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

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 rather that in prayer we have not yet found the boldness announced by the Savior for naming God 20father20. But that God is called 20father20 and those who have come to the word of God are sons, it is possible to see in many places, as also in Deuteronomy: “You have forsaken God who begot you, and you have forgotten God who nourishes you,” and again: “Is not he himself your 20father20 who acquired you and made you and created you?” And again: “sons, in whom there is no faith”; and in Isaiah: “I have begotten and exalted sons, but they have rejected me”; and in Malachi: “A son will glorify his father, and a servant his lord. And if I am a 20father20, where is my glory? And if I am a lord, where is the fear of me?” 22.2 And so if God is called 20father20, and those born by the word of faith in him are sons, yet it is not possible to see the steadfast and unchanging nature of sonship among the ancients. For the very passages we have quoted show that those who are called sons are at fault; since according to the apostle, as long as “the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the 20of the father20”; but “the fullness of time” is in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when those who are willing receive the adoption, as Paul teaches through these words: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption, by which we cry, 'Abba, 20Father20'”; and in John: “But to all who received him, he gave them the power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name.” And for this reason, concerning the “spirit of adoption”, we have learned in the catholic epistle of John about those who have been born of God that “everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 22.3 If, however, we should understand what this is: “when you pray, say: 20Father20,” which is written in Luke, we shall hesitate, not having become genuine sons, to utter this word to him, lest perhaps in addition to our other sins we should also become liable to a charge of impiety. What I am saying is something like this. Paul says in the first epistle to the Corinthians: “No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit, and no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed,'” calling the Holy Spirit and the Spirit “of God” the same thing. But what it is to say 'Jesus is Lord' “by the Holy Spirit” is not at all clear, since countless hypocrites and very many heretics utter the phrase, and sometimes even demons, being overcome by the power in the name. No one, therefore, will dare to declare that any of these says 'Jesus is Lord' “by the Holy Spirit”; wherefore they would not even be shown to say 'Jesus is Lord,' for only they say “Jesus is Lord” who do so from a disposition of serving the Word of God and proclaiming no one but him as Lord in whatever they do. But if such are those who say, “Jesus is Lord,” perhaps everyone who sins, by his lawlessness cursing the divine Word, has cried out through his works: “Jesus be cursed.” Therefore, just as such a one says “Jesus is Lord” and the one disposed oppositely to him says “Jesus be cursed,” so “everyone who has been born of God” and does not commit “sin” because he partakes of the seed of God, which turns away all sin, says through what he does: “0Our Father who art in heaven20,” the Spirit itself bearing witness with their “spirit” “that” they are “children of God” “and heirs” of him and “joint heirs” with “Christ,” since suffering with him they also reasonably hope to be glorified with him. And so that such people may not say “0Our Father20” by halves, along with their works the heart also, the source and beginning of good works, believes “for righteousness,” with which the mouth correspondingly confesses “for salvation.” 22.4 Every deed, therefore, of theirs and word and thought, being formed by the only-begotten Word according to him,

