Letter 94

To the Same Person. Those who are eager to purify their own souls will not only have a ready supply of spiritual bread and water, but [...] for they will also obtain meat. For solid food is for the perfect, as the Apostle says [Hebrews 5:14]; and Moses too proclaims it beforehand to the people, saying, "Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat" [Numbers 11:18] - understanding by "meat" both the divine Body, just as the faithful eat it in the church, and the most blessed knowledge of Christians, which is higher than all forms of knowledge.

Οἱ τὰς ψυχὰς ἑαυτῶν ἁγνίζειν σπουδάζοντες, οὐ μόνον ἄρτου καὶ ὕδατος νοητοῦ εὐπορήσουσιν, ἀλλὰ... γὰρ καὶ κρεῶν ἐπιτεύξονται· τέλειον γάρ ἐστιν ἡ στερεὰ τροφή, ὡς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· καὶ προαναφωνεῖ Μωϋσῆς τῷ λαῷ λέγων· «Ἁγιάσθε εἰς τὴν αὔριον, καὶ φάγεσθε κρέα»· κρέα νοήσας τό τε θεῖον σῶμα, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐσθίουσιν οἱ πιστοὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν Χριστιανῶν τὴν μακαριωτάτην, καὶ πασῶν ὑπερτέραν τῶν γνώσεων.