Letter 441: You asked what it means: "O priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem.

To Isidore the Deacon: The divine and incorruptible nature renders all punishments... To Palladius the Deacon, on the text "And we beheld his glory, glory as of the Only-Begotten": If the malicious interpreters consider the evangelist's words about him -- "Glory as of the Only-Begotten from the Father" -- to be a sign of the Son of God's inferiority, then let them also consider God diminished in goodness, since David says, "How good is God to Israel!" But if there the phrase "How good" is spoken by way of intensification, then likewise "as of the Only-Begotten" is written by way of confirmation and likeness. To the Younger Monks, concerning vanity: If you practice the ascetic life lawfully, do not become puffed up over your fasting. But if you boast about it, you would do better to eat meat. To Paul the Deacon, concerning almsgiving: The goatskin cloak that our beloved Simon wears attests to his nakedness. Since he is departing for Egypt, he needs a covering. I therefore commend him to you. The law of the Baptist demands a tunic from you, saying, "He who has two tunics, let him share with him who has none." And if, on account of your abundance, the pronouncement must be modified: he who has twelve tunics, let him share one with him who has none. To Athanasius the Presbyter, concerning faith: The question "How?" has no place when it comes to God, whose mere will is a wondrous deed. To Eutonios the Deacon, on the text "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God": The word "flesh" is used in two ways in Holy Scripture: sometimes according to its nature itself, and sometimes according to its disposition and corruption. Proof of the former: "A spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have." Of the latter: "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." Therefore, he who wishes to discipline the corruption and the carnal disposition withers the kindling of the flesh and pleases God even while still bound to the flesh.

ΥΞΖ΄. – ΙΣΙΔΩΡΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΗ. Πάντα ἡ θεία καὶ ἀκήρατος φύσις τὰ τῶν τιμω ΥΟΓ΄. – ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Εἰς τὸ, - Καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς. Εἰ ἑλαττώσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ σημεῖον νομίζουσιν οἱ κακόσχολοι, τὸ τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ περὶ αὐ- τοῦ εἰρημένον, «Δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός,» ἐλαττοῦσθαι καὶ τὸν Θεὸν εἰς ἀγαθότητα, νομιζέ- τωσαν, τοῦ Δαβὶδ λέγοντος, « Ὡς ἀγαθὸς τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ Θεός; » Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα κατὰ ἐπίτασιν τὸ, Ὡς ἀγαθὸς, εἴρηται, κἀκεῖσε τὸ, ὡς Μονογενοῦς, κατὰ βεβαίωσιν καὶ ὁμοίωσιν γέγραπται. ΥΟΔ΄. – ΝΕΩΤΕΡΟΙΣ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΙΣ. Περὶ τύφου. Εἰ νομίμως ἀσκεῖτε, νηστεύοντες μὴ τυφοῦσθε,· εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ αὐχεῖτε, μᾶλλον κρεωφαγεῖτε. ΥΟΕ'. – ΠΑΥΛΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης. Σίμωνα τὸν ἀγαπητὸν ἡ σισύρα συνίστησι γυμνὸν, ἣν ἀμπέχεται. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀπαίρει πρὸς Αίγυπτον, σκεπάσματος δέεται. Ἐγὼ τοίνυν σοι τοῦτον συνιστῶ· ὁ δὲ νόμος τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ, χιτῶνα παρὰ σοῦ ἀπαιτεῖ. • ῾Ο ἔχων δύο χιτῶνας, μεταδότω τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι, » λέγων. Εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ ἐναλλάξαι διὰ περισσείαν τὴν ἀπόφασιν, ὁ ἔχων δεκαδύο χιτῶνας, μεταδότω τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι ἕνα. ΥΟΣ. – ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Περὶ πίστεως. Τὸ Πῶς, ἐπὶ Θεοῦ χώραν ἔχειν οὐ δύναται (67΄), οὗ καὶ μόνη ἡ βούλησις ἔργον ἐστὶ παράδοξον. ΥΟΖ'. - ΕΥΤΟΝΙΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Εἰς τὸ « Οἱ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες, Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύ- νανται.» Τὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ὄνομα, διχῶς παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ εἴρηται Γραφῇ· ποτὲ μὲν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν, ποτὲ δὲ κατὰ τὸ φρόνημα καὶ · φθοράν. Καὶ τῆς μὲν ἀπό- δειξις, « Τὸ πνεῦμα σάρκα καὶ ὀστέα οὐκ ἔχει, καθώς με θεωρεῖτε ἔχοντα· · τῶν δὲ, ὅτι « Σάρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται (68). » Ὁ τοίνυν τὴν φθορὰν καὶ τὸ φρόνημα παιδαγωγῆ- σαι βουλόμενος, μαραίνει τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑπεκκαύ- ματα, καὶ ἀρέσκει θεῷ ἔτι σαρκὶ συνεχόμενος, καὶ