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we shall do. Therefore, having such promises, devote yourselves at all times and remain with the Lord our God, until He has mercy on you, and seek nothing else, except only mercy from the Lord of glory, and it is sufficient for you. But when seeking mercy, seek it with a humble and contrite heart. Therefore cry out from morning until evening, if possible, and all night long, saying without ceasing: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy; Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy; Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. I beseech you, therefore, force yourselves, again I say force your mind even unto death. For this work has need of much force, because narrow and afflicted is the way that leads to the gate of life, and those who use force enter into it; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to the forceful. I beseech you therefore, do not be separated from God, nor from your heart, but remain and guard it with the remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ; this and this always, until the name of the Lord is implanted within the heart, and nothing else, until Christ is magnified in you. I beseech you therefore, never cease from the rule of this prayer. For I once heard the holy fathers saying, what kind of monk is he who ceases from his rule? But he ought, whether he eats or drinks or travels or serves, to cry out unceasingly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, so that this very remembrance of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may stir up war against the enemy. For through the remembrance of the Lord, the soul that forces itself is able to find all things, whether evil or good; but first it is able to see the evil things within the heart, and then the good things. For the remembrance is able to stir up the dragon, and the remembrance is able to humble him. The remembrance is able to convict the sin dwelling in you, and the remembrance is able to consume it. The remembrance is able to stir up all the power of the devil in the heart, and the remembrance is able to conquer it and root it out piece by piece, so that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, descending into the depth of the heart, may humble the dragon who holds the pastures, and may save and give life to the soul, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ unceasingly remaining and crying out, so that the heart may swallow the Lord, and the Lord the heart, and the two shall become one. But this work is not of one or two days, but of much time and a long season; for much struggle and time is needed, until the enemy is cast out and Christ dwells within; for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness, says the apostle. Those therefore who renounce the world and are zealous to please the Lord ought to humble themselves in all things and to be afflicted, so that they may only attain the good things to come and the unending rest. I beseech you therefore, pay attention to how you partake of food. For the prophet says: Serve the Lord with fear; this he said for the time of prayer. And rejoice in Him with trembling; and this he said for the time of food. He did not say with laughter and indifference, but with fear and trembling. For who would ever dare, in the presence of a king, to laugh and bring upon himself indignation and punishment. And, when you chant, chant soberly with perception of heart, so that the heart may taste and know the things being said with discernment, to the glory of Christ, not slackly but fervently, so that both the mind and the body may be roused to vigilance, so that from every side the soul may be nourished and make progress. And do not ever wish to say overly-complex troparia, lest you suffer delusion by taking pleasure in the sound. And concerning the service to the brothers, take heed whom you appoint as cellarer: one who is able to keep a good conscience before God and the brotherhood, lest he ever fall into judgment and the snare of the devil, either by eating secretly or pilfering something, and be lost

