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we owe to God, or how are we able to be deemed worthy of it. RESPONSE. Indeed, we learn understanding from God himself through the prophet, who says: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, and let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, in understanding and knowing the 31.1228 Lord; and through the Apostle who said: But understanding what the will of the Lord is. And we are able to be deemed worthy of this, if we do what is written: Be still, and know that I am God; and if we believe that every word of God is true; For if you do not believe, he says, you will not understand. QUESTION 219. If we receive a benefit from someone, how can we both render to the Lord the due thanksgiving, pure and complete, and fulfill our duty towards the benefactor with knowledge, neither falling short of, nor exceeding the measure. RESPONSE. If we are fully persuaded that God is the author and finisher of every good thing; and if we recognize the minister as a servant of God's beneficence. QUESTION 220. Whether it is necessary to permit everyone who wishes to meet with sisters; or who, and when, and how will he meet with sisters. RESPONSE. Concerning these things it has been said in the longer rules, that not even man with man ought each to meet freely, simply and at random; but after examination, he who is able to benefit and be benefited, how much less with a woman. But if someone remembers the Lord saying, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, he fears such a judgment in every matter, and he obeys the Apostle who said: Whether you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God; and elsewhere: Let all things be done for edification; and he does not endure to do anything idly and unprofitably. But the "Who, and when, and how," is so that the time and place and person may be approved, from which there will be not even a suspicion of any evil; and that which is without offense to all will be preserved, and the meeting will be for the edification of the faith. But the rule does not permit one person to meet with one. For two, he says, are better than one, and at the same time trustworthy; But woe to him that is alone, for if he falls, there is no one to lift him up. 31.1229 QUESTION 221. Since the Lord teaches to pray not to enter into temptation, should one pray not to fall into bodily pains; and if one falls into them, how may he pass through them. RESPONSE. He did not distinguish the quality of the temptation, but commanded universally: Pray that you may not enter into temptation; but having been brought into it, one must ask from the Lord that with the temptation there also be a way of escape, so that one may be able to bear it, so that for us may be accomplished the saying, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. QUESTION 222. Who is the adversary of each of us; or how shall we be well-disposed toward him. RESPONSE. Observantly here the Lord names as adversary the one attempting to take away something of what belongs to us. And we are well-disposed toward him if we keep the commandment of the Lord who said: To him that will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also, and likewise in every such matter. QUESTION 223. Since the Lord said, "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to men to be fasting;" one who wishes to fast for some reason pleasing to God, as also the saints are found to have often done, since even when he does not wish it, he is seen, what shall he do. RESPONSE. This command is for those who make it their practice to do the commandment of God in order to be seen by men, so that they may heal the passion of men-pleasing. Since indeed the commandment of the Lord, being done for the glory of God, is by nature unsuited to be hidden by those who love God, the Lord has shown, saying: A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden; neither do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel, and so forth.

