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to have it as safe, when neither a canon decrees nor our divine hierarch prevents us from accepting this? Or is it not rather destructive of repentance and conducive to despair of salvation for one who is deemed worthy to partake of the holy things and to mark himself with the sign of the cross not to be permitted to bless common food, whether in private or in public? Or do we not know that our good God and Lord, the only sinless one who takes away the sin of the world, endured His immaculate feet to be touched by a prostitute and to be anointed with tears as also with myrrh? But He also eats with tax collectors and in the homes of tax collectors and makes disciples of tax collectors; and nothing is so dear to Him as turning from sin and loving one another. Hence He also describes His disciples as being characterized, and indeed He designates the blessed Peter, after his denial, as the chief of the rest of the apostles; what greater than this is there for the demonstration of the present argument? And what is more foolish than those who ignorantly and arrogantly do not accept the blessing and prayer of those who have already been improved by repentance? We, the humble, therefore, hold this view, as has been said before, and we advise you, but others, holding a different view, will see about this. And to what our brother Symeon asked, we have replied, and we, the humble, desire in all things to be for the repose of you venerable ones and we pray that you be kept unharmed in all things. 488 {1Catechesis to those in Cyzicus}1 We were glad to see those with brother Symeon, the one appointed as your head, partly because of the long absence, and partly because of their good conduct; for it is a good conduct both for him and for you that so many brothers live together in these times of persecution; for where two or three happen to be, it is worthy of praise, as Christ is in their midst according to the promise, but for there to be so many, a whole monastery and a great community, the praise is indisputable. And thanks be to the Lord, who has given to you to strive together in one spirit, with one mind, for the faith of the gospel and to bear in the same way the ascetic life, accomplishing in this a twofold, and brilliant, and crowned contest. But we wished also to see you yourselves who are absent face to face and to be comforted together by the fellowship of the spirit, so that we might have learned the name and face and character and speech of each one; but since this could not happen, we have seen you already through your leader and your companions, the sight of whom, characterized by piety, nourished our hearts. What then is there left to say? That, just as by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ you were gathered and joined together in spiritual harmony and like-minded unanimity, shining brightly in that place like some stars in the dark night of heresy, so also for the future you may remain the same, of one mind, of the same purpose, of one accord, submissive, obedient, attentive, grateful, well-spoken of, lovers of purity, sober, without boldness, complete, perfected in every good work, still shining, still gleaming, still radiating light, still salting, so that concerning you it might also rightly be said by the Lord: you are the light of the world; and again: you are the salt of the earth. And perhaps since you dwell in the mountainous region, that phrase might also be fittingly sung about you, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden, a hill, that is, of a lofty way of life, upon which those who have mounted dwell on earth as if in heaven, of whom the world is not worthy, according to what was spoken by the apostle. See, children and brothers, how the word of truth has lifted you up, placing you on high with praises and showing you to be true monks, confessors of Christ, fugitives from the world, men of desires for better things, slayers of the passions of the flesh, crowned in spirit. And these things are now bare words of recompense; but if you complete most sovereignly your contest of both submission and confession, then, departing from this life, you will receive the blessedness of your works, which may we all be worthy to attain by grace

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ἀσφαλὲς ἔχειν, μήτε κανόνος θεσπίζοντος μήτε τοῦ θεσπεσίου ἡμῶν ἱεράρχου ἀπείργοντος ἡμᾶς τοῦτο δέχεσθαι; ἢ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἀναιρετικόν ἐστι μετανοίας καὶ ἀπογνωστικόν ἐστι σωτηρίας τὸ τὸν ἀξιούμενον μετέχειν τῶν ἁγιασμάτων καὶ σημειοῦν ἑαυτὸν τῇ σταυροειδεῖ εἰκόνι μὴ ἐξεῖναι σφραγίζειν βρῶμα κοινὸν εἴτε ἰδίᾳ εἴτε δημοσίᾳ; ἢ οὐκ ἴσμεν ὅτι ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἡμῶν θεὸς καὶ Κύριος, ὁ μόνος ἀναμάρτητος καὶ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ὑπὸ πόρνης τοὺς ἀχράντους πόδας ἠνέσχετο καὶ χειραπτεῖσθαι καὶ ὑπαλείφεσθαι δάκρυσιν ὥσπερ καὶ μύρῳ; ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τελωνῶν ἐσθίει καὶ παρὰ τελώναις καὶ μαθητεύει τελώνας· καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ οὕτω φιλητὸν ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρεπτικὸν ἐξ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀγαπητικὸν ἐπ' ἀλλήλοις. ἐντεῦθεν καὶ χαρακτηρίζεσθαι τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ὑπογράφει, καί γε τὸν μακάριον Πέτρον μετὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν πρώταρχον τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποστόλων ἀναδείκνυσιν· οὗ τί μεῖζον εἰς παράστασιν τοῦ προκειμένου λόγου; τί δὲ ἀσυνετώτερον τῶν ἀμαθῶς καὶ οἰηματικῶς μὴ καταδεχομένων σφραγίζειν καὶ προσεύχεσθαι τοὺς ἤδη τῇ μετανοίᾳ βελτιωθέντας; Ἡμεῖς τοιγαροῦν οἱ ταπεινοὶ οὕτως ἔχομεν, ὡς προείρηται, καὶ ὑμῖν συμβουλεύομεν, ἄλλοι δέ, ἄλλως ἔχοντες, ὄψονται περὶ τούτου. πρὸς ἃ δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν Συμεὼν ἠρώτησεν, ἀπεκρίθημεν, καὶ ἐφιέμεθα ἐν πᾶσι πρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν ὑμῶν εἶναι τῶν σεβασμίων οἱ ταπεινοὶ καὶ εὐχόμεθα ἀσινεῖς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάττεσθαι ἐν πᾶσιν. 488 {1Κατηχητικὴ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Κυζίκῳ}1 Ἡδέως εἴδομεν τοὺς περὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Συμεών, τὸν εἰς κεφαλὴν ὑμῶν τεταγμένον, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὴν τοῦ χρόνου ἀπουσίαν, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν καλὴν πολιτείαν· ἀγαθὴ γὰρ πολιτεία καὶ αὐτῷ καὶ ὑμῖν τὸ τοσούτους ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀδελφοὺς συζῆν ἐν δεδιωγμένοις χρόνοις· ὅπου γὰρ δύο ἢ τρεῖς τυγχάνοιεν ὄντες, ἐπαίνου ἄξιον, ὡς τοῦ Χριστοῦ μεσιτεύοντος κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τὸ δὲ τοσούτους εἶναι, ὅλον μοναστήριον καὶ μεγάλην συνοδίαν, ἀναντίρρητον τὸ ἐγκώμιον. καὶ χάρις Κυρίῳ, ὃς ἔδωκεν ὑμῖν ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι, μιᾷ ψυχῇ συναθλεῖν τῇ πίστει τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ διαφέρειν ἐν ταὐτῷ τὸν ἀσκητικὸν βίον δίαθλον καὶ διαυγῆ καὶ διαστεφῆ ἀγῶνα ἐν τούτῳ περαιοῦσθαι. ἐβουλόμεθα δὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀπόντας κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ἰδεῖν καὶ συμπαρακληθῆναι τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὡς ἂν καὶ τοὔνομα καὶ πρόσωπον καὶ ἦθος καὶ λόγον ἑνὸς ἑκάστου κατεμάθομεν· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τοῦτο ἠδυνάτει γενέσθαι, εἴδομεν ὑμᾶς ἤδη διὰ τοῦ προηγουμένου καὶ τῶν ὁμοταγῶν ὑμῶν, ὧν ἡ θέα ἔθρεψεν ἡμῶν τὰς καρδίας, εὐλαβείᾳ κεχαρακτηρισμένη. Τί οὖν ἐστι λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν; ἵνα, καθὼς χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἠθροίσθητε καὶ συνηρτήθητε ἁρμονίᾳ πνευματικῇ καὶ συμψυχίᾳ ὁμονοητικῇ, διαλάμψαντες ἐν τοῖς αὐτόθι καθάπερ τινὲς ἀστέρες ἐν τῇ ζοφερᾷ τῆς αἱρέσεως νυκτί, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς οἱ αὐτοὶ διαμείνοιτε, σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες, ὁμογνώμονες, ὑποτακτικοί, πειθήνιοι, εὐήκοοι, εὐχάριστοι, εὔκλητοι, φίλαγνοι, σώφρονες, ἀπαρρησίαστοι, ἄρτιοι, κατηρτισμένοι ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ, ἔτι λάμποντες, ἔτι αὐγάζοντες, ἔτι φωτοβολοῦντες, ἔτι ἁλίζοντες, ὡς ἂν καὶ περὶ ὑμῶν εἰκότως ῥηθείη ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου· ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· καὶ αὖθις· ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς. τάχα δὲ ἐπειδὴ τὴν ὀρεινὴν κατοικεῖτε, καταλλήλως ἐπᾴδοιτο κἀκεῖνο περὶ ὑμῶν, οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι, ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη, ὄρους, δηλαδὴ ὑψηλῆς πολιτείας, ἐφ' ᾗ οἱ ἐπιβεβηκότες ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς διατρίβουσιν, ὧν οὐκ ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος κατὰ τὸ ἀποστολικῶς εἰρημένον. Βλέπετε, τέκνα καὶ ἀδελφοί, ὅπως ὑμᾶς ἦρεν ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας, ἄνω θεὶς τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις καὶ ὑποδείξας ἀληθινοὺς εἶναι μοναστάς, ὁμολογητὰς Χριστοῦ, φυγάδας κόσμου, ἄνδρας ἐπιθυμιῶν τῶν κρειττόνων, σαρκὸς παθοκτόνους, στεφανίτας ἐν πνεύματι. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν λόγοι γυμνοὶ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως ἄρτι· ἐὰν δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα ὑμῶν τῆς τε ὑποταγῆς καὶ ὁμολογίας ἐκτελέσητε κυριώτατα, τηνικαῦτα μεταβαίνοντες τοῦ βίου τὴν τῶν ἔργων ἀπολήψεσθε μακαριότητα, ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι