Letter 835: The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.
On patience, on account of Sarah: When the God-loving Abraham, on account of a divine oracle, departed from Persia to Palestine, he endured many trials along the way. But his greatest trial was not the hardship of the journey, nor the danger of foreign lands, nor the uncertainty of what lay ahead — it was the waiting. For God had promised him a son, and years passed, and decades passed, and still the promise remained unfulfilled. Sarah grew old, and hope seemed to wither like a plant in drought. Yet Abraham did not waver in faith, nor did he accuse God of falsehood. He waited, and he believed, and in the fullness of time the promise was fulfilled. This teaches us that God's timing is not our timing, and that what seems to us like delay is in fact the working out of a purpose far greater than we can comprehend. The one who is impatient with God shows that his faith is shallow, rooted in desire for immediate gratification rather than in trust. But the one who waits upon the Lord shall renew his strength; he shall mount up with wings like eagles; he shall run and not be weary; he shall walk and not faint. Therefore, like Abraham, let us hold fast to the promise, even when every circumstance seems to contradict it.
What is more prickly than a thorn? Since nothing is more manifest than what a thorn signifies, let us consider its spiritual meaning.
To Agathon the Presbyter: The God-beloved Abraham, on account of an oracle, departed from Persia to Palestine.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
πη μιμά ; « δΔίαπιες ερίπα. » βυοηΐαπὶ ηυΐϊὰ πιδηῆυ8 δρίνα οἰρηιῇῆςοι, ἐσ τὴϑϑ ΡΩ,͵ -- ΑΤΆΘΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΏ. Περὶ ὑπομονῆς διὰ τὴν Σάῤῥαν Ὅτε ὁ θεοφιλὴς ᾿Αὐραὰμ διὰ μὲν χρησμὸν ἀπὸ «ἧς Περσίδυς εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην, διὰ δὲ λιμὸν εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἧχε, θεασάμενοι οἱ ἐν τέλει τὴν σύνευ- νον αὐτοῦ χάλλει τε χαὶ ἀρετῇ γυναιχείᾳ ἀστρά- πτουσᾶαν, ὥς τ' φέροντες τῷ βασιλεῖ χειμήλιον Β τιμαλφέστατον, χκαταμηνύουσιν αὐτήν. Καὶ ὃς ἀφαι- ρεῖται τὴν γυναῖχα, σωφροσύνῃ πλέον ἣ κάλλει λάμπουσαν. Ὡς δ᾽ ὁ ἀνὴρ θάνατον δεδιὼς ἀδελφὸς εἶναι αὐτῆς σχηψάμενος, προῦὔδωχε μὲν τὴν γυναῖ- χα, τῆς δὲ θείας μαχροθυμίας οὐ χατεδόησε" τότε δὴ, τότε ἡ ϑεία ἐπιχουρία, τὰ οἰχεῖα ὅπλα χινήδασα, τῷ θεοφιλεῖ τὴν σύνευνον ἀνέπαφον καὶ ἀχέραιον ἀποδέδωχε. Νύχτωρ γὰρ ἐχεῖνον πικροτάταις βασά- νοις μαστίξασα, χαὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς τοῖς πόνοις δαμά- σασα, μᾶλλον δὲ φρούδας οἴχεσθαι παρασχενάσαδα, οὕτως τῷ δικαίῳ τὸν στέφανον ἤνεγχε. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, εἰ πειρασμοῖς περιπέσοιμεν, μὴ τῆς θείας μαχροθυμίας καταθοῶμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀντεχώμεθα μᾶλ- λον αὐτῆς, τῆς καὶ πόρους ὃν ἀπόροις, χαὶ μῆχα- νὰς ἐν ἀμηχάνοις εὑρισχούσης (θ). ῬΕΛ', --- ΑΡΧΟΝΤΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΏ. ἘἙὶϊς τὸ, « ᾿Αστράγαιος χειρός.» Ἐπειδὴ, Τί ἐστιν, ἔφης, τὸ, ε« ᾿Αστράγαλος χειρός ;) αυμεὶς, αὐὐὶ. Θυδηδοφυΐάδαη Βαγατυβ ἱγγαπηΐάδ ἄχουε. Ἐπειδὴ ὁ βάρδαρος μεθύων τῇ τυραννίδι, ϑινα!