De oratione

 Therefore, the one of these, i mean the 'what we should pray for,' is the words of the prayer, but the 'as we ought' is the state of the one praying

 We are more than conquerors.” it is likely that “intercedes” only concerns those who are not so great as to be more than conquerors, nor again such as

 God be with me, and keep me in this way that i go, and give me bread to eat and a garment to put on, and bring me back with safety to my father's hous

 Of the tribes of the sons of israel, saying: this is the word, which the lord commanded: a man, who shall vow a vow to the lord or swear an oath with

 Of those who say there is providence for it is not our present purpose to examine the sayings of those who entirely deny god or providence) god kn

 Since god exists and has comprehended the whole universe and abides in his pre-arranged decrees, to pray, supposing that by his prayer he will alter g

 And from what is in our power, which will be enacted according to our impulse. for even if, hypothetically, god did not know the future, we would not

 “let him not boast” “before” me but let him say: “i am not worthy to be called an apostle, because i persecuted the church of god,” and perceiving my

 Of prayer benefits those who have persuaded themselves that they have stood before and are speaking to a present and hearing god? 9.1 what has been sa

 To god, who ordains what he wills for our training, but not even murmuring in the secret of our thoughts without a voice audible to men which murmuri

 His preeminence, and stretching forth the right hand and giving to judas a golden sword, to whom another saint who had fallen asleep testified, sa

 An angel, «of the» in the church «little ones,» «always» seeing «the face of the father» «who is in heaven» and beholding the divinity of the one who

 The prayer of holofernes with god prevails and one woman of the hebrews brought shame to the house of nebuchadnezzar but 'ananias' 'and azarias and m

 Suffering from a basilisk, because through christ he has stepped upon them and has trampled “lion and dragon,” having used the good authority given by

 Doxology for greater things, offered up more magnificently by someone, and intercession, a request to god concerning certain things by one having a ce

 And an example of thanksgiving is the voice of our lord, saying: “i confess to you, father, lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these thing

 Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses they shall bow down to <you> with their face to the ground, and shall lick the

 With him the intelligible blessing reaching all the saints, spoken by isaac to jacob, namely: «may god give you of the dew of heaven,» to have come to

 Of things truly and genuinely great and heavenly, and matters concerning the shadows that follow the preceding things must be entrusted to god, who kn

 For it is the work of hypocrites to want to put on airs before men for the sake of piety or for social reasons. but it is necessary, remembering the s

 20.2 and we must listen carefully to that they may be seen, since nothing that is merely apparent is good, as if existing in appearance and not in t

 It is not that god has not been called 20father20, or that those who are considered to have believed in god have not been named sons of god but rathe

 He has imitated the image «of the invisible god» and has become «according to the image of the one who created him,» who makes «his sun» rise «on the

 20father20» let him go. and let us seek to understand more mystically the saying at the end of the gospel according to john: «do not touch me, for i h

 In order to persuade the reader from every side, according to the power given to us, to hear the divine scripture in a higher and more spiritual way,

 To exalt «0the name20» of god «at the same time,» is <when> someone, having partaken of an emanation of divinity by being taken up by god and having p

 We are commanded by paul no longer to be subject to sin which wants to rule over us, and indeed we are ordered through these words: let not sin there

 For us «0on earth20» likewise to them in all things “the 20will20” of god should be done which will happen, when we do nothing contrary to his «0will

 To divinity and being united with it. 26.5 but since the second point does not yet solve the difficulties about how «0the will20» of god is «0in heave

 We will set these things forth from more numerous sources. he says in the gospel according to john to those who had come to capernaum to seek him: “tr

 Nor are you able even now for you are still of the flesh” and in the one to the hebrews: “and you have come to need milk, not solid food. for everyon

 Being set apart, but is subject to every quality just like a prepared place. and by qualities they mean dispositively the activities and productions i

 By a demonstration of the angels and their becoming more ready to cooperate in every way and henceforth to concur in the apprehension of more and grea

 In the psalms thus: a thousand years in your eyes are as yesterday, which has passed (which is the famous millennium, which is likened to the yeste

 «0today20» but also in a way of the «0daily20» he who prays for «0today20», from the one who is able to grant «exceedingly abundantly above all that w

 And we are in a theater of the world and of angels and of men, it must be known that, just as the one in the theater is a 20debtor20 to say or do cert

 Heavenly father will do, unless you 20forgive20 each his brother from your hearts.” they say, however, that we 20must forgive20 those who have sinned

 They conceived a thought against god” for he offers the sacrifice concerning things of which it is doubted whether a sin has been committed, and this

 Which our lord taught concerning prayer. but when has anyone considered men to be outside of 20temptations20, whose word he knew he had fulfilled? and

 Every time is one of 20temptation20 for men, even these things not even he who meditates on the law of god «day and night» and practices to fulfill w

