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Those who have the gifts of the Spirit, praying for their neighbors, and offering supplications, did this with compunction and groans. Let us also do this, and each day approach God through both psalms and prayers. But that we may not offer words alone, but may know the very power of the sayings, come, let us bring forth the very prelude of the psalm. What then is the prelude? As the hart longs for the fountains of waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. Such is the custom of lovers, not to keep their love in silence, but to express it to their neighbors, and to say that they love. For the nature of love is a fervent thing, and the soul would not endure to contain it in silence. For this reason Paul also said, loving the Corinthians: Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; that is, I am not able to contain and keep love in silence, but I carry you always, and everywhere, both in my mind and on my tongue. So also this blessed man, loving God, and burning in his loving, does not endure to be silent, but at one time says: As the hart longs for the fountains of waters, so my soul longs for you, O God; and at another: O God, my God, to you I rise early. my soul has thirsted for you, as a pathless and waterless and desert land. For so another of the interpreters has said. For since he is not strong enough to represent his love in word, he goes about seeking an example, so that he might at least thus show us his affection, and make us partakers of his love. Let us, therefore, obey him, and learn to love in this way. And let no one say to me: And how can I love God whom I do not see? For we love many whom we do not see, such as our friends who are abroad, or children and fathers, or relatives and household members; and not seeing them is no hindrance, but this very thing especially kindles the affection, it increases the longing. For this reason also Paul, speaking of Moses, says that having left treasures, and wealth, and the splendor of a kingdom, and all the other brilliance in Egypt, he chose to be ill-treated with the Jews; then teaching us the reason, that indeed he did all these things for God, he added: For he endured as seeing him who is invisible. You do not see God, but you see his creatures, you see his works, heaven, and earth, and sea. But one who loves, if he should see a work of the beloved, or a sandal, or a garment, or anything else, becomes impassioned. You do not see God, but you see his servants, his friends, I mean holy 55.160 men and those who have boldness. Serve them now, and you will have no small consolation for your longing. For even among men, we are accustomed to love not only our friends, but also those loved by them. And if one of our beloved should say, that "I love so-and-so," and if that man should experience something good, I consider that I am enjoying the benefit; we do and arrange all things, as if seeing the beloved himself, so as to show all diligence toward that man. It is possible to achieve this now also in the case of Christ. He said, that "I love the poor;" and if these should experience any good, as if I myself have received it, so I give the reward. Let us do all things for their service; or rather, let us empty all our possessions on them, believing that through them we feed God. For that he himself is fed when they are fed, hear what Christ says: "For you saw me hungry," he says, "and you fed me; thirsty, and you gave me drink; naked, and you clothed me;" and he has given us many opportunities to console our longing. Besides, love among us is usually produced by three things: either beauty of body, or greatness of benefits, or being loved by the person. For each of these in and of itself is able to create affection in us. For even if we have received no benefit from someone, but we hear that he continually loves us, praises us,

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οἱ τὰ χαρίσματα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔχοντες, ὑπὲρ τῶν πλησίον εὐχόμενοι, καὶ τὰς ἱκετηρίας ἀναφέροντες, μετὰ κατανύξεως καὶ στεναγμῶν τοῦτο ἐποίουν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιῶμεν, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐντυγχάνωμεν τῷ Θεῷ διά τε ψαλμῶν καὶ εὐχῶν. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ τὰ ῥήματα μόνον προσφέρωμεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτὴν εἰδῶμεν τῶν ῥήσεων, φέρε, τὸ προοίμιον αὐτὸ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ εἰς μέσον ἀγάγωμεν. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ προοίμιον; Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς σὲ, ὁ Θεός. Τοιοῦτον τῶν ἐρώντων τὸ ἔθος, μὴ κατέχειν σιγῇ τὸν ἔρωτα, ἀλλ' εἰς τοὺς πλησίον ἐκφέρειν, καὶ λέγειν ὅτι φιλοῦσι. Θερμὸν γάρ τι πρᾶγμα τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ φύσις, καὶ σιγῇ στέγειν αὐτὴν οὐκ ἂν ἀνέχοιτο ἡ ψυχή. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε Κορινθίοις φιλῶν· Τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν ἀνέῳγε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, Κορίνθιοι· τουτέστι, Στέγειν καὶ σιγῇ κατέχειν τὴν ἀγάπην οὐ δύναμαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ παντὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πανταχοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γλώττης περιφέρω. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος φιλῶν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ καιόμενος ἐν τῷ φιλεῖν, οὐκ ἀνέχεται σιγᾷν, ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μέν φησιν· Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς σὲ, ὁ Θεός· ποτὲ δέ· Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω. Ἐδίψησέ σε ἡ ψυχή μου, ὡς γῆ ἄβατος καὶ ἄνυδρος καὶ ἔρημος. Οὕτω γὰρ ἕτερος τῶν ἑρμηνευτῶν εἶπεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ λόγῳ παραστῆσαι τὸν ἔρωτα οὐκ ἰσχύει, περιέρχεται ζητῶν ὑπόδειγμα, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω τὸ φίλτρον ἡμῖν ἐνδείξηται, καὶ κοινωνοὺς ποιήσῃ τοῦ ἔρωτος. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτῷ, καὶ μάθωμεν οὕτως ἐρᾷν. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις· Καὶ πῶς δύναμαι φιλεῖν τὸν Θεὸν ὃν οὐ βλέπω; Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς οὐχ ὁρῶντες φιλοῦμεν, οἷον τοὺς ἐν ἀποδημίᾳ φίλους ὄντας ἡμῖν, ἢ παῖδας καὶ πατέρας, ἢ συγγενεῖς καὶ οἰκείους· καὶ οὐδὲν γίνεται κώλυμα ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὁρᾷν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐκκαίει τὸ φίλτρον, αὔξει τὸν πόθον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ περὶ Μωϋσέως λέγων ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι καταλιπὼν θησαυροὺς, καὶ πλοῦτον, καὶ βασιλείας περιφάνειαν, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν λαμπρότητα τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, εἵλετο μετὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων κακουχεῖσθαι· εἶτα τὴν αἰτίαν ἡμᾶς διδάσκων, ὅτι δὴ ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίει διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, προσέθηκε· Τὸν γὰρ ἀόρατον ὡς ὁρῶν ἐκαρτέρει. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ὁρᾷς τὰ δημιουργήματα, ὁρᾷς αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα, οὐρανὸν, καὶ γῆν, καὶ θάλατταν. Ὁ δὲ φιλῶν, κἂν ἔργον ἴδῃ τοῦ φιλουμένου, κἂν ὑπόδημα, κἂν ἱμάτιον, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον, διαθερμαίνεται. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ὁρᾷς αὐτοῦ τοὺς οἰκέτας, τοὺς φίλους, τοὺς ἁγίους 55.160 ἄνδρας λέγω καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἔχοντας. Θεράπευσον ἐκείνους νῦν, καὶ ἕξεις τοῦ πόθου παραμυθίαν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, οὐχὶ τοὺς φίλους ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὑπ' ἐκείνων φιλουμένους φιλεῖν εἰώθαμεν. Κἂν εἴπῃ τις τῶν ἐρωμένων τῶν ἡμετέρων, ὅτι Τὸν δεῖνα φιλῶ, κἂν ἐκεῖνός τι πάθῃ χρηστὸν, ἐγὼ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀπολαύειν νομίζω· πάντα ποιοῦμεν καὶ πραγματευόμεθα, ὥσπερ αὐτὸν τὸν ἐρώμενον ὁρῶντες, οὕτω πᾶσαν περὶ ἐκεῖνον ἐπιδείξασθαι σπουδήν. Ἔξεστι τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατορθῶσαι νῦν. Εἶπεν, ὅτι Τοὺς πένητας φιλῶ· κἂν οὗτοί τι πάθωσιν ἀγαθὸν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἀπολελαυκὼς, οὕτως ἀποδίδωμι τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Πάντα ποιήσωμεν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς θεραπείας· μᾶλλον δὲ πάντα τὰ ὄντα κενώσωμεν εἰς αὐτοὺς, πιστεύοντες διὰ τούτων τὸν Θεὸν τρέφειν. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτὸς τρέφεται τούτων τρεφομένων, ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τί φησι· Πεινῶντα με γὰρ εἴδετε, φησὶ, καὶ ἐθρέψατε· διψῶντα, καὶ ἐποτίσατε· γυμνὸν, καὶ περιεβάλετε· καὶ πολλὰς ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ἀφορμὰς τοῦ παραμυθεῖσθαι τὸν πόθον τὸν ἡμέτερον. Ἄλλως δὲ τὸν ἔρωτα τὸν παρ' ἡμῖν τρία ταῦτα ποιεῖν εἴωθεν, ἢ εὐμορφία σώματος, ἢ εὐεργεσίας μέγεθος, ἢ τὸ φιλεῖσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ. Τούτων γὰρ ἕκαστον αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ δύναται ἐμποιεῖν φίλτρον ἡμῖν. Κἂν γὰρ μηδὲν ὦμεν εὖ παθόντες παρά τινος, ἀκούωμεν δὲ, ὅτι φιλῶν ἡμᾶς διατελεῖ, ἐπαινῶν ἡμᾶς,