Theodore the Studite, Letters

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For they were about to see men of God, hierarchs of the Lord, blessed men, luminaries of the world, foundations of faith, if anything else of good things they both were and were called. O, the loss! O, the misfortune! Yet our many sins are the cause of what has happened. And we do not wonder at the misfortune, but we put forward our supplication. What is this? That by your letters you might console the loss, admonishing, enlightening, strengthening, suggesting whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are steadfast, whatever things are worthy of a prize, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise of confession. May you write these things, and how one must venerate Christ depicted, homonymously or synonymously, since the one is of orthodoxy, but the other of heterodoxy; and how the veneration is understood as being to Christ and to his icon, one or two, since the one is our way, but the other is that of the iconoclasts; for of those things of which the hypostatic likeness is one, of these the veneration is one and the same, despite the fact that the substance of the icon is in no way venerated. This is our small discourse, as a reminder but not instructive, but yours are the more perfect things in every way, as much as also the superiority of your anointing; in which may you complete the race set before you, most holy ones, most bravely, as those who will receive the crown of righteousness. 431 {1To Ammoun, my child}1 Alas, from the very starting-line of this letter I both send up a groan from the depth of my heart and mix a tear with the ink on account of what I have heard about you, brother; for they say that you have cast off the holy garment of a monk and are living among the laity and are taking a wife about with you. O, the pitiful thing heard! O, my misfortune! For yours, my child, is my sin, in the manner of fatherly compassion. Where is the light of the mind? Where is the wing of hope? Where is the shield of faith? Where is the discernment of reason? Where is the love for God? Where is the flight from this world? Where is the abandonment of all things on earth? Where is the supervision of the monastery? Where is the compunctionate acceptance of admission? Where is the instruction of the coenobitic life? Where is the enlightening confession? Where are your beautiful tears? Where is the pious disposition? Where is the testimony from the fullness of the brotherhood? Where is the confession before the holy sanctuary? Where are the promises under God and his angels as witnesses? Where is the shining brightness of the habit? Where is the spiritually understood marriage? Where is the lamb of God sacrificed for you? Where is the evangelical and fraternal exultation? Where is the most holy kiss from all? Where is the standing at the divine altar? Where is the divine partaking of the body and blood of Christ? Where is the whole bright and angel-joyful ceremony? Where is the shining lamp? Where is the true vine? Where is the fruit-bearing planting of the Spirit? Where is the son of me, a wretched man, who was advanced further and further in goodness and appeared useful to the brotherhood, the child of God, the dancer of the light, the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, the chosen vessel? How has he turned back? How has the beloved one kicked back? How has the enlightened one been darkened? How has he shaken off the weapons of purity? How has he become the prey of the devil, taken captive by him for his will, and having abandoned the good bridegroom, the Lord of glory, the ruler of all things? Oh, who would not groan from the depths? Who would not pity the one deceived? Heaven, be astounded at this; earth, cry out the suffering. What has happened, brother? Were you not ashamed even before those who see? Did you not blush from the very air? Did you not detest the stench of the all-accursed sin? Do you have a mind? Are you even alive? Do you gaze at the sun? Do you see the moon? Do you behold the stars? It is not, it is not possible to say how great the sin, how great the darkness, how great the irrationality (and would that the account went only this far; for then the wretchedness would have had a measure), but that there is judgment, brother, inexorable, eternal fire, outer and lightless darkness, gnashing of teeth, all the other torments in which there is accountability, and this endless for ages. And I do not yet speak of the falling away from good things, which you have caused for yourself; what is this? To be with God, joy

