1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 31

 32

 33

 34

 35

 36

 37

 38

 39

 40

 41

 42

 43

 44

 45

 46

 47

 48

 49

 50

 51

 52

 53

 54

 55

 56

 57

 58

 59

 60

 61

 62

 63

 64

 65

 66

 67

 68

 69

 70

 71

 72

 73

 74

 75

 76

 77

 78

 79

 80

 81

 82

 83

 84

 85

 86

 87

 88

 89

 90

 91

 92

 93

 94

 95

 96

 97

 98

 99

 100

 101

 102

 103

 104

 105

 106

 107

29

not loving all men equally in imitation of God, who loves all men equally and wills them to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

14__192 1.62 (62) But I say to you, do not resist the evil one; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and to the one who wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also; and whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Why? In order that He might keep you free from anger and sorrow, and might instruct that man through your forbearance, and as the Good One, might bring you both under the yoke of love.

1.63 (63) Towards whatever things we have at some time been affected, of these we also carry about passionate images. Therefore, the one who conquers passionate images, certainly despises also the things of which they are the images; since the war against memories is so much more difficult than the war against things, just as sinning in thought is easier than sinning in deed.

1.64 (64) Some of the passions are of the body, and some are of the soul. And the bodily ones have their causes from the body; but the spiritual ones, from external things. But love and self-control cut off both; the one, the spiritual; the other, the bodily.

1.65 (65) Some of the passions are of the irascible part; and others are of the concupiscible part of the soul. Both are stirred through the senses; and they are stirred when the soul is found to be without love and self-control.

1.66 (66) The passions of the irascible part of the soul are more difficult to overcome than those of the concupiscible part; for this reason also a greater remedy against it, the commandment of love, was given by the Lord.

1.67 (67) All the other passions touch only the irascible part of the soul or 14__194 the concupiscible part, or also the rational part, such as forgetfulness and ignorance; but acedia, laying hold of all the powers of the soul, stirs up almost all the passions in concert; for this reason it is also the most burdensome of all the other passions. Well, then, has the Lord given the remedy against it, saying: “In your patience,” He says, “possess your souls.”

1.68 (68) Do not ever strike any of the brethren, especially without reason, lest, not bearing the affliction, he depart and you will never escape the censure of your conscience, which will always cause you grief in the time of prayer and drive your mind away from confidence toward God.

1.69 (69) Do not tolerate suspicions that bring you scandals, or people who do so, against certain persons; for those who accept scandals in any way whatsoever, whether things happen by choice or against choice, do not know the way of peace, which, through love, leads its lovers to the knowledge of God.

1.70 (70) He does not yet have perfect love who is still swayed by the opinions of men, such as loving one person and hating another for this or that reason; or even at one time loving and at another time hating the same person for the same reasons.

1.71 (71) Perfect love does not divide the one nature of mankind by their different opinions, but, always looking to it, loves all men equally; it loves the good as friends, and the wicked as enemies, doing good to them, being long-suffering, and enduring what is inflicted by them; not taking into account the evil at all, but even suffering for them, if the occasion should call for it, in order that it might make them friends, if possible; 14__196 but if not, it does not fall away from its own disposition, always showing forth the fruits of love equally toward all men. Therefore also our Lord and God Jesus Christ, the

29

μὴ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐξ ἴσου ἀγαπῶντα κατὰ μίμησιν Θεοῦ, τοῦ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐξ ἴσου ἀγαπῶντος καὶ θέλοντος σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν.

14__192 1.62 (ξβ') Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ· ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις σε ῥαπίσει ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην· καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον· καὶ τῷ ἀγγαρεύοντί σε μίλιον ἕν, ὕπαγε μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ δύο. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἵνα σε ἀόργητον καὶ ἄλυπον διαφυλάξῃ κἀκεῖνον διὰ τῆς σῆς ἀνεξικακίας παιδεύσῃ καὶ ἀμφοτέρους ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὑπὸ τὸν ζυγὸν τῆς ἀγάπης ἀγάγῃ.

1.63 (ξγ') Πρὸς ἅπερ πράγματά ποτε πεπόνθαμεν, τούτων καὶ τὰς φαντασίας ἐμπαθεῖς περιφέρομεν. Ὁ οὖν τὰς ἐμπαθεῖς νικῶν φαντασίας, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ὧν αἱ φαντασίαι πάντως καταφρονεῖ· ἐπειδὴ τοῦ πρὸς τὰ πράγματα πολέμου ὁ πρὸς τὰς μνήμας τοσοῦτόν ἐστι χαλεπώτερος, ὅσον τοῦ κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ἁμαρτάνειν τὸ κατὰ διάνοιάν ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον.

