Letter 110: We will reach the summit of humility — for I would define this not as a descent but as an ascent — if we quench the...

To Anatolios the Eparch. Prudent men ought not to look at the quantity of affairs, but to live by the manner of their judgment. For if virtue runs ahead of their judgment, the glory of God becomes manifest from it, and the just life shines forth through your prudence. To Kraton the Monk. That the one who professes the ascetic life ought eagerly to embrace all its hardships. The one who wishes to practice asceticism and who strives for salvation must embrace all its labors willingly. To Isidore the Deacon. Just as children learning their first letters gaze at the teacher wherever he directs the pen, gladly and obediently receiving the characters — so too must the students of divine things follow their teachers, having childlike simplicity and unhesitating assent. For the Lord said that these things were hidden from the wise and understanding and revealed to babes. To Hermogenes the Bishop. On the text, "What benefit is there in my blood?" Love, which once spoke all bitter things to you, has departed — a precious, great, and splendid thing, about which the prophetic choir foretold, the Savior came down to visit, and the apostles proclaimed, sealing the prophecies with their own blood. And so those who look only to their own interests... To Isidore the Deacon. What is meant by "on the second-first Sabbath" and what are "Sabbaths of Sabbaths." The phrase "on the second-first Sabbath" spoken in the Gospels — you have asked that it be interpreted for you as something unclear. Listen: It is called "second-first" because it was the second day after the Passover, but the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For they sacrificed the Passover in the evening, and on the following day they celebrated the feast of Unleavened Bread — which they also called "second-first," because, as I said, it was the second day after the Passover but the first of Unleavened Bread. And that this is true is clear from the fact that the apostles were accused of plucking the heads of grain and eating them. For only at that time of year do the heads of grain hang heavy and bend under the weight of the fruit and the approach of harvest time, as if summoning the sickle upon themselves. And on the third day of Unleavened Bread, the sheaf was also offered. So both from the season and from the event, the matter in question is clear. And if it is called a Sabbath, do not be surprised. For they call every feast day a Sabbath. And for this reason it is said "Sabbaths of Sabbaths" — because sometimes the beginning or end of the festival fell on the weekly Sabbath, as often happens among us as well. For just as when the Theophany or the bodily birth of the Savior falls on a Sunday, it creates a double celebration, as it were a feast within a feast — so among them too, if the festival coincided with the Sabbath, it was called "Sabbaths of Sabbaths." To Leontios the Bishop. What is meant by: "And they shall be upon the mountains like murmuring doves." Since you have written asking: What is the meaning of what was written by Ezekiel, "And they shall be upon the mountains like murmuring doves"? I say that the interpretation requires many words; nevertheless, I shall try to state it briefly. The prophet was speaking about those who escaped to the mountains during the Babylonian invasion — that even if they seem to have escaped the enemy, they will not escape justice. For when they have reached the deserts and think themselves beyond danger, then they spend their time lamenting the destruction of their wives, children, and other relatives. By the image of the doves he represented the extreme anguish of their souls. For those who cry out and reveal their suffering to their neighbors receive no small consolation for their distress — for sufferings are somehow lightened by the telling. But those who, through fear or some other cause, hide their calamities in silence and reveal their pain only through groaning, find the onset of evil unbearable, since it does not tend toward healing but toward intensification. Wishing therefore to show the greatness of the punishment and also the excess of fear — since they do not even dare to cry out, suspicion always dreaming of the approach of the enemy — he used this image.

Crato. That he who has promised spiritual effort, must willingly embrace all its difficulties. He who wishes to undertake spiritual effort and desires salvation readily embraces all its difficulties, whatever and how many they are. He who thinks he acts in a way contrary to his dignity in performing spiritual effort or in the acts of service it involves is endued with exterior pride, which it is not possible to discard – unless he keeps in mind his body, from where it has come into existence and where again it is dissolved.

