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grant that they may rise from the pit of evil suspicion and come to the awareness that they lie in a pit, and are seated in darkness, not seeing the divine light. A thing which those who see you now testify. If your light does not shine upon them and they do not see with knowledge, how could they believe clearly that you appear to the worthy and speak with and dwell with them now and unto the ages as with friends, as with your faithful servants, as you have said? But you are the God of the faithful, and not of the unfaithful, for which reason you do not look upon them at all. For to those who deny you and say that your eternal light does not shine into the souls of the worthy, how will you show the face of your light, my Savior? In no way, unless they acquire great faith, as you have said, and keep your divine law readily, giving themselves over for your sake unto death to the true working of your wise commandments. This, then, is the salvation of all who are saved; there is no other way, as you have said, O my God. Grant mercy, grant mercy to those who pray to you, Savior, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

56.

A prayer to God concerning the things that have happened to him, both supplicatory and eucharistic. (406)

Lord, give me understanding; Lord, give me knowledge; Lord, teach me also to do your commandments. And even if I have sinned as a man beyond man, you know, but you, by your own compassion, my God, had mercy on me the poor one, the orphan in the world, and you have done, Master, what you alone know: from father and brothers, and relatives and friends, from the land of my birth, from my paternal home as from a dark Egypt, as from the depths of Hades me – for thus have you given to me, your humble servant, to think and speak about those things with understanding – separating, O compassionate one, and taking me to yourself and holding me by your dread hand, you led me to him whom you were pleased to become my father on earth, and you cast me at his feet and into his arms. And he brought me to your Father, my Christ, and to you through the Spirit, O Trinity, my God, weeping like the prodigal and falling down, O Word, as you yourself know, for you taught me, and you did not disdain to call me your son.

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δός ἀναστῆναι τῆς κακῆς ὑπονοίας τοῦ λάκκου καί εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐλθεῖν ὅτι ἐν λάκκῳ κεῖνται, ἐν σκότει καί καθέζονται, φῶς θεῖον οὐχ ὁρῶντες. Ὅ μαρτυροῦσιν ὅτι νῦν εἰσίν οἱ βλέποντές σε. Οἷς εἰ μή λάμψῃ σου τό φῶς καί ἴδωσιν ἐν γνώσει, πῶς ἄν πιστεύσωσι τρανῶς ὅτι ἀξίοις φαίνῃ καί συλλαλεῖς καί συνοικεῖς νῦν καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας αὐτοῖς ὡς φίλοις, ὠς πιστοῖς δούλοις σου, καθώς εἶπας; Ἀλλά πιστῶν σύ εἶ Θεός, οὐχί δέ καί ἀπίστων, οὗ χάριν πρός αὐτούς ὅλως οὐκ ἐπιβλέπεις. Τοῖς γάρ ἀπαρνουμένοις σε καί λέγουσι μή λάμπειν τό φῶς σου τό ἀΐδιον εἰς ψυχάς τῶν ἀξίων, πῶς σου φωτός τό πρόσωπον ὑποδείξῃς, Σωτήρ μου; Οὐδαμῶς, εἰ μή κτήσονται πίστιν πολλήν, ὡς εἶπας, καί τόν νόμον φυλάξουσι τόν θεῖόν σου προθύμως μέχρι θανάτου ἑαυτούς διά σέ ἐκδιδόντες εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀληθῆ τῶν σοφῶν ἐντολῶν σου. Τοῦτο οὖν τό σωτήριον πάντων τῶν σῳζομένων, ὁδός οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη δέ, ὡς εἶπας, ὦ Θεέ μου. ∆ός ἔλεος, δός ἔλεος δεομένοις σου, Σῶτερ, νῦν καί ἀεί καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

Νστ'.

Εὐχή πρός Θεόν ἐπί τοῖς γεγονόσιν εἰς αὐτόν, ἱκετήριός τε ὁμοῦ καί εὐχαριστήριος. (406)

Κύριε, δός μοι σύνεσιν, Κύριε, δός μοι γνῶσιν, Κύριε, δίδαξον κἀμέ ποιεῖν τάς ἐντολάς σου. Κἄν ἥμαρτον ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὑπέρ ἄνθρωπον, οἶδας, ἀλλά σύ τῇ οἰκείᾳ σου, Θεέ μου, εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ ἠλέησάς με τόν πτωχόν, τόν ὀρφανόν ἐν κόσμῳ, καί ἐποίησας, ∆έσποτα, ὅ μόνος σύ γινώσκεις˙ ἀπό πατρός καί ἀδελφῶν, συγγενῶν τε καί φίλων, ἀπό γῆς τῆς γενέσεως, ἐξ οἴκου γονικοῦ μου ὡς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου σκοτεινῆς, ὡς ἐξ ᾅδου μυχῶν με οὕτω γάρ ἐμοί δέδωκας, τῷ εὐτελεῖ σου δούλῳ, περί ἐκείνων ἐννοεῖν καί λέγειν ἐν συνέσει - ἀποχωρίσας, εὔσπλαγχνε, καί προσλαβόμενός με καί τῇ χειρί σου τῇ φρικτῇ κρατήσας ἤγαγές με, εἰς ὅν ηὐδόκησας ἐν γῇ γενέσθαι μου πατέρα, καί τοῖς ποσί προσέρριψας αὐτοῦ καί ταῖς ἀγκάλαις. Κἀκεῖνός με προσήγαγε τῷ σῷ Πατρί, Χριστέ μου, καί σοί διά τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὦ Τριάς, ὁ Θεός μου, κλαίοντα ὡς τόν ἄσωτον καί προσπίπτοντα, Λόγε, καθώς αὐτός ἐπίστασαι, ὅτι ἐδίδαξάς με, καί σύ οὐκ ἀπηξίωσας υἰόν σου με καλέσαι.