196
For if you truly exist as wholly uninterpretable, invisible, unapproachable, and incomprehensible, intangible, unfeelable, wholly ungraspable, Savior, how shall we name you, and how shall we dare to say of what kind and quality of essence you are? For in reality you are none of all things, O my God, but all things are your works brought forth from non-being; but you alone exist uncreated, you alone are without beginning, Savior, Holy and revered Trinity, the God of all things, and you have shown to us a light of your immaculate glory. Grant me this now without separation, Savior, grant that I may always behold you in it as in a mirror, O Word, and to perceive well your ineffable beauty, which, being altogether incomprehensible, utterly astonishes my mind, drives my senses to ecstasy and kindles a fire of your love in my heart. And this, being made into a flame of divine longing, shows me your glory more clearly, O my God. Worshipping it, I ask you, Son of God, grant (347) both now and in the future to possess it without succession and through it to behold you, the God, eternally. Do not give me glory, Master, the vain glory in the world, not perishing wealth, not talents of gold, not the height of a throne, not the rule of these corruptible things. Join me with the humble, with the poor and the meek, so that I too may become both humble and meek, and my ministry, if I do not pursue it for what is profitable and for your good pleasure and your service, be pleased that I be cast out from it and only, Master, to lament my own sins, and to be anxious only for your just judgment, and how I shall defend myself, having greatly angered you. Yes, O sympathetic Shepherd, the good and meek one, who wills that all who believe in you be saved, have mercy, hear this my supplication; be not angry, do not turn your face from me, but teach me to fulfill your will. For I do not seek for my own will to be done, but yours, so that I may serve you, O merciful one. I adjure you, have mercy, you who are merciful by nature, and do what is profitable for my wretched soul, because you alone exist as a God who loves mankind, uncreated, without end, truly all-powerful, the life of all and the light of all who have loved you and who are exceedingly loved by you, O lover of mankind. Rank me with them, Master, and make me a partaker and fellow heir of your divine glory; for to you is due glory, to the Father with the co-eternal Son, and to the Divine Spirit, unto ages of ages,
196
Εἰ γάρ ὑπάρχεις ἀληθῶς ἀνερμήνευτος ὅλως, ἀόρατος, ἀπρόσιτος, ἀκατανόητός τε, ἀναφής, ἀψηλάφητος, ἄληπτος ὅλως, Σῶτερ, πῶς σε προσονομάσωμεν, πῶς δέ σε καί οὐσίαν ποταπήν τε καί ὁποίαν τολμήσωμεν εἰπεῖν σε; Ὄντως οὐδέν τῶν πάντων γάρ ὐπάρχεις, ὦ Θεέ μου, ἀλλά τά πάντα ἔργα σά ἐξ οὐκ ὄντως παρήχθη˙ μόνος δ᾿ ὑπάρχεις ἄκτιστος, μόνος ἄναρχος, Σῶτερ, Τριάς Ἁγία καί σεπτή, ὁ Θεός τῶν ἁπάντων, καί φῶς παρέδειξας ἡμῖν δόξης σου τῆς ἀχράντου. Αὐτό καί νῦν παράσχου μοι ἀδιάστατον, Σῶτερ, δός μοι ἀεί σε δι᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐνοπτρίζεσθαι, Λόγε, καί κάλλος τό ἀμήχανον καλῶς κατανοεῖν σου, ὅπερ ἀκατανόητον παντάπασιν ὑπάρχον ὑπερεκπλήττει μου τόν νοῦν, ἐξιστᾷ μου τάς φρένας καί πῦρ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου σῆς ἀγάπης ἀνάπτει. Τοῦτο δ᾿ ἀποτελούμενον εἰς φλόγα θείου πόθου τρανοτέραν δεικνύει μοι τήν δόξαν σου, Θεέ μου. Ἥν προσκυνῶν αἰτοῦμαί σε, Υἱέ Θεοῦ, παράσχου (347) καί νῦν καί ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ἀδιαδόχως ἕξειν καί δι᾿ αὐτῆς σε τόν Θεόν καθορᾶν αἰωνίως. Μή δός μοι δόξαν, ∆έσποτα, ἐν κόσμῳ τήν ματαίαν, μή πλοῦτον ἀπολλύμενον, μή τάλαντα χρυσίου, μή θρόνου ὕψος, μή ἀρχήν τῶνδε τῶν φθειρομένων. Τοῖς ταπεινοῖς με σύζευξον, τοῖς πτωχοῖς τε καί πρᾴοις, ἵνα κἀγώ γενήσομαι καί ταπεινός καί πρᾷος, καί τήν διακονίαν μου, εἰ μή πρός τό συμφέρον καί πρός τήν σήν ἀρέσκειαν καί τήν σήν θεραπείαν μετέρχομαι, εὐδόκησον ἐξεωθῆναι ταύτης καί μόνας, ∆έσποτα, θρηνεῖν τάς ἐμάς ἁμαρτίας, τῆς κρίσεώς τε μεριμνᾶν τῆς δικαίας σου μόνης, καί πῶς ἀπολογήσομαι πολλά σε παροργίσας. Ναί, ὁ ποιμήν ὁ συμπαθής, ὁ ἀγαθός καί πρᾷος, ὁ θέλων πάντας τούς εἰς σέ πιστεύοντας σωθῆναι, ἐλέησον, εἰσάκουσον δεήσεώς μου ταύτης˙ μή ὀργισθῇς, μή πρόσωπον ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἀποστρέψῃς, ἀλλά τό σόν με δίδαξον θέλημα ἐκπληρῶσαι. Οὐ γάρ ζητῶ τό θέλημα τό ἐμαυτοῦ γενέσθαι, ἀλλά τό σόν, ἵνα καί σέ θεραπεύσω, οἰκτίρμον. Ὁρκίζω σε, ἐλέησον, ὁ φύσει ἐλεήμων, καί τό συμφέρον ποίησον ψυχῆς μου τῆς ἀθλίας, ὅτι Θεός φιλάνθρωπος αὐτός ὑπάρχεις μόνος, ἄκτιστος, ἀτελεύτητος, παντοδύναμος ὄντως, πάντων ζωή καί πάντων φῶς τῶν σέ ἀγαπησάντων καί παρά σοῦ, φιλάνθρωπε, λίαν ἀγαπωμένων. Οἷς με συντάξαις, ∆έσποτα, καί δόξης σου τῆς θείας ἀποτελέσαις κοινωνόν τε καί συγκληρονόμον˙ σοί γάρ ἡ δόξα, τῷ Πατρί σύν Υἱῷ συνανάρχῳ, καί Θείῳ πρέπει Πνεύματι εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων,