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On blasphemy. And that he who says that no one of the present generation can come to be in participation of the Holy Spirit, but also he who slanders the energies of the Spirit and ascribes them to the opposite, introduces a new heresy into the church of God. ................................................................................................. 158

Discourse 32. (406)....................................................................................................... 158 On participation in the Holy Spirit. And that it is impossible for the works

of virtue to be confirmed otherwise, except through the visitation of the Spirit, without whom no one is directed towards virtue, nor can he benefit others or receive the thoughts of others. And concerning the Tri-hypostatic Godhead being equal in all things and in the same way. ...... 160

Discourse 33. (411) ....................................................................................................... 160 That it is not without danger to bury the talent given to us by God; for it is necessary

to make it public and to show it to all and to proclaim with gratitude the good deeds of God for the benefit of those who hear, even if some are displeased................................................................................................................. 164

Discourse 34. (421)....................................................................................................... 164 By the same. Thanksgiving to God for the gifts He has been deemed worthy of. And a suggestion

how God always appears to those pure in heart, and in what deeds and signs. ............................................................................................ 170

Discourse 35. (437) ....................................................................................................... 170 Of our holy and great father Symeon the New. Thanksgiving to God

concerning the good deeds done unto him by Him. In which also is concerning spiritual prayer and the progress therein. And concerning the illumination of unerring divine contemplation and of love for God. ......................................................................... 174

Discourse 36. (448) ..................................................................................................... 174

THE CATECHESES AND THE THANKSGIVINGS OF OUR HOLY FATHER SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN ABBOT AND PRESBYTER

OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT MAMAS OF XEROKERKOS.

Concerning love. And what are the ways and the practices of spiritual men. And a beatitude for those who have love in their heart.

Discourse 1. (21) Brothers and fathers, I wish to speak to you things that contribute to the benefit

of the soul, and I am ashamed, Christ the truth is my witness, of your love, knowing my unworthiness. For this reason I always wished to be silent, as the Lord knows, and not even to look up at all and see the face of a man, having my conscience condemning me, that I was appointed altogether unworthily to lead you all, as one who knows the way, I who do not even know what is at my feet, nor having yet touched the edge of the way that leads to God. Therefore, for this reason no small or ordinary grief possesses me, because having been chosen to lead you, the most honorable, I the humble one, whom I myself rather ought to have as guides, being the last of all both in time and in age, I do not have a practical and attested word from my life to exhort you and remind you of the things concerning the laws and the (22) will of God, since also concerning

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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. ................................................................................................. 158

Λόγος ΛΒ΄. (406)....................................................................................................... 158 Περί μετοχῆς Πνεύματος Ἁγίου. Καί ὅτι ἀδύνατον ἄλλως βεβαιωθῆναι τά ἔργα

τῆς ἀρετῆς, εἰ μή δι᾿ ἐπιδημίας τοῦ Πνεύματος, οὗ χωρίς οὐδείς πρός ἀρετήν κατευθύνεται, οὐδέ ἄλλους ὠφελεῖν δύναται ἤ ἀλλοτρίους δέχεσθαι λογισμούς. Καί περί τό ἴσον κατά πάντα καί ὡσαύτως ὄν τῆς Τρισυποστάτου Θεότητος. ...... 160

Λόγος ΛΓ΄. (411) ....................................................................................................... 160 Ὅτι οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον τό διδόμενον ἡμῖν παρά Θεοῦ τάλαντον κατορύττειν· χρή

γάρ δημοσιεύειν αὐτό καί τοῖς πᾶσιν ὑποδεικνύειν καί τάς εὐεργεσίας Θεοῦ εὐγνωμόνως ἀνακηρύττειν εἰς τήν τῶν ἀκουόντων ὠφέλειαν, κἄν τινες ἀπαρέσκωνται................................................................................................................. 164

Λόγος Λ∆΄. (421)....................................................................................................... 164 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Εὐχαριστία πρός Θεόν ὑπέρ ὧν ἠξίωται δωρεῶν. Καί εἰσήγησις

ὅπως τοῖς κεκαθαρμένοις τῇ καρδίᾳ Θεός ἀεί ἐπιφαίνεται, καί ἐν ποίοις τοῖς πράγμασι καί γνωρίσμασι. ............................................................................................ 170

Λόγος ΛΕ΄. (437) ....................................................................................................... 170 Τοῦ ἁγίου καί μεγάλου πατρός ἡμῶν Συμεών τοῦ Νέου. Εὐχαριστία πρός Θεόν

περί τῶν γεγονότων εὐεργεσιῶν εἰς αὐτόν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Ἐν ᾗ καί περί εὐχῆς πνευματικῆς καί τῆς ἐν ταύτῃ προκοπῆς. Καί περί ἐλλάμψεως θείας θεωρίας τε ἀπλανοῦς καί ἀγάπης τῆς πρός Θεόν. ......................................................................... 174

Λόγος Λστ΄. (448) ..................................................................................................... 174

ΑΙ ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΙ ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΙΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΟΣΙΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΣΥΜΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΝΕΟΥ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΥ ΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΥ

ΜΟΝΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΜΑΜΑΝΤΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΞΗΡΟΚΕΡΚΟΥ.

Περί ἀγάπης. Καί ποῖαί εἰσι τῶν πνευματικῶν ἀνδρῶν αἱ ὁδοί καί αἱ πράξεις. Καί μακαρισμός πρός τούς ἔχοντας τήν ἀγάπην ἐγκάρδιον.

Λόγος Α΄. (21) Ἀδελφοί και πατέρες, θέλω πρός ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν τά συντείνοντα πρός ὠφέλειαν

ψυχῆς καί αἰδοῦμαι, μάρτυς μου ὁ Χριστός ἡ ἀλήθεια, τήν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν, γινώσκων μου τό ἀνάξιον. ∆ιά τοῦτο γάρ ἀεί σιωπᾶν ἐβουλόμην, ὡς οἶδεν ὁ Κύριος, καί μηδέ ἀνανεύειν τό σύνολον καί πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου ὁρᾶν, κατακρίνουσαν ἔχων μου τήν συνείδησιν, ὅτι κατετάγην ὅλως ἐγώ προηγεῖσθαι πάντων ὑμῶν ἀναξίως, ὡς τήν ὁδόν ἐπιστάμενος, ὁ μηδέ τά ἐν ποσίν εἰδώς, μηδέ ἀψάμενος ἀκμήν τῆς φερούσης ὁδοῦ πρός τόν Θεόν. Τοίνυν καί λύπη με διά τοῦτο οὐ μικρά καί ἡ τυχοῦσα κατέχει, ὅτι ὁδηγεῖν ὑμᾶς τούς τιμιωτάτους ὁ ταπεινός προκριθείς, οὕς ἔχειν αὐτός ὁδηγούς μᾶλλον ὤφειλον, ὡς πάντων ἔσχατος ὑπάρχων καί χρόνῳ καί ἡλικίᾳ, τόν ἔμπρακτον οὐκ ἔχω καί ἐμμάρτυρον λόγον ἀπό τοῦ βίου εἰς τό παρακαλεῖν ὑμᾶς καί ὑπομιμνήσκειν τά περί τῶν νόμων καί τοῦ (22) θελήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπειδή καί περί