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(222) I was foolishly enslaved to sleep and satiety of the stomach, giving way, I also used wine more abundantly; not being drunk, but satiated, and immediately this awesome wonder was extinguished, the heartfelt longing, the flame that reached to heaven and was burning intensely within me, but not consuming the grass-like substance of mine that is in my innards, but rather, O the wonder, it was transforming it all into flame, and grass touching the fire was not burned at all, but rather the fire, embracing the grass within itself, was united with it and kept it all unconsumed. O power of the divine fire, O strange energy! You who shatter rocks and mountains by fear alone and by Your presence, O Christ, my God, how do You, my indwelling God, mingle with grass, being wholly divine substance and wholly unbearable light? How, remaining immutable, wholly unapproachable, do You keep the substance of the grass unburnt, and while keeping it unconsumed, you alter it all, and while remaining grass it is light, but the light is not grass, but You unite the light to the grass without confusion, and the grass becomes as light, having been changed unchangeably? I cannot bear to cover Your wonders in silence, I am not able to not speak of Your dispensation, which You worked with me, the prodigal and fornicator; and I cannot endure not recounting to all the inexhaustible wealth of Your love for mankind, my Redeemer! For I want the whole world to receive of this and for no one at all to be left empty of it, but first, O King of all, shine again in me, dwell and illumine my humble soul, (223) show me clearly the face of Your divinity and appear to me wholly, yet unseen, O my God! For You are not seen by me at all, yet You appear to me whole; being wholly incomprehensible, You desire to be and become comprehensible to me, being uncontainable by the universe, You become truly small, and in my hands, as it were, and on my lips You are seen like a luminous breast and sweetness, flashing and turning, O strange mystery! Give me Yourself thus even now, that I may be filled with You, that I may kiss and embrace Your ineffable glory, the light of Your face,

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(222) ὕπνῳ καί κόρῳ τῆς γαστρός ἐδουλώθην ἀφρόνως, ὑποχαλάσας οἴνῳ τε πλειόνως ἐχρησάμην˙ οὐ μεθυσθείς, πλήν κορεσθείς, καί εὐθύς ἀπεσβέσθη τό θαῦμα τοῦτο τό φρικτόν, ὁ ἐγκάρδιος πόθος, ἡ φλόξ ἡ μέχρις οὐρανοῦ φθάνουσα καί ἐντός μου ἐκκαιομένη μέν σφοδρῶς, οὐ κατακαίουσα δέ τήν ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις οὖσάν μου οὐσίαν τήν χορτώδη, ἀλλ᾿ ὅλην, ὤ τοῦ θαύματος, εἰς φλόγα μετεποίει, καί χόρτος ψαύων τοῦ πυρός οὐκ ἐκαίετο ὅλως, μᾶλλον δέ πῦρ ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιλαμβάνον χόρτον ἡνοῦτο καί ἀνάλωτον αὐτόν ὅλον ἐτήρει. Ὤ θείου δύναμις πυρός, ὤ ἐνεργείας ξένης! Ὁ λύων πέτρας καί βουνούς ἀπό μόνου τοῦ φόβου καί ἀπό τοῦ προσώπου σου, ὤ Χριστέ, ὁ Θεός μου, πῶς χόρτῳ ἀναμίγνυσαι θείᾳ ὅλως οὐσίᾳ φωτί ὅλως ἀστέκτῳ τε ὁ ἐνοικῶν Θεός μου; Πῶς μένων ἀναλλοίωτος, ἀπρόσιτος εἰς ἅπαν φυλάττεις ἀκατάφλεκτον τοῦ χόρτου τήν οὐσίαν, καί ἀναλλοίωτον τηρῶν ἀλλοιοῖς ὅλον τοῦτον, καί μένων χόρτος ἔστι φῶς, οὐχί τό φῶς δέ χόρτος, ἀλλά τῷ χόρτῳ σύ τό φῶς ἀσυγχύτως ἑνοῦσαι, καί χόρτος γίνεται ὡς φῶς μεταβληθείς ἀτρέπτως; Οὐ φέρω σου τά θαύματα τῇ σιωπῇ καλύπτειν, οὐ δύναμαι τοῦ μή λαλεῖν τήν σήν οἰκονομίαν, ἥν μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐποίησας, τοῦ ἀσώτου καί πόρνου˙ καί τῆς φιλανθρωπίας σου τόν ἀκένωτον πλοῦτον μή διηγεῖσθαι ἅπασιν οὐ στέγω, λυτρωτά μου! Βούλομαι γάρ τόν σύμπαντα κόσμον λαβεῖν ἐκ τούτου καί μή κενόν τούτου τινά ὅλως καταλειφθῆναι, πλήν πρῶτον, ὦ παμβασιλεῦ, ἐν ἐμοί πάλιν λάμψον, ἐνοίκησον καί φώτισον τήν ταπεινήν ψυχήν μου, (223) δεῖξον θεότητος τῆς σῆς τρανῶς τό πρόσωπόν μοι καί ἀοράτως ὅλος μοι φάνηθι, ὤ Θεέ μου! Οὐδ᾿ ὅλως γάρ ὁρᾶσαί μοι, ὅλος δέ φαίνεσαί μοι˙ ἄληπτος ὤν ὅλος ληπτός θέλεις καί γίνεσαί μοι, ἀχώρητος ὤν τῷ παντί μικρόν οὖν ὄντως γίνῃ, καί ἐν χερσί μου οἱονεί καί ἐν τοῖς χείλεσί μου ὥσπερ μαζός φωτοειδής καί γλυκασμός ὁρᾶσαι, ἀστράπτων καί στρεφόμενος, ὤ μυστηρίου ξένου! ∆ός μοι σαυτόν οὕτω καί νῦν, ὅπως ἐμφορηθῶ σου, ὅπως καταφιλήσω σου καί κατασπάσομαί σου τήν δόξαν τήν ἀπόρρητον, τό φῶς τοῦ σοῦ προσώπου,