190

now and forever and always unto ages of ages, amen.

37.

A supplication and prayer of the same to God for His help (286)

Master Christ, Master Savior of souls, Master God of all visible and invisible powers, as creator of all things in heaven, of those above heaven and all heavens, of those under the earth and likewise those in the earth! You are the Lord of these, both God and Master; you by your hand hold all creation, for in it you contain all things. Your hand, Master, is the great power, which, fulfilling the will of your Father, both creates and makes, works and founds, and orders our affairs ineffably; this, then, has now brought me forth from non-being and made me to be, when I, having been born in this world, was wholly ignorant of you, the good Master, you, my creator, you, O my maker, and I was like a blind man in the world and like an atheist, ignorant of my God. You, then, having had mercy, both visited (287) and turned me back, shining a light for me in the darkness and drawing me to yourself, O fashioner, and leading me out of the lowest pit, the darkness of the passions, the deepest darkness of the desires and pleasures of life, you showed me the way, you gave me a guide to lead me to your commandments. Following whom, I remained without a care, I rejoiced with an unspoken joy, O Word, seeing this one following in your footsteps and often conversing with you.

Comment [Em1]:

190

νῦν καί ἀεί καί πάντοτε εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων, ἀμήν.

ΛΖ'.

∆έησις καί προσευχή τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Θεόν τῆς ἐκείνου ἕνεκα βοηθείας (286)

∆έσποτα Χριστέ, ∆έσποτα ψυχοσῶστα, ∆έσποτα Θεέ πάντων τῶν ὁρωμένων ἀοράτων τε δυνάμεων, ὡς κτίστης τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ πάντων, τῶν ὑπεράνω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τε καί οὐρανῶν ἁπάντων, τῶν ὑπό γῆν τε καί τῶν ἐν γῇ ὡσαύτως! Σύ εἶ Κύριος τούτων, Θεός τε καί ∆εσπότης, σύ τῇ χειρί σου περικρατεῖς τήν κτίσιν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ περιέχεις τά πάντα. Χείρ σου, ∆έσποτα, δύναμις ἡ μεγάλη, ἥ τό θέλημα τοῦ σοῦ Πατρός πληροῦσα καί δημιουργεῖ, ἐργάζεται καί κτίζει καί οἰκονομεῖ τά καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἀρρήτως˙ αὕτη οὖν κἀμέ νυνί παραγαγοῦσα ἐκ τοῦ μή ὄντος πεποίηκε τοῦ εἶναι, ὅε καί γεγονώς ἤμην ἐν τῷδε κόσμῳ ἀγνοῶν ὅλως σέ, τόν καλόν ∆εσπότην, σέ, τόν κτίστην μου, σέ, ὦ δημιουργέ μου, καί ὥσπερ τυφλός ὑπῆρχον ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καί ὡς ἄθεος, ἀγνοῶν τόν Θεόν μου. Αὐτός οὖν ἐλεήσας καί ἐπεσκέψω (287) καί ἐπεστρέψας λάμψας ἐν σκότει φῶς μοι καί ἑλκύσας με πρός ἑαυτόν, ὦ πλάστα, ἐξαγαγών τε ἐκ κατωτάτου λάκκου, σκότους τῶν παθῶν, σκότους τοῦ βαθυτάτου ἐπιθυμιῶν καί ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου ἔξειξας ὁδόν, δέδωκας ὁδηγόν μοι πρός τάς ἐντολάς τάς σάς καθοδηγοῦντα. Ὧ ἀκολουθῶν ἄφροντις διετέλουν, ἔχαιρον χαράν οὐ λαλουμένην, Λόγε, ὁρῶν κατά πόδας σου ἀκολουθοῦντα καί προσομιλοῦντά σοι πολλάκις τοῦτον.

Comment [Em1]: