Ὁμιλία Θʹ

The Long Patience of Grace

God works in the soul through long-suffering, as seen in the lives of Joseph and David.

When God's spiritual working of grace takes place in the soul, it accomplishes its work with great long-suffering and wisdom and with a mystical ordering of the mind, and with great patience over long stretches of time and seasons while the person struggles.¹ And then the work of grace is shown complete in him, once free choice, after many trials, has been proven pleasing to the Spirit, and has, through long stretches of time, displayed both its proven character and its endurance.² Let us illustrate this sequence using examples from the God-inspired Scriptures that happened in plain sight.^✦ I mean something like the case of Joseph. Over how many seasons and stretches of time was God's determined will concerning him brought to completion and the visions fulfilled? And first, after being tested in how many toils and afflictions and tight places, he endured everything nobly, and in everything was found a proven and faithful servant of God. Then he became ruler of Egypt and fed his people, and the prophecy of the visions was brought to completion—and God's will, which had received its foretelling through long stretches of time and much providential ordering.³ It is the same with David. God anointed him as king through Samuel the prophet; and when he was anointed, then he fled, pursued by Saul to be put to death.

Tested by Affliction

The lives of David, Moses, and Abraham demonstrate that God's promises are fulfilled only after intense trials.

And where was God's anointing, and where was the promise, if you look at how soon it came? For after he was anointed, he was terribly afflicted—wandering in the wilderness, going without even bread, and fleeing to foreign peoples because of Saul's plot against him.⁴ The man God had anointed as king was hemmed in by afflictions like these. Then, after being tested over long stretches of time and crushed and tried and patiently enduring, he had once and for all put his trust in God and fully settled it in himself that what God had done for him through the prophet's anointing, and what God had said would happen concerning him, must without doubt come to pass. Through much patient endurance, God's will later came about, and David reigned after many trials. Then God's word was made plain, and the anointing that had come through the prophet was shown to be firm and true. The same is true of Moses. God, knowing him beforehand and destining him to be leader and redeemer of the people, made him become the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He was raised in royal wealth, glory, and luxury, and educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. When he had grown to manhood and become great, he renounced all of that, "preferring rather" the hardship and the reproaches of Christ, as the apostolic word puts it, "than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin." And once he had become a fugitive from Egypt, how long a time the king's son—raised amid such enjoyment and royal luxury—spent in the work of shepherding!^✦^✦^✦ And so later, found approved by God and faithful through much patient endurance—as one who had endured many trials—he became redeemer, leader, and king of Israel, and was called by God "a god to Pharaoh." For through him God scourged Egypt, through him God displayed great wonders against Pharaoh, and at last drowned the Egyptians in the sea.^✦⁵ See—after how many years God's will and purpose were shown, and after how many tests and afflictions they were brought to fulfillment. It was the same with Abraham.

Faith and the Promise

Faithful endurance, as shown by Abraham and Noah, leads to the reception of the Spirit and spiritual discernment.

How many years beforehand did God promise to grant him a son? And he didn't give it right away, but in the years in between, how many trials and temptations came upon him. Yet he patiently endured everything that came his way, fully assured by faith that the One who made the promise was incapable of deceit and would fulfill His word. Because he was found faithful, he obtained the promise. Likewise with Noah too: ordered by God in his five-hundredth year to build the ark—God having promised to bring a flood on the inhabited world, and bringing it in the six-hundredth year—he waited patiently a hundred years, not doubting in anything whether God would do what he said or not, but once for all fully assured by faith that whatever God had spoken must without question come to pass.^✦ And so, having proven his free choice through faith, endurance, and great patience, he alone was saved with his household, having kept the commandment purely.⁶ We have brought these starting points from the Scriptures to show that God's working of grace that takes place in a human being, and the gift of the Holy Spirit which a faithful soul is counted worthy to receive, comes after much struggle and much endurance and long patience and temptations and trials, while free choice is tested through every kind of affliction.⁷ And when it grieves the Spirit in nothing, but becomes in harmony with grace through all the commandments, then it is counted worthy to obtain freedom from the passions, and it receives the fullness of the Spirit's adoption, and of the wisdom spoken in mystery, and of spiritual wealth, and of the understanding that is not of this world—of which those who are truly Christians become partakers.^✦^✦^✦^✦⁸ That is why these, too, differ in every way from all people who have the spirit of the world—the shrewd, the intelligent, the wise.^✦ For such a person examines all people, as it is written; he knows each one—from where he speaks, and where he stands, and in what measures he is.^✦⁹

The Spiritual Person

The spiritual person is set apart from the world, burning with the fire of Christ's love and seeking union with Him.