1.64 (ξδ') Τῶν παθῶν τὰ μέν ἐστι σωματικά, τὰ δὲ ψυχικά. Καὶ τὰ μὲν σωματικὰ ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἔχει τὰς ἀφορμάς· τὰ δὲ ψυχικά, ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν πραγμάτων. Ἀμφότερα δὲ περικόπτει ἀγάπη καὶ ἐγκράτεια· ἡ μέν, τὰ ψυχικά· ἡ δέ, τὰ σωματικά.

1.65 (ξε') Τὰ μὲν τῶν παθῶν, θυμικοῦ· τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἐπιθυμητικοῦ μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς τυγχάνει. Ἀμφότερα δὲ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων κινεῖται· τότε δὲ κινεῖται, ὅτε ἀγάπης ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ ἐγκρατείας ἐκτὸς εὑρίσκεται.

1.66 (ξστ') ∆υσκαταγώνιστα μᾶλλον τὰ τοῦ θυμικοῦ μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς πάθη παρὰ τὰ τοῦ ἐπιθυμητικοῦ τυγχάνει· διὸ καὶ μεῖζον τὸ φάρμακον κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐντολὴ τῆς ἀγάπης ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐδόθη.

1.67 (ξζ') Πάντα τὰ ἄλλα πάθη ἢ τοῦ θυμικοῦ μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ 14__194 τοῦ ἐπιθυμητικοῦ μόνον ἐφάπτεται ἢ καὶ τοῦ λογιστικοῦ, ὡς ἡ λήθη καὶ ἡ ἄγνοια· ἡ δὲ ἀκηδία, πασῶν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεων ἐπιδραττομένη, πάντα σχεδὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν κινεῖ τὰ πάθη· διὸ καὶ πάντων τῶν ἄλλων παθῶν ἐστι βαρύτατον. Καλῶς οὗν ὁ Κύριος τὸ κατ᾽ αὐτῆς φάρμακον δεδωκώς· Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν, λέγει, κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.

1.68 (ξη') Μὴ πλήξῃς ποτέ τινα τῶν ἀδελφῶν, παραλόγως μάλιστα, μήποτε μὴ φέρων τὴν θλίψιν ἀναχωρήσῃ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφεύξῃ ποτὲ τὸν ἔλεγχον τοῦ συνειδότος, ἀεί σοι λύπην ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς προσευχῆς προξενοῦντα καὶ τῆς θείας παρρησίας τὸν νοῦν ἀπελαύνοντα.

1.69 (ξθ') Μὴ ἀνάσχῃ τῶν σκάνδαλά σοι φερουσῶν ὑπονοιῶν ἢ καὶ ἀνθρώπων κατά τινων· οἱ γὰρ παραδεχόμενοι σκάνδαλα ἐν οἵῳ δήποτε τρόπῳ τῶν κατὰ προαίρεσιν ἢ παρὰ προαίρεσιν συμβαινόντων, οὐκ ἴσασι τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς εἰρήνης, τὴν φέρουσαν διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης εἰς τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς ταύτης ἐραστάς.

1.70 (ο') Οὔπω ἔχει τελείαν τὴν ἀγάπην ὁ ἔτι ταῖς γνώμαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνδιατιθέμενος, οἷον τὸν μὲν ἀγαπῶν, τὸν δὲ μισῶν διὰ τόδε ἢ τόδε· ἢ καὶ τὸν αὐτόν ποτε μὲν ἀγαπῶν, ποτὲ δὲ μισῶν διὰ τὰς αὐτὰς αἰτίας.

1.71 (οα') Ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη οὐ συνδιασχίζει τὴν μίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν ταῖς διαφόροις αὐτῶν γνώμαις, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς αὐτὴν ἀεὶ ἀποβλεπομένη πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐξ ἴσου ἀγαπᾷ· τοὺς μὲν σπουδαίους ὡς φίλους, τοὺς δὲ φαύλους ὡς ἐχθροὺς ἀγαπᾷ, εὐεργετοῦσα καὶ μακροθυμοῦσα καὶ ὑπομένουσα τὰ παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐπαγόμενα· τὸ κακὸν τὸ σύνολον μὴ λογιζομένη, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσχουσα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, εἰ καιρὸς καλέσειεν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὺς ποιήσῃ φίλους, εἰ οἷόν 14__196 τε· εἰ δὲ μή, τῆς γε ἰδίας διαθέσεως οὐκ ἐκπίπτει, τοὺς τῆς ἀγάπης καρποὺς ἀεὶ ἐξ ἴσου πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐνδεικνυμένη. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν καὶ Θεὸς Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, τὴν