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is therefore the dwelling-place of God; and where God is, there is the fount of good things, peace, joy, love. I, the humble one, therefore beseech you not to look to the examples of your neighbors, and especially to the lukewarm—if I may so put it—and confused way of life artificially displayed among the majority of nuns, but to the archetypal beauties, whose lives are in your hands, flashing forth with divine loves; since a painter too would copy an image not from inferior ones, but from those that are beautiful and distinguished by their antiquity. What was known to you in them? The loosing of the bonds of passion, flight from the sight of a man as much as possible, a humble mind, soiled clothing, an eye cast downward, an ear fleeing useless things heard, a mouth speaking inspired words, affliction of the body. For thus they overcame the mind of the flesh, since the flesh lusts against the spirit, as it is written, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are opposed to each other, and it is an undeclared war. And we must every day, I might even say every hour, arm ourselves against the passions manfully with God and in God, conquering in a great struggle the enemy, who is always thirsting for our destruction, whose swords have utterly failed for those who pay attention securely. But it is not possible for one who is struggling in word and thought and in similar things not to be defeated and struck at all by sins not unto death, but one must wrestle back up more quickly and stand in the proper state; for who will understand his transgressions and who will boast that he has a pure soul? And he who lives in the Lord is indeed in tribulation, since the way that leads to life is narrow and afflicted, just as the opposite is for the opposite people. But when the end of the struggles comes, then you will know, O brides of Christ, what your way of life has procured for you. For you will be taken up with inexpressible joy by good angels and you will enter into the bridal chamber not made with hands, into the heavenly bridegroom's chamber, to be with the Lord always forever. There was more to say, but since I reckon I have exceeded the measure of a letter, I will end my discourse here. For this, grant to me, a sinner, your holy prayers. 293 {1To Leo the patrician}1 I am a debtor not of paper and ink, but, if it were possible, of sending skin and blood to your holy soul, which has so long ago given itself to my humility and longs not only for what concerns the body, but also for what concerns the spirit. And do not disbelieve what I am about to say, master. For it is true that what neither hierarchs nor priests nor monks and laity nor almost any other kinsman and friend has done well or cared for in my regard, these things your piety has shown exceedingly towards me. And, if it were possible for my heart to see your greatness, it would have been greatly amazed at itself. But enough of these things for now, and I will perhaps not cease writing even after death, invisibly to the invisible. Now I, wretched one, pray for this, that you be kept unharmed in soul and body and that you escape, if not the smoke, at least the heretical fire. Pray also, my master, for my humility so that what Christ began freely in us unworthy ones, he may also bring to completion, delivering us from visible and invisible enemies. 294 {1To Macarius the abbot}1 What are you doing, O divine father, humbling yourself, who are lofty in virtue, and exalting me in your precious words, who am low in wickedness, being besieged by countless passions every day? I am therefore your servant and child, desiring rather to be a disciple than being able to teach. Nevertheless, the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things; such are you both when seen and when read. So then, concerning the man of Demetrias and his disciples, that they have departed, so that you might know the tree by its fruits and pray for repentance for them, and for me, the wretched one, strength against those who war against us both invisibly and visibly, so that I might be deemed worthy to come after all the present confessors of Christ; for everyone who resists is a confessor. but concerning the two others

