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having trained the soul, makes it his own according to the possible likeness to God, and becomes most lovely and desirable to him; as one who has endured some great and difficult contest, and having been able from the constitution according to matter to converse with God with a pure and separated mind from the admixture of 31.1325 bodily passions. Therefore, it is fitting and consistent for one who has ascended to such a state through the aforementioned discipline not to be dragged down again through the irritations of the flesh to a fellowship of its passions; nor, by receiving the vapors rising from thence, to have the eye of the soul obscured as by some very deep mist; and to fall away from the divine and spiritual contemplation, the gaze of his reason being irritated by the smoke of the passions.

CHAPTER 1 On the necessity of preferring prayer to all things.

Every action, beloved, and every word of our Savior Jesus Christ is a rule of piety and virtue. For this very reason He became man, as if outlining for us in an image both piety and virtue, so that each man and woman, seeing it, might emulate the archetype according to their ability. For this reason He wears our body, so that we too might imitate His way of life, as much as possible. You, therefore, when you hear a word or an action of His, do not listen carelessly and simply and as it happens; but enter into the depth of the contemplation; become a partaker of the things mystically handed down. For Martha receives the Lord; but Mary sits at His feet; in the two sisters there is a good zeal; distinguish, however, the matters. For Martha was serving, preparing things for the reception of His bodily need; but Mary, sitting at His feet, was listening to His words. The one, therefore, was refreshing the visible, while the other was serving the invisible. For truly He who was present was both man and God, the same Master accepted the zeal of both women. But Martha, being burdened with toil, besought the Lord to be a mediator, that she might get her own sister as a helper in her service. Tell her, she says, that she should rise and serve with me. But the Lord said to her: Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary. For Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. For we are not here for this purpose, to recline on couches and to feed the belly; but we are here to feed you with the word of truth and the contemplation of mysteries. Therefore, He did not turn the one away 31.1328 from what she was doing, but He accepted the other for what she was attending to. See for me, therefore, the two parts being introduced through the two women; the one being lesser, having chosen the more bodily service, except that it too is most useful; but the one who has ascended to the contemplation of the mysteries is better and more spiritual. You, the hearer, understand these things spiritually, and choose what you wish. If you wish to serve, serve in the name of Christ. For He Himself said: Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me. For whether you receive strangers, or give rest to the poor, or bend to those in pain, or extend a hand of help to those in need and misfortune, or minister to the sick, Christ takes all upon Himself. But if you wish to emulate Mary, who left the service of the body and ascended to the contemplation of spiritual sights, pursue the matter genuinely. Leave the body, let go of farming, cooking, and preparation; but sit at the feet of the Lord, and listen to His words, that you may become a partaker of the mysteries of the Godhead. For the contemplation of the teachings of Jesus has ascended beyond the service of the body. You have received, therefore, beloved, the

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τὴν ψυχὴν ἐξ ασκήσας, οἰκειοῦται κατὰ τὴν ἐγχωροῦσαν ὁμοίω σιν τῷ Θεῷ, ἐπέραστός τε καὶ ποθεινότατος αὐτῷ γίνεται· οἷα δὴ μέγα τι ἆθλον καὶ δυσήνυτον ἀνα τλὰς, καὶ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ὕλην συγκράσεως δυνη θεὶς ἀκραιφνεῖ καὶ κεχωρισμένῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ τῆς τῶν 31.1325 σωματικῶν ἐπιμιξίας παθῶν προσομιλῆσαι Θεῷ. Οὐκοῦν πρέπον τε καὶ ἀκόλουθον τὸν εἰς τοιαύτην ἕξιν διὰ τῆς προειρημένης ἀσκήσεως ἀνελθόντα μὴ κατασπᾶσθαι πάλιν διὰ τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς ἐρεθισμῶν πρὸς κοινωνίαν τῶν ἐκείνης παθῶν· μηδὲ τοὺς ἐκεῖ θεν ἀτμοὺς ἀνιόντας δεχόμενον, ὥσπερ ἀχλύϊ τινὶ βαθυτάτῃ ἀμαυροῦσθαι τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμόν· καὶ ἀποπίπτειν τῆς θείας καὶ πνευματικῆς θεωρίας, ὑπὸ τοῦ καπνοῦ τῶν παθημάτων τὸ βλέμμα τοῦ λογισμοῦ δριμυσσόμενον.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Αʹ Περὶ τοῦ δεῖν τὴν εὐχὴν προτιθέναι πάντων.