But no one who has the spirit of the world can know or discern Him; only those who possess the same heavenly Spirit of the Godhead know the One who is like them, just as the apostle says: comparing spiritual things with spiritual.^✦ But the natural person doesn't accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.^✦¹⁰ The spiritual person discerns all things, yet is himself discerned by no one.^✦ Such a person regards as detestable and hateful all the world's splendid affairs—wealth, luxury, every enjoyment, knowledge itself, and everything that belongs to this age. For just as someone burning with fever and held by it loathes and throws away whatever most pleasant food or drink you offer him, because he is burning with fever and is being violently gripped by it—in the same way those who burn with the Spirit's heavenly, holy, and solemn longing, wounded in the soul by the passion of God's love and by the divine and heavenly fire which the Lord came to cast on the earth and wants quickly kindled, being violently worked on and set ablaze into heavenly longing for Christ, as was said before, reckon all the glorious and prized things of this age as things to cast away and hate, because of the fire of Christ's love that holds them, kindles them, and burns them with their disposition toward God and the heavenly goods of love; and from that love nothing in heaven or on earth or under the earth will be able to separate them, as the apostle Paul testified: Who will separate us from the love of Christ?—and so on.^✦^✦¹¹ But no one can find possession of his own soul and of the Spirit's heavenly love unless, having alienated himself from everything that belongs to this age, he gives himself over to seeking the love of Christ, and unless the mind comes free of all material cares and earthly distractions, so that it can be wholly occupied with the one aim, directing these things through all the commandments, so that the soul's whole care, seeking, distraction, and occupation may be about examining its spiritual essence—how it must be adorned with the commandments of the virtues, with the Spirit's heavenly adornment, and with communion in Christ's purity and holiness—so that someone who has renounced everything, cut away from himself all the obstacles of matter and earth, and come free of fleshly love or attachment to parents or relatives may not allow his mind to be occupied or distracted by anything else, such as power, glory, honors, fleshly friendships of the world, or any other earthly concerns; but instead the mind must take up, wholly and completely, the care and strain of seeking the soul's spiritual essence, and must endure wholly and completely in the expectation and waiting for the Spirit's visitation, as the Lord says: By your endurance gain your souls; and again: Seek the kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.^✦^✦¹²¹³ May someone striving in this way and always watching themselves—whether in prayer, obedience, or any work done for God—be able to escape the darkness of the evil powers. For the mind that does not leave off its own searching and its seeking of the Lord can gain possession of its own soul, which is in the ruin of the passions, by always taking itself captive toward the Lord with force and eagerness and clinging to him alone, as it is said: taking every thought captive into the obedience of Christ—so that through such struggle and longing and seeking the mind may be counted worthy to become one spirit with the Lord, when the gift and grace of Christ rest in the vessel of the soul, the soul having been prepared beforehand for every good work and not insulting the Lord's Spirit in its own wills and in the wanderings of this age, or in glories, or powers, or self-willed opinions, or fleshly pleasures, and in associations and fellowships with wicked people.^✦^✦^✦¹⁴

Devotion and Union

The soul must cling to the Lord alone to be united with Him, escaping the darkness of the passions.

