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of darkness and of light; moving in relation to this one, but in fantasy to that one.

1.79 (οθ΄) Let prayer remain with the mind, like a ray in the sun; without it the cares of the senses, like certain waterless clouds flying about, shut the mind out from its proper splendor.

1.80 (π΄) A passionate mind (15∆_346> cannot enter within the narrow gate of prayer, before it leaves behind its habitual care; but around its outer courts, it will be constantly pained by its occupation.

1.81 (πα΄) The power of prayer is a voluntary hunger for food; and of hunger, it is to neither see nor hear any worldly thing, unless there is absolute necessity. He who does not take care for these things has not strengthened the edifice of fasting, but has caused that of prayer to be shattered within it.

1.82 (πβ΄) Unless the mind becomes unencumbered by all things of the senses, it cannot be uplifted and recognize its proper dignity.

1.83 (πγ΄) Prayer, strengthened by tears, puts all thoughts hostile to it outside the soul; 1420 but distraction of the mind, strengthened by the law of levity, brings them back in; he who exiles this levity has also exiled along with it the evil that is the cause of all boldness.

1.84 (πδ΄) Fasting is a symbol of the day, because of its visibility; and prayer, of the night, because of its invisibility. Therefore, he who justly practices each of these in each season will come to the city of the spies, where pain, sorrow and sighing have fled away in Christ.

1.85 (πε΄) Spiritual work is naturally established even without bodily work. Blessed, therefore, is he who considers immaterial work superior to material work. For through it he has fulfilled the lack of work, living the life of prayer, hidden, yet manifest to God.

(15∆_348>1.86 (πστ΄) The Apostle exhorts us to be patient in faith, to rejoice in hope, to be constant in prayer, so that the good of joy may remain with us. If this is so, then he who is not patient is not faithful; and he who does not rejoice is not hopeful; for he has cast away prayer, the cause of joy, by not being constant in it.

1.87 (πζ΄) If the mind, having been occupied from the beginning with worldly thoughts, acquired such great friendship with them, how much intimacy will it not have in continuous prayer? For in those things, he says, in which it lingers, in them it is also accustomed to expand.

1.88 (πη΄) Just as the mind, long ago separated from its own dwelling place, forgot its splendor, so must it, becoming again forgetful of things here, run back to that splendor through prayer.

1.89 (πθ΄) Like an infant at its mother’s breasts which have grown cold, so will the mind be found towards a prayer that cannot comfort it; but towards one that is otherwise, it is like a child falling asleep with pleasure in her arms.

1421 1.90 (ƒ΄) There, he says, that is in the mournful prayer of the virtuous life, as the bride in the Song would say, prayer also says to her lover: I will give my breasts to you, if you are wholly disposed to me.

1.91 (ƒα΄) He who has not renounced all material things, except for food and shelter, cannot acquire friendship with prayer. Be outside of all other things in prayer, you who wish to be with the mind alone.

(15∆_350> 1.92 (ƒβ΄) The testimony of one who loves God is single-thoughted prayer; and timely speech is of a prudent thought; and simple taste would be of the free sense. In these three, therefore, the affairs of the soul are said to be strong.

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σκότους καί φωτός· κατά σχέσιν μέν τούτου, κατά δέ φαντασίαν ἐκείνου ἀναστρεφομένην.

1.79 (οθ΄) Συμπαραμενέτω τῷ νῷ ἡ εὐχή, ὡς ἐν ἡλίῳ ἀκτίς· ἧς ἄνευ αἱ κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν μέριμναι, οἷά τινες ἄνυδροι νεφέλαι περιπετόμεναι, τόν νοῦν εἴργουσι τῆς οἰκείας λαμπρότητος.

1.80 (π΄) Ἔνδον τῆς κατά τήν εὐχήν στενῆς πύλης, νοῦς παθητικός (15∆_346> οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν, πρό τοῦ τήν κατά σχέσιν ἀπολιπεῖν μέριμναν· περί δέ τά περισκήνια ἐκείνης, ὀδυνηθήσεται διά παντός ἀσχολούμενος.

1.81 (πα΄) ∆ύναμις μέν εὐχῆς πείνα βρωμάτων ἑκούσιος· πείνης δέ, τό μήτε ὁρᾷν, μήτε ἀκούειν, ὅτι μή πᾶσα ἀνάγκη, τῶν ἐγκοσμίων οὐδέν. Τούτων ὁ μή ποιούμενος πρόνοιαν, τό μέν τῆς νηστείας οὐκ ἐστερέωσεν οἰκοδόμημα· τό δέ τῆς εὐχῆς ἐν αὐτῇ περιῤῥαγῆναι ἐποίησεν.

1.82 (πβ΄) Ἀπέριττος εἰ μή ἐκ πάντων ὁ νοῦς τῶν κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν γένηται, ἀνωφερής γενέσθαι οὐ δύναται, καί τό οἰκεῖον γνωρίσαι ἀξίωμα.

