it is necessary to have unceasing remembrance of God and confidence, and so one will be able to wrestle against the evils that beset man, that is, the evils of the world from without or the wicked powers from within, and to be freed from every habit and prejudice. Having this struggle and the purpose of hoping in God, the fathers were able to be well-pleasing; for even if in visible things they possessed wives and children and wealth, yet their mind was superior to the world; whence entering into trials and temptations they acted bravely, and the removal of all visible things did not grieve them at all, since they possessed the great and true possession, confidence in God, as Job, deprived of all visible hope and wounded in body, conquered by love for God alone; for by transferring his thought there, he became superior to all things. Thus we too ought to endure and bear with magnanimity all things that meet us, being wounded by love for God. 53.17 For just as if a woman has a husband, and he is in bonds and afflictions, but she lives in luxury and freedom from care, it is clear that she is not chaste, not preserving the goodwill owed to her husband, for she ought to suffer with him and grieve with him; so also souls, desiring to be united and to reign with the heavenly Bridegroom, must travel the narrow and afflicted way, in which He Himself also walked, giving Himself as an example to us; but if they turn aside to another way, not bearing the marks and sufferings of the Lord, such souls will be accounted as harlots, and will be cast out from the kingdom. 53.18 Let us therefore exhort God in faith and full assurance, expecting mercy from Him, since indeed we have His promises in writing, that "To him who knocks it will be opened," and that "I will dwell in them and walk among them," for if men, distracted by countless cares and darkened by temptations. by which they are also forced to lie unsparingly, when they make written promises, even if they should wish to be ungrateful, they cannot, how much more will the God who cannot lie fulfill His promise to us, that is, sending down to us the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit? But we are truly liars, not seeking Him as He commanded in unwavering faith. But then we too will be able to ask Him with much boldness, when, as far as is possible for us, we give our whole selves up to the Lord, departing from our own wills, and not living as for ourselves, but as having been bought with a precious price, doing according to the Lord's will, and thus having denied ourselves and willingly submitted ourselves only to Him who bought us, having been found as grateful and faithful servants, we may receive the Holy Spirit of promise, glorifying Father and Son and Spirit unto the ages, amen. 54.t HOMILY 54 54.1 Question. Concerning the brothers who fall away or who stumble in the fitting life, what is the cause of those living so purely in the desert, that some are deceived in mind, and others are ensnared by licentiousness? Answer. Therefore Paphnutius the most discerning gave us this answer: all things that happen are divided into two: into the good pleasure of God, and into concession; for whatever things are good and beneficial and procure profit for souls, these happen by the good pleasure of God; but whatever things again are harmful and dangerous and circumstantial, these happen by God's permission; but permission is from a just reason, for it is impossible for one who thinks rightly and lives rightly to fall into a shameful transgression or the deceit of demons. 54.2 As many therefore as with a corrupt purpose, with the disease of pleasing men and with a self-willed mind, seem to pursue virtue, these also fall into errors, God abandoning them for their benefit, so that through abandonment, perceiving the alteration from the change, they may correct their intention or their action. 54.3 Once

