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(299) and they will be heirs of my kingdom, and they will become partakers of ineffable, unspeakable good things; and they will be with me for ever. But as for the others, who will not weep for them, who will not lament them, who will not shed a tear from a compassionate heart, who will not mourn their great insensibility, that having forsaken life they have handed themselves over to death, having been terribly torn away from God? From their portion deliver me, Master of all, and make me, your humble and last servant, worthy to become a partaker of your immaculate sufferings, so that as you have said, O God—I may also be a partaker of your glory and of the delight of your good things, O Word, now as in an enigma and a figure and a mirror, but then I shall know, even as I have been known, amen.

41.

Thanksgiving to God for the benefactions that have come from Him and a request to learn for what reason those who have become perfect are permitted to be tempted by demons; and a teaching and outline spoken by God concerning those who renounce the world. (300)

You know my poverty, you have seen my orphanhood, you understand my solitude, you see my weakness and my powerlessness, my God who formed me, you are not ignorant, but you watch over and know all things. Behold a humble heart, behold a contrite one, behold me approaching in despair, my God, and give from on high your grace, give your Divine Spirit. Give the Paraclete, Savior, send Him, as you promised, send Him also now to me who am sitting in an upper room, Master, truly above every earthly thing, outside the whole world and seeking you and awaiting your Spirit. Do not delay, therefore, O compassionate one, do not overlook, O merciful one, do not forget the one who seeks you with a thirsty soul. Do not deprive me, who am unworthy of it, of life, nor abhor me, O God, and do not abandon me. I put forward your compassion, I propose your mercy, and I offer to you your love for mankind as a mediator. (301) I have not toiled, I have not done works of righteousness, I have never kept one of your commandments, but I have passed my whole life prodigally, yet you yourself did not overlook me, but seeking me you found me wandering, you turned me from the path of error and upon your immaculate shoulders with the light of your grace

168

(299) καί βασιλείας τῆς ἐμῆς ἔσονται κληρονόμοι, συγκοινωνοί τε ἀγαθῶν ἀφράστων, ἀπορρήτων γενήσονται˙ καί σύν ἐμοί ἔσονται εἰς αἰῶνας. Τούς δ᾿ ἄλλους τίς μή κλαύσει γε, τίς αὐτούς μή θρηνήσει, τίς μή σταλάξει δάκρυον ἐκ συμπαθοῦς καρδίας, τίς μή πενθήσει τήν αὐτῶν πολλήν ἀναισθησίαν, ὅτι ἀφέντες τήν ζωήν ἑαυτούς τῷ θανάτῳ παραδεδώκασι Θεοῦ δεινῶς ἀπορραγέντες; Ὧν τῆς μερίδος ῥῦσαί με, ∆έσποτα τῶν ἁπάντων, καί κοινωνόν γενέσθαι με παθῶν σου τῶν ἀχράντων ἀξίωσον τόν εὐτελῆ καί ἔσχατόν σου δοῦλον, ὅπως ὡς εἴρηκας, Θεέ - καί κοινωνός ὑπάρξω τῆς δόξης σου καί τῆς τρυφῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν σου, Λόγε, νῦν μεν ὡς ἐν αἰνίγματι καί τύπῳ καί ἐσόπτρῳ τότε δέ ἐπιγνώσομαι, ὅσον καί ἐπεγνώσθην, ἀμήν.

ΜΑ'.

Εὐχαριστία πρός Θεόν ὑπέρ τῶν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότων εὐεργεσιῶν καί αἴτησις τοῦ μαθεῖν, τίνος χάριν οἱ τέλειοι γεγονότες ὑπό τῶν δαιμόνων παραχωροῦνται πειράζεσθαι˙ καί περί τῶν ἀποτασσομένων τῷ κόσμῳ διδασκαλία καί ὑποτύπωσις ῥηθεῖσα παρά Θεοῦ. (300)

Γινώσκεις τήν πτωχείαν μου, οἶδας τήν ὀρφανίαν, ἐπίστασαι τήν μόνωσιν, ὁρᾷς τό ἀσθενές μου καί τήν ἀδυναμίαν μου, ὁ πλάσας με Θεός μου οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς, ἀλλ᾿ ἐφορᾷς καί τά πάντα γινώσκεις. Ἴδε καρδίαν ταπεινήν, ἴδε συντετριμμένην, ἴδε ἐν ἀπογνώσει με ἐγγίζοντα, Θεέ μου, καί δός ἀφ᾿ ὕψους χάριν σου, δός Πνεῦμά σου τό Θεῖον. ∆ός τόν Παράκλητον, Σῶτερ, πέμψον, καθώς ὑπέσχου, ἀπόστειλον κἀμοί καί νῦν τῷ προσκαθεζομένῳ ἐν ὑπερῴω, ∆έσποτα, ὑπεράνωθεν ὄντως παντός γηΐνου πράγματος, ἔξω παντός τοῦ κόσμου καί σέ ζητοῦντι καί τό σόν Πνεῦμα ἐκδεχομένῳ. Μή οὖν βραδύνῃς, εὔσπλαγχνε, μή παρίδῃς, οἰκτίρμον, μή ἐπιλάθῃ τοῦ ψυχῇ ζητοῦντός σε διψώσῃ. Μή με στερήσῃς τῆς ζωῆς τόν ἀνάξιον ταύτης μηδέ βδελύξῃ με, Θεέ, καί μή ἐγκαταλίπῃς. Τά σπλάγχνα σου προβάλλομαι, τό ἔλεος προτείνω καί τήν φιλανθρωπίαν σου μεσῖτίν σοι προσφέρω. (301) Οὐκ ἔκαμον, οὐκ ἔπραξα δικαιοσύνης ἔργα, οὐδέποτε ἐτήρησα μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν σου, ἀλλά ἀσώτως ἅπαντα τόν βίον μου μετῆλθον, πλήν αὐτός οὐ παρεῖδές με, ἀλλά ζητήσας εὗρες πλανώμενον, ἐπέστρεψας ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς πλάνης καί ἐπ᾿ ἀχράντους ὤμους σου φωτί τῆς χάριτός σου