Letter 422

To the Same Person. Not only sinful men, but even those who strive most earnestly to lay hold of every kind of manly virtue, are often abandoned, both that they may be taught endurance and steadfastness, and for the turning away of pride. And as the Scripture says: "They fall under the lawless for an appointed time, and their spiritual houses are plundered by the lawless." And again: "The righteous man," it says, "is mocked by the lawless." "O God, my God, attend to me; why have You forsaken me?" [Psalm 22:1] And again it is written: "I give You thanks, O God, that You smote me, and turned Your face away from me, and after these things You will have mercy on me." And again: "How many great and grievous afflictions have You shown me, and turning back You gave me life, and from the depths of the earth You brought me up? You have multiplied Your greatness upon me, and turning back You have comforted me." [cf. Psalm 71:20-21]

Οὐ μόνον ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ λίαν πάσης ἀνδραγαθίας ἀντέχεσθαι σπεύδοντες, πολλάκις ἐγκαταλιμπάνονται, πρός τε τὸ διδαχθῆναι ὑπομονήν, καὶ καρτερίαν, καὶ πρὸς ἀποτροπὴν τῆς ὑπερηφανείας· καὶ ὥς φησιν ἡ Γραφή· «Πίπτουσιν ὑπὸ τοῖς ἀνόμοις χρόνον τακτὸν, καὶ τοὺς νοητοὺς οἴκους ἐκπορθοῦνται ὑπὸ ἀνόμων». Καὶ πάλιν· «Ὁ δίκαιος, φησὶν, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνόμων καταγελάται». — Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου, πρόσεχες μοι, ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με; «Καὶ πάλιν γέγραπται· «Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἐπάταξάς με, καὶ ἀπέστρεψας τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐλεήσεις με». Καὶ πάλιν· «Ὅσας ἔδειξάς μοι θλίψεις πολλὰς, καὶ κακὰς, καὶ ἐπιστρέψας ἐζωοποίησάς με, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀβύσσων τῆς γῆς ἀνήγαγές με; Ἐπλεύνασας ἐπ’ ἐμὲ τὴν μεγαλωσύνην σου, καὶ ἐπιστρέψας παρεκάλεσάς με».