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it must be received as proper to piety; so that, when a commandment of God must be accomplished through fasting, we may fast; and when, on the other hand, the commandment of God requires food to strengthen the body, we may eat, not as gluttons, but as workers of God. For we must keep what was said by the Apostle: Whether you eat, or whether you drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. QUESTION 140. If someone does not practice self-control concerning harmful foods, but partaking of them without restraint, falls into sickness, should care be taken of him? ANSWER. Lack of self-control has its evil manifest; and it is necessary to take care of this passion first, so that it may be healed. For the philanthropic God, wishing to show how great an evil it is not to practice self-control, has often allowed the soul to use the passion of lack of self-control even in matters that harm the body, if perhaps through the physical sickness, which it endures from the lack of self-control, it might be able to come to a perception of its own harm, and be guided towards self-control in all things. To take care of the body of those harmed by lack of self-control may perhaps be reasonable and fitting for kindness, but not without examination, rather with care, lest in the healing of the body we leave the soul unhealed. Therefore, if one sees such a person being disciplined reasonably by the healing of the body, and taking care of the soul in its own passions, offer him physical care; but if, while receiving the healing of the body, he is convicted of despising his soul, it is better for such a one to be left to the pains which he suffers from his own lack of self-control, if perhaps in time, coming to a consciousness of himself and of eternal punishment, he might undertake the care of the health of his soul. For being judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, that we may not be condemned with the world. 31.1177 QUESTION 141. Whether strangers should be found in the workshops, or any of those here who have left their own place. ANSWER. Except for the one entrusted with the supervision of the workers, or the management of the works, whoever is found doing this, as one dissolving the good order of the harmony of the members, let him be prevented also from his permitted progress; and sitting in one place judged suitable for discipline, let him render his work without distraction and more laboriously than usual, until he learns to keep what was said by the Apostle: Let each one remain in that in which he was called. QUESTION 142. Whether artisans should accept work from anyone without the consent of the one appointed to care for them. ANSWER. Let each one, both the one giving and the one receiving, be subject to the judgment of a thief, or of one who colludes with a thief. QUESTION 143. How should the workers take care of the tools entrusted to them? ANSWER. First, as things named for and dedicated to God; then, as being unable without them to show the required unwearied diligence. QUESTION 144. But if someone loses something through carelessness, or misuses it out of contempt. ANSWER. Let the one who misused it be judged as sacrilegious, and the one who lost it as the cause of sacrilege, since all things are named for the Lord and dedicated to God. QUESTION 145. But if he uses or takes something on his own authority. ANSWER. Let him be judged as insolent and arrogant. For these things are the responsibility of the one appointed to their care and management. QUESTION 140. But if, when there is a pressing need, the superior requests a tool from him, and he refuses. ANSWER. He who has given himself and his own members to the 31.1180 need of others in the love of Christ, how will he be able to refuse the superior concerning the tools, to whom the care of the tools also belongs? QUESTION 147. The one occupied with the work of the cellar, or of the kitchen, or with some other such thing, if he does not manage to be present for the rule of psalmody and prayer, does his soul suffer no harm? ANSWER. Each one in the

