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De sancta Thecla martyre

"Save me from all who persecute me and deliver me, lest he tear my soul like a lion, with no one to deliver or to save." And swift was the girl's help; for when she suddenly disappeared, the suitor went away, having gained only one thing: a race of licentiousness. But the bride stood somewhere singing to the Bridegroom; "Rightly is my help from God, who saves the upright in heart." Let us then also learn the struggles of self-control against the things of the flesh, let us wage war on pleasures as the martyr did, for the sake of the flesh let us arm ourselves against the flesh, let us prepare our members for the glory of the resurrection, let us not be overcome by delights which cause the pains of Gehenna, let us flee what is pleasant, so that what is truly pleasant may not flee from us. Let the widow keep her goodwill for her dead husband, as for one who will appear again in life. Let she who lives in marriage be dead to strange pleasures. Let she who is corrupted by the pleasure of fornication cool the flame with marriage. Let the virgin not seek a more beautiful bridegroom than Christ. Let each one, preserving his own purity according to his state, procure for his soul the vision of the Lord Christ; "For blessed," he says, "are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"; to him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1

De sancta Thecla martyre

Σῶσόν με ἐκ πάντων τῶν διωκόντων με καὶ ῥῦσαί με, μήποτε ἁρπάσῃ ὡς λέων τὴν ψυχήν μου, μὴ ὄντος λυτρουμένου μηδὲ σῴζοντος." Καὶ ταχεῖα ἡ τῆς κόρης βοήθεια· ἀφανοῦς γὰρ γενομένης ἐξαίφνης, ὁ μὲν μνηστὴρ ἀπῄει ἓν μόνον κερδάνας ἀσελγείας ἱπποδρομίαν. Τῷ νυμφίῳ δὲ ἡ νύμφη παρειστήκει που ψάλλουσα· "∆ικαίως ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ σῴζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ." Μάθωμεν δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοὺς κατὰ τῶν σαρκικῶν τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἀγῶνας, ἐπιστρατεύσωμεν ἡδοναῖς ὡς ἡ μάρτυς, ὑπὲρ σαρκὸς κατὰ σαρκὸς ὁπλισώμεθα, τῇ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὰ μέλη προευτρεπίσωμεν δόξῃ, μὴ κρατώμεθα τέρψεσι τὰ τῆς γεέννης ὀδυνηρὰ προξενούσαις, φεύγωμεν τὸ ἡδύ, ἵνα μὴ τὸ ὄντως ἡδὺ ἀφ' ἡμῶν δραπετεύσῃ. Ἡ χήρα τῷ τεθνεῶτι συνοίκῳ τηρείτω τὴν εὔνοιαν ὡς πάλιν εἰς ζωὴν φανουμένῳ. Ἡ γάμῳ συζῶσα πρὸς ἀλλοτρίας ἡδονὰς νενεκρώσθω. Ἡ σηπομένη πορνείαις ἡδονῇ τὴν φλόγα γαμικῇ δροσιζέτω. Ἡ παρθένος ὡραιότερον νυμφίον τοῦ Χριστοῦ μὴ ζητείτω. Ἕκαστος τὴν κατὰ τάξιν οἰκείαν καθαρότητα σῴζων προξενείτω τὴν τοῦ δεσπότου Χριστοῦ τῇ ψυχῇ θεωρίαν· "Μακάριοι" γάρ, φησίν, "οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται"· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.