47
becoming members, Christ and our God is one and the same and remains undivided. (85)
When you are revealed, Master of all, and showing the glory of your face more clearly, I am completely seized with trembling, seeing you from above, as it is possible for me, who am humble by nature, and being held fast by fear I am astonished and I say: All your things are beyond my comprehension, my God, for I am unclean, completely unworthy of seeing you, the pure and holy Master, whom angels revere and serve with trembling, and from your face all creation is shaken. But when I say these things and close my eyes, that is, I turn my mind downward, being unable to look at or behold your unbearable sight, then I lament, deprived of your beauty, my God, not bearing the separation from you, the only lover of mankind. But you shine all around me as I lament and weep, alas, and I am astonished and I weep even more, marveling at your compassion toward me, the prodigal. Then I see the great unseemliness of my body (86) and the unworthiness of my wretched soul, and discerning these things I am beside myself, crying out: Who then am I, O God and maker of all things, and what good have I ever done in my life, or what commandment of yours have I ever worked, that you glorify me, the humble one, with such glory? And from where or for what reason have you deemed me, the wretched one, worthy to shine around me thus by night and by day? For did I ever thirst seeking you, my King, for did I suffer hardship in the labors of your commandments, did I endure temptations and scourges, as all the saints from of old who endured these things, so that you might save me, O Christ, numbering me with them? For you will not save me, the idle one, without works; even if you are exceedingly philanthropic as the creator of men,. I hear Paul saying that faith is dead, being without works, and I shudder at the punishments surely awaiting me there, me, the negligent one. How then would I dare as a faithful one with them
47
γινόμενος ὁ Χριστός καί Θεός ἡμῶν μέλη εἷς ἐστι καί ὁ αὐτός καί μένων ἀμέριστος. (85)
Ἀποκαλυπτομένου σου, ∆έσποτα τῶν ἁπάντων, καί δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου σου τρανότερον δεικνύντος ὅλος τρόμῳ συνέχομαι ἄνωθεν καθορῶν σε, ὡς ἐφικτόν ἐστιν ἐμοί, τῷ ταπεινῷ τήν φύσιν, καί φόβῳ συνεχόμενος ἐκπλήττομαι καί λέγω˙ Ὑπέρ κατάληψιν ἐμήν πάντα τά σά, Θεέ μου, καί γάρ εἰμι ἀκάθαρτος, ἀνάξιος εἰς ἅπαν τοῦ βλέπειν σε, τόν καθαρόν καί ἅγιον ∆εσπότην, ὅν εὐλαβοῦνται ἄγγελοι καί λειτουργοῦσι τρόμῳ, καί ἀπό τοῦ προσώπου σου κλονεῖται πᾶσα κτίσις. Ὅταν δέ ταῦτα εἴποιμι καί ὀφθαλμούς καμμύσω, τουτέστι κάτω μου τόν νοῦν ἀποστρέψω, μή βλέπειν ἤ καθορᾶν δυνάμενος τήν ἄστεκτόν σου θέαν, τότε θρηνῶ στερούμενος τοῦ κάλλους σου, Θεέ μου, μή φέρων σοῦ τόν χωρισμόν, τοῦ φιλανθρώπου μόνου. Θρηνοῦντα δέ καί κλαίοντα ὅλον με περιλάμπεις, βαβαί, καί καταπλήττομαι καί ἐπί πλεῖον κλαίω, τό πρός ἐμέ σου εὔσπλαγχονον τόν ἄσωτον θαυμάζων. Τότε βλέπω τοῦ σώματος πολλήν ἀσχημοσύνην (86) καί τήν ἀναξιότητα ψυχῆς μου τῆς ἀθλίας, καί ταῦτα τεκμαιρόμενος ἐξίσταμαι κραυγάζων˙ Τίς οὖν ἐγώ εἰμι, Θεέ καί ποιητά τῶν ὅλων, καί τίς ὅλως πεποίηκα ἀγαθόν ἐν τῷ βίῳ, ἤ ποίαν ὅλως σοῦ ποτε ἐντολήν εἰργασάμην, ὅτι τοιαύτῃ δόξῃ με τόν ταπεινόν δοξάζεις; Καί πόθεν ἤ καί διά τί οὕτως με περιλάμπειν, τόν ἄθλιον, ἠξίωσας ἐν νυκτί καί ἡμέρᾳ; Μή γάρ ποτε ἐδίψησα σέ ζητῶν, Βασιλεῦ μου, μή γάρ ἐκακοπάθησα σῶν ἐντολῶν τοῖς πόνοις, μή πειρασμούς ὑπέμεινα καί μάστιγας, ὡς πάντες οἱ ταῦτα καρτερήσαντες ἅγιοι ἀπ᾿ αἰῶνος, ὅπως ἐκείνοις με, Χριστέ, συναριθμήσας σώσῃς; Οὐ γάρ τῶν ἔργων με χωρίς σύ ῥᾳθυμοῦντα σώσεις˙ κἄν σφόδρα σύ φιλάνθρωπος ὡς πλάστης τῶν ἀνθρώπων,. Ἀκούω Παύλου λέγοντος νεκράν εἶναι τήν πίστιν ἔργων χωρίς τυγχάνουσαν καί φρίττω τιμωρίας πάντως ἐκεῖ μενούσας με, τόν κατημελημένον. Πῶς οὖν ἐγώ θαρρήσαιμι ὡς πιστός σύν ἐκείνοις