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953 If someone sets up a lifeless image of a child or a friend or a relative, he believes that the departed one is present, and through the lifeless image he imagines him; much more do we, through the (15E_378> divine Scriptures, enjoy the presence of the saints, having the images not of their bodies, but of their souls. For the things said by them are images of their souls.

Of Plotinus. Plato used to say that the very young and the old are forgetful; for [memory] flows away, in the former, because of their growth, in the latter, because of their decline. Likewise also for those who are too quick or too slow; for some are moister than they should be, and others are harder; and in the former the impressions do not remain in the soul, while in the latter they do not take hold at all.

Of Plato in Cratylus. Memory surely indicates in every way that it is a remaining in the soul, and not a motion.

The retention of impressions is called memory; the recollection of these, remembrance; and for the most part, the slow are better at remembering; but the quick and ready-to-learn are better at recollecting.

Of Charicles. For a great thing for the forgetting of evils, is the dimming of the soul's reminder through the eyes.

From the works of Epictetus. Let the word concerning God be renewed daily, more than your food.

Think of God more constantly than you breathe. If you always remember that whatever you do in soul or body, God stands by

as an overseer, in all your prayers and your actions, you will not sin; and you will have God as a housemate.

As it is sweet to see the sea from the land, so it is sweet for one who has been saved to remember his labors.

DISCOURSE 53. Concerning the soul. (15E_380> Matthew 10. He who finds his soul will lose it; and he who

loses it for my sake, will find it. 2 Corinthians 4. Though our outward man is decaying; yet the inward

is being renewed day by day. Sirach 37. My child, in gentleness glorify your soul, and see what is evil

for it, and do not give it to it. For not all things are profitable for all men; and not every soul is pleased in everything.

The ruin of the lawless is evil; for by their impiety they take away their own soul.

956 Proverbs 11. A blessed soul, every simple one. Of Basil. A treasure of the soul, is a want of the body. Of this one must think it good,

the good of the soul. No one neglects his own child when he is about to fall into a pit, or

having fallen leaves him to the fall; how much more terrible it is to leave a soul falling into a depth of evils to its destruction?

Of the Theologian. What do you wish to become? I ask my soul. What is great to you or what is small of the things honored by mortals? Seek only eagerly for something bright, and I will give it to you.

Sacrifice your soul to God rather than in the manner of prayer. I am persuaded by the words of the wise, that every soul is both good and beloved by God, (15E_382>

whenever, released from the body to which it was bound, it departs from here, immediately indeed in

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953 Εἰ εἰκόνα τις ἄψυχον ἀναθείς, παιδός ἤ φίλου ἤ συγγενοῦς, νομίζει παρεῖναι ἐκεῖνον τόν ἀπελθόντα, καί διά τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτόν φαντάζεται τῆς ἀψύχου· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς διά τῶν (15Ε_378> θείων Γραφῶν, τῆς τῶν ἁγίων παρουσίας ἀπολαύομεν, οὐχί τῶν σωμάτων αὐτῶν, ἀλλά τῶν ψυχῶν τάς εἰκόνας ἔχοντες. Τά γάρ παρ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρημένα τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν εἰκόνες εἰσίν.

Πλωτίνου. Πλάτων ἔλεγε, τούς μέν νέους σφόδρα καί τούς γέροντας, ἀμνήμονας εἶναι· ὑποῤῥεῖν γάρ, τῶν μέν, διά τήν αὔξησιν, τῶν δέ, διά τήν φθίσιν. Ὁμοίως δέ καί τούς λίαν ταχεῖς ἤ βραδεῖς· τούς γάρ ὑγροτέρους εἶναι τοῦ δέοντος, τούς δέ, σκληροτέρους· καί τοῖς μέν οὐ μένειν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τά φαντάσματα, τῶν δέ οὐχ ἅπτεσθαι τό παράπαν.

Πλάτωνος ἐν Κρατύλ. Μνήμη πάντη που μηνύει, ὅτι μονή ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ φορά.

Τήν κατοχήν τῶν φαντασμάτων μνήμην ὀνομάζεσθαι· τήν δέ ἀναπόληψιν τούτων, ἀνάμνησιν· καί ὡς ἐπί πολύ, μνημονευτέρους μέν ὑπάρχειν τούς βραδεῖς· ἀναμνηστικωτέρους δέ, τούς ταχεῖς καί εὐμαθεῖς.

Χαρικλ. Μέγα γάρ εἰς λήθην κακῶν, ἡ δι᾿ ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπόμνησις ἀμαυρουμένη.

Ἐκ τῶν Ἐπικτήτου. Ἀνανεούσθω ὁ περί Θεοῦ λόγος καθ᾿ ἡμέραν, μᾶλλον ἤ τά σιτία.

Συνεχέστερον νόει τόν Θεόν, ἤ ἀνάπνει. Ἐάν ἀεί μνημονεύῃς, ὅτι ᾧ ἐργάζῃ κατά ψυχήν ἤ σῶμα Θεός παρέστηκεν

ἔφορος, ἐν πάσαις σου ταῖς προσευχαῖς καί ταῖς πράξεσιν, οὐ μή ἁμάρτῃς· ἕξεις δέ τόν Θεόν σύνοικον.

Ὡς ἡδύ τήν θάλασσαν ἀπό γῆς ὁρᾷν, οὕτως ἡδύ τῷ σωθέντι μεμνῆσθαι τῶν πόνων.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΝΓ´. Περί ψυχῆς. (15Ε_380> Ματθ. ι´. Ὁ εὑρών τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· καί ὁ

ἀπολέσας αὐτήν ἕνεκεν ἑμοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτήν. Β´ Κορ. δ´. Εἰ καί ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται· ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσωθεν

ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καί ἡμέρᾳ. Σιράχ λζ´. Τέκνον, ἐν πραΰτητι δόξασον τήν ψυχήν σου, καί ἴδε τί πονηρόν

αὐτῇ, καί μή δῶς αὐτῇ. Οὐ γάρ πάντα πᾶσι συμφέρει· καί οὐ πᾶσα ψυχή ἐν παντί εὐδοκεῖ.

Ἡ καταστροφή τῶν παρανόμων κακή· τῇ γάρ ἀσεβείᾳ τήν αὐτῶν ψυχήν ἀφαιροῦνται.

956 Παροιμ. ια΄ . Ψυχή εὐλογημένη, πᾶσα ἀπλῆ. Βασιλείου. Ψυχῆς θησαύρισμα, σώματος ἔνδεια. Τούτου καλόν ἡγεῖσθαι χρή,

τό τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθόν. Οὐδείς περιορᾷ τό ἑαυτοῦ τέκνον μέλλον καταπίπτειν εἰς βόθυνον, ἤ

ἐμπεσόν ἐναφίησι τῷ πτώματι· πόσῳ δέ δεινότερον ψυχήν εἰς βάθος κακῶν ἐμπίπτουσαν ἐναφεῖναι τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ;

Θεολόγου. Τί σοι θέλεις γενέσθαι; ψυχήν ἐμήν ἐρωτῶ. Τί σοι μέγα ἤ τί μικρόν τῶν τιμίων βροτοῖσι; Ζήτει μόνον προθύμως τι λαμπρόν, καί δώσω σοι.

Ψυχῇ θύε τῷ Θεῷ μᾶλλον, ἤ εὐχῆς τρόπῳ. Πείθομαι σοφῶν λόγοις, ὅτι ψυχή πᾶσα καλή τε καί θεοφιλής, (15Ε_382>

ἐπειδάν τοῦ συνδεδεμένου λυθεῖσα σώματος ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγῆ, εὐθύς μέν ἐν