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to dramatize the evils that have befallen one brings some comfort to those who are in pain, as if a certain relief comes through speech, much more, if you should communicate to your Master the sufferings of your own soul, you will receive some refreshment and much comfort. For a man is indeed often burdened by the one lamenting and wailing to him, and puts him off and rejects him; but God is not so, but rather both accepts and draws you near, and even if you spend the whole day communicating your misfortunes to Him, then He loves you more and grants your supplications. Indeed, Christ, indicating this very thing, said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Therefore, He calls, let us not disobey; He draws us near, let us not leap away; even if we have countless sins, then let us run to Him all the more; for He even calls such people; "For I came not," He says, "to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," and here those who are burdened, those who have toiled, those who are weary from the weight of their sins. For He is called the God of consolation and the God of mercies; since this is His perpetual work, to comfort and console those in pain and those afflicted, even if they have countless sins. Only let us give ourselves, only let us run to Him, and not stand aloof, and through experience itself we will know the truth of what has been said, and nothing in existence will be able to grieve us, if we have earnest and accurate prayer; for whatever may come upon us, we will easily ward it off through this. And what wonder is it if the power of prayer knows how to resolve human difficulties, when indeed it also quenches and easily makes disappear the nature of sins? Therefore, so that we may both complete the present life with ease and, as many sins as we have acquired, we may put them away, and stand with confidence before the judgment seat of Christ, let us continually prepare this remedy for ourselves, compounding it from tears and zeal and perseverance and endurance; for thus we shall both enjoy perpetual health, and we shall attain the good things to come, which may it be that we all attain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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κατειληφότα ἐκτραγῳδῆσαι κακὰ φέρει τινὰ τοῖς ὀδυνωμένοις παραμυθίαν, ὥσπερ τινὸς διαπνοῆς διὰ τοῦ λόγου γινομένης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ἂν πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην ἀνακοινώσῃ τὸν σὸν τὰ τῆς οἰκείας ψυχῆς παθήματα, λήψῃ τινὰ ψυχαγωγίαν καὶ παραμυθίαν πολλήν. Ἄνθρωπος μὲν γὰρ καὶ βαρύνεται πολλάκις τὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀποδυρόμενον καὶ θρηνοῦντα καὶ διακρούεται καὶ ἀπωθεῖται· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσίεται καὶ ἐπισπᾶται, κἂν διημερεύσῃς ἀνακοινούμενος αὐτῷ τὰς σὰς συμφοράς, τότε σε μᾶλλον φιλεῖ καὶ ἐπινεύει σου ταῖς ἱκετηρίαις. Τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτὸ ἐνδεικνύμενος ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγε· «∆εῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς.» Καλεῖ οὖν, μὴ παρακούσωμεν· ἐπισπᾶται, μὴ ἀποπηδήσωμεν· κἂν μυρία ἁμαρτήματα ἔχωμεν, τότε μειζόνως προστρέχωμεν· καὶ γὰρ τοὺς τοιούτους καλεῖ· «Οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον, φησί, καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν», καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς πεφορτισμένους, τοὺς πεπονηκότας, τοὺς ἐκ βάρους τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κεκοπιωμένους. Θεὸς γὰρ παρακλήσεως λέγεται καὶ Θεὸς οἰκτιρμῶν· ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἔργον αὐτῷ διηνεκές, τοὺς ὀδυνωμένους καὶ τοὺς θλιβομένους παραμυθεῖσθαι καὶ παρακαλεῖν, κἂν μυρία ἁμαρτήματα ἔχωσι. Μόνον ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτούς, μόνον προσδράμωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ μὴ ἀποστῶμεν καὶ διὰ τῆς πείρας αὐτῆς εἰσόμεθα τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς τῶν ὄντων λυπῆσαι δυνήσεται, ἐὰν ἔχωμεν ἐκτενῆ εὐχὴν καὶ διηκριβωμένην· ὅπερ γὰρ ἂν ἐπέλθῃ, ῥᾳδίως διὰ ταύτης ἀποκρουσόμεθα. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ περιστάσεις ἀνθρωπίνας λύειν οἶδεν εὐχῆς δύναμις, ὅπου γε καὶ ἁμαρτημάτων φύσιν σβέννυσι καὶ ἀφανίζει ῥᾳδίως; Ἵν' οὖν καὶ μετ' εὐκολίας τὸν παρόντα διανύσωμεν βίον καὶ, ὅσα προσετριψάμεθα ἁμαρτήματα, ταῦτα ἀποθώμεθα, καὶ μετὰ παρρησίας στῶμεν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦτο διηνεκῶς κατασκευάζωμεν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ φάρμακον, ἀπὸ δακρύων καὶ σπουδῆς καὶ προσεδρίας καὶ καρτερίας συντιθέντες αὐτό· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ διηνεκοῦς ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῆς ὑγιείας, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.