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LETTER 23. ... TO STEPHEN THE PRESBYTER. 23. By the same, to Stephen the presbyter. (15B_378> It is a property of spiritual love, not only to be present

to benefit those in need, but also to console them when absent; and not to allow souls to be cut off along with bodies; nor indeed for the power of reason, through which the soul bears the image of the Creator, 0608 to be circumscribed by place; but either, when present, to converse face to face with beloved ones about fitting things, or, when absent, to commune through letters. For nature, by the grace of God, wisely devised this method for the inseparable union of those who are greatly separated from one another bodily by local distance. For thus reason, echoing more frequently through both voice and letters, instills a tenacious memory in the soul, for the purpose of always seeing those who are ever present in spirit through love; and to embrace them, and to be recalled from all sorrowful things. Do not, therefore, forget me, your child and disciple, honored Fathers, but as you are both disciples and teachers of love, nourish my starving soul with the word of virtues; and enlighten my mind, oppressed by the darkness of ignorance, looking to the reward laid up for you in heaven for this; even if what is being done should perhaps for a little while draw you away from a better and more honorable leisure. For I know that it is not equal in glory to commune with God directly and to care compassionately for lesser ones. Nevertheless, this is not alien to what is established by God.

LETTER 24. ... TO CONSTANTINE THE SACRISTAN. 24. By the same, to Constantine the sacristan. (15B_380> The honored letter of my God-guarded master has come with

peace, and bearing his entire self made manifest in its character. For by the dignity of the words, the disposition of the soul is somehow naturally revealed along with the gentleness of the character. And I was delighted as though receiving my master present himself, and I greeted him in the spirit, and embracing him wholly in the capacity of my heart, I laid him away; and I glorified Christ our God, who wisely implanted the law of love in men; according to which those who know how to care properly for the seeds of love are never able to be apart from one another, even if they are greatly separated from each other bodily by local distance. But since the letter, having brought good news of worldly peace, has transformed grief into joy for the soul; it is right for us to be altogether grateful to God who has granted it, so that we may not appear ungrateful for the good deed, having poorly repaid the benefactor. And we shall be altogether grateful if we use the peace for its proper purpose, 0609 and, having renounced the friendship towards the world and the ruler of the world which has evilly come to exist in us, and though late, may we at last put an end to the war waged against God through the passions; and having made unbreakable treaties of peace with Him, may we cease from our enmity towards Him at the dissolution of the body. For it is impossible for us to be loved by God while we are in rebellion against Him through our passions, (15B_382> and while we endure paying tribute through wickedness to the evil tyrant and murderer of souls, the devil, unless we have first warred completely against the evil one. For until then we stand as enemies and foes of God, even if we fashion for ourselves the name of "faithful," as long as we wish to be enslaved to dishonorable passions; and no benefit will come to us hereafter from worldly peace, while the soul evilly

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ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΚΓ'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΝ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΝ. ΚΓ´Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Στέφανον πρεσβύτερον. (15Β_378> Ἀγάπης ἴδιον ὑπάρχει πνευματικῆς, οὐ μόνον παρόντας

εὐεργετεῖν τούς χρῄζοντας, ἀλλά καί ἀπόντας παραμυθεῖσθαι· καί μή συγχωρεῖν τοῖς σώμασι τάς ψυχάς συνδιατέμνεσθαι· μήτε μήν τοῦ λόγου, δι᾿ οὖ τήν εἰκόνα φέρει τοῦ Κτίσαντος ἡ ψυχή, 0608 περιγράφεσθαι τόπῳ τήν δύναμιν· ἀλλ᾿ ἤ παρόντας τοῖς ἠγαπημένοις διά φωνῆς κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμούς τά πρέποντα διαλέγεσθαι, ἤ ἀπόντας διά γραμμάτων προσομιλεῖν. Τοῦτον γάρ τόν τρόπον ἡ φύσις κατά Θεοῦ χάριν σοφῶς ἐπενόησε, πρός ἕνωσιν ἀδιάστατον τῶν πολλῷ διεστηκότων ἀλλήλων σωματικῶς τῷ τοπικῷ διαστήματι. Οὕτω γάρ ὁ λόγος συχνότερον ἐνηχούμενος φωνῇ τε καί γράμμασι δυσέκνιπτον μνήμην ἐντίθεται τῇ ψυχῇ, πρός τό διά παντός ὁρᾷν τούς ἀεί κατ᾿ ἀγάπην παρόντας τῷ πνεύματι· καί περιπτύσσεσθαι, καί πάντων ἀνακαλεῖσθαι τῶν λυπηρῶν. Μή τοίνυν ἐπιλάλησθέ μου τοῦ παιδός ὑμῶν καί μαθητοῦ, τίμιοι Πατέρες, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἀγάπης ὄντες καί μαθηταί καί διδάσκαλοι, θρέψατε λόγῳ τῶν ἀρετῶν τήν λιμώττουσάν μου ψυχήν· καί φωτίσατέ μου τόν νοῦν ἀγνοίας ζόφῳ πεπιεσμένον, πρός τόν ἀποκείμενον ὑμῖν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπέρ τούτου μισθόν ἀποβλέποντες· κἄν τό γινόμενον τυχόν πρός ὀλίγον ὑμᾶς κρείττονος ἀπάγῃ καί τιμιωτέρας σχολῆς. Οἶδα γάρ, ὡς οὐκ ἴσον πρός εὐδοξίαν, ἀμέσως τε Θεῷ προσομιλεῖν, καί τῶν ἡττόνων συμπαθῶς προνοεῖν. Πλήν οὐδέ τοῦτο τῶν Θεῷ νενομισμένων ἀλλότριον.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Κ∆'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΝ ΣΑΚΕΛΛΑΡΙΟΝ. Κ∆΄. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Κωνσταντῖνον σακελλάριον. (15Β_380> Ἤκε τό τίμιον τοῦ θεοφυλάκτου μου δεσπότου γράμμα μετά τῆς

