Letter 1515: Anger is a fire: useful when controlled, devastating when unleashed.
Stain, pollution, abomination — and what openly shameful name do certain people not apply to you, wretched Zosimus, as they go about? Whom neither time has improved nor experience corrected nor reproach shamed. You remain unmoved by every admonition, untouched by every warning, unchanged by every rebuke. Others are softened by a single word of correction; you are hardened by a thousand. Others blush at the mere thought of disgrace; you glory in it as though it were an ornament. I have written to you many times, and others have spoken to you face to face, yet you persist in your vices as though counsel were an incentive rather than a deterrent. What shall I do with you? Gentleness has not moved you, severity has not frightened you, and reason has not persuaded you. You are like soil that has been so compacted by long neglect that no seed can penetrate it. Yet even now I do not despair entirely, for the grace of God can soften the hardest heart. But you must cooperate with that grace, or it will pass you by and you will be left with nothing but the harvest of your own wickedness. The Church in our time stands in need of men who combine learning with humility, eloquence with sincerity, authority with gentleness, and zeal with patience. Such men are rare, but they are not impossible, for the grace of God can produce in any willing soul the combination of qualities that nature alone could never achieve. What we cannot do by our own strength, God can do through us, if we place ourselves unreservedly at his disposal and submit our wills entirely to his guidance. Let us therefore pray without ceasing for the renewal of the Church and the reform of its ministry, knowing that prayer is the most powerful instrument of change available to us.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
