Letter 219: We owe thanks for everything — not merely for the blessings we recognize as blessings, but also for the trials we...

To Neilos. Why he commanded them to eat the flesh of the lamb roasted with fire. The Hebrews ate the flesh of the lamb roasted with fire, typologically sketching through their eating the great mystery of the divine economy, and learning beforehand about the Lamb of God and the fire of the divine essence. For the roasting by fire signified the suffering that the true Lamb of God would endure — not merely the physical fire of pain but the consuming fire of divine justice that he bore on behalf of humanity. Just as the lamb had to be consumed entirely, with nothing left until morning, so the whole Christ must be received by faith — not partially, selecting only those aspects of his teaching that please us, but completely, accepting both the consolation of his promises and the demands of his commandments. To Zosimus the Presbyter. Not only the one who has been ordained but also the one who is reputable — for so great ought the distance to be between the ordained and the reputable — must live in a manner worthy of his calling. The priest must exceed the layman in virtue as much as his office exceeds the layman's station, and the layman of good repute must serve as a bridge between the common people and the sanctity of the priesthood.

ΣΙΘ΄. – ΝΕΙΛΟ. Διὰ τὶ ὀπτὰ πυρὶ τὰ κρέα τοῦ ἁμνοῦ ἐσθίειν προσέταξεν. Ὀπτὰ πυρὶ τὰ κρέα τοῦ ἀμνοῦ ἤσθιον Ἑβραῖοι, τυπικῶς τὸ μέγα τῆς θείας οἰκονομίας μυστήριον σκιαγραφοῦντες (7) διὰ τῆς βρώσεως, καὶ τὸν ἀμνὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ προμανθάνοντες, τὸ πῦρ τῆς θείας οὐσίας ΣΕ΄. – ΖΩΣΙΜΟ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Οὐ μόνον ὁ ἱερωμένος, ἀλλα καὶ ὁ εὐδόκιμος (τοσ- οῦτον γὰρ ὀφείλει εἶναι τὸ μέσον τοῦ ἱερωμένου B καὶ τοῦ εὐδοκίμου, ὅσον οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς τὸ διάφο- ρον) οὐδὲν ἀκόλαστον, οὐδὲ μειρακιῶδες δίκαιος ἂν εἴη διαπράττεσθαι, ἀλλὰ σώφρονα καὶ κεκολασμέν- νην πανταχοῦ τὴν δίαιταν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. Σὺ δὲ, ὡς φασιν, οὔτε νέος ὢν περὶ τὰς λαγνείας ἐμετρίαζες διὰ τὴν πενίαν· οὔτε γηράσας διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν. Εἰ τοίνυν ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, εἶργε σαυτὸν τοῦ σεπτοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. ΕΡΜΙΝΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. Πρὸς ἄρχοντας. Νυνὶ μᾶλλον ὅτε ἀρχῆς ἐπέδης, ἀοίδιμος ἂν γένοιο καὶ ζηλωτὸς, εἰ τοὺς ἀδικήσαντας μὴ ἀμύνῃ, ἀλλὰ [καὶ] νῦν μάλιστα πάντων τῶν λυπηρῶν λήθην ΣΙΕ. – ΗΡΩΝΙ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΟ. Οἱ τέχνῃ λόγων τάληθὲς συσκιάζοντες, πολλῷ μοι δοκοῦσι τῶν τοῦτο μὴ κατειληφότων ἀθλιώτεροι εἶναι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ διὰ βραδυτῆτα γνώμης ἀπολειφθέντες τῆς θήρας, ἴσως συγγνωστοί. Οἱ δὲ δι᾽ ὀξύτητα μὲν γνώμης τοῦτο θηρεύσάντες, κακούργως δὲ τοῦτ' ἀφανίζοντες, συγγνώμης ἁμαρτάνουσι μείζονα, ΣΙΖ΄. – ΣΕΡΗΝΩ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΟ. * Οἱ μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἀκονῶντες, ἅτε θείας φιλοσοφίας ὄντες αὐτοφυῆ ἀγάλματα, δι' ἀνάγ- κην προσομιλοῦσι τῷ σώματι, καὶ τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἀρχόμενοι, τὸν τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ὄχλον, ὅτε πάσης κακίας πηγὴν, μισοῦντες, μυρίων ἀπαλλάτ- τονται κακῶν. Οἱ δὲ μόνον εἶναι σῶμα τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀλογίστως ἡγούμενοι (ὧν ἕνα σε εἶναί τινες ἰσχυρί- ζονται, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπιστῶ), τὸν ἀκόρεστον έρωτα τῶν χρημάτων νοσοῦντες τῷ μηδέποτε κόρον λαμβάνειν βασανίζονται, καὶ ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἀνηνύτῳ οἰστρούμε- νοι (61), ἀεὶ τε ἐν πενίᾳ εἶναι νομίζοντες, δρῶσιν ἃ δρᾷν οὐ θέμις. Χρὴ οὖν αὐτοὺς λογιζομένους ὅτι καὶ πλοῦτος μέγιστος, ὡς πρὸς τὰς ἀμέτρους ὀρέ- ξεις, εὐρίσκεται· πενία, καὶ ὡς πρὸς τὸ τῆς φύσεως αὔταρκες, ἡ πενία πλοῦτός ἐστι, παύσασθαι τῆς τοιαύτης μανίας.