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it is possible to be deceived and what she owes concerning it. Answer. This chapter has not been resolved by us; for it belongs to a bishop, who resolves matters for the churches. Question. If there are heretical lay men and women, whether from the countryside or having their heresy by nature, if it is permissible to eat with them or to receive anything from them. Answer. Whether they are heretics from malice or from ignorance, it is not permissible either to eat or to receive things brought by them, I know not unless the ignorant, having been improved, profess to hold the orthodox faith. Question. Concerning my father, if he is worthy to be commemorated in the liturgy. Answer. Whether a father or mother or brother or anyone else was left until death in communion with heresy, it has been said before in the chapter above that he is not to be commemorated in the liturgy, unless perhaps each one according to his own mind should choose to pray for such persons and to give alms on their behalf; for how could one who while still living partook of heretical communion and was thus carried out for burial be received in commemorations according to the mystagogy of the orthodox? In no way. These things I have not spoken canonically (for this is for bishops), but having spoken them as counsel out of love (for nothing is more necessary than love); but if it is approved by your reverence that something should be managed otherwise, for we have no say in this matter other than to request your holy prayers, because we happen to be sinful men. 553 {1To the spatharea, whose name is Machara}1 How beautiful is the letter of your nobility, dictated in the local tongue, but embellished with the great grace of humility and, what is paradoxical, suddenly bringing forth its confession like some God-given bridal gift. But from where, since we are sinners, comes your so great faith and pious outpouring? Or is it so that it might be known to us who and of what sort you are in piety, including with yourself your lord and head, and moreover also drawing along, like some dish for the divine table, the ladies, your sisters? Thus, then, is the letter God-pleasing and showing the most beautiful character of your piety. But I am not competent to say that you have given yourselves over to my lowliness; rather, you give yourselves over not to us, but to God. Because of this we are debtors both to rejoice over your good life and to pray holy things for you and to dispense the only thing we have, to offer our meager word; which we now offer and ask, for what reason would your honor seek for me to speak about the divine communion and for what cause have you partaken rarely for so many years? For this must have some reason. For it is not the rarity or the daily partaking simply, but the partaking with a pure conscience that is necessary; for he who unworthily, it says, eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. If, therefore, considering your own affairs in such a way and being reverent you await the opportune time, it would be well, whether sooner or later, and there is no other limit in this than the approach with a pure heart, as far as is possible for a human being; but if someone is in a state of non-communion because of a transgression, it is clear that he will receive communion then, whenever the penance has been fulfilled for him. But if one separates again because of heresy, this is necessary; for to receive communion from a heretic or one who is openly disreputable in his life alienates one from God and appropriates one to the devil. Consider, therefore, O blessed one, in which of the ways mentioned your purpose may lie, and according to it approach the mysteries. But it is known to all that the heresy now prevailing in our church is that of the Moechians; spare, therefore, your precious soul together with your sisters and your head. But you told me that you are afraid to tell your presbyter not to commemorate the heresiarch. And what to say to you about this at present I do not see, except that communion has defilement from the commemoration alone, even if the one commemorating is orthodox. But the Lord, who has brought you to so great a measure of piety, himself in all things unharmed and complete in body and soul