For it is a blessed thing if a soul, having devoted herself wholly and entirely to the Lord, clinging to him alone, dwelling without forgetfulness on his commandments, and having worthily honored the Spirit of Christ that has come upon her and overshadowed her, is counted worthy to become one spirit and one blending with him—as the apostle says: "The one who clings to the Lord is one spirit." But if someone gives himself over to cares or glory or power, or occupies himself with human honors and seeks after these things, and the soul is stirred up and confused in earthly thoughts, or is bound and held fast by something of this age, and such a soul longs to cross over, escape, and tear free from the darkness of the passions in which she is held by the evil powers—she cannot, because she loves and does the will of the darkness and does not perfectly hate the practices of wickedness.^✦¹⁵ So let's prepare ourselves with our whole resolve and whole will to go to the Lord and become followers of Christ, so that we may carry out his will and remember all his commandments in order to do them; and having wholly separated ourselves from the love of the world, let us hang our souls on him alone and keep in mind only the occupation, care, and seeking of him. And even if through the body we are a little occupied with the work of the commandments and with obedience for God's sake, let the mind not be separated from love and seeking and longing for the Lord, so that, struggling with such a mind and traveling the path of righteousness with a right mind-set, and always attending to ourselves, we may obtain the promise of his Spirit and be redeemed through grace from the ruin of the darkness of the passions by which the soul is worked upon—so that we may become worthy of the eternal kingdom and be counted worthy to share enjoyment with Christ for all ages, glorifying Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Read the original Latin

Ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ πνευματικὴ τῆς χάριτος ἐνέργεια ἐν ψυχῇ γιγνομένη μετὰ πολλῆς μακροθυμίας καὶ σοφίας καὶ οἰκονομίας νοὸς μυστικῆς κατεργάζεται καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ὑπομονῆς χρόνοις καὶ καιροῖς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀγωνιζομένου. καὶ τότε τὸ ἔργον τῆς χάριτος τέλειον εἰς αὐτὸν ἀποδείκνυται, τῆς αὐτεξουσίου προαιρέσεως μετὰ πολλὰς δοκιμασίας εὐαρέστου τῷ πνεύματι ἀποδειχθείσης, καὶ διὰ χρόνων τὴν δοκιμὴν καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἐπιδειξαμένης. ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ἀπὸ τῶν θεοπνεύστων γραφῶν διὰ τῶν ἐν φανερῷ γεγενημένων τύπων παραστήσωμεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγω τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, οἷον ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. ἐν πόσοις καιροῖς καὶ χρόνοις τὸ βούλημα τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὡρισμένον ἐτελέσθη καὶ τὰ ὁράματα ἐπληρώθη, καὶ ἐν πόσοις πρότερον πόνοις καὶ θλίψεσι καὶ στενοχωρίαις δοκιμασθεὶς ὑπέμεινε πάντα γενναίως, καὶ εἰς πάντα δόκιμος καὶ πιστὸς τῷ θεῷ εὑρεθεὶς δοῦλος. τότε βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου γέγονε καὶ τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ διέθρεψε καὶ ἡ προφητεία τῶν ὁραμάτων ἀπετελέσθη καὶ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, διὰ χρόνων καὶ οἰκονομίας πολλῆς τὴν πρόρρησιν εἰληφός. Ὁμοίως περὶ τοῦ ∆αβίδ. ὁ θεὸς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν εἰς βασιλέα διὰ Σαμουὴλ τοῦ προφήτου· καὶ ὅτε ἐχρίσθη, τότε ἔφυγε διωκόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἀναιρεθῆναι.

