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Eat, asking no questions;” and, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man.” Therefore, to abstain from foods would be a matter of our choice and a labor of the soul.

11. Bear gladly sleeping on the ground and vigils and all other hardships, looking to the glory that is to be revealed to you with all the saints. For “the sufferings,” he says, “of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” If you are disheartened, pray, as it is written; but pray with fear, with trembling, with labor, both soberly and watchfully. Thus one must pray, especially on account of the malevolent and mischievous, our unseen enemies who wish to assail us in this. Whenever these see us engaged in prayer, then indeed they also zealously stand against us, suggesting to our mind those things which one ought not to ponder or think of in the time of prayer, so that they may lead our mind away captive, and make our prayer and supplication from prayer idle and vain and useless. For truly vain and useless is prayer and petition and supplication, when it is not performed, as has been said before, in fear and in trembling, soberly and watchfully. Furthermore, when someone approaches an earthly king, he offers his petition with fear and trembling and sobriety; should he not much more stand in like manner before God, the Master of all, and Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and likewise make his petition and supplication? For to God be the glory for ever. Amen.

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Ἐσθίετε μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες·» καὶ, «Οὐ τὰ εἰσερχόμενα εἰς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.» Τὸ οὖν ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων, τοῦτο τῆς ἡμετέρας προαιρέσεως ἂν εἴη καὶ ψυχῆς πόνος.

ΙΑʹ. Τὴν χαμευνίαν καὶ τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πάσας κακοπαθείας ἡδέως φέρε, ἀποβλέπων εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναί σοι δόξαν σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις. «Οὐ» γὰρ «ἄξια τὰ παθήματα,» φησὶ, «τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς.» Ἐὰν ἀθυμῇς, προσεύχου, καθὰ γέγραπται· προσεύχου δὲ ἐμφόβως, ἐντρόμως, ἐμπόνως, νηφαλίως τε καὶ ἐγρηγορότως. Οὕτω προσεύχεσθαι δεῖ, μάλιστα διὰ τοὺς κακοτρόπους καὶ κακοσχόλους, ἐπηρεάζειν ἡμᾶς θέλοντας ἐν τούτῳ τοὺς ἀοράτους ἡμῶν ἐχθρούς. Ὁπηνίκα οὗτοι ἴδωσιν ἡμᾶς προσευχῇ παρισταμένους, τότε δὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ σπουδαίως ἐφίστανται ἡμῖν, ἐκεῖνα ἡμῖν τῷ νῷ ὑποβάλλοντες, ἃ μὴ δεῖ ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ προσεύχεσθαι ἐνθυμεῖσθαι ἢ ἐννοεῖν, ἵνα αἰχμάλωτον ἡμῶν τὸν νοῦν ἀπαγάγωσι, καὶ ἀργὴν καὶ μάταιον καὶ ἀνωφελῆ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς δέησίν τε καὶ ἱκετηρίαν ποιήσωσι. Μάταιος γὰρ ὄντως καὶ ἀνωφελὴς ἡ προσευχὴ καὶ ἡ δέησις καὶ ἡ ἱκετηρία τυγχάνει, ὅταν μὴ, ὡς προείρηται, ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἐν τρόμῳ νηφαλίως τε καὶ ἐγρηγορότως διατελῆται. Εἶτα ἀνθρώπῳ μὲν βασιλεῖ προσερχόμενός τις, μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου καὶ νήψεως, οὕτως τὴν δέησιν ἀποτελεῖ· οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον Θεῷ τῷ ∆εσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων, καὶ Χριστῷ Βασιλεῖ τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ Ἄρχοντι τῶν ἀρχόντων ὁμοίως παρίστασθαι δεῖ, καὶ ὡσαύτως τὴν δέησιν καὶ ἱκετηρίαν ποιεῖσθαι; Ὅτι τῷ Θεῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.