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ἔξεστι σφαλισθῆναι καὶ τί ὀφείλει περὶ αὐτῆς. Ἀπόκρισις. τοῦτο ὑφ' ἡμῶν οὐ λέλυται τὸ κεφάλαιον· ἐπισκόπου γάρ ἐστι, τοῦ λύοντος τὰς ἐκκλησίας. Ἐρώτησις. ἐὰν δὲ εἰσὶν ἄνδρες τε καὶ γυναῖκες λαϊκοὶ αἱρετικοί, εἴτε ἀπὸ χωρικίας εἴτε ἔμφυτον ἔχοντες τὴν αἵρεσιν, εἰ ἔξεστιν ἐσθίειν μετ' αὐτῶν ἢ λαμβάνειν ἐξ αὐτῶν τίποτε. Ἀπόκρισις. οὔτε εἰ ἐκ κακονοίας εἰσὶν αἱρετικοὶ οὔτε εἰ ἐξ ἀμαθίας ἔξεστιν ἢ ἐσθίειν ἢ λαμβάνειν τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν προσενηνεγμένα, οὐκ οἶδα εἰ μή τι οἱ ἀμαθεῖς βελτιωθέντες ὀρθοδοξεῖν ἐπαγγέλλονται. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τοῦ πατρός μου, εἰ ἐστὶν ἄξιος εἰς λειτουργίαν μνημονεύεσθαι. Ἀπόκρισις. εἴτε πατὴρ εἴτε μήτηρ εἴτε ἀδελφὸς ἢ ὁστισοῦν ἄλλος κατελείφθη μέχρι θανάτου κοινωνῶν τῇ αἱρέσει, προείρηται ἐν τῷ ἀνωτέρω κεφαλαίῳ μὴ μνημονεύεσθαι ἐν τῇ λειτουργίᾳ, εἰ μή τι ἕκαστος κατὰ διάνοιαν ἕλοιτο εὔχεσθαι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιεῖν ἐλεημοσύνας· πῶς γὰρ ἂν ὁ ἔτι ζῶν μετέχων τε τῆς αἱρετικῆς κοινωνίας καὶ οὕτως ἐκκομισθεὶς ληφθήσεται ἐν μνημοσύνοις κατὰ τὴν μυσταγωγίαν τῶν ὀρθοδόξων; οὐδαμῶς. Ταῦτα οὐ κανονικῶς ἐφθεγξάμην (ἐπισκόπων γὰρ τοῦτο), ἀλλὰ συμβουλευτικῶς ἐξ ἀγάπης (οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀγάπης ἀναγκαιότερον) φθεγ ξάμενος· εἰ δέ τι τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου ἄλλως δοκιμάζεται οἰκονομεῖσθαι, ἡμεῖς γὰρ περὶ τούτου λόγον οὐκ ἔχομεν ἢ τὸ ἐξαιτεῖσθαι ὑμῶν τὰς ἁγίας προσευχάς, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἄνθρωποι τυγχάνομεν. 553 {1Πρὸς τὴν σπαθαρέαν, ἧς τὸ ὄνομα Μαχαρᾶ}1 Τί καλὴ ἡ ἐπιστολὴ τῆς εὐγενείας σου, τῇ ἐγχωρίῳ μὲν φωνῇ ὑπηγορευμένη, πολλῇ δὲ τῇ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης χάριτι κατηγλαϊσμένη καί, τὸ παράδοξον, ἐξάπινα τὴν ἐξαγόρευσιν φέρουσα ὥσπερ τι ἕδνον θεοχάριστον. ἀλλὰ πόθεν, ἡμῶν ὄντων ἁμαρτωλῶν, ἡ τοσαύτη σου πίστις καὶ εὐσεβὴς ἐπίχυσις; ἢ ἵνα καὶ ἡμῖν γνωσθείη τίς καὶ ποταπὴ ὑπάρχεις τὴν εὐσέβειαν, συλλαμβάνουσα μεθ' ἑαυτῆς τὸν κύριον καὶ κεφαλήν, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ συνεφελκομένη, καθάπερ τι ὀψώνιον θεοτράπεζον, καὶ τὰς κυρίας τὰς ἀδελφάς; Οὕτω μὲν οὖν θεοτερπὴς ἡ ἐπιστολὴ καὶ τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ὑμῶν χαρακτῆρα ὑποδεικνύουσα ὡραιότατον. ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὸ λέγειν ἐπιδεδωκέναι ὑμᾶς ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἐμῇ ταπεινώσει οὐχ ἱκανός εἰμι· πλὴν οὐχ ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ θεῷ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδίδοιτε. διὰ τοῦτο ὀφειλέται ἐσμὲν καὶ χαίρειν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγαθῇ ζωῇ ὑμῶν καὶ εὔχεσθαι ὑμῖν τὰ ὅσια καὶ νέμειν μόνον ὃ ἔχομεν, παρέχειν τὸν λεπτὸν ἡμῶν λόγον· ὃ καὶ νῦν ἐπιδιδοῦντες ἐρωτῶμεν, τίνι λόγῳ ἐπιζητείη σου ἡ τιμιότης φάναι με περὶ τῆς θείας κοινωνίας καὶ τίνος χάριν τοσαῦτα ἔτη σπανίως μετέχεις; τοῦτο γὰρ λόγον ὀφείλει τινὰ ἔχειν. οὐ γὰρ τὸ σπανίως ἢ τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ καθαρᾶς συνειδήσεως μεταλαμβάνειν δέον· ὁ γὰρ ἀναξίως, φησίν, ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων κρίμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει, μὴ διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου. εἰ οὖν τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ σκοποῦσα τὰ ἑαυτῆς καὶ εὐλαβουμένη ἀναμένεις τὸν καιρόν, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι, εἴτε συντομώτερον εἴτε χρονιώτερον, καὶ ὅρος ἐν τούτῳ ἄλλος οὐκ ἔστιν ἢ ἡ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καθόσον δυνατὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ προσέλευσις· ἂν δὲ διὰ πταῖσμά τις ἔχῃ τὸ ἀκοινώνητον, δῆλον ὅτι τότε ἐκεῖνος κοινωνήσῃ, ὁπότ' ἂν πληρωθῇ αὐτῷ τὸ ἐπιτίμιον. εἰ δὲ διακρίνεται αὖ πάλιν δι' αἵρεσιν, τοῦτο ἀναγκαῖον· τὸ γὰρ κοινωνεῖν παρὰ αἱρετικοῦ ἢ προφανοῦς διαβεβλημένου κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀλλοτριοῖ θεοῦ καὶ προσοικειοῖ τῷ διαβόλῳ. Σκέψαι οὖν, ὦ μακαρία, ᾧτινι τρόπῳ τῶν εἰρημένων εἴη σου ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ κατ' αὐτὸ πρόσιθι τοῖς μυστηρίοις. γνωστὸν δὲ πᾶσιν ὅτι νῦν αἵρεσις ἐν τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίᾳ κατακρατοῦσα τῶν μοιχειανῶν ἐστι· φείσαιο τοίνυν τῆς τιμίας σου ψυχῆς μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς. ἔφης δέ μοι ὅτι δέδοικας εἰπεῖν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ σου μὴ ἀναφέρειν τὸν αἱρεσιάρχην. καὶ τί περὶ τούτου εἰπεῖν σοι τὸ παρὸν οὐ καθορῶ, πλὴν ὅτι μολυσμὸν ἔχει ἡ κοινωνία ἐκ μόνου τοῦ ἀναφέρειν, κἂν ὀρθόδοξος εἴη ὁ ἀναφέρων. ὁ δὲ Κύριος, ὁ ἐν τοσούτῳ μέτρῳ εὐσεβείας ὑμᾶς ἀγαγών, αὐτὸς ἐν πᾶσιν ἀπήμονας καὶ ὁλοτελεῖς σώματί τε καὶ ψυχῇ