43

by humbling himself he shall be exalted; then, if through a smooth and uninterrupted course he practices and trains himself in the pursuits of humility in every matter. For only thus will he be able by constant practice to acquire the habit of humility; just as is accustomed to happen in the case of the arts. And the same manner of right-doing applies also to every virtue according to the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ. QUESTION 109. How might one be eager to risk even dangers for the sake of the Lord’s commandment? ANSWER. First, by being reminded that the Lord Himself was obedient to the Father on our behalf, even unto death; then, by being fully convinced of the power of the commandment, that 31.1216 it is eternal life, as it is written; then, by believing the Lord who said: Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life. for my sake and the Gospel's, he will save it. QUESTION 200. How can those who have labored long in the work of God benefit those who are newly come? ANSWER. If they are strong in body, by showing unwearied zeal, and offering themselves as a model of every right action; but if they are weak, by being in such a state of soul that the full assurance of God’s oversight and of the Lord’s presence is evident in their face and in every movement; and in the qualities of love enumerated by the Apostle, when he said: Love is patient, is kind, is not jealous, is not boastful, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. For all these things can be achieved even in a weak body. QUESTION 201. How does one achieve undistractedness in prayer? ANSWER. By being fully convinced that God is before one’s eyes. For if someone, seeing a ruler or a superior, and speaking with him, keeps his gaze undistracted, how much more will one who is praying to God keep his mind undistracted from Him who tests hearts and minds, fulfilling what is written: Lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputes. QUESTION 202 If it is possible to achieve undistractedness in everything and at all times; and how does one achieve it? ANSWER. That it is possible, he who said has shown: My eyes are ever toward the Lord; and, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. And how it is possible, has been said before: that it is by not giving occasion for idleness to the soul from the thought of God and of God’s works and gifts, and from confession and thanksgiving for all things. 31.1217 QUESTION 203. Concerning the right actions according to the Lord’s commandment, is there one measure for all, or does one have more, and another less? ANSWER. That there is not one measure for all, but that one is entrusted with and demonstrates more, and another less, is clear from the Lord’s words, when He sometimes said: But he that was sown on the good ground, this is he that hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and yields, one a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty; which is also found in the case of those who received the minas; and at another time, To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. QUESTION 204. How is one counted worthy to become a partaker of the Holy Spirit? ANSWER. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught, saying: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may be with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive. As long, therefore, as we do not keep all the commandments of the Lord, nor are we such that it is testified of us by Him, that You are not of this world, let us not expect to be counted worthy of the Holy Spirit. QUESTION 205. Who are the poor in spirit? ANSWER. Since the Lord says at one time that, The words that I

43

ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται· ἔπειτα, ἐὰν δι' ὁμαλοῦ καὶ ἀδιαστάτως τοῖς τῆς ταπεινοφροσύ νης ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐν παντὶ πράγματι ἐμμελετήσῃ καὶ συγγυμνάσηται. Μόλις γὰρ οὕτω δυνήσεται τῇ διηνεκεῖ μελέτῃ ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν ἕξιν τῆς ταπει νοφροσύνης· ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τεχνῶν γίνεσθαι εἴωθεν. Ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς τρόπος τῆς κατορθώσεως καὶ ἐπὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς τῆς κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΘʹ. Πῶς ἄν τις προθυμηθείη καὶ πρὸς κινδύνους ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου παραβου λεύεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πρῶτον μὲν ὑπομνησθεὶς, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπήκουσε τῷ Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου· εἶτα πληροφορηθεὶς τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἐντολῆς, ὅτι 31.1216 ζωὴ αἰώνιός ἐστι, καθὼς γέγραπται· ἔπειτα, πι στεύσας τῷ Κυρίῳ εἰπόντι· Ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ' ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ. ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, οὗτος σώσει αὐτήν. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Σʹ. Οἱ προκαμόντες ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πῶς δύνανται ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ἄρτι προσερ χομένους. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν ἰσχύουσι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, ἐν τῷ τὸ ἄοκνον τῆς σπουδῆς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καὶ τύπον ἑαυτοὺς παρ έχειν παντὸς κατορθώματος· εἰ δὲ ἀσθενοῦσιν, ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ καταστάσει τῆς ψυχῆς, ὡς ἐπιφαίνε σθαι τῷ τε προσώπῳ καὶ παντὶ κινήματι τὴν πλη ροφορίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐποψίας, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίας· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπηριθμημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ἰδιώμασι τῆς ἀγάπης, εἰπόν τος· Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται, οὐ ζη λοῖ, οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημο νεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λο γίζεται τὸ κακὸν, οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πάντα στέγει, πάν τα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομέ νει. Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ἐκπίπτει. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα καὶ ἐν ἀσθενοῦντι σώματι δυνατὸν κατορθοῦ σθαι. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΑʹ. Πῶς κατορθοῖ τις ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ τὸ ἀμετεώ ριστον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πληροφορηθεὶς πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν εἶναι τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ, ἄρχοντά τις ἢ προεστῶτα θεωρῶν, καὶ διαλε γόμενος αὐτῷ, ἀμετεώριστον ἔχει τὸ ὄμμα, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ προσευχόμενος τῷ Θεῷ ἀμετεώριστον ἕξει τὸν νοῦν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐτάζοντος καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς, πληρῶν τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας, χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμῶν. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΒʹ Εἰ δυνατὸν κατορθῶσαι τὸ ἐν παντὶ καὶ πάντοτε ἀμετεώριστον· καὶ πῶς κατορθοῖ τις. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅτι δυνατὸν, ἔδειξεν ὁ εἰπών· Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διαπαντὸς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· καὶ, Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ. Πῶς δὲ δυνατὸν, προ είρηται· ὅτι ἐν τῷ μὴ διδόναι καιρὸν ἀργίας τῇ ψυχῇ ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργων τε καὶ δωρεῶν ἐννοίας, καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἐξομολογήσεως καὶ εὐχαριστίας. 31.1217 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΓ. Τῶν κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου κατορθωμάτων πό τερον ἓν μέτρον ἐστὶν ἐν πᾶσιν, ἢ ὁ μὲν πλεῖον ἔχει, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἓν μέτρον ἐν πᾶσιν, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν πλεῖον καὶ πιστεύεται καὶ ἐπιδείκνυται, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον, δῆλον ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ῥημάτων, ποτὲ μὲν εἰπόν τος· Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν σπαρεὶς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συν ιών· ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ, καὶ ποιεῖ ὁ μὲν ἑκατὸν, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ τριάκοντα· ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τὰς μνᾶς ὑποδεξαμένων εὑρίσκεται· ποτὲ δὲ, Ὧ μὲν ἔδωκε πέντε τάλαντα, ᾧ δὲ δύο, ᾧ δὲ ἕν. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Σ∆ʹ. Πῶς καταξιοῦταί τις Πνεύματος ἁγίου γενέ σθαι μέτοχος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐδίδαξεν, εἰπών· Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσατε. Καὶ ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον Παρά κλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα μένῃ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν. Ἕως οὖν οὐ τηροῦμεν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐδέ ἐσμεν τοιοῦτοι, ὥστε μαρτυρηθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτι Ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, Πνεύματος ἁγίου καταξιωθῆναι μὴ προσδοκήσωμεν. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΕ. Τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος ποτὲ μὲν ὅτι, Τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