ΜΓ'. – ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΩ ΕΠΑΡΧΩ. Δεῖ τοὺς ἐχέφρονας ἀνθρώπους, μὴ τῇ ποσότητι τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπισκοπεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς κρίσεως βιοτεῦν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀρετὴ προτρέχοι τῆς γνώμης, ἡ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξα ἐπιφανὴς ἐκεῖθεν γίνεται, ὁ δὲ δίκαιος βίος, διὰ τῆς σῆς καταφαίνεται φρονήσεως. ΡΙ'. – ΚΡΑΤΩΝΙ ΜONAXO. "Οτι ὁ ἄσκησιν ἐπαγγελλόμενος, πάντα τὰ αὐ- τῆς ἐπίπονα προθύμως ὀφείλει ἀσπάζεσθαι. Ὁ ἀσκῆσαι βουλόμενος, καὶ σωτηρίας ἐφιέμενος, ΥΜ. – ΙΣΙΔΩΡΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Ὥσπερ οἱ τοῖς πρώτοις γράμμασι στοιχειούμενοι παῖδες, τῷ καθηγητῇ ἀτενίζουσι πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν τὴν γραφίδα ἁρμόσῃ, ἄσμενοι (52) καὶ εὐπειθῶς τοὺς χαρακτῆρας δεχόμενοι· οὕτως καὶ τοὺς τῶν θείων φοιτητὰς ἔπεσθαι τοῖς τούτων διδασκάλοις, νηπιώδη ἁπλότητα, καὶ ἀνενδοίαστον συγκατάθεσιν ἔχοντας. Ἀπεκρύβη γὰρ, φησὶ, ταῦτα ὁ Κύριος ἀπὸ σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν, καὶ ἀπεκαλύφθη νηπίοις. Ο΄. – ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΩ ΑΡΧΙΑΤΡΩ ΡΑΘ. – ΕΡΜΟΓΕΝΕΙ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Εἰς τὸ γεγραμμένον, « Τίς ὠφέλεια ἐν τῷ αἵματί μου;» Ἡ ἀγάπη, ὡς πάντα πικρὰ πρὸς σὲ φθέγξα- σθαι (54), οἴχεται, πρᾶγμα ἔντιμον καὶ μέγα, καὶ λαμπρὸν, καὶ περὶ οὗ ὁ μὲν προφητικὸς χορὸς προ- εμήνυσεν, ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ δεῦρο ἐπεφοίτησε, καὶ οἱ ἀπό- στολοι ἐκήρυξαν, τῷ οἰκείῳ αἴματι τὰ θεσπισθέντα σφραγίσαντες. Τοιγάρτοι τὰ ἑαυτῶν μόνον σκοποῦν- ---END OF PAGE--- ΙΣΙΔΩΡΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Τι ἐστι τὸ «Ἐν Σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ· · καὶ · τί, « Σάββατα σαββάτων. Τὸ, «Εν Σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ (73), » εἰρημένον ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ἑρμηνευθῆναί σοι ὡς ἀσαφὲς παρακαλέσας, ἄκους· Δευτερόπρωτον είρηται, ἐπειδὴ δεύτερον μὲν ἦν τοῦ Πάσχα, πρῶτον δὲ τῶν Ἀζύμων. Ἑσπέρας γὰρ θύοντες τὸ Πάσχα, τῇ ἐξῆς τὴν τῶν ᾿Αζύμων ἐπανηγύριζον ἑορτὴν· ἣν καὶ δευτερόπρω τον ἐκάλουν· διὰ τὸ, ὡς ἔφην, δευτέραν μὲν εἶναι τοῦ Πάσχα, πρώτην δὲ τῶν Ἀζύμων. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἀληθὲς, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ τοὺς ἀποστόλους έγκε κλῆσθαι ὡς τίλλοντας τοὺς στάχυας, καὶ ἐσθίοντας. Ἐν ἐκείνῳ γὰρ τῷ καιρῷ μόνῳ καρηβαροῦσιν οἱ ἀστάχυες, καὶ κέκλινται ὑπὸ τοῦ καρποῦ καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἄμητον ὥρας, οἰονεὶ τὴν δρεπάνην ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς καλοῦντες. Τῇ τρίτῃ γοῦν ἡμέρᾳ τῶν ᾿Αζύμων, καὶ τὸ δράγμα προσεφέρετο. Οὕτως καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ γεγενημένου δῆλον ἐστι τὸ ζητούμε νον. Εἰ δὲ Σαββάτῳ εἴρηται, μὴ θαυμάσης. Σάβα 6ατον γὰρ πᾶσαν ἑορτὴν καλοῦσι. Καὶ διὰ τοῦς εἶ Η ρηται Σάββατα σαββάτων. Ἐπειδὴ ἔαθ' ὅτε, ἢ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς πανηγύρεως, ἢ τὸ τέλος συνέπιπτε τῷ τῆς ἑβδομάδος Σαββάτιῳ, οἷον εἰπεῖν, καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν πολ λάκις γίνεται. ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅταν τὰ Θεοφάνια ἢ ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος κατὰ σάρκα γέννησις ἐν Κυριακῇ ἀπαντή σειε, ποιεῖ διπλῆν τὴν πανήγυριν, οἰονεὶ ἑορτὴν ἐν ἑορτῇ οὕτω καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς, εἰ καὶ ἡ πανήγυρις τῷ Σαββάτῳ συνέπιπτε, Σάββατα σαββάτων ἐκαλεῖτο. CX. — ΛΕΟΝΤΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Τί ἐστι· « Καὶ ἔσονται ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς περιστεραὶ μελετητικαί;» Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας· Τί ἐστι τὸ γραφὲν παρὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιήλ· « Καὶ ἔσονται ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς περιστεραὶ μελετητικαί; » φημί, ὅτι πολυεπείας μὲν χρήζει ἡ ἑρμηνεία· ὅμως, ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ὦ, συντεμών φράσω· Περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ Βαβυλωνίου ἐφόδῳ ἀνασωθέντων εἰς τὰ ὄρη, ἦν τῷ προφήτῃ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι οὐδ᾽ ἂν δόξωσι διαπεφευγέναι τοὺς πολεμίους, διαφεύξονται τὴν δίκην. Ὅταν γὰρ τὰς ἐρήμους κατειληφότες ἔξω τῶν δεινῶν εἶναι ἡγήσωνται, τότε γυναϊκάς τε καὶ παῖδας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οἰκείων τὸν ὅλεθρον θρηνοῦντες διατελοῦσι· τῷ δὲ τῶν περιστερῶν παραδείγματι τὸ περιώδυνον τῶν ψυχῶν παρέστησεν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ βοῶντες καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πέλας τὸ πάθος ἐκφέροντες οὐ μικρὰν λαμβάνουσι τοῦ πάθους παραμυθίαν. Κουφίζεται γὰρ τρόπον τινὰ τῇ διηγήσει τὰ πάθη· οἱ δ' ὑπὸ δέους, ἢ ἄλλης τινὸς αἰτίας σιγῇ τὰς συμφορὰς κατακρύπτοντες, μόνῳ δὲ τῷ στεναγμῷ τὴν ὀδύνην ἐμφαίνοντες, ἀνύποιστον ἔχουσι τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν ἔφοδον, ἅτε εἰς θεραπείαν μὲν μὴ νεύουσαν, εἰς ἐπίτασιν δὲ βλέπουσαν. Δηλῶσαι οὖν βουλόμενος τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ μέγεθος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ δέους τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, εἶγε μηδὲ ἐκβοᾷν τολμῶμεν, τῆς ὑποψίας ἀεὶ τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν πολεμίων ὀνειροπολούσης, τῇ τοιαύτῃ εἰκόνι ἐχρήσατο. ΚΑΣΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας θαυμάζειν, ὅπως τὸ ἱερᾶσθαι ΡΟΖ΄. – ΣΥΝΕΣΙΩ Μεμνῆσθαι χρὴ ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος βοήθειαν χρῄζει.