3

On repentance and the fear of God. And what a struggle of soul and pain of heart has he who repents with a contrite spirit. And what things he says and prays to the merciful Lord............................................................... 114

Discourse 23. (302) ....................................................................................................... 114 On spiritual knowledge. And that the hidden treasure of the Spirit

in the letter of the divine Scripture is not evident to all and to those who wish it, but only to those who have acquired the One who opens the mind to understand the Scriptures. ..................................................................................................... 117

Discourse 24. (311)....................................................................................................... 117 On the alteration of soul and body, of those things from the air, from the elements, from

foods and from demons that come upon us. ............................................. 120 Discourse 25. (319) ....................................................................................................... 120 On the beginning of a life most profitable and salvific, fitting for those just

renouncing the world and the things in the world and turning toward the monastic life. And a most beneficial teaching for beginners................................................ 124

Discourse 26. (328) ..................................................................................................... 124 On not being negligent concerning the working of God's commandments, nor

scorning one single one of them, but striving to keep them all together, so that we may not be shut out of the bridal chamber as scorners. And on enduring temptations nobly............................................................................................ 129

Discourse 27. (340) ....................................................................................................... 129 On the life-giving mortification that comes from the Spirit to those who struggle, even before

death. And that those in grace, having become superior to the law, consciously receive the grace of the divine light in themselves; for those who have not yet received this light in the present life, nor behold it, are still under the shadow of the law and will be judged by it. And what manner of man the superior and the priest ought to be, he who has received from above the authority to bind and to loose. And that to the one who truly performs sacred rites and is illumined by the divine light, all are manifest, both those who walk in the Spirit of God and those who have not yet put off the earthly man. ........................................................................... 134

Discourse 28. (355) ...................................................................................................... 134 On not needing to say that it is impossible now for one who wishes to come to the height of virtue

and to rival the saints of old. And that everyone who teaches things contrary to the divine Scriptures dogmatizes a new heresy to those persuaded by him. And on tears, that tears are with us by nature. ......................................... 141

Discourse 29. (372)....................................................................................................... 141 On repentance and the beginning of a praiseworthy life, what the penitent must do each

day. In which also is about tears and compunction. .............................. 146 Discourse 30. (385) ......................................................................................................... 146 On how each one must examine and diligently search the things concerning himself.

And how one ought to compare his own things with the commandments of Christ. ... 151 Discourse 31. (399)....................................................................................................... 151 On blasphemy. And that he who says that it is not possible for anyone of the present generation to be in

communion with the Holy Spirit, but also he who slanders the energies of the Spirit and attributes them to the adversary, introduces a new heresy into the church of God. ................................................................................................. 154

Discourse 32. (406)....................................................................................................... 154 On participation in the Holy Spirit. And that it is impossible for the works of virtue to be confirmed otherwise,

if not through the visitation of the Spirit, without whom no one toward virtue

3

Περί μετανοίας καί φόβου Θεοῦ. Καί ὁποῖον ἀγῶνα ἔχει ψυχῆς καί πόνον καρδίας ὁ μετά συντετριμμένου τοῦ πνεύματος μετανοῶν. Καί τίνα εἰσίν ἅ λέγει καί πρός τόν φιλάνθρωπον Κύριον εὔχεται............................................................... 114

Λόγος ΚΓ΄. (302) ....................................................................................................... 114 Περί γνώσεως πνευματικῆς. Καί ὅτι ὁ ἐγκεκρυμμένος τοῦ Πνεύματος

θησαυρός ἐν τῷ γράμματι τῆς θείας Γραφῆς οὐ πᾶσιν εὔδηλός ἐστι καί τοῖς βουλομένοις, ἀλλά μόνοις τοῖς τόν διανοίγοντα τόν νοῦν κτησαμένοις εἰς τό συνιέναι τάς Γραφάς. ..................................................................................................... 117

Λόγος Κ∆΄. (311)....................................................................................................... 117 Περί ἀλλοιώσεως ψυχῆς τε καί σώματος, τῶν ἐξ ἀέρος, τῶν ἐκ στοιχείων, τῶν

ἐκ βρωμάτων καί τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιγινομένων ἡμῖν. ............................................. 120 Λόγος ΚΕ΄. (319) ....................................................................................................... 120 Περί ἀρχῆς βίου λίαν ἐπωφελοῦς καί σωτηρίου, ἁρμοζούσης τοῖς ἄρτι τῷ

