μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐμποδισθῇ, ἀναπαύεσθαι καὶ γενναίως ὑπερπηδᾶν πᾶσαν θλίψιν τῇ πρὸς Κύριον ἀγάπῃ· εἰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως διακεῖται μήτε οὕτως","english":"Glory to his incomparable providence toward our race. Let us therefore also entreat and believe, that we may receive him, so that we too, having found him, may enjoy him, since so many good things come to be in us by the will of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages; amen.\n\nHomily 53. Whoever wishes to please God and to be deemed worthy to become a son of God ought, before all things, having laid hold of patience, to give thanks in the various afflictions that come upon him, and in distresses and necessities—I mean indeed sicknesses and sufferings, whether spiritual afflictions brought on by the spirits of wickedness, or bodily losses and disgraces and insults brought on by men—all of which are obstacles to alienating the soul from the kingdom and preventing it from drawing near to God. In all these things, then, that come upon him, whoever wishes to be approved before Christ ought to rejoice, be glad and exult, and to boil with eagerness toward God, and to hasten toward him by his choice, and when he is more greatly hindered in such things, to rest and courageously leap over every affliction by his love toward the Lord. But if he is not so disposed, nor so","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"ἑαυτὸν εὐτρεπίζει, ὀδυνᾶται καὶ στενοχωρεῖται μὴ ἀνδριζόμενος· ὁ τοιοῦτος ζωῆς οὐ γίνεται τέκνον, ἐπειδὴ μὴ γέγονε μιμητὴς καὶ ἀκόλουθος πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, μήτε τοῖς ἴχνεσι τοῦ Κυρίου ἀκολουθεῖ. κατανόησον γὰρ ὡς συνετός, καὶ βλέπε πῶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἱ πατέρες, οἱ πατριάρχαι, οἱ προφῆται, οἱ ἀπόστολοι, οἱ μάρτυρες καὶ πάντες οἱ τῆς ζωῆς υἱοὶ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ἔχαιρον, καὶ ἐν ταῖς στενοχωρίαις καὶ ἀνάγκαις ἥδοντο· καὶ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις αὐτῶν ἦν ἐν ταῖς κακουχίαις καὶ τοῖς πόνοις. Μᾶλλον γάρ, φησί, ἑλόμενοι συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν· καὶ πάλιν Τέκνον, εἰ προσέρχῃ δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν· εὔθυνον τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ καρτέρει, καὶ μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς· κολλήθητι αὐτῷ καὶ μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἵνα αὐξηθῇς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων σου· πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ἐπενεχθῇ σοι δέξαι ἀσμένως, ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμάζεται χρυσός, καὶ ἄνθρωποι δεκτοὶ ἐν καμίνῳ ταπεινώσεως· πίστευσον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀντιλήψεταί σοι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ Τὰ ἐπιφερόμενά σοι πάντα ὡς ἀγαθὰ προσδέχου· εἰδὼς ὅτι ἄτερ θεοῦ οὐδὲν γίνεται. ὁ δὲ μακάριος ἀπόστολος ἐντελέστερον ἐπάγει λέγων Ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν διωγμοῖς, καὶ ὁ Κύριος Μακάριοι, φησίν, ἐστὲ ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· εἰ τοίνυν τῶν τοιούτων υἱὸς καὶ κληρονόμος γενέσθαι βούλει, τὴν μίμησιν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς αὐτῶν καὶ πολιτείας ὀφεί λεις ἀναδέξασθαι, καὶ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου λόγων ἀκόλουθος εἶναι καὶ ποιη τής·","english":"He prepares himself, he is in pain and distress because he does not act manfully; such a one does not become a child of life, since he has not become an imitator and follower of all the saints, nor does he follow in the footsteps of the Lord. For consider as one who is understanding, and see how from the beginning the fathers, the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, and all the sons of life rejoiced in afflictions, and delighted in distresses and necessities; and their rest was in hardships and toils. For rather, it says, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God, than to have the temporary enjoyment of sins; and again, Child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation; make your heart straight and endure, and do not hurry in the time of calamity; cleave to him and do not depart, that you may be increased in your last days; accept willingly everything that is brought upon you, for gold is tested in fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation; believe in him and he will help you, and the rest; and elsewhere, Receive all things that are brought upon you as good, knowing that without God nothing happens. And the blessed apostle adds more perfectly, saying, As servants of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in persecutions, and the Lord says, Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you, and the rest; if therefore you wish to become a son and heir of such men, you ought to take up the imitation of their conduct and way of life, and to be a follower and doer of the words of the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"Στενὴ γάρ ἐστι καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν ὁδός, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ διερχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς. εἴτε οὖν ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἢ ἐν πάθεσιν, ἢ ἐν νόσοις, ἢ ἐν ὀνειδισμοῖς, ἢ ἐν ὕβρεσιν ἐξετασθῇς, μᾶλλον ἐν τούτοις ὀφείλεις ἀγαλλιᾶσθαι καὶ χαίρειν· Οὐαὶ γάρ, φησί, τοῖς τρυφῶσι καὶ τοῖς ἐμπεπλησμένοις καὶ τοῖς ἐν ἐπιγείοις μακαριζομένοις· ὁ γὰρ μακαρισμὸς τοῖς πενθοῦσι καὶ θλιβομένοις διὰ τὸν Κύριον ἡτοίμασται· ὀφείλει τοίνυν ὁ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἐπιθυμῶν ζῆσαι ἐν πᾶσιν εὐχαρι στεῖν, καὶ τὰς θλίψεις καὶ τὰς στενοχωρίας ἀποδέχεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ταπεί νωσιν ἀγαπᾶν. οὐ γὰρ μόνον γονάτων χρεία παρὰ θεῷ, ὅπως εἰς πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ καρτερῇ τις. καλὸν μὲν ἐπιτήδευμα τοῦτο, καλὸν ἀληθῶς τὸ εὔχεσθαι καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως προσκαρτερεῖν τῇ εὐχῇ. κεφαλὴ γάρ ἐστι πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων, ἀλλὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἄνευ τῆς ἀρετῆς μελῶν νεκρά ἐστιν. εὐχαὶ γὰρ ταῖς εὐποιΐαις εὐπρόσδεκτοι γίγνονται· ἵνα τις μὴ μισῇ τὸν ἀδελφόν· μὴ κατά τινος λαλεῖν· ταπεινὸν εἶναι, καὶ μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖν· μὴ οἴεσθαι ἑαυτὸν εἶναί τι, κἂν πάσας τὰς δικαιοσύνας ποιήσῃ. ζητούμενος γὰρ ὁ Κύριος οὕτως εἰλικρινῶς καὶ ὁσίως εὐθέως παραγίγνεται· μὴ ζητούμενος δὲ οὕτως, ὡς ἐν ὕπνῳ ἑκὼν εἶναι λελόγισται, καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ ἐπιπόλαιος οὖσα, οὐδὲν λελόγισται παρὰ θεῷ. διὰ τί γὰρ ὁ Κύριος οὐκ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἡμῖν ἐν τάχει ζητούμενος ὑφ' ἡμῶν; ὅτι οὐ βούλεται; μὴ γένοιτο. Πάντας γὰρ ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν·","english":"For narrow and constricted is the road that leads to life, and few are those who pass through it. Whether, then, you are tested in straits, or in sufferings, or in illnesses, or in reproaches, or in insults, you ought rather to exult and rejoice in these things. For \"Woe,\" it says, \"to those who live in luxury and to those who are filled and to those who are counted blessed in earthly things\"; for the blessing has been prepared for those who mourn and are afflicted for the Lord's sake. Therefore the one who desires to live eternal life ought to give thanks in all things, and to accept afflictions and straits, and to love humility. For not only is there need of knees before God, so that one may persevere in prayer every day. This is indeed a good practice—good truly is it to pray and to persist in prayer without ceasing. For it is the head of all practices, but without the other members, which are the virtues, it is dead. For prayers become acceptable through good deeds: that one not hate his brother; not speak against anyone; be humble, and not be high-minded; not think himself to be something, even if he should perform all righteousnesses. For the Lord, when sought thus sincerely and holily, comes at once; but when he is not sought thus, he is reckoned, as it were, willingly asleep, and the prayer, being superficial, is reckoned as nothing before God. For why does the Lord not reveal himself to us quickly when we seek him? Because he does not wish it? God forbid. For he wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"καὶ πᾶσα σπουδὴ καὶ κάματος τῶν πατέρων διὰ τοῦτο γέγονε καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰς τὸ τὸν θεὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γνωρισθῆναι, τουτέστι χάριτος ἐνέργεια, ἥτις ἐστὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος, ἀλλὰ πάντως ἔστι τι ἴδιον τῆς ψυχῆς ἐν μέσῳ πλημμέλημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐδέπω γνωρίζει καὶ ἀποκαλύπτει ἡμῖν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Κύριος· οὐ γάρ ἐστι προσωπολήπτης ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ προσέχει ταῖς ἐνθυμήσεσι καὶ ἐννοίαις τῶν ζητούντων. διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν τοίνυν χαυνότητα καὶ ἀμέλειαν ἢ ἀπιστίαν ἢ ἕτερά τινα παραπτώματα ἅπερ οὐκ ἴσμεν μὴ λεπτῶς ἑαυτοὺς διακρίνοντες, οὐ γνωρίζεται ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος, ὁ εἰπὼν ἐμφανίζειν ἑαυτὸν τοῖς ὁσίως αὐτὸν ζητοῦσι καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φυλάττουσι· γέγραπται γάρ Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρή σατε, καὶ ἐλευσόμεθα ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου, καὶ μονὴν παρ' ὑμῖν ποιήσομεν. σπουδάσωμεν\n\nτοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς ἀνακρίνειν πάντοτε καὶ διερευνᾶν τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν, ὅπως γνωρίσωμεν τὰ ἑαυτῶν σφάλματα, πιστεύοντες τῷ ἐλευθερωτῇ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν Χριστῷ, λυτρωθῆναι ἀπὸ παντὸς παραπτώματος φαινομένου καὶ κρυπτοῦ, καὶ ὅτε ἐν ἀληθείᾳ δικαίως καὶ ὁσίως ζητήσωμεν αὐτόν, ἑτοίμως ἐμφανίζει ἡμῖν ἑαυτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν αὐτοῦ, καθα ρίζων τὰς ἐρρυπωμένας καρδίας ἡμῶν ἀπὸ πάσης κακίας καὶ μολυσμοῦ. πρὸ πάντων τοίνυν τὰς θλίψεις καὶ στενοχωρίας καὶ ὕβρεις αἱρεῖ σθαι ὀφείλομεν, οἱ εὐαρεστεῖν θεῷ βουλομένοι, ὅπως σὺν αὐτῷ ζῆσαι καταξιωθῶμεν ὅλους αἰῶνας· τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἄξιος διὰ τὸν Κύριον πεινᾶσαι καὶ γυμνητεῦσαι καὶ ἐν τούτοις χαίρειν; μακάριος ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὄντως μακάριος ὅτι παρρησίαν μεγάλην ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θεοῦ κέκτηται·","english":"And all the zeal and toil of the fathers, and of the Lord himself, came about for this purpose: that God might be made known to men—that is, the energy of grace, which is eternal life. But there is certainly some particular transgression of the soul in between, and for this reason the Lord does not yet make himself known and revealed to us. For God is no respecter of persons, but he attends to the thoughts and intentions of those who seek him. Therefore, because of our own slackness and negligence, or unbelief, or certain other faults that we do not know since we do not discern ourselves finely, the Lord is not made known to us—he who said that he reveals himself to those who seek him holily and keep his commandments. For it is written, If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I and my Father will come and make our dwelling with you. Let us strive, then, always to examine ourselves and to search out our hearts, so that we may know our own faults, believing in Christ, the liberator of our souls, that we may be redeemed from every transgression, visible and hidden; and when we seek him in truth, justly and holily, he readily reveals himself to us according to his promise, cleansing our defiled hearts from all wickedness and pollution. Before all things, then, we who wish to please God ought to choose afflictions and straits and insults, so that we may be counted worthy to live with him for all ages. For who is worthy to hunger and go naked for the Lord's sake and to rejoice in these things? Blessed is such a one—truly blessed, because he has acquired great boldness before God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"βούλεται γάρ σε ὁ Κύριος ἐν τούτοις δοκιμασθῆναι, εἰ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν οὐκ ἐπιλανθάνῃ αὐτοῦ, Εἰς πᾶσαν γάρ, φησίν, ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν μετὰ χαρᾶς, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ, Θλίψεις καὶ ἀνάγκαι εὕροσάν με, αἱ ἐντολαί σου μελετή μου· αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἄθλησις· ἐν τούτῳ εὐαρεστεῖται ὁ θεός. οἱ πλεῖστοι δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν δὴ θελόντων εὐαρεστεῖν τῷ θεῷ διὰ ὑστέρησιν γνώσεως ἀληθοῦς σαρκὶ μόνον κάμνουσιν· ἀλλὰ τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ τοῖς λογισμοῖς καὶ τῇ ἔνδον κρυπτῇ προαιρέσει δεῖ ἀγωνί ζεσθαι τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον, ὅς ἐστιν ἀληθινὸς ἀγὼν παρὰ θεῷ ψυχῆς πρὸς ἀοράτους τῶν πονηρῶν δυνάμεων διαλογισμούς. Οὐκ ἔστι γάρ, φησίν, ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας. τὰ γὰρ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἀόρατα καὶ ἀσώματα ὅσον πρὸς τὰ φαινόμενα τυγχάνουσιν· ὁμοίως καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἀόρατος καὶ ἀσώ ματος ὅσον πρὸς παχύτητα σωμάτων. ἀόρατον τοίνυν καὶ ἀσώματον τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τὴν ἄθλησιν εἶναι δεῖ ἐν τῷ ἐνδοτάτῳ ἀνθρώπῳ. ὅνπερ ἀγῶνα οἱ ἄνωθεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πατέρες ἠγωνίσαντο, κἂν ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἐφαίνοντο ἄνθρωποι· οἱ οὕτως ἀγωνισάμενοι, εὐαρεστῆσαι τῷ θεῷ ἠδυνήθησαν. ἀνδρεῖαι γὰρ καὶ γενναῖαι ψυχαὶ καὶ πάντων καταφρονοῦσαι ἀπέρχονται εἰς πόλεμον, καθὼς καὶ Μωυσῆς περὶ τοῦ κρυπτοῦ τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων πρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν πολέμου αἰνιττόμενος, καὶ οἷαι ψυχαὶ ἐπιτήδειοι τυγχάνουσιν, ἔφη Εἴ τις ἡρμόσατο γυναῖκα, μὴ ἐξέλθῃ εἰς πόλεμον, καὶ εἴ τις ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, μὴ ἐξέλθῃ.","english":"For the Lord wishes you to be tested in these things, whether in afflictions you do not forget him. For, he says, with all endurance and longsuffering with joy; and elsewhere, Afflictions and necessities found me, your commandments are my meditation. This is the contest; in this God is well pleased. But most men who indeed wish to please God, through a lack of true knowledge, labor only in the flesh. But with the mind and the thoughts and the inward hidden purpose the man of God must struggle—which is the true contest before God, of the soul against the invisible reasonings of the evil powers. For, he says, our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities and the authorities. For the spiritual things of wickedness are invisible and incorporeal as compared with things that appear; likewise also the soul is invisible and incorporeal as compared with the grossness of bodies. The contest and the struggle, therefore, must be invisible and incorporeal in the innermost man. This is the contest which the fathers from the beginning from above struggled, even if in visible things they appeared as the rest of men; those who struggled in this way were able to please God. For brave and noble souls, despising all things, go out to war, just as Moses also, hinting at the hidden war of the evil spirits against the soul, and what kind of souls are fit, said: If anyone has betrothed a wife, let him not go out to war; and if anyone has planted a vineyard, let him not go out.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"ταῦτα περὶ δεσμῶν ὑλικῶν λέγει μήποτέ τις πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἀθλῶν ἔν τισι πράγμασι δέδηται, ἐὰν γὰρ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς καὶ τὰ κτήματα προσπάθειαν μὴ ἀθλήσῃ, ἀπόβλητος τῆς ἐπουρανίου εὐφρο σύνης γίνεται, ὡς ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ὁ Κύριος περὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς γάμοις κληθέντων καὶ παραιτησαμένων φησί, Ὁ πρῶτος λέγει, ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν· καὶ ὁ ἄλλος, γυναῖκα ἔγημα καὶ οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν, ἐρωτῶ σε ἔχε με παρῃτημένον· συμφώνως τῷ Μωυσῇ λέγων. γενναῖοι γὰρ καὶ ἕτοιμοι ὑπακούειν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ πνευματικῷ πολέμῳ προχωροῦσιν· ἑτοιμασία δὲ καλὴ καὶ ἐπιτηδειότης πρὸς τὸν κατὰ τῶν ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν πόλεμόν ἐστιν ὅταν τις κατα λιπὼν πατέρα καὶ μητέρα καὶ πάντα τὰ τοῦ βίου προσαγάγῃ ἑαυτὸν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἔτι καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀρνήσηται, ἐπιδιδοὺς ὅσα κέκτηται καὶ διαφέρει αὐτῷ ἐκ τῶν σαρκικῶν γονέων χρήματα καὶ πάντα ᾧ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ θεὸν ἐνεπίστευσε πνευματικῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἀσκητῇ, ὥστε διοικεῖν αὐτὰ καθ' ὃν αὐτὸς βούλεται τρόπον, καὶ μὴ πολυπραγμονεῖν ὅπου χρή, καὶ ὅπου οὐ χρή, ἵνα μὴ εὑρεθῇ κρίνων καὶ δοκιμάζων, ὃν ἡρετίσατο κριτὴν καὶ διοικητὴν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἐμπείρῳ ταύτην ἐγχειρίσας προσαγαγεῖν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ διὰ τὰ εὐτελῆ τῆς ὕλης ἀποδοκιμάζων αὐτόν· δείκνυται γὰρ διὰ τούτων ἀσκητὴς μᾶλλον αὐτός, ἢ τοῦ ἀσκητοῦ ὑποχείριος διὰ τὸν θεόν. λέγε μοι γὰρ σὺ ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν· τὴν ψυχὴν σεαυτοῦ ἐγχειρίσαι λέγεις τῷ ἀσκητῇ, καὶ προσπίπτων αὐτοῦ τοῖς ποσὶ δεῇ, λέγων Λάβε μου τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ προσάγαγε τῷ θεῷ,","english":"He says these things about material bonds, lest perhaps someone who contends for the spiritual things of wickedness be bound in certain matters. For if, through his attachment to pleasures and possessions, he does not contend, he becomes cast out from the heavenly gladness, as in the Gospel the Lord says concerning those who were invited to the marriage and excused themselves: The first says, I have bought a field, and I cannot come; and the other, I have married a wife and I cannot come; I ask you, have me excused—speaking in agreement with Moses. For noble and ready men advance in the spiritual warfare to obey the will of God. And a good readiness and fitness for the war against the invisible enemies is when someone, having left father and mother and all the things of life, brings himself to God, and in addition to these even denies his own soul, giving over whatever he possesses and whatever belongs to him from his fleshly parents—his money and everything—to the spiritual father and ascetic to whom he also entrusted his soul after God, so that he may administer them in whatever way he himself wishes, and not be meddlesome about where it is proper and where it is not, lest he be found judging and testing the one whom he chose as judge and administrator of his soul, as one who has handed it over to an experienced man to bring it to God, and rejecting him because of the cheapness of the matter. For through these things he shows himself to be an ascetic rather than subject to the ascetic for God's sake. Tell me, you who do this: do you say that you have entrusted your soul to the ascetic, and falling at his feet you beg him, saying, Take my soul and bring it to God,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖς τῷ εἰπόντι Ὁ ὑμῶν ἀκούων ἐμοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ ψευδόμενος καὶ ἀποστερῶν ἃ προσήγαγες τῷ θεῷ οὐ δοκεῖς ἁμαρτάνειν; ἢ δοκεῖς μὴ εἶναι ἁμαρτίαν, τὰ δοθέντα τῷ θεῷ πάλιν ἀφαιρεῖσθαι; πῶς δὲ ἀφαιρεῖς μάθε· ὅτι τῆς μὲν ψυχῆς σου ἀξιόπιστον ποιεῖς τὸν ἀσκητὴν ἱερέα ταύτην διδοὺς προσάγειν θεῷ, περὶ δὲ τῶν ψυχρῶν καὶ οἰκτρῶν καὶ ταλαιπώρων πραγμάτων τῆς ὕλης τοῦ κόσμου τούτου κρίνεις αὐτὸν καὶ δοκιμάζεις. πῶς οὖν οὐ δοκεῖς ἁμαρτάνειν ἁμαρτίαν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἱεροσυλίαν, ἧς τὸ κρῖμα δείκνυσιν ὁ μακάριος Πέτρος ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν, ὅτε Ἀνανίαν καὶ Σάπφειραν ἐξελέγξας ὡς νοσφισαμένους ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ χωρίου, ὃ προσενέγκαντες ἐκελεύσθησαν πωλῆσαι, ὥστε εἰς διακονίαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν προχωρῆσαι, θανάτῳ τούτους πικρῷ κατεδίκασε, καὶ φόβον μέγαν ἐνεποίησε πάσῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς Οὐκ ἀφαιροῦμαι τὴν ἀποταγήν, ἀλλὰ δεόντως οἰκονομηθῆναι καὶ καλῶς προνοοῦμαι. μάλιστα μὲν οὐδὲ δοκιμαστήν σε εἶναι τῶν μηκέτι ἀνηκόντων ὁ λόγος συγχωρεῖ, οὐ γὰρ ἐπίστασαι τὸ δέον ἢ μὴ δέον, ἐλέγχῃ δὲ ἀφαιρούμενος καὶ τὴν ἀποταγήν· ἐλέγχῃ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ψευδόμενος ἐν τῷ λέγειν Οὐκ ἀφαιροῦμαι. λέγε γάρ μοι· οὐχὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἔπειτα καὶ τὰ χρήματα ἔδωκας διὰ τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ ἀσκητοῦ τῷ θεῷ;","english":"Knowing that you do this not to a man but to God, who said, \"He who hears you hears me,\" do you not think that you sin when you lie and defraud, taking back what you brought to God? Or do you think it is no sin to take back again what was given to God? Learn how you take it back: you make the ascetic priest trustworthy for your soul by giving it to him to bring to God, but concerning the cold and pitiable and wretched matters of the material of this world, you judge and scrutinize him. How then do you not think that you are sinning—a sin not ordinary but sacrilege itself—whose judgment the blessed Peter demonstrates in the Acts, when, having convicted Ananias and Sapphira of withholding from the price of the field which, having offered it, they were commanded to sell, so as to proceed to the service of the brethren, he condemned them to a bitter death and brought great fear upon the whole church. But you will say, \"I do not take back my renunciation, but I make proper provision and take good forethought.\" In the first place, the word does not permit you even to be a judge of things that no longer belong to you, for you do not know what is fitting or not fitting, and you are convicted of taking back even your renunciation; moreover, you are convicted of lying when you say, \"I do not take it back.\" For tell me: did you not then give your soul and your possessions to God through the hands of the ascetic?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"οὐκοῦν οὐκέτι ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ σου ἐστὶ ταῦτα, ἀποταγὴ δέ ἐστι βεβαία καὶ ἀληθής, ψυχῆς μὲν ὅταν καθ' ὅλου τὰ ἴδια θελήματα μὴ ἐπιτελῇ, ἀλλὰ, καθάπερ ὕλη τεχνίτῃ, οὕτως ὑποθῇ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἑαυτοῦ πάσας, ᾧ τὴν ψυχὴν παρέθετο μετὰ τὸν θεόν, ἀτενὲς ἔχων τὸ ὄμμα πρὸς τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κελευόμενα. καὶ ὡς ὕλη οὐκ ἀντερεῖ τῷ τεχνίτῃ ἔντιμον βουλομένῳ ποιῆσαι σκεῦος καὶ οὐκ ἄτιμον, ἄψυχος γὰρ ἅπαξ ὕλη καὶ ἀναίσθητός ἐστιν, οὕτως εἶναι καί σε ὁ λόγος ἀπαιτεῖ. ὡς γὰρ ἐμπείρῳ τὴν ψυχὴν παραθέμενον καὶ οὐκ ὄντα ἑαυτοῦ αὐτὸς ἀγέτω σε, καὶ φερέτω ὅπου βούλεται καὶ ὡς βούλεται. εἰ δὲ περὶ ψυχῆς εἴρηται τοῦτο, πῶς περὶ τῶν γηΐνων σου καὶ φθαρτῶν κτημάτων, οἷς ἀποτάξασθαι λέγεις, ἀναισθητεῖν σε χρή; εἰ δὲ καταζητεῖς καὶ διατάσσῃ τῷ ἀσκητῇ, ὅρα πόσα δοκεῖς ἁμαρτάνειν· πρῶτον μέν, ἱεροσυλίαν ἐπισπώμενος κρῖμα, τοῖς θελήμασιν ἀποταξάμενος καὶ ἐπαναλαμβάνων αὐτά· δεύτερον, ὃν ᾑρετίσω κριτὴν τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ πραττομένων κατακρίνων· τρίτον, αὐθαδείας καὶ φιλαυτίας ἢ καὶ φιλαρχίας φέρειν νόσον· τέταρτον δέ, τοὺς πρώτους καὶ οὓς δοξά ζειν ὤφειλες ἀδελφοὺς καταισχύνων ὡς πένητας καὶ μηδενὶ ἀποταξαμένους, καὶ ὑποκύπτειν αὐτοὺς τῇ σῇ δυναστείᾳ βουλόμενος, ὅτι ἐσθῆτα καὶ σκεύη ἐν οἷς διακονοῦνται αὐτὸς παρέσχες· καὶ ὅθεν ἂν περιστραφῇς ἐν τῇ μονῇ, τὰ πάντα σὰ ὁρῶνται, καὶ λογίζῃ ὡς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ταπεινότατος καὶ πτωχὸς ὑπῆρχεν ὁ ἀσκητής, ἐπ' ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν μικρὸν ἐπῆρε τὴν κεφαλήν, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐπιδημοῦσι φίλοις διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν λαμπρὸς φανεὶς ὑπόληψιν εὗρε μεγάλην·","english":"Therefore these things are no longer in your power, but it is a firm and true renunciation—of the soul, when one does not carry out his own wills at all, but, like material for a craftsman, submits all his senses to the one to whom he entrusted his soul after God, keeping his eye fixed intently on what is commanded by him. And just as material does not contradict the craftsman who wishes to make a vessel honorable and not dishonorable—for material is once for all lifeless and insensible—so the word requires you also to be. For since you have entrusted your soul to one who is experienced and are no longer your own, let him lead you and carry you where he wishes and as he wishes. But if this has been said about the soul, how much more concerning your earthly and corruptible possessions, which you say you have renounced, ought you to be insensible? But if you scrutinize and give orders to the ascetic, see how many sins you seem to commit: first, drawing upon yourself the judgment of sacrilege, having renounced your wills and then taking them back again; second, condemning the one you chose as judge of what is done by you; third, bearing the disease of self-will and self-love, or even love of rule; fourth, shaming the brothers who are first and whom you ought to glorify, as poor men who have renounced nothing, and wishing them to bow to your dominion, because you yourself supplied the clothing and vessels in which they are served; and wherever you turn in the monastery, all things are seen as yours, and you reckon that before me the ascetic was most humble and poor, but on account of me and through my means he lifted up his head a little, and through my means appearing splendid before the friends who visit, he obtained a great reputation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"πρὸ γὰρ τούτου, ἐσθὴς αὐτῷ εὐτελής, νῦν δὲ λαμπρά, δι' ἧς καὶ δεδόξασται. καὶ ὅρα ὡς ἀναίσθητος ἴσον ἔχειν με τῶν λοιπῶν βούλεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο περιτρέψαι καὶ τὸν ἀσκητὴν τὸ δίκαιον κρῖμα βιάζεται, ὥστε ὑποκρινάμενον τῇ βίᾳ ταύτῃ ἄρχοντα πάσης αὐτὸν χειροτονῆσαι τῆς ἀδελφότητος. εἰ δὲ εἰδὼς εἴη καὶ γράμματα καὶ εἰς θρόνον αὐτὸν διδασκάλου καθέζεσθαι, εἶτα εὐλο γεῖν τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ πατέρας ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν πεπίστευκεν, ὃς οὐδ' ἄκροις χείλεσι τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἐγεύσατο, τοὺς παντοίαις ἀσκήσεσι τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐναθλήσαντας, εἶτα καὶ τέλεον ἀποκινῆσαι τὸν ἀσκητὴν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἠβουλήθη τάχα· καὶ οἴεται ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσι μηδὲν παρατρέψαι μήτε ὑφελέσθαι, ὅτι τὰ χρήματα εἰς ἀνόπιν οὐκ εἴληφεν, οὕτως κακῶς καὶ ἀτόπως ἐν τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἆραι τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ ἀσκητοῦ διανοηθείς. καὶ πόσῳ βέλτιον ἦν, εἰ τὰ χρήματα εἰληφὼς συντόμως ᾤχετο· σύντομος γὰρ ἀπαλλαγὴ ζημίας κερδαλεωτέρα παντὸς εὑρέματος ὑλικοῦ· ἀπηλλάγη γὰρ ἂν αὐτὸς","english":"For before this, his clothing was cheap, but now it is splendid, through which he has also been glorified. And see how, insensible, he wants to have equal standing with me among the rest, and for this reason he forces even the ascetic to reverse the just judgment, so that by this violence he might ordain him, having been made a hypocrite, ruler of the whole brotherhood. And if he should also know letters and sit upon a teacher's throne, then he has trusted himself worthy to bless his own fathers—he who has not tasted of asceticism even with the tips of his lips, while they have contended in the virtues through all kinds of ascetic labors—and then perhaps he wished to remove the ascetic entirely from his rule. And he thinks that in all these things he has perverted nothing nor taken anything away, because he has not received the money back; so wickedly and absurdly did he conceive it, in that he took away the soul from the hands of the ascetic. And how much better would it have been if, having received the money, he had gone off quickly; for a quick departure from loss is more profitable than every material discovery; for he would have been rid of it himself","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"περισσοτέρου τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων κακῶν διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀποταγῆς κρίματος, τόν τε ἀσκητὴν ἀπήλλαξεν ἂν ὁμοῦ τῇ ἀδελφότητι κόπου καὶ πλημμελημάτων πλειόνων. ἀλλὰ σύ γε, ὦ ἀθλητὰ εὐσεβείας καὶ ἀσκητά, εἰ βούλοιο ταύτην διαπλεῦσαι τὴν μεγάλην καὶ εὐρύχωρον θάλασσαν, διὰ τὸ ἀχανὲς ἐν μέσῳ καὶ ἄφατον πέλαγος, προκόψας ἀπὸ γῆς ἤδη καλῶς καὶ τῆς ὕλης ἀποσπάσας τὴν ναῦν, μὴ πάλιν εἰς γῆν ὁδηγοῦ, ζητῶν ἐπιστρέ φειν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀτενὲς ἔχε τὸ ὄμμα. εὑρήσεις γὰρ ἀστέρας εἰς ὃν ἐγώ σέ φημι οὐρανὸν ἀφορᾶν, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὁ οὐράνιος ἐπίσταται κυβερνήτης. εὑρήσεις ἐν αὐτῷ τοὺς φωστῆρας ἅπαν τας, πατέρας, πατριάρχας, προφήτας, ἀποστόλους, καὶ μάρτυρας, φωστῆρας ἀληθῶς ἀπλανεῖς, τὴν ἀφεγγῆ τοῦ βίου καταυγάζοντας νύκτα· πρὸς οὓς ἀποβλέπων ἀσφαλῶς ὁδηγήσεις τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ναῦν ἐπὶ λιμένα τῆς ἀναπαύσεως, Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν ἐπουράνιον, πάντα καταλελοιπὼς κατὰ μίμησιν αὐτῶν, καὶ πρὸς μηδὲν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρεφόμενος. οἱ γὰρ ἐνδιατρίβοντες τοῖς χείροσι πλείους, σπάνιοι δὲ οἱ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐργάται. σοῦ δὲ ἡ τῆς ἐπιπόνου ἀποταγῆς πρόθεσις οὐχὶ μετὰ τῶν πολλῶν γέγονε τῆς πλατείας, ἀλλὰ τῶν διὰ τῆς στενῆς καὶ τεθλιμμένης εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν βιαζομένων, καὶ ὀφείλεις ἄληστον ἔχειν ἐν τῷ νῷ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα, καὶ οὕτω δυνήσῃ πάσας τὰς θλίψεις φέρειν γενναίως.","english":"...more than the evils that have been recounted, through such a renunciation of judgment, he would have released the ascetic together with the brotherhood from toil and from more numerous transgressions. But you, O athlete of piety and ascetic, if you wish to sail across this great and spacious sea—because of the vast and unspeakable deep in the midst—having already advanced well from the land and having drawn the ship away from matter, do not steer back again toward land, seeking to turn back, but keep your eye fixed intently toward heaven. For you will find stars in that heaven toward which I tell you to look, whose names and number the heavenly pilot knows. You will find in it all the luminaries—fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs—luminaries truly without wandering, illuminating the lightless night of this life; looking toward them, you will safely guide the ship of piety to the harbor of rest, the heavenly Jerusalem, having left all things behind in imitation of them, and turning back toward none of them. For those who occupy themselves with worse things are more numerous, but rare are the workers of piety. But your purpose of painful renunciation has not been with the many of the broad way, but with those who press violently through the narrow and constricted way to enter into eternal life, and you ought to keep the promise unforgotten in your mind, and thus you will be able to bear all afflictions nobly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"οὐ γὰρ οἱ τυχόντες, ἀλλὰ γενναῖοι καὶ ἕτοιμοι τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπακούειν, τὴν στενὴν διαπορεύονται, καὶ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἀδιάλειπτον ἔχουσι πόλεμον, οἵτινες δικαίως τὴν βασιλείαν κληρονομοῦσιν ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ στρατιῶται τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ἑτέρως δὲ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ θεράπων Μωυσῆς αἰνιττόμενος τὰ διχηλοῦντα καὶ μηρυκώμενα τετράποδα καθαρὰ ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἔχοντα ἀκάθαρτα· ὅτι οὐ χρὴ ἑνὶ λογισμῷ ἀδιακρίτως ἀκολου θεῖν τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον συνδιαζῶντα καὶ συνηδόμενον τῷ τῆς κακίας συνόντι πονηρῷ λογισμῷ, ἀλλ' ἑκάστοτε διακρίνοντα ἑαυτὸν διὰ τοῦ λόγου ἀκριβῶς ἔχειν τῆς φύσεως τὸν ἴδιον λογισμὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν τῶν πονηρῶν τῆς κακίας ἐπιτηδευμάτων, καὶ ἀναμηρυκᾶσθαι καὶ ἐμμελε τᾶν καὶ γυμνάζειν τὸν νοῦν εἰς τὰ πιστὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγια, ὅπως ἀεὶ ἐν τούτοις ὁ ἀνταγωνιστὴς καὶ εὐσεβὴς λογισμὸς ἐνδιαιτώμενος δυναμωθῇ κατὰ τῆς συνούσης κακίας, ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσηται τὴν ἐξ ὕψους δύναμιν, ἥτις ἐξουσιαστικῶς τὴν συνοῦσαν πονηρίαν ἀνελοῦσα καθαρὸν τὸν τῆς καθαρᾶς φύσεως λογισμὸν ἀναδείξει. οἱ οὕτως οὖν ἀγωνιζόμενοι καὶ διακρίνοντες ἑαυτοὺς καθαροὶ παρὰ θεῷ λογίζονται, ἑκουσίων ἁμαρ τημάτων ἐκτὸς καθεστῶτες, καὶ τὸ ἑαυτῶν θέλημα, ὅση δύναμις, θεῷ μόνῳ παραστήσαντες. ὁ γὰρ γενέσθαι βουλόμενος ἐξ ἀληθείας Χριστιανὸς τὸν πόνον καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα οὐ σαρκικὸν ὀφείλει κεκτῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ τῷ νῷ αὐτοῖς τοῖς λογισμοῖς.","english":"For it is not just anyone, but the noble and those ready to obey the will of God, who pass through the narrow way and wage unceasing war against the spiritual forces of wickedness—those who rightly inherit the kingdom as chosen soldiers of God. And in another way Moses, the servant of God, speaking in figures, declared the cloven-hoofed and cud-chewing quadrupeds to be clean, but those not so to be unclean; because the man of God ought not follow a single thought indiscriminately, consorting and taking pleasure with the evil thought that dwells with wickedness, but each time, discerning himself by reason, he should keep his own thought precisely according to nature as an antagonist of the evil pursuits of wickedness, and should ruminate and meditate and exercise the mind on the faithful oracles of the commandments of God, so that always dwelling in these, the antagonistic and pious thought may be strengthened against the wickedness that dwells with it, until he puts on the power from on high, which, having authoritatively destroyed the wickedness that dwells with it, will show forth the thought of the pure nature as pure. Those, then, who struggle in this way and discern themselves are reckoned pure before God, standing outside of voluntary sins, and having presented their own will, as far as in them lies, to God alone. For the one who wishes to become a Christian in truth ought to possess his toil and struggle not in the flesh, but in the mind, in the thoughts themselves.