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psalmody ever prevail. As when light appears, the darkness retreats, so also from humility all bitterness and anger disappear. Let anger, then, be bound, like a tyrant, in the chains of meekness; never accept one who speaks against your neighbor to you, but rather say to him, "Cease, brother, I stumble daily in more grievous faults, and how can we condemn him?" A lie is the destruction of love, and perjury is 62.760 a denial of God; having acquired the fear of God, he drove out falsehood, having his own conscience as his judge. One who flatters has often tamed a lion. He who serves his own belly and wishes to conquer the spirit of fornication is like one who extinguishes a fire with oil. The tongue is strengthened by a multitude of foods. Commit to the Lord the weakness of your nature, knowing in everything your own powerlessness. Do not pray in sophisticated words, but from your whole soul, and humility of heart; but before all things say, "Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak." For us, unwavering faith and the love of God cut off cares; and the remembrance of death renounces even the body. Through a little fire they have burned much wood, and through one virtue all the passions have fled. He who considers that he stands before God with the perception of his heart, in prayer be an unshaken pillar, hindered by none of the cares of this life. If anyone wishes to present a pure body to Christ, and to show him a clean heart, let him keep freedom from anger and continence. For without these, he who wishes to present a pure body or mind to God, and is shaken by the cares of life, is like one who has bound his own feet tightly, and tries to walk swiftly in Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen.
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ψαλμῳδίας κυριεύῃ ποτέ. Ὡς φωτὸς φανέντος, ὑποχωρεῖ τὸ σκότος, οὕτω καὶ ἀπὸ ταπεινώσεως πᾶσα πικρία καὶ θυμὸς ἐξαφανίζεται. ∆εθήτω λοιπὸν θυμὸς, ὡς τύραννος, ἐν δεσμοῖς πραότητος· μηδέποτε καταδέξῃ τὸν πρὸς σὲ τὸν πλησίον καταλαλοῦντα, μᾶλλον δὲ λέγε πρὸς αὐτὸν, Παῦσαι, ἀδελφὲ, ἐγὼ καθ' ἡμέραν ἐν χαλεπωτέροις πταίσμασι πταίω, καὶ πῶς ἐκεῖνον κατακρῖναι δυνάμεθα; Ψεῦδός ἐστιν ἀγάπης ἀφανισμὸς, ἐπιορκία δὲ 62.760 Θεοῦ ἄρνησις· φόβον Θεοῦ κτησάμενος ἐδίωξε ψεῦδος, δικαστὴν ἔχων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν. Λέοντα ὁ κολακεύσας πολλάκις ἡμέρωσεν. Ὁ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεραπεύων γαστέρα, καὶ πνεῦμα πορνείας νικῆσαι βουλόμενος, ὅμοιός ἐστιν ὁ μετὰ ἐλαίου σβεννύων τινὰ ἐμπρησμόν. Νευροῦται γλῶσσα ὑπὸ πλήθους ἐδεσμάτων. Ἀνάθου Κυρίῳ τὴν τῆς φύσεως ἀσθένειαν, γινώσκων εἰς ἅπαν τὴν ἰδίαν ἀδυναμίαν. Μὴ εὔχου ἐν σεσοφισμένοις ῥήμασιν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς, καὶ ταπεινώσεως καρδίας· πρὸ πάντων δὲ λέγε, Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι. Ἡμῖν πίστις ἀκλινὴς καὶ ἀγάπη Θεοῦ περικόπτει φροντίδας· θανάτου δὲ μνήμη ἀπαρνεῖται καὶ σῶμα. ∆ιὰ μικροῦ τινος πυρὸς πολλὴν ὕλην κατέκαυσαν, καὶ διὰ μιᾶς ἀρετῆς ὅλα τὰ πάθη ἔφυγον. Ὁ Θεῷ παρίστασθαι λογιζόμενος ἐν αἰσθήσει καρδίας, ἐν προσευχῇ γενοῦ στῦλος ἀκλόνητος, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς τῶν βιωτικῶν φροντίδων ἐμποδιζόμενος. Εἴ τις ἁγνὸν σῶμα βούλεται παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ καρδίαν καθαρὰν ἐπιδείξασθαι αὐτῷ, τηρησάτω ἀοργησίαν καὶ ἐγκράτειαν. Τούτων γὰρ χωρὶς ἢ σῶμα ἢ νοῦν καθαρὸν παραστῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ βουλόμενος, καὶ φροντίσι τοῦ βίου δονούμενος, ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ πόδας ἰσχυρῶς δήσαντι, καὶ ὀξέως περιπατεῖν δοκιμάζοντι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἀμήν.