De oratione

 Therefore, the one of these, I mean the 'what we should pray for,' is the words of the prayer, but the 'as we ought' is the state of the one praying

 we are more than conquerors.” It is likely that “intercedes” only concerns those who are not so great as to be more than conquerors, nor again such as

 God be with me, and keep me in this way that I go, and give me bread to eat and a garment to put on, and bring me back with safety to my father's hous

 of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying: This is the word, which the Lord commanded: A man, who shall vow a vow to the Lord or swear an oath with

 of those who say there is providence for it is not our present purpose to examine the sayings of those who entirely deny God or providence) God kn

 since God exists and has comprehended the whole universe and abides in His pre-arranged decrees, to pray, supposing that by his prayer he will alter G

 and from what is in our power, which will be enacted according to our impulse. For even if, hypothetically, God did not know the future, we would not

 “let him not boast” “before” me but let him say: “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God,” and perceiving my

 of prayer benefits those who have persuaded themselves that they have stood before and are speaking to a present and hearing God? 9.1 What has been sa

 to God, who ordains what he wills for our training, but not even murmuring in the secret of our thoughts without a voice audible to men which murmuri

 his preeminence, and stretching forth the right hand and giving to Judas a golden sword, to whom another saint who had fallen asleep testified, sa

 an angel, «of the» in the church «little ones,» «always» seeing «the face of the Father» «who is in heaven» and beholding the divinity of the one who

 the prayer of Holofernes with God prevails and one woman of the Hebrews brought shame to the house of Nebuchadnezzar But 'Ananias' 'and Azarias and M

 suffering from a basilisk, because through Christ he has stepped upon them and has trampled “lion and dragon,” having used the good authority given by

 doxology for greater things, offered up more magnificently by someone, and intercession, a request to God concerning certain things by one having a ce

 And an example of thanksgiving is the voice of our Lord, saying: “I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these thing

 kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses they shall bow down to <you> with their face to the ground, and shall lick the

 with him the intelligible blessing reaching all the saints, spoken by Isaac to Jacob, namely: «May God give you of the dew of heaven,» to have come to

 of things truly and genuinely great and heavenly, and matters concerning the shadows that follow the preceding things must be entrusted to God, who kn

 For it is the work of hypocrites to want to put on airs before men for the sake of piety or for social reasons. But it is necessary, remembering the s

 20.2 And we must listen carefully to that they may be seen, since nothing that is merely apparent is good, as if existing in appearance and not in t

 It is not that God has not been called 20father20, or that those who are considered to have believed in God have not been named sons of God but rathe

 he has imitated the image «of the invisible God» and has become «according to the image of the one who created him,» who makes «his sun» rise «on the

 20Father20» let him go. And let us seek to understand more mystically the saying at the end of the Gospel according to John: «Do not touch me, for I h

 in order to persuade the reader from every side, according to the power given to us, to hear the divine scripture in a higher and more spiritual way,

 to exalt «0the name20» of God «at the same time,» is <when> someone, having partaken of an emanation of divinity by being taken up by God and having p

 We are commanded by Paul no longer to be subject to sin which wants to rule over us, and indeed we are ordered through these words: Let not sin there

 for us «0on earth20» likewise to them in all things “the 20will20” of God should be done which will happen, when we do nothing contrary to His «0will

 to divinity and being united with it. 26.5 But since the second point does not yet solve the difficulties about how «0the will20» of God is «0in heave

 we will set these things forth from more numerous sources. He says in the Gospel according to John to those who had come to Capernaum to seek him: “Tr

 nor are you able even now for you are still of the flesh” and in the one to the Hebrews: “and you have come to need milk, not solid food. For everyon

 being set apart, but is subject to every quality just like a prepared place. And by qualities they mean dispositively the activities and productions i

 by a demonstration of the angels and their becoming more ready to cooperate in every way and henceforth to concur in the apprehension of more and grea

 in the psalms thus: a thousand years in your eyes are as yesterday, which has passed (which is the famous millennium, which is likened to the yeste

