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you were caught making the sign of the cross) performing both the same prayers and genuflections without weakness. But since the penance is too little, he contributed the counterbalance balancing it with a contribution of sufficient almsgiving. Brother Eusebius will declare how much this is, whom with two other brothers at your request I allowed to be there by way of stewardship, both to give them rest from wandering here and there and for you to have the comfort of good cheer, not indeed in the place where the monastery is situated, but somewhere else, in a small field subordinate to the monastery. Guard yourself, therefore, beloved, for the future, as you also promised, not to fall into this again at all nor to go to see Anthony, but to be ready to depart not only from the monastery but also from the flesh for the sake of the love of Christ. 61 {1To Gregory the Abbot}1 We have already written to you according to the promise, as to our son, to shepherd the flock there with knowledge according to the Lord's command, overlooking nothing that contributes to the benefit of the brethren. For if he who is entrusted with irrational sheep does not sleep but stays awake, nor is he negligent but strives night and day lest any be caught by wild beasts or go missing, but also spies on thieves and robbers and drives away wild animals and speaks to the flock, and going before them he provides them food, leading them to waters of rest and shady places, and whatever else is to be seen in a shepherd's staff, what and how great must he be who has been allotted to preside over souls, whose blood, if any negligence should occur, will be required from his hands, as it is written? Attend, therefore, from now on, O child, watching over your flock; heal the sick, bring back the straying, comfort, admonish, remind those who walk in a manner worthy of saints of the promised kingdom and, on the contrary, the unending judgment for those who live passionately, so that you may thus save both yourself and those who hear you. He who loves disciplines diligently, but he who hates allows his followers to be indifferent. But you too, brothers and children in the Lord, shall be as sheep of Christ, loving to work his commandments and to conduct yourselves monastically, and not worldly. Let there be one will for all, one heart, one soul, not 'mine' and 'yours', everything in common, everything pure through confession; but if not so, you have both lost the worldly life and, not being true monks, you will be liable to a just condemnation. Loving, we have reminded you. May you fare well and be pleasing to God, praying also for us sinners, that we may be doers of these things which we teach, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory. Amen. 62 {1To Irene and Euphrosyne, nuns}1 As the brother and guestmaster was coming in, we thought it opportune to write a short note to you, sisters in the Lord. And so we ask, how is your holy dyad, all the sisters. Do you see how, as devoted to you like no other sisters according to God, we ask and speak with you? And rightly so; for where there is faith, there is also longing, drawing and being drawn in return through the Holy Spirit, and where these are, there is also care for the body. For this reason we, the unworthy, write, exhorting you for Christ's sake to hold fast to the good confession, which we all confessed before God and the elect angels, to live in the Lord in the putting off of the mind of the flesh, which is the breaking of the bonds of attachment to this age and becoming with God, whom we have loved, to whom we have been betrothed, with whom we shall be forever. This one, sisters, we breathe always, this one we love with the true love, the unapproachable desire, the only master of heaven and earth; whose love for mankind is so great, that he took the form of a slave in order to recall us from corruption and make us gods. How very great the promise! How extraordinary the encounter in heaven. There the righteous will shine like the sun; there those who have put on virginity with the incorruptible

