326

of our sacred high priest, and then what must happen will happen, more legitimately and more canonically; but until the sought-for time arrives, lead the brothers and prosper in the Lord, as one who will give an account for their souls, but also as one who will receive the reward for them; for as great as the yoke of leadership is, so great also is the reward. Only have eyes to see and ears to hear, a watchful and God-seeking heart, a pastoral disposition, a teaching word, a well-ordered character, a distinct posture and gait, being wholly and entirely preserved and directed by the word. And you are blessed, carrying out an apostolic work; for the Lord also showed to Peter, the chief of the apostles, the pastoral staff as the preeminent proof of love for him; for "if you love me," he says, "more than these, Peter, feed my sheep." Feed, therefore, the sheep of the Lord, securing them in the fold of orthodoxy and nurturing them in the green pasture of his commandments and making them rest by the water of repose of his will. See that you are not snatched away, either yourself or any of your sheep, by the heretical beasts. What has happened before is sufficient for those who have gone before; but now let us walk securely and without stumbling, considering all things secondary when the time calls, even our very bodies, not to mention anything else of those things that perish, for the love of God, whose peace may preside over your hearts and your minds and direct your way in Christ Jesus our Lord. 502 {1To Gregory the Consul}1 Your honor has disadvantaged us until now by not writing, although you write well, as your letter itself shows, for which we praised not only its learning, but also its love of learning, desiring to partake of a higher education; of which the writing-tablet, as you requested, we do have, but not here. But if it should happen that our parish steward arrives there, he will take it from the place where it is stored and deliver it. Education is good, O master, as long as it is a help toward truly genuine education, and does not in a frenzy show its partakers to be uneducated. The meaning of the apostolic saying, that in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, seems to me to be this: that is, that in the flesh of the Word, assumed from a virgin, that is, in the temple which he built for himself, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead; "all the fullness," it says, not some part, as is thought by those who divide the indivisible Godhead. And "bodily" means "substantially;" for so it has been understood by the fathers in opposition to those who talk nonsense about it being relative. Such also is the saying, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us;" for lest anyone should think that the Word was changed into flesh, he added, "and dwelt among us." And it is clear that that which dwells is one thing and the dwelling in which the dwelling of the dweller takes place is another, so that the two, divinity and humanity, are at the same time in the one person of Christ. But if it seems otherwise to you, do not deprive us who are of little learning—I might add also, careless—of your more insightful and truer contemplation, even if you yourself have deified otherwise with your friendly praises. 503 {1A Catechesis to His Own Disciples}1 Since the holy Forty Days is now approaching, I thought it opportune to say a few things to you, O beloved children and most honored brothers, although I am urged by the apostle to exhort, reprove, rebuke in season and out of season. But now the season of the fast has its self-taught exhortation, knowing how to bring compunction even to the hard-hearted. Welcome, therefore, brothers, with joy the cheerful days, each in the lodging where he is a guest performing the customary things according to his ability, so that through quiet and moderation in food we may cleanse the heart, give wings to the soul, trip up the passions; for this is the fast, this is the quiet, this is the seeking commandment, this is the chief point of our salvation; from which also partaking of the holy things would be accessible to us,