καὶ ποῦ ἡ χρῖσις τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ποῦ ἡ ἐπαγγελία, ὡς πρὸς τὸ τάχος; μετὰ γὰρ τὸ χρισθῆναι τότε δεινῶς ἐθλίβετο, ἐν ἐρημίαις πελαζόμενος καὶ ὑστερούμενος ἕως ἄρτου καὶ εἰς ἔθνη καταφεύγων διὰ τὴν τοῦ Σαοὺλ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιβουλὴν γιγνομένην. ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἔχρισεν εἰς βασιλέα, τοιαύταις περιείχετο θλίψεσιν, εἶτα χρόνοις δοκιμασθεὶς καὶ θλιβεὶς καὶ πειρασθεὶς καὶ μακροθυμήσας, ἅπαξ πεπιστευκὼς τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἑαυτὸν πληροφορήσας ὅτι ὃ ἐποίησε διὰ τῆς τοῦ προφήτου χρίσεως εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ ὃ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς γενέσθαι περὶ ἐμοῦ, ἀναμφιβόλως γενέσθαι δεῖ. καὶ διὰ πολλῆς μακροθυμίας ὕστερον γέγονε τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ βούλημα, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ μετὰ πολλὰς πείρας, καὶ τότε ἐφανερώθη ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ χρῖσις ἡ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου γεγενημένη βεβαία καὶ ἀληθὴς ἀπεδείχθη. Ὁμοίως καὶ περὶ Μωϋσέως. ὁ θεὸς τοῦτον προγνοὺς καὶ προορίσας εἰς ἡγούμενον καὶ λυτρωτὴν τοῦ λαοῦ, υἱὸν ἐποίησε γενέσθαι θυγατρὸς Φαραώ, καὶ εἰς πλοῦτον βασιλικὸν καὶ εἰς δόξαν καὶ τρυφὴν ηὐξήθη πάσῃ σοφίᾳ παιδευθεὶς Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ ἀνδρωθεὶς καὶ γενόμενος μέγας ἠρνήσατο πάντα ἐκεῖνα, τὴν κακουχίαν καὶ τοὺς ὀνειδισμοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ «μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος» κατὰ τὸν ἀποστολικὸν λόγον «ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν»· καὶ φυγὰς Αἰγύπτου γεγονὼς πόσον χρόνον ἐν ποιμαντικῇ διῆγεν ἐργασίᾳ ὁ βασιλέως υἱὸς καὶ εἰς τοσαύτην ἀπόλαυσιν καὶ τρυφὴν βασιλικὴν ἀνατραφείς. καὶ οὕτως ὕστερον δόκιμος τῷ θεῷ καὶ πιστὸς διὰ τῆς πολλῆς μακροθυμίας εὑρεθείς, οἷα πολλοὺς πειρασμοὺς ὑπομείνας ἐγένετο λυτρωτὴς καὶ ἡγούμενος καὶ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ θεὸς τοῦ Φαραὼ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προσηγορεύθη· δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ Αἴγυπτον ἐμάστιξε καὶ τὰ μεγάλα θαυμάσια ὁ θεὸς δι' αὐτοῦ εἰς Φαραὼ ἐνεδείξατο καὶ τέλος ἐν θαλάσσῃ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους κατεπόντισεν. ἰδοὺ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ βούλημα καὶ ἡ πρόθεσις μετὰ πόσους χρόνους ἀπεδείχθη καὶ μετὰ πόσας δοκιμασίας καὶ θλίψεις ἐτελέσθη. Ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ.

