Letter 82

To Akakios the Memorialis [a court secretary or recorder]. Moses the hierophant [revealer of sacred things], holding the rod crosswise over his two hands, in imitation of Christ who spread out his hands upon the cross, routed Amalek. For this reason we too, when we stretch out our hands in prayer, conquer Satan. If holy Moses had held the rod upright and not crosswise, why did his hands grow weary, and why did he need Aaron and Hur supporting his hands on either side? 87. To the same. It would for the most part be a beneficial thing to pray in the form of a cross; for in this way we are blessed by God, and we in turn bless others. For indeed the inspired Moses, when he was consecrating the tabernacle and enthroning his own brother as priest, stretching out his hands toward heaven in the form of a cross, blessed the people. Yet, even having said these things, we shall by no means abolish the reverent and seemly bending of the knee. For Daniel the prophet too, at the third hour, and the sixth, and the ninth, bending his knees to the ground, entreated God.

Μωϋσῆς ὁ ἱεροφάντης πλαγίαν ἐπὶ τῶν δύο χειρῶν κρατῶν τὴν ῥάβδον, κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ ἐπὶ σταυροῦ τὰς χεῖρας διαπετάσαντος Χριστοῦ, τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ ἐτροπώσατο. Διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰς χεῖρας εἰς εὐχὴν ἐκτείνοντες νικῶμεν τὸν Σατανᾶν. Εἰ ὀρθὴν καὶ μὴ πλαγίαν τὴν ῥάβδον κατεῖχεν ὁ ἅγιος Μωϋσῆς, πῶς ἐθαρεῖτο τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ χρείαν εἶχε τοῦ Ἀαρὼν καὶ τοῦ Ὥρ ὑποστηριζόντων ἔνθεν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ; ΠΖ΄. – Τῷ αὐτῷ. Ἐπιφελὲς ἄν εἴη ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον τὸ σταυροειδῶς εὔχεσθαι· οὕτω γὰρ εὐλογούμεθα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἄλλους πάλιν ἡμεῖς εὐλογοῦμεν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ θεσπέσιος Μωσῆς τὴν σκηνὴν ἐγκαινίζων, καὶ ἐνθρονίζων ἱερέα τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀδελφόν, σταυροειδῶς τὰς χεῖρας εἰς οὐρανὸν ἐκτείνας, ηὐλόγησεν τὸν λαόν. Πλὴν μέντοι καὶ ταῦτα εἰρηκότες, τὴν εὐσεβῆ καὶ εὐπρεπῆ γονυκλισίαν οὐδαμῶς ἀναιρήσομεν. Καὶ γὰρ Δανιὴλ ὁ προφήτης τρίτην ὥραν, καὶ ἕκτην, καὶ ἐννάτην κάμπτων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὰ γόνατα, παρεκάλει τὸν Θεόν.