Didymus the Blind, On the Trinity

Desirable to all will be the dwelling in each city, and rather the pious and private dwelling in the country; and it will be possible for everyone, as for the holy fathers and those before them, to sail, to travel, to stay at home, to farm, to diligently attend festivals, to speak graciously and fittingly, as one loves and wishes, with full authority, and greater than these things, to remember you without distraction and soberly, and of every matter to make its beginning and end from you, and to share according to one's ability with those in need, beginning from one's kin and household, and to expect from you the loan for the future, and as an extra measure eternal life. For "fasting," he says, "and prayer deliver from death; but almsgiving, above both." For as even the outsiders say: Nothing is more excellent than piety among mortal men. Thus, in addition to these things, it may become possible not to be sick with pride and arrogance, nor to be a boaster; through which inescapable passions, the most hateful Satan fell from the light above 39.768 and from the company of the approved angels, and slid down into the darkest recesses of Tartarus; but the Pharisee, brought up under the law, and fasting, and tithing his own possessions, and helping those who begged, for a time had his hope from here unprofitable in the world, as much as is in the holy writings. Furthermore, it will be possible to abstain from fighting, to live among books, and to be inseparable, with a pure conscience, from the ecclesiastical assemblies, in which you are more particularly set before all. Thus it will be, no longer shameful and despised, but also, as of old and long ago, praiseworthy will be moderation, which was from the beginning the teacher of virtue and of all knowledge. And may the next way of life appear more prudent than the ancient one, inasmuch as it is also pierced by the Christian lawgiving, which has made all things well. And may a sweet and brilliant light arise; and good government and peace throughout all land and sea, in every way and manner, will be profound; and the stream of the Nile full, and the greatest abundance; but a great and manifold scarcity of ambitious office-seekers; and no longer may one mourn over another; and may I be able to keep the law which I set for myself, in due season, and with grace, and with gravity of life and words; and may our affairs turn out from all sides, for all our children, and all our household, and all our race, and in sum, more beautiful than prayer and better than before. And all these things, yea, yea, yea, will be accomplished and shall be brought to pass; so that your consoling and healing word in Isaiah may be at work forever, which contains this: "I am he that speaks; I am present as the season upon the mountains, as one bringing good tidings; for I will make 39.769 your salvation heard, saying: Zion, your God shall reign." And may we have life without end even after death and grace everlasting, through your most good, and most magnificent, and most saving, and glorified, and thanked name, unto endless ages of ages, of God the Father almighty, who is over all, and through all, and in all, and of your only-begotten Son, and of your all-holy, and life-giving, and creative Spirit. Amen, amen, amen. And all the peoples of the orthodox Christians everywhere will always say: So be it, so be it, so be it.

