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you yourself being betrayed were confined, were exiled, sitting somewhere on a hill, O martyr of Christ. But well done, for all things are for your good. lift up your eyes round about from the watchtower of your mind and see your children, or rather your sheep, O good shepherd, even if scattered in body, yet united in spirit, having taken over almost one part after another of your whole church and with the rays of their confession, like stars, signaling to those in the night-battle of heresy the light of orthodoxy, some sacrificed to God through the perfection of their contest, others still contesting, shrinking from none of the present things, but strengthened by your God-inclined prayers. This is your glory of the church, this your banner of witness; which may the coming time receive and glorify God in you as even now. Many praises are owed to you, who contend for the sake of the icon of Christ. But forgive me, O imitator of God, for having dared out of longing in what I have uttered, granting your holy prayer, so that I might not fall away from being your least child, I who am the most useless of all on account of my sins. 287 {1To Naucratius, my child}1 From contests to contests and from affliction to afflictions are your affairs, my child Naucratius, the longed-for and ever longed-for. But for what reason are these things? For the sake of Christ. Therefore they are not grievous, but even exceedingly joyful. It has been granted to you also by God to suffer for Christ's sake. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake (it is the voice of the apostle, applied also to us the unworthy), since all things were written for our admonition, so that, whenever we fall into similar circumstances, we might have the medicines of salvation. The men also divided the monastery, as I learned, in their defense, but two things about this: one, that God knows how to unite well what has been divided badly, whenever he wishes, and the other, that for Christ's sake even the paradise in Eden is to be despised by us. Except that both we and those who divided us and everyone are strangers and sojourners of all the earth. So much for these things. But how your affairs will be I am still distressed to learn; for our own have already been decided and we bear our hardship from day to day with the patience of the Lord. Yet what have we suffered? The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us, if indeed we contend perfectly, brother. Therefore I, a wretched man, pray that you be shown to be victors, having Christ contending with you in all things. You yourself also ask the Lord concerning us, that we may be saved in every way from the evil one. Greet your fellow contestants, the brothers. 288 {1To Silvanus, my child}1 You have written me a letter worthy of your piety, my longed-for child; and indeed I relaxed and glorified my good God, because your faith in me the sinner is alive and your love is fiery and your longing flourishes. So I too towards you: I grieve a little, I censure a little, and this in fear, so that the aforementioned things might be preserved, if indeed he who loves disciplines diligently. May you be kept safe for me, therefore, my beloved son, as a son of light in this dark time of the madness against Christ. But how I am imprisoned after I was scourged with brother Nicholas, you will learn accurately by seeing the chi; for I want you to meet him wherever is convenient for you, since there is also a need for conversation by word of mouth. And why have you kept so far away, brother? Don't, I beg you. Come together to the same place, so that it may be profitable for both and indeed for me, the humble one; whom do not hesitate to always include in your prayer, that I may be pleasing to the Lord and be delivered from the evil one. Brother Nicholas greets you. 289 {1To Anna, the nun}1 The turning away of mothers from their children is somehow temporary; for being immediately drawn together by nature they turn them back to themselves, increasing their affection twofold and providing what is pleasing to them in all things. What then would the preface mean to declare to me? That your reverence also, having been a little indignant with us the humble, again could not bear not to show the usual bowels of dispassion in the Lord. For this reason in a motherly way and