θεὸς 20πατὴρ20 οὐκ εἴρηται, ἢ οἱ πεπιστευκέναι νομιζό μενοι θεῷ υἱοὶ οὐκ ὠνομάσθησαν θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐν προσευχῇ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος κατηγγελμένην παῤῥησίαν περὶ τοῦ ὀνομάσαι τὸν θεὸν 20πατέρα20 οὐχ εὕρομέν πω. ὅτι δὲ εἴρηται 20πατὴρ20 ὁ θεὸς καὶ υἱοὶ οἱ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ προσεληλυθότες, πολλαχοῦ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ· «θεὸν τὸν γεννήσαντά σε ἐγκατέλιπες, καὶ ἐπελάθου θεοῦ τοῦ τρέφοντός σε,» καὶ πάλιν· «οὐκ αὐτὸς οὗτός σου 20πατὴρ20 ἐκτήσατό σε καὶ ἐποίησέ σε καὶ ἔκτισέ σε;» καὶ πάλιν· «υἱοὶ, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι πίστις ἐν αὐτοῖς»· καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ· «υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν»· καὶ ἐν τῷ Μαλαχίᾳ· «υἱὸς δοξάσει πατέρα, καὶ δοῦλος τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἰ 20πατήρ20 εἰμι ἐγὼ, ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα μου; καὶ εἰ κύριός εἰμι ἐγὼ, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ φόβος μου;» 22.2 καὶ εἰ λέγεται τοίνυν 20πατὴρ20 ὁ θεὸς, καὶ υἱοὶ οἱ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως γεγεννημένοι, τὸ βέβαιόν γε καὶ τὸ ἀμετάπτω τον τῆς υἱότητος οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν παρὰ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις. αὐτὰ γοῦν ἃ παρεθέμεθα ὑπαιτίους ἐμφαίνει εἶναι τοὺς λεγομένους υἱούς· ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, ἕως «ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν δια φέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὢν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶ καὶ οἰ κονόμους ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ 20πατρός20»· «τὸ» δὲ «πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου» ἐν τῇ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίᾳ ἔνεστιν, ὅτε τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολαμβάνουσιν οἱ βουλόμενοι, ὡς ὁ Παῦλος δι δάσκει διὰ τούτων· «οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα δουλείας εἰς φόβον ἀλλὰ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν· Ἀββὰ ὁ 20πατήρ20»· καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην· «ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐ τοῦ.» καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ τῆς «υἱοθεσίας πνεῦμα» ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἐπιστολῇ περὶ τῶν ἐκ θεοῦ γεγεννημένων μεμαθή καμεν ὅτι «πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῖ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει· καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.» 22.3 εἰ μέντοι νοήσαιμεν, τί ἐστι τὸ «ὅταν προσεύχησθε, λέγετε· 20πάτερ20,» ὅπερ παρὰ τῷ Λουκᾷ· γέγραπται, ὀκνήσομεν μὴ γενόμενοι υἱοὶ γνήσιοι προενέγκασθαι ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῷ, μή ποτε πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡμῶν ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ ἀσεβείας ἐγκλήματι ἔνοχοι γενώμεθα. ὃ δὲ λέγω, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι. φησὶν ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ πρὸς Κορινθίους ὁ Παῦλος· «οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν· κύριος Ἰησοῦς, εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει· ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς,» τὸ αὐτὸ ὀνομάζων ἅγιον πνεῦμα καὶ πνεῦμα «θεοῦ.» τί δὲ τὸ εἰπεῖν «ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ» κύριον Ἰησοῦν, οὐ πάνυ ἐστὶ σαφὲς, προφερομέ νων τὴν φωνὴν ὑποκριτῶν μυρίων καὶ ἑτεροδόξων πλειόνων, ἐνίοτε καὶ δαιμόνων, νικωμένων ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεως. οὐδεὶς οὖν τολμήσει τινὰ τούτων ἀποφήνασθαι «ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ» λέγειν κύριον Ἰησοῦν· διόπερ οὐδ' ἂν δειχθεῖεν λέγειν κύριον Ἰησοῦν, μόνων τῶν ἀπὸ διαθέσεως λεγόντων ἐν τῷ δουλεύειν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μηδένα παρὰ τοῦτον ἐν τῷ ὅ τι ποτ' οὖν πράττειν ἀναγορευόν των κύριον τό· «κύριος Ἰησοῦς.» εἰ δὲ τοιοῦτοι οἱ λέγοντες· «κύριος Ἰησοῦς,» τάχα πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, διὰ τοῦ παρανομεῖν ἀναθεματίζων τὸν θεῖον λόγον, διὰ τῶν ἔργων κέκραγεν· «ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς.» ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ τοιόσδε λέγει· «κύριος Ἰησοῦς» καὶ ὁ τούτῳ ἐναντίως διακεί μενος τὸ «ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς,» οὕτως «πᾶς ὁ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγεννημένος» καὶ μὴ ποιῶν «ἁμαρτίαν» τῷ σπέρματος μετέχειν θεοῦ, πάσης ἁμαρ τίας ἀποτρέποντος, δι' ὧν πράττει λέγει· «0πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς20,» αὐτοῦ τοῦ πνεύματος συμμαρτυροῦντος «τῷ πνεύματι» αὐτῶν «ὅτι» εἰσὶ «τέκνα θεοῦ» «καὶ κληρονόμοι» αὐτοῦ «συγκληρονόμοι» τε τοῦ «Χριστοῦ,» ἐπεὶ συμπάσχοντες καὶ συνδοξάζεσθαι ἐλπίζουσιν εὐλόγως. ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐξ ἡμίσους λέγωσι τὸ «0πάτερ ἡμῶν20» οἱ τοιοῦτοι, μετὰ τῶν ἔργων καὶ ἡ καρδία, ἡ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων πηγὴ καὶ ἀρχὴ, πιστεύει «εἰς δικαιοσύνην,» οἷς συμφώνως τὸ στόμα ὁμολογεῖ «εἰς σωτηρίαν.» 22.4 πᾶν οὖν ἔργον αὐτοῖς καὶ λόγος καὶ νόημα, ὑπὸ τοῦ μονο γενοῦς λόγου μεμορφωμένα κατ' αὐτὸν,