τίιο ουναπίιη!, οἱ οογίδη! δι1ι8ἃ ργα πιὰ οομ Δ 10Γ. .Υ1 . --- ΖΟΘΙΜΟῸ ΡΒΕΒΒΥΤΕΙΟ, Α υἱεἷἷε ἀεδποτίαίμν οἰ πεημὶτϊα. Κηλίδα, χαὶ μίασμα, χαὶ ἄγος, χαὶ τί γὰρ οὐχν͵ τῶν προδήλων αἰσχρῶν ὀνομάζοντές σέ τινες, ὦ σχέτλις Ζώσιμε, περιίασιν; οὃς οὔτε καιρὸς, οὔτε τὸ πάθος ἐπιστομίσαι δύναται, πάντων μαρτυρούν- των τῶν ἀχονόντων, ὡς ὀλίγᾳ ἀντὶ πολλῶν, χαὶ σε- μνὰ ἀντὶ αἰσχρῶν φράζουσι. Σχόπει τοίνυν, ὅπως τούτους ἑπιστομίσῃς" ἐπιστομίσεις δὲ, εἰ παύσοιο τῆς ἀχορέστον ῥᾳθυμίας. ΝΙΡ, --- ἘΠΙΦΑΝΙΩ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Ρτγοῦτγυμ, ρίλουϊυπι , αἱ αυ]ὰ ποη οοπιυ» ] οδἱ θα! ηἰβ εἰ], Ο πιΐδοῦ Ζοϑίπια, ΄υϊάδη), ἀυ διςούυηϊ, ἱμπροηυηιῖ ἢ ΄υογυπὶ πο(υ6 ἰΘπηρυ5, ποαυθ ΡΑ108 ΟὈ ΛΌΓΓΟ αυὐδίὶ, σοηίοδίϑηι, ΟἹ Ἶ), αυΐ δυάϊυπι,. υἱ ρᾶσοδ πηι εἰ5, γᾶν ἰὐγρίθι5 ΓΘΡΟ- πδηῖϊ. υάγα Υἱάθ, γδίίοῃρ δ δηιίυπι 'τηρο- Π88. ΠΠΠΡΟΠ6Β διιΐθιι δἱ δῷ ἐπα δὰ ἠθαυϊἰᾶ ΕΥ͂Τ]. --- ΕΡΙΡΗΑΝΙΟ ΒΙΑΟΟΝΟ. ἰδρες υἱί ἀποίιοτα. ((οη [ἐγ ἐρ. δ0 εἰ .) Ἡ εἰς τὴν ἄμαχον τοῦ τὰ πάντα οἱαχίζοντος δε- ὦ δὅρ68, ηυδ ὁδὶ δὰ ἰηνίείδιη ἀοχίογαπι ουηοίδ ρ0- ξιὰν ἐλπὶς, οὐ μόνον τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ὠδίνει ἀπό- λαυσιν, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τοὺς παρόντας ἐπιχουφίζει πόνους. Ῥᾷον γάρ τις φέρει τοὺς ἄθλους τῇ τῶν στεφάνων ἐλπίϑι πτερούμενος. ΕἸ τοίνυν κἀνταῦθα ἡμῖν συν» αγωνίζεται χαὶ συμμαχεῖ, κἀχεῖσε στεφάνοις ἡμᾶς χοσμεῖ χαὶ φαιδρύνει, καὶ ἀποδλέπτους παρ᾽ ἀγγέ- λοις χαὶ ἀνθρώποις καθίστησι, ταύτην περιπτυξώ- μεθα, χαὶ σύνοιχον ἔχωμεν χαὶ ὁμοτράπεζον. ΝΘ'. --- ΘΕΩΝῚ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. θογηδη (, ΠΟ 8011π ἰῃ Γυἱυγυπὶ ρα! νοϊριδίθηι, 8ὲι οἱ ρΓΙΘΒΘι Υἱῖᾶῦ δ] ογαὶ Ιθογθ5. Ελς6 δ πὶ 4υΐ8 οοΥΙΔΠιΐΏιπὶ ᾿ΔΌΟΓΟ8 βυδίϊποί, 4υἱ ΟΓΟΠΑΓΕΠῚ ἃς ῬΓδδηιΐοΓΌΠ. Πἰ . πὸ Δα ΠΟ 5ουπὶ ᾽ΐς σογίαϊ οἱ ρυφηδῖί, ἰδὲ γ6 ΓῸ σογοι ἀχογηδί Δ(η86 ΘΧ γι, γοπογδηάοβηυθα ἀμ δίσυθο ΒΟ ΪπἾθὺ8 ΠΟΒ (οηϑί υ41, πδης σοπιρίοοίδηλαν οἱ πιθη8ὰ ἰθΟἰ0» οχερίϑιηι8. χ. --- ΤΠΕΟΝΙῚ ΡΒΕΒΒΥΤΕΙΟ. Αερετίιις πίλῖ! ὁδὶ καπλὶ ὶ οαπε δυτσὶ! ἐπ αἰπιμ. Μὴ λίαν ἐχπλήττου, μηδὲ θαύμαζε, εἰ Ζώσιμος ἀπὸ οἰχετιχῆς, ὡς φὴς, ῥίζης ὁρμώμενος φανητιᾷ, χαὶ μέτριον οὐδὲν φρονεῖ, Εἴωθς γὰρ ἡ παρ᾽ ἐλπίδα εὐημερία τοὺς ἀνοηταίνοντας πρὸς ὕδριν τρέπειν. Ξ. --- ἸΕΡΑΚῚ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΏ. Νοὶὶ ρογοϑὶ δὶ δἀπιίγανί, δἱ Ζοβίημιβ δέ γρθ ἰϑείδη5, ἱ , οἱ ]14ἱ8 νἱάδγὶ ουρίοη8, πἰ ἢ] ρ δ "͵δι πιοϊογατί. θυ δηίιη ἰπβραγαί δοεί δι [δἰ εἰ- [, ὁἃ σοηϊιπ : ΓΘ (ΓΔ. [Χ. .