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"τουτέστιν ἀεὶ τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ καθαρῶν ἐννοιῶν μελετῇ ὀφείλει ἑαυτὸν, ὅση δύναμις, ἐθίζειν, καὶ εἰς τὸ δεξιὸν μέρος τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ ἐκτείνειν, τὴν ἐπιφοίτησιν τοῦ πνεύματος πᾶσαν ὥραν ἐν πίστει προσδοκῶντα, ὅπως διὰ τοῦ τοιούτου ἀγῶνος τὸν καθαρισμὸν δέξασθαι δυνηθῇ, ἵνα πᾶν ὃ βλέπει ἐν κόσμῳ εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς ψυχῆς λαμβάνῃ καθαρῶς ἐννοούμενος πάντα· οἷον διὰ τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τοῦ κόσμου τερπνῶν τὸν ἄνω ἐπουράνιον πλοῦτον ἀληθινὸν ἢ τρυφὴν ἢ δόξαν ἀμάραντον, ὧν εἰσι ταῦτα σκιαί. ὁ γὰρ κόσμος οὗτος, τοῦ ἀληθι νοῦ καὶ αἰωνίου εἰκὼν τυγχάνει· πᾶν οὖν ὅπερ ὁ ἄνθρωπος βλέπει ἔνδον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ λαμβάνειν ὀφείλει, ἵνα μηδέποτε ἠρεμῇ ὁ νοῦς τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μελετῆς, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα μετὰ πολλοῦ ἀγῶνος καὶ ἱδρῶτος καὶ πόνου ψυχῆς δύναται κατορθωθῆναι· τὸ δὲ πᾶν αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς καταρτίζει ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. τὸν γὰρ βουλόμενον διαφυγεῖν καὶ ῥυσθῆναι τοῦ πονηροῦ ἀεὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς αὐλιστήριον καὶ καταφυγὴν εἰς τὸν κύριον δεῖ κεκτῆσθαι, καὶ","english":"That is, one must always accustom oneself, as far as one is able, to the meditation of good and pure thoughts, and stretch out one's mind toward the right side, expecting in faith the visitation of the Spirit at every hour, so that through such a struggle one may be able to receive purification, in order that everything one sees in the world one may take for the building up of the soul, understanding all things purely—for example, through wealth and the other pleasant things of the world, [understanding] the true heavenly wealth above, or delight, or unfading glory, of which these things are shadows. For this world is an image of the true and eternal one. Therefore everything a person sees, one ought to receive inwardly in the soul for one's benefit, so that the mind may never rest from the meditation of good things, since these things can be accomplished only with much struggle and sweat and toil of the soul; but God himself perfects the whole in truth. For the one who wishes to escape and be delivered from the evil one must always possess his thoughts as a dwelling and refuge in the Lord, and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"ἀδιαλείπτως μνήμην θεοῦ καὶ πεποίθησιν ἔχειν χρή, καὶ οὕτω δυνήσε ταί τις παλαίειν πρὸς τὰ κακὰ τὰ συνέχοντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἤτοι τὰ κακὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἔξωθεν ἤτοι τὰς πονηρὰς δυνάμεις ἔνδοθεν, καὶ πάσης συνηθείας καὶ προλήψεως ἀπαλλαγῆναι. τοῦτον τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τὸν σκοπὸν ἔχοντες οἱ πατέρες τοῦ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἠδυνήθησαν εὐαρε στῆσαι· κἂν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις γυναῖκας καὶ τέκνα καὶ χρήματα ἐκέκτηντο, ἀλλ' ὁ νοῦς αὐτῶν ἀνώτερος ἦν τοῦ κόσμου· ὅθεν εἰς δοκιμα σίας καὶ πειρατήρια εἰσελθόντες ἠνδραγάθησαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλύπει αὐτοὺς ἡ ἀφαίρεσις πάντων τῶν φαινομένων, ἐπειδὴ ἐκέκτηντο τὸ μέγα καὶ ἀληθινὸν κτῆμα, τὴν εἰς θεὸν πεποίθησιν, ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ πάσης τῆς φαινομένης ἐλπίδος ἐρημωθεὶς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τραυματισθεὶς ἐνίκησε μόνῃ τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπῃ· ἐκεῖ γὰρ μεταφέρων τὴν ἔννοιαν ἀνώτερος πάντων ἐγίνετο. οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς μεγαλοψύχως πάντα τὰ ἀπαντῶντα καρτερεῖν καὶ ὑπομένειν ὀφείλομεν, τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπῃ τετρωμένοι. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐὰν ἔχῃ γυνὴ ἄνδρα, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ᾖ ἐν δεσμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσιν, ἡ δὲ ἐν τρυφῇ καὶ ἀμεριμνίᾳ διάγῃ, δηλονότι οὐκ ἔστι σώφρων, μὴ τὴν ὀφειλομένην εὔνοιαν τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἀποσώζουσα, χρὴ γὰρ αὐτῷ συμπάσχειν καὶ συναλγεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ψυχαὶ, αἱ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ συναφθῆναι ἐπιθυμοῦσαι καὶ συμβασιλεῦσαι, τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδὸν ὀφείλουσι διοδεύειν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ὥδευσε τύπον ἑαυτὸν παρέχων ἡμῖν· εἰ δὲ ἐκτρέπονται εἰς ἑτέραν ὁδόν, μὴ βαστάζουσαι τὰ στίγματα καὶ τὰ παθήματα τοῦ κυρίου, αἱ τοιαῦται ψυχαὶ ὡς πόρναι λογισθήσονται, καὶ ἀπόβλητοι τῆς βασιλείας ἔσονται.","english":"One must unceasingly keep the memory of God and confidence in him, and so a person will be able to wrestle against the evils that beset man—whether the evils of the world from without or the wicked powers from within—and to be freed from every habit and preconception. It was by having this struggle and this goal, and by hoping in God, that the fathers were able to please him. For even though in things visible they possessed wives, children, and wealth, their mind was higher than the world; and hence, when they entered into testings and trials, they played the man, and the removal of all visible things grieved them not at all, since they possessed the great and true possession, their confidence toward God—as Job, despoiled of every visible hope and wounded in his body, conquered by the love of God alone; for by transferring his thought there, he became higher than all things. So we too ought to endure and bear up magnanimously under all that befalls us, wounded by the love of God. For just as if a woman has a husband, and he is in bonds and afflictions, while she lives in luxury and freedom from care, she is plainly not chaste, since she does not preserve for her husband the goodwill that is owed him—for she ought to suffer with him and grieve with him—so too souls that desire to be joined to the heavenly Bridegroom and to reign with him ought to travel the narrow and afflicted road, on which he himself also walked, giving himself as a pattern to us. But if they turn aside to another road, not bearing the marks and sufferings of the Lord, such souls will be reckoned as harlots and will be cast out from the kingdom.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"παρακαλέσωμεν οὖν τὸν θεὸν ἐν πίστει καὶ πληροφορίᾳ, προσδοκῶντες τὸ ἔλεος παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἅτε δὴ ἔχοντες αὐτοῦ τὰς ὁμολογίας ἐγγράφως, ὅτι Τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται, καὶ ὅτι Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι μυρίαις περισπώμενοι φροντίσι καὶ πειρασμοῖς ἐπισκοτούμενοι. ὑφ' ὧν καὶ ἀναγκάζονται ψεύδεσθαι ἀφειδῶς, ἐπὰν ἐγγράφους ὁμολογίας ποιήσωνται, κἂν θελήσωσιν ἀγνω μονεῖν οὐ δύνανται, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ ἀψευδὴς θεὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς πληρώσει τὴν ὁμολογίαν αὐτοῦ, ἤγουν τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριν καὶ δωρεὰν ἡμῖν καταπέμπων; ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν ἀληθῶς ψεῦσται, μὴ ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν ὡς προσέταξεν ἐν πίστει ἀδιστάκτῳ. ἀλλὰ τότε καὶ ἡμεῖς μετὰ πολλῆς παρρησίας αἰτεῖν αὐτὸν δυνησόμεθα, ἐπάν, ὅσον ἡμῖν ἐστι δυνατόν, ὅλους ἑαυτοῦς δῶμεν ἐκδότους τῷ κυρίῳ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων θελημάτων ἀναχωροῦντες, καὶ μὴ ὡς ἑαυτοῖς ζῶντες, ἀλλ' ὡς ἠγορασμένοι τιμίῳ αἵματι, κατὰ τὸ δεσποτικὸν θέλημα ποιοῦντες, καὶ οὕτως ἀρνησάμενοι ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ὑποθέντες ἑκουσίως μόνῳ τῷ ἀγοράσαντι ἡμᾶς, ὡς εὐγνώμονες καὶ πιστοὶ δοῦλοι εὑρεθέντες, τὸ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἀπολάβωμεν, δοξάζοντες πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ πνεῦμα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν. τ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΔ ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν ἐκπιπτόντων ἀδελφῶν ἢ σφαλλομένων ἐν τῷ καθήκοντι βίῳ, τίς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ οὕτως ζῶντας ἁγνοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, τοὺς μὲν ἀπατηθῆναι τὴν φρένα, τοὺς δὲ περιπαρῆναι τῇ ἀκολασίᾳ; ἀπόκρισις. ταύτην οὖν ἡμῖν ἔδωκε τὴν ἀπόκρισιν Παφνούτιος ὁ γνωστικώτατος· πάντα τὰ γιγνόμενα διῄρηται εἰς δύο· εἰς τε εὐδοκίαν θεοῦ, καὶ εἰς παραχώρησιν·","english":"Let us therefore entreat God in faith and full assurance, awaiting his mercy, since we have his promises in writing—that \"To the one who knocks it will be opened,\" and that \"I will dwell in them and walk among them.\" For if men, though distracted by countless cares and darkened by temptations—by which they are even compelled to lie without scruple—when they have made written agreements, even if they wish to be faithless, cannot do so, how much more will the God who cannot lie fulfill his promise toward us, that is, by sending down to us the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit? But we are truly liars, not seeking him as he commanded, in undoubting faith. But then we too will be able to ask him with great boldness, when, as far as lies in our power, we give ourselves wholly over to the Lord, departing from our own wills, and living not as for ourselves but as those bought with precious blood, doing according to the master's will, and thus having denied ourselves and willingly subjected ourselves to the one who bought us alone, found as grateful and faithful servants, we may receive the Holy Spirit of the promise, glorifying Father and Son and Spirit forever, amen. Homily 54. Question: Concerning the brothers who fall or stumble in the conduct of life, what is the cause that those living thus as pure in the desert—some are deceived in their mind, others are pierced by intemperance? Answer: Paphnutius, the most learned in knowledge, gave us this answer: all things that come to be are divided into two—into the good pleasure of God and into his permission.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"ὅσα μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθὰ καὶ ἐπωφελῆ καὶ κέρδος ψυχαῖς περιποιούμενα, ταῦτα γίνεται εὐδοκίᾳ θεοῦ· ὅσα δὲ πάλιν ἐπιζήμια καὶ ἐπικίνδυνα καὶ περιστατικά, ταῦτα γίγνεται κατὰ θεοῦ συγχώρησιν· ἡ δὲ συγχώρησις ἐκ λόγου δικαίου, ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὸν ὀρθῶς φρονοῦντα καὶ ὀρθῶς βιοῦντα περιπεσεῖν πταίσματι αἰσχύνης ἢ πλάνῃ δαιμόνων. ὅσοι τοίνυν διεφθαρμένῳ σκοπῷ, νόσῳ ἀνθρωπαρεσκίας καὶ αὐθαδείας λογισμῷ, μετέρχεσθαι δοκοῦσι τὴν ἀρετήν, οὗτοι καὶ σφάλμασι περιπίπτουσι, τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἐγκαταλιμπάνοντος αὐτούς, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως αἰσθόμενοι τὴν ἐκ τῆς μεταβολῆς ἀλλοίωσιν διορθώσωνται τὴν πρόθεσιν ἢ τὴν πρᾶξιν. ποτὲ\n\nμὲν γὰρ ἡ πρόθεσις ἐξαμαρτάνει ὅταν κακῷ σκοπῷ γίγνηται, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ ἡ πρᾶξις, ὅταν διεφθαρμένως, ἢ καθ' ὃν δεῖ τρόπον οὐ γίγνηται· συμβαίνει γὰρ πολλάκις τὸν ἀκόλαστον διεφθαρμένῳ μὲν σκοπῷ ποιεῖν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐπὶ νεωτέρας δι' αἰσχρὸν τέλος, πρᾶξιν δὲ εὔλογον ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, τὸ ὡς ὀρφανῇ ἢ καὶ μόνῃ καὶ ἀσκουμένῃ διδόναι ἐπικουρίαν· συμβαίνει δὲ καὶ σκοπῷ μὲν ὀρθῷ ποιεῖν ἐλεημοσύνην, ἐπὶ νοσοῦντας ἢ γεγηρακότας ἢ ἐκπεπτωκότας πλούτου, φειδωλῶς δὲ καὶ μετὰ γογγυσμοῦ, καὶ εἶναι τὸν μὲν σκοπὸν ὀρθόν, τὴν δὲ πρᾶξιν τοῦ σκοποῦ ἀναξίαν· δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἐλεήμονα ἐν ἱλαρότητι ἐλεεῖν, καὶ ἐν ἀφειδείᾳ διδόναι. ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο· ὅτι προτερήματά εἰσιν ἐν πολλαῖς ψυχαῖς· ἐν αἷς μὲν εὐφυΐα διανοίας, ἐν αἷς δὲ τῶν καλῶν ἐπιτηδειότης·","english":"For all the good and beneficial things that procure gain for souls come about by the good pleasure of God; but all things that are harmful and dangerous and besetting come about by God's permission. And this permission is from a just reckoning, for it is impossible that one who thinks rightly and lives rightly should fall into a fault of shame or into the delusion of demons. Therefore, as many as with a corrupted aim, by the disease of people-pleasing and the reasoning of self-will, seem to pursue virtue—these also fall into stumbling-blocks, since God abandons them for their own benefit, so that through this abandonment, perceiving the change that comes from the alteration, they may correct their purpose or their action. For sometimes\n\nthe purpose errs when it is formed with a base aim, and sometimes the action too, when it is done in a corrupted manner or not in the way it ought to be done. For it often happens that the licentious person, with a corrupted aim, gives alms to younger women for a shameful end, yet displays a reasonable action—giving help as to one who is an orphan, or solitary, and under discipline. It also happens that with a right aim one gives alms to the sick or the aged or those who have fallen from wealth, but sparingly and with grumbling, so that the aim is right but the action is unworthy of the aim; for the merciful person ought to show mercy with cheerfulness and to give without stint. And he said this also: that there are natural advantages in many souls—in some a natural quickness of understanding, in others a fitness for noble things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"ἐὰν οὖν οἱ τὰ προτερήματα κεκτημένοι μὴ ἐπιγράφωσι τῷ θεῷ ταῦτα τῷ δοτῆρι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀλλὰ τῇ ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει καὶ εὐφυΐᾳ καὶ ἱκανότητι, οἱ τοι οῦτοι καταλειφθέντες, ἢ εἰς αἰσχρουργίαν ἢ αἰσχροπάθειαν ληφθέντες, διὰ τῆς ἐπιγενομένης ταπεινώσεως καὶ αἰσχύνης, ἠρέμα πως τὸν ἐν τῇ νομιζομένῃ ἀρετῇ ἀποτρίβονται τῦφον· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ πεφυσιωμένος ἐπὶ εὐφυΐᾳ λόγων ἐπαιρόμενος οὐκ ἐπιγράφει τῷ θεῷ τὴν εὐφυΐαν οὔτε τὴν χορηγίαν τῆς γνώσεως, ἀλλὰ τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀσκήσει καὶ εὐφυΐᾳ, ἀφιστᾷ ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄγγελον τῆς προνοίας· οὗ ἀποστάντος καταδυναστευθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀντικειμένου ὁ ἐπαιρόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ εὐφυΐᾳ περιπίπτει ἀκολασίᾳ· ἵνα ἡ κτηνώδης καὶ κυνώδης ἀκολασία ἀπελάσῃ τὴν δαιμονιώδη, ἥ ἐστιν ὑπερηφανία, ἵνα τοῦ μάρτυρος τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀφαιρεθέντος, ἀναξιόπιστα γένηται τὰ λεγόμενα παρ' αὐτοῦ· φευγόντων τῶν εὐλαβῶν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου στόματος διδασκαλίαν, καθάπερ πηγὴν βδέλλας ἔχουσαν, ὡς πλη ροῦσθαι τὸ γεγραμμένον Τῷ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα τί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου; ἐοίκασι γὰρ ἀληθῶς αἱ τῶν ἐμπαθῶν ψυχαὶ πηγαῖς διαφόροις· οἱ μὲν γαστρίμαργοι καὶ οἰνόφλυγοι πηγαῖς βορβορώδεσιν· οἱ δὲ φιλάργυροι καὶ πλεονέκται πηγαῖς βατράχους ἐχούσαις· οἱ δὲ ὑπερήφανοι καὶ βάσκανοι, ἐπιτηδειότητα δὲ γνώσεως ἔχοντες, πηγαῖς ὄφεις τρεφού σαις· ἐν αἷς ἐλλιμνάζει ὁ λόγος τῷ μηδένα ἡδέως ἀρύεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν πικρίαν τοῦ ἤθους. ὅθεν ὁ Δαβὶδ παρακαλεῖ τρία αἰτῶν, χρη στότητα καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν· ἄνευ γὰρ χρηστότητος, ἡ γνῶσις ἄχρηστος.","english":"If, then, those who possess advantages do not ascribe them to God, the giver of good things, but to their own free choice and natural endowment and ability, such people, being abandoned, are caught either into shameful deeds or shameful passion, and through the humiliation and shame that comes upon them they gently, as it were, rub off the conceit that lies in what is thought to be virtue. For since the one puffed up over natural eloquence, exalting himself, does not ascribe to God his natural endowment nor the supply of knowledge, but to his own discipline and natural endowment, God withdraws the angel of providence; and when he has withdrawn, the one exalting himself over his natural endowment, overpowered by the adversary, falls into licentiousness—so that the beastly and dog-like licentiousness may drive out the demonic one, which is pride—so that, when the witness of chastity is taken away, the things said by him may become untrustworthy, the devout fleeing the teaching from such a mouth as from a spring that has a leech, so that what is written may be fulfilled: But to the sinner God said, Why do you recount my statutes, and take up my covenant through your mouth? For truly the souls of the passionate resemble various springs: the gluttonous and wine-drunk resemble muddy springs; the avaricious and covetous, springs that have frogs; the proud and envious, who have aptitude for knowledge, springs that nourish snakes—in which the word stagnates, so that no one draws from them pleasantly because of the bitterness of their character. Hence David exhorts, asking for three things: goodness, discipline, and knowledge; for without goodness, knowledge is useless.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"καὶ εἰ μὲν διορθώσεται ὁ τοιοῦτος, τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως ἀποθέμενος, τουτέστι τὸν τῦφον, καὶ ἀναλάβηται ταπεινοφροσύνην, καὶ ἐπιγνῷ ἑαυτοῦ τὰ μέτρα, μήτε κατά τινος ἐπαιρόμενος καὶ τῷ θεῷ εὐχαριστῶν, ἐπανέρχεται πάλιν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ ἐμμάρτυρος γνῶσις· λόγοι γὰρ πνευματικοὶ βίον σεμνὸν καὶ σώφρονα μὴ ἔχοντες συνιππά ζοντα ἀστάχυές εἰσιν ἀνεμόφθοροι, τὸ μὲν σχῆμα ἔχοντες, τὸ δὲ τρόφιμον ὑποκλαπέντες. πᾶσα οὖν πτῶσις, εἴτε διὰ γλώσσης, εἴτε δι' αἰσθήσεως, εἴτε διὰ πράξεως, εἴτε δι' ὅλου τοῦ σώματος, πρὸς τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς ὑπερηφανίας κατ' ἐγκατάλειψιν γίνεται θεοῦ, φειδομένου τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανομένων· εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας καὶ τῇ εὐφυΐᾳ αὐτῶν μαρτυρήσει τῇ χορηγίᾳ τῶν λόγων ὁ κύριος, δαίμονας αὐτοὺς ἀπεργάσεται ἐπαιρομένους μεγάλα καὶ θρασέα. καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν ἡμῖν ὁ ἀνήρ· ὅταν ἴδῃς τινὰ βίῳ μὲν χαλεπόν, λόγῳ δὲ πιθανόν, μνημόνευσον τοῦ δαίμονος τοῦ ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ γραφῇ τῷ Χριστῷ ὁμιλοῦντος, καὶ τῆς λεγούσης μαρτυρίας, ὅτι Ὄφις φρονιμώτερος ἦν πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ᾧ ἡ φρόνησις μᾶλλον εἰς βλάβην γεγένηται, ἄλλης ἀρετῆς αὐτῷ μὴ συνδραμούσης· δεῖ γὰρ τὸν πιστὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν φρονεῖν μὲν ἃ δίδωσιν ὁ θεός, λαλεῖν δὲ ἃ φρονεῖ, ποιεῖν δὲ ἃ λαλεῖ· ἐὰν γὰρ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τῶν λόγων ἡ τοῦ βίου μὴ συντρέχῃ συγγένεια, ἄρτος ἐστὶν ἄνευ ἅλατος κατὰ τὸν Ἰώβ· βρωθήσεται οὖν οὐδαμῶς, ἢ βρωθεὶς εἰς καχεξίαν γενήσεται· Εἰ βρωθήσεται γάρ, φησίν, ἄρτος ἄνευ","english":"And if such a person corrects himself, setting aside the cause of his abandonment—that is, his conceit—and takes up humility, and recognizes his own measure, neither exalting himself against anyone nor failing to give thanks to God, then the knowledge that is attested returns to him again. For spiritual words that do not have a venerable and temperate life are like ears of grain riding together, blasted by the wind: they have the appearance, but their nourishment has been stolen away. Every fall, then, whether through the tongue, or through the senses, or through action, or through the whole body, happens in proportion to one's pride, by the abandonment of God, who spares those who are abandoned. For if the Lord, together with their pride, were also to bear witness to their natural endowment by the supply of words, he would make them demons, exalting themselves in great and bold things. And these things the man used to say to us: When you see someone harsh in life but persuasive in speech, remember the demon in the holy Scripture who conversed with Christ, and the testimony that says, The serpent was wiser than all the beasts upon the earth—whose wisdom became rather to his harm, since no other virtue ran alongside it. For the faithful and good man must think what God gives, speak what he thinks, and do what he speaks. For if the kinship of life does not run together with the truth of the words, it is bread without salt, according to Job; it will therefore in no way be eaten, or, if eaten, it will produce a bad condition. For if it is eaten, he says, bread without","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"ἁλός· καὶ εἰ ἔστι γεῦσις ἐν ῥήμασι κενοῖς, μὴ πεπληρωμένοις τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ τῶν ἔργων; τῶν οὖν ἐγκαταλείψεων ἡ μέν ἐστι διὰ κεκρυμμένην ἀρετὴν ἵνα φανερωθῇ, ὡς ἡ τοῦ Ἰώβ, τοῦ θεοῦ χρηματίζοντος καὶ λέγοντος Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα, μηδὲ οἴου με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἀλλ' ἵνα δίκαιος ἀναφανῇς· ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἦς γνωστὸς τῷ ὁρῶντι τὰ κρυπτά, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠγνοοῦ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὑπονοοῦσι διὰ πλούτου σε θεραπεύειν με, ἐπήγαγον τὴν περίστασιν, ἐξεθέρισα τὸν πλοῦτον, ἵνα δείξω αὐτοῖς τὴν εὐχάριστόν σου φιλοσοφίαν· ἡ δὲ δι' ἀποτροπὴν ὑπερηφανίας, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου, ἐγκατελείφθη γὰρ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ἐν περιστάσεσι καὶ κολαφισμοῖς καὶ διαφόροις θλίψεσι βαλλόμενος, διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν Ἐδόθη μοι σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκὶ, ἄγγελος Σατᾶν, ἵνα με κολαφίζῃ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι· μήποτε μετὰ τῶν θαυμάτων ἡ ἄνεσις καὶ εὐθηνία καὶ ἡ τιμὴ αὐτῷ προσγενομένη εἰς τῦφον αὐτὸν ἐμβάλλῃ διαβολικὸν χαυνω θέντα· ἐγκατελείφθη καὶ ὁ παράλυτος δι' ἁμαρτίας, ᾧ λέγει Χριστός Ἰδοὺ ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε· ἐγκατελείφθη καὶ Ἰούδας, προτιμήσας ἀργύριον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, διὸ καὶ ἀπήγξατο· ἐγκατελείφθη καὶ Ἠσαῦ περιπεσὼν ἀκολασίᾳ, καὶ προτιμήσας κόπρον πονηρὸν εὐλογίας πατρικῆς. ὡς πάντα ταῦτα συναισθόμενον τὸν ἀπόστολον εἰπεῖν περί τινων Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν τὸν θεὸν ἔχειν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν, ποιεῖν τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα·","english":"Of salt; and is there any taste in empty words that are not fulfilled by the testimony of works? Of abandonments, then, one is for the sake of hidden virtue, that it may be made manifest, as was Job's, when God declared and said, \"Do not reject my judgment, nor think that I have dealt with you otherwise, but that you may appear righteous; for to me you were known, who see the hidden things, but since you were unknown to men, who supposed that I was serving you because of wealth, I brought on the trial, I cut down the wealth, that I might show them your thankfulness in philosophy.\" Another is for the turning away of pride, as in the case of Paul; for the blessed Paul also was abandoned, being struck with trials and buffetings and various afflictions, and therefore he said, \"A thorn was given to me in the flesh, an angel of Satan, that it might buffet me, that I should not be exalted\"; lest perhaps along with the wonders, the ease and prosperity and honor that came to him might cast him into a diabolical conceit, having been softened. The paralytic also was abandoned because of sins, to whom Christ says, \"Behold, you have become healthy; sin no more.\" Judas also was abandoned, having preferred silver to the word of God, and therefore he hanged himself. Esau also was abandoned, having fallen into licentiousness, and having preferred foul dung to his father's blessing. As the apostle, perceiving all these things, said concerning certain people, \"For since they did not see fit to have God in knowledge, God handed them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things that are not fitting.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"ἑτέρων δέ τινων μνημονεύσας ἐν ἐπιγνώσει μὲν εἶναι δοκούντων θεοῦ μετὰ διεφθαρμένης δὲ γνώμης, οὕτω φησίν, Οἵτινες τὸν θεὸν ἐπιγνόντες, οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ εὐχαρίστησαν, ἀλλ' ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία· ὡς ἐκ τούτου γιγνώσκειν ἡμᾶς ἀδύνατον εἶναι περιπεσεῖν πτώματι τὸν εὐσεβῶς βιοῦντα, εἰ μὴ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ γυμνωθῇ προνοίας. ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο· ὅτι νοῦς ἀποστὰς μνήμης θεοῦ ἢ θυμῷ περιπίπτει, ἢ ἐπιθυμίᾳ· καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐπιθυμίαν ἔλεγε κτηνώδη, τὸν δὲ θυμὸν δαιμονιώδη· ἐμοῦ δὲ ἀντιλέγοντος καὶ θαυμάζοντος εἰ δυνήσεται νοῦς ἀνθρώπινος ἀδιαλείπτως εἶναι μετὰ θεοῦ, ἔλεγεν ὅτι ἐν οἵῳ δ' ἂν νοήματι ἢ πράγματι θεϊκῷ ἡ ψυχὴ εὐσεβεῖ, μετὰ θεοῦ ἐστίν. ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ ἄλλος τις τῶν ἁγίων ὅτι πᾶσα ὀρθὴ ψυχὴ μᾶλλον τοὺς λοιδοροῦντας καὶ θλίβοντας ἐπικερδεῖς ἡγεῖται ἢ τοὺς κολακεύοντας καὶ δοξάζοντας· φιλεῖ γάρ πως ἡ ἀκολασία ἡσυχίαν καὶ ὑγείαν καὶ εἰρήνην καὶ εὐθηνίαν· διὸ τοιαύτη οὖσα, ἐν τοῖς λυπηροῖς ὡς βδέλλα συστέλλεται. δόξα τῷ θεῷ, ἀμήν.","english":"Having mentioned certain others who seemed to be in the knowledge of God but had a corrupted mind, he speaks thus: \"Who, having known God, did not glorify him as God or give thanks, but their foolish heart was darkened\" — so that from this we may know that it is impossible for a person who lives piously to fall into a fall, unless he be stripped of God's providence. And he said this also: that a mind that has departed from the remembrance of God falls either into anger or into desire; and desire he called beastly, but anger demonic. And when I objected and wondered whether a human mind could be continually with God, he said that in whatever divine thought or deed the pious soul is engaged, it is with God. And another of the saints also said that every upright soul considers those who revile and afflict it more profitable than those who flatter and glorify it; for licentiousness somehow loves quiet and health and peace and prosperity; therefore, being such, in painful circumstances it contracts like a leech. Glory to God, amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"τ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΕ ἰστέον ὅτι τινές εἰσι νεώτεροι φρόνιμοι καὶ συνετοὶ καὶ εὐλαβεῖς, καὶ σύνεστιν αὐτοῖς ἡ χάρις· καὶ ἴδε ἄρχονται λαλεῖν λόγον, καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς καλός ἐστι· καὶ οἱ ἀκούοντες φρόνιμοι ὄντες ἄρχονται ἐπαινεῖν καὶ θαυμάζειν καὶ ἐντίμους αὐτοὺς ἔχειν, ἐπειδὴ λαλοῦσι λόγον θεοῦ· πλὴν τὸ κακὸν ἔτι σύνεστιν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ νῷ, καὶ ὑποβάλλει τοῦ φιλοδοξεῖν καὶ συνηδύνεσθαι ἐν τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, ἵνα ποιήσῃ αὐτοὺς κενοδοξεῖν. ὃν τρόπον δέ τις ἀποστρέφεται ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς καὶ ἀντιτάσσεται τῷ νῷ, οὕτως ὀφείλει ἐν τῷ νῷ καὶ ἐν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀντιτάσσεσθαι τῇ κενοδοξίᾳ· καὶ εἰ ἀπὸ χάριτος λαλεῖ, καὶ ἀναγκάζεται ὑπό τινος κηρύσσειν τὸν λόγον, αὐτὸς ὀφείλει ἀηδίζεσθαι καὶ φεύγειν ὡς ἀπὸ πυρὸς καὶ ἀντιτάσσεσθαι τῷ νῷ, ὥστε ἐπέχειν αὐτόν, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτοῦ εὑρεθῇ κενοδοξῶν. καὶ γὰρ Μωσῆς ὁ θεράπων τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀναγκαζόμενος λαλεῖν καὶ κηρύσσειν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, παρῃτήσατο λέγων ὅτι Οὔκ εἰμι ἱκανὸς λαλῆσαι. ὁμοίως καὶ Ἱερεμίας ἠναγκάζετο εἰπεῖν, ἐκαίετο γὰρ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ὡς πῦρ, καὶ παρῃτήσατο λέγων Νεώτερός εἰμι καὶ οὐ δύναμαι, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τοῦ προφητεύειν","english":"HOMILY 55 One must know that there are some younger men who are prudent and understanding and devout, and grace is with them; and behold, they begin to speak a word, and the word is beautiful to them; and those who hear, being prudent, begin to praise and marvel and hold them in honor, because they speak a word of God. Yet the evil is still with them in the mind, and it suggests loving glory and taking pleasure in praises, in order to make them vainglorious. And in the same way that a person turns away from the desire of the flesh and opposes it with his mind, so he ought also in his mind and in his thoughts to oppose vainglory. And if he speaks from grace and is compelled by someone to proclaim the word, he himself ought to be displeased and to flee as from fire and to oppose it with his mind, so as to restrain himself, lest through his word he be found vainglorious. For indeed Moses, the servant of God, when compelled to speak and proclaim to Israel, declined, saying, \"I am not able to speak.\" Likewise Jeremiah also was compelled to speak, for his heart was burning like fire, and he declined, saying, \"I am younger and cannot,\" so that he might not, by prophesying,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ἀπενέγκωμαι. καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δέ φησιν Εἰ μὲν ἑκὼν τοῦτο πράττω, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχω· εἰ δὲ ἄκων οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις ὁ ἀρχι τέκτων ἔργον ποιεῖ, καὶ ὁ χαλκεὺς καὶ ὁ ἀργυροκόπος βάλλων σκεύη εἰς πῦρ ἔργον ἐπιτελεῖ, οὕτω καὶ οἱ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι ἅπαξ εἰς τοῦτό εἰσιν εὐτρεπισμένοι, οὐχ ἵνα λαλήσωσι καὶ δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν θεϊκὸν ἔργον ἐπιτελέσῃ, ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων οἰκοδο μῶν, καὶ βεβυθισμένον νοῦν καὶ καταπεποντισμένον εἰς κακὰ κοῦφον καὶ ἀνωφελῆ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀπεργαζόμενος. τοὺς γὰρ τοιούτους φωτίζοντες καὶ ὁδηγοῦντες καὶ μεταβάλλοντες εἰς ἤθη καλὰ καὶ τρόπους ἀγαθούς, παρασκευάζουσιν ἀπελθεῖν εἰς ζωήν. εἰσὶ δὲ πολλὰ ὀχυρώματα τῆς κακίας· τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐπιθυμία σαρκὸς καὶ φιλαργυρία· συμβαίνει γὰρ ὅτι ἔξωθεν μέν τις πτωχός ἐστι καὶ ἀκτήμων, ἔσωθεν δὲ συνήδεται τῷ πλούτῳ καὶ ἔστι φίλος πλου σίων· καὶ ἐὰν συμβῇ ὑπό τινος καταλειφθῆναι αὐτῷ χρήματα, ἐκτρέ πεται. ζητεῖ οὖν τὸν τρόπον ὁ θεὸς ἀνάργυρον· ἢ καὶ ἐὰν συμβῇ αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖν πλοῦτον, τότε μάλιστα ἀηδισθῆναι καὶ μισῆσαι καὶ φυγεῖν ὡς ἀπὸ πυρός. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτά εἰσιν ἄλλα ὀχυρώματα τῆς κενοδοξίας· καὶ τῆς τυφώσεως, καὶ τίς ἄρα δυνήσεται τούτους τοὺς φραγμοὺς καὶ τὰ μεσότοιχα διαρρῆξαι, καὶ πόνον ἔχειν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ διηνεκῆ, δάκρυά τε καὶ πεῖναν καὶ δίψαν; εἰ οὖν ἐν τούτοις γένῃ ποτέ, λόγον ποιοῦ μετὰ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματός σου. εἰπὲ τῷ σώματί σου· τί ποιοῦμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ; ὀλίγος ἐστὶν ὁ καιρὸς ἡμῶν· μέλλεις φθείρεσθαι, καὶ ἀπέρχεσθαι εἰς μνημεῖον.","english":"that I may carry off glory and honor. And Paul also says, \"If I do this willingly, I have no reward; but if unwillingly, a stewardship has been entrusted to me.\" For just as among visible things the master builder does a work, and the smith and the silversmith, casting vessels into the fire, accomplishes a work, so also the men of God have once for all been prepared for this, not that they may speak and be glorified by men, but that their word may accomplish a divine work, building up the souls of men, and making a mind sunk deep and plunged down into evils light and useful toward heaven. For enlightening and guiding such men and changing them into beautiful habits and good ways, they prepare them to depart into life. And there are many strongholds of evil: the first are the desire of the flesh and the love of money; for it happens that outwardly someone is poor and possessionless, yet inwardly he rejoices with wealth and is a friend of the rich; and if it should happen that money be left to him by someone, he is turned aside. God therefore seeks the manner of one who is without money; or even if wealth should happen to fall to him, then especially to be displeased and to hate and to flee from it as from fire. And after these there are other strongholds of vainglory and of pride; and who then will be able to break through these fences and dividing walls, and to have continual labor in the soul, tears and hunger and thirst? If therefore you ever come to be in these things, make reckoning with your soul and your body. Say to your body: What are we doing in this world? Our time is short; you are about to be corrupted, and to depart into the tomb.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"εἰπὲ τῇ ψυχῇ σου· τι ποιεῖς ὧδε; ἄπελθε πρόσπεσον τῷ κυρίῳ, μήπως κολασθῇς εἰς πῦρ αἰώνιον· ἀντίστηθι πάλιν πρὸς τὸν πυκτεύοντά σοι ἐχθρὸν καὶ ἀφανίζοντα τοῦ νοῦν σου. μακάριοί εἰσιν οἱ παρελθόντες τοὺς φοβεροὺς τόπους ἐκείνου τοῦ σκότους, καὶ τὴν δεινὴν νύκτα, καὶ τοὺς αὐχμηροὺς τόπους καὶ νοσοποιοὺς ἀέρας τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς κατάπαυσιν καὶ χαρὰν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει πνεύματος ἁγίου, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν. τ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Νϛ τί ἐστι μονάζων καὶ κατὰ τίνα τρόπον ὄντως ὀνομάζεται, ὀφεί λομεν γνῶναι· καθὼς οὖν ὁ χριστὸς δίδωσι λέγομεν. πρῶτον μὲν οὕτω λέγεται, ὅτι μόνος ἐστίν, ἀπεχόμενος γυναικὸς καὶ ἀποταξάμενος τῷ κόσμῳ ἔσωθέν τε καὶ ἔξωθεν· ἤγουν ἔξωθεν μὲν ταῖς ὕλαις καὶ τοῖς κοσμικοῖς πράγμασιν ἔσωθεν δὲ τοῖς τούτων διανοήμασιν, ἵνα μὴ κατα δέχηται τοὺς λογισμοὺς τῆς κοσμικῆς φροντίδος. δεύτερον δὲ λέγεται μονάζων, ὥστε παρακαλεῖν τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῇ ἀδιαλείπτῳ εὐχῇ, ὅπως τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ καθαρίσῃ ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ χαλεπῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ γένη ται καθ' ἑαυτὸν μονάζων μόνος ὁ νοῦς πρὸς τὸν ἀληθινὸν θεόν, μὴ καταδεχόμενος τοὺς ἐκ τῆς κακίας λογισμούς, ἀλλὰ πάντοτε καθαρεύειν ὡς δεῖ, καὶ μένειν εἰλικρινὴς πρὸς τὸν θεόν. τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν· ἐὰν οὖν θελήσῃ δοῦναι τὴν προαίρεσιν μόνον πρὸς κύριον, αὐτὸς ἐκριζοῖ τὰ πάθη καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς τῆς κακίας ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὕτως καθαρίσας αὐτόν, ἐμφυτεύει ἐν αὐτῷ τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν, Ἀγάπη, χαρά, εἰρήνη, μακροθυμία, χρηστότης, ἀγαθωσύνη, πίστις, πραότης, ἐγκράτεια·","english":"Say to your soul: What are you doing here? Depart, fall down before the Lord, lest you be punished with eternal fire. Stand again against the enemy who boxes against you and destroys your mind. Blessed are those who have passed through those fearful places of darkness, and the terrible night, and the dry places and disease-producing airs of sin, and have entered into rest and joy in the exultation of the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory forever, amen. Homily 56: what a monk is, and in what manner he is truly called so, we ought to know; as therefore Christ gives, we speak. First, then, he is called so because he is alone, abstaining from a woman and renouncing the world both within and without—that is, outwardly the materials and worldly affairs, but inwardly their thoughts, so that he does not admit the reasonings of worldly care. Second, he is called a monk so as to entreat God in unceasing prayer, that he may cleanse his mind from the many and grievous thoughts, and that the mind may become a monk by itself alone toward the true God, not admitting the thoughts that come from evil, but always being pure as is fitting, and remaining sincere toward God. For this is in the choice of man; if therefore he wills to give his choice to the Lord alone, he roots out the passions and the thoughts of evil from him, and thus having cleansed him, he implants in him the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"περὶ ὧν λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος Κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστι νόμος. ὅσον γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ὁρᾷ τὴν προαίρεσιν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σχολάζουσαν καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐγγίζουσαν ἀπερισπάστως ἀεί, τοσοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸς πολυπλασιάζει τὴν χάριν αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ πλουτίζει αὐτὸν ἐν αὐτῇ· ὅσον δὲ βλέπει τὴν προαίρεσιν ἡμῶν ἀμελοῦσαν καὶ μὴ ἐγγίζουσαν αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ περισπωμένην ἐν ταῖς ὑλικαῖς πράξεσι, τοσοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπο χωρεῖ, καὶ οὐ μέλει\n\nαὐτῷ περὶ ἡμῶν. αὐτὸς γὰρ μόνον τῆς προαιρέσεως ἡμῶν χρείαν ἔχει, ἐπεὶ ἕτοιμός ἐστι πάντοτε τοῦ ἐλεῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ φωτίσαι, ἐὰν μόνον θελήσωμεν ἐπιδοῦναι ἑαυτούς. ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ κτισθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἔχει τὸ ἀγαπᾶν αὐτὸν καὶ αὐτῷ προσδεδέσθαι· τὸ δὲ σῶμα ἐκ τῆς γῆς ληφθὲν τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ φρονεῖ· οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνεργεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, καὶ καθέλκει τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸν νοῦν εἰς τὰς γεώδεις φροντίδας· ὀφείλει οὖν ὁ μονάζων διακριτικὸς εἶναι καὶ ἀσφαλίζεσθαι ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει μήποτε ἡττωθῇ κρυπτῶς ἀγνοῶν. ὀφείλομεν δὲ πάλιν μαθεῖν τί ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ χριστοῦ εἰρημένον Ἆρον τὸν σταυρόν σου καὶ ἀκολούθει μοι· μηδὲ γὰρ ὡς ὀφείλων ἐν ξύλῳ ἑαυτὸν κρεμάσαι καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ κυρίῳ οὕτως νοεῖ, ἀλλὰ σταυρώσει ὁ μονάζων ἑαυτὸν ἐκ τῶν κοσμικῶν πραγμάτων, τοῦ μὴ ἅψασθαι αὐτῶν· καὶ πάλιν ἵνα σταυρώσῃ τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ διὰ παντὸς ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ, ὅπως μὴ ἀμελήσῃ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτοῦ. καὶ οὐκ ὀφείλει δέχεσθαι τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμούς, ἀλλὰ διακρίνειν, καὶ εἰδέναι, ὅτι τοῦ πονηροῦ εἰσι· χρὴ γὰρ λῦσαι τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ παντὸς περισπασμοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ὀχλῆται ὑπ' αὐτῶν·","english":"Concerning such people the apostle says, Against such there is no law. For to the extent that God sees a person's free choice undistracted and always drawing near to him, to that same extent he also multiplies his grace in him and makes him rich in it; but to the extent that he sees our free choice negligent and not drawing near to him but distracted by material affairs, to that same extent he also withdraws, and he does not care\n\nabout us. For he has need only of our free choice, since he is always ready to have mercy on us and enlighten us, if only we are willing to give ourselves over. For the soul, having been created by God, has by nature the capacity to love him and to be bound fast to him; but the body, taken from the earth, thinks on the things in the earth; and not only this, but it is also worked upon by Satan, and it drags the soul and the mind down into earthly cares. The solitary, then, ought to be discerning and to guard himself in this matter, lest he be defeated secretly without knowing it. And we ought again to learn what is meant by what Christ said: Take up your cross and follow me; for he does not intend it to be understood that one ought to hang oneself on wood and so follow the Lord, but the solitary crucifies himself from worldly things, so as not to touch them; and again, so that he may crucify his mind continually in prayer, that he may not neglect his own salvation. And he ought not to accept evil thoughts, but to discern and to know that they are from the evil one; for it is necessary to release his mind from every distraction, so that he is not troubled by them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ λύσῃ, μάτην καὶ εὔχεται· ὁ γὰρ νοῦς περὶ ἐκεῖνα ῥέμβεται καὶ δῆθεν εὔχεται, καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀναβαίνει· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃ εὐχὴν καθαρὰν ἐν πίστει πεπληρωμένην, οὐ προσδέχεται ὁ θεός. ὁ μονάζων ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὔτε ἰσχύει οὔτε δύναται οὔτε τῷ διαβόλῳ ἀντιστῆναι, οὔτε τοὺς λογισμοὺς τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπορρῖψαι ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, οὔτε θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ποιῆσαι, οὔτε ἐντολὴν αὐτοῦ φυλάξαι, οὔτε τοῖς πάθεσιν ἀντιστῆναι, εἰ μὴ μόνον τοῦτο ἰσχύει, τοῦ τὴν προαίρεσιν αὐτοῦ δοῦναι πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ εὔχεσθαι καὶ παρακαλεῖν αὐτόν, ἵνα αὐτὸς καθαρίσῃ αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ καὶ τῶν τούτου ἐνεργειῶν, καὶ ἵνα εὐδοκήσῃ διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐλθεῖν καὶ βασιλεῦσαι εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς τὰς ἰδίας ἐντολὰς καὶ τὸ ἴδιον θέλημα ποιήσει ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν δικαιοσύνης ἐμπιστεύσει αὐτῷ, πρῶτον μὲν πίστιν ἀληθινήν, εὐχὴν ἐνεργῆ, ἀγάπην τὴν ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς καὶ δυνάμεως, ἐλπίδα, νηστείαν, ἐγκράτειαν, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πρᾳότητα, μακροθυ μίαν, ὑπομονήν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ λοιπὸν ὁ τοιοῦτος οὐ δύναται καυχήσασθαι ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐγώ τί ποτε κατώρθωσα, ἀλλ' εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ κυρίῳ πάντοτε ὅτι αὐτὸς παρακαλούμενος πάντα κατορθοῖ· ἡ γὰρ ὑπομονὴ τῆς εὐχῆς μεγάλα κατορθώματα ἀνύει· ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ δεδομένη ἀμέλεια τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, μεγάλην μελανίαν καὶ σκότωσιν ἐμποι οῦσα τῇ ψυχῇ, ἀποπλανᾷ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζει αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν.","english":"For if he does not do this, he prays in vain; for his mind wanders about those things and he supposedly prays, but his prayer does not ascend to his God; for if he does not have a pure prayer fulfilled in faith, God does not accept it. The monk by himself neither has strength nor power to withstand the devil, nor to cast away from himself the thoughts of sin, nor to do the will of God, nor to keep his commandment, nor to withstand the passions, except only this he is able: to give his free choice to God, and to pray and entreat him, that he himself may cleanse him from Satan and from his workings, and that he may be well pleased through his grace to come and reign in his soul, and that he himself may do his own commandments and his own will in him, and may entrust to him every virtue of righteousness—first of all true faith, effective prayer, love from the whole soul and strength, hope, fasting, self-control, humility, gentleness, longsuffering, endurance, and the rest. And henceforth such a person cannot boast in himself and say, \"I have accomplished something,\" but he gives thanks to the Lord always, because he, when entreated, accomplishes all things; for the endurance of prayer brings great accomplishments to pass; but the negligence given to men by Satan, producing great darkness and gloom in the soul, leads a person astray from God and takes his mind captive.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"ὀφείλομεν οὖν ἐγρήγοροι εἶναι ἐπιλεγόμενοι τὸ καλόν, εἰς ὃ δυνάμεθα σωθῆναι, καὶ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἀλλήλους οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀλλ' ἐν ἀληθείᾳ· ταύτην οὖν τὴν ἀγάπην διὰ τῆς λατρείας ὀφείλει ὁ μονάζων κτήσασθαι ἐν ἑαυτῷ, καὶ ἐν ἔργῳ αὐτὴν ἐπιτελέσαι, ὅτι πᾶν παράγγελμα ἐκεῖ τελεῖται. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔγγραπτος νόμος πολλὰ διηγεῖται μυστήρια κρυπτῶς· ὁ δὲ μονάζων, ἐὰν σχολάζῃ τῇ εὐχῇ καὶ τῇ ὁμιλίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀδιαλείπτως, εὑρίσκει αὐτά. καὶ τούτων φοβερώτερα τῶν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ἡ χάρις αὐτῷ δείκνυσιν· οὔτε γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ἀναγνώσεως τοῦ ἐγγράπτου νόμου δύναταί τις κατορθῶσαί τί ποτε ὅσον ἐν τῇ λατρείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ· πάντα γὰρ ἐκεῖ τελειοῦνται. ὁ οὖν τοῦτο ἐπιλεξάμενος, οὐ τοσοῦτον χρῄζει τῆς τῶν γραφῶν ἀναγνώσεως· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι πάντα ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ τελειοῦνται. περὶ δὲ τῶν παθῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας πολὺν πόλεμον ἔχει καὶ βιάζεται ἑαυτὸν κατορθῶσαι αὐτά, καὶ οὐ δύναται· ἐὰν δὲ παραμείνῃ εὐχόμενος καὶ παρακαλῶν, καὶ πάντα ἐπιτρέψῃ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον, αὐτὸς αὐτὰ ἐξολοθρεύσει ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἐπειδὴ τὴν πᾶσαν μέριμναν αὐτοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπέδωκε. καὶ λοιπὸν ποιεῖ ἐν αὐτῷ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ πολλὰς ἐνεργείας· ἔρχεται γὰρ αὐτῷ πολλάκις ἐνέργεια ὥρας, ὅτι τοιοῦτος πόθος αὐτὸν λαμβάνει καὶ χαρὰ","english":"We ought, then, to be watchful, choosing the good by which we can be saved, and to love God and one another not simply but in truth. This love, then, the monk ought to acquire within himself through worship, and to fulfill it in deed, because every commandment is fulfilled there. For the written law recounts many mysteries in a hidden way; but the monk, if he devotes himself to prayer and to converse with God unceasingly, finds them. And the grace shows him things more fearful than those in the Scriptures; for no one can ever accomplish anything from the reading of the written law as much as in the worship of God; for all things are perfected there. He, then, who has chosen this does not need the reading of the Scriptures so much; for he knows that all things are perfected in prayer. But concerning the passions of sin he has a great war and forces himself to set them right, and is not able; but if he remains praying and entreating, and commits all things to the Lord, he will utterly destroy them from him, since he has given over his whole care to the Lord. And thereafter the grace of God produces many workings