κόσμῳ καί τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ ἀποτασσομένοις καί πρός τόν μοναδικόν ἀποτρέχουσι βίον. Καί διδασκαλίας εἰς ἀρχαρίους λυσιτελεστάτη................................................ 124

Λόγος Κστ΄. (328) ..................................................................................................... 124 Περί τοῦ μή ἀμελῶς ἔχειν περί τήν ἐργασίαν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολῶν, μηδέ

καταφρονεῖν μιᾶς καί μόνης αὐτῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀγωνίζεσθαι τηρεῖν ὁμοῦ πάσας, ἵνα μή ὡς καταφρονηταί ἔξω τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἀποκλεισθῶμεν. Καί περί τοῦ ὑπομένειν γενναίως τούς πειρασμούς............................................................................................ 129

Λόγος ΚΖ΄. (340) ....................................................................................................... 129 Περί τῆς ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐγγινομένης τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις καί πρό τοῦ

θανάτου ζωοποιοῦ νεκρώσεως. Καί ὅτι οἱ ἐν τῇ χάριτι ὑπέρ τόν νόμον γενόμενοι τήν τοῦ θείου φωτός χάριν γνωστῶς ἐν ἑαυτοῖς λαμβάνουσιν· οἱ γάρ μή λαβόντες ἤδη τοῦτο τό φῶς κατά τήν παροῦσαν ζωήν, μηδέ καθορῶντες αὐτό, ἔτι ὑπό τήν σκιάν τοῦ νόμου εἰσί καί κριθήσονται ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Καί ὁποῖον δεῖ εἶναι τόν τε προηγούμενον καί τόν ἱερέα, τόν δεσμεῖν καί λύειν ἄνωθεν λαβόντα τήν ἐξουσίαν. Καί ὅτι τῷ ἀληθῶς ἱερουργοῦντι καί ὑπό τοῦ θείου καταλαμπομένῳ φωτός πάντες κατάδηλοι, αὐτοί τε οἱ Πνεύματι περιπατοῦντες Θεοῦ καί οἱ μήπω τόν χοϊκόν ἐκδυσάμενοι ἄνθρωπον. ........................................................................... 134

Λόγος ΚΗ΄. (355) ...................................................................................................... 134 Περί τοῦ μή δεῖν λέγειν, ὅτι ἀδύνατον νῦν εἰς ἄκρον ἐλθεῖν ἀρετῆς τόν

βουλόμενον καί τοῖς πάλαι ἁμιλληθῆναι ἁγίοις. Καί ὅτι πᾶς ὁ τά ἐναντία διδάσκων τῶν θείων Γραφῶν νέαν αἵρεσιν τοῖς πειθομένοις αὐτῷ δογματίζει. Καί περί δακρύων, ὅτι ἐκ φύσεως ἡμῖν τά δάκρυα πρόσεστι. ......................................... 141

Λόγος ΚΘ΄. (372)....................................................................................................... 141 Περί μετανοίας καί ἀρχῆς ἐπαινετοῦ βίου, ὅπως δεῖ τόν μετανοῦντα καθ᾿

ἑκάστην ποιεῖν. Ἐν ᾧ καί περί δακρύων ἅμα καί κατανύξεως. .............................. 146 Λόγος Λ΄. (385) ......................................................................................................... 146 Περί τοῦ πῶς δεῖ ἕκαστον ἐπισκέπτεσθαι καί τά καθ᾿ ἑαυτόν ἐπιμελῶς

ἐρευνᾷν. Καί πῶς τά ἑαυτοῦ ἀντιπαρατιθέναι χρή ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ... 151 Λόγος ΛΑ΄. (399)....................................................................................................... 151 Περί βλασφημίας. Καί ὅτι ὁ λέγων μή δύνασθαί τινα τήν παροῦσαν γενεάν ἐν

μετοχῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου γενέσθαι Πνεύματος, ἀλλά καί ὁ διαβάλλων τάς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Πνεύματος καί τῷ ἐναντίῳ ταύτας ἐπιφημίζων, αἵρεσιν νέαν εἰς τήν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν ἀνακαινίζει. ................................................................................................. 154

Λόγος ΛΒ΄. (406)....................................................................................................... 154 Περί μετοχῆς Πνεύματος Ἁγίου. Καί ὅτι ἀδύνατον ἄλλως βεβαιωθῆναι τά ἔργα

τῆς ἀρετῆς, εἰ μή δι᾿ ἐπιδημίας τοῦ Πνεύματος, οὗ χωρίς οὐδείς πρός ἀρετήν