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ποιησόμεθα. Τοιαύτας οὖν ἔχοντες ἐπαγγελίας σχολάσατε διὰ παντὸς καὶ παραμείνατε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ἕως οὗ οἰκτειρήσῃ ὑμᾶς, καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον ζητήσητε, εἰ μὴ μόνον ἔλεος παρὰ Κυρίου τῆς δόξης καὶ ἀρκεῖ ὑμῖν. Ζητοῦντες δὲ ἔλεος ἐν ταπεινῇ καὶ ἐλεεινῇ καρδίᾳ ζητεῖτε. Λοιπὸν βοᾶτε ἀπὸ πρωῒ ἕως ἑσπέρας, εἰ δυνατόν, καὶ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα λέγοντες ἀπαύστως· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλέησον· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλέησον· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. Ἀμήν. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, βιάσασθε, πάλιν λέγω βιάσασθε τῷ νῷ ὑμῶν ἕως θανάτου. Πολλῆς γὰρ βίας χρείαν ἔχει τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο, ὅτι στενή ἐστι καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν θύραν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ οἱ βιαζόμενοι εἰσέρχονται ἐν αὐτῇ· βιαστῶν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς μὴ χωρίζεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδὲ τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ παραμένετε καὶ φυλάττετε αὐτὴν μετὰ τῆς μνήμης τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· αὐτὸ καὶ αὐτὸ πάντοτε, ἕως οὗ ἐμφυτευθῇ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἔσω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον, ἄχρις οὗ μεγαλυνθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς τὸν κανόνα ταύτης τῆς προσευχῆς μηδέποτε καταπαύσητε. Ἤκουσα γάρ ποτε τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων λεγόντων ὅτι ποῖος ἐκεῖνος μονάζων, ἐὰν κανόνα καταπαύσῃ, ἀλλὰ ὀφείλει εἴτε ἐσθίει εἴτε πίνει εἴτε ὁδεύει εἴτε διακονεῖ ἀδιαλείπτως κράζειν· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ἵνα αὐτὴ ἡ μνήμη τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐρε θίσῃ πρὸς πόλεμον τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Πάντα γὰρ διὰ τῆς μνήμης τοῦ Κυρίου ἔχει εὑρεῖν ἡ βιαζομένη ψυχὴ εἴτε πονηρὰ εἴτε ἀγαθά· πρῶτον δὲ τὰ κακὰ ἔχει ἰδεῖν ἔσω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τότε τὰ καλά. Ἡ γὰρ μνήμη ἔχει κινῆσαι τὸν δράκοντα καὶ ἡ μνήμη ἔχει αὐτὸν ταπεινῶσαι. Ἡ μνήμη ἔχει ἐλέγξαι τὴν ἐν ὑμῖν οἰκοῦσαν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἡ μνήμη ἔχει αὐτὴν δαπανῆσαι. Ἡ μνήμη ἔχει κινῆσαι πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἡ μνήμη ἔχει αὐτὴν νικῆσαι καὶ ἐκριζῶσαι κατὰ μέρος, ἵνα τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κατερχόμενον εἰς τὸν βυθὸν τῆς καρδίας τὸν μὲν δράκοντα τὸν κρατοῦντα τὰς νομὰς ταπεινώσῃ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν σώσῃ καὶ ζωοποιήσῃ, ἀδιαλείπτως παραμένον τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κράζον, ἵνα καταπίῃ ἡ καρδία τὸν Κύριον καὶ ὁ Κύριος τὴν καρδίαν καὶ γενήσεται τὰ δύο ἕν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἢ δύο, ἀλλὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ καὶ καιροῦ πολλοῦ· πολλοῦ γὰρ ἀγῶνος χρεία καὶ χρόνου, ἕως οὗ ἐκβληθῇ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐνοικήσῃ ὁ Χρι στός· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος. Οἱ οὖν ἀποτασσόμενοι καὶ σπουδάζοντες εὐαρεστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ ὀφείλουσιν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς πάντα ταπεινῶσαι καὶ θλιβῆναι, ἵνα μόνον ἐπιτύχωσι τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῆς ἀτελευτήτου ἀναπαύσεως. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς προσέχετε, πῶς μεταλαμβάνετε τῆς τροφῆς. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ προφήτης· δουλεύσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν φόβῳ· τοῦτο εἶπεν ἐν καιρῷ προσευχῆς. Καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε αὐτῷ ἐν τρόμῳ· καὶ τοῦτο εἶπεν ἐν καιρῷ τροφῆς. Οὐκ εἶπεν ἐν γέλωτι καὶ ἀδιαφο ρίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν φόβῳ καὶ τρόμῳ. Τίς γὰρ τολμήσει ποτὲ βασιλέως παρόντος γελάσαι καὶ ἀγανάκτησιν ἑαυτῷ ἐπενέγκασθαι καὶ τιμωρίαν. Καί, ὅταν ψάλλητε, νηφόντως ψάλλετε ἐν αἰσθήσει καρδίας, ἵνα γεύσηται ἡ καρδία καὶ γινώσκῃ τὰ λεγόμενα ἐν διακρίσει εἰς δόξαν Χριστοῦ, μὴ χαύνως, ἀλλὰ ζεόντως, ἵνα καὶ ὁ νοῦς διεγείρηται καὶ τὸ σῶμα πρὸς τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν, ἵνα πανταχόθεν ἡ ψυχὴ τρέφηται καὶ προκόπτῃ. Καὶ μὴ θελήσητέ ποτε τροπάρια πολυσύνθετα λέγειν, ἵνα μὴ πλάνην ὑπομείνητε τερπόμενοι τῇ φωνῇ. Καὶ περὶ τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς πρόσεχε ποῖον κελλάριον προχειρίζεις· τὸν δυνάμενον συνείδησιν φυλάξαι τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῇ συνοδίᾳ, μή ποτε εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου ἢ λαθροφάγον ἢ νοσφιζόμενόν τι καὶ ἀπολέσῃ