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depart from life here? how many pitiable things there are concerning marriage. some are childless, others have wicked children. poverty and riches, the former oppressing and as it were frying to a crisp, the latter thrown about as if by dice from these to those. bridal chambers are raised, but also torn down with lamentations, lamentations and beatings of the breast, successive misfortunes, with which life is full and the examples are before our eyes. But you have escaped all these things, O fair virgin, dwelling solitarily in a house, preserved as a rose of fragrance for the Lord by your virginity, having, however, certainly also afflictions from both visible and invisible enemies; since wherever there is an offering to the Lord, there the robber lies in wait to steal and plunder the sacred thing. But be of good courage in the Lord, in whom you trust, in whom you love your labors, because he himself is the guardian of your life, a defender and helper in tribulations; who also, when you have finished your course, will make you worthy of his heavenly kingdom. These things have been addressed to you by us sinners, so that you may know that, you the handmaid of the Lord, you have us also, who hasten to serve the Lord, as your brothers in the spirit just as we are also fellow-servants by nature, praying exceedingly for your honor. 67 {1To the brotherhood of the Kizaroi}1 The news of the falling asleep of our and your spiritual father, beloved brothers, has troubled our soul, as is natural, and led to a sorrowful groan, not on account of the one who has fallen asleep (for he is blessed, having been perfected by a blessed life, since he was both an approved monk and had practiced excellently until old age and, in sum, with a protected and orthodox faith, after persecutions and toils for the sake of the good, he departed from hence and as it were crowned with the righteousness of the confession for Christ), but on account of us, or rather you yourselves, who have been left like a perplexed flock by the departure of the good shepherd. For the memory of the superior draws one to pity and contrition of heart, being reviewed according to the place and manner of his leadership in the Lord; how he exhorted one who was falling, and rebuked another who was insolent, called another back who was unruly and roused another who was sluggish, governing with gentleness and reasonableness in imitation of the Master who said, learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and simply in all things in which he excelled in your midst like a morning star. And besides, because of long habit, the separation from a father is wont to weigh heavily upon the soul. But what shall we do, brothers, against the law of God which so commands, you are earth, and to earth you shall return? Rather, the separation is a departure to the Lord. He was permitted to depart and went forth from the body. He was separated from you and was added to his fathers, having left behind for you his own life as a good model, a likeness of virtue. What then remains to be sought? To come to yourselves and to exhort one another in the Holy Spirit. And as he left to you the lord Antonios as leader, that you begin to conduct your lives by the same rule and in the same footsteps of piety, guarding the faith and suffering evil for it, if necessary, even unto death during the present persecution, and in no way betraying the truth, and embracing with all your strength both love for one another and obedience to the leader. For this is for your salvation, this is a boast also for that blessed one on the day of Christ, this is also most lovely to us, your friends and brothers. For by walking thus you will have us most excellently accompanying you, as much as is possible, in the things pertaining to the Lord, most honored brothers. 68 {1To Ephraim and Agathon and the rest of the children}1 That the blessed Laurentios has fallen asleep, for him death is indeed a rest; for how shall this not befall a good man, who has passed from this life from ascetic labors, or rather, who from persecution for righteousness' sake has gone to be at home with the Lord, of whose virtues there are many witnesses? But for you it has happened, most honored brothers, as also for us the humble, the

