179

43.

That it is better to be well-shepherded than to shepherd the unwilling; for there will be no gain for one who is eager to save others, but has destroyed himself through his leadership of them. (318)

Speak, O Christ, to your servant, speak, O light of the world, speak, O knowledge of all, speak, O Word, Wisdom, who foreknows all things, who foresees all things and teaches abundantly what is expedient for us, speak and teach me also the saving ways of your wills, O Savior, and of your divine commands. Speak and do not overlook me, do not hide, O my God, your divine will from your unworthy servant. What is better from you, which of the two is well-pleasing to you, tell me, O philanthropic Savior: for me to be in anxiety over the affairs of the monastery and to care abundantly for bodily needs, and to vindicate all things with enmity and strife, or always to persevere in stillness alone and keep my mind and heart untroubled and to receive the splendors of your grace and always have the senses of my soul illuminated and be mystically instructed in divine words and teach others gently and be taught myself in the same way; for he who speaks says what is said also to himself (319) and he himself is first obliged to do these things in every way. From these things, therefore, tell me, O my God and creator, which is better for me, which is expedient, and which is well-pleasing and perfect to you? Yes, indeed, do not hide from me, O all-merciful Word! Hear what you ask, write what you hear. I am God before all beginning, I am Lord by nature, King of the heavens and of those under the earth, and all who are unwilling are my servants. For I am Creator of all things and Judge and Lord, and I am now and shall be for ever and ever; but I never compel the unwilling one, but I wish servitude to be of free will, of free choice, for fear to be active and love to be shown by my subjects. For I long for such as these to be my servants, but the others I have not yet known nor have I been known by them; therefore they call me harsh, they call me unsympathetic, the children of the unjust name me unjust. Those, therefore, who insult me and revile me, who reproach me, how will they submit to you or how will they accept you as a teacher, tell me? And how will the wolves consider you a shepherd

179

ΜΓ'.

Ὅτι κρεῖσσον τό καλῶς ποιμαίνεσθαι ἤ τούς μή βουλομένους ποιμαίνειν˙ οὐδέ γάρ ἔσται κέρδος τῷ ἄλλους μέν σπουδάζοντι σῶσαι, ἑαυτόν δέ διά τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπολέσαντι προστασίας. (318)

Εἰπέ, Χριστέ, τῷ δούλῳ σου, εἰπέ, τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, εἰπέ, ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ παντός, εἰπέ, λόγε, σοφία, ἡ πάντα προγινώσκουσα, ἡ πάντα προειδυῖα καί τά ἡμῖν συμφέροντα διδάσκουσα ἀφθόνως, εἰπέ καί δίδαξον κἀμέ ὁδούς σωτηριώδεις τῶν θελημάτων σου, Σωτήρ, καί θείων προσταγμάτων. Εἰπέ καί μή παρίδῃς με, μή κρύψῃς, ὦ Θεέ μου, ἐξ ἀναξίου δούλου σου τό θεῖον θέλημά σου. Τί κρεῖσσον ἔστι παρά σοῦ, ποῖον εὐάρεστόν σοι ἀπό τῶν δύο, φράσον μοι, ὦ φιλάνθρωπε Σῶτερ˙ τό ἐν μερίμνῃ εἶναί με τῶν τῆς μονῆς πραγμάτων καί τῶν σωματικῶν χρειῶν τό ἀφθόνως φροντίζειν, διεκδικεῖν τε ἅπαντα μετ᾿ ἔχθρας τε καί μάχης, ἤ τό ἀεί προσκαρτερεῖν μόνῃ τῇ ἡσυχίᾳ καί συντηρεῖν ἀθόλωτον τόν νοῦν καί τήν καρδίαν καί δέχεσθαι τῆς χάριτος τῆς σῆς τάς λαμπηδόνας καί καταυγάζεσθαι ἀεί τάς τῆς ψυχῆς αἰσθήσεις καί θείους λόγους μυστικῶς ἐνηχεῖσθαι καί ἄλλους διδάσκειν πρᾴως καί αὐτός διδάσκεσθαι ὡσαύτως˙ ὁ λέγω γάρ καί ἑαυτῷ τά λεγόμενα λέγει (319) καί πρῶτος οὗτος τοῦ ποιεῖν πάντως ταῦτα ὀφείλει. Ἐκ τούτων τοίνυν λέγε μοι, ὦ Θεέ μου καί πλάστα, ποῖον ὑπάρχει κρεῖσσόν μοι, ποῖον ἐστί συμφέρον, ποῖον δέ σοί εὐάρεστον καί τέλειον ὑπάρχει; Ναί δή, μή κρύψῃς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ὦ πανοικτίρμον Λόγε! Ἄκουσον ὅπερ ἐρωτᾷς, γράψον ἅπερ ἀκούεις. Ἐγώ Θεός προάναρχος, ἐγώ ∆εσπότης φύσει, τῶν οὐρανῶν τε Βασιλεύς καί τῶν καταχθονίων καί πάντες μή βουλόμενοι ἐμοί δοῦλοι τελοῦσι. Κτίστης τῶν πάντων γάρ ἐγώ καί Κριτής καί ∆εσπότης καί νῦν εἰμι καί ἔσομαι εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων˙ ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τόν μή βουλόμενον ποτέ καταναγκάζω, αὐτεξούσιον θέλω δέ, αὐτοπροαίρετόν γε τήν τε δουλείαν γίνεσθαι, τόν φόβον ἐνεργεῖσθαι καί τήν ἀγάπην δείκνυσθαι παρά τῶν ὑπηκόων. Τοιούτους γάρ τούς δούλους μου ἐπιποθῶ τοῦ εἶναι, τούς δ᾿ ἄλλους οὔπω ἔγνωκα οὐδ᾿ ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐγνώσθην˙ διό σκληρόν με λέγουσιν, ἀσυμπαθῆ καλοῦσιν, ἄδικον ὀνομάζουσι τά τοῦ ἀδίκου τέκνα. Οἱ οὖν ἐμέ ὑβρίζοντες ἐμέ τε λοιδοροῦντες, ἐμέ κατονειδίζοντες, σοί πῶς ὑποταγῶσιν ἤ πῶς σε καταδέξονται διδάσκαλον, εἰπέ μοι; Οἱ λύκοι δέ ποιμένα σε πῶς ἄρα λογιοῦνται