Letter 946

To Hegesippus the Monk. You have said that you have been fenced far off from virtue, yet that you cheerfully extol, applaud, and glorify all virtuous men, and above all the great hesychast Rufinus [an ascetic; "hesychast" = one devoted to stillness and quiet prayer], that heavenly and Christ-bearing vessel. Know, then, that he who welcomes the nurslings of virtue gains no small profit, because he receives the second portion of the crowns that will be given to them. And I too have become a fervent friend and praiser of the man aforesaid. Of nothing do we have such need as of time. The art is long, but our life is short; the end of life is near. Be watchful, O man.

Εἴρηκας, ἀρετῆς μὲν ἀπεσχοινίσθαι μακρὰν, πάντας δὲ τοὺς ἐναρέτους ἄνδρας εὐθύμως ἀνευφημεῖν, καὶ κροτεῖν, καὶ δοξάζειν, καὶ μάλιστα τὸν μέγαν Ἡσύχαστον Ῥουφῖνον, τὸ οὐράνιον ἐκεῖνο καὶ Χριστοφόρον σκεῦος. Γίνωσκε τοίνυν, ὅτι ὁ ἀποδεχόμενος τοὺς τροφίμους τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐ μετρίως κερδαίνει, διότι τὰ δευτερεῖα κομίζεται τῶν ἐκείνοις δοθησομένων στεφάνων. Σφοδρῶς δὲ κἀγὼ καθέστηκα φίλος καὶ ἐπαινέτης τοῦ προλεχθέντος ἀνδρός. Οὐδενὸς οὕτως ὡς χρόνου δεόμεθα. Καὶ ἡ μὲν τέχνη μακρά, βραχὺς δὲ ὁ βίος ἡμῶν· ἐγγὺς τὸ τέλος τῆς ζωῆς. Γρηγόρησον, ἄνθρωπε.