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Sermo 13 (sermo asceticus)

AN ASCETIC DISCOURSE BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

Man was made in the image and likeness of God; but sin disfigured the beauty of the image, dragging the soul down into passionate desires. But God, who made man, is the true life. Therefore, he who lost the likeness to God lost his kinship with life; and it is impossible for one who is apart from God to be in the blessed life. Therefore, let us return to the grace from the beginning, from which we were estranged 31.872 through sin. And let us again adorn ourselves according to the image of God, having been made like to the Creator through passionlessness. For he who has imitated in himself the passionlessness of the divine nature, as far as is possible, this one has restored the image of God in his own soul. And he who has been made like to God in the aforesaid manner, has certainly also acquired the likeness of the divine life, remaining for ever in eternal blessedness. If, therefore, through passionlessness we take up again the image of God, and likeness to God grants us eternal life, let us, neglecting all other things, be of this zeal, so that our soul may never be overcome by any passion, but our mind may remain unwavering and invincible in the assaults of temptations, so that we may become partakers of the divine blessedness.

And virginity is a fellow-worker of such zeal, for those who pursue this gift according to reason. For the gift of virginity is not achieved only in abstaining from procreation, but one's whole conduct and life and character ought to be virginal, demonstrating incorruptibility through every practice of the unmarried state. For it is possible to fornicate with a word, and to commit adultery with an eye, and to be defiled through hearing, and to receive a stain in the heart, and through lack of measure concerning food and drink to fall from the bounds of temperance. For he who, in all these things, guards himself with self-control under the rule of virginity truly shows the grace of virginity perfected in himself through all things. Therefore, if we desire the character of our soul to be adorned according to the likeness of God through passionlessness, so that through this the eternity of life might also be added to us, let us pay attention to ourselves, lest, by doing something unworthy of our promise, we fall under the judgment of Ananias. For it was possible for Ananias at the beginning not to promise the possession to God; but since, looking to human glory, he consecrated the property to God through his promise, so that he might be admired by men for his generosity, but kept back part of the price, he stirred up such indignation of the Lord against himself, of which Peter was the agent, that he did not even find an appointed time for repentance. Therefore, before the promise of a chaste life, it is permitted for one who wishes, according to what is conceded and lawful, to enter upon the consequence of life, and to give himself to the yoke of marriage; but having been taken beforehand through his own confession, it is fitting for him to keep himself for God, just like one of the sacred offerings, so that he may not be liable to the judgment of sacrilege, having defiled again in the service of the common life 31.873 the body consecrated to God through promise.

And I say this, not looking only to the one form of passion, as some suppose, who preserve the achievement of virginity in the custody of the body alone, but that which is in every way of a passionate disposition, that he who is going to keep himself for God should not be stained by any of the worldly passions. Anger and envy, and bearing grudges, falsehood and pride, arrogance and idle talk,

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Sermo 13 (sermo asceticus)

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΑΣΚΗΤΙΚΟΣ.

Ὁ ἄνθρωπος κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐγένετο καὶ ὁμοίωσιν· ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία τὸ κάλλος τῆς εἰκόνος ἠχρείω σεν, εἰς τὰς ἐμπαθεῖς ἐπιθυμίας τὴν ψυχὴν καθ έλκουσα. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς, ὁ ποιήσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἡ ἀληθινή ἐστι ζωή. Ὁ οὖν ἀπολέσας τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁμοιότητα ἀπώλεσε τὴν πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν οἰ κειότητα· τὸν δὲ ἐκτὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄντα, ἐν τῇ μακα ρίᾳ ζωῇ γενέσθαι ἀμήχανον. Οὐκοῦν ἐπανέλθωμεν εἰς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς χάριν, ἧς διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἠλλο 31.872 τριώθημεν. Καὶ πάλιν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκόνα ἑαυτοὺς καλλωπίσωμεν, διὰ τῆς ἀπαθείας ὁμοιω θέντες τῷ κτίσαντι. Ὁ γὰρ τὸ ἀπαθὲς τῆς θείας φύ σεως, καθώς ἐστι δυνατὸν, ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ μιμησάμενος, οὗτος ἐπανέλαβεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας ψυχῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα. Ὁ δὲ ὁμοιωθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ κατὰ τὸν ῥηθέντα τρόπον, καὶ τῆς θείας ζωῆς ἐκτήσατο πάντως τὴν ὁμοιότητα, εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς παραμένων τῇ ἀϊδίῳ μακαριότητι. Εἰ οὖν διὰ τῆς ἀπαθείας τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ πάλιν ἀναλαμβάνομεν, ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁμοιότης τὸ διηνεκὲς τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῖν χαρίζεται, πάν των ἀμελήσαντες τῶν ἄλλων, ταύτης γενώμεθα τῆς σπουδῆς, ὥστε μηδενὶ πάθει μηδέποτε καταδυνα στευθῆναι ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλ' ἀκλινῆ καὶ ἀκατά βλητον ἐν ταῖς τῶν πειρασμῶν προσβολαῖς τὴν διάνοιαν ἡμῶν διαμένειν, ἵνα γενώμεθα τῆς θείας μακαριότητος μέτοχοι.

Τῆς δὲ τοιαύτης σπουδῆς συνεργός ἐστιν ἡ παρθενία, τοῖς κατὰ λόγον μετιοῦσι τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ φείσασθαι τῆς παιδοποιίας κατορθοῦται τὸ χάρισμα τῆς παρ θενίας, ἀλλ' ἅπας ὁ βίος καὶ ἡ ζωὴ καὶ τὸ ἦθος παρθενεύειν ὀφείλει, διὰ παντὸς ἐπιτηδεύματος τοῦ ἀγάμου τὴν ἀφθορίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ λόγῳ πορνεῦσαι, καὶ ὀφθαλμῷ μοιχεῦσαι, καὶ δι' ἀκοῆς μολυνθῆναι, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ μίασμα δέξασθαι, καὶ τῇ περὶ τὴν βρῶσιν καὶ πόσιν ἀμετρίᾳ ἐκπεσεῖν τῶν ὅρων τῆς σωφροσύνης. Ὁ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπὸ τὸν κανόνα τῆς παρθενίας ἑαυτὸν ἐγκρατεία φυλάσσων ἀληθῶς δείκνυσι τελείαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ διὰ πάν των ἀπηρτισμένην τῆς παρθενίας τὴν χάριν. Οὐκοῦν εἴπερ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν καθ' ὁμοιότητα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς ἀπα θείας καλλωπισθῆναι, ἵνα διὰ τούτου καὶ ἡ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῖν ἀϊδιότης προσγένηται, προσέχωμεν ἑαυτοῖς, μήπου τι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἀνάξιον ποιοῦντες, ὑπὸ τὸ κρῖμα τοῦ Ἀνανίου γενώμεθα. Ἐξῆν γὰρ τῷ Ἀνανίᾳ τὴν ἀρχὴν μὴ ἐπαγγείλασθαι τῷ Θεῷ τὴν κτῆσιν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ, πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀπιδὼν δόξαν, τὸ μὲν κτῆμα διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ Θεῷ ἀφιέρωσεν, ὡς ἂν θαυμασθείη παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ, τοῦ τιμήματος δὲ ἐνοσφίσατο, τοιαύτην ἐκίνησε καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν ἀγα νάκτησιν, ἧς ὑπηρέτης ὁ Πέτρος ἦν, ὡς μηδὲ με τανοίας προθεσμίαν εὑρεῖν. Οὐκοῦν πρὸ τῆς ἐπαγ γελίας τοῦ σεμνοῦ βίου ἔξεστι τῷ βουλομένῳ, κατὰ τὸ συγκεχωρημένον καὶ ἔννομον, εἰς ἀκολουθίαν βίου ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδοῦναι τῇ συζυγίᾳ τοῦ γάμου· προληφθέντα δὲ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ὁμολογίας, φυλάσσειν προσήκει ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ, καθάπερ τι τῶν ἱερῶν ἀναθημάτων, ὡς ἂν μὴ τῷ τῆς ἱεροσυ λίας ἐνέχοιτο κρίματι, τὸ ἀφιερωμένον διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ Θεῷ σῶμα πάλιν τῇ τοῦ κοινοῦ βίου 31.873 ὑπηρεσίᾳ καταῤῥυπώσας.

Λέγω δὲ τοῦτο, οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὸ ἓν εἶδος τοῦ πάθους βλέπων, καθώς τινες οἴονται, ἐν μόνῃ τῇ τοῦ σώματος φυλακῇ τὸ κατ όρθωμα τῆς παρθενίας περισώζοντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον παθητικῆς διαθέσεως, τὸν μέλλοντα φυλάσσειν ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ μηδενὶ τῶν κοσμικῶν παθημάτων ἐμμολυνθῆναι. Ὀργὴ καὶ φθόνος, καὶ μνησικακία, ψεῦδος καὶ ὑπερηφανία, μετεωρισμὸς καὶ ἀκαιρολογία,