7

You should not allow another to do the works that fall to you, so that the reward, taken from you, not be given to another, and another be glorified in your wealth, while you are humbled.

Perform the works of your ministry with decorum and diligence, as one serving Christ. For accursed, it says, is everyone who does the works of the Lord negligently. Fear the abuse from excess and contempt, even if the ministries in your hands seem to be lowly, as God is watching. Great is the work of ministry, and a means to the kingdom of heaven. For it is a dragnet of the virtues, carrying in itself all the commandments of God; and first of all, the all-virtuous humility, which brings with it the swarm of good things; then this: I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; a stranger, and sick, and in prison, and you ministered to me. And especially when what is due is performed with a humble mind, without pride, and anger and grumbling. Be zealous for those who live rightly, and inscribe their deeds on your heart. Pray to become one of the few. For the good is rare; for which reason also few are those who enter into the kingdom of heaven. Do not suppose that all in the cell are saved, the wicked and the good alike. For it is not so. For many draw near to the virtuous life, but few accept its yoke. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to the violent, and the violent take it by force. The saying is from the Gospel. He called 'violence' the exhausting labor of the body, which the disciples of Christ willingly endure in the denial of their own wills and of the body's rest, and in keeping all the commandments of Christ. If, therefore, you wish to seize the kingdom of God, become violent; place your neck under the yoke of servitude to Christ. 31.648 Tighten the harness around your throat; let it press your neck; make it thin with the labor of the virtues, in fastings, in vigils, in obedience, in stillness, in psalmody, in prayers, in tears, in manual labor, in patience of every affliction coming upon you from demons and from men. Let not an arrogant thought persuade you over time to give in to the labors, lest, caught naked of virtues at the gates of your departure, you be found outside the gates of the kingdom.

Let not a clerical rank puff you up, but rather let it humble you. For the soul's progress is progress in humility; but falling short and dishonor are born of arrogance. To the degree that you happen to approach the higher priestly ranks, to that degree humble yourself, fearing the example of the sons of Aaron. Knowledge of godliness is knowledge of humility and meekness. Humility is the imitation of Christ; but arrogance and insolence and shamelessness, the imitation of the devil. Be an imitator of Christ, and not of antichrist; of God, and not of one who opposes God; of the Master, and not of a runaway slave; of the merciful, and not of the merciless; of the lover of mankind, and not of the hater of mankind; of those of the bridal chamber, and not of those of darkness. Do not be quick to give orders to the brotherhood, lest you place the burdens of others' sins upon your own neck. By examining the work of each day, compare it with that of the day before, and hasten toward improvement. Make progress in the virtues, that you may draw near to the angels. Remain in your cell not for days or months, but for periods of many years, praising your Master night and day, imitating the Cherubim. If you begin thus, and thus also you finish, having traveled the afflicted way in your short time of ascetic discipline, by the grace of God you will enter into paradise in the brightness of the lamp of your soul, rejoicing with Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

7

ἐάσῃς τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντά σοι ἔργα ἕτερον ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ὁ μισθὸς, ἀρθεὶς ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἑτέρῳ δοθῇ, καὶ ἐν τῷ σῷ πλούτῳ ἄλλος δοξασθῇ, σοῦ τα-πεινουμένου.