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ἑάλως σταυρὸν χαράξαι) ποιῶν καὶ τὰς προσευχὰς τὰς αὐτὰς καὶ γονυκλισίας ἄνευ ἀσθενείας. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὀλίγον λίαν τὸ ἐπιτίμιον, ἐπιδόσει ἐλεημοσύνης ἱκανῆς ἀντισηκοῦσαν συνεισένεγκε τὴν ἀντιστάθμησιν. ὁπόσης δὲ ταύτης δηλώσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς Εὐσέβιος, ὃν σὺν ἑτέροις δυσὶν ἀδελφοῖς κατὰ τὴν αἴτησίν σου εἴασα εἶναι ἐν τοῖς αὐτόθι οἰκονομίας τρόπῳ, τοῦ τε ἐκείνους καταπαῦσαι ἀλωμένους ὧδέ τε κἀκεῖσε καὶ τοῦ σὲ σχεῖν παραμύθιον εὐψυχίας, οὐ μὴν τοῦ ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ καθέζῃ μοναστηρίου, ἀλλαχῆ δέ που, ὑποτελοῦντι τῇ μονῇ ἀγριδίῳ. Φύλαξαι οὖν, ἀγαπητέ, πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς, καθὰ καὶ ὑπέσχου, τοῦ μηδόλως ἔτι ὑποπεσεῖν μήτε μὴν ἀπιέναι εἰς ὄψιν τοῦ Ἀντωνίου, ἀλλ' ἑτοίμως ἔχειν ἐκστῆναι οὐ μόνον μοναστηρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς εἵνεκα τῆς ἀγάπης Χριστοῦ. 61 {1Γρηγορίῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Ἤδη ἐπεστείλαμέν σοι κατὰ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ὡς ἡμετέρῳ υἱῷ ποιμαίνειν τὸ αὐτόθι ποίμνιον μετ' ἐπιστήμης κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου, μηδὲν παραθεωροῦντι τῶν συντεινόντων εἰς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν. εἰ γὰρ ὁ τὰ ἄλογα πρόβατα ἐμπιστευθεὶς οὐ καθεύδει, ἀλλ' ἀγρυπνεῖ, οὐδὲ ἀμελεῖ, ἀλλὰ πυκτεύει νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν μήτε θηριάλωτόν τι ἐργάσασθαι μήτε ἀλίπαντον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κλέπτας καὶ λῃστὰς κατασκοπεῖ καὶ θῆρας ἀποσοβεῖ καὶ προσλαλεῖ τοῖς θρέμμασιν, καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν πορευόμενος τὰς τροφὰς αὐτοῖς περιποιεῖται, ἐφ' ὕδωρ ἀναπαύσεως καὶ σκιαδίων περιορίζων, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἔστιν ὁρᾶν ἐν ποιμαντικῇ ῥάβδῳ, τί δεῖ καὶ πόσον εἶναι τὸν ψυχῶν λαχόντα προστατεῖν, ὧν τὸ αἷμα, εἰ κατά τι ἀμελὲς γίνοιτο, ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἐκζητηθήσεται, καθὰ γέγραπται; Ἐπίστηθι οὖν λοιπόν, ὦ τέκνον, γρηγορῶν τῇ ποιμνιαρχίᾳ, ἴασαι τοὺς ἠσθενηκότας, ἐπίστρεφε τοὺς πεπλανημένους, παρακάλει, νουθέτει, ὑπομίμνησκε τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην βασιλείαν τοῖς ἁγιοπρεπῶς πορευομένοις καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου τὴν ἀτελεύτητον κρίσιν τοῖς ἐμπαθῶς διαζῶσιν, ἵνα οὕτως καὶ σεαυτὸν σώσῃς καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντάς σου. ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει, ὁ δὲ μισῶν ἐᾷ ἀδιαφορεῖν τοὺς ἑπομένους. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ καὶ τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὡς πρόβατα Χριστοῦ ἔσεσθε, φιλοῦντες τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ μοναχικῶς ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ κοσμικῶς. ἓν ἔστω θέλημα πάντων, μία καρδία, μία ψυχή, μὴ τὸ ἐμὸν καὶ τὸ σόν, πάντα κοινά, πάντα καθαρὰ διὰ τῆς ἐξαγορεύσεως· εἰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως, καὶ τὸν κοσμικὸν ἀπωλέσατε καὶ μοναχοὶ μὴ ὄντες ἀληθινοὶ ὑπόδικοι γενήσεσθε κατακρίσεως δικαίας. Ἀγαπῶντες ὑπεμνήσαμεν. ὑμεῖς δὲ εὗ πράξοιτε καὶ τῷ θεῷ εὐαρεστήσοιτε, εὐχόμενοι καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, ὧν διδάσκομεν, τούτων ἐργάται εἶναι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα. ἀμήν. 62 {1Εἰρήνῃ καὶ Εὐφροσύνῃ μοναζούσαισ}1 Εἰσερχομένου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ καὶ παροικονόμου εὔκαιρον ἡγησάμεθα χαράξαι ὑμῖν βραχεῖαν συλλαβήν, ταῖς κατὰ Κύριον ἀδελφαῖς. καὶ δὴ ἐρωτῶμεν, πῶς ἔχει ἡ ἁγία δυὰς ὑμῶν, αἱ πᾶσαι ἀδελφαί. ὁρᾶτε πῶς ὡς οὐκ ἄλλαις ἀδελφαῖς ὑμῖν προσκείμενοι κατὰ θεὸν ἐρωτῶμεν καὶ διαλεγόμεθα; καὶ εἰκότως· οὗ γὰρ πίστις, ἐκεῖ καὶ πόθος, ἕλκων καὶ ἀνθελκόμενος διὰ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, οὗ δὲ ταῦτα, ἐκεῖ καὶ φροντὶς σώσματος. διὰ τοῦτο γράφομεν παρακαλοῦντες ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οἱ ἀνάξιοι ἔχεσθαι ὑμᾶς τῆς καλῆς ὁμολογίας, ἧς ὡμολογήσαμεν ἅπαντες ἐνώπιον θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἀγγέλων, ζῆσαι ἐν Κυρίῳ ἐν τῇ ἀποθέσει τοῦ σαρκικοῦ φρονήματος, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ ῥαγῆναι τῶν δεσμῶν τῆς προσπαθείας τοῦ τῇδε αἰῶνος καὶ μετὰ θεοῦ γενέσθαι, ὃν καὶ ἠγαπήσαμεν, ᾧ καὶ ἐνυμφεύθημεν, μεθ' οὗ καὶ συνεσόμεθα εἰσαεί. τοῦτον, ἀδελφαί, ἀναπνέομεν ἀεί, τοῦτον ἐρωτευόμεθα τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἔρωτα, τὸν ἀπρόσιτον πόθον, τὸν μόνον δεσπότην οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς· οὗ ἡ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀγάπησις τοσαύτη, ὡς δούλου μορφὴν αὐτὸν ἀναλαβεῖν εἰς τὸ ἀνακαλέσασθαι ἡμᾶς τῆς φθορᾶς καὶ θεοὺς ἀπεργάσασθαι. ὡς μεγίστη ἡ ἐπαγγελία· ὡς ἐξαίσιον τὸ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀπάντημα. ἐκεῖ ἐκλάμψουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι ὡς ὁ ἥλιος· ἐκεῖ αἱ τὴν παρθενίαν ἐνδεδυμέναι τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