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For blessed, it says, 31.1277 is the servant, whom his lord, when he comes, will find so doing.

QUESTION 277. What is the closet, into which the Lord commands the one who prays to enter? RESPONSE. Custom knows to name "closet" a room that is quiet and secluded, in which we store whatever we may wish to keep safe; or in which it is possible to be hidden, according to what was also said in the prophet: Go, my people, enter into your closet, hide yourself. But the context makes clear the meaning of the commandment; for the saying is directed towards those who are sick with the passion of pleasing men. Therefore, if anyone is troubled by that passion, he does well to withdraw in prayer and be alone, until he is able to acquire the habit of not looking around for praises from men, but to look only to God, according to the one who said: Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters; as the eyes of a maidservant are on the hands of her mistress; so are our eyes toward the Lord our God. But if anyone by the grace of God is pure from that passion, he has no need to hide what is good. Which the Lord himself, teaching, says: A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The same meaning also applies to almsgiving and to fasting, which are mentioned in the same passage; and in general to every matter of piety.

QUESTION 278. How does one's spirit pray, but his mind is unfruitful? RESPONSE This was said concerning those who offer up prayers in a tongue unknown to the hearers. For he says: If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. For when the words of the prayer are unknown to those present, the mind of the one praying is unfruitful, since no one is edified; but when those present understand the prayer that is able to edify the hearers, then the one praying has as fruit the improvement of those who are edified. And likewise also for every utterance of the words of God. For it is written: But whatever is good for the building up of faith. 31.1280

QUESTION 279. What is the meaning of, "Sing praises with understanding?" RESPONSE. What the sense of the quality of each food is in the case of foods, this is what understanding is in the case of the words of holy Scripture. For the throat, it says, tastes foods, but the mind discerns words. If, therefore, someone so disposes his soul to the power of each word, as he disposes his taste to the quality of each food, such a one has fulfilled the commandment that says: Sing praises with understanding.

QUESTION 280. Who is the pure in heart? RESPONSE. He who does not convict himself of setting aside a commandment of God, either by omission or by neglect.

QUESTION 281. Concerning the one unwilling to sing psalms, whether she should be compelled. RESPONSE. If she does not come to sing psalms with desire, and if the disposition of the one who said does not appear in her: How sweet are your words to my throat, more than honey to my mouth; and if she does not consider idleness a great loss, let her either be corrected, or let her be removed, lest a little leaven corrupt the whole lump.

QUESTION 282. Who are those who say, "We ate in your presence and drank," and hear, "I do not know you?" RESPONSE. Perhaps they are those whom the Apostle described in his own person, saying: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and what follows. And if I have all knowledge, and all faith; and if I give all my possessions to feed the poor; and if I give over the