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τῇδε βίου ἀπέρχονται; ὅσα δὲ περὶ τὸν γάμον ἐλεεινά. οἱ μὲν ἄπαιδες, οἱ δὲ κακόπαιδες. πενίαι καὶ πλοῦτοι, αἱ μὲν πιέζουσαι καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀποτηγανίζουσαι, οἱ δὲ μεταρριπτούμενοι ὡς ἐν κύβοις ἐκ τῶνδε εἰς τόνδε. παστάδες ἐγειρόμεναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ θρήνους καταλυόμεναι, θρῆνοι καὶ κοπετοί, ἀλλεπάλληλοι συμφοραί, ὧν πλήρης ὁ βίος καὶ τὰ παραδείγματα πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν. Σὺ δὲ τούτων πάντων ἀπέφυγες, καλλιπάρθενε, κατοικοῦσα μονοτρόπως ἐν οἴκῳ, φυλαττομένη ὡς ῥόδον εὐωδίας Κυρίῳ τῇ παρθενίᾳ, ἔχουσα μὲν οὖν γε πάντως καὶ θλιπτικὰ ἔκ τε ὁρατῶν καὶ ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν· ἐπειδὴ ὅπου ἀνάθημα Κυρίῳ, ἐκεῖ ὁ λῃστὴς ἐφεδρεύει κλέψαι καὶ συλῆσαι τὸ ἱερόν. ἀλλὰ θάρσει ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἐν ᾧ πέποιθας, ἐν ᾧ στέργεις τοὺς κόπους, ὅτι αὐτὸς φύλαξ τῆς ζωῆς σου, ἐπίκουρος καὶ βοηθὸς ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν· ὃς καὶ τελειῶν σου τὸν δρόμον ἀξίαν σε ποιήσει τῆς οὐρανίου βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτά σοι παρ' ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν προσπεφώνηται, ἵν' εἰδείης ὅτι, ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου δούλη, καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς σπεύδοντας δουλεύειν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔχεις κατὰ πνεῦμα ἀδελφούς σου ὥσπερ καὶ ὁμοδούλους κατὰ φύσιν, ὑπερευχομένους σου τῆς τιμιότητος. 67 {1Τῇ ἀδελφότητι Κιζάρων}1 Ἡ ἀγγελία τῆς κοιμήσεως τοῦ πνευματικοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν πατρός, ἠγαπημένοι ἀδελφοί, ἐθρόησεν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, καὶ εἰς στεναγμὸν ἤγαγεν θλιπτικόν, οὐ διὰ τὸν κοιμηθέντα (μακάριος γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μακαρίῳ βίῳ τελειωθείς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ μονάζων δόκιμος καὶ ἕως γήρους ἐξησκηκὼς ἄριστα καί, τὸ κεφάλαιον, πεφυλαγμένῃ καὶ ὀρθοδόξῳ πίστει μετὰ διωγμῶν καὶ τῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ καλοῦ ταλαιπωριῶν ἐξεληλυθὼς τῶν ἐνθένδε καὶ οἱονεὶ ἐστεφανωμένος τῆς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ ὁμολογίας δικαιοσύνῃ), ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς, μᾶλλον δὲ ὑμᾶς αὐτούς, τοὺς καὶ ἐναφεθέντας ὡς ποίμνιον ἠπορημένον τῇ τοῦ καλοῦ ποιμένος μεταστάσει. καὶ γὰρ ἕλκει πρὸς οἶκτον καὶ συντριμμὸν καρδίας ἡ τοῦ προεστῶτος μνήμη, ἀναθεωρουμένη κατὰ τόπον καὶ τρόπον τῆς ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀφηγήσεως· πῶς ὃν μὲν παρεκάλει συμπίπτοντα, ὃν δὲ ἐπέπληττεν θρασυνόμενον, ἕτερον προσεκαλεῖτο ἀφηνιάζοντα καὶ ἄλλον διύπνιζεν νωθρευόμενον, πραότητι καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ διέπων κατὰ μίμησιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ εἰπόντος δεσπότου, μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ· καὶ ἁπλῶς ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς διέπρεπεν ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν ὡς ἑωθινὸς ἀστήρ. ἄλλως τε καὶ τῷ πολυχρονίῳ ἔθει βαρύνειν εἴωθεν τὴν ψυχὴν σφόδρα ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς χωρισμός. Ἀλλὰ τί ποιήσωμεν, ἀδελφοί, πρὸς νόμον θεοῦ οὕτω κελεύοντα, γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ; μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκδημία πρὸς Κύριον ἡ διάζευξις. ἐπετράπη τὴν μετάστασιν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν τοῦ σώματος. ἐχωρίσθη ἀφ' ὑμῶν καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ, καλὸν ὑπόδειγμα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁμοίωσιν ἐγκαταλελοιπὼς ὑμῖν. τί οὖν λοιπόν ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον; εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι καὶ παρακαλέσαι ἀλλήλους ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ. καὶ καθὼς ὑμῖν εἴασεν τὸν κύριον Ἀντώνιον καθηγούμενον, τῷ αὐτῷ κανόνι καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀπάρξασθαι ὑμᾶς πολιτεύεσθαι, φρουροῦντας τὴν πίστιν καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς κακοπαθεῖν, εἰ δέοι, μέχρι θανάτου κατὰ τὸν παρόντα διωγμὸν καὶ μηδαμῶς προδοῦναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τήν τε ἀγάπην πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν καθηγούμενον ὑπακοὴν παντὶ σθένει ἀσπάσασθαι. τοῦτο γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν σωτηρίαν, τοῦτο καύχημα καὶ τῷ μακαρίῳ ἐκείνῳ εἰς ἡμέραν Χριστοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς φίλοις καὶ ἀδελφοῖς ὑμῶν ἐρασμιώτατον. οὕτω γὰρ περιπατοῦντες κάλλιστα ἕξετε ἡμᾶς συνεπομένους ὑμῖν, ὅσον οἷόν τε, εἰς τὰ πρὸς Κύριον, ἀδελφοί τιμιώτατοι. 68 {1Ἐφραὶμ καὶ Ἀγάθωνι καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τέκνοισ}1 Ὅτι ἐκοιμήθη ὁ μακάριος Λαυρέντιος, ἐκείνῳ μὲν ἀνάπαυσις ὁ θάνατος· ἀνδρὶ γὰρ ἀγαθῷ πῶς οὐχὶ τοῦτο ἀπαντήσεται, ἀπὸ κόπων ἀσκητικῶν μεταβάντι τοῦ βίου, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ δικαιοσύνην διωγμοῦ ἐνδημήσαντι πρὸς Κύριον, οὗ τῶν ἀρετῶν μάρτυρες πολλοί; ὑμῖν δὲ συνέβη, ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ταπεινοῖς, τὸ