Πᾶσα πρᾶξις, ἀγαπητὲ, καὶ πᾶς λόγος τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κανών ἐστιν εὐ σεβείας τε καὶ ἀρετῆς. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐνηνθρώπη σεν, ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι διαγράφων ἡμῖν εὐσέβειάν τε καὶ ἀρετὴν, ἵνα κατὰ δύναμιν ἕκαστος καὶ ἑκάστη ὁρῶν τες ζηλώσωμεν τὸ ἀρχέτυπον. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο φορεῖ τὸ ἡμέτερον σῶμα, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῦ τὴν πολι τείαν, ὡς οἷόν τε, μιμησώμεθα. Σὺ τοίνυν, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς λόγον ἢ πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ, μὴ παρέργως καὶ ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἄκουε· ἀλλ' ἔμβαινε εἰς τὸ βάθος τῶν θεωρημάτων· γίνου κοινωνὸς τῶν μυ στικῶς παραδεδομένων. Μάρθα μὲν γὰρ τὸν Κύριον ὑποδέχεται· καθέζεται δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ Μαρία· ἐν δυσὶ δὲ ἀδελφαῖς καλὴ προθυμία· διά στησον μέντοι τὰ πράγματα. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ Μάρθα διηκόνει, παρασκευάζουσα τὰ πρὸς δεξίωσιν τῆς σωματικῆς αὐτοῦ χρείας· ἡ δὲ Μαρία, καθημένη πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, ἤκουε τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀνέπαυε τὸ φαινόμενον, ἡ δὲ ἐδούλευε τῷ ἀοράτῳ. Ἦν γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ ἄνθρωπος καὶ Θεὸς ὁ παρὼν, ὁ αὐτὸς ∆εσπότης ἀμφοτέρων τῶν γυναι κῶν τὴν προθυμίαν ἀπεδέξατο. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν Μάρθα, καμάτῳ πιεζομένη, μεσίτην γενέσθαι παρεκάλει τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα προσλάβῃ βοηθὸν τὴν ἰδίαν ἀδελφὴν τῆς διακονίας. Εἰπὲ, φησὶν, αὐτῇ, ἵνα ἀνα στᾶσα συνδιακονῇ μοι. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς αὐτήν· Μάρθα, Μάρθα, μεριμνᾷς καὶ τυρβάζῃ περὶ πολ λά. Ἑνὸς δέ ἐστι χρεία. Μαρία γὰρ τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς· Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦτο πάρεσμεν, ἵνα ἐπὶ στι βάσιν ἀναπέσωμεν, καὶ τὴν κοιλίαν θρέψωμεν· ἀλλὰ πάρεσμεν, ἵνα ὑμᾶς θρέψωμεν λόγῳ ἀληθείας καὶ θεωρίᾳ μυστηρίων. Τὴν μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἀπέστρεψεν 31.1328 ἀφ' ὧν ἐποίει, τὴν δὲ ἀπεδέξατο ἐφ' οἷς προσεῖχεν. Ὅρα μοι τοίνυν τὰς δύο μερίδας διὰ τῶν δύο γυναι κῶν εἰσαγομένας· τὴν μὲν μίαν ἐλάττω, τὴν δια κονίαν τὴν σωματικωτέραν ἑλομένην, πλὴν ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴν χρησιμωτάτην· τὴν δὲ ἀναβεβηκυῖαν τῇ θεωρίᾳ τῶν μυστηρίων κρείττονα καὶ πνευματι κωτέραν. Ταῦτα σὺ ὁ ἀκροατὴς πνευματικῶς ἐκλάμβανε, καὶ ὃ θέλεις ἔκλεξαι. Εἰ μὲν βούλῃ διακονεῖν, διακόνει ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἔλεγεν· Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Κἂν γὰρ ξένους δέχῃ, κἂν πτωχοὺς ἀναπαύῃς, κἂν τοῖς ὀδυνωμένοις ἐπικάμπτῃ, κἂν τοῖς ἐν ἀνάγκῃ καὶ συμφορᾷ χεῖρα βοηθείας ὀρέγῃς, κἂν ἀῤῥώστοις ὑπηρετῇς, πάντα εἰς ἑαυτὸν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀναδέχεται. Εἰ δὲ θέλῃς τὴν Μαρίαν ζηλῶσαι καταλελοιπυῖαν τὴν τοῦ σώματος διακονίαν, ἀναβᾶσαν δὲ εἰς θεω ρίαν τῶν πνευματικῶν θεαμάτων, γνησίως μέτελθε τὸ πρᾶγμα. Κατάλιπε τὸ σῶμα, ἔασον γεωργίαν, ὀψοποιίαν τε καὶ παρασκευήν· κάθισον δὲ παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ τῶν λόγων, ἵνα κοινωνὸς γένῃ τῶν τῆς θεότητος μυστηρίων. Ἡ γὰρ θεωρία τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθημάτων ἀναβέβηκε τοῦ σώματος τὴν διακονίαν. Ἔλαβες τοίνυν, ἀγαπητὲ, τὰ