Letter 903

To Philochristus the Bishop. If you wish to obliterate the evil memories that have been left behind in the ruling faculty [the mind], and the manifold assaults of the malevolent one, arm yourself readily, night and day, with the remembrance of our Savior and with the fervent invocation of His venerable name, sealing yourself frequently—both forehead and breast—with the sign of the Master's cross. For whenever the name of our Savior Jesus Christ is named, and the seal of the Lord's cross is set upon the heart and the forehead and the other members, the power of the enemy is unquestionably dissolved, and the wicked demons, trembling, flee from us. Likewise the meditation upon the oracles of the Holy Spirit obliterates the whole company of base thoughts, kindling the spiritual fire, according to what is written: "In my meditation a fire shall be kindled" [Psalm 38:4 LXX]—which fire, warming the mind through and through, prepares the prayer to become intense, and with understanding makes its petitions known to God.

Εἰ βούλει ἐξαφανίσαι τὰς τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ ἐγκαταλειφθείσας κακὰς μνήμας, καὶ τὰς προσβολὰς τὰς πολυμόρφους τοῦ δυσμενοῦς, τῇ μνήμῃ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, καὶ τῇ διαπύρῳ ἐπικλήσει τοῦ σεβασμίου ὀνόματος νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέραν εὐχερῶς καθοπλίζου, σφραγίζων συχνότερον, καὶ μέτωπον, καὶ στήθος τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ Δεσποτικοῦ σταυροῦ. Ὁπόταν γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀνομάζεται, καὶ σφραγὶς τοῦ Κυριακοῦ σταυροῦ ἐπιτίθηται τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ μετώπῳ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις μέλεσιν, ἀναμφιβόλως λύεται ἡ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ δύναμις, καὶ τρομάσσοντες φεύγουσι ἀφ’ ἡμῶν οἱ πονηροὶ δαίμονες. Ὡσαύτως καὶ ἡ μελέτη τῶν λογίων τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν τῶν φαύλων λογισμῶν ὅλην ἐξαφανίζει, τὸ νοητὸν ἀπαγεννῶσα πῦρ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ «Ἐν τῇ μελέτῃ μου ἐκκαυθήσεται πῦρ,» ὅπερ πῦρ διαθερμαῖνον τὸν νοῦν σύντονον τὴν προσευχὴν γενέσθαι παρασκευάζει, καὶ μετὰ συνέσεως τὰ αἰτήματα αὐτοῦ γνωρίζει πρὸς τὸν θεόν.