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poor toward God. Therefore, even if David was great and a king, in the things given by God he was poor; wherefore, knowing himself to be lacking many or all of the things supplied by God, he is filled with despondency so as to be greatly disheartened. Then, after being so disposed, he pours out his supplication before the Lord, asking from the one who gives good things to those who ask him. For he who asks not for these things but for temporal things does not have boldness before the Lord to pour out his supplication because of his passionate disposition. 966 Ps 101,2 Prayer signifies entreaty toward God and exhortation, while supplication signifies the request for those things which he who is in need wishes to be provided. And these are the things that are truly good, which it is fitting for God to give and advantageous for those who ask to receive. It has already been said concerning the cry of the saints who hymn God and pray to him with a loud voice, that it is not in utterance but is the intensity of the intellect. 967 Ps 101,3 But God turns his face away from some who are praying in several ways: either from those who ask, not entreating to receive things which it is proper for God to grant and profitable for them to receive, or from those who ask for things which it is fitting for God to provide, but they themselves do not yet have the season to receive them beneficially; and there are also those who think it right to obtain certain things in order to sin. The saint therefore entreats, saying: May I not ask for such things at which you, shaking your head, turn your face from me; and I pray not that I may not be afflicted (for this is impossible), but that when afflicted I may not be overcome, and that I may rejoice in hope, enduring afflictions and glorying in them. For affliction produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope, and hope does not put to shame. 968 Ps 101,4-6 A frying-pan, where they are accustomed to place things that are being fried, greatly scorched because it is always being heated from underneath. And smoke vanishes when the fire is extinguished, existing for as long as the fire is active, which it itself follows. So that my days may not vanish (for it will not be for my good that the light which produces my days be extinguished from me), take away the afflictions; for if they should persist, they will be the cause of the vanishing of my days, but they would also scorch my bones even more by remaining. And it has often been said that the bones of the inner man are the strong points of dogmas and the most steadfast powers of the soul, which are also scorched by the burning of the soul's passions. He says his heart has withered, possessing nothing cheerful nor that in which it is possible to have gladness. For it has become so in the aforementioned circumstances that it is no longer possible for him to be nourished by the bread that is suitable and fitting for his more honorable substance. For to partake of this bread is to not be dragged about or troubled by external things. And he says he has been so unnourished by this bread as to have forgotten that he ever tasted it. Groaning greatly because of the present hardships, I send forth such an intense and continuous groan that from its sound, occurring with a lament, my bone has cleaved and in a way been united to my flesh because of the great dryness that has set in, as all the moisture scattered throughout my body was consumed by the affliction that came upon it. For this moisture, when it was present in me, nourishing the bone, separated it from the flesh, occupying the space between flesh and bones. 969 Ps 101,14 For you will have compassion on her sufferings, since you are a God who is compassionate and long-suffering and of great mercy and true. And there will be a certain time for these things in which the things promised concerning Zion will be fulfilled; and what is this much-prayed-for and thrice-desired time of the resurrection, O Lord? I think that in these words he prophesies concerning the Word of God, he himself, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that his theophany to men will be the cause of the rebuilding of Zion. When this happens, do not suppose I mean the city on earth, nor think that the earthly Jerusalem is signified, but rather that of the commonwealth of piety

