43

We who have sinned were immediately cast outside, from the house of David, and this we have suffered unfeelingly, and let us run through repentance! For from there all who have been cast out enter, otherwise it is not possible to enter from within, be not deceived, nor to see the things which have been accomplished in it, and are now being accomplished and for infinite ages in my Christ and God, to whom is due all glory, honor and worship now and unto the ages. Amen.

XVI.

That only the Divine is by nature desirable and longed for, he who partakes of which has come to partake in all good things (94)

O what is the thing hidden from every created substance, and what is the intelligible light, which is seen by no one, and what is the great wealth, which no one in the world was ever able to find or to possess completely? For it is incomprehensible to all, uncontainable by the world, it is also desirable, inasmuch as God Himself who fashioned them surpasses the things that are seen. Because of this I am wounded by His love; inasmuch as He is not seen by me I melt in my senses, my mind and my heart burning and groaning. I walk about and burn, seeking here and there, and nowhere do I find the lover of my soul; and I look around often, to see my desired one, and He, as invisible, is not seen at all. But when I begin to lament as one in despair, then He is seen by me and looks at me, He who oversees all things; marveling, I am astonished at the beauty of His fairness, and how, having opened the heavens, the creator stooped down and showed to me His ineffable and strange glory; and who then shall come nearer to Him or how shall he be borne up to the immeasurable height? (95) As I consider this, He is found within me, shining inside my wretched heart, shining all around me with immortal splendor, illuminating all my members with His rays, wholly embracing, He kisses me wholly, and He gives His whole self to me, the unworthy, and I am sated with His love and beauty, and I am filled with divine pleasure and sweetness. I partake of the light, I share also in the glory, and my face shines like that of my desired one, and all my members become light-bearing.

43

ἔξω οἱ ἁμαρτήσαντες ἐβλήθημεν εὐθέως ἀπό τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ∆αυίδ καί τοῦτο ἀναισθήτως πεπόνθαμεν, καί δράμωμεν διά τῆς μετανοίας! Ἐκεῖθεν γάρ εἰσέρχονται οἱ ἐκβληθέντες πάντες, ἄλλως δ᾿ οὐκ ἔνι ἔνδοθεν εἰσελθεῖν, μή πλανᾶσθε, οὐδέ ἰδεῖν τά ἐν αὐτῷ τελεσιουργηθέντα, καί νῦν τελεσιουργούμενα καί εἰς ἀπείρους αἰῶνας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ μου καί Θεῷ, ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμή τε καί προσκύνησις νῦν καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

Ιστ'.

Ὅτι ποθεινόν τε καί ἐπιθυμητόν κατά φύσιν μόνον τό Θεῖον, οὗ ὁ μετέχων πάντων ἐν μετοχῇ γέγονε τῶν καλῶν (94)

Ὤ τί τό πρᾶγμα τό κρυπτόν πάσῃ κτιστῇ οὐσίᾳ, καί τί τό φῶς τό νοητόν, ὅ τινι οὐχ ὁρᾶται, καί τίς ὁ πλοῦτος ὁ πολύς, ὅν οὐδείς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εὑρεῖν ὅλως ἐξίσχυσεν ἤ κατασχεῖν εἰς ἅπαν; Ἔστι γάρ πᾶσιν ἄληπτος, ἀχώρητος τῷ κόσμῳ, ἔστι καί ἐπιθυμητός, καθ᾿ ὅσον ὑπερέχει τῶν ὁρωμένων ὁ αὐτά Θεός κατασκευάσας. Κατά τοῦτο τιτρώσκομαι τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐκείνου˙ καθ᾿ ὅσον δ᾿ οὐχ ὁρᾶταί μοι ἐκτήκομαι τάς φρένας, τόν νοῦν καί τήν καρδίαν μου φλεγόμενος καί στένων. Περιπατῶ καί καίομαι ζητῶν ὧδε κἀκεῖσε καί οὐδαμοῦ τόν ἐραστήν εὑρίσκω τῆς ψυχῆς μου˙ καί περιβλέπομαι συχνῶς, ἰδεῖν τόν ποθητόν μου, κἀκεῖνος, ὡς ἀόρατος, οὐχ ὁρᾶται ὅλως. Ὅτε δέ ἄρξομαι θρηνεῖν ὡς ἀπελπίσας, τότε ὁρᾶταί μοι καί βλέπει με, ὁ καθορῶν τά πάντα˙ θαυμάζων καταπλήττομαι κάλλους τήν εὐμορφίαν, καί πῶς ἀνοίξας οὐρανούς διέκυψεν ὁ κτίστης καί δόξαν μοι παρέδειξε τήν ἄφραστον καί ξένην˙ καί τίς ἄρα ἐγγύτερον γενήσεται ἐκείνου ἤ πῶς ἀνενεχθήσεται εἰς ἀμέτρητον ὕψος; (95) Λογιζομένου μου, αὐτός εὑρίσκεται ἐντός μου, ἔνδον ἐν τῇ ταλαίνῃ μου καρδίᾳ ἀπαστράπτων, πάντοθεν περιλάμπων με τῇ ἀθανάτῳ αἴγλῃ, ἅπαντα δέ τά μέλη μου ἀκτῖσι καταυγάζων, ὅλος περιπλεκόμενος, ὅλον καταφιλεῖ με, ὅλον τε δίδωσιν αὑτόν ἐμοί τῷ ἀναξίῳ, καί ἐμφοροῦμαι τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀγάπης καί τοῦ κάλλους, καί ἡδονῆς καί γλυκασμοῦ ἐμπίπλαμαι τοῦ θείου. Μεταλαμβάνω τοῦ φωτός, μετέχω καί τῆς δόξης, καί λάμπει μου τό πρόσωπον ὡς καί τοῦ ποθητοῦ μου καί ἅπαντα τά μέλη μου γίνονται φωτοφόρα.