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monastic liberty, by acquiring a slave bought with silver; for to this point has the wickedness of some reached, having been enslaved to passion and having lost the monastic dignity. Let no one be a drunkard, hearing the apostle, Use a little wine for your stomach and your frequent infirmities, from which are kindled the desires of the flesh against the soul and the house of God is set on fire, which is our inner man. But let us be as strangers and sojourners, O brothers, each of us in this persecution as dying, and behold, we live, as chastened and not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many spiritually rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things, to speak apostolically. My eyes are always toward you, my longed-for ones, my heart burning for you in the Lord, my senses stir me up, whenever I hear a dreadful report about someone, when I learn of a God-hated deviation; my eyes bring down tears, my soul is crushed, whenever the one who does not love God walks contrary to the tradition and the rule and the manifestation of the things aforementioned. You have come out, O fathers, from the monastery into the higher light of persecution; surely not into darkness? We were separated from one another, moved by the Spirit; surely not so that we might live in passion? Does God not see? Does not the work of each one become heard of, how you are conducting yourselves? May you who have slaves hear these things, you who sit alone, you who are effeminate, that I may not say more, you who are lovers of money, you who are lovers of women. I do not reproach willingly, forgive me, but I accuse in pain, as I am appointed for this. Fulfill my joy, O children, that you may be of the same mind, that you may walk by the same rule, impressing good examples and reminders upon the souls of those who see for the glory of God, for your unquenchable renown, for the gladness of me, a sinner, for the praise of your brotherhood in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power together with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 481 {1To the abbess Igno}1 I received your reverence, sister in the Lord, both for the gifts you sent and for the dispositions with which you regard our affairs. But we are not such; we who are not even sufficient for ourselves in good things, how could we impart to others teaching of a goodly kind? But may it be to you according to your faith to live in a manner befitting God, continuing blamelessly the life in virginity, and not only that, but also to manage the office of leadership without condemnation; for know that the matter is one of great reward, but for those who are not attentive, it is also perilous, to rule over souls made in the image of God. As one ruling in the Lord, therefore, lead and guide your flock, setting yourself as a model of every good thing, so that you may be worthy to say, behold, I and the children whom God has given me; for God has delivered the souls to you through renunciation and you must offer them to Him as an acceptable sacrifice; and in this your reward in heaven will be great. Teach them, admonish them in the saving commandments, to long for Christ alone, and not for flesh and blood, to be without possessions, but to have nothing of one's own, to be without passion, but not to show partiality to relatives, to work zealously, but not to be slothful towards the ascetic life; for if so, Christ the bridegroom will meet them a little later as they carry their lamps and will be met with great joy, He will greet and be greeted in a holy manner, He will open for them the heavenly and unmade bridal chamber, He will give them the kingdom of heaven, the delight of paradise, drinks of immortality, sweets of everlasting life, He will clothe them with garments full of light, He will adorn them with ornaments of incorruption, with bridal diadems, He will fill them with infinite good things unto the ages of ages. For these things both you and they must labor, strive day by day to work out your own salvation, refresh yourselves with hopes, extinguish the fire brought in by the enemy in your souls with divine love, whatever else