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Θεοῦ ὀφείλομεν, ἢ πῶς αὐτῆς καταξιωθῆναι δυνάμεθα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὴν μὲν σύνεσιν παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ προφή του μανθάνομεν, λέγοντος· Μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ πλούσιος ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτοῦ· ἀλλὰ ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν τῷ συνιεῖν καὶ γινώσκειν τὸν 31.1228 Κύριον· καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος· Ἀλλὰ συνιέντες, τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Κυρίου. ∆υνάμεθα δὲ ταύτης καταξιωθῆναι, ἐὰν ποιήσωμεν τὸ γεγραμ μένον· Σχολάσατε, καὶ γνῶτε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεός· καὶ ἐὰν πιστεύσωμεν ἀληθὲς εἶναι πᾶν ῥῆμα Θεοῦ· Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ πιστεύσητε, φησὶν, οὐδὲ μὴ συνῆτε. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΙΘʹ. Ἐὰν εὐεργετηθῶμεν παρά τινος, πῶς δυνηθῶμεν καὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ τὴν ὀφειλομένην εὐχαριστίαν καθαρὰν καὶ ὁλόκληρον ἀποδοῦναι, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν εὐεργέτην ἐπιστημόνως πληρῶσαι, μήτε ἐλλείποντες, μήτε ὑπερβαίνοντες τὸ μέ τρον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν τὸν μὲν Θεὸν ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ εἶναι πληροφορηθῶμεν· τὸν δὲ διάκονον ὡς ὑπηρέτην τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐεργεσίας γνωρίσωμεν. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚʹ. Εἰ παντὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ ἀδελφαῖς συντυγχάνειν ἐπιτρέπειν χρή· ἢ τίς, καὶ πότε, καὶ πῶς ἀδελ φαῖς συντεύξεται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Περὶ τούτων εἴρηται ἐν τοῖς κατὰ πλάτος, ὅτι οὔτε ἀνδρὶ ἀνὴρ κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἕκαστος ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε συντυγχάνειν ὀφείλει· μετὰ δοκιμασίας δὲ ὁ δυνάμενος ὠφελῆσαι καὶ ὠφεληθῆναι, οὐχ ὅτι γε γυναικί. Εἰ δέ τις μνημονεύει τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, ὅτι Πᾶν ῥῆμα ἀργὸν ὃ ἐὰν λαλήσωσιν οἱ ἄνθρω ποι, ἀποδώσουσι λόγον περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, φοβεῖται ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος τὸ τοιοῦτον κρῖμα, καὶ πείθεται τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ εἰπόντι· Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Πάντα πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν γινέσθω· καὶ οὐδὲν ἀνέχεται ποιῆσαι ἀργῶς καὶ ἀνωφελῶς. Τὸ δὲ, Τίς, καὶ πότε, καὶ πῶς, ἵνα καιρὸς καὶ τόπος, καὶ πρόσωπον δοκιμάζηται, ἀφ' ὧν κακοῦ μέν τινος οὔτε ὑποψία ἔσται· τὸ δὲ ἀπρόσκοπον τοῖς πᾶσι φυλαχθήσεται, καὶ πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως ἡ συντυχία γενήσεται. Ἀλλ' οὔτε ἓν πρόσωπον ἑνὶ συντυγχάνειν ἐπιτρέπει ὁ λό γος. Ἀγαθοὶ γὰρ οἱ δύο, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνα, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἀξιόπιστοι· Οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ ἑνὶ, ὅτι, ἐὰν πέσῃ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐγείρων. 31.1229 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚΑʹ. Τοῦ Κυρίου διδάσκοντος προσεύχεσθαι μὴ εἰσελ θεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, εἰ δεῖ προσεύχεσθαι μὴ περιπεσεῖν ὀδύναις σωματικαῖς· ἐὰν δὲ περιπέσῃ τις, πῶς παρέλθῃ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οὐ διέκρινε πειρασμοῦ ποιότητα, καθολικῶς δὲ προσέταξε· Προσεύχεσθε μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· εἰσαχθέντα δὲ σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ τὴν ἔκβασιν τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν, παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτεῖν δεῖ, ἵνα κατορθωθῇ ἡμῖν τὸ, Ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚΒ. Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀντίδικος ἑκάστου ἡμῶν· ἢ πῶς αὐτῷ εὐνοήσομεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐπιτετηρημένως ἐνταῦθα ὁ Κύριος ἀντίδικον ὀνο μάζει τὸν ἀφαιρεῖσθαί τι ἐπιχειροῦντα τῶν διαφε ρόντων ἡμῖν. Εὐνοοῦμεν δὲ αὐτῷ, ἐὰν φυλάξωμεν τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγμα τος τοιούτου ὁμοίως. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚΓʹ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, «Σὺ δὲ νηστεύων, ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι, ἵνα μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων·» ὁ θέλων διά τινα λόγον ἀρέσκοντα Θεῷ νη στεῦσαι, καθὼς καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι πολλάκις πεποιη κότες εὑρίσκονται, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὡς οὐ θέλει φαίνεται, τί ποιήσει. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸ παράγγελμα τοῦτό ἐστι πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιτηδεύον τας ποιεῖν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἵνα τὸ πάθος τῆς ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας θεραπεύσωσιν. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Κυ ρίου, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ γενομένη, κατὰ φύσιν ἀνεπιτη δείως ἔχει πρὸς τὸ κρύπτεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς φι λοθέοις, ὁ Κύριος ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη· οὐδὲ καίουσι λύχνον, καὶ τιθέασιν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μό διον, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.