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the Son of God as man; and he who does not venerate his holy icon is shown not to venerate him, even if he confesses to venerate him; for the honor of his icon passes over to him, just as its denial sends the denial back to him. Since, therefore, as I learn, you yourself are also thus persuaded and for this reason you are withdrawing from the communion of the iconoclasts, I rejoice and rejoice with you, I give thanks and give thanks with you that you see the truth, although you are one who has learned late and a newly born son of God. and do not be surprised that error also enters in among Christians; for where there is salvation, there the dragon devil runs to cause destruction, and this through one man who has power. For this error has now been introduced among Christians, since from eternity is the icon of Christ, of the Theotokos and of his saints. These things, most honorable master, as moved by God, though I am a sinner, I have spoken to you for the confirmation of your faith, as a token of your love, since you are our brother and not a stranger, as you have said. But if a stranger to the world, it would be well; for we the humble have the same and for this reason we have been cast out here for the word of God. And blessed are you, believing rightly in Christ and considering all things secondary for his sake. But to see one another is difficult because of the authorities, unless God commands in some way that he will arrange. But we will not cease to remember you and to love you as our brother; whom we once did not know according to flesh and blood, but now from the Holy Spirit we have as a kinsman, both of us born from the mother of adoption, the font of baptism. Peace to you, friend and brother and master, peace also to your house and to all who belong to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 480 {1Catechetical instruction to his own disciples. Theodore the least, presbyter and hegoumen of the Stoudites, to my beloved brothers and spiritual sons, who for the Lord's sake are scattered here and there}1 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who has granted you persecution for the sake of his name; which, although grievous according to the flesh, is joy-producing according to the spirit; for it is the cause of divinely-spoken beatitudes and the procurer of eternal crowns. For which reason I also, the humble one, rejoice with joy and exult with exultation, that I have been deemed worthy to see my beloved in such progress, in so great a degree of the good confession, which we have confessed before God and men, to venerate Christ depicted, that is, represented in an icon, as did all our holy fathers. Only I exhort and remind you to conduct yourselves worthily of the gospel of Christ, having your conduct be good in the places and with the people among whom you are staying, your speech seasoned with salt in grace, your demeanor filled with reverence, your food and drink kept with self-sufficiency, your clothing and gait considered with prudence, so that you may be an illumination to the laity, and not the opposite, a cause of divine confession, and not the opposite. Each, as he has received a gift, administering it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, as it is written. If anyone speaks, as oracles of God, but not idle talk; if anyone serves, as from strength, but not out of arrogance; if anyone works, with his own hands so as not to be a burden, but not as one condemned as idle even of eating; if anyone in all things acts according to the commandment, as a worker of God, but not as becoming a scandal to his neighbor, so that in all things God may be glorified and I, the wretched one, hearing it may be of good cheer and rejoice. Beware of evil companionships, beware of ruinous familiarity, beware of fornication-producing gluttony; let no one converse with a woman without necessity, let no one sit alone, let no one be a lover of money, adding coin to coin and increasing gold, in which sin and the portion of Judas is rooted. let no one sell the

