4

Understand the paternal, that you may preserve for me the precise meaning of the image, that you may understand for me piously: I am in the Father, and the Father in me; not a confusion of essences, but an identity of characters. But indeed, beloved, it seems to be the most contrary of things, where the obedience of your hearing has even compelled our weakness to say something in your midst and to speak out, so that the power 31.600 of God may especially shine through in the weakness of the instrument.

For perhaps for this reason our weakness has superabounded, so that he who strengthens the weak might be glorified the more. He who has brought around this our festival, and given an end to last year's prayers, and given a head to the coming time (for the same day defines for us the past cycle, and becomes again a head for the one to come), He, therefore, who has gathered us together and granted the energy of the future, may he keep us in it unharmed, unmolested, unravaged by the wolf; may he preserve this Church unshaken, guarded by the great towers of the martyrs. May he turn away every plot and attack of heretical rages; and in peace may he grant us to be taught the divine oracles, and to teach the supplied grace of the Spirit; because to him is the glory and the power with the Holy Spirit now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

4

νόησον πατρικὴν, ἵνα μοι τὸν ἀκριβῆ τῆς εἰκόνος διασώσῃς λόγον, ἵνα μοι νοήσῃς θεοσεβῶς· Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· οὐκ οὐσιῶν σύγχυσιν, ἀλλὰ χαρακτήρων ταυτότητα. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔοικεν ἐναντιώτατον εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθένειαν ἐξεβιάσατο τὸ εὐπειθὲς τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀκοῆς εἰπεῖν τι ἐν μέσοις καὶ φθέγξασθαι, ἵνα ἡ δύναμις 31.600 τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῇ τοῦ ὀργάνου ἀσθενείᾳ μάλιστα δια-φανῇ.

Τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡμῶν τὸ ἀσθενὲς, ἵνα ἐπὶ πλεῖον δοξασθῇ ὁ τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐνισχύων. Ὁ δὲ περιαγαγὼν ἡμῶν τὴν πανήγυριν ταύτην, καὶ πέρας δοὺς ταῖς περυσιναῖς εὐχαῖς, καὶ κεφαλὴν δοὺς τῷ ἐπιόντι χρόνῳ (ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ ἡμέρα ὁρίζει ἡμῖν τὸν παρελθόντα κύκλον, καὶ κεφαλὴ γίνεται πάλιν τῷ ἐπερχομένῳ), ὁ τοίνυν ἐπισυνάξας καὶ χαρισάμενος τοῦ μέλλοντος τὴν ἐνέργειαν, διαφυλάξειεν ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ ἀβλαβεῖς, ἀνεπηρεάστους, ὑπὸ τοῦ λύκου ἀδιαρπάκτους· ἄσειστον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ταύτην, φρουρουμένην τοῖς μεγάλοις πύργοις τῶν μαρτύρων διατηρήσειε. Πᾶσαν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ προσβολὴν αἱρετικῶν μηνιαμάτων ἀποστρέψειεν· ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ δὲ παράσχοι ἡμῖν διδάσκεσθαι τὰ θεῖα λόγια, καὶ διδάσκειν τὴν ἐπιχορηγουμένην χάριν τοῦ Πνεύματος· ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.