πρὸ πόσων χρόνων ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ θεὸς χαρίσασθαι υἱὸν καὶ οὐ παραυτὰ δέδωκεν, ἀλλὰ μεταξὺ πόσοις ἔτεσι δοκιμασίαι καὶ πειρασμοὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν γεγόνασιν. αὐτὸς δὲ μακροθύμως πάντα τὰ ἐπερχόμενα ὑπομείνας καὶ ἑαυτὸν τῇ πίστει πληροφορήσας ὅτι ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἀψευδὴς τυγχάνων πληρώσει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λόγον καὶ οὕτως πιστὸς εὑρεθεὶς ἐπέτυχε τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ὡσαύτως καὶ Νῶε πεντακοσιοστῷ ἔτει κελευσθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν κιβωτὸν κατασκευάζειν ἐπαγγειλαμένου κατακλυσμὸν ἐπαγαγεῖν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ καὶ ἑξακοσιοστῷ ἔτει ἐπαγαγόντος, ἑκατὸν ἔτη ἐμακροθύμησεν ἐν μηδενὶ διστάσας, ἆρα ποιεῖ ἅπερ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς ἢ μὴ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ ἅπαξ τῇ πίστει πληροφορηθεὶς ὅτι ἅπερ ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεός, ἀναμφιβόλως γενέσθαι δεῖ. καὶ οὕτως δόκιμος τῇ προαιρέσει ἐν πίστει καὶ ὑπομονῇ καὶ μακροθυμίᾳ πολλῇ εὑρεθεὶς διεσώθη μόνος μετὰ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἐντολὴν καθαρῶς φυλάξας. Ταύτας δὲ τὰς ἀφορμὰς ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν ἠνέγκαμεν πρὸς τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι, ὅτι ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς χάριτος ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ γινομένη ἐνέργεια καὶ τὸ χάρισμα τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, ὅπερ πιστὴ ψυχὴ λαμβάνειν καταξιοῦται, μετὰ πολλοῦ ἀγῶνος καὶ ὑπομονῆς πολλῆς καὶ μακροθυμίας καὶ πειρασμῶν καὶ δοκιμασιῶν γίγνεται, τῆς αὐτεξουσίου προαιρέσεως διὰ πασῶν θλίψεων δοκιμαζομένης. καὶ ἐπὰν ἐν μηδενὶ τὸ πνεῦμα λυπήσῃ, ἀλλὰ τῇ χάριτι διὰ πασῶν ἐντολῶν σύμφωνος γένηται, τότε τῆς ἐκ τῶν παθῶν ἐλευθερίας τυχεῖν καταξιοῦται καὶ τῆς υἱοθεσίας τοῦ πνεύματος πλήρωσιν λαμβάνει καὶ τῆς ἐν μυστηρίῳ λαλουμένης σοφίας καὶ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς συνέσεως τῆς μὴ οὔσης τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, ἧς οἱ ὄντως Χριστιανοὶ μέτοχοι γίνονται. διὸ καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐχόντων τὸ τοῦ κόσμου πνεῦμα, φρονίμων, συνετῶν, σοφῶν, οὗτοι εἰς πάντα διαφέρουσιν. ὁ τοιοῦτος γὰρ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀνακρίνει κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, γινώσκει ἕκαστον πόθεν λαλεῖ καὶ ποῦ ἕστηκε καὶ ἐν ποίοις μέτροις ἐστίν.