 «0today20» but also in a way of the «0daily20» he who prays for «0today20», from the one who is able to grant «exceedingly abundantly above all that w

 and we are in a theater of the world and of angels and of men, it must be known that, just as the one in the theater is a 20debtor20 to say or do cert

 heavenly Father will do, unless you 20forgive20 each his brother from your hearts.” They say, however, that we 20must forgive20 those who have sinned

 they conceived a thought against God” for he offers the sacrifice concerning things of which it is doubted whether a sin has been committed, and this

 which our Lord taught concerning prayer. But when has anyone considered men to be outside of 20temptations20, whose word he knew he had fulfilled? And

 every time is one of 20temptation20 for men, even these things not even he who meditates on the law of God «day and night» and practices to fulfill w

 Finding such things in the law and the prophets, they stumbled as at one who was not good, who uttered such words but for us, on account of the diffi

 having desired generation, pray again to obtain twice what you desire, having come to hate the thing desired, and then thus to return to the good thin

 of our own evils and let us give thanks for the good things revealed to us through 20temptations20. But that the 20temptations20 which happen are for

 to put on (for he has received), but by in all that befell him not to have sinned at all before the Lord but to be shown to be righteous of the o

 to pray, stretching out the soul, as it were, before the hands, and stretching the mind toward God before the eyes, and before standing, arousing the

 which is possible, unless one gives himself to this by agreement for a time, that perhaps also concerning the place, if it is permissible, it must b

 It seems to me that these things have necessarily been said, while examining the place of prayer and representing what is exceptional as in a place at

 for the sake of magnifying you, my Lord, Lord.” 33.4 An example of confessions: “Deliver me from all my iniquities,” and in other places: “My wounds h

20.2 And we must listen carefully to "that they may be seen," since nothing that is merely apparent is good, as if existing in appearance and not in truth, and deceiving the imagination but not representing it precisely and truly. And just as the actors of certain dramas in the theaters are not what they say they are, nor are they in fact what they are seen to be according to the mask they wear; so also all who put on the appearance of the good for show are not righteous, but actors of righteousness, acting themselves in their own theater, "in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets." But the one who is not an actor, but has put away everything foreign, preparing himself in that which is by far greater than any of the aforementioned theaters, enters into his own "inner room," having shut in for himself upon the wealth stored up within, the treasure "of wisdom and knowledge"; and in no way inclining outwards nor gaping at external things, and having shut every "door" of the senses, so that he may not be drawn away by the senses nor their image be introduced into his mind, he prays to the Father who does not flee from or abandon such a secret place but dwells in it, with the only-begotten also being present with him. For I, he says, "and the Father" "will come to him and make our home with him." And it is clear that for the righteous man, if indeed we pray thus, we shall meet not only with God but also with a Father, as one not absent from His sons but present in our "secret place" and watching over it and making the things in the inner room more numerous, if we shut its "door." 21.1 But when we pray let us not babble but theologize. We babble, when, not examining ourselves or the words of the prayer we offer up, we speak of corrupt deeds or words or thoughts, being base and reprehensible, alien to the incorruptibility of the Lord. However, the one who babbles in prayer is already also in a worse condition than the one in the synagogue we spoke of before and on a more difficult path than the corners of the streets, not preserving even a trace of the hypocrisy of a good thing. For according to the word of the gospel, only "the Gentiles" babble, having no conception of great or heavenly requests, offering up every prayer <for> bodily and external things. Therefore, he who asks for things below from the Lord who dwells in the heavens and above the heights of the heavens is like a babbling Gentile. 21.2 And it seems that he who uses many words babbles, and he who babbles uses many words. For nothing of matter and of bodies is one, but each of the things considered one is split and cut up and divided into many, having lost unity; for the good is one but shameful things are many, and truth is one but falsehoods are many, and true righteousness is one, but many states imitate it, and the wisdom of God is one, but many are the wisdoms "of this age" and "of the rulers of this age" which are being brought to nothing, and the word of God is one, but many are the words alien to God. For this reason no one will escape "sin" "from a multitude of words," and no one expecting to be heard "for his much speaking" is able to be heard. Therefore our prayers must not be likened to the Gentiles who babble or use many words or whatever they do "after the likeness of the serpent"; "For" the God of the saints knows, being their "Father," "what things" his sons "have need of," since they are worthy of the Father's knowledge. But if anyone does not know God, he also does not know the things of God, and he does not know "the things he has need of"; for the things which he thinks "he has need of" are mistaken; but he who has perceived his need of better and more divine things, which are known by God, will obtain what he has perceived and what was known to the Father even before the asking. Since these things have been said concerning the matters before the prayer in Matthew, let us now also consider the things signified by the prayer. 22.1 «0Our Father who art in heaven20.» It is worthwhile to examine more carefully the so-called Old Testament, to see if it is possible to find anywhere in it a prayer of someone calling God 20Father20; for at present, having searched as we are able, we have not found one. But we do not say this, that the

