171

those who are sick. And, to seek and to save that which was lost, He had come. And, that He had been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And He alluded parabolically through the drachma that He had come to rescue the royal image which had fallen under the most foul dung of the passions. And, Amen I say to you that there is joy in heaven and on earth over one sinner who repents. For this reason, He restored the one who fell among thieves, and was stripped of all clothing, and was left half-dead from his wounds, with wine and oil and bandages; and having set him on His own beast, He entrusts him to the innkeeper; and having given enough for his care, He promised that He would also give whatever more was spent on His return. For this reason, He says that the all-good Father was moved at the return of the prodigal son, and having embraced (456) him as he ran back through repentance, adorned him again with the beauty of paternal glory, finding no fault at all with his former deeds. For this reason, having found the sheep from the divine hundred that had gone astray, wandering on the mountains and the hills, He did not drive it, nor wear it out with toil, leading it back to the sheepfold; but placing it on His own shoulders, He compassionately brought it safely to its companions. For this reason, He cried out, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened in heart, and I will give you rest. And, Take my yoke upon you; and by yoke, meaning the commandments, that is, the life directed by the Gospel; and by burden, that which seems to be the labor of repentance. For my yoke, He says, is easy, and my burden is light. And again, teaching divine righteousness and goodness, He exhorts, saying: Be holy; and be perfect; be merciful; be compassionate, as your heavenly Father is. And, Forgive, and you will be forgiven. And, Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do also to them. And such things. And simply, that I may not lengthen the letter by speaking of each instance, for this reason He justifies harlots who repent, and receives tax collectors who turn back, and establishes them as preachers of the Gospel. For this reason He takes with Him thieves who confess and who purchase salvation with their death because of fear, and brings them with Himself into paradise, confirming the promises of good things to come. For this reason He chastens persecutors who are raging, because of their zeal, and having ordained them as apostles to the gentiles in His place, He puts them forward; so that we might learn love for mankind and gentleness; and that we might neither easily despair of ourselves when we sin, nor remain unsympathetic and unfeeling towards those who sin, having God as an example for our actions.

Since, therefore, we have been taught that these things are so in truth itself, and that it is the will of God that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth; and we remember that the sole beginning and purpose of His wondrous visitation to us in the flesh was our salvation; I confidently ask your holiness, putting forward to you, in place of a supplication, the very life-giving sufferings of our God and Savior Christ, by which we were redeemed from the power of darkness. For I believe you, being a genuine disciple of the Son of God, through the entire conduct of your life, bear the teacher living and active within yourself, since indeed from a child you have cleaved to him completely; that even through me, the humble (457) and sinful mediator, who has nothing worthy of your virtue, you may honor His philanthropic emptying for your sake, and receive this sister who is repenting and wasting away in tears. For great and ineffable is the contrition of her heart, and the humility of her spirit, both for the sin which she has committed, and for the separation from you, which she has mourned. Therefore, do not despise, O blessed handmaid of God,

171

οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες. Καί, Ζητῆσαι, καί σῶσαι τό ἀπολωλός, ἐληλυθέναι. Καί, Πρός τά πρόβατα, τά ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ ἀπεστάλθαι. Καί τήν βασιλικήν ἀνασώσασθαι εἰκόνα, ὑπό τήν δυσωδεστάτην τῶν παθῶν κόπρον γεγενημένην παραγεγονέναι, διά τῆς δραχμῆς παραβολικῶς παρῃνίξατο. Καί, Ἀμήν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι χαρά γίνεται ἐν οὐρανῷ καί ἐπί γῆς, ἐπί ἑνί ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι. ∆ιά τοῦτο τόν λησταῖς περιπεσόντα, καί γυμνωθέντα πάσης περιβολῆς, καί ταῖς πληγαῖς ἡμιθανῆ γεγενημένον, οἴνῳ καί ἐλαίῳ καί καταδέσμοις ἀνέῤῥωσε· καί ἐπί τό ἴδιον κτῆνος ἀναβιβάσας, τῷ πανδοχεῖ παρατίθεται· καί τά πρός ἐπιμέλειαν ἀρκοῦντα δούς, ἐπηγγείλατο καί τά προσδαπανώμενα δώσειν ἐπανερχόμενος. ∆ιά τοῦτο πρός τήν ἐπιστροφήν τοῦ ἀσώτου υἱοῦ τόν πανάγαθον πατέρα ἐπικλιθῆναί φησι, καί ἀσπασάμενον (456) τόν αὐτόν διά τῆςμετανοίας ἀνδραμόντα, τῷ κάλλει τῆς πατρικῆς πάλιν κατακοσμῆσαι δόξης, οὐδοτιοῦν περί τῶν προτέρων μεμψάμενον. ∆ιά τοῦτο τό τῆς θείας ἑκατοντάδος ἀποφοιτῆσαν πρόβατον, ἐπί τά ὄρη καί τούς βουνούς πλανώμενον εὑρών, οὐκ ἐλαύνων, οὐδέ μόχθῳ κατατρίβων πρός τήν μάνδραν ἐπανήγαγε τῶν προβάτων· ἀλλά τῶν ὤμων ἐπιθείς τῶν ἰδίων, πρός τά σύννομα συμπαθῶς διεσώσατο. ∆ιά τοῦτο, ∆εῦτε πρός με, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καί πεφορτισμένοι τῇ καρδίᾳ, κἀγώ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς, ἀνέκραγε. Καί, Ἄρατε τόν ζυγόν μου ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς· ζυγόν δέ λέγων, τάς ἐντολάς· ἤγουν τόν εὐαγγελικῶς εὐθυνόμενον βίον· φορτίον δέ, τό δοκοῦν εἶναι τῆς μετανοίας ἐπίπονον· Ὁ γάρ ζυγός μου, φησί, χρηστός καί τό φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν. Καί πάλιν θείαν δικαιοσύνην καί ἀγαθότητα διδάσκων, παρακελεύεται λέγων· Γίνεσθε ἅγιοι· καί γίνεσθε τέλειοι· γίνεσθε ἐλεήμονες· γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς ὁ Πατήρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος. Καί, Ἄφετε , καί ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Καί, Ὅσα θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὁμοίως καί ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς. Καί τά τοιαῦτα. Καί ἁπλῶς, ἵνα μή καθ᾿ ἕκαστον λέγων μηκύνω τήν ἐπιστολήν, διά τοῦτο πόρνας δικαιοῖ μετανοούσας, τελώνας τε προσδέχεται ἐπιστρέφοντας, καί τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καθίστησι κήρυκας. ∆ιά τοῦτο λῃστάς ὁμολογοῦντας, καί τῷ θανάτῳ ὠνουμένους τήν σωτηρίαν, διά τό φόβον συνεπάγεται, καί εἰς τόν παράδεισον ἑαυτῷ συνεισάγει, τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν πιστούμενος τάς ἐπαγγελίας. ∆ιά τοῦτο διώκτας μαινομένους, σωφρονίζει, διά τόν ζῆλον, καί ἐθνῶν ἀποστόλους ἀνθ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ χειροτονήσας, προβάλλεται· ἵνα ἡμεῖς μάθωμεν φιλανθρωπίαν καί ἡμερότητα· καί μήτε ῥᾳδίως ἑαυτῶν ἀπογινώσκωμεν ἁμαρτάνοντες, καί πρός τούς ἁμαρτάνοντας μή μένωμεν ἀσυμπαθεῖς καί ἀνάλγητοι· Θεόν ἔχοντες τῶν γινομένων παράδειγμα.

Ἐπειδή οὖν ταῦθ᾿ οὕτως ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς ἔχειν τῆς ἀληθείας, καί θέλημα Θεοῦ ὑπάρχειν τό πάντας ἀνθρώπους σωθῆναι, καί εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἐλθεῖν ἀληθείας, ἐδιδάχθημεν· καί τῆς πρός ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ θαυμαστῆς διά σαρκός ἐπιδημίας ἀρχήν καί ὑπόθεσιν μόνην τήν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν εἶναι μεμνήμεθα· θαῤῤῶν αἰτῶ τήν ὑμετέραν ἁγιωσύνην, αὐτά σοι τά ζωοποιά παθήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ, οἷς ἐλυτρώθημεν τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους, ἀνθ᾿ ἱκετηρίας προβαλλόμενος. Πιστεύω γέ σε γνησίαν οὖσαν μαθῆτιν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, διά πάσης τῆς τοῦ βίου ἀγωγῆς, ζῶντα καί ἔμπρακτον ἐν ἑαυτῇ φέρειν τόν διδάσκαλον, ἅτε δή ἐκ παιδός δι᾿ ὅλου αὐτῷ προσχωρήσασαν· ἵνα καί δι᾿ ἐμοῦ μεσίτου τοῦ ταπεινοῦ (457) καί ἁμαρτωλοῦ, καί μηδέν ἔχοντος τῆς σῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπάξιον, τιμήσῃς τήν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν αὐτοῦ φιλάνθρωπον κένωσιν, καί προσδέξῃ μετανοοῦσαν, καί τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἐκτακεῖσαν τήνδε τήν ἀδελφήν. Πολλή γάρ ἐστι καί ἄφατος ἡ συντριβή τῆς καρδίας αὐτῆς, καί τοῦ πνεύματος ἡ ταπείνωσις, ἐπί τε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ᾗ πέπραχε, καί τῷ ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν χωρισμῷ, ὅν πένθοθεν. Μή οὖν ἐξουδενώσῃς, δούλη Θεοῦ εὐλογημένην,