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

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 therefore reign in our mortal body, that we should obey its lusts." 25.2 But someone will say regarding both, "hallowed be your name" and "your kingdom come," that if the one who prays prays in order to be heard, and is sometimes heard, it is clear that "the name" of God will at some time "be hallowed" for someone according to the aforementioned things, for whom also "the kingdom" of God will be established. But if these things will be for him, how will he still properly pray about things already present as if they were not present, saying: "hallowed be your name; your kingdom come"? And if this is so, it will at some time be proper not to say: "hallowed be your name; your kingdom come." It must be said in response to these things that, just as he who prays to obtain a word of "knowledge" and a word of "wisdom" will properly always pray for these things, always receiving more theorems of "wisdom" and "knowledge" in being heard, yet knowing "in part" whatever he may be able to contain for the present, but the perfect, which does away with "what is in part," will be revealed "then," when the mind encounters "face to face," without sense perception, the intelligible things; so "the perfect" hallowing of "the name" of God for each of us and the establishment of his "kingdom" is not possible, unless "the perfect" also "comes" concerning "knowledge" and "wisdom" and perhaps also the other virtues. We are journeying towards perfection, if, "stretching forward to what is ahead," we forget what lies behind. Therefore, the summit of the "kingdom" of God within us will be established for those who are unceasingly advancing, when what was said by the apostle is fulfilled, that Christ, when all his enemies have been subjected to him, will deliver "the kingdom to God and the Father," "that God may be all in all." For this reason, praying "unceasingly" with a disposition being deified by the Word, let us say to our Father in heaven: "hallowed be your name; your kingdom come." 25.3 Furthermore, concerning "the kingdom" of God, this must also be understood: that just as there is no "fellowship of righteousness with lawlessness," nor "communion of light with darkness," nor "accord of Christ with Belial," so the "kingdom" of sin cannot coexist with the "kingdom" of God. If, therefore, we wish to be ruled by God, let "sin" in no way "reign in our mortal body," nor let us obey its commands, when it summons our soul to "the works of the flesh" and things alien to God; but having put to death "the members that are on the earth," let us bear the fruits "of the Spirit," so that as "in" a spiritual "paradise" the Lord may walk about in us, reigning over us alone with his Christ, who is seated in us "at the right hand" of the spiritual "power" we pray to receive and is seated, "until" all his enemies in us become "a footstool for his feet" and every rule and authority and power is abolished from us. For it is possible for these things to happen for each of us and for the last enemy to be abolished, death, so that in us also it may be said by Christ: "O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" Now, therefore, let our "corruptible" put on holiness and "incorruption" in chastity and all purity, "and the mortal" put on, death having been abolished, the Father's "immortality"; so that, being ruled by God, we may already be in the good things of regeneration and resurrection. 26.1 "Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth." Luke, after "Your kingdom come," omitting these things, placed: "Give us each day our daily bread"; therefore let us examine the words we set forth, as they are found in Matthew alone, in sequence with the things before this. Those who pray, while still "on earth," understanding that "the will" of God has been done "in heaven" by all who are native to the "heavens," let us also pray and

κελευόμεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μηκέτι ὑποτάσσεσθαι θελούσῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ βασιλεύειν ἡμῶν, καὶ προστασσόμεθά γε διὰ τούτων· «μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ἡμῶν σώματι εἰς τὸ ὑπα κούειν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτῆς.» 25.2 ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις πρὸς ἀμφότερα, τό τε «0ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου20» καὶ τὸ «0ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου20,» ὅτι, εἰ ὁ εὐχόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ ἐπακούεσθαι εὔχεται καὶ ἐπακούεταί ποτε, δηλονότι 20ἁγιασ θήσεταί20 ποτε τινὶ κατὰ τὰ προειρημένα «τὸ 20ὄνομα20» τοῦ θεοῦ, ᾧ καὶ «ἡ 20βασιλεία20» τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνστήσεται. εἰ δὲ ταῦτ' αὐτῷ ἔσται, πῶς ἔτι καθηκόντως εὔξεται περὶ τῶν παρόντων ἤδη ὡς μὴ παρόν των λέγων· «0ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου20»; εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, ἔσται ποτὲ καθῆκον μὴ λέγειν· «0ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου20.» λεκτέον πρὸς ταῦτα ὅτι, ὥσπερ ὁ εὐχόμενος λόγου «γνώσεως» τυχεῖν καὶ λόγου «σοφίας» καθηκόντως ἀεὶ περὶ τούτων εὔξεται, ἀεὶ μὲν πλείονα θεωρήματα «σοφίας» καὶ «γνώσεως» ἐν τῷ ἐπακούεσθαι ληψόμενος, πλὴν «ἐκ μέ ρους» γινώσκων μὲν ὅσα ποτ' ἂν χωρῆσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος δυνηθῇ, τοῦ <δὲ> τελείου καὶ καταργοῦντος «τὸ ἐκ μέρους» «τότε» φανερω θησομένου, ὅτε «πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον» ὁ νοῦς προσβάλλει χωρὶς αἰσθήσεως τοῖς νοητοῖς· οὕτως «τὸ τέλειον» τοῦ 20ἁγιασθῆναι20 ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν «0τὸ ὄνομα20» τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐνστῆναι αὐτοῦ 20τὴν βασιλείαν20 οὐχ οἷόν τε ἐστὶν, ἐὰν μὴ «0ἔλθῃ20» καὶ· «τὸ» περὶ τῆς «γνώσεως» καὶ «σοφίας» «τέλειον» τάχα δὲ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν. ὁδεύομεν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα, ἐὰν «τοῖς» «ἔμπροσθεν» ἐπεκτεινόμε νοι τῶν ὄπισθεν ἐπιλανθανώμεθα. τῇ οὖν ἐν ἡμῖν 20βασιλείᾳ20 τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἀκρότης ἀδιαλείπτως προκόπτουσιν ἐνστήσεται, ὅταν πλη ρωθῇ τὸ παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ εἰρημένον, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς, πάντων αὐτῷ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑποταγέντων, παραδώσει «0τὴν βασιλείαν20 τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ,» «ἵνα ᾖ ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι.» διὰ τοῦτο «ἀδιαλείπτως» προσευχόμενοι μετὰ διαθέσεως τῷ λόγῳ θεοποιου μένης λέγωμεν τῷ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρὶ ἡμῶν· «0ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου20.» 25.3 ἔτι δὲ περὶ 20τῆς20 τοῦ θεοῦ 20βασιλείας20 καὶ τοῦτο διαληπ τέον, ὅτι, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστι «μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ» οὐδὲ «κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος» οὐδὲ «συμφώνησις Χριστῷ πρὸς Βελίαρ,» οὕτως ἀσυνύπαρκτόν ἐστι 20τῇ βασιλείᾳ20 τοῦ θεοῦ 20βασιλεία20 τῆς ἁμαρτίας. εἰ τοίνυν θέλομεν ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλεύεσθαι, μηδαμῶς «βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ἡμῶν σώματι,» μηδὲ ὑπακούω μεν τοῖς προστάγμασιν αὐτῆς, ἐπὶ «τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς» καὶ τὰ ἀλλό τρια τοῦ θεοῦ προκαλουμένης ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν· ἀλλὰ νεκρώσαντες «τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς» καρποφορῶμεν τοὺς καρποὺς «τοῦ πνεύματος,» ἵνα ὡς «ἐν» «παραδείσῳ» πνευματικῷ κύριος ἡμῖν ἐμπεριπατῇ, βασιλεύων ἡμῶν μόνος σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἡμῖν «ἐκ δεξιῶν» καθημένῳ ἧς εὐχόμεθα λαβεῖν «δυνάμεως» πνευματικῆς καὶ καθεζομένῳ, «ἕως» πάντες οἱ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ γένωνται «ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν» αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργηθῇ ἀφ' ἡμῶν πᾶσα ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐξουσία καὶ δύναμις. δυνατὸν γὰρ ταῦτα καθ' ἕκαστον ἡμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ τὸν ἔσχατον ἐχθρὸν καταργηθῆναι, τὸν θάνατον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν λέγηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· «ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος;» ἤδη τοίνυν «τὸ φθαρτὸν» ἡμῶν ἐνδυσάσθω τὴν ἐν ἁγνείᾳ καὶ πάσῃ καθαρότητι ἁγιωσύνην καὶ «ἀφθαρσίαν,» «καὶ τὸ θνητὸν» ἀμφιεσάσ θω, τοῦ θανάτου κατηργημένου, τὴν πατρικὴν «ἀθανασίαν»· ὥστε ἡμᾶς βασιλευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἤδη εἶναι ἐν τοῖς παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀγαθοῖς. 26.1 «0Γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς20.» ὁ Λουκᾶς μετὰ τὸ «0ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου20» ταῦτα παρασιωπήσας ἔταξε· «0τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δίδου ἡμῖν καθ' ἡμέραν20»· διόπερ ἃς προετάξαμεν λέξεις ὡς παρὰ μόνῳ τῷ Ματθαίῳ κειμένας ἐξετάσωμεν ἀκολούθως τοῖς πρὸ τούτων. ἔτι ὄντες «0ἐπὶ γῆς20» οἱ εὐχόμενοι, νοοῦντες «0ἐν οὐρανῷ20» γεγονέναι «0τὸ θέλημα20» τοῦ θεοῦ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς οἰκείοις τῶν 20οὐρανῶν20, εὐξώ μεθα καὶ