Letter 1555: The spiritual life is a journey with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
To Theodosius the Deacon. The dangers that beset those in sacred orders are far greater than those that threaten the laity, for the higher the calling, the more catastrophic the fall. A layman who sins injures himself; a clergyman who sins injures the entire community and brings reproach upon the faith itself. This is not because clergy are held to an unfair standard, but because they have freely assumed a responsibility that carries with it both greater honor and greater accountability. The one who teaches others must first teach himself; the one who corrects others must first correct himself; the one who administers the sacraments must first purify his own heart. Otherwise he is handling holy things with unclean hands, and the sacrilege of his ministry will count against him more heavily than any ordinary sin.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
αἀπιοπεπάϊξ, ἱπίφμμηι ργοθαῖ «ἰ0ὶ ἸΡΡΝΙΘΗ, ηκοά (οεμ8. (ἀοη[οτ. ἐρὶδι. εἰ .) δ᾽ ΒΟΓΠΊΟΠ68 ἤδῦοΓΟ Π16 αἰχίββαιῃ. πη8 ΟΠ ΘΙ 1ΟἸ πί68, πον σἰογ δηΠϊ ἃπϑᾶπι ΠΔΌΘΡΘΙΩ.. '. υθερ Πυἀ οὐμηΐυιι ᾿'ρ86 Ρῥγοῦο ῃουΐ, δἀμογίδηι8. 4μίἀθιω Ορ(ΐηΔ ἀΐοφογα ; ο᾽υ8 νϑῖο., οαἱ ρογβυδάσίυν, δυγο8 δοοοιηπηούδγο οἱ γοαδεγα : 4μᾶΓ δἱ αυλπιίο Ἰδυΐύαγα Π0 , β8 (6π ᾿ξῃύβοθγο ἀθῦθγεβ. ὙΠ ΌρΟΓΑς δηΐη οὐπὶ ᾳυΐ δυδτυηι ΘΡΆὨϊ ρϑγιΐυ πὶ ὀχρίονΐι. δὲ δηΐπι Π60 ἰος [αἰ6Γ8, δι οἱ ἰηεδλυίϊοιι [οὶ - Ρἰ π ἰδ η) γόργαϊθηάθγ ροίογὶβ, η6ς δροδιδίδηιὶ βεπιὶ δυάαϊοα, πθὸ δυάς ργοάϊιοτὶ ρογϑιιδεὶι. Τδιιυπι δηΐαι ἀυογαὶ υἱ ρατβυδϑογί!, υἱ εἶα αυϊάσπι νϑημαϊάογὶι, 1Π ἃ γΘγῸ πδίϊο ογυοὶ δίῆχογι!, ϑὶ γϑῦο αἀϊνίηα [ δαρί θη ἃ ας πόᾳυθ ρογδιδϑί!, πθ- βαϊναυϊί., δὺ οπιηΐρα8 ἰδυάδίι ( σοηβ᾽ Θηἶπ), ΠΟη ἃ ὀνθῆϊυ γαβ ᾿υἀϊεσδηϊαγ), φυΐ! δοουδδ8 ὁΟηδΔηίθΙη 6ἱ ηθη γαἰδι(6ῃ) ρογβυδύογα Μαγ Π0, Ζοκίιπο, οἱ δᾶγοῃ] δίφιβ Ἐυβιδιμίο, υἱ . ἱπιρτο- θίιλια ἀφείβίδηι ἢ Ταπίυπι δῦβυιη υἱ ρτεορίετοαᾶ ογυ.- βάβοᾶπι ΠιΔ618 4112Π 4υΐβηυδι Δἰ'υ5.,, δὶ πιΐΐ ἱροὶ Π0η) ρΡεγϑυδάδϑιη ἢ], ἴῃ φαΐθυ5 ἜΓΌΒΟΒοΟΓ ρυϊοῆγαπι 80ἷ0, υἱ οἰἰλπιὶ αἰογὶογ ἰῃ ἰθὺ, αἱ 6Χ ρᾶγΓ6 δδὶ ΥΑΠΙΙ ΚΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤἍ () το ἐρυθριᾷν 5οἰυ5 οοἰ. ΔΙϊ. 5ογῖι, 'ἐρνθρίων ἄν. ῬΟΒ51ΙΝ.͵ . ΙΘΙ0ΟΆΙ ΡΕΓΌΘΙΟΤ πὶ μαϑδίοηυπ Ομ γίβι1 θΟΪΩΐ μοβϑί ρϑγιίοορ8, Α χἂᾶν ἐκ μέρους τοῖς Δεσποτεχοῖς πάθεσι χεχοινωνη-
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