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to bend the body. For indeed the blessed Elijah, when praying, first sought a deserted place; then placing his head between his knees, and kindling himself with much fervor, thus he offered his prayers. And if you wish to see him standing upright in prayer, see him again stretched out toward heaven, and so stretched out as to bring down fire from above. Thus also, when he wished to raise the widow's child, straining his whole self, he worked that resurrection, not being distracted, nor yawning like we do, but being inflamed with the eagerness of his prayer. And why do I speak of Elijah and those saints? I have often seen women, for a husband away on a journey and for a sick child, praying so from the depths, and releasing such fountains of tears, as to even attain the end of their prayer. And if women become so fervent in their prayers for a child and a husband away on a journey, what excuse will a man have who is languid when his soul is deadened? For this very reason, often when we pray, we depart again empty. Listen to Hannah, how she prayed from the depths, what fountains of tears she released, how she was uplifted from her prayer. For one who prays thus, even before receiving what he asks, reaps great benefits from the prayer, suppressing all passions, softening anger, casting out envy, melting away desire, causing the love of worldly things to wither, establishing the soul in great calm, 55.374 ascending finally to heaven itself. For just as rain falling on hard earth, or fire softens iron; so such a prayer, more vehement than fire and more than rain, softens and soaks the hardness of the mind that comes from the passions. For the soul is tender and malleable; but what the water of the Ister often suffers, being turned to stone by the frost, this our soul also suffers, being hardened by sin and great listlessness and becoming a stone. We need, therefore, much warmth, so as to soften what is hard. And this, prayer especially accomplishes. When, therefore, you undertake prayer, do not seek only this, that you might receive what you ask; but also that in prayer itself you might make your soul better. For this too is the work of prayer. One who prays thus becomes superior to worldly things, is winged in mind, makes his reasoning light, is captured by none of the passions. Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. He puts two things here, both "Out of the depths," and "to cry out"; by "cry" meaning not the tone of the voice, but the disposition of the mind. Lord, hear my voice. From this we learn two things: that it is not possible to receive things from God simply, unless our part is contributed; which is why he first says, "Out of the depths I have cried," and then, "Hear"; and next, that a prayer that is earnest and full of tears of compunction has great power to persuade God to assent to what is said. For as though he had accomplished some great thing, and had fulfilled his part, he thus added: Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. By "ears" he means the power of hearing; and again he says "voice," not alluding to the tone of the breath nor the shout, but the earnest disposition. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For lest anyone should say, "Being a sinner, and full of countless evils, I am not able to approach and pray, and call upon God," removing this pretext he says: "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" For "who," here, means "no one." For it is not, it is not possible, for anyone who gives an exact account of his deeds to ever receive mercy and loving-kindness. 2. And we say these things, not to cast souls into listlessness, but to comfort those who fall into despair. For who will boast that he has a pure heart, or who will be bold to say that he is clean from sins? And what am I saying