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Μακάριος γὰρ, φησὶν, 31.1277 ὁ δοῦλος, ὃν ἐλθὼν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ, εὑρήσει ποιοῦντα οὕτως.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΟΖʹ. Ποῖόν ἐστι τὸ ταμιεῖον, εἰς ὃ εἰσελθεῖν τὸν προσ ευχόμενον προστάσσει ὁ Κύριος; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ταμιεῖον μὲν ἡ συνήθεια ὀνομάζειν οἶδεν οἶκον σχο λάζοντα καὶ ἀνακεχωρημένον, ἐν ᾧ ἀποτιθέμεθα ἅπερ ἂν ταμιεύσασθαι βουληθῶμεν· ἢ ἐν ᾧ κρυβῆ ναι δυνατὸν, κατὰ τὸ καὶ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ εἰρημένον· Βάδιζε, λαός μου, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖόν σου, ἀποκρύβηθι. Τὴν δὲ δύναμιν τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ὑπόθε σις σαφηνίζει· πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς νοσοῦντας τὸ πάθος τῆς ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας ὁ λόγος ἐστίν. Ὥστε ἐὰν μέν τις ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους ἐκείνου παρενοχλῆται, καλῶς ποιεῖ, ὑπαναχωρῶν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ μονούμενος, μέχρις ἂν δυνηθῇ ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν ἕξιν τοῦ μὴ περιβλέ πεσθαι εἰς τοὺς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπαίνους, εἰς μόνον δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποβλέπειν, κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· Ἰδοὺ, ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ δούλων εἰς χεῖρας τῶν κυ ρίων αὐτῶν· ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ παιδίσκης εἰς χεῖρας τῆς κυρίας αὐτῆς· οὕτως οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν. Ἐὰν δέ τις Θεοῦ χάριτι καθαρεύῃ τοῦ πάθους ἐκείνου, οὐκ ἔχει ἀνάγκην κρύ πτειν τὸ καλόν. Ὅπερ διδάσκων αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, λέ γει· Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη. Οὐδὲ καίουσι λύχνον, καὶ τιθέασιν αὐ τὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, καὶ λάμπει πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. Οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς νοῦς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς νηστείας, ἅπερ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τόπῳ κεῖται· καὶ καθόλου ἐπὶ παν τὸς πράγματος τῆς θεοσεβείας.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΟΗʹ. Πῶς τὸ πνεῦμά τινος προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς αὐ τοῦ ἄκαρπός ἐστιν; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Τοῦτο περὶ τῶν ἐν γλώσσῃ ἀγνοουμένῃ τοῖς ἀκούουσι τὰς προσευχὰς ἀναπεμπόντων ἐῤῥήθη. Φησὶ γάρ· Ἐὰν προσεύχωμαι γλώσσῃ, τὸ πνεῦμά μου προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ἄκαρπός ἐστιν. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἄγνωστα ᾖ τοῖς παροῦσι τὰ ῥήματα τῆς προσευχῆς, ἄκαρπός ἐστιν ὁ νοῦς τοῦ προσευχομέ νου, μηδενὸς ὠφελουμένου· ὅταν δὲ οἱ παρόντες νοῶσι τὴν προσευχὴν ὠφελεῖν δυναμένην τοὺς ἀκούοντας, τότε ὁ προσευχόμενος καρπὸν ἔχει τὴν τῶν ὠφελου μένων βελτίωσιν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πάσης ἐκφω νήσεως τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥημάτων. Γέγραπται γάρ· Ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως. 31.1280

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΟΘʹ Τί ἐστι τὸ, «Ψάλατε συνετῶς;» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τῶν βρωμάτων ἡ αἴσθησις τῆς ποιότητος ἑκάστου βρώματος, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς ἡ σύνεσις. Λάρυγξ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, σῖτα γεύεται, νοῦς δὲ ῥήματα δια κρίνει. Ἐὰν οὖν τις οὕτω συνδιατεθῇ τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ δυνάμει ἑκάστου ῥήματος, ὡς συνδιατίθεται τὴν γεῦσιν τῇ ποιότητι ἑκάστου βρώματος, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐπλήρωσε τὴν ἐντολὴν τὴν λέγουσαν· Ψάλατε συ ετῶς.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠʹ Τίς ἐστιν ὁ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ μὴ λαμβανόμενος ἑαυτοῦ ἐπὶ ἀθετήσει ἐντολῆς Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐλλείψει, ἢ ἀμελείᾳ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠΑʹ. Τὴν μὴ θέλουσαν ψάλαι, εἰ χρὴ ἀναγκά ζεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὴ ἐπιθυμητικῶς ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὸ ψάλλειν, καὶ εἰ μὴ ἐπιφαίνεται αὐτῇ ἡ διάθεσις τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου· καὶ εἰ μὴ ζημίαν μεγάλην ἡγεῖ ται τὴν ἀργίαν, ἢ διορθωσάσθω, ἢ ἐξαρθήτω, ἵνα μὴ μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα δολώσῃ

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠΒʹ. Τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ λέγοντες, «Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ἐπίομεν,» καὶ ἀκούοντες, «Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς;» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τάχα ἐκεῖνοι, οὓς ὑπέγραψεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἰδίου προσώπου, εἰπών· Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ, καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν· καὶ ἐὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου· καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