in him; for often an energy of the hour comes to him, so that such a longing and joy takes hold of him","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"ἀνεκλάλητος, ὥστε αὐτὸν κλαίειν, καὶ εἴπερ ἠδύνατο ἡ ψυχὴ ἀφιέναι τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἀπιέναι πρὸς τὸν κύριον. ἄλλοτε πάλιν εὐφραίνεται ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἔσωθεν ὑπὸ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ κυρίου, ὁ γὰρ κύριος καὶ ἀκριβής ἐστιν εἰς πάντα καὶ δαψιλής· πολλάκις δὲ ἔρχεται ὥρα, καὶ συγχωρεῖ ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου τῷ Σατανᾷ πολεμῆσαι αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπεγείρεται ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὰ πάθη τῆς κακίας, καὶ ἐπιφέρει αὐτῷ ὕπνον καὶ ἀκηδίαν καὶ ἀτονίαν καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ἅπερ οὐκ ἔνι ἐξειπεῖν, ἵνα θλιβόμενος καὶ καταπονούμενος παρακαλέσῃ τὸν κύριον ἐν πίστει βεβαίᾳ καὶ κάμῃ δεόμενος. καὶ τότε πάλιν αὐτὴ ἡ χάρις ἀπελαύνει ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐπήρειαν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ἐὰν ἴδῃ αὐτὸν παραμένοντα καὶ ζητοῦντα τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ λοιπὸν εὐφραίνει τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ὡς αὐτὴ θέλει, καὶ καθαρίζει αὐτὸν ἀπὸ πάσης ἐπιβουλῆς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ· αὐτὴ γὰρ θέλει, ἵνα μετὰ καμάτου καὶ πολέμου κτήσηται αὐτὴν ὁ ἄνθρωπος· καὶ οὐ θέλει τὸν ἄνθρωπον πάντοτε εἶναι ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ εὐφρασίᾳ, ἵνα μὴ ᾖ ἀργὸς ὁ νοῦς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐγρηγορὼς καὶ ἀγωνιζόμενος μετὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ· δόξα τῷ θεῷ, ἀμήν. τ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΖ Τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ· πνεῖ δὲ εἰς τὰς φαιδρὰς καὶ λαμπρὰς καὶ θείας ψυχάς, καὶ ποθούσας αὐτὸ πάσῃ θεραπεῦσαι σπουδῇ· καὶ ἐὰν ὑπακούσωσι τῷ προσκυνητῷ πνεύματι, δίδωσιν αὐταῖς φόβον θεοῦ, καὶ θέρμην ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ·","english":"inexpressible, so that he weeps, and if the soul could leave the body, it would depart to the Lord. At another time his soul is gladdened within by the grace of the Lord, for the Lord is both exact in all things and bountiful. But often the hour comes when the grace of the Lord permits Satan to war against him, and the passions of wickedness are stirred up against him, and it brings upon him sleep and listlessness and slackness and many other things which cannot be expressed, so that, being afflicted and worn down, he may call upon the Lord in firm faith and grow weary in supplication. And then again this same grace drives away from him all the hostility of the enemy, if it sees him persevering and seeking the mercy of God in truth, and thereafter it gladdens his heart as it wills, and cleanses him from every plot of the enemy; for it wills that man should acquire it through toil and warfare, and it does not will that man should always be in its gladness, lest his mind be idle, but rather watchful and struggling against Satan. Glory to God, amen. Homily 57: The Spirit blows where it wills; and it blows into the bright and radiant and divine souls, and those that long for it and desire to serve it with all zeal; and if they obey the worshipful Spirit, it gives them fear of God, and warmth in the beginning.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":41,"ref":"p41","source":"καὶ ὅτε ταῦτα παρῇ ἐν αὐταῖς, ποιεῖ αὐτὰς μισῆσαι ὅλον τὸν κόσμον, καὶ πᾶν ἐν αὐτῷ βλαβερὸν ἐπιθύμημα, εἴτε χρυσόν, εἴτε ἄργυρον, εἴτε τινὰ κόσμον τοῦ σώματος ἀπατηλόν, ἢ πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα, καὶ ποιεῖ ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ γλυκὺ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον, εἴτε πόνον νηστείας, εἴτε ἀγρυπνίας εἴτε ἡσυχίαν καὶ διακονίαν, εἴτε ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ πάντα τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γλυκαίνει αὐτῷ. ὅτε δὲ ταῦτα πάντα διδάξει αὐτόν, δίδωσιν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πειρασθῆναι· καὶ λοιπὸν πάντα ἅπερ ἦν αὐτῷ γλυκέα, βαρέα αὐτῷ γίγνεται καὶ δύσκολα· πολλοὶ οὖν ἄπειροι ὄντες ὅτε πειράζονται ἀπομένουσιν ἐν τῷ βάρει καὶ γίνονται σαρκικοί· οὗτοί εἰσι, περὶ ὧν ὁ Παῦλός φησιν Ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε; τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ; τὸ δὲ εἰκῆ, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅτι ὁ διὰ τὸν θεὸν ὑπομείνας πόνους εἶτα ἀποκακήσας παντελῶς καὶ μὴ ἀνακαλεσάμενος τούτους, οὐ μόνον τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς πόνοις ἐζημιώθη κέρδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ βαρυτέρας κολάσεως ἔνοχος γίνεται, καταφρονήσας καὶ μὴ ἐκλεξάμενος τὴν ἐξ ὕψους δύναμιν· ἐὰν δὲ ἀντιστῇ τῷ Σατανᾷ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ πειρασμῷ καὶ νικήσῃ αὐτόν, τότε ὁ θεὸς δίδωσι θέρμην καθισταμένην, ἥσυχόν τε καὶ ἀτάραχον· ἡ γὰρ πρώτη θέρμη ταραχώδης ἐστίν, ἀμφίβολός τε καὶ ἀκατάστατος· ἡ δευτέρα δὲ βελτίων ἐστίν, καὶ αὕτη γεννᾷ τὸ βλέπειν, ποιοῦσα ὑπομονήν, ἀτάραχος οὖσα καὶ πιστὴ καὶ ἀναμφίβολος· ὥσπερ πλοῖον ἐν εὐδίῳ λιμένι, τῶν δύο ἑλκυσθέντων ποδίων, οὕτως ἡ δευτέρα θέρμη ἀναπαυστική ἐστι παντὶ τρόπῳ.","english":"And when these things are present in them, it makes them hate the whole world, and every harmful desire in it, whether gold, or silver, or any deceptive adornment of the body, or father, or mother, or wife and children, and it makes the work of God sweet in the man beyond honey and the honeycomb, whether the labor of fasting, or of vigils, or stillness and service, or almsgiving, and it makes all the things of God sweet to him. But when it has taught him all these things, it gives him over to be tempted; and from then on all the things that were sweet to him become heavy and difficult to him. Many, therefore, being inexperienced, when they are tempted, remain in the heaviness and become fleshly. These are they of whom Paul says, Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain? And \"in vain\" means this: that he who endured labors for God's sake and then grew utterly weary and did not recover them, not only is he deprived of the profit from his labors, but he also becomes liable to heavier punishment, having despised and not chosen the power from on high. But if the man resists Satan in the first temptation and conquers him, then God gives a settled warmth, quiet and untroubled; for the first warmth is turbulent, doubtful, and unstable; but the second is better, and this one begets sight, producing endurance, being untroubled and faithful and without doubt; just as a ship in a calm harbor, when the two sheets have been drawn, so the second warmth is in every way restful.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":42,"ref":"p42","source":"νῦν οὖν, ἀγαπητά μου τέκνα, κτησώμεθα τὴν δευτέραν θέρμην ἑαυτοῖς, ἵνα ἐλαφρυνθῆτε κατὰ πάντα· ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν αὕτη θέρμη, ἐκκόπτει πᾶν πάθος, καὶ ἐκβάλλει πᾶσαν παχύτητα ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ποιεῖ συνοικῆσαι τὴν θεότητα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ἵνα γένηται ναὸς θεοῦ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω. εἰ οὖν θέλετε ἵνα ἡ ἀποστᾶσα θέρμη ἐπανέλθῃ ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐργασία αὐτῆς αὕτη ἐστίν, ἵνα ὁ ἄνθρωπος διάθηται διαθήκην μεταξὺ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἴπῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι συγχώρησόν μοι ἃ πεποίηκα ἐν ἀμελείᾳ, καὶ οὐκέτι παρακούω σου· καὶ ἵνα λοιπὸν φυλάξηται ἀπὸ πάσης ἀμελείας, ἐν μηδενὶ διδοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀναπαύσει μιᾷ σώματος ἢ ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ τετονωμένους τοὺς\n\nλογισμοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θεοῦ ποιήσῃ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, καὶ πᾶσαν ὥραν κλαύσῃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ λυπούμενος ἐλέγξῃ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ὅτι πῶς ἠμέλησας ἕως τὴν σήμερον, κεχερσωμένη οὖσα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας; καὶ ἵνα μνημονεύσῃ τῶν κολάσεων καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου βασιλείας ἐλέγχων ἑαυτὸν πάσῃ ὥρᾳ καὶ λέγων, ὅτι πῶς ὁ θεὸς κεχάρισταί σοι πάσας τὰς τιμὰς ταύτας, καὶ σὺ ἠμέλησας; πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν ἐν ὑποταγῇ σου πεποίηκε, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέτησας. καὶ ὅταν ταῦτα εἴπῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, ἐλέγχων αὐτὴν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν καὶ πᾶσαν ὥραν, εὐθέως ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ θέρμη, ἡ κατὰ πάντα τῆς πρώτης βελτίων. ὅτε γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ εἶδε βάρος ἐλθὸν ἐπ' αὐτόν, εἶπε Διελογισάμην ἡμέρας ἀρχαίας, καὶ ἔτη αἰώνια ἐμνήσθην καὶ ἐμελέτησα, καὶ πάλιν Ἐμνήσθην ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων, ἐμελετήσα ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου·","english":"Now therefore, my beloved children, let us acquire for ourselves the second warmth, so that you may be lightened in all things; for this warmth according to God cuts off every passion, and casts out all coarseness from the person, and makes the Godhead dwell together with the person, so that he may become a temple of God, according to what is written: I will dwell in them and walk among them. If, then, you wish that the warmth which has departed may return to you, this is its working: that the person make a covenant between himself and God, and say before him, \"Forgive me for what I have done in negligence, and I will no longer disobey you\"; and that from then on he guard himself from all negligence, giving himself over to no single rest of body or soul in anything, but rather make his thoughts strained before God night and day, and weep before God every hour, and being grieved, reprove his own soul, saying, \"How have you been negligent until today, being fallow all these days?\"; and that he remember the punishments and the eternal kingdom, reproving himself every hour and saying, \"How has God granted you all these honors, and you have been negligent? He has made all creation subject to you, and you have not set it at naught.\" And when he says these things to his own soul, reproving it night and day and every hour, immediately the warmth of God comes to him, which in all things is better than the first. For when the blessed David saw the weight that had come upon him, he said, I considered the days of old, and I remembered the eternal years and meditated, and again, I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all your works.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":43,"ref":"p43","source":"ἐν ποιήμασι τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐμελέτων, διεπετάσα πρὸς σὲ τὰς χεῖράς μου, ἡ ψυχή μου ὡς γῆ ἄνυδρός σοι. καὶ ὅταν ἀποστραφῇς, δῷς ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν μελέτην τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ θαυμασίων· τότε σωθήσῃ, χάριτι πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν.","english":"I meditated on the works of your hands; I spread out my hands to you; my soul is like waterless land to you. And when you turn away, give yourself to the meditation of the wonders of God; then you will be saved, by the grace of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages, amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]}]}