Ποίει τὰ ἔργα τῆς διακονίας σου εὔσχημα καὶ ἐπιμελῆ, ὡς τῷ Χριστῷ διακονῶν. Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ, φησὶ, πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου ἀμελῶς. Φοβοῦ τὴν ἐκ περιττοῦ καὶ περιφρονήσεως παράχρησιν, κἂν εὐτελῆ δοκῇ εἶναι τὰ ἐν χερσί σου διακονήματα, ὡς Θεοῦ ἐποπτεύοντος. Μέγα τὸ τῆς διακονίας ἔργον, καὶ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν πρόξενον. Σαγήνη γάρ ἐστι τῶν ἀρετῶν, πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἑαυτῇ φέρουσα· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν πάντων τὴν πανάρετον ταπείνωσιν, ἐπιφερομένην τὸν ἐσμὸν τῶν ἀγαθῶν· ἔπειτα τὸ, Ἐπείνασα, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· ξένος, καὶ ἀσθενὴς, καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ διηκονήσατέ μοι. Καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν τὸ χρεωστούμενον ἐκτελῆται ἐν ταπεινῷ τῷ φρονήματι, ἐπάρσεως χωρὶς, ὀργῆς τε καὶ γογγυσμοῦ. Γίνου ζηλωτὴς τῶν ὀρθῶς βιούντων, καὶ τούτων τὰς πράξεις ἔγγραφε τῇ σῇ καρδίᾳ. Εὔχου γενέσθαι τῶν ὀλίγων. Σπάνιον γὰρ τὸ ἀγαθόν· διὸ καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Μὴ πάντας λογίζου σώζεσθαι τοὺς ἐν τῇ κέλλῃ, φαύλους τε καὶ χρηστούς. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἔχει. Πολλοὶ γὰρ προσέρχονται τῷ ἐναρέτῳ βίῳ, ὀλίγοι δὲ τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτοῦ καταδέχονται. Βιαστῶν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν. Εὐαγγελικὸς ὁ λόγος. Βίαν ἐκάλεσε τὴν τοῦ σώματος καταπόνησιν, ἣν ὑπομένουσιν ἑκουσίως οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ ἐν τῇ ἀρνήσει τῶν οἰκείων θελημάτων καὶ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως τῆς τοῦ σώματος, φυλακῇ δὲ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει ἁρπάσαι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γενοῦ βιαστής· ὑπόζευξόν σου τὸν αὐχένα τῷ ζυγῷ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 31.648 Σφίγξον τὴν ζεύγλην περὶ τὸν τράχηλόν σου· θλιβέτω αὐτὸς τὸν σὸν αὐχένα· λέπτυνον αὐτὸν τῷ πόνῳ τῶν ἀρετῶν, ἐν νηστείαις, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις, ἐν ὑποταγῇ, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ, ἐν ψαλμῳδίαις, ἐν προσευχαῖς, ἐν δάκρυσιν, ἐν χειρεργίῳ, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πάσης θλίψεως ἐπερχομένης σοι ἔκ τε δαιμόνων καὶ ἀνθρώπων Μή σε πεισάτω τῷ χρόνῳ ἐνδοῦναι τοῖς πόνοις λογισμὸς ὑψηλόφρων, ἵνα μή που, πρὸς ταῖς θύραις τῆς ἐξόδου γυμνὸς ἀρετῶν καταληφθεὶς, ἔξω τῶν πυλῶν τῆς βασιλείας εὑρεθῇς.

Μή σε βαθμὸς κλήρου ἐπαιρέτω, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ταπεινούτω. Προκοπὴ γὰρ ψυχῆς, προκοπὴ ταπεινώσεως· ὑστέρησις δὲ καὶ ἀτιμία, ἐξ ὑψηλοφροσύνης τίκτεται. Ὅσον ἐγγίζειν σε τῶν ἱερατικῶν βαθμῶν τοῖς μείζοσι συμβαίη, τοσοῦτον ταπείνου σεαυτὸν, δεδοικὼς τὸ ὑπόδειγμα τῶν υἱῶν Ἀαρών. Ἐπίγνωσις θεοσεβείας, ἐπίγνωσις ταπεινώσεως καὶ πραότητος. Ταπείνωσις, Χριστοῦ μίμησις· ἔπαρσις δὲ καὶ παῤῥησία καὶ ἀναίδεια, τοῦ διαβόλου μίμημα. Γίνου μιμητὴς Χριστοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιχρίστου· Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιθέου· ∆εσπότου, καὶ μὴ δραπέτου· ἐλεήμονος, καὶ μὴ ἀνηλεοῦς· φιλανθρώπου, καὶ μὴ μισανθρώπου· τῶν τοῦ νυμφῶνος, καὶ μὴ τῶν τοῦ σκότους. Μὴ σπεύσῃς κελεῦσαι ἀδελφότητι, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιθήσεις ἀλλοτρίους φόρτους ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ. Ἑκάστης ἡμέρας ἐργασίαν ἐπισκεπτόμενος, σύμβαλε τῇ πρὸ αὐτῆς, καὶ σπεῦδε πρὸς τὴν βελτίωσιν. Πρόκοπτε ταῖς ἀρεταῖς, ἵνα ἐγγὺς γένῃ τῶν ἀγγέλων. Ἐγχρόνιζε τῇ κέλλῃ οὐχ ἡμέρας οὐδὲ μῆνας, ἀλλὰ πολλῶν ἐτῶν περιόδους ἀνυμνῶν σου τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, μιμούμενος τὰ χερουβίμ. Ἂν οὕτως ἄρξῃ, οὕτω δὲ καὶ τελέσῃς, τὴν τεθλιμμένην ὁδεύσας ὁδὸν ἐν τῷ βραχεῖ σου χρόνῳ τῆς ἀσκήσεως, Θεοῦ χάριτι εἰσελεύσῃ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον ἐν φαιδρότητι λαμπάδος τῆς ψυχῆς, Χριστῷ συναγαλλόμενος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.