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πρὸς θεὸν πτωχοί. εἰ καὶ μέγας ουν ην καὶ βασιλεὺς ὁ ∆αυίδ, ἐν τοῖς ἐκ θεοῦ διδομένοις πτωχὸς ην· οθεν γνοὺς ἑαυτὸν πολλῶν η πάντων τῶν ἐκ θεοῦ χορηγουμένων λειπόμενον ἀκηδίας ἀναπίμπλαται ὡς σφόδρα ἀθυμῆσαι. ειτα μετὰ τὸ ουτως διατεθῆναι ἐκχεῖ ἐνώπιον κυρίου τὴν δέησιν αὐτοῦ, αἰτούμενος παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος τὰ ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. ὁ γὰρ μὴ ταῦτα ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν προσκαίρων αἰτῶν οὐκ εχει παρρησίαν ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἐκχεῖν τὴν δέησιν αὐτοῦ δι' ἐμπαθῆ προαίρεσιν. 966 Ps 101,2 ̔Η μὲν προσευχὴ τὴν ἱκετηρίαν δηλοῖ τὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὴν παράκλησιν, ἡ δὲ δέησις τὴν αιτησιν τὴν περὶ ων βούλεται αὐτῷ δεομένῳ παρασχεθῆναι. ταῦτα δέ ἐστι τὰ κυρίως ἀγαθὰ α καὶ τῷ θεῷ πρέπον διδόναι καὶ τοῖς αἰτοῦσι συμφέρει λαβεῖν. Ειρηται δὲ ηδη περὶ κραυγῆς τῶν ἁγίων ὑμνούντων θεὸν καὶ εὐχομένων αὐτῷ μεγαλοφώνως, οτι ἐστὶν οὐχ ἡ ἐν προφορᾷ ἀλλ' ἡ τῆς νοήσεως ἐπίτασις. 967 Ps 101,3 ̓Αποστρέφει δὲ ὁ θεὸς τὸ πρόσωπον ἀπό τινων προσευχομένων κατὰ τρόπους πλείονας ητοι τῶν αἰτουμένων μὴ παρακαλούντων λαβεῖν α πρέπει θεῷ χαρίζεσθαι καὶ αὐτοῖς λυσιτελεῖν λαβεῖν, η τῷ μὲν α ἁρμόζει θεῷ παρέχειν αἰτεῖσθαι, μὴ μὴν αὐτούς πω καιρὸν εχειν τοῦ ὠφελίμως χωρῆσαι ταῦτα· εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν τυχεῖν τινων ἀξιοῦντες. ὁ αγιος ουν παρακαλεῖ λέγων· Μὴ ειη τοιαῦτά με αἰτῆσαι ἐφ' οις ἀνανεύσας ἀποστρέφεις ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον· ευχομαι δὲ οὐχ οπως μὴ θλιβῶ (ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοῦτο) ἀλλ' οπως θλιβούμενος μὴ ἡττηθῶ καὶ οπως τῂ ἐλπίδι χαίρω ὑπομένων τὰς θλίψεις καὶ καυχώμενος ἐν αὐταῖς. ̔Η γὰρ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα, ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει. 968 Ps 101,4-6 Φρύγιον ενθα εἰώθασι τὰ φρυγόμενα ἐπιτιθέναι σφόδρα πεφρυγμένῳ διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ ὑποκαίεσθαι. ἐκλείπει δὲ καπνός, πυρὸς σβεννυμένου, ὑφεστηκὼς εἰς οσον ἐνεργεῖ τὸ πῦρ ῳ αὐτός τις αρα ἀκολουθεῖ. ιν' ουν καὶ αἱ ἡμέραι μὴ ἐκλείπωσιν (οὐ γάρ μοι πρὸς καλοῦ εσται τὸ σβεσθῆναι τὸ φῶς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸ ποιητικὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν μου), παράγαγε τὰ θλιβερά· εἰ γὰρ ἐπιμένοιεν, αιτια γενήσεται τῆς ἐκλείψεως τῶν ἡμερῶν μου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ετι μᾶλλον συμφρύξειε παραμένοντα. ειρηται δὲ πολλάκις ὀστᾶ ειναι τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου τὰ ευτονα τῶν δογμάτων καὶ αἱ στερρόταται τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις α καὶ συμφρύγεται ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ψυχικῶν παθῶν πυρώσεως. Ξηρανθῆναι δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν φησὶν οὐδὲν ἱλαρὸν οὐδ' ἐφ' ῳ εστιν εχειν θυμηδίαν κεκτημένην. γέγονε γὰρ ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις περιστατικοῖς τοσοῦτον ὡς μηκέθ' οιόν τε ειναι τὸν κατάλληλον καὶ ἁρμόδιον τῷ τιμιωτέρᾳ οὐσίᾳ αὐτοῦ αρτον τρέφεσθαι. τούτου γὰρ τοῦ αρτου μεταλαμβάνειν εστι μὴ περιελκόμενον μηδὲ θολούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκτός. εἰς τοσοῦτον δέ φησι μὴ τετράφθαι τοῦτον τὸν αρτον καὶ λήθην εχειν τοῦ ποτε αὐτοῦ γεγεῦσθαι. Πάνυ δὲ στενάζων διὰ τὰ παρόντα ἐπίπονα τοσοῦτον ἀφίημι ἐπιτεταμένον καὶ συνεχῆ στεναγμὸν ὡς ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ μετὰ ὀλολυγῆς γινομένης κολληθῆναι καὶ τρόπον τινὰ ἑνωθῆναι τὸ ὀστοῦν μου τῇ σαρκί μου διὰ τὴν πολλὴν προσγινομένην ξηρασίαν, ἀναποθείσης πάσης τῆς παρεσπαρμένης τῷ σώματί μου ὑγρότητος ἐκ τῆς ἐπελθούσης κακώσεως. αυτη γὰρ ἡ ὑγρότης οτε μοι παρῆν πιαίνουσα τὸ ὀστοῦν, διῄρει αὐτὸ ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν μέσην σαρκὸς καὶ ὀστέων εχουσαν χώραν. 969 Ps 101,14 Οἰκτειρήσεις γὰρ τὰ πεπονθότα, ἐπεὶ θεὸς ὑπάρχεις ὁ οἰκτίρμων καὶ μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινός. εσται δὲ καιρός τις τούτων ἐν ῳ πληρωθήσεται τὰ περὶ τῆς Σιὼν ἐπηγγελμένα· τίς δὲ ουτος ὁ πολύευκτος καὶ τριπόθητος καιρὸς ὁ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, ω κύριε; προφητεύειν δ' αὐτὸν οιμαι ἐν τούτοις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους θεοφάνειαν αἰτίαν ἐσομένην τῆς ἀνοικοδομῆς τῆς Σιών. ενθα δὴ γενόμενος, μή μοι τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς πόλιν ὑπολάμβανε μηδὲ τὴν ἐπίγειον ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ νόμιζε δηλοῦσθαι ἀλλὰ τοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας πολιτεύματος τὴν