1.83 (πγ΄) Ἔξω μέν ποιεῖται τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ εὐχή, πάντας τούς ἐχθραίνοντας αὐτῇ λογισμούς, δυναμουμένη τοῖς δάκρυσιν· 1420 ἀντεισάγει δέ τούτους ὁ μετεωρισμός τοῦ νοός, νόμῳ εὐτραπελίας ἐνδυναμούμενος· ἥν ὁ ἐξορίζων, συνεξόριστον καί τό παναίτιον πεποίηκε τῆς παῤῥησίας κακόν.

1.84 (πδ΄) Ἡμέρας μέν σύμβολον ἡ νηστεία, διά τό ἔκδηλον· νυκτός δέ διά τό ἄδηλον, ἡ εὐχή. Ἑκατέραν οὖν τούτων ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ ἐνδίκως ὁ μετερχόμενος, πρός τήν τῶν κατασκόπων ἀπαντήσεται πόλιν, ἐν ᾗ ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη, λύπη καί στεναγμός ἐν Χριστῷ.

1.85 (πε΄) Ἡ πνευματική ἐργασία, καί σωματικοῦ ἔργου ἐκτός συνίστασθαι πέφυκε. Μακάριος οὖν ὁ κρείσσονα τοῦ ἐνύλου ἔργου, τήν ἄϋλον ἡγησάμενος ἐργασίαν. ∆ι᾿ αὐτῆς γάρ τήν τοῦ ἔργου ἐπλήρωσεν ἔλλειψιν, ζήσας τήν κεκρυμμένην ζωήν τῆς εὐχῆς καί φανεράν τῷ Θεῷ.

(15∆_348>1.86 (πστ΄) Ὑπομένειν μέν ἡμᾶς τῇ πίστει παρακαλεῖ ὁ Ἀπόστολος· χαίρειν τῇ ἐλπίδι, τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖν, ἵνα τό τῆς χαρᾶς ἡμῖν παραμείνῃ καλόν. Εἰ δέ τοῦτο, ἄρα ὁ μή ὑπομένων, οὐ πιστός· ὁ δέ οὐ χαίρων, οὐκ εὔελπις· ἀπεβάλετο γάρ τήν αἰτίαν τῆς χαρᾶς προσευχήν, ἐν τῷ μή προσκαρτερεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ.

1.87 (πζ΄) Εἰ τοῖς ἐγκοσμίοις λογισμοῖς ὁ νοῦς ἐξ ἀρχῆς συναναστραφείς, τοσαύτην ἐν αὐτοῖς τήν φιλίαν ἐκτήσατο, πόσην οὐκ ἄν οἰκειότητα σχῇ ἐν εὐχῇ συνεχεῖ· καί γάρ ἐν οἷς, φησί, χρονίζει, ἐν αὐτοῖς καί πλατύνεσθαι εἴωθεν.

1.88 (πη΄) Ὥσπερ τοῦ ἰδίου οἰκητηρίου πάλαι διαιρεθείς ὁ νοῦς, τῆς ἐκείνου λαμπρότητος ἐπελάθετο· οὕτω δεῖ τοῦτον αὖθις ἐν λήθῃ τῶν ὦδε γενόμενον, πρός ἐκείνην ἀναδραμεῖν δι᾿ εὐχῆς.

1.89 (πθ΄) Καθάπερ νήπιον πρός μαστούς ἐναποψυγέντας μητρός, οὕτως εὑρεθήσεται νοῦς πρός εὐχήν τήν μή δυναμένην παρακαλέσαι αὐτόν· πρός δέ τήν ἄλλως ἔχουσαν, ὡς παιδίον τό ὑφ᾿ ἡδονῆς ἐναφυπνοῦν ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις αὐτῆς.

1421 1.90 (ƒ΄) Ἐκεῖ φησίν, ἐν τῇ πενθίμῳ δηλονότι εὐχῇ τῆς ἐναρέτου ζωῆς, κατά τήν ἐν τῷ Ἄσματι φήσειε νύμφην καί ἡ εὐχή πρός τόν ἑαυτῆς ἐραστήν, δώσω τούς μαστούς μου σοί, εἰ ὁλικῶς μοι διατεθῇς.

1.91 (ƒα΄) Φιλίαν πρός τήν εὐχήν οὐ δύναται κτήσασθαι, ὁ μή πᾶσαν ὕλην ἀπαρνησάμενος, πλήν τροφῆς καί σκέπης. Ἔξω τῶν ἄλλων γενοῦ ἐν εὐχῇ, ὁ θέλων μετά μόνου γενέσθαι τοῦ νοῦ.

(15∆_350> 1.92 (ƒβ΄) Τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς μαρτύριον, εὐχή μονολόγιστος· λόγος δέ καίριος, ἔμφρονος λογισμοῦ· μονοειδής δέ γεῦσις, τῆς ἐλευθέρας εἴη αἰσθήσεως. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν τοῖς τρισίν, ἐῤῥῶσθαι τά τῆς ψυχῆς λέγεται.