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μοναχικὴν ἐλευθερίαν, κτώμενος ἀργυρώνητον δοῦλον· μέχρι γὰρ τοῦδε ἔφθασεν ἥ τινων πονηρία, δουλωθέντων τῇ προσπαθείᾳ καὶ ἀπολελωκότων τὸ μοναχικὸν ἀξίωμα. μή τις οἰνοφλυγείτω, ἀκούων τοῦ ἀποστόλου, ὀλίγῳ οἴνῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στόμαχόν σου καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας, ἀφ' ὧν ἀνάπτονται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αἱ σαρκικαὶ ἐπιθυμίαι καὶ ἐμπυρίζεται ὁ οἶκος τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅστις ἐστὶν ὁ ἔσω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος. ἀλλ' ὡς ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοι ὦμεν, ὦ ἀδελφοί, ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ διωγμῷ ὡς ἀποθνήσκοντες, καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν, ὡς παιδευόμενοι καὶ μὴ θανατούμενοι, ὡς λυπούμενοι, ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες, ὡς πτωχοί, πολλοὺς δὲ πνευματικῶς πλουτίζοντες, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες καὶ τὰ πάντα κατέχοντες, ἀποστολικῶς εἰπεῖν. οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διὰ παντὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοὺς ποθητούς μου, ἡ καρδία μου καιομένη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν Κυρίῳ, τὰ αἰσθητήριά μου μαιμάσσει με, ἡνίκα ἀκούσω ἀπευκτὴν ἀκοὴν ἐπί τινι, ἐπὰν μάθω ἐκτροπὴν θεομίσητον· οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου κατάγουσι δάκρυα, ἡ ψυχή μου συντρίβεται, ὁπόταν παρὰ τὴν παράδοσιν καὶ κατάστασιν καὶ τὴν τῶν προειρημένων ἔκφανσιν περιπατῇ ὁ ἀφιλόθεος. Ἐξεληλύθατε, ὦ πατέρες, ἀπὸ τοῦ μοναστηρίου εἰς ὑψηλότερον φάος τοῦ διωγμοῦ· μὴ γὰρ εἰς ἐπισκότωσιν; διαιρέθημεν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων πνευματοκινήτως· μὴ γὰρ ἵνα περιπαθῶς ζήσωμεν; μὴ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς οὐχ ὁρᾷ; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἀκουστὸν γίνεται ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον, ὅπως ἀναστρέφοισθε; οἱ τοὺς δούλους ἔχοντες ταῦτα ἀκούοιτε, οἱ μονοκάθιστοι, οἱ γυναικιζόμενοι, ἵνα μή τι πλέον λέγω, οἱ φιλάργυροι, οἱ φιλόγυροι. οὐχ ἑκὼν ὀνειδίζω, σύγγνωτε, ἀλλὰ πονῶν κατηγορῶ, ὡς εἰς τοῦτο κείμενος. πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαράν, ὦ τέκνα, ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχῆτε κανόνι, ἀγαθὰ ὑποδείγματα καὶ ὑπομνήματα ἐναποσφραγίζοντες ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ὁρώντων εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ, εἰς κλέος ὑμῶν ἄσβεστον, εἰς εὐφροσύνην κἀμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς ἀδελφότητος ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος ἅμα τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. 481 {1Τῇ ἡγουμένῃ Ἰγνῶν}1 Ἀπεδεξάμην τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου, ἀδελφὴ ἐν Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐφ' οἷς ἀπέστειλας δώροις καὶ ἐν αἷς διαθέσεσιν ὑπολαμβάνεις τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς. ἀλλ' οὐ τοιοῦτοι ἡμεῖς· οἵ γε οὐδ' ἑαυτοῖς ἀρκοῦντες ἐν ἀγαθοῖς πῶς ἂν ἄλλοις μεταδοίημεν ἀγαθοειδοῦς διδασκαλίας; γένοιτο δὲ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν σου θεοπρεπῶς πολιτεύεσθαι, τὸν ἐν παρθενίᾳ βίον ἀμέμπτως διατελοῦσαν, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τῆς προστασίας βαθμὸν ἀκατακρίτως περιέπειν· ἴσθι γὰρ ὡς πολύμισθον τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλ' οὖν γε τοῖς μὴ προσέχουσι καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον, ψυχῶν ἄρχειν τῶν κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ πεποιημένων. Ὡς οὖν ἐν Κυρίῳ ἄρχουσα ἡγοῦ καὶ κατευοδοῦ τῆς ποίμνης σου, παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ προτύπωμα ἑαυτὴν τιθεῖσα, ἵνα ἀξιωθῇς εἰπεῖν, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός· θεὸς γὰρ παραδέδωκέν σοι τὰς ψυχὰς δι' ἀποταγῆς καὶ αὐτῷ δεῖν σε αὐτὰς προσάξαι ὡς θυσίαν εὐπρόσδεκτον· κἀν τούτῳ πολύς σου ὁ μισθὸς ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρξει. δίδασκε αὐτάς, νουθέτει τὰ σωτήρια ἐντάλματα, ποθεῖν μόνον Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ μὴ σάρκας καὶ αἵματα, ἀκτημονεῖν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲν ἔχειν ἰδιόκτητον, ἀπροσπαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ φιλοϊδιάζειν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγχιστεύοντας, προθυμοεργεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὀκνηρῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν ἄσκησιν· ἂν γὰρ οὕτως, ἀπαντήσει αὐταῖς ὁ νυμφίος Χριστὸς μικρὸν ὕστερον λαμπαδηφορούσαις καὶ ἀπαντηθήσεται περιχαρῶς, ἀσπάσεται καὶ ἀσπασθήσεται ἱεροπρεπῶς, ἀνοίξει αὐταῖς τὸν οὐράνιον καὶ ἀχειρότευκτον νυμφῶνα, δώσει αὐταῖς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, τρυφὴν παραδείσου, πόματα ἀθανασίας, γλυκάσματα ἀειζωίας, ἐνδύσει αὐτὰς περιβλήματα φωτοειδῆ, κοσμήσει κόσμοις ἀφθαρσίας, νυμφαγωγικοῖς διαδήμασιν, ἐμπλήσει τῶν ἀπείρων ἀγαθῶν εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ σὺ κἀκεῖναι μοχθήσατε, διώξατε ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ κατεργάζεσθαι τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν, ἀναψύχετε ταῖς ἐλπίσιν, σβεννύετε τὸ ἐπεισαγόμενον πῦρ παρὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐν ψυχαῖς τῷ θείῳ ἔρωτι, ὅ τι ἂν ἄλλο