Letter 883

To Neilos the Presbyter. No one is more humble than the man who has sinned and is contrite in spirit, and who with groaning entreats the Lord through repentance. One must therefore set prayer to Christ before every undertaking, and call upon the help and shelter of the Holy Spirit. For there is no other way to strip off the wicked tyranny of corruption, unless the divine power lays hold of dominion over us. Make use, then, of such supplications and cries to the Lord: "Become my helper, O Christ, Master of all, and shield the weakness of my soul. May I be delivered from this unholy and irresistible corruption; may I become free from lawlessness and its bonds; let not the tyranny of vice work within me; let not the warring demon hold sway over me, nor lead me captive through profligacy. Let the kingdom of God and of the worshipful Spirit come upon me, so that the dissolute passions which now prevail and reign over me may give way, or rather pass into nonbeing."

Οὐδεὶς ταπεινότερος τοῦ ἁμαρτήσαντος, καὶ συντετριμμένου τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ μετὰ στεναγμοῦ παρακαλοῦντες διὰ μετανοίας τὸν Κύριον. Χρὴ τοίνυν παντὸς πράγματος προκρίνειν τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν δέησιν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐπικαλεῖσθαι βοήθειαν, καὶ σκέπην. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλως ἐκδῦναι τὴν πονηράν τῆς φθορᾶς δυναστείαν, μὴ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀντιλαβούσης τὸ κράτος. Οὐκοῦν τοιαύταις χρῶ ἱκεσίαις, καὶ φωναῖς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· Βοηθὸς μου γενοῦ, Δέσποτα τῶν ὅλων Χριστέ, καὶ ὑπεράσπισον τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχικῆς ἀσθενείας. Ἀπαλλαγείην τῆς ἀνοσίου, καὶ ἀπασπευτικῆς φθορᾶς· ἐλεύθερος γενοίμην τῆς ἀνομίας καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν αὐτῆς· μὴ ἐνεργείτω ἐν ἐμοὶ ἡ τυραννὶς τῆς κακίας· μὴ κατακρατείτω μου ὁ πολέμος δαίμων, μηδὲ ἀγαγέτω με διὰ τῆς ἀσωτίας αἰχμάλωτον. Ἐλθέτω ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ προσκυνητοῦ Πνεύματος βασιλεία, ἵνα ὑποχωρήσῃ, μᾶλλον δὲ εἰς τὸ μὴ ὂν χωρήσῃ τὰ νῦν ἐπικρατοῦντα, καὶ βασιλεύοντά μου ἐκλελυμένα πάθη.