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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

Concerning love. And what are the ways and the practices of spiritual men. And a beatitude for those who have heartfelt love. ....................................... 4

Discourse I. (21) ............................................................................................................... 4 Concerning fleeing the plagues and corruptors of men and their

words to be sent away and to rise to the work of virtue. Moreover, concerning the need to examine if we have the beatitudes of Christ within ourselves. And concerning tears and compunction.................................................................................. 7

Discourse II. (28) .............................................................................................................. 7 Concerning that it is necessary to be well subject and not to forget the covenants,

which we made with God. And that one must not grumble at the all-night vigils of the matins....................................................................................................................... 14

Discourse III. (45).............................................................................................................. 14 Concerning repentance and compunction. And from what works to acquire this

is possible. And that without tears it is impossible for one to attain purity and dispassion. .................................................................................................................................... 19

Discourse IV. (59) ............................................................................................................. 19 Concerning repentance. And that the distribution only of our possessions is not sufficient for us, and the

stripping itself of things for the purification of the soul, unless we also acquire mourning. And concerning the exile of Adam. And that if, having transgressed, he had repented, he would not have fallen from paradise. And what good his repentance after the fall worked in him. And concerning the second coming of the Lord and the condemnation of sinners. And toward the end, a refutation of those living in evil and hypocrisy.... 30

Discourse V. (86).............................................................................................................. 30 Concerning spiritual work. And what was the work of the ancient saints. And how

we are able to accomplish this, so that we also may become partakers, just as they, of the All-Holy Spirit. ..................................................................................................... 46

Discourse VI. (126).......................................................................................................... 46 Concerning passionate attachment to relatives. And what is its deceit and into what kind of

pit and bond it leads down those held by it. And concerning despair and the difference therein. And what is "He who has believed and is baptized will be saved, but he who has disbelieved will be condemned". .................................................................................. 52

Discourse VII. (141)............................................................................................................ 52 Concerning perfect love and what is its activity. And that if not through diligence

we already from here become partakers of the participation of the Spirit, we are not able to be faithful and Christians, nor will we be called sons and children of God. ........... 59

Discourse VIII. (159) ........................................................................................................... 59 Concerning almsgiving. And who is the one who feeds the hungry God and gives drink to the thirsty

and so forth. And how this will 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 overlooking himself as unfed and naked of the righteousness of God................................................................................. 62

Discourse IX. (168) ........................................................................................................... 62 Concerning participation in the Holy Spirit and holiness and perfect dispassion. And that he who

loves glory from men is not benefited at all from the other virtues, even if he has accomplished them all. ........................................................................................................... 68

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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. .................................................................................................................................... 19

Λόγος ∆΄. (59) ............................................................................................................. 19 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.... 30

Λόγος Ε΄. (86).............................................................................................................. 30 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. ..................................................................................................... 46

Λόγος στ΄. (126).......................................................................................................... 46 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". .................................................................................. 52

Λόγος Ζ΄. (141)............................................................................................................ 52 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. ........... 59

Λόγος Η΄. (159) ........................................................................................................... 59 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................................................................................. 62

Λόγος Θ΄. (168) ........................................................................................................... 62 Περί μετοχῆς Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καί ἁγιωσύνης καί τελείας ἀπαθείας. Καί ὅτι ὁ

ἀγαπῶν τήν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν οὐδέν ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν ὠφελεῖται, κἄν πάσας κατώρθωσε. ........................................................................................................... 68