εὐκταία πᾶσιν ἔσται ἡ ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει, μενοῦνγε ἡ ἐν ἀγρῷ εὐσεβὴς καὶ ἰδιοπράγμων οἴκησις· καὶ ὑπάρξῃ παντὶ, ὡς τοῖς ὁσίοις πατράσιν καὶ τοῖς πρὸ ἐκείνων, τὸ ὡς ἐρᾷ καὶ βούλεται κατ' ἐξουσίαν πλεῖν, ὁδοιπορεῖν, οἴκοι μένειν, γεωργεῖν, ἐπιμελῶς εἰς πανηγύρεις παραβάλλειν, λαλεῖν χαρίεντα καὶ ἐπιεικῆ, καὶ τὸ μεῖζον τούτων, τὸ ἀπερισπάστως καὶ νηφαλέως μεμνῆσθαί σου, καὶ παντὸς πράγματος ἐκ σοῦ ἀρχὴν ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τελευτὴν, μεταδιδόναι τε πρὸς δύναμιν τοῖς ἐνδεομένοις, ἀρχόμενον ἀπὸ τῶν πρὸς γένος καὶ τῶν οἰκείων, καὶ παρὰ σοῦ τὸ δάνειον εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐκδέχεσθαι, καὶ ἐπίμετρον ζωὴν αἰώνιον. "Νηστεία" γὰρ, φησὶν, "καὶ προσευχὴ ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται· ἐλεημοσύνη δὲ, ὑπὲρ τὰ ἀμφότερα." Ὡς γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἔξω φασίν· Εὐσεβίης οὐδὲν προφερέστερον ἐν μερόπεσσιν. Οὕτως ἂν πρὸς τούτοις ἐγγένηται τὸ μὴ νοσεῖν ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ τῦφον, μηδ' εἶναι καυχηματίαν· δι' ἃ ἄφυκτα πάθη, ὁ μὲν ἔχθιστος Σατὰν τοῦ ἄνω φω 39.768 τὸς καὶ τῆς τῶν δοκίμων ἀγγέλων ἑταιρίας ἐξέπεσεν. καὶ εἰς τοὺς ζοφωδεστάτους ταρταραίους μυχοὺς κατωλίσθησεν· ὁ δ' ὑπὸ νόμον τραφεὶς, καὶ νηστεύων, καὶ ἀποδεκατῶν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ ἐπικουρῶν τοῖς προσαιτοῦσιν Φαρισαῖος, ἀνόνητον ἔσχε τέως ἐν κόσμῳ, ὅσον ἐν γράμμασιν ἱεροῖς, τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐλπίδα. Ἔτι δὲ ὑπάρξῃ τὸ μάχης ἀφεστάναι. ζῇν ἐν βιβλίοις, καὶ ἀχώριστον εἶναι μετὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν συνάξεων, ἐν οἷς ἰδικώτερον πρόκεισαι πᾶσιν οὕτως ἔσται, οὐκ ἔτι ἐπονείδιστος καὶ διεπτυσμένη, ἀλλὰ καὶ, ὡς πάλαι καὶ πρόπαλαι, ἐπαινετὴ ἡ τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ πάσης ἐπιστήμης γενομένη παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν διδάσκαλος ἡ συμμετρία. Καὶ σωφρονεστέρα φανείη τῆς ἀρχαίας ἡ ἑξῆς πολιτεία, ὅσῳ καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς Χριστιανῆς, τῆς πάντ' εὖ πεποιηκυίας, κατανύττεται θεσμοθετήσεως. Καὶ γλυκὺ φῶς ἀνατείλῃ καὶ λαμπρόν· καὶ εὐαρχία μὲν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀνὰ πᾶσαν γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, κατὰ πάντα τρόπον καὶ λόγον, ἔσται βαθεῖα· καὶ μεστὸν τοῦ Νείλου τὸ ῥεῖθρον, καὶ εὐετηρία πλείστη· σπάνις δὲ πολλὴ καὶ παντοία τῶν σπουδαρχιδῶν· καὶ οὐκ ἔτ' ὀδύρηται ἄλλος ἐπ' ἄλλῳ· καὶ ὃν ἐμαυτῷ νόμον ἔθηκα, φυλάξαι δυνηθῶ σὺν ὥρᾳ, καὶ χάριτι, καὶ σεμνότητι βίου καὶ λόγων· πανταχόθεν τε ἡμῖν παντεκνεὶ, καὶ πανοικεὶ, καὶ παγγενεὶ, καὶ ὁλικῶς ἐκβῇ τὰ πράγματα, εὐχῆς καλλίω καὶ τῶν πρότερον βελτίω. Καὶ πάντα ταῦτα ναὶ, ναὶ, ναὶ, τετελεσμένα καὶ τελεσθησόμενα ἔσται· ὅπως ἐς ἀεὶ ἐργάζηται τὸ ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ παρηγορικὸν καὶ ἰαματικὸν ῥῆμά σου, τὸ περιέχον οὕτως· "Ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτὸς ὁ λαλῶν· πάρειμι ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά· ὅτι ἀκουστὴν 39.769 ποιήσω τὴν σωτηρίαν σου, λέγων· Σιὼν, βασιλεύσει σου ὁ Θεός." Καὶ σχοίημεν ἀτελεύτητον καὶ μετὰ τελευτὴν τὴν ζωὴν καὶ τὴν χάριν διαιωνίζουσαν, διὰ τὸ ἀγαθώτατον, καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατον, καὶ σωστικώτατον, καὶ δεδοξασμένον, καὶ εὐχαριστούμενον εἰς ἀπεράντους αἰῶνας αἰώνων ὄνομά σου, τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Θεοῦ Πατρὸς παντοκράτορος, καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ παναγίου, καὶ ζωοποιοῦ, καὶ δημιουργοῦ Πνεύματός σου. Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν, ἀμήν. Καὶ ἐροῦσι πάντοτε πάντες πανταχοῦ οἱ ὀρθοδόξων Χριστιανῶν λαοί· Γένοιτο, γένοιτο, γένοιτο.