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ἔμελλον γὰρ ὁρᾶν ἀνθρώπους θεοῦ, ἱεράρχας Κυρίου, μακαρίους ἄνδρας, φωστῆρας κόσμου, ἐρείσματα πίστεως, εἴ τι ἄλλο τῶν καλῶν καὶ ὄντας καὶ ὀνομαζομένους. ὢ τῆς ζημίας· ὢ τῆς συμφορᾶς· πλὴν αἱ πολλαὶ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαι αἴτιον τοῦ συμβεβηκότος. καὶ οὐ θαυμάζομεν τὴν ἀτυχίαν, ἀλλὰ προβάλλομεν τὴν ἱκετηρίαν. τί τοῦτο; ἵνα γράμμασι παραμυθήσησθε τὴν ἀπόλειψιν, νουθετοῦντες, φωτιοῦντες, στηρίζοντες, ὑποφαίνοντες ὅσα ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ, ὅσα σεμνά, ὅσα δίκαια, ὅσα ἐνστατικά, ὅσα ἔναθλα, εἴ τις ἀρετὴ καὶ εἴ τις ἔπαινος ὁμολογίας. ταῦτα γράφοιτε, καὶ πῶς προσκυνητέον Χριστὸν ἐγγεγραμμένον, ὁμωνύμως ἢ συνωνύμως, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ὀρθοδοξίας, τὸ δὲ ἀντιδοξίας· καὶ πῶς τῆς προσκυνήσεως νοουμένης εἰς Χριστόν τε καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ εἰκόνα, μιᾶς ἢ δυοῖν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ἡμέτερον, τὸ δὲ τῶν εἰκονομάχων· ὧν γὰρ μία ἡ ὑποστατικὴ ὁμοίωσις, τούτων μία καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ προσκύνησις, παρὰ τὸ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς εἰκόνος μή τί που προσκυνεῖσθαι. Οὗτος ὁ μικρὸς ἡμῶν λόγος ὑπομνηματικός, ἀλλ' οὐ διδακτικός, ὑμῶν δὲ τὰ τελεώτερα πάντως τοσοῦτον, ὅσον καὶ τὸ καθυπερέχον τοῦ χρίσματος· ἐφ' ᾧ τελοίητε τὸν προκείμενον δρόμον, ὁσιώτατοι, ἀνδρειότατα, ὡς ἀποληψόμενοι τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανον. 431 {1Ἀμμοῦν τέκνῳ}1 Οἴμοι, ἐξ αὐτῆς βαλβῖδος τῆς ἐπιστολῆς καὶ στεναγμὸν ἀναπέμπω ἐκ βάθους καρδίας καὶ δάκρυον ἀναμείγνυμι τῷ μέλανι ἐφ' οἷς ἠκουτίσθην περὶ σοῦ, ἀδελφέ· φασὶ γὰρ ἀπορρίψασθαί σε τὸ ἅγιον ἔνδυμα τοῦ μοναχοῦ καὶ τελεῖν ἐν λαϊκοῖς καὶ γυναῖκα περιάγειν. ὢ τοῦ ἐλεεινοῦ ἀκούσματος· ὢ τῆς ἐμῆς συμφορᾶς· ἐμὴ γὰρ ἡ σή, τέκνον, ἁμαρτία κατὰ τὸν τῆς πατρικῆς συμπαθείας τρόπον. ποῦ τὸ φῶς τῆς διανοίας; ποῦ τῆς ἐλπίδος τὸ πτερόν; ποῦ τῆς πίστεως ὁ θυρεός; ποῦ τοῦ λογιστικοῦ τὸ κριτικόν; ποῦ ὁ ἔρως ὁ πρὸς θεόν; ποῦ ὁ ἐντεῦθεν τοῦ κόσμου δρασμός; ποῦ ἡ ἐγκατάλειψις ἁπάντων τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς; ποῦ ἡ ἐπιστασία τῆς μονῆς; ποῦ ἡ εὐκατάνυκτος παραδοχὴ τῆς εἰσδοχῆς; ποῦ ἡ στοιχείωσις τῆς κοινοβιακῆς ζωῆς; ποῦ ἡ φωτιστικὴ ἐξαγόρευσις; ποῦ σου τὰ καλὰ δάκρυα; ποῦ ἡ εὐλαβοειδὴς ἕξις; ποῦ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς ἀδελφότητος μαρτυρία; ποῦ ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ βήματος ὁμολογία; ποῦ αἱ ὑπὸ μάρτυρι θεῷ τε καὶ ἀγγέλοις ὑποσχέσεις; ποῦ ἡ φαεινὴ φαιδρότης τοῦ σχήματος; ποῦ ὁ πνευματικῶς νοούμενος γάμος; ποῦ ὁ ὑπὲρ σοῦ τυθεὶς ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ; ποῦ τὸ εὐαγγελικόν τε καὶ ἀδελφικὸν ἀγαλλίαμα; ποῦ ὁ παρὰ πάντων ἱερώτατος ἀσπασμός; ποῦ ἡ ἐν τῷ θείῳ θυσιαστηρίῳ παράστασις; ποῦ ἡ τοῦ σώματός τε καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεία μετάληψις; ποῦ ἡ ὅλη φαιδρὰ καὶ ἀγγελοχαρμόσυνος τελετή; ποῦ ἡ φανὴ λαμπάς; ποῦ ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή; ποῦ ἡ καρποφόρος φυτεία τοῦ Πνεύματος; ποῦ ἐμοῦ γε τοῦ ἀθλίου ὁ υἱός, ὁ προαχθεὶς ἔτι καὶ ἔτι ἐν καλῷ καὶ χρήσιμος ὀφθεὶς τῇ ἀδελφότητι, τὸ τέκνον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ τοῦ φωτὸς χορευτής, ὁ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν πολίτης, τὸ σκεῦος τὸ ἐκλεκτόν; πῶς ἐστράφη εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω; πῶς ἀπελάκτισεν ὁ ἠγαπημένος; πῶς ἐσκοτίσθη ὁ πεφωτισμένος; πῶς ἀπεσείσατο τὰ τῆς ἁγνείας ὅπλα; πῶς ἐγένετο θήραμα διαβόλου, ἐζωγρημένος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα καὶ ἀφεὶς τὸν καλὸν νυμφίον, τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης, τὸν ἐξουσιαστὴν τῶν ἁπάντων; Ὤ, τίς οὐ στενάξειεν ἐκ βάθους; τίς οὐκ ἐλεήσειεν τὸν ἐξηπατημένον; οὐρανέ, ἔκστηθι ἐπὶ τούτῳ, γῆ, βόησον τὸ πάθος. τί γέγονεν, ἀδελφέ; οὐκ ᾐδέσθης κἂν τοὺς ὁρῶντας; οὐκ ἐρυθρίασας ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀέρος; οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανας τὴν δυσωδίαν τῆς παγκαταράτου ἁμαρτίας; ἔχεις νοῦν; ζῇς ἆρα; ἀθρεῖς ἥλιον; βλέπεις σελήνην; ὁρᾷς ἀστέρας; οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅσον τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ὅσος ὁ σκότος, ὅση ἡ ἀλογία (καὶ εἴθε μέχρι τούτων ὁ λόγος· εἶχεν γὰρ ἂν ἡ ἀθλιότης συμμετρίαν), ἀλλ' ὅτι κρίμα, ἀδελφέ, ἀπαραίτητον, πῦρ αἰώνιον, σκότος ἐξώτερον καὶ ἀλαμπές, βρυγμὸς ὀδόντων, ἅπαντα τὰ ἄλλα κολαστήρια ἐν οἷς ἡ εὐθύνη, καὶ ταύτη ἀπέραντος εἰς αἰῶνας. καὶ οὔπω λέγω τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀπόπτωσιν, ἣν σεαυτῷ προεξένησας· τίς αὕτη; μετὰ θεοῦ γενέσθαι, χαρὰ