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THE CATECHESES AND THE THANKSGIVINGS OF OUR HOLY FATHER SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN, ABBOT AND PRESBYTER OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT MAMAS OF XEROKERKOS. ................................................................................................................. 4

On love. And what are the ways and actions of spiritual men. And a beatitude for those who have love in their hearts. ....................................... 4

Discourse 1. (21) ............................................................................................................... 4 On fleeing the plagues and corrupters of men and

rejecting their words and to rise up for the work of virtue. Moreover, also on the need to consider if we have within ourselves the Beatitudes of Christ. And on tears and compunction.................................................................................. 7

Discourse 2. (28) .............................................................................................................. 7 On the need to be well-subordinated and not to forget the covenants,

which we made with God. And that one must not grumble during the all-night vigils of the morning prayers....................................................................................................................... 14

Discourse 3. (45).............................................................................................................. 14 On repentance and compunction. And by what works it is possible to acquire it.

And that without tears it is impossible for anyone to attain purity and dispassion. .................................................................................................................................... 20

Discourse 4. (59) ............................................................................................................. 20 On repentance. And that the mere distribution of our possessions and

the stripping away of things is not sufficient for the cleansing of the soul, unless we also acquire mourning. And concerning the exile of Adam. And that if he had repented after transgressing, he would not have fallen from paradise. And what good his repentance worked for him after the fall. And concerning the second coming of the Lord and the condemnation of sinners. And towards the end, a refutation of those living in evil and hypocrisy.... 31

Discourse 5. (86).............................................................................................................. 31 On spiritual work. And what was the work of the ancient saints. And how

we can accomplish this, so that we too, like them, may become partakers of the All-Holy Spirit. ..................................................................................................... 48

Discourse 6. (126).......................................................................................................... 48 On attachment to relatives. And what its deceit is and into what

pit and bond it leads those held by it. And concerning despair and its distinction. And what is "He who has believed and has been baptized will be saved, but he who has disbelieved will be condemned". .................................................................................. 53

Discourse 7. (141)............................................................................................................ 53 On perfect love and what its activity is. And that if we do not, through diligence,

right now become partakers in the communion of the Spirit, we can be neither faithful nor Christians, nor even be called sons and children of God. ........... 61

Discourse 8. (159) ........................................................................................................... 61 On almsgiving. And who is the one who feeds the hungry God and gives drink to the thirsty

and so forth. And how this can be accomplished by someone. And that if someone does not also do all these things in himself and feed and give drink to Christ, he will not be benefited at all from doing these things only for the poor, while neglecting himself as unfed and naked of the righteousness of God................................................................................. 64

Discourse 9. (168) ........................................................................................................... 64

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ΑΙ ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΙ ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΙΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΟΣΙΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΣΥΜΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΝΕΟΥ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΥ ΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΥ ΜΟΝΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΜΑΜΑΝΤΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΞΗΡΟΚΕΡΚΟΥ. ................................................................................................................. 4

Περί ἀγάπης. Καί ποῖαί εἰσι τῶν πνευματικῶν ἀνδρῶν αἱ ὁδοί καί αἱ πράξεις. Καί μακαρισμός πρός τούς ἔχοντας τήν ἀγάπην ἐγκάρδιον. ....................................... 4

Λόγος Α΄. (21) ............................................................................................................... 4 Περί τοῦ φεύγειν τούς λοιμούς καί φθοροποιούς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καί τούς

λόγους αὐτῶν ἀποπέμπεσθαι καί πρός τήν ἐργασίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναστῆναι. Ἔτι δέ καί περί τοῦ δεῖν σκοπεῖν εἰ τά τῶν μακαρισμῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἔχομεν. Καί περί δακρύων καί κατανύξεως.................................................................................. 7

Λόγος΄.Β΄. (28) .............................................................................................................. 7 Περί τοῦ ὅτι χρή καλῶς ὑποτάσσεσθαι καί μή ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι τῶν συνθηκῶν,

