140

and he hastens and ever seeks release from it, so that he may appear free, so that he may walk rejoicing, so that he may depart in haste to the One for whom he had longing, for whom he also sought release from the bond. (215) Let us all, therefore, seek Him, the only One who is able to free us from our bonds. Let us also long for Him, Him whose beauty astounds every thought, astounds every mind, and wounds every soul and gives it wings for love and glues it and unites it to God forever. Yes, my brothers, run to Him with your deeds, yes, friends, arise, yes, be not left behind, yes, do not speak against us, deceiving yourselves. Do not say it is impossible to receive the Divine Spirit, do not say it is possible to be saved without Him, do not therefore say that anyone partakes of Him unknowingly. Do not say that God is not seen by men, do not say that men do not see the divine light, or that it is impossible in the present times. This is never impossible, friends, but is indeed very possible for those who wish it, but only for those for whom life has provided the cleansing of the passions and has made the eye of the mind pure; but for others there is truly blindness, the filth of sins, which both here and there will deprive them of the divine light and, be not deceived, will consign them to the fire and darkness. See, friends, how beautiful the Master is! Yes, do not close your mind, looking toward the earth, yes, do not be held by cares for earthly things and possessions, and by the desire for glory, and abandon Him, the light of eternal life! Yes, friends, come with me, be carried up with me, not in body, but in mind and soul and heart, in humility crying out to the good Master, the merciful God, the only lover of mankind. (216) And He will surely hear, and He will surely have mercy, and He will surely be revealed, and He will surely manifest Himself and show His own brilliant light to us. Why do you hesitate, humble ones, why are you idle, why do you prefer the comfort of the body and glory, which is dishonorable and inglorious, empty and vain? Why do you call the virtuous life free from care?

140

καί ἐπισπεύδει καί αὐτοῦ ἀεί ζητεῖ τήν λύσιν, ὅπως ἐλεύθερος φανῇ, ὅπως βαδίζῃ χαίρων, ὅπως ἀπέλθῃ ἐν σπουδῇ, πρός ὅν τόν πόθον εἶχε, δι᾿ ὅν καί τήν ἀπόλυσιν τοῦ δεσμοῦ ἐπεζήτει. (215) Ἐκεῖνον τοίνυν ἅπαντες ζητήσωμεν, τόν μόνον δυνάμενον ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερῶσαι. Ἐκεῖνον καί ποθήσωμεν, ἐκεῖνον οὗ τό κάλλος πᾶσαν ἐκπλήττει ἔννοιαν, πᾶσαν ἐκπλήττει φρένα, πᾶσαν τιτρώσκει τε ψυχήν καί πτεροῖ πρός ἀγάπην καί συγκολλᾷ καί συνενοῖ τῷ Θεῷ ἀενάως. Ναί, ἀδελφοί μου, δράμετε ταῖς πράξεσι πρός τοῦτον, ναί, φίλοι, διανάστητε, ναί, μή ἀπολειφθῆτε, ναί, μή λαλεῖτε καθ᾿ ἡμῶν ἑαυτούς ἀπατῶντες. Μή λέγετε, ἀδύνατον λαβεῖν τό Θεῖον Πνεῦμα, μή λέγετε, χωρίς αὐτοῦ δυνατόν τό σωθῆναι, μή οὖν ἀγνώστως τούτου λέγετέ τινα μετέχειν. Μή λέγετε, ὅτι Θεός οὐχ ὁρᾶται ἀνθρώποις, μή λέγετε, οἱ ἄνθρωποι φῶς θεῖον οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, ἤ ὅτι καί ἀδύνατον ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι χρόνοις. Οὐδέποτε ἀδύνατον τοῦτο τυγχάνει, φίλοι, ἀλλά καί λίαν δυνατόν τοῖς θέλουσιν ὑπάρχει, πλήν ὅσοις βίος κάθαρσιν τήν τῶν παθῶν παρέσχε καί καθαρόν εἰργάσατο τῆς διανοίας ὄμμα˙ τοῖς δ᾿ ἄλλοις ὄντως τύφλωσις, ἁμαρτημάτων ῥύπος, ὅ καί ἐνταῦθα καί ἐκεῖ θείου φωτός στερήσει καί, μή πλανᾶσθε, τῷ πυρί καί σκότει παραπέμψει. Ἴδετε, φίλοι, ποταπός ὡραῖος ὁ ∆εσπότης! Ναί, μή καμμύσητε τόν νοῦν πρός τήν γῆν ἀφορῶντες, ναί, μή φροντίσι τῶν ἐν γῇ πραγμάτων καί χρημάτων, ἐπιθυμίᾳ δόξης τε κρατηθῆτε καί τοῦτον ἐγκαταλείψετε, τό φῶς ζωῆς τῆς αἰωνίου! Ναί, φίλοι, δεῦτε μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, συνεπάρθητε δή μοι, οὐ σώματι, ἀλλά νοΐ καί ψυχῇ καί καρδίᾳ, ἐν ταπεινώσει κράζοντες πρός τόν καλόν ∆εσπότην, τόν φιλοικτίρμονα Θεόν, τόν φιλάνθρωπον μόνον. (216) Καί πάντως εἰσακούσεται καί πάντως ἐλεήσει καί πάντως ἀποκαλυφθῇ καί πάντως ἐμφανίσει καί φῶς ἡμῖν τό ἑαυτόῦ φαιδρόν καθυποδείξει. Τί κατοκνεῖτε ταπεινοί, τί καταρρᾳθυμεῖτε, τί προτιμᾶσθε ἄνεσιν τοῦ σώματος καί δόξαν, τίν ἄτιμον καί ἄδοξον, τήν κενήν καί ματαίαν; Τί λέγετε ἀμέριμνον τόν ἐνάρετον βίον;