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οὖν ἐστιν ἐνοίκησις θεοῦ· οὗ δὲ θεός, ἐκεῖ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ πηγή, εἰρήνη, χαρά, ἀγάπη. παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ὁ ταπεινὸς μὴ πρὸς τὰ τῶν πλησίον ἀποβλέπειν παραδείγματα καὶ μάλιστα τῆς ἐπιπλάστως ἐν ταῖς πλείσταις τῶν μοναζουσῶν ἐπιδεδειγμένης πολιτείας χλιαρᾶς, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, καὶ συγκεχυμένης, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ ἀρχέτυπα κάλλη, ὧν οἱ βίοι ἐν χερσὶν ὑμῶν, ἀστραπηφοροῦντες τοὺς θείους ἔρωτας· ἐπεὶ καὶ ζωγράφος οὐκ ἐκ φαύλων, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὡραϊσμένων καὶ ἀρχαιότητι διαφερόντων εἰκόνων μεταγράφοιεν εἰκόνα. τί ἦν ἐν ἐκείναις γνωστὸν ὑμῖν; λύσις τῶν δεσμῶν τῆς προσπαθείας, φυγὴ ἀρρενικῆς ὄψεως ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, καταβεβλημένον φρόνημα, ῥυπῶσα ἐσθής, ὄμμα κάτω νενευκός, οὖς φεῦγον ἀνωφελῆ ἀκούσματα, στόμα λαλοῦν ἔνθεα, ὑποπιεσμὸς σώματος· οὕτω γὰρ περιεγένοντο τοῦ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονήματος, ἐπείπερ ἡ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὡς γέγραπται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός, ταῦτα δὲ ἀντίκειται ἀλλήλοις, καὶ ἀκήρυκτος πόλεμος. καὶ δεῖ ἡμᾶς πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, εἴπω καὶ ὥραν, ὁπλίζεσθαι κατὰ τῶν παθῶν ἀνδρικῶς μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ σὺν θεῷ ἐν πολλῷ ἀγῶνι νικῶντας τὸν ἐχθρόν, τὸν ἀεὶ διψῶντα τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἡμῶν, οὗ αἱ ῥομφαῖαι εἰς τέλος ἐξέλιπον τοῖς προσέχουσιν ἀσφαλῶς. οὐκ ἔστιν δὲ μὴ ἡττᾶσθαι πάντως καὶ πλήττεσθαι τὸν ἀγωνιζόμενον ἐν λόγῳ καὶ ἐννοίᾳ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁμοίοις τοῖς μὴ πρὸς θάνατον ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ τὸ θᾶττον ἀναπαλαίειν χρὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δεούσης ἵστασθαι καταστάσεως· παραπτώματα γὰρ τίς συνήσει καὶ τίς καυχήσηται τὴν ψυχὴν ἁγνὴν ἔχειν; καὶ ἐν θλίψει μὲν ὁ ἐν Κυρίῳ ζῶν, ἐπειδὴ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ ἐναντία τοῖς ἐναντίοις· ὅτε δὲ ἔλθοι τὸ πέρας τῶν ἀγώνων, τότε εἴσεσθε, ὦ νύμφαι Χριστοῦ, τί προεξένησεν ὑμῖν ἡ πολιτεία· ἀρθήσεσθε γὰρ ἐν χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ ὑπὸ ἀγαθῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ εἰσελεύσεσθε εἰς τὴν ἀχειρότευκτον παστάδα, εἰς τὸν οὐράνιον νυμφῶνα, πάντοτε σὺν Κυρίῳ εἰς αἰῶνα ἐσόμεναι. Ἦν μὲν καὶ πλέον τι λέγειν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ στοχάζομαι ὑπερβεβηκέναι τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἐνταῦθα καταπαύσοιμι τὸν λόγον· ὑπὲρ οὗ χαρίσασθέ μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ τὰς ἁγίας ὑμῶν εὐχάς. 293 {1Λέοντι πατρικίῳ}1 Ὀφειλέτης εἰμὶ οὐ χάρτην καὶ μέλαν, ἀλλ', εἰ ἐνδέχοιτο, δέρμα καὶ αἷμα ἀποστέλλειν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σου ψυχῇ, οὕτως ἐπιδούσῃ ἑαυτὴν ἔκπαλαι τῇ ταπεινώσει μου καὶ ὁμειρομένῃ οὐ μόνον τὰ κατὰ σῶμα, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα. καὶ μὴ ἀπιστήσῃς ὃ μέλλω λέγειν, δέσποτα· ἔστι γὰρ ἀληθὲς ὅτι, ἃ μήτε ἱεράρχαι μήτε ἱερεῖς μήτε μὴν μονασταὶ καὶ μιγάδες ἤ τις ἄλλος σχεδὸν οἰκεῖος καὶ φίλος εὐηργέτησεν ἢ ἐφρόντισεν ἐπ' ἐμοί, ταῦτα ἡ σὴ εὐσέβεια ὑπερβαλλόντως ἐνεδείξατο εἰς ἐμέ. καί, εἰ οἷόν τε ἦν ἐπιδεῖν τὴν καρδίαν μου τὴν μεγαλωσύνην σου, ἐθαύμασεν ἑαυτὴν μεγάλως ἄν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τούτοις, καὶ οὔ τί που παύσοιμι ἐπιστέλλειν τάχα γε καὶ μετὰ θάνατον ἀοράτως ἀοράτῳ. νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνο ὁ τάλας εὔχομαι, διαφυλαχθῆναί σε ἀσινῆ ψυχῇ τε καὶ σώματι καὶ διαφυγεῖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῦ καπνοῦ, ἀλλά γε τοῦ αἱρετικοῦ πυρός. προσεύχου καὶ ὁ δεσπότης μου περὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου ἵνα, ὃ ἐνήρξατο Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀναξίοις, καὶ τελειώσειεν, ῥυόμενος ἐξ ὁρωμένων καὶ ἀοράτων ἡμᾶς ἐχθρῶν. 294 {1Μακαρίῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Τί ποιεῖς, ὦ θεῖε πάτερ, ἑαυτὸν ταπεινῶν, τὸν ὑψηλὸν τῇ ἀρετῇ, κἀμὲ ὑψῶν ἐν τοῖς τιμίοις λόγοις σου, τὸν χθαμαλὸν τῇ κακίᾳ ὡς μυρίοις πάθεσι πολιορκούμενον καθ' ἑκάστην; ἐγὼ τοίνυν δοῦλος σὸς καὶ παῖς, μαθητιᾶν μᾶλλον ἐφιέμενος ἢ διδάσκειν δυνάμενος. ὅμως ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας ἐκβάλλει τὰ ἀγαθά· τοιοῦτος σὺ καὶ ὁρώμενος καὶ ἀναγινωσκόμενος. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ τῆς ∆ημητριάδος καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ὅτι ᾤχοντο, ἵνα γνοίης ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν τὸ δένδρον καὶ εὔξῃ ἐκείνοις μὲν μετάνοιαν, ἐμοί τε τῷ ἀθλίῳ στηριγμὸν πρός τε τοὺς πολεμοῦντας ἀοράτως τε καὶ ὁρωμένως, ὡς ἂν κατόπιν ἀξιωθείην ἐλθεῖν τῶν νυνὶ πάντων ὁμολογητῶν Χριστοῦ· ὁμολογητὴς γὰρ πᾶς ὁ ἐνιστάμενος. περὶ δὲ τῶν δύο ἄλλων