Letter 874

To Paul the Archimandrite. By the cloud of the devil's malice we are often darkened in our inner eyes, and by this wicked and fog-bound way of life we are pained not a little. In such circumstances it is good to carry out what was written by James: "Weep," he says, "over the miseries that are coming upon you" [James 5:1]; and not to leave off our lamentations and our supplications to God until our very departure [from this life]. For it is said in the Lamentations: "You pursued us in your wrath, and killed us, and did not spare. For this reason my eye will bring down streams of waters over the calamities" [Lamentations 3:43, 48]. Since, then, we perceive the punishments of God and are drawing the chastisements upon ourselves, let us bring help, and let us not be contemptuous, lest death too be brought upon us.

Τῷ νέφει πολλάκις τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπηρείας τοὺς ἔνδον ὀφθαλμοὺς σκοτιζόμεθα, καὶ τῇ πονηρᾷ καὶ ὁμιχλώδει διαγωγῇ οὐ μικρῶς ὀδυνώμεθα· ἐφ᾽ οἷς καλὸν τὸ γεγραμμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰακώβου ἐπιτελεῖν· « Κλαύσατε, φησίν, ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις ὑμῖν »· καὶ μὴ ἀφιέναι τοὺς ὀδυρμούς, καὶ τὰς πρὸς Θεὸν λιτάς, μέχρι αὐτῆς ἐξόδου· Εἴρηται γὰρ ἐν θρήνοις· « Κατεδίωξας ἐν θυμῷ, καὶ ἀπέκτεινας ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσω. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀφέσεις ὑδάτων κατάξει ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπὶ τοῖς συντρίμμασιν. » Ἐπεὶ τοῖνυν ἡμεῖς αἰσθά νόμεθα τὰς τιμωρίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰς παιδείας ἀπι σπώμεθα, βοηθῶμεν, καὶ μὴ καταφρονήσωμεν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ θάνατος ἐπαγάγῃ ἡμῖν.