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EXHORTATION TO PATIENCE

A paraphrase from the epic poems of the holy Gregory the Theologian of precepts concerning stillness and virtues.

Practice stillness in words, and stillness in deeds, and likewise in laughter and gait; but avoid rash vehemence, for thus the mind will remain steadfast, and not becoming troubled by vehemence will it be weak and short in understanding and see darkly, nor will it be conquered by gluttony, nor conquered by boiling anger, nor conquered by the other passions, being set before them as a ready prey; for indeed it befits the mind to rule over the passions, seated high upon a quiet throne, looking toward God. And do not be full of sluggishness in works, nor slow in words, nor filled with hesitation in your steps, so that a good rhythm may adorn your stillness and your demeanor may appear something godlike and holy. And beware of the symbols of pride, a haughty posture and a raised head and a delicate and lofty step of the feet. Let your words be gentle to those you meet and your greetings sweet, and modesty toward women, and your gaze turned to the earth. Speak all things with consideration and give usefulness to your voice, measuring your utterance to the need of your hearers, so that it may be audible and neither escape the hearing of those present through faintness, nor exceed it with a greater shout. Beware that you never say anything which you have not previously considered and thought out; nor rashly and in the middle of another's words interject your own; for it is necessary to listen and to speak in turn, dividing time between speech and silence; learn gladly and teach ungrudgingly, nor ever hide wisdom from others out of envy, nor refrain from learning through shame. Yield to elders as to fathers, honor the servants of God; and for those younger than yourself, be a leader in wisdom and virtue.

Be not contentious toward friends nor a mocker against them and a jester, and strongly renounce falsehood and deceit and insolence; and bear with good words the proud and insolent man, gently and magnanimously. Let all things for you be referred to God, both deeds and words, and refer all that is yours to Christ, and frequently turn your soul to God, and rest your thought on the power of Christ, as in a harbor, resting in the divine light of the Savior from all speech and action. And by day, share your wisdom with men, but with God, often during the day and for the most part at night, and do not let much sleep overcome your prayers and hymns to God; for long sleep is a rival to death. Continue every day doing or saying something good for men; and be ever a partaker of Christ who illuminates with the divine radiance from heaven, and let Christ be for you a continuous and unceasing joy.

Do not loosen the tension of the soul in feasting and relaxation from drinking, turning it away from the mind's own delights of which there is no satiety; but consider what is needful as sufficient for the body and do not hasten to food before the time for supper has come; and let your supper be bread, and let the herbs of the earth be added and the ripe fruits from trees; and approach your food with composure and not showing a ravenous gluttony; be neither a meat-eater nor a wine-lover, unless some cure for an illness leads to these things. But instead of the pleasures in these things, choose the joys in divine words and hymns and in the wisdom supplied to you by God, and may a heavenly care always lead you up toward

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PROTREPTIKOS EIS YPOMONHN

Τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου τοῦ θεολόγου ἐκ τῶν ἐπῶν μετάφρασις παραγγελμάτων περὶ ἡσυχίας καὶ ἀρετῶν.

Ἡσυχίαν μὲν ἐν λόγοις ἐπιτήδευε, ἡσυχίαν δὲ ἐν ἔργοις, ὡσαύτως δὲ ἐν

γέλωτι καὶ βαδίσματι· σφοδρότητα δὲ ἀπόφευγε προπετῆ οὕτω γὰρ ὁ νοῦς διαμενεῖ βέβαιος, καὶ οὐχ ὑπὸ τῆς σφοδρότητος ταραχώδης γινόμενος ἀσθηνὴς ἔσται καὶ βραχὺς περὶ φρόνησιν καὶ σκοτεινὸν ὁρῶν, οὐδὲ ἡττηθήσεται μὲν γαστριμαργίας, ἡττηθήσεται δὲ ἐπιζέοντος θυμοῦ, ἡττηθήσεται δὲ τῶν ἄλλων παθῶν, ἕτοιμον αὐτοῖς ἅρπαγμα προκείμενος· τὸν γὰρ δὴ νοῦν προσήκει τῶν παθῶν ἐπικρατεῖν ὑψηλὸν ἐφ' ἡσύχου θρόνου καθήμενον ἀφορῶντα πρὸς θεόν. Μηδὲ μὴν νωχελίας ἀνάπλεως ἔσο περὶ ἔργα, μηδὲ νωθὴς ἐν λόγοις, μηδὲ ἐν βαδίσμασιν ὄκνου πεπληρωμένος, ἵνα σοι ῥυθμὸς ἀγαθὸς τὴν ἡσυχίαν κοσμοίη καὶ θεοειδές τι καὶ ἱερὸν τὸ σχῆμα φαίνηται. Φυλάττου δὲ καὶ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τὰ σύμβολα, σχῆμα ὑψαυχενοῦν καὶ κεφαλὴν ἐξηρμένην καὶ βῆμα ποδῶν ἁβρὸν καὶ μετέωρον. Ἤπιά σοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀπαντῶντας ἔστω τὰ ῥήματα καὶ προσηγορίαι γλυκεῖαι, αἰδὼς δὲ πρὸς γυναῖκας καὶ τὸ βλέμμα τετραμμένον εἰς γῆν. Λάλει δὲ περιεσκεμμένως ἅπαντα καὶ τῇ φωνῇ τὸ χρήσιμον ἀποδίδου, τῇ χρείᾳ τῶν ἀκουόντων τὸ φθέγμα μετρῶν, ἄχρι δὴ καὶ ἐξάκουστον εἴη καὶ μήτε διαφεύγοι τὴν ἀκοὴν τῶν παρόντων ὑπὸ σμικρότητος, μήτε ὑπερβάλλοι μείζονι τῇ κραυγῇ. Φυλάττου δὲ ὅπως μηδέν ποτε λαλήσῃς ὃ μὴ προεσκέψω καὶ προενόησας· μηδὲ προχείρως καὶ μεταξὺ τῶν τοῦ ἑτέρου λόγων ὑπόβαλλε τοὺς σαυτοῦ· δεῖ γὰρ ἀνὰ μέρος ἀκούειν τε καὶ διαλέγεσθαι χρόνῳ μερίζοντα λόγον καὶ σιωπήν· μάνθανε δὲ ἀσμένως καὶ ἀφθόνως δίδασκε, μηδὲ ὑπὸ φθόνου ποτὲ σοφίαν ἀποκρύπτου πρὸς τοὺς ἑτέρους, μηδὲ μαθήσεως ἀφίστασο δι' αἰδῶ. Ὕπεικε πρεσβυτέροις ἴσα πατράσι, τίμα θεράποντας θεοῦ· τοῖς δὲ νεωτέροις σαυτοῦ κάταρχε σοφίας καὶ ἀρετῆς.