 Finding such things in the law and the prophets, they stumbled as at one who was not good, who uttered such words but for us, on account of the diffi

 Having desired generation, pray again to obtain twice what you desire, having come to hate the thing desired, and then thus to return to the good thin

 Of our own evils and let us give thanks for the good things revealed to us through 20temptations20. but that the 20temptations20 which happen are for

 To put on (for he has received), but by in all that befell him not to have sinned at all before the lord but to be shown to be righteous of the o

 To pray, stretching out the soul, as it were, before the hands, and stretching the mind toward god before the eyes, and before standing, arousing the

 Which is possible, unless one gives himself to this by agreement for a time, that perhaps also concerning the place, if it is permissible, it must b

 It seems to me that these things have necessarily been said, while examining the place of prayer and representing what is exceptional as in a place at

 For the sake of magnifying you, my lord, lord.” 33.4 an example of confessions: “deliver me from all my iniquities,” and in other places: “my wounds h

Therefore, the one of these, I mean the 'what we should pray for,' is the words of the prayer, but the 'as we ought' is the state of the one praying; for instance, by way of example, the 'what we should pray for': «Ask for the great things, and the small things will be added to you,» and «ask for the heavenly things, and the earthly things will be added to you,» and «pray for those who mistreat you,» and «pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest,» and «pray that you may not enter into temptation,» and «pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath,» and «and when praying, do not use vain repetitions,» and whatever is similar to these; but the 'as we ought': «I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without anger and quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire, but what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.» Also instructive of the 'as we ought' is this: «So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift»; for what greater gift can be sent up to God from a rational being than the fragrant word of prayer, offered from a conscience that does not have the stench of sin? Furthermore, of the 'as we ought' is this: «Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer and then come together again, so that Satan may not gloat over you because of your lack of self-control.» For through these things the 'as we ought' is hindered, unless the work of the mysteries of marriage, which are worthy of silence, becomes more solemn and more deliberate and more dispassionate, with the 'agreement' mentioned here destroying the dissonance of passion and consuming the lack of self-control and preventing Satan's malicious rejoicing. In addition to these, instructive of the 'as we ought' is this: «And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone»; and that from Paul as well: «Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head» is indicative of the 'as we ought'. 2.3 But Paul, knowing all these things and being able to set forth many times more than these from the Law and the Prophets and the fullness of the Gospel, with a variety of narration for each, says from a disposition not only of moderation but also of truth (seeing, even after all these things, how much is lacking in the knowledge of what to pray for 'as we ought'): but what to pray for 'as we ought we do not know'; and he adds this to his statement, from which the lack is filled for one who does not know but has prepared himself as worthy for the lack in him to be filled, for he says that «the Spirit himself intercedes for us with God with groanings that cannot be uttered; and he who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.» The «Spirit» in the hearts of the blessed, crying «Abba, Father,» understanding carefully the groans in this tent, which are fit to weigh down those who have fallen or transgressed, «intercedes for us with God with groanings that cannot be uttered,» taking up our groans on account of his great love for humanity and sympathy; and according to the wisdom in him, seeing our soul humbled «to the dust» and imprisoned in the body «of our humiliation,» he does not use ordinary «groanings» when he «intercedes for us with God» but certain ones «that cannot be uttered,» connected with unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to speak. This very Spirit, not content with interceding with God, intensifies the intercession and «makes intercession for,» I think concerning those who are more than conquerors, such as Paul was when he said: «But in all these things

τὸ μὲν οὖν ἕτερον τούτων, λέγω δὴ τὸ ὃ δεῖ, οἱ λόγοι εἰσὶ τῆς εὐχῆς, τὸ δὲ «καθὸ δεῖ» ἡ κατάστασις τοῦ εὐχομένου· οἷον ὡς ἐπὶ παραδείγματος τὸ μὲν ὃ δεῖ· «αἰτεῖτε τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται,» καὶ «αἰτεῖτε τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται,» καὶ «προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς,» καὶ «δεήθητε οὖν τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦ, ἵνα ἐκβάλῃ ἐργά τας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ,» καὶ «προσεύχεσθε μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν,» καὶ «προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ γένηται ὑμῶν ἡ φυγὴ χειμῶνι μηδὲ σαββάτῳ,» καὶ «προσευχόμενοι δὲ μὴ βαττολογήσητε,» καὶ εἴ τι τούτοις ἐστὶ παραπλήσιον· τὸ δὲ «καθὸ δεῖ»· «βούλομαι οὖν προσ εύχεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, ἐπαίροντας ὁσίας χεῖρας χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμοῦ· ὡσαύτως καὶ γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ, μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης κοσμεῖν ἑαυτὰς, μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν ἢ χρυσῷ ἢ μαργαρίταις ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ ἀλλ', ὃ πρέπει γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις θεοσέβειαν, δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν.» τοῦ δὲ «καθὸ δεῖ» διδασκαλικόν ἐστι καὶ τό· «ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ, ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ὕπαγε πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου»· ποῖον γὰρ θεῷ δῶρον ἀπὸ τοῦ λογικοῦ μεῖζον ἀνα πέμπεσθαι δύναται εὐώδους λόγου εὐχῆς, προσφερομένης ἀπὸ συνει δότος μὴ ἔχοντος δυσῶδες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας; ἔτι δὲ τοῦ «καθὸ δεῖ» τό· «μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους, ἐὰν μή τι ἐκ συμφωνίας πρὸς και ρὸν, ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἦτε, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιχαρῇ ὑμῖν ὁ σατανᾶς διὰ τὴν ἀκρασίαν ὑμῶν.» διὰ τούτων γὰρ ἐμποδίζεται τὸ «καθὸ δεῖ,» ἐὰν μὴ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν γάμον σιω πᾶσθαι ἀξίων μυστηρίων τὸ ἔργον σεμνότερον καὶ βραδύτερον καὶ ἀπαθέστερον γίνηται, τῆς λεγομένης ἐνταυθοῖ «συμφωνίας» τὸ ἀσύμ φωνον τοῦ πάθους ἀφανιζούσης καὶ τὴν ἀκρασίαν ἀναλισκούσης τοῦ τε σατανᾶ τὸ ἐπιχαιρησίκακον κωλυούσης. πρὸς τούτοις τοῦ «καθὸ δεῖ» ἐστι διδασκαλικὸν τό· «ἐὰν στήκητε προσευχόμενοι, ἀφίετε, εἴ τι ἂν ἔχητε κατά τινος»· καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ δέ· «πᾶς ἀνὴρ εὐχόμενος ἢ προφητεύων κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων καταισχύνει τὴν κε φαλὴν αὐτοῦ, πᾶσα δὲ γυνὴ προσευχομένη ἢ προφητεύουσα ἀκατα καλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν ἑαυτῆς» τοῦ «καθὸ δεῖ» ἐστι παραστατικόν. 2.3 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἐπιστάμενος Παῦλος καὶ τούτων πολλα πλασίονα ἀπὸ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν τοῦ τε εὐαγγελικοῦ πληρώματος παραθέσθαι δυνάμενος μετὰ ποικιλότητος τῆς εἰς ἕκαστον διηγήσεως, ἀπὸ διαθέσεως οὐ μετριαζούσης μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀληθευούσης φησίν (ὁρῶν δὲ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ὅσον ἀπολείπεται τοῦ εἰδέναι προσεύξασθαι τί δεῖ «καθὸ δεῖ»)· τὸ δὲ ὅ τι προσεύξασθαι δεῖ «καθὸ δεῖ οὐκ οἴδαμεν»· καὶ τοῦτο τῷ λόγῳ προστίθησιν, ὅθεν ἀναπληροῦται τὸ ἐλλεῖπον τῷ μὴ εἰδότι μὲν ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἄξιον τοῦ ἀναπληρωθῆναι ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ ἐλλεῖπον παρασκευάσαντι, λέγει γὰρ ὅτι «αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις ὑπερεντυγχάνει τῷ θεῷ· ὁ δὲ ἐρευνῶν τὰς καρδίας οἶδε τί τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅτι κατὰ θεὸν ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἁγίων.» τὸ δὲ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις τῶν μακα ρίων κρᾶζον «ἀββὰ ὁ πατὴρ» «πνεῦμα,» ἐπιστάμενον ἐπιμελῶς τοὺς ἐν τῷ σκήνει στεναγμοὺς, ἀξίους τυγχάνοντας εἰς τὸ βαρῦναι τοὺς πεπτωκότας ἢ παραβεβηκότας, «στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις ὑπερεντυγχάνει τῷ θεῷ,» τοὺς ἡμετέρους διὰ τὴν πολλὴν φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ συμπά θειαν ἀναδεχόμενον στεναγμούς· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ σοφίαν ὁρῶν τὴν ταπεινωθεῖσαν «εἰς χοῦν» ψυχὴν ἡμῶν καὶ ἐν τῷ σώματι «τῆς ταπεινώσεως» καθειργμένην, οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσι «στεναγμοῖς» χρώμενον «ὑπερεντυγχάνει τῷ θεῷ» ἀλλά τισιν «ἀλαλήτοις,» ἐχομένοις τῶν ἀῤῥήτων λόγων, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλεῖν. τοῦτο δὴ τὸ πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἀρκούμενον τῷ ἐντυγχάνειν τῷ θεῷ, ἐπιτεῖνον τὴν ἔντευξιν «ὑπερεντυγχάνει,» ἐγὼ οἶμαι ὅτι περὶ τῶν ὑπερνικώντων, ὁποῖος Παῦλος ἦν λέγων· «ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν