Letter 232

From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium To: Macarius the Bishop Date: ~410 AD Context: Isidore on unanswered prayer — arguing that God's refusal to give what is asked is itself a form of mercy. Prayer does not always obtain what it seeks — and this is itself a mercy. If God gave us everything we asked for, we would be destroyed by our own requests. We ask for things that would harm us. We ask for outcomes that would prevent better outcomes we cannot yet see. The parent who gives a child everything the child asks for is not kind — they are indulgent to the point of negligence. The wisdom that refuses a request because it knows better what is needed is the deeper form of love. Trust that the refusal of prayer is often the answer to a prayer we did not know to pray.

Οταίοῦ πον δέμιρεν μεγειαίεί. ( ορίει. εἰ .) ] τι υ. γοΥ}} ΟΓΘ ΪΟ, ατν. ἰδ ᾿ΠΠἰ πη πὶ βοοίο γα. πδίυγδηι Π) Ἶ .. ἐπιρ! οι!" δῖ } εγατῇ ἴῃ δορβϑυ! βαον ΘΠ } ΘΙΒΟΝ ΓΟ } ΡΟ αΝ, φεϊοηάϊ! ἀρογίο, ηὐυοι! {ἰδι [Δγ, δι} πο) ρεῦ- διιδάογο, ἰῃ δαι!οτἷ ροιοδίδιθ, ργομίον γυ Γὶὶ ΗΠ αγίδί πη), ὁ) αφυδι ογδιίο ἰυμἱϊοὶο αἶρηδ. ΟΥ̓ΧΙΜΗ. --- ΜΑΚΈΥΑΙΟ. Εἰ τοιούτοις χρησάμενος λόγοις ὁ λόγος, οἵ χαὶ τὴν ἄψυχον φύσιν εἰχότως ἂν ἔχαμψαν, οὐχ ἔπεισε τὸ ἀμείλιχτον ἐχεῖνο θηρίον τὸ χατ᾽ αὑτοῦ ἔπιλυτ- τῆσαν" ἔδειξε λαμπρῶς,, ὅτι τὸ πεισθῆναι χαὶ μὴ, τῶν ἀχουόντων ἐστὶ, δ'ὰ τὸν τῆς αὐτεξουσιότητος ὅρον, δι᾽ ὃν καὶ ὁ τῆς χρίσεως ἀξιόλογός ἐστι λόγος.