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unless perhaps someone, doing the same things as the one being accused, would be without boldness to judge his brother, hearing the Lord saying: First cast out the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to cast out the speck from your brother’s eye. QUESTION 165. How will someone know if he is moved by the zeal of God against a sinning brother, or is angry. ANSWER. If against every sin he suffers what is written: Your zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten your words, the zeal of God is manifest. But here also there is need of skillful stewardship for the building up of faith. But if this disposition did not pre-exist in the soul, and move it, the movement becomes irregular and in no way is the purpose of godliness preserved. QUESTION 166. With what disposition must one obey one who urges him on to the work of the commandment. ANSWER. With the disposition with which a child overcome by hunger obeys its nurse calling it to receive food; and every man, striving to live, obeys the one who grants him the means to live; or rather, and much more so, inasmuch as eternal life is more honorable than the present life. For the commandment of God, says the Lord, is eternal life. For what eating is in the case of bread, this is work in the case of the commandment, the Lord himself saying again: My food is to do the will of the Father who sent me. QUESTION 167. Of what sort ought the soul to be, that has been deemed worthy to be occupied in the work of God. ANSWER. Of the sort that said: Who am I, my Lord, Lord, and what is my house, that you have loved me? Fulfilling what is written: Giving thanks to the Father who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; who has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. 31.1193 QUESTION 168. With what disposition must one receive a garment or a shoe, of whatever sort it may be. ANSWER. If it is smaller or larger than his size, let him make his need known with fitting modesty; but if he disputes about its poor quality, or because it is not new, let him remember the Lord saying: The laborer is worthy of his food, not just anyone, but the laborer. And let him examine himself whether he has done anything worthy of the Lord’s commands or promises, and then he will not seek another, but will be anxious about what has been given, as receiving something beyond his worth. For what was said about food ought to be held as a rule for every matter concerning the body’s need. QUESTION 169. If a younger brother is commanded to teach something to an elder in age, how shall he conduct himself toward him. ANSWER. As one fulfilling a service according to the command of the Lord God; fearing lest he fall under the judgment of the one who said: Cursed is everyone who does the works of the Lord negligently; and taking care lest, being blinded, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. QUESTION 170. Whether one must pay equal attention to the one who achieves more, and to the one who achieves less. ANSWER. What the Lord decreed concerning the forgiveness of sins, saying: Her many sins are forgiven, for she loved much; but he to whom little is forgiven, loves little; and what the Apostle commanded concerning the presbyters, saying: Let the presbyters who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching, I consider it consistent to observe this in all such cases. QUESTION 171. But if the lesser one is grieved, when the more devout one is preferred, how should we treat him. ANSWER. Such a one is clearly condemned for wickedness from the parable in the Gospel, in which the Lord says to those who were grieved because some were honored equally with them: Is your eye evil because I am good? And the judgment of God upon this man and such as these is manifest through the Prophet who says: In his sight the evildoer is despised; but he honors those who fear the Lord. 31.1196 QUESTION 172. With what fear, or with what assurance, or with what disposition

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πλὴν εἰ μή τις, τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῶν τῷ ἐγκαλουμένῳ, ἀπαῤῥη σίαστος εἴη πρὸς τὸ κρίνειν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἀκούων τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Ἔκβαλε πρῶτον τὴν δοκὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ σου, καὶ τότε διαβλέψεις ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ κάρφος ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΞΕʹ. Πῶς γνωρίσει τις, εἰ ζήλῳ Θεοῦ κινεῖται κατὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος ἀδελφοῦ, ἢ ὀργίζεται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν κατὰ παντὸς ἁμαρτήματος πάθῃ τὸ γε γραμμένον· Ἐξέτηξέ με ὁ ζῆλός σου, ὅτι ἐπελά θοντο τῶν λόγων σου οἱ ἐχθροί μου, φανερὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ζῆλος. Οἰκονομίας δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπιστημο νικῆς χρεία πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν πίστεως. Ταύτης δὲ τῆς διαθέσεως μὴ προενυπαρξάσης τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ κινη σάσης αὐτὴν, τὸ μὲν κίνημα ἀνώμαλον γίνεται ἐν οὐδενὶ δὲ ὁ σκοπὸς τῆς θεοσεβείας σώζεται. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΞʹ. Μετὰ ποίας διαθέσεως ὑπακούειν δεῖ τῷ εἰς ἔργον τῆς ἐντολῆς κατεπείγοντι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Μεθ' οἵας διαθέσεως τὸ παιδίον ὑπὸ πείνης κρα τούμενον ὑπακούει τῇ τροφῷ καλούσῃ ἐπὶ τὴν μετά ληψιν· καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, ἀντιποιούμενος τοῦ ζῇν, τῷ χαριζομένῳ τὰ πρὸς τὸ ζῇν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον, ὅσῳ καὶ προτιμοτέρα τῆς παρούσης ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή. Ἡ γὰρ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, φησὶν ὁ Κύ ριος, ζωὴ αἰώνιός ἐστιν. Ὅπερ δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄρτου ἡ βρῶσις, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἐργασία, αὐτοῦ πάλιν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν, ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με Πατρός. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΞΖʹ. Ποταπὴ ὀφείλει εἶναι ἡ ψυχὴ, ἡ καταξιωθεῖσα ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καταληφθῆναι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οἵα ἦν ἡ λέγουσα· Τίς εἰμι ἐγὼ, Κύριέ μου, Κύ ριε, καὶ τίς ὁ οἶκός μου, ὅτι ἠγάπησάς με; Πληροῦσα τὸ γεγραμμένον· Εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Πατρὶ τῷ ἱκανώσαντι ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ φωτί· ὃς ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους, καὶ μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὑτοῦ. 31.1193 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΕΗʹ. Μετὰ ποταπῆς διαθέσεως δεῖ λαμβάνειν ἱμάτιον ἢ ὑπόδημα, οἷον ἂν ᾖ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν μικρότερον ἢ μεῖζον τῆς ἡλικίας ἐστὶ, φανερωσάτω τὴν χρείαν μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπι εικείας· εἰ δὲ περὶ εὐτελείας διαφέρεται, ἢ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι καινὸν, μνημονευσάτω τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Ἄξιος, οὐχ ἁπλῶς πᾶς, ἀλλ', ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὑτοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀνακρινάτω εἰ πρὸς ἀξίαν τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπιταγμάτων, ἢ ἐπαγγελιῶν, εἰργάσατό τι, καὶ τότε οὐχὶ ἄλλο ἐπιζητήσει, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ δεδομένου ἀγωνιάσει, ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν λαμβάνων. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς προφῆς εἰρημένον ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος τοῦ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν τοῦ σώματος ὥσπερ κανόνα ἔχειν δεῖ. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΞΘʹ. Ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς νεώτερος ἐπιταχθῇ διδάξαι τι τὸν πρεσβύτερον καθ' ἡλικίαν, πῶς αὐτῷ προσ ενεχθήσεται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὡς ὑπηρεσίαν πληρῶν κατ' ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ ∆εσπό του Θεοῦ· φοβούμενος μὲν μὴ ὑποπέσῃ τῷ κρίματι τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου ἀμελῶς· ἀσφαλιζόμενος δὲ, μήποτε τυφλω θεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΟʹ. Εἰ δεῖ ἴσως προσέχειν τῷ πλεῖον κατορθοῦντι, καὶ τῷ ἔλαττον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ Κύ ριος ὡρίσατο εἰπών· Ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαὶ, ὅτι ἠγάπησε πολύ· ᾧ δὲ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται, ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾷ· καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν πρεσβυ τέρων ὁ Ἀπόστολος διετάξατο, εἰπών· Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθω σαν, μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδα σκαλίᾳ, τοῦτο ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων φυλάσσειν ἡγοῦμαι ἀκόλουθον. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΟΑʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ λυπῆται ὁ ἐλάττων, προτιμωμένου τοῦ εὐλαβεστέρου, πῶς αὐτῷ προσχῶμεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ τοιοῦτος φανερός ἐστιν ἐπὶ πονηρίᾳ κατεγνω σμένος ἐκ τῆς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ παραβολῆς, ἐν ᾗ φησιν ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τοὺς λυπηθέντας, ὅτι τὰ ἴσα αὐτοῖς τινες ἐτιμήθησαν· Εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πο 31.1196 νηρός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι; Καὶ πρόδηλον τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις κρῖμα τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ Προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμενος· τοὺς δὲ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριον δοξάζει. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΟΒʹ Ποταπῷ φόβῳ, ἢ ποίᾳ πληροφορίᾳ, ἢ ποίᾳ διαθέ σει