αὐτὸν δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐχόντων τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου γινώσκειν καὶ ἀνακρίνειν δύναται, εἰ μὴ μόνον ὁ τὸ ὅμοιον ἔχων ἐπουράνιον τῆς θεότητος πνεῦμα γιγνώσκει τὸν ὅμοιον, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες. ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ· μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν. ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸς ἀνακρίνει μὲν πάντα, αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνεται. ὁ τοιοῦτος πάντα τὰ τοῦ κόσμου πράγματα ἔνδοξα, πλοῦτον καὶ τρυφὴν καὶ πᾶσαν ἀπόλαυσιν αὐτήν τε τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ πάντα τὰ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου βδελυκτὰ ἡγεῖται καὶ μισητά. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ φλεγόμενος καὶ κατεχόμενος πυρετῷ, ὅπερ ἂν προσενέγκῃς αὐτῷ βρῶμα ἢ πόμα ἥδιστον, βδελύσσεται καὶ ἀποβάλλει διὰ τὸ πυρετῷ φλέγεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ σφοδρῶς ἐνεργεῖσθαι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ οἱ φλεγόμενοι τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ τοῦ πνεύματος ἱερῷ καὶ σεμνῷ πόθῳ καὶ τῷ ἔρωτι τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν τρωθέντες καὶ τῷ θείῳ καὶ ἐπουρανίῳ πυρί, ὃ ὁ κύριος ἐν τῇ γῇ ἦλθε βαλεῖν καὶ θέλει ἐν τάχει ἀναφθῆναι, σφοδρῶς ἐνεργούμενοι καὶ ἐκκαιόμενοι εἰς τὸν οὐράνιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ πόθον, ὡς προείρηται, πάντα τὰ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἔνδοξα καὶ τίμια ἀπόβλητα καὶ μισητὰ λογίζονται διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ πῦρ τὸ συνέχον καὶ ἐκκαῖον καὶ φλέγον αὐτοὺς τῇ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διαθέσει καὶ τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἀγαθοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης· ἐξ ἧς ἀγάπης οὐδὲν τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἢ ἐπιγείων ἢ καταχθονίων χωρίσαι δυνήσεται τούτους, καθὼς ὁ ἀπόστολος ἐμαρτύρησε Παῦλος ὅτι τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὴν δὲ κτῆσιν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου τοῦ πνεύματος ἀγάπης οὐκ ἐνδέχεταί τινα εὑρεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ πάντων τῶν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἑαυτὸν ἀλλοτριώσας πρὸς τὴν ζήτησιν τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδῷ καὶ πασῶν ὑλικῶν μεριμνῶν καὶ περισπασμῶν γηΐνων ὁ νοῦς ἐκτὸς γένηται, ἵνα περὶ τὸν ἕνα σκοπὸν ὅλος ἀσχοληθῆναι δυνηθῇ, διὰ πασῶν ἐντολῶν ταῦτα κατευθύνων, ἵνα ὅλη ἡ μέριμνα καὶ ἡ ζήτησις καὶ ὁ περισπασμὸς καὶ ἡ ἀσχολία τῆς ψυχῆς περὶ τὴν ἔρευναν τῆς νοερᾶς οὐσίας ᾖ, πῶς αὐτὴν κοσμηθῆναι δεῖ ταῖς τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐντολαῖς καὶ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ τοῦ πνεύματος κόσμῳ καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καθαρότητος καὶ ἁγιασμοῦ, ἵνα τις πᾶσιν ἀποταξάμενος καὶ πάντα ἑαυτοῦ περικόψας τὰ τῆς ὕλης καὶ γῆς ἐμπόδια, καὶ σαρκικῆς ἀγάπης ἢ προσπαθείας γονέων ἢ συγγενῶν ἐκτὸς γενόμενος, ἐν μηδενὶ ἑτέρῳ συγχωρήσῃ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ νῷ ἀσχοληθῆναι ἢ περισπασθῆναι, οἷον ἢ ἀρχῇ ἢ δόξῃ ἢ τιμαῖς ἢ φιλίαις σαρκικαῖς κόσμου ἢ ἑτέραις τισὶ φροντίσι γηΐναις· ἀλλ' ὅλος ἐξ ὅλου περὶ τὴν ζήτησιν τῆς νοερᾶς οὐσίας τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν μέριμναν καὶ θλῖψιν ὁ νοῦς ἀναλάβῃ καὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ καὶ ἀναμονῇ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιφοιτήσεως ὅλος ἐξ ὅλου ὑπομένῃ, καθώς φησιν ὁ κύριος· ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, καὶ πάλιν· «ζητεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν». Γένοιτο δέ, ἵνα οὕτως τις ἀγωνιζόμενος καὶ πάντοτε προσέχων ἑαυτῷ, ἤτοι ἐν εὐχῇ ἤτοι ἐν ὑπακοῇ ἤτοι ἐν ἔργῳ οἱῳδήποτε κατὰ θεὸν γιγνομένῳ, τὸ σκότος τῶν πονηρῶν δυνάμεων ἀποφυγεῖν δυνηθῇ. ὁ γὰρ νοῦς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐρεύνης καὶ τῆς πρὸς κύριον ζητήσεως ἐκτὸς μὴ γινόμενος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν κτήσασθαι δύναται οὖσαν ἐν ἀπωλείᾳ παθῶν, τῷ πρὸς κύριον ἀεὶ βίᾳ καὶ προθυμίᾳ αἰχμαλωτίζειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ προσκολλᾶσθαι, καθὼς εἴρηται· αἰχμαλωτίζοντες πᾶν νόημα εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅπως διὰ τοῦ τοιούτου ἀγῶνος καὶ πόθου καὶ ζητήσεως ὁ νοῦς καταξιωθῇ γενέσθαι μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἓν πνεῦμα, τῆς δωρεᾶς καὶ χάριτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναπαυσαμένης ἐν τῷ ἀγγείῳ τῆς ψυχῆς, εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν προευτρεπισαμένης αὐτῆς καὶ μὴ ἐνυβριζούσης τὸ τοῦ κυρίου πνεῦμα ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις θελήμασι καὶ τοῖς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ῥεμβασμοῖς ἢ δόξαις ἢ ἀρχαῖς ἢ ἰδιογνωμοσύναις ἢ ἡδοναῖς σαρκικαῖς καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων συνδυασμοῖς καὶ κοινωνίαις.

ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ εἰ ὅλη ἐξ ὅλου ἑαυτὴν τῷ κυρίῳ ἀναθεῖσα καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ προσκολλωμένη καὶ ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ ἀνεπιλήστως ἐνδιατρίβουσα καὶ τὸ ἐπιφοιτῆσαν καὶ ἐπισκιάσαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πνεῦμα ἀξίως τιμήσασα καταξιωθῇ μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς ἓν πνεῦμα καὶ μίαν κρᾶσιν γενέσθαι, καθώς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· «ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν»· ἐὰν δέ τις ἐκδῷ ἑαυτὸν εἰς μερίμνας ἢ δόξαν ἢ ἀρχήν, ἢ τιμῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐπιμελήσηται καὶ ταῦτα ἐπιζητῇ καὶ ἐν γηΐνοις λογισμοῖς ἡ ψυχὴ ἀναφύρηται καὶ συγχέηται ἢ ἔν τινι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου δέδεται καὶ κεκράτηται, καὶ ποθῇ ἡ τοιαύτη ψυχὴ διαπερᾶσαι καὶ διαφυγεῖν καὶ ἐξειλῆσαι τὸ σκότος τῶν παθῶν, εἰς ὃ κατέχεται ὑπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν δυνάμεων, οὐ δύναται διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν καὶ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ σκότους καὶ τελείως μὴ μισεῖν τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα τῆς κακίας. Ἑτοιμάσωμεν οὖν ἑαυτοὺς ὅλῃ προαιρέσει καὶ ὅλῳ θελήματι πρὸς κύριον πορεύεσθαι καὶ Χριστοῦ ἀκόλουθοι γίνεσθαι, εἰς τὸ τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ ἐπιτελεῖν καὶ μεμνῆσθαι πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτάς, καὶ ὅλους ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ κόσμου χωρίσαντες αὐτῷ μόνῳ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς ἀναρτήσωμεν καὶ τὴν ἀσχολίαν καὶ μέριμναν καὶ ζήτησιν αὐτοῦ μόνου ἐν νῷ ἔχωμεν. εἰ δὲ καὶ διὰ τοῦ σώματος εἰς ἀσχολίαν ἐντολῶν καὶ διὰ θεὸν ὑπακοὴν ὀλίγον ἀσχοληθῶμεν, ὁ νοῦς τῆς πρὸς κύριον ἀγάπης καὶ ζητήσεως καὶ πόθου μὴ χωριζέσθω, ὅπως τοιούτῳ νοῒ ἀγωνιζόμενοι καὶ ὀρθῷ φρονήματι τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης διοδεύοντες καὶ πάντοτε ἑαυτοῖς προσέχοντες ἐπιτύχωμεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ καὶ λυτρωθῶμεν διὰ τῆς χάριτος ἐκ τῆς ἀπωλείας τοῦ σκότους τῶν παθῶν, ὑφ' ὧν ἡ ψυχὴ ἐνεργεῖται, ἵνα τῆς αἰωνίου βασιλείας ἄξιοι γενώμεθα καὶ συναπολαῦσαι Χριστῷ ὅλους αἰῶνας καταξιωθῶμεν, δοξάζοντες πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.