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σῶμα κατακάμπτειν. Ὁ γοῦν μακάριος Ἠλίας εὐχόμενος, πρῶτον μὲν ἐρημίαν ἐζήτησεν· εἶτα τὴν κεφαλὴν μεταξὺ τῶν γονάτων θεὶς, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἑαυτὸν ἀνακαίων τῆς θερμότητος, οὕτω τὰς εὐχὰς ἠφίει. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ ὀρθὸν ἑστῶτα ἰδεῖν ἐν εὐχῇ, ὅρα πάλιν αὐτὸν ἐκτεταμένον πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ οὕτως ἐκτεταμένον, ὡς καὶ πῦρ ἄνωθεν κατενεγκεῖν. Οὕτω καὶ ὅτε τῆς χήρας τὸ παιδίον ἀναστῆσαι ἐβούλετο, ὅλον ἑαυτὸν συντείνας, τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐκείνην εἰργάζετο, οὐ διακλώμενος, οὐδὲ χασμώμενος καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ διαθερμαινόμενος τῇ προθυμίᾳ τῆς εὐχῆς. Καὶ τί λέγω τὸν Ἠλίαν καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους ἐκείνους; Γυναῖκας εἶδον πολλάκις δι' ἀπόδημον ἄνδρα καὶ παιδίον ἀῤῥωστοῦν οὕτως ἐκ βαθέων εὐχομένας, καὶ τοσαύτας πηγὰς ἀφιείσας δακρύων, ὡς καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τέλους ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς εὐχῆς. Εἰ δὲ ὑπὲρ παιδίου καὶ ἀνδρὸς ἀποδήμου οὕτω θερμαίνονται γυναῖκες ἐν εὐχαῖς, ποίαν ἕξει συγγνώμην ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς ψυχῆς νενεκρωμένης μαλακιζόμενος; ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο πολλάκις εὐχόμενοι, κενοὶ πάλιν ἀναχωροῦμεν. Ἄκουσον τῆς Ἄννης, πῶς ηὔχετο ἐκ βαθέων, οἵας ἠφίει πηγὰς δακρύων, πῶς μετάρσιος γέγονεν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐχῆς. Ὁ γὰρ οὕτως εὐχόμενος, καὶ πρὶν ἢ λαβεῖν ἅπερ αἰτεῖ, μεγάλα ἀπὸ τῆς εὐχῆς καρποῦται καλὰ, τὰ πάθη καταστέλλων ἅπαντα, θυμὸν μαλάσσων, φθόνον ἐκβάλλων, ἐπιθυμίαν τήκων, τῶν βιωτικῶν τὸν ἔρωτα καταμαραίνων, ἐν πολλῇ γαλήνῃ τὴν ψυχὴν καθι 55.374 στὰς, εἰς αὐτὸν λοιπὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνιών. Καθάπερ γὰρ εἰς σκληρὰν γῆν ὑετὸς καταφερόμενος, ἢ σίδηρον πῦρ μαλάσσει· οὕτω τὸ σκληρὸν τῆς διανοίας τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν ἡ τοιαύτη εὐχὴ καὶ πυρὸς σφοδρότερον, καὶ ὑετοῦ μᾶλλον καταμαλάσσει καὶ διαβρέχει. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ ἁπαλὴ καὶ εὔπλαστος ἡ ψυχή· ἀλλ' ὅπερ τὸ τοῦ Ἴστρου πολλάκις πάσχει ὕδωρ, τῷ κρυμῷ πετρούμενον, τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ ἡμετέρα, ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ πολλῆς ῥᾳθυμίας σκληρυνομένη καὶ λίθος γινομένη. ∆εῖ τοίνυν ἡμῖν πολλῆς θέρμης. ὥστε καταμαλάξαι τὸ σκληρόν. Τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα εὐχὴ ἐργάζεται. Ὅταν τοίνυν μεταχειρίζῃ τὴν εὐχὴν, μὴ τοῦτο ζήτει μόνον, ὅπως λάβῃς ὅπερ αἰτεῖς· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπως ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ εὐχῇ βελτίω ποιήσῃς τὴν ψυχήν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἔργον εὐχῆς. Ὁ οὕτως εὐχόμενος, ἀνώτερος γίνεται τῶν βιωτικῶν, πτεροῦται τῇ διανοίᾳ, κοῦφον ποιεῖ τὸν λογισμὸν, οὐδενὶ τῶν παθῶν ἁλίσκεται. Ἐκ βαθέων ἐκέκραξά σοι, Κύριε. ∆ύο ἐνταῦθα τίθησι, καὶ τὸ, Ἐκ βαθέων, καὶ τὸ κράξαι· κραυγὴν οὐ τὸν τόνον λέγων τῆς φωνῆς, ἀλλὰ τὴν διάθεσιν τῆς γνώμης. Κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς φωνῆς μου. Ἐντεῦθεν δύο μανθάνομεν, ὅτι τε ἁπλῶς οὐκ ἔστι τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τυχεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ὑπάρξῃ· διὸ καὶ πρότερόν φησιν, Ἐκ βαθέων ἐκέκραξα, καὶ τότε, Εἰσάκουσον· ἔπειτα ὅτι εὐχὴ ἐκτεταμένη καὶ δακρύων κατανύξεως γέμουσα πολλὴν ἔχει δύναμιν πρὸς τὸ πεῖσαι τὸν Θεὸν ἐπινεῦσαι τοῖς λεγομένοις. Καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ μέγα τι κατωρθωκὼς, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ πληρώσας, οὕτως ἐπήγαγε· Κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς φωνῆς μου. Γενηθήτω τὰ ὦτά σου προσέχοντα εἰς τὴν φωνὴν τῆς δεήσεώς μου. Ὦτα τὴν ἀκουστικὴν λέγει δύναμιν· καὶ πάλιν φωνήν φησιν, οὐ τὸν τόνον τοῦ πνεύματος, οὐδὲ τὴν κραυγὴν αἰνιττόμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν συντεταμένην διάθεσιν. Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ τις, ὅτι Ἁμαρτωλὸς ὢν, καὶ μυρίων γέμων κακῶν, οὐ δύναμαι προσιέναι καὶ εὔχεσθαι, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν καλεῖν, περιαιρῶν ταύτην τὴν σκῆψιν φησίν· Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Τὸ γὰρ, Τίς, ἐνταῦθα οὐδείς ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδένα μετὰ ἀκριβείας παρέχοντα τῶν πραγμάτων τὰς εὐθύνας, τυχεῖν ἐλέους καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ποτέ. βʹ. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγομεν, οὐκ εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν τὰς ψυχὰς ἐμβάλλοντες, ἀλλὰ παραμυθούμενοι τοὺς εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν πίπτοντας. Τίς γὰρ καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν καρδίαν, ἢ τίς παῤῥησιάσεται καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν; Καὶ τί λέγω