ὧν πρός Θεόν συνεθέμεθα. Καί ὅτι οὐ δεῖ γογγίζειν ἐπί ταῖς παννύχοις ἀγρυπνίαις τῶν ὄρθρων....................................................................................................................... 14

Λόγος Γ΄. (45).............................................................................................................. 14 Περί μετανοίας καί κατανύξεως. Καί ἐκ ποίων ταύτην ἔργων κτήσασθαι

δυνατόν. Καί ὅτι ἄνευ δακρύων ἀδύνατον εἰς καθαρότητα καί ἀπάθειαν ἐλάσαι τινά. .................................................................................................................................... 20

Λόγος ∆΄. (59) ............................................................................................................. 20 Περί μετανοίας. Καί ὅτι οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν ἡ τῶν ἐνόντων μόνον διάδοσις καί ἡ

ἀπογύμνωσις αὐτή τῶν πραγμάτων εἰς κάθαρσιν ψυχῆς, ἐάν μή καί τό πένθος κτησώμεθα. Καί περί τῆς τοῦ Ἀδάμ ἐξορίας. Καί ὅτι εἰ μετενόησε παραβάς, οὐκ ἄν τοῦ παραδείσου ἐξέπεσε. Καί οἷον ἀγαθόν εἰργάσατο αὐτοῦ ἡ μετά τήν ἔκπτωσιν μετάνοια. Καί περί τῆς δευτέρας τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίας καί τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κατακρίσεως. Καί πρός τό τέλος, ἔλεγχος τῶν ἐν κακίᾳ καί ὑποκρίσει ζώντων.... 31

Λόγος Ε΄. (86).............................................................................................................. 31 Περί ἐργασίας πνευματικῆς. Καί τίς ἦν ἡ ἐργασία τῶν παλαιῶν ἁγίων. Καί πῶς

ταύτην κατορθῶσαι δυνάμεθα, ἵνα καί μέτοχοι, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι, τοῦ Παναγίου γενώμεθα Πνεύματος. ..................................................................................................... 48

Λόγος στ΄. (126).......................................................................................................... 48 Περί προσπαθείας τῆς εἰς τούς συγγενεῖς. Καί τίς ἡ ἀπάτη αὐτῆς καί εἰς οἷον

βόθρον καί δεσμόν κατάγει τούς κρατουμένους ὑπ᾿ αὐτῆς. Καί περί ἀπογνώσεως καί τῆς ἐν ταύτῃ διαφορᾶς. Καί τί ἐστι τό "Ὁ πιστεύσας καί βαπτισθείς σωθήσεται, ὁ δέ ἀπιστήσας κατακριθήσεται". .................................................................................. 53

Λόγος Ζ΄. (141)............................................................................................................ 53 Περί τελείας ἀγάπης καί τίς ἡ ταύτης ἐνέργεια. Καί ὅτι ἐάν μή διά σπουδῆς

ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος μεθέξεως γενώμεθα μέτοχοι, οὐδέ πιστοί καί χριστιανοί δυνάμεθα εἶναι, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέ υἱοί καί τέκνα Θεοῦ χρηματίσωμεν. ........... 61

Λόγος Η΄. (159) ........................................................................................................... 61 Περί ἐλεημοσύνης. Καί τίς ἐστιν ὁ πεινῶντα τόν Θεόν τρέφων καί διψῶντα

ποτίζων καί καθεξῆς. Καί πῶς τοῦτό τινι κατορθωθήσεται. Καί ὅτι εἰ μή τις καί ἐν ἑαυτῷ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσει καί θρέψει καί ποτίσει Χριστόν, οὐδέν ὠφεληθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ ταῦτα μόνον ποιεῖν εἰς τούς πένητας, ἑαυτόν δέ ἄτροφον παρορᾶν καί γυμνόν τῆς δικαιοσύνης τοῦ Θεοῦ................................................................................. 64

Λόγος Θ΄. (168) ........................................................................................................... 64