--- ΠΙΕΒΑΟΙ ὈΙΑΘΟΟΝΟ. εἰ Ἀηϊαὶ υἱειοτία δμταῆι. Σφόδρα ἀπατῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ παραλογιζόμεθα, εἰ μηδὲν πράττοντες ὧν προσήχει πράττειν τοὺς νιχᾷν βουλομένους, τῶν πάντα πραττόντων () ἃ χρὴ πράττειν τοὺς νιχήσειν μέλλοντας, περιέσεσθαι προσδοχῶμεν. Ταυτὸν γάρ ἐστι, τὸ χαὶ τοὺς χαθεύ- δοντας χαὶ ῥέγχοντας τῶν ἐγρηγορότων χαὶ σπουδα- γα ηἠοδηιθιίρδοβ ἀδεὶρὶ νυ, ἰαἰδααυθ υΠΠΠῈ γαιἰοοϊηδιΐοηα, ] ἢΐ ἀρθηῖθβ δογυηὶ, 4αυῶ ἀδοεὶ ἀᾳθγα, ασυὶ Υἱποαγα οοηιοηἀ δῖ, 8ιιρογίογος Π08 [ὉΓΘ ΒρΟΓΔΙΏᾺ8 , αυΐ ὨΪ ἢ] Π0η δρυπὶ δοτυ) αὐυῷὦ ὁ0Π- γοῦ ἢ Υἱοίογοβ ἀροῦο ρει]. ΕΟ δπὶπὶ ρογῖ πὰ 8ἱϊ, δίαυρ ἀογῃιίθηϊ65 5ἰογοηίθ8αυδ Υἱρίδη ἃ6 " ΥΑΒΙ(Ὲ ΨΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () τε φυα ἐοάσδχ, ὀλίγων. ῬΟΒΞΙΝ. () ΡΙῸ πάντα πραττόντων οοὐὐ. γι. οἱ ΑἸΙ. Ἰερυηὶ τοὺς πάντα πράττοντας. [». εδει ταν , ἸΘΙΡΟΆΙ ΡΕΙΠΘΙΟΤΙΕὶ ἀροηιυ5 δηίθρόπογο, οἱ ἰβξῆϑυοβ δίηαυθ βοοογ Α ζόντων περιεῖναι, καὶ τοὺς ῥᾳθυμοῦντας χαὶ ἀρ- ᾿ΐ5 ργοοίδγγο, π Π ἰπἰοπιδίυτ το παιυηῖ. 1Χ]. -- ΜΑΠΟΙΑΝΟ ΡΠΕΘΒΥΤΕΚΟ. γοῦντας τῶν μηδὲν παραλιμπανόντων χρατεῖν. ΞΑ΄, -- ΜΑΡΚΊΑΝΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. δεπιοπείταίοΝἷκ σἱδ 'ὰ αΥ̓ΘΠΠΘΉΙ0. θεία, ᾳφυ ρτοβαιϊοηθ πι! Ἰοηράηυς ἰηάίζαιι Ἰη4ε , ΠΟ [Δπ δοηίοη!Ἷ δι: ΓΟΒΡΟΠ5Ο, Π ἐειηθηϑίγαιίοης ἀδοϊϑγαηυγ. Ορυϑ οηΐπ) μγοθαϊίοηδ 6υῖ, 4Δ: π εἰγειπηάυοσ!οπα ἃς ἀδη)ομ δ ΓΔ 0η6, ωἱ ρεογερίουδῃ μουδδίηϊ πδηοῖδοὶ ἀφοϊδιδιϊ ΟΠ . Θυὶ δηΐ ργοπαπ ΔΓ δοη οη ἾΔ1 ΟᾶΓΟΓΟ ἐ6- ἸΒΘΠΒΙ ΓΆΔ Ρ0586 Οχἰοιϊπιδὶ, δϑρίοιἶ οδὲ ἜΧΡΟΓΣ, Π74 Χ1 . ---ΦΟΆΝΝΙ ΡΙΑΟΟΝΌ. Τὰ πολλῆς βασάνου καὶ μαχρᾶς ἐξετάσεως δεό- μενα ῥητὰ, οὐχ ἀποφάσει, ἀλλ᾽ ἀποδείξει σαφτνίξε- ται. Χρεία γὰρ χαὶ κατασχευῆς, καὶ περιόδου, καὶ ἀποδείξεως, ὥστε δυνηθῆναι ταῦτα λαμπρᾶς τυχεῖν ἑρμηνείας. Εἰ δέ τις ἀποφαινόμενος νομίζει: ἀποδείξει χεχρῆσθαι, οὗτος ἔξω τῆς τῶν σοφῶν ἐσχήνωτα: “υνόφολλ. Ξ ". -- ἸΩΘΑΝΝΕ ΔΙΆΚΟΝΩ. Ααἀμίαιμο ἡασὶς χιαπὶ σοτμηιϑ αι ταπάπ. Τλιηοίϑ ρϑιΈπίο5 ἃς πιαφίϑιγὶ
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Anger is a fire: useful when controlled, devastating when unleashed.