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οἰκείου τῆς θεοσεβείας παραλαμβάνεσθαι χρή· ἵνα, ὅταν μὲν ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ διὰ νηστείας κατορθω θῆναι δέοι, νηστεύσωμεν· ὅταν δὲ πάλιν ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσιν ἐπιζητοῖ ἐνδυναμοῦσαν τὸ σῶμα, φάγωμεν, οὐχ ὡς γαστρίμαργοι, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐργάται Θεοῦ. Φυλάσσειν γὰρ χρὴ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰρημένον· Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖ τε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜʹ. Ἐάν τις μὴ ἐγκρατεύηται περὶ τὰ βλαβερὰ τῶν βρωμάτων, μεταλαμβάνων δὲ ἀφειδῶς, κακώ σει περιπέσῃ, εἰ χρὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπιμέλειαν ποιεῖ σθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἡ μὲν ἀκρασία πρόδηλον ἔχει τὴν κακίαν· καὶ τούτου τοῦ πάθους προηγουμένως φροντίζειν ἀναγ καῖον, ὅπως θεραπευθῇ. Βουληθεὶς γὰρ δεῖξαι ὁ φιλ άνθρωπος Θεὸς, ἡλίκον κακόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ ἐγκρα τεύεσθαι, ἀφῆκε πολλάκις τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τὸ σῶμα βλαπτόντων κεχρῆσθαι τῷ πάθει τῆς ἀκρα σίας, ἐὰν ἄρα δυνηθῇ διὰ τῆς κακώσεως τῆς σωμα τικῆς, ἣν ἐκ τῆς ἀκρασίας ὑπομένει, εἰς αἴσθησιν ἐλθεῖν τῆς ἰδίας βλάβης, καὶ ὁδηγηθῆναι πρὸς τὴν ἐν πᾶσιν ἐγκράτειαν. Τὴν δὲ ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ σώματος ἐπὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀκρασίας βλαπτομένων ποιεῖσθαι μὲν τάχα εὔλογον καὶ χρηστότητι πρέπον, οὐκ ἀδοκι μάστως δὲ, ἀλλὰ πεφροντικότας, μήπως ἐν τῇ τοῦ σώματος θεραπείᾳ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀθεράπευτον κα ταλίπωμεν. Ὥστε, ἐὰν μὲν ἐπίδῃ τις τὸν τοιοῦ τον ἐκ τῆς τοῦ σώματος θεραπείας παιδευόμενον εὐγνωμόνως, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις πά θεσιν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, προσάγειν αὐτῷ τὴν σωματικὴν ἐπιμέλειαν· ἐὰν δὲ, τὴν τοῦ σώματος θεραπείαν δε χόμενος, ἐλέγχηται τῆς ψυχῆς καταφρονῶν, βέλτιόν ἐστι τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐναφεθῆναι ταῖς ὀδύναις, ἃς ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας ἀκρασίας ὑφίσταται, ἐὰν ἄρα δυνηθῇ τῷ χρόνῳ εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐλθὼν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως, φροντίδα ἀναλαβεῖν τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ὑγείας. Κρινόμενοι γὰρ ὑπὸ Κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακρι θῶμεν. 31.1177 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜΑʹ. Εἰ δεῖ ξένους ἐνευρίσκεσθαι τοῖς ἐργαστη ρίοις, ἢ καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθά τινας καταλιπόντας τὸν ἴδιον τόπον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Παρεκτὸς τοῦ πεπιστευμένου τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν ἐργαζομένων, ἢ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῶν ἔργων, ὃς ἂν εὑρεθῇ τοῦτο ποιῶν, ὡς διαλύων τὴν εὐταξίαν τῆς τῶν μελῶν ἁρμονίας, κωλυέσθω καὶ τῆς συγκεχω ρημένης προόδου· καθεζόμενος δὲ ἐν τόπῳ ἑνὶ τῷ δοκιμασθέντι πρὸς παιδείαν ἐπιτηδείῳ, ἀμετεωρίστως καὶ ἐπιπονώτερον τῆς συνηθείας ἀποδιδότω τὸ ἔργον, ἕως ἂν μάθῃ φυλάσσειν τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου εἰρημένον· Ἕκαστος ἐν ᾧ ἐκλήθη, ἐν τούτῳ μενέτω. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜΒʹ. Εἰ χρὴ τοὺς τεχνίτας δέχεσθαι παρά τινος ἔργον ἄνευ γνώμης τοῦ ἐπιτεταγμένου τὴν φροντίδα τούτων. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τῷ κρίματι τοῦ κλέπτου, ἢ τοῦ συντρέχοντος τῷ κλέπτῃ ὑποκείσθω ἑκάτερος, ὅ τε διδοὺς καὶ ὁ δεχό μενος. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜΓʹ. Πῶς ὀφείλουσιν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τῶν πεπιστευμένων αὐτοῖς σκευῶν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πρῶτον μὲν ὡς Θεῷ ἐπονομασθέντων καὶ ἀνατε θέντων· ἔπειτα ὡς ἄνευ αὐτῶν μὴ δυνάμενοι τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἄοκνον σπουδὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜ∆ʹ. Ἐὰν δέ τις ἐξ ἀμελείας ἀπολέσῃ τι, ἢ ἐκ κατα φρονήσεως παραχρήσηται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ μὲν παραχρησάμενος ὡς ἱερόσυλος, ὁ δὲ ἀπολέσας ὡς αἴτιος ἱεροσυλίας κρινέσθω, πάντων τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπονομασθέντων, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ ἀνακει μένων. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜΕʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ χρήσῃ τινὶ ἢ λάβῃ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὡς θρασὺς καὶ αὐθάδης κρινέσθω. Ταῦτα γὰρ τοῦ ἐπιτεταγμένου τὴν φροντίδα, καὶ οἰκονομοῦντός ἐστιν ἴδια. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ συνεχούσης χρείας ὁ προεστὼς ἐπι ζητήσῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ σκεῦος, καὶ ἀντείπῃ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μέλη ἀποδεδωκὼς τῇ 31.1180 ἄλλων χρείᾳ ἐν ἀγάπῃ Χριστοῦ πῶς περὶ τῶν σκευῶν ἀντειπεῖν δυνήσεται τῷ προεστῶτι, ᾧ καὶ τῶν σκευῶν ἡ φροντὶς ἀνῆκεν; ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΜΖʹ. Ὁ περὶ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ κελλαρίου, ἢ τοῦ μαγει ρείου, ἢ περί τι ἄλλο τοιοῦτον ἀσχολούμενος, ἐὰν μὴ φθάσῃ παρεῖναι τῷ κανόνι τῆς ψαλμῳ δίας καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς, εἰ μηδὲν ζημιοῦται τὴν ψυχήν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