Scripture echoes

↩2Tim.3.16 — All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
↩Exod.2.5-Exod.2.10;Acts.7.21-Acts.7.22 — Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, while her maidens walked along the bank of the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it. Exod.2.6 — She opened it and saw the child—a boy, crying. She had compassion on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrew children." Exod.2.7 — Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and call for you a nursing woman from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?' Exod.2.8 — And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Go.' And the young woman went and called the child's mother. Exod.2.9 — Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.' So the woman took the child and nursed him. Exod.2.10 — And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and she said, "Because I drew him out of the water." Acts.7.21 — And after he was set aside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and raised him as her own son. Acts.7.22 — And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
↩Heb.11.24-Heb.11.26 — By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, Heb.11.25 — choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin Heb.11.26 — He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward.
↩Exod.2.15 — When Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by the well.
↩Exod.7.1 — The LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.
↩Gen.5.32 — Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
↩Eph.4.30 — And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
↩Rom.8.15;Gal.4.5-Gal.4.6 — For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, in which we cry, "Abba, Father." Gal.4.5 — in order to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Gal.4.6 — And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father.'
↩1Cor.2.7 — But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom that God foreordained before the ages for our glory.
↩1Cor.2.6-1Cor.2.8 — Yet we do speak wisdom among the mature—wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being set aside. 1Cor.2.7 — But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom that God foreordained before the ages for our glory. 1Cor.2.8 — None of the rulers of this age understood it; for if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
↩1Cor.2.6 — Yet we do speak wisdom among the mature—wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being set aside.
↩1Cor.2.15 — The spiritual person discerns all things, yet is discerned by no one.
↩1Cor.2.13 — And these things we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words.
↩1Cor.2.14 — But the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
↩1Cor.2.15 — The spiritual person discerns all things, yet is discerned by no one.
↩Luke.12.49 — I came to cast fire upon the earth, and what do I wish? If only it were already kindled!
↩Rom.8.35;Rom.8.38-Rom.8.39 — Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Rom.8.38 — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither the present nor the future, nor powers Rom.8.39 — nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
↩Luke.21.19 — By your endurance you will gain your lives.
↩Matt.6.33;Luke.12.31 — But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Luke.12.31 — But seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
↩2Cor.10.5 — We destroy arguments and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
↩1Cor.6.17 — But the one who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
↩Eph.2.10 — For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them.
↩1Cor.6.17 — But the one who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

Notes

1 ↩οἰκονομίας νοὸς μυστικῆς rendered as 'mystical ordering of the mind' (stewardship/dispensation of the intellect); Macarian technical sense of divine economy applied interiorly.
2 ↩αὐτεξουσίου προαιρέσεως rendered as 'free choice' (self-determining free will); δοκιμή as 'proven character' rather than mere testing.
3 ↩βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου rendered 'ruler of Egypt' (Joseph as viceroy/effective king under Pharaoh); γένος as 'his people/kin'.
4 ↩Greek πελαζόμενος is rendered as "wandering" from narrative sense (David in flight); the form may reflect a variant of πλανώμενος rather than πελάζω "draw near."
5 ↩θεὸς τοῦ Φαραώ echoes Exodus 7:1 ("I have made you a god to Pharaoh")—Moses as God's authorized representative before Pharaoh, not deification.
6 ↩προαίρεσις rendered as 'free choice' (the will's deliberate orientation), not modern 'preference'.
7 ↩ἀφορμάς: 'starting points' / 'grounds' / 'occasions' drawn from Scripture as proof-cases; not modern 'pretexts'.
8 ↩Subject of λυπήσῃ / γένηται / καταξιοῦται is the faithful soul (πιστὴ ψυχή) from the previous sentence.
9 ↩ἀνακρίνει kept as 'examines' (spiritual discernment/judgment), matching the following section's 1 Cor 2 language rather than mere 'criticizes'.
10 ↩ψυχικός is rendered 'natural person' in the Pauline sense (the merely psychic/unspiritual human), not 'psychological'.
11 ↩ἔρως τῆς ἀγάπης is rendered 'passion of ... love' to keep both erotic intensity (ἔρως) and agapic love (ἀγάπη) without collapsing them into modern romantic language.
12 ↩νοερὰ οὐσία is rendered 'spiritual essence' for the soul's noetic/intelligent nature in Macarian usage; not mere psychology or abstract metaphysics.
13 ↩κτῆσις τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς keeps 'possession/gain of one's own soul,' later anchored by the Lord's saying about gaining your souls through endurance.
14 ↩ἐνυβριζούσης τὸ τοῦ κυρίου πνεῦμα is rendered 'insulting the Lord's Spirit' (outrage/contempt), stronger than merely 'grieving' the Spirit.
15 ↩κρᾶσις (krasis): rendered "blending" for the mystical union of one spirit with the Lord; not mere mixture as of ingredients.

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