Μηδὲ ἐριστικὸς ἔσο πρὸς τοὺς φίλους μηδὲ χλευαστὴς κατ' αὐτῶν καὶ γελωτοποιός, ψεῦδός τε καὶ δόλον καὶ ὕβριν ἰσχυρῶς παραιτοῦ· σὺν εὐφημίᾳ δὲ φέρε καὶ τὸν ὑπερήφανον καὶ ὑβριστὴν πράως τε καὶ μεγαλοψύχως. Ἀνηρτήσθω δέ σοι πάντα εἰς θεὸν καὶ ἔργα· καὶ λόγοι, καὶ πάντα ἀνάφερε Χριστῷ τὰ σαυτοῦ, καὶ πυκνῶς ἐπὶ θεὸν τρέπε τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ τὸ νόημα ἐπέρειδε τῇ Χριστοῦ δυνάμει, ὥσπερ ἐν λιμένι τινὶ τῷ θείῳ φωτὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀναπαυόμενον ἀπὸ πάσης λαλιάς τε καὶ πράξεως. Καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν μὲν ἀνθρώποις κοινοῦ τὴν σεαυτοῦ φρόνησιν, θεῷ δὲ πολλάκις μὲν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον δὲ ἐν νυκτί, μήτε μὴν ὕπνος ἐπικρατείτω πολὺς τῶν πρὸς θεὸν εὐχῶν τε καὶ ὕμνων· θανάτῳ γὰρ ὁ μακρὸς ὕπνος ἐφάμιλλος. Πᾶσαν μὲν ἡμέραν ἀνθρώποις ἀγαθόν τι ποιῶν ἢ λέγων διατέλει· μέτοχος δὲ ἀεὶ Χριστοῦ καθίστασο τὴν θείαν αὐγὴν καταλάμποντος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, εὐφροσύνη τέ σοι διηνεκὴς καὶ ἄπαυστος ἔστω Χριστός.

Μηδὲ λῦε τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς τόνον ἐν εὐωχίᾳ καὶ πότων ἀνέσεσιν μεθιστὰς ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων τῇ διανοίᾳ τέρψεων ὧν οὐδεὶς κόρος· ἱκανὸν δὲ ἡγοῦ τῷ σώματι τὸ χρειῶδες καὶ μὴ πρόσθεν ἐπείγου πρὸς τροφὰς πρὶν ἢ καὶ δείπνου παρείη καιρός· ἄρτος δὲ ἔστω σοι τὸ δεῖπνον καὶ πόαι γῆς προσέστωσαν καὶ τὰ ἐκ δένδρων ὡραῖα· ἴθι δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τροφὴν εὐσταθῶς καὶ μὴ λυσσώδη γαστριμαργίαν ἐμφαίνων· μηδὲ σαρκοβόρος μηδὲ φίλοινος ἔσο, ὁπότε μὴ νόσου τις ἴασις ἐπὶ ταῦτα ἄγοι. Ἀλλὰ ἀντὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις ἡδονῶν τὰς ἐν λόγοις θείοις καὶ ὕμνοις εὐφροσύνας αἱροῦ κἀν τῇ παρὰ θεοῦ σοι χορηγουμένῃ σοφίᾳ, οὐράνιός τε ἀεί σε φροντὶς ἀναγέτω πρὸς