20.2 ἐπιμελῶς δὲ ἀκουστέον τοῦ «φανῶσιν,» ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν φαινό μενον καλόν ἐστιν, οἱονεὶ δοκήσει ὂν καὶ οὐκ ἀληθῶς καὶ τὴν φαν τασίαν πλανῶν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκριβῶς καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐκτυποῦν. ὥσπερ δὲ οἱ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις δραμάτων τινῶν ὑποκριταὶ οὐχ ὅπερ λέγουσίν εἰσιν, οὐδ' ὅπερ βλέπονται καθ' ὃ περίκεινται πρόσωπον τοῦτο τυγχάνουσιν· οὕτως καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐπιμορφάζοντες τῷ δοκεῖν τὴν τοῦ καλοῦ φαντασίαν οὐ δίκαιοι ἀλλ' ὑποκριταί εἰσι δικαιοσύνης, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἰδίῳ θεάτρῳ ὑποκρινόμενοι, «ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν.» ὁ δὲ μὴ ὑποκριτὴς ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ ἀλλό τριον ἀποθέμενος, ἐν τῷ παντὸς τοῦ προειρημένου θεάτρου καθ' ὑπερβολὴν μείζονι ἑαυτὸν ἀρέσκειν εὐτρεπίζων, εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ «ταμεῖον,» ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐναποτεθησαυρισμένου πλούτου τὸν «τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως» θησαυρὸν ἑαυτῷ ἀποκλείσας· καὶ μηδαμῶς ἔξω νεύων μηδὲ περὶ τὰ ἔξω κεχηνὼς πᾶσάν τε «τὴν θύραν» τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἀποκλείσας, ἵνα μὴ ἕλκηται ὑπὸ τῶν αἰσθήσεων μηδὲ ἐκείνων ἡ φαντασία τῷ νῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπεισκρίνηται, προσεύχεται τῷ τὸ τοιοῦτον κρυπτὸν μὴ φεύγοντι μηδὲ ἐγκαταλείποντι πατρὶ ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικοῦντι, συμπαρόντος αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς. ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶ, «καὶ ὁ πατὴρ» «πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα.» δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τῷ δικαίῳ, ἐὰν δὴ οὕτως εὐχώ μεθα, οὐ μόνον θεῷ ἀλλὰ καὶ πατρὶ ἐντευξόμεθα, ὡς υἱῶν μὴ ἀπο λειπομένῳ ἀλλὰ παρόντι ἡμῶν «τῷ κρυπτῷ» καὶ ἐφορῶντι αὐτὸ καὶ πλείονα τὰ ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ ποιοῦντι, ἐὰν αὐτοῦ «τὴν θύραν» ἀποκλείσωμεν. 21.1 Ἀλλὰ προσευχόμενοι μὴ βαττολογήσωμεν ἀλλὰ θεο λογήσωμεν. βαττολογοῦμεν δὲ, ὅτε μὴ μωμοσκοποῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἢ τοὺς ἀναπεμπομένους τῆς εὐχῆς λόγους λέγομεν τὰ διεφθαρμένα ἔργα ἢ λόγους ἢ νοήματα, ταπεινὰ τυγχάνοντα καὶ ἐπίληπτα, τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἀλλότρια τοῦ κυρίου. ὁ μέντοι βαττολογῶν ἐν τῷ εὔ χεσθαι ἤδη καὶ ἐν τῇ χείρονι τῶν προειρημένων ἡμῖν συναγωγικῇ ἐστι καταστάσει τε <καὶ> χαλεπωτέρᾳ τῶν ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις γωνιῶν ὁδῷ οὐδὲ ἴχνος σῴζων κἂν ὑποκρίσεως ἀγαθοῦ. βαττολογοῦσι γὰρ κατὰ τὴν λέξιν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου μόνοι «οἱ ἐθνικοὶ,» οὐδὲ φαντασίαν μεγάλων ἔχοντες ἢ ἐπουρανίων αἰτημάτων, πᾶσαν εὐχὴν <περὶ> τῶν σωματικῶν καὶ τῶν ἐκτὸς ἀναπέμποντες. ἐθνικῷ οὖν βαττολο γοῦντι ὁμοιοῦται ὁ τὰ κάτω ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ ὕψη τῶν οὐρανῶν κατοικοῦντος κυρίου αἰτῶν. 21.2 καὶ ἔοικέ γε ὁ πολυλογῶν βαττολογεῖν, καὶ ὁ βαττολογῶν πολυλογεῖν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἓν τῆς ὕλης καὶ τῶν σωμάτων, ἀλλ' ἕκαστον τῶν νομιζομένων ἓν ἔσχισται καὶ διακέκοπται καὶ διῄρηται εἰς πλεί ονα τὴν ἕνωσιν ἀπολωλεκός· ἓν γὰρ τὸ ἀγαθὸν πολλὰ δὲ τὰ αἰσχρὰ, καὶ ἓν ἡ ἀλήθεια πολλὰ δὲ τὰ ψευδῆ, καὶ ἓν ἡ ἀληθὴς δικαιοσύνη, πολλαὶ δὲ ἕξεις ταύτην ὑποκρίνονται, καὶ ἓν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφία, πολλαὶ δὲ αἱ καταργούμεναι «τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου» καὶ «τῶν ἀρχόν των τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου,» καὶ εἷς μὲν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, πολλοὶ δὲ οἱ ἀλλότριοι τοῦ θεοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο οὐδεὶς ἐκφεύξεται «ἁμαρτίαν» «ἐκ πολυλογίας,» καὶ οὐδεὶς δοκῶν «ἐκ πολυλογίας» εἰσακουσθήσεσθαι εἰσακούεσθαι δύναται. διόπερ οὐχ ὁμοιωτέον ἐστὶ τὰς εὐχὰς ἡμῶν τοῖς ἐθνικοῖς βαττολογοῦσιν ἢ πολυλογοῦσιν ἢ ὅ τι δή ποτε πράττουσι «κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ ὄφεως»· «οἶδε γὰρ» ὁ τῶν ἁγίων θεὸς, «πατὴρ» ὢν, «ὧν χρείαν» ἔχουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐπεὶ ἄξια τυγχάνει τῆς πατρικῆς γνώσεως. εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ τὸν θεὸν, καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοεῖ δὲ τὰ «ὧν χρείαν» ἔχει· διημαρτη μένα γάρ ἐστι τὰ «ὧν χρείαν» ἔχειν νομίζει· ὁ δὲ τεθεωρηκὼς ὧν ἐστιν ἐνδεὴς κρειττόνων καὶ θειοτέρων, γινωσκομένων ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεύξεται ὧν τεθεώρηκε καὶ ἐγνωσμένων τῷ πατρὶ καὶ πρὸ τῆς αἰ τήσεως. τούτων δὴ εἰς τὰ πρὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ματθαῖον εὐχῆς εἰρημένων, ἤδη θεασώμεθα καὶ τὰ δηλούμενα ἀπὸ τῆς εὐχῆς. 22.1 «0Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς20.» ἄξιον ἐπιμε λέστερον ἐπιτηρῆσαι τὴν λεγομένην παλαιὰν διαθήκην, εἰ ἔστι που εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ εὐχήν τινος λέγοντος τὸν θεὸν 20πατέρα20· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῦ παρόντος κατὰ δύναμιν ἐξετάσαντες οὐχ εὕρομεν. οὐ τοῦτο δέ φαμεν, ὅτι ὁ