212

43.

That it is better to be well shepherded than to shepherd the unwilling; for there will be no profit for one who is eager to save others, but destroys himself through leadership of them. (318)

Speak, O Christ, to your servant, speak, O light of the world, speak, O knowledge of all, speak, O Word, Wisdom, who foreknows all things, who knows all things beforehand and teaches us abundantly what is profitable for us, speak and teach me also the saving ways of your wills, O Savior, and of your divine commands. Speak and do not overlook me, do not hide, O my God, from your unworthy servant your divine will. What is better from you, which of the two is well-pleasing to you, tell me, O philanthropic Savior: for me to be in anxiety about the affairs of the monastery and to care abundantly for bodily needs, and to vindicate everything with enmity and strife, or to persevere always in stillness alone and to keep the mind and the heart untroubled and to receive the splendors of your grace and to have the senses of the soul always illuminated and to be instructed mystically in divine words and to teach others gently and likewise to be taught myself; for he who speaks says the things that are said also to himself (319) and he himself is first obliged to do these things in every way. From these things, then, tell me, O my God and creator, which is better for me, which is profitable, and which is well-pleasing to you and perfect? Yea, do not hide from me, O all-merciful Word! Hear what you ask, write what you hear. I am God without beginning, I am Lord by nature, both King of the heavens and of the underworld, and all, even unwillingly, are my servants. For I am the Creator of all things and Judge and Lord, and I am now and shall be unto ages of ages; but I never compel the one who is unwilling, but I want servitude, fear, and love to be shown from my subjects with free will, of their own choice. For I long for my servants to be such,

212

ΜΓ'.

Ὅτι κρεῖσσον τό καλῶς ποιμαίνεσθαι ἤ τούς μή βουλομένους ποιμαίνειν˙ οὐδέ γάρ ἔσται κέρδος τῷ ἄλλους μέν σπουδάζοντι σῶσαι, ἑαυτόν δέ διά τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπολέσαντι προστασίας. (318)

Εἰπέ, Χριστέ, τῷ δούλῳ σου, εἰπέ, τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, εἰπέ, ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ παντός, εἰπέ, λόγε, σοφία, ἡ πάντα προγινώσκουσα, ἡ πάντα προειδυῖα καί τά ἡμῖν συμφέροντα διδάσκουσα ἀφθόνως, εἰπέ καί δίδαξον κἀμέ ὁδούς σωτηριώδεις τῶν θελημάτων σου, Σωτήρ, καί θείων προσταγμάτων. Εἰπέ καί μή παρίδῃς με, μή κρύψῃς, ὦ Θεέ μου, ἐξ ἀναξίου δούλου σου τό θεῖον θέλημά σου. Τί κρεῖσσον ἔστι παρά σοῦ, ποῖον εὐάρεστόν σοι ἀπό τῶν δύο, φράσον μοι, ὦ φιλάνθρωπε Σῶτερ˙ τό ἐν μερίμνῃ εἶναί με τῶν τῆς μονῆς πραγμάτων καί τῶν σωματικῶν χρειῶν τό ἀφθόνως φροντίζειν, διεκδικεῖν τε ἅπαντα μετ᾿ ἔχθρας τε καί μάχης, ἤ τό ἀεί προσκαρτερεῖν μόνῃ τῇ ἡσυχίᾳ καί συντηρεῖν ἀθόλωτον τόν νοῦν καί τήν καρδίαν καί δέχεσθαι τῆς χάριτος τῆς σῆς τάς λαμπηδόνας καί καταυγάζεσθαι ἀεί τάς τῆς ψυχῆς αἰσθήσεις καί θείους λόγους μυστικῶς ἐνηχεῖσθαι καί ἄλλους διδάσκειν πρᾴως καί αὐτός διδάσκεσθαι ὡσαύτως˙ ὁ λέγω γάρ καί ἑαυτῷ τά λεγόμενα λέγει (319) καί πρῶτος οὗτος τοῦ ποιεῖν πάντως ταῦτα ὀφείλει. Ἐκ τούτων τοίνυν λέγε μοι, ὦ Θεέ μου καί πλάστα, ποῖον ὑπάρχει κρεῖσσόν μοι, ποῖον ἐστί συμφέρον, ποῖον δέ σοί εὐάρεστον καί τέλειον ὑπάρχει; Ναί δή, μή κρύψῃς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ὦ πανοικτίρμον Λόγε! Ἄκουσον ὅπερ ἐρωτᾷς, γράψον ἅπερ ἀκούεις. Ἐγώ Θεός προάναρχος, ἐγώ ∆εσπότης φύσει, τῶν οὐρανῶν τε Βασιλεύς καί τῶν καταχθονίων καί πάντες μή βουλόμενοι ἐμοί δοῦλοι τελοῦσι. Κτίστης τῶν πάντων γάρ ἐγώ καί Κριτής καί ∆εσπότης καί νῦν εἰμι καί ἔσομαι εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων˙ ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τόν μή βουλόμενον ποτέ καταναγκάζω, αὐτεξούσιον θέλω δέ, αὐτοπροαίρετόν γε τήν τε δουλείαν γίνεσθαι, τόν φόβον ἐνεργεῖσθαι καί τήν ἀγάπην δείκνυσθαι παρά τῶν ὑπηκόων. Τοιούτους γάρ τούς δούλους μου ἐπιποθῶ τοῦ εἶναι,