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to a spiritual father in order to learn the things of virtue and of the ascetic art, the difficult-to-achieve practice. And concerning faith in spiritual fathers and the vision of light, by which every soul being enlightened

a soul progresses to the love of God. My beloved and much-desired brothers, you have often wished a word of benefit

to hear from our mediocrity, and because you quickly depart, we did not profitably wish to speak to you by mouth what is necessary as a secondary matter. Therefore, just as you requested us to write now to your love, we were reasonably eager; not for admonition (for we are unworthy), but for counsel and reminder, as loving you very much, and whatever things we know that benefit and assist a soul towards both flight from the world and alienation from the passions and the love of God and perfect dispassion.

Therefore, I considered it just (274) to make the beginning for a man thirsting for the salvation of his soul from nowhere else, if not from the ever-flowing spring itself, our Savior Christ and God, for whom is our discourse and every undertaking, and to whom is all diligence with good hope and every thought. For he is for beginners a most unbreakable foundation, and for those in the middle an unashamed hope, and for the perfect an insatiable love and unending life. I heard his holy voice speaking to all in common: "Whoever does not leave father and mother and brothers and all his possessions and take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me." For no other reason therefore, I have been taught by Scripture and have learned through experience itself, has the cross been set down last, except for the patient endurance of afflictions and temptations and finally for that voluntary death, which in those times, when heresies prevailed, many chose through martyrdom and various torments, but now by the grace of Christ in a time of deep and perfect peace we have been fully assured that the cross and death are nothing else than the complete mortification of one's own will. For he who fulfills his own will in any way, will never be able to keep the commandment of the Savior Christ.

Therefore, so that I may make my discourse as to one person, I say these things to you: Brother, earnestly entreat God that he may show you a man who is able to shepherd you well, to whom you ought to obey as God himself (275) and to fulfill without hesitation the things said to you by him, even if the commands seem contrary and harmful to you, according to your opinion. And if indeed concerning the one whom you already have as a spiritual father your heart is more fully assured by grace, do what he tells you and be saved; for it is better to be called a disciple of a disciple and not to live according to one's own way and gather the useless fruits of one's own will. But if the Holy Spirit sends you to another, do not hesitate at all; for we hear of Paul planting and Apollos watering and Christ giving the increase. Therefore do, brother, as we have said, and go to the man whom God will point out to you either mystically through himself or manifestly through his servant. And as seeing and speaking to Christ himself, so revere him and so be taught by him the things that are profitable. For if you hear from him: "Go out from the land of your will and from the kinship of your own mind", do not doubt nor blush, being overcome by vainglory. If he says to you: "Come to a land of obedience, which I will show you", run, my brother, with all your might, do not give sleep to your eyes nor bend the knee, being overcome by sloth or negligence. For perhaps there God will appear to you, the father of many spiritual

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πνευματικῷ πατρί εἰς τό αμαθεῖν τά τῆς ἀρετῆς καί τῆς ἀσκητικῆς τέχνης τήν δυσκατόρθωτον ἐργασίαν. Καί περί πίστεως τῆς εἰς τούς πνευματικούς πατέρας καί θεωρίας φωτός, ὑφ᾿ οὗ πᾶσα φωτιζομένη

ψυχή προκόπτει εἰς ἀγάπην Θεοῦ. Ἀγαπητοί μου και περιπόθητοι ἀδελφοί, πολλάκις ἠθελήσατε λόγον ὠφελείας

ἀκοῦσαι παρά τῆς ἡμῶν μετριότητος, καί διά τό συντόμως ὑποχωρεῖν ὑμᾶς, λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ἀπό στόματος τά δέοντα, ὡς πάρεργα, συμφερόντως οὐκ ἠβουλήθημεν. ∆ιά τοῦτο καθάπερ ᾐττήσασθε γράψαι νῦν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ὑμῶν, εἰκότως προεθυμήθημεν· οὐ τά πρός νουθεσίαν (καί γάρ ἀνάξιοι), ἀλλά τά πρός συμβουλήν καί ὑπόμνησιν, ὡς ἀγαπῶντες λίαν ὑμᾶς, καί ὅσα γινώσκομεν ὠφελοῦντα καί συνεργοῦντα ψυχήν πρός τε τήν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου φυγήν καί τήν τῶν παθῶν ἀλλοτρίωσιν καί Θεοῦ ἀγάπην καί τελείαν ἀπάθειαν.