δνίαα, δὲ ᾿διρορδηία “δυρονοοϑυδ, ΔΊΤΖῸ6 ρα ναὶ ὠφρυωμένος τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ, καὶ τῷ οἴνῳ χαρηύα- νἱμο νογιϊφίηο ἰλθογϑηβ, δϑογοβάποία ροειΐα 'δϑόη ρῶν, τὰ ἱερὰ σχεύη οὐ μόνον ἀνδράσιν, ἄλχὰ καὶ «ποίο νἱείε, δοά εἰἰδπὶ πιυϊογί θυ, ἰμδίιι νος Ὑνναιξὶ ταῖς τὰς ἡδονὰς αὐτοῦ ϑεραπευούσαις Ἰνριαιίνυς -ουξοφυουνδιίυκ, δά ἀθυδὶ ρνοροβθῦαι, σἘροὔθηχεν εἰς χρῆσιν, ὥφθη τὸ μετὰ τὸν πῆχυν ἠϑοίγεο ρῈΡΒ πιλπις, , “ουὐϊίυπι δοαυΐυτ, ἐοη- μέρος τῆς χειρὸς, τὴν χατ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀπόφασιν ὑπογρά- Δρεοοῖδ ὁεἰ, Βεδίοοηιίδαι δάνεγδυβ διπὶ ρίηροηβ. ὕἱ οηἶπι ρμἱοίογοα (οἱ δ οὐτυπὶ ᾳυοαυθ δι δεΐδ (δ) «ἰοηιοδββιγι ἤθε Βυ Π8Π ΓΟΡ. ἰδ, αυ88 σΟΥΡΟΓΙΒ ΟΧΡΟΓ68 βυηΐ, ΘΟΥΡυ5 τρί δυδηῖθ5, πιοθθιη δο δι φρίωφοτο θη ϑηῖυγ, ἰἀγγοποόγυπι Γασθὶ οὩρ ἃ ΓΟΓΟΠἃ φοῦϊονίθηίαπι, ᾿προῦίαπι) ἱρεὶβ οΟἸἰ , ἀδίυπὶ υ͵ἱ686 ἀδπιοηδίγρη!ϊ : δἰο οἰΐδη ΠΠ ς ἢ δὲ ρὲ ἰπάυϊᾳοη- Αἴδλιν ἀδιηγἰ(ἰ6η οοηβὶΠ πιδηι5 υἱρὰ δὶ ᾽", υἱ 1Πυ οειου ἀοΓρίυγ, οπΐθαι τοχοπὶ οδἰουϊθηι - ΩΓ5ι. ἰγγδηηιμα οἴἴΐδεγθ, Δ6 δοη(θοςΐδη) δειθθογῖθθ Γθ. (6η. χιι, -. . Ὅλη. ν, . φον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ζωγράφοι (ἵνα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐχείνων τόλμης τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ποιήσωμαι), σώματα ποιοῦντες τὰ ἀσώματα, χεῖρα γράφειν ἐπιχειροῦσι μόνην στέφουσαν τῶν τῆς γῆς βασιλευόντων τὰς χορυφὰς, ἵνα δείξωσιν οὐρανόθεν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἀρχὴν δεδόσθαι" οὕτω χἀκχεῖ συγχαταδατιχῶς ὥφθη, ἵνα δειχθῇ, ὅτε ὁ τῶν ἀπάντων βασιλεὺς τὴν κατά τοῦ κυράγνου ἐχφέρει ψῆφον, καὶ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ὑπο- γράφει. ΥΔΒΙΦ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΘΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. ) Ῥίείοταπε αμαάαοία. ὍΔ 4υἃ ποίυπι 65ὶ ᾿ΠΠυἀ “Ποτοι πυΐη : Ρἱειοτέδωε αἰημε ρμοείδε Οκίαἰἰδει απάφπάϊ δοηιραν μὶ ασμα μοίεδίων. ἈΙΤΊ. ἰι6) Τῆς καὶ πόρους (,. Ο, πόρον) ἐν ἀπόροις, καὶ μηχανὰς ἐν ἀμηχάγοις δεὐρισκούσης. Ὦειι5 6Χ ἱποαρ ΠΑΝ ! . δείρογο οἱ ΠΡΟγωγα ΡΟ ΘδΙ. πυνγὶρί οἰἰϑπι ἰά ἀρηονἧ!, οἰ πὶ ᾿πΊΟΓ εἷς ἐπι- ἐυνεῖ τῦοι ψ αΠ : Τῶν δ' ἀπόρων ΕΝ εὗρε θεός. ἴ» ῬΞΡ. -- ΜΔΡΤΥΡΙ͂Ο ἩΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Κανών ἐστι χαὶ εὑσεδείας χαὶ διχαιοσύνης, τὸ χρύπτειν μὲν τὰ κατορθώματα, διὰ τὸ τοῦ τέλους ἄδηλον, χαὶ διὰ τὸ “ἐνοχλεῖν τοῖς ἀχούουσιν" ἐναγώ- νιον δ᾽ εἶναι, διά τε τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἐπιῤῥεπὲς πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν, χαὶ τῶν ἀχουόντων τὴν περὶ τὰ χαχὰ ἑτοιμοτέραν πίστιν τε χαὶ συγχατάθεσιν, ᾿Ὀ λίγοι γὰρ τοῖς χαλοῖς, πολχοὶ δὲ τοῖς χαχοῖς πιστεύουσιν, οὐ μόνον ἐκ τῶν χαθ’ ἑαυτοὺς χαὶ τὴν περὶ τῶν ἄλλων φέροντες ψῆφον,, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς σφῶν ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων χατηγορίας περιστέλλειν οἱό- μενοι. ΡΞΓ". -- ΤῺ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΈΆΌΓΝ . ΠΙ . -- ΕΡΙΘΤ. ΟἸΧΥ. ΟἸΧΊΙ. --- ΜΑΚΤΥΆΙΟ ῬΆΒΘΒΥΤΕΒΟ. ῬίείΔ8 ἃς ᾿ π ΠΟΥπΊἃ ἰῃ 6ϑβί, υἱ 6ἃ ηιἷ- ἄδπὶ 4Π: ΓΟοία ὁχ Υἱγίυϊ6 ρογί πη, ΟΟΟ ( , ιυπὶ φυΐὰ Πηΐδ ἱποδγι! δῖ, ὉΠ πὸ δηάϊηι, ἔγανο5 ἃς πηΟἰ68ι1 βίτηυ, ᾿η εἶτ Δ γ6ΓῸ δἰηυθ ΔΏΘΟΓΘ ΥΟΓΒΟΙΏΌΓ, ἴ0π ΟὟ ἡδίιγα Πποβίγ ἰη νἱτΐυπὶ ΡΓορθηβίοπαπι, ἰυπὶ ηιΐῖὰ δυάϊϊοτοβ δὰ ἤάδπι οἱ Δ586 ] ΟΠ οιὴ ΥἿ0 Δ ἢ ἀπ) ὈΓΟΙΠΡΙΪΌΓΟΒ δ86ηϊ. Ραυςεὶ
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