Letter 934

In the conscriptions of the world, only men and young men are selected; old men are passed over, children are left behind, slaves are rejected, and women are even driven away on account of the weakness of their nature. But in the contest that is according to God, and in the conscription of piety, old men are called, and young men run forward, and children rush in, and slaves come forward eagerly and meet the challenge with boldness; and women are shown to be not cast aside, but leap up hotly and bravely against the devil, and contending they conquer, they wrestle down the enemy, and they set up trophies, and they are crowned over their adversaries every single day. Read with spiritual understanding the words, "If your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light." [Matthew 6:22] For "body" here is said to mean the soul, and "eye" the mind.

Ἐν μὲν τοῖς στρατολογήμασι τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἄνδρες μόνον καὶ νεανίαι ἐκλέγονται, γέροντες δὲ παρορῶν- ται καὶ παῖδες ἀπολείπονται, καὶ δοῦλοι ἀποδοκμάζον- ται, γυναῖκες δὲ καὶ ἀποδιώκονται διὰ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀσθενές. Ἐν δὲ τῷ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγῶνι, καὶ τῷ στρατο- λογήματι τῆς εὐσεβείας γέροντες καλοῦνται, καὶ νεα- νίαι προτρέχουσι, καὶ παῖδες ὁρμῶσι, καὶ δοῦλοι προ- θύμως, καὶ μετὰ παρῥησίας ἀπαντῶσι, καὶ γυναῖκες οὐκ ἀπόβληται δείκνυνται, ἀλλ' ἐφάλλονται θερμῶς, καὶ ἀνδρείως κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ ἀγωνιζόμεναι νικῶσι τὸν ἐχθρὸν καταπαλαίουσι, καὶ τρόπαια ἱστῶσι, καὶ καταστεφανοῦνται τῶν ἐναντίων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Νοητῶς ἀνάγνωθι τό, «Ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινὸν ἔσται.» Σῶμα γὰρ νῦν λέγεται ἡ ψυχή, ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ὁ νοῦς.