Τοιγαροῦν καί οὐδαμόθεν ποθέν ἄλλοθεν δίκαιον (274) ἡγησάμην τήν ἀρχήν πρός ἄνθρωπον διψῶντα τήν ψυχικήν σωτηρίαν ποιήσασθαι, εἰ μή ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀεννάου πηγῆς, τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ καί Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, δι᾿ ὅν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος καί ἅπαν ἐγχείρημα, καί πρός ὅν πᾶσα σπουδή μετ᾿ ἐλπίδος χρηστῆς καί ἅπαν ἐνθύμιον. Οὗτος γάρ καί ἀρχομένοις θεμέλιος ἀρραγέστατος καί μεσάζουσιν ἐλπίς ἀκαταίσχυντος καί τελειοῦσιν ἀγάπη ἀκόρεστος καί ζωή ἀτελεύτητος. Τούτου ἐγώ τῆς ἁγίας φωνῆς ἤκουσα πρός ἅπαντας λεγούσης κοινῶς· "Ὅστις οὐ καταλείψει πατέρα καί μητέρα καί ἀδελφούς καί πάντα τά ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῷ καί ἄρῃ τόν σταυρόν αὐτοῦ καί ἀκολουθήσει μοι, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος". ∆ι᾿ οὐδέν οὖν ἕτερον τόν σταυρόν ἐσχάτως τεθεῖναι καί παρά τῆς Γραφῆς ἐδιδάχθην καί δι᾿ αὐτῆς τῆς πείρας μεμάθηκα, εἰ μή διά τήν τῶν θλίψεων καί πειρασμῶν ὑπομονήν καί τελευταῖον διά τόν θάνατον αὐτόν τόν ἑκούσιον, ὅνπερ καί τοῖς τότε καιροῖς, ἐπικρατουσῶν τῶν αἱρέσεων, πολλοί διά τοῦ μαρτυρίου καί τῶν ποικίλων βασάνων προείλοντο, νυνί δέ Χριστοῦ χάριτι ἐν καιρῷ βαθείας καί τελείας εἰρήνης οὐδέν ἕτερον ἐπληροφορήθημεν εἶναι σταυρόν καί θάνατον, εἰ μή τήν παντελῆ τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος νέκρωσιν. Ὁ γάρ τό ἴδιον κἄν ὁπωσοῦν ἐκπληρῶν θέλημα, τό τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ πρόσταγμα φυλάξαι οὐ δυνήσεται πώποτε.

Ἵνα οὖν ὡς πρός ἕνα τόν λόγον ποιήσωμαι, ταῦτά φημι πρός ὑμᾶς· Ἀδελφέ, ἐκτενῶς τόν Θεόν παρακάλεσον, ὅπως δείξῃ σοι ἄνθρωπον, τόν καλῶς ποιμᾶναί σε δυνάμενον, ᾧ καί ὀφείλεις ὡς αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ ὑπακοῦσαι (275) καί τά παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ σοι λεγόμενα ἀδιστάκτως ἐπιτελέσαι, εἰ καί ἐναντία σοι καί ἐπιβλαβῆ κατά τό δοκοῦν σοι τά προσταττόμενα φαίνονται. Καί εἰ μέν εἰς ὅν ἤδη ἔσχες πατέρα πνευματικόν περισσοτέρως πληροφορεῖται παρά τῆς χάριτος ἡ καρδία σου, ποίει ἅ σοι λέγει καί σῴζῃ· κρεῖσσον γάρ μαθητήν μαθητοῦ ὀνομάζεσθαι καί μή ἰδιορρύθμως βιοῦν καί τρυγᾶν ἀνωφελεῖς καρπούς τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος. Εἰ δέ πρός ἄλλον τό Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐκπέμψει σε, μή διστάσῃς τό σύνολον· ἀκούομεν γάρ καί Παῦλον φυτεύσαντα καί Ἀπολλῶ ἀρδεύσαντα καί Χριστόν αὐξάνοντα. Ποίησον οὖν, ἀδελφέ, καί σύ καθώς εἴπομεν, καί ἄπελθε πρός ἄνθρωπον, ὅν ὁ Θεός ἤ μυστικῶς δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ ἤ φανερῶς διά δούλου αὐτοῦ ὑποδείξει σοι. Καί ὡς αὐτόν τόν Χριστόν καί ὁρῶν καί λαλῶν, οὕτω σεβάσθητι αὐτόν καί οὕτω διδάχθητι παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τά συμφέροντα. Ἐάν γάρ ἀκούσῃς παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ· "Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς τοῦ θελήματός σου καί ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας τοῦ φρονήματός σου", μή διακριθῇς μηδέ ἐρυθριάσῃς ὑπό κενοδοξίας ἡττώμενος. Ἐάν εἴπῃ σοι· "∆εῦρο εἰς γῆν ὑπακοῆς, ἥν ἄν σοι δείξω", δράμε, ἀδελφέ μου, ὅση σοι δύναμις, μή δώσῃς ὕπνον σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μηδέ κάμψῃς γόνυ, ὀκνηρίᾳ ἤ ῥαθυμίᾳ ἐκλυόμενος. Ἴσως γάρ ἐκεῖ ὀφθήσεταί σοι ὁ Θεός, ὁ πατέρα πολλῶν πνευματικῶν