ἀδιαλείπτως μνήμην θεοῦ καὶ πεποίθησιν ἔχειν χρή, καὶ οὕτω δυνήσε ταί τις παλαίειν πρὸς τὰ κακὰ τὰ συνέχοντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἤτοι τὰ κακὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἔξωθεν ἤτοι τὰς πονηρὰς δυνάμεις ἔνδοθεν, καὶ πάσης συνηθείας καὶ προλήψεως ἀπαλλαγῆναι. τοῦτον τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τὸν σκοπὸν ἔχοντες οἱ πατέρες τοῦ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἠδυνήθησαν εὐαρε στῆσαι· κἂν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις γυναῖκας καὶ τέκνα καὶ χρήματα ἐκέκτηντο, ἀλλ' ὁ νοῦς αὐτῶν ἀνώτερος ἦν τοῦ κόσμου· ὅθεν εἰς δοκιμα σίας καὶ πειρατήρια εἰσελθόντες ἠνδραγάθησαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλύπει αὐτοὺς ἡ ἀφαίρεσις πάντων τῶν φαινομένων, ἐπειδὴ ἐκέκτηντο τὸ μέγα καὶ ἀληθινὸν κτῆμα, τὴν εἰς θεὸν πεποίθησιν, ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ πάσης τῆς φαινομένης ἐλπίδος ἐρημωθεὶς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τραυματισθεὶς ἐνίκησε μόνῃ τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπῃ· ἐκεῖ γὰρ μεταφέρων τὴν ἔννοιαν ἀνώτερος πάντων ἐγίνετο. οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς μεγαλοψύχως πάντα τὰ ἀπαντῶντα καρτερεῖν καὶ ὑπομένειν ὀφείλομεν, τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπῃ τετρωμένοι. 53.17 ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐὰν ἔχῃ γυνὴ ἄνδρα, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ᾖ ἐν δεσμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσιν, ἡ δὲ ἐν τρυφῇ καὶ ἀμεριμνίᾳ διάγῃ, δηλονότι οὐκ ἔστι σώφρων, μὴ τὴν ὀφειλομένην εὔνοιαν τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἀποσώζουσα, χρὴ γὰρ αὐτῷ συμπάσχειν καὶ συναλγεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ψυχαὶ, αἱ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ συναφθῆναι ἐπιθυμοῦσαι καὶ συμβασιλεῦσαι, τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδὸν ὀφείλουσι διοδεύειν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ὥδευσε τύπον ἑαυτὸν παρέχων ἡμῖν· εἰ δὲ ἐκτρέπονται εἰς ἑτέραν ὁδόν, μὴ βαστάζουσαι τὰ στίγματα καὶ τὰ παθήματα τοῦ κυρίου, αἱ τοιαῦται ψυχαὶ ὡς πόρναι λογισθήσονται, καὶ ἀπόβλητοι τῆς βασιλείας ἔσονται. 53.18 παρακαλέσωμεν οὖν τὸν θεὸν ἐν πίστει καὶ πληροφορίᾳ, προσδοκῶντες τὸ ἔλεος παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἅτε δὴ ἔχοντες αὐτοῦ τὰς ὁμολογίας ἐγγράφως, ὅτι Τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται, καὶ ὅτι Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι μυρίαις περισπώμενοι φροντίσι καὶ πειρασμοῖς ἐπισκοτούμενοι. ὑφ' ὧν καὶ ἀναγκάζονται ψεύδεσθαι ἀφειδῶς, ἐπὰν ἐγγράφους ὁμολογίας ποιήσωνται, κἂν θελήσωσιν ἀγνω μονεῖν οὐ δύνανται, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ ἀψευδὴς θεὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς πληρώσει τὴν ὁμολογίαν αὐτοῦ, ἤγουν τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριν καὶ δωρεὰν ἡμῖν καταπέμπων; ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν ἀληθῶς ψεῦσται, μὴ ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν ὡς προσέταξεν ἐν πίστει ἀδιστάκτῳ. ἀλλὰ τότε καὶ ἡμεῖς μετὰ πολλῆς παρρησίας αἰτεῖν αὐτὸν δυνησόμεθα, ἐπάν, ὅσον ἡμῖν ἐστι δυνατόν, ὅλους ἑαυτοῦς δῶμεν ἐκδότους τῷ κυρίῳ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων θελη μάτων ἀναχωροῦντες, καὶ μὴ ὡς ἑαυτοῖς ζῶντες, ἀλλ' ὡς ἠγορασμένοι τιμίῳ αἵματι, κατὰ τὸ δεσποτικὸν θέλημα ποιοῦντες, καὶ οὕτως ἀρνησά μενοι ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ὑποθέντες ἑκουσίως μόνῳ τῷ ἀγοράσαντι ἡμᾶς, ὡς εὐγνώμονες καὶ πιστοὶ δοῦλοι εὑρεθέντες, τὸ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἀπολάβωμεν, δοξάζοντες πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ πνεῦμα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν. 54.τ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ν∆ 54.1 ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν ἐκπιπτόντων ἀδελφῶν ἢ σφαλλομένων ἐν τῷ καθήκοντι βίῳ, τίς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ οὕτως ζῶντας ἁγνοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, τοὺς μὲν ἀπατηθῆναι τὴν φρένα, τοὺς δὲ περιπαρῆναι τῇ ἀκολασίᾳ; ἀπόκρισις. ταύτην οὖν ἡμῖν ἔδωκε τὴν ἀπόκρισιν Παφνούτιος ὁ γνωστικώτατος· πάντα τὰ γιγνόμενα διῄρηται εἰς δύο· εἰς τε εὐδοκίαν θεοῦ, καὶ εἰς παραχώρησιν· ὅσα μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθὰ καὶ ἐπωφελῆ καὶ κέρδος ψυχαῖς περιποιούμενα, ταῦτα γίνεται εὐδοκίᾳ θεοῦ· ὅσα δὲ πάλιν ἐπιζήμια καὶ ἐπικίνδυνα καὶ περιστατικά, ταῦτα γίγνεται κατὰ θεοῦ συγχώρησιν· ἡ δὲ συγχώρησις ἐκ λόγου δικαίου, ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὸν ὀρθῶς φρονοῦντα καὶ ὀρθῶς βιοῦντα περιπεσεῖν πταίσματι αἰσχύνης ἢ πλάνῃ δαιμόνων. 54.2 ὅσοι τοίνυν διεφθαρμένῳ σκοπῷ, νόσῳ ἀνθρωπαρεσκίας καὶ αὐθαδείας λογισμῷ, μετέρχεσθαι δοκοῦσι τὴν ἀρετήν, οὗτοι καὶ σφάλμασι περιπίπτουσι, τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἐγκαταλιμπάνοντος αὐτούς, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως αἰσθόμενοι τὴν ἐκ τῆς μεταβολῆς ἀλλοίωσιν διορθώσωνται τὴν πρόθεσιν ἢ τὴν πρᾶξιν. 54.3 ποτὲ