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αὐτὸς προδιδόμενος περιωρίσθης, μεθωρίσθης, ἐν γεωλόφῳ που καθεζόμενος ὁ μάρτυς Χριστοῦ. Ἀλλ' εὖγε, ὅτι πάντα εἰς καλόν σοι. ἆρον κύκλῳ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ νοῦ σκοπιᾶς καὶ ἴδε σου τὰ τέκνα εἴτουν πρόβατα ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, εἰ καὶ διεσκορπισμένα σώματι, ἀλλ' ἡνωμένα πνεύματι, διειληφότα σχεδὸν ἄλλο κατ' ἄλλο μέρος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν σου πᾶσαν καὶ ταῖς αὐγαῖς τῆς ὁμολογίας δίκην ἀστέρων φρυκτωροῦντα τοῖς ἐν νυκτομαχίᾳ τῆς αἱρέσεως τὸ φῶς τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας, τὰ μὲν τυθέντα θεῷ δι' ἀθλητικῆς τελειώσεως, τὰ δὲ ἀθλοῦντα, μηδὲν ὑποπτήσσοντα τῶν παρόντων, ἀλλὰ ῥωννύμενα ταῖς θεοκλινέσι σου προσευχαῖς. αὕτη ἡ δόξα σου τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τοῦτό σου τὸ σύσσημον τῆς μαρτυρίας· ὅπερ ὁ μέλλων χρόνος ὑποδεξάμενος δοξάσειεν τὸν θεὸν ἐν σοὶ ὡς καὶ τανῦν. πολλά σου τὰ ἐγκώμια ὀφείλεται, τῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰκόνος Χριστοῦ ἐναθλοῦντι. Ἀλλά μοι σύγγνωθι, ὦ θεομίμητε, τολμήσαντι ἐκ πόθου ἐν οἷς ἐφθεγξάμην, χαριζόμενος τὴν ἱεράν σου προσευχήν, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀποπέσοιμι τοῦ εἶναί σου ἐλάχιστον τέκνον, ὁ τῶν πάντων ἀχρειότερος διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας. 287 {1Ναυκρατίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Ἐξ ἀγώνων εἰς ἀγῶνας καὶ ἐκ θλίψεως εἰς θλίψεις τὰ καθ' ὑμᾶς, τέκνον μου Ναυκράτιε, ὁ ἐπιπόθητος καὶ ἀειπόθητος. ἀλλ' ἀνθ' ὅτου ταῦτα; διὰ Χριστόν. οὐκοῦν οὐ λυπηρά, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν περιχαρῆ. ἐχαρίσθη καὶ ὑμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πάσχειν. νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν (φωνή ἐστι τοῦ ἀποστόλου, συμβαλλομένη καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀναξίοις), ἐπειδὴ πάντα ἐγράφη πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμετέραν, ἵν', ὁπόταν ἐν τοῖς ὁμοίοις καιροῖς ἐμπίπτωμεν, ἔχοιμεν τὰ φάρμακα τῆς σωτηρίας. διεῖλαν καὶ τὸ μοναστήριον, ὡς ἔμαθον, οἱ ἄνθρωποι κατὰ ἄμυναν, ἀλλὰ δύο ταῦτα, ἓν μὲν ὅτι οἶδεν ὁ θεὸς τὰ κακῶς διαιρεθέντα καλῶς ἑνοῦν, ὁπόταν βούλοιτο, ἕτερον δὲ ὅτι ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ καὶ ὁ ἐν Ἐδὲμ παράδεισος ἡμῖν καταφρονητέος. πλὴν ὅτι καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ διειλάμενοι καὶ πᾶς τις ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοι πάσης τῆς γῆς. Οὕτω μὲν ταῦτα. πῶς δὲ ἕξει τὰ καθ' ὑμᾶς ἔτι ἀσχάλλω μαθεῖν· τὰ γὰρ ἡμέτερα ἤδη διέγνωσται καὶ φέρομεν μεθ' ὑπομονῆς Κυρίου ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας τὴν κάκωσιν. ὅμως τί καὶ πεπόνθαμεν; οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἐάνπερ τελείως ἀγωνισώμεθα, ἀδελφέ. διὸ προσεύχομαι ὁ τάλας στεφανίτας ὑμᾶς ἀναδειχθῆναι, Χριστὸν ἔχοντας συναθλοῦντα ὑμῖν ἐν πᾶσιν. ἐρώτα καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ ἡμῶν τὸν Κύριον σῴζεσθαι ἡμᾶς παντὶ τρόπῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Προσαγόρευσον τοὺς συνάθλους σου ἀδελφούς. 288 {1Σιλουανῷ τέκνῳ}1 Ἀξίαν τῆς εὐλαβείας σου, τέκνον ἐπιπόθητον, ἐχάραξάς μοι τὴν ἐπιστολήν· καί γε ἀνέθην καὶ ἐδόξασα τὸν ἀγαθόν μου θεόν, ὅτι σου ἡ πίστις ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ζῇ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη πυροβολεῖ καὶ ὁ πόθος ἀκμάζει. οὕτω κἀγὼ πρὸς σέ, μικρὸν λυπῶ, μικρὸν καθάπτομαι, καὶ τοῦτο ἐν φόβῳ, ἵνα τὰ προειρημένα συντηρηθείη, εἴπερ ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει. Φυλαχθείης οὖν μοι, υἱέ μου ἀγαπητέ, ὡς υἱὸς φωτὸς ἐν τῷδε τῷ σκοτεινῷ χρόνῳ τῆς χριστομανίας. ὅπως δὲ ἐγκέκλεισμαι μετὰ τὸ δαρῆναί με σὺν τῷ ἀδελφῷ Νικολάῳ ὁρῶν τὸ ˉχ ἀκριβῶς μαθήσῃ· θέλω γὰρ συνοψίζεσθαί σε αὐτὸν ὅπου εὐοδοῦται ὑμῖν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ διὰ στόματος χρεία διαλέξεως. καὶ τί ἀπεσχοίνισας, ἀδελφέ, οὕτως; μή, παρακαλῶ. συνέρχεσθε εἰς ταὐτόν, ἵνα λυσιτελῇ ἀμφοτέροις καί γε ἐμοὶ τῷ ταπεινῷ· ὃν ἀεὶ λαμβάνειν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου μὴ κατόκνει εἰς τὸ εὐαρεστεῖν με Κυρίῳ καὶ διασῴζεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος προσαγορεύει σε. 289 {1Ἄννῃ μοναζούσῃ}1 Αἱ πρὸς τὰ τέκνα τῶν μητέρων ἀποστροφαὶ πρόσκαιρόν πώς εἰσιν· ὑπὸ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως εὐθὺς συνελκόμεναι πρὸς ἑαυτὰς ὑποστρέφουσιν αὐτά, διπλοῦν τὸ φίλτρον αὔξουσαι καὶ τὰ καταθύμια αὐτοῖς ἐν πᾶσι παριστῶσαι. τί δή μοι βούλοιτο δηλοῦν τὸ προοίμιον; ὅτι καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἡ σεβασμιότης σου μικρὸν ἀγανακτήσασα πάλιν οὐκ ἤνεγκε μὴ τὰ τῆς συνήθους ἀπαθείας ἐνδείξασθαι ἐν Κυρίῳ σπλάγχνα. διὰ τοῦτο μητροπρεπῶς καὶ