326

ἱεροῦ ἡμῶν ἀρχιερέως, καὶ τότε γενήσεται ὃ δεῖ γενέσθαι νομιμώτερόν τε καὶ κανονικώτερον· ἕως δ' ἂν μὴ παρῇ ὁ καιρὸς ὁ ἐπιζητούμενος, ἡγοῦ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ κατευ οδοῦ ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσων ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν μισθὸν κομιούμενος· καθ' ὅσον γὰρ μέγας ὁ ζυγὸς τῆς προστασίας, κατὰ τοσοῦτον καὶ πολύμισθος. μόνον ἔχε ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ ὁρᾶν καὶ ὦτα τοῦ ἀκούειν, καρδίαν ἄγρυπνον καὶ θεοζήτητον, ἕξιν ποιμαντικήν, λόγον διδασκαλικόν, εὔρυθμον ἦθος, εὔσημον στάσιν καὶ βάσιν, ὅλος δι' ὅλου ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου συντηρούμενος καὶ διευθυνόμενος. καὶ μακάριος εἶ, ἀποστολικὸν ἔργον διατελῶν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἀπόδειξιν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν φιλίας προύχουσαν ὑπέδειξε τῷ κορυφαίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων Πέτρῳ τὴν ποιμαντικὴν ῥάβδον· εἰ φιλεῖς με γάρ, φησί, πλέον τούτων, Πέτρε, ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Ποίμαινε οὖν τὰ πρόβατα Κυρίου, ἀσφαλιζόμενος αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ μάνδρᾳ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας καὶ ἐκτρέφων αὐτὰ εἰς χλόην τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατασκηνῶν ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεως τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. βλέπε μή που ὑφαρπαγῇς ἢ αὐτὸς ἢ τῶν σαυτοῦ τι προβάτων ὑπὸ τῶν αἱρετικῶν θηρῶν. ἀρκεῖ τὰ προλαβόντα ἐν τοῖς προλαβοῦσι· νῦν δὲ ἀσφαλῶς περιπατήσωμεν καὶ ἀνεμπτώτως, πάντα δεύτερα ἡγούμενοι καιροῦ καλοῦντος, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ σώματα, μὴ ὅτι γε ἄλλο τι τῶν φθειρομένων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗ ἡ εἰρήνη βραβεύσοι τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν καὶ κατευθύναι τὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. 502 {1Γρηγορίῳ ὑπάτῳ}1 Ἐζημίου ἡμᾶς μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο ἡ τιμιότης σου μὴ ἐπιστείλασα, καίπερ ἐπιστέλλουσα καλῶς, ὡς αὐτὰ τὰ γράμματα δηλοῖ, ἐφ' οἷς καὶ ἐπαινέσαμεν αὐτῆς οὐ μόνον τὸ εὐμαθές, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἔτι φιλομαθές, γλιχομένης παιδείας ὑψηλοτέρας μετασχεῖν· ἧς τὸ πτυκτίον, καθὼς ἐπεζήτησεν, ἔχομεν μέν, οὐ μὴν δὲ ἐνταῦθα. ἐὰν δὲ συμβαίη ἀφικέσθαι ἐν τοῖς αὐτόθι τὸν παροικονόμον ἡμῶν, λαβὼν ἐξ οὗπερ τεταμίευται τόπου ἐπιδώσειεν αὐτό. Καλὴ δὲ ἡ παιδεία, ὦ δέσποτα, ἕως ἂν συνεργὸς εἴη πρὸς τὴν ὄντως ἀληθινὴν παιδείαν, ἀλλὰ μὴ κορυβαντιῶσα ἀπαιδεύτους διαδεικνύοι τοὺς μετόχους αὐτῆς. τοῦ δὲ ἀποστολικοῦ ῥητοῦ ἡ ἔννοια, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς, οὕτως μοι δοκεῖ ἔχειν, τουτέστιν ὅτι ἐν τῇ προσληφθείσῃ ἐκ παρθένου σαρκὶ τοῦ λόγου, ἤτοι ἐν τῷ ναῷ, ᾧ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἑαυτῷ, κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος· πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα, φησίν, οὐ μέρος τι, καθὰ πεφρόνηται τοῖς τὴν ἀμερῆ μερίζουσι θεότητα. τὸ δὲ σωματικῶς ἤγουν οὐσιωδῶς· οὕτω γὰρ ἐξείληπται τοῖς πατράσιν κατὰ ἀντίθεσιν τῶν σχετικῶς φληναφούντων. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τό, ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν· ἵνα γὰρ μὴ δόξειέν τις εἰς σάρκα τετράφθαι τὸν λόγον, ἐπήγαγεν, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι ἄλλο τὸ σκηνοῦν καὶ ἄλλο τὸ σκήνωμα, ἐν ᾧ ἡ σκήνωσις τοῦ σκηνοῦντος, ὥσθ' ἅμα μὲν εἶναι τὰ δύο, θεότητα καὶ ἀνθρωπότητα, ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ. εἰ δέ σοι δοκεῖ ἄλλως ἔχειν, τῆς ὀπτικωτέρας καὶ ἀληθεστέρας θεωρίας μὴ ἀποστερήσειας ἡμᾶς τοὺς ὀλιγομαθεῖς, προσθείην δ' ἂν καὶ ἀτημελεῖς, κἂν ἄλλως αὐτὸς ἐξεθείασας τοῖς φιλικοῖς ἐπαίνοις. 503 {1Κατηχητικὴ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητάσ}1 Τῆς ἱερᾶς Τεσσαρακοστῆς ἤδη ἐπιούσης εὔκαιρον ἡγησάμην βραχέα φθέγξασθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὦ τέκνα ἠγαπημένα καὶ ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι, καίτοι γε ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου παρακαλεῖν, ἐλέγχειν, ἐπιτιμᾶν εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως προτρεπόμενος. νῦν δὲ ὁ τῆς νηστείας καιρὸς αὐτοδίδακτον ἔχει τὴν παράκλησιν, κατανύσσειν εἰδὼς καὶ τὸν ἀτεράμονα. ὑποδέξασθε οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἄσμενοι τὰς ἱλαρίου ἡμέρας, ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ καταλύματι ᾧ ξενίζεται τὰ εἰωθότα κατὰ δύναμιν ἐπιτελῶν, ὡς ἂν διὰ τῆς ἡσυχίας καὶ μετριοτροφίας καθάρωμεν καρδίαν, πτερώσωμεν ψυχήν, πτερνίσωμεν πάθη· τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ νηστεία, τοῦτο ἡ ἡσυχία, τοῦτο ἡ ἐντολὴ ἐπιζητοῦσα, τοῦτο τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν κεφάλαιον· ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ μετέχειν τῶν ἁγιασμάτων εἴη ἂν ἡμῖν εὐπρόσιτον,