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υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον· καὶ ὁ μὴ προσκυνῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁγίαν εἰκόνα μὴ προσκυνεῖν αὐτὸν ἀποδέδεικται, κἂν ὁμολογῇ προσκυνεῖν· ἡ γὰρ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ τιμὴ ἐπ' αὐτὸν διαβαίνει, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ ἄρνησις αὐτῆς εἰς αὐτὸν τὴν ἄρνησιν ἀναπέμπει. Ἐπεὶ οὖν, ὡς μανθάνω, οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς πέποιθας καὶ διὰ τοῦτο στέλλῃ τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν εἰκονομάχων, χαίρω καὶ συγχαίρω σοι, εὐχαριστῶ καὶ συνευχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι ὁρᾷς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καίτοι ὀψιμαθὴς ὢν καὶ ἀρτιγέννητος υἱὸς θεοῦ. καὶ μή τοι θαυμάσῃς ὅτι καὶ ἐν χριστιανοῖς εἰσέρχεται πλάνη· ὅπου γὰρ ἡ σωτηρία, ἐκεῖ τρέχει ὁ δράκων διάβολος ποιῆσαι ἀπώλειαν, καὶ τοῦτο δι' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος. ἄρτι γὰρ ἡ πλάνη ταύτη ἐπεισήχθη ἐν τοῖς χριστιανοῖς, ἐπεὶ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἡ Χριστοῦ εἰκών, τῆς τε Θεοτόκου καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτά σοι, δέσποτα τιμιώτατε, ὡς παρὰ θεοῦ κινηθείς, κἂν ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, ἐφθεγξάμην πρὸς βεβαίωσιν τῆς πίστεώς σου, πρὸς σύμβολον ἀγαπήσεώς σου, ἐπειδὴ σὺ ἀδελφὸς ἡμέτερος καὶ οὐ ξένος, καθὼς εἴρηκας. εἰ δὲ ξένος τοῦ κόσμου, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι· καὶ ἡμεῖς γὰρ οἱ ταπεινοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἔχομεν καὶ διὰ τοῦτό ἐσμεν ἀπορρεριμμένοι ἐνταῦθα διὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ μακάριος εἶ, πιστεύων εἰς Χριστὸν ὀρθῶς καὶ πάντα δεύτερα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἡγούμενος. ἰδέσθαι δὲ ἀλλήλους δύσκολον διὰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, εἰ μή τι θεὸς κελεύει καθ' ὃν οἰκονομήσει τρόπον. μεμνῆσθαί σου δὲ οὐ διαλειψόμεθα καὶ ἀγαπᾶν σε ὡς ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν· ὅν ποτε οὐκ ἐγνωρίσαμεν ἀπὸ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἔχομεν ὡς σύγγονον, ἀποτεχθέντες ἀμφότεροι ἐκ μητρὸς τῆς υἱοθετικῆς, κολυμβήθρας τοῦ βαπτίσματος. εἰρήνη σοι, φίλε καὶ ἀδελφὲ καὶ δέσποτα, εἰρήνη καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ σου καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς διαφέρουσί σοι ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ἀμήν. 480 {1Κατηχητικὴ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητάς. Θεόδωρος ἐλάχιστος, πρεσβύτερος καὶ ἡγούμενος τῶν Στουδίου, ἠγαπημένοις ἀδελφοῖς μου καὶ πνευματικοῖς υἱέσιν, τοῖς διὰ Κύριον ὧδε κἀκεῖσε διεσπαρμένοισ}1 Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ χαρισαμένου ὑμῖν τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ διωγμόν· ὅς, εἰ καὶ λυπηρὸς κατὰ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ χαροποιὸς κατὰ πνεῦμα· μακαρισμῶν γὰρ θεολέκτων αἴτιος καὶ στεφάνων αἰωνίων πρόξενος. οὗ χάριν κἀγὼ ὁ εὐτελὴς χαρᾷ χαίρω καὶ ἀγαλλιάσει ἀγαλλιῶμαι, ὅτι ἠξίωμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀγαπητοὺς ἰδεῖν ἐν τοιαύτῃ προκοπῇ, ἐν τηλικούτῳ βαθμῷ τῆς καλῆς ὁμολογίας, ἣν ὡμολογήσαμεν ἐνώπιον θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, προσκυνεῖν Χριστὸν ἐγγεγραμμένον, ἤγουν ἐξεικονισμένον, καθὼς πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι πατέρες ἡμῶν. μόνον παρακαλῶ καὶ ὑπομνήσκω ἀξίως τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑμᾶς πολιτεύεσθαι, τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἔχοντες καλὴν ἐν οἷς διατρίβετε καὶ τόποις καὶ προσώποις, τὸν λόγον ἐν χάριτι ἅλατι ἠρτυμένον, τὴν ἕξιν εὐλαβείᾳ μεμεστωμένην, τὴν βρῶσιν καὶ τὴν πόσιν αὐταρκείᾳ τετηρημένην, τὸ ἔνδυμα καὶ βάδισμα συνέσει τεθεωρημένον, ὡς ἂν φωτισμός ἐστε τῶν λαϊκῶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τοὐναντίον, ὑπόθεσις θείας ἐξομολογήσεως, ἀλλὰ μὴ τοὐναντίον. ἕκαστος καθὼς ἔλαβεν χάρισμα εἰς ἑαυτοὺς αὐτὸ διοικοῦντες ὡς καλοὶ οἰκονόμοι ποικίλης χάριτος θεοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται. εἴ τις λαλεῖ, ὡς λόγια θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μὴ ματαιολογίας· εἴ τις διακονεῖ, ὡς ἐξ ἰσχύος, ἀλλὰ μὴ καθ' ὑπερηφανίαν· εἴ τις ἐργάζεται, ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶν πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐπιβαρὴς εἶναι, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὡς ἀργὸς κατακρινόμενος καὶ τοῦ ἐσθίειν· εἴ τις ἐν πᾶσιν κατ' ἐντολὴν πράσσει, ὡς ἐργάτης θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μὴ κατὰ σκάνδαλον γιγνόμενος τοῦ πέλας, ἵνα ἐν πᾶσι δοξάζηται ὁ θεὸς κἀγὼ ὁ τάλας ἀκούων εὐθυμῶ καὶ χαίρω. Βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς συνδυασμούς, βλέπετε τὴν ὀλεθρίαν παρρησίαν, βλέπετε τὴν πορνοποιὸν ἀδηφαγίαν· μή τις μετὰ γυναικὸς ὁμιλείτω ἄνευ ἀνάγκης, μή τις μεμονωμένος καθεζέσθω, μή τις φιλαργυρείτω, κέρματι κέρμα προστιθεὶς καὶ αὔξων χρυσίον, ἐν ᾧ ῥιζοῦται ἡ ἁμαρτία καὶ ἡ μερὶς τοῦ Ἰούδα. μή τις ἀπεμπολείτω τὴν