εἰρήνης, καί αὐτόν ὅλον φέρον τοῖς τρόποις φαινόμενον. Τῇ γάρ τῶν λόγων σεμνότητι, πέφυκέ πως ἐμφαίνεσθαι μετά τῆς τῶν τρόπων ἐπιεικείας καί τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ διάθεσις. Καί ἤσθην ὥσπερ αὐτόν παρόντα δεξάμενος τόν ἐμόν δεσπότην, καί ἠσπασάμην τῷ πνεύματι, καί ὅλον τῷ χωρήματι τῆς καρδίας περιλαβών ἀπεθέμην· καί ἐδόξασα Χριστόν τόν Θεόν ἡμῶν σοφῶς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐμφῦντα τῆς ἀγάπης τόν νόμον· καθ᾿ ὅν ἀλλήλων ἀπεῖναι οὐδέποτε δύνασθαι, κἄν πολλῷ διεστήκασιν ἀλλήλων σωματικῶς τῷ τοπικῷ διαστήματι, οἱ τῶν σπερμάτων τῆς ἀγάπης δεόντως ἐπιμελεῖσθαι γινώσκοντες. Ἀλλ᾿ ἐπειδή εἰρήνης κοσμικῆς εὐαγγέλια τό γράμμα κομίσαν, εἰς χαράν τῆς ψυχῆς τήν λύπην μεθήρμοσε· δέον ἐστίν ἡμᾶς ὑπέρ αὐτῆς εἰκότως τῷ χαρισαμένῳ Θεῷ γενέσθαι πάντως εὐγνώμονας, ἵνα μή φανῶμεν ἀχάριστοι περί τήν εὐποιίαν, κακῶς τόν εὐεργέτην ἀνταμειψάμενοι. Γενησόμεθα δέ πάντως εὐγνώμονες, εἰς δέον τῇ εἰρήνῃ χρησάμενοι, 0609 καί τήν πρός τόν κόσμον καί τόν κοσμοκράτορα, κακῶς ἡμῖν ἐνυπάρξασαν ἀθετήσαντες φιλίαν, καί διά τῶν παθῶν πρός τόν Θεόν συνιστάμενον κἄν ὀψέ ποτε καταλύσωμεν πόλεμον· καί σπονδάς ἀλύτους τῆς πρός αὐτόν εἰρήνης ποιήσαντες, ἐν τῇ καταργήσει τοῦ σώματος, τῆς πρός αὐτόν ἔχθρας παυσώμεθα. Ἀδύνατον γάρ ἐστιν ἡμᾶς φιλωθῆναι Θεῷ, διά τῶν παθῶν (15Β_382> πρός αὐτόν στασιάζοντας, καί τῷ πονηρῷ τυράννῳ, καί φονευτῆ τῶν ψυχῶν διαβόλῳ διά κακίας δασμοφορεῖν ἀνεχομένους, μή πρότερον δι᾿ ὅλου πολεμωθέντας τῷ πονηρῷ. Μέχρι γάρ τότε τοῦ Θεοῦ καθεστήκαμεν ἐχθροί καί πολέμιοι, κἄν πιστῶν προσηγορίαν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς περιπλάττωμεν, μέχρις οὗ πάθεσιν ἀτιμίας δουλεύειν βουλώμεθα· καί οὐδέν ὄφελος ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς κατά κόσμον εἰρήνης λοιπόν περιγενήσεται, τῆς ψυχῆς κακῶς