Letter 439: Theodore Studite, Letter 439; Greek heading: Τοῖς ἠγαπημένοις ἀδελφοῖς Γρηγορίῳ, Ἰεζεκιήλ, Ἐράστῳ, Θεοφάνει, Ἀνίνᾳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐν Ἑλλάδι.

"There is a time to speak," it says, "and a time to keep silence" [Ecclesiastes 3:7]. Since, then, the word these past days - and I would say also during the present ones - has been one of the second kind, for this reason, having only with difficulty and just now departed from the City [Constantinople] by the good pleasure of God, we now address you, fathers and brothers; and we address you in the words of the Apostle: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, rejoice" [Philippians 4:4] - not according to the joy of this present world (except that it is not even joy, but rather sheer affliction, when the subject is in disorder), but rejoice according to the Spirit of holiness, because you have been redeemed from the slavery of the enemy, from your vain way of life, from flesh and blood, serving the living and true God; from which there came both the earlier blessedness during the persecution and the present sojourning abroad, you being scattered here and there, until the Lord look down, bestowing peace upon his Church and restoring us together into one. But as for the present, I beg you, brothers, to walk worthily of the calling with which we were called, with all security and attentiveness, with all humility of mind and obedience toward one another, the one who is set over you holding the place of authority not for demonic arrogance, but as a pattern of virtue for those who follow; and these last yielding and being persuaded as to me, the unworthy one - or rather to Christ, for whose sake is the whole of life and the daily death of free choice. O children, great is the mystery of salvation! See how you conduct yourselves, not as those subject to passion, but as those free from passion; not as lovers of the flesh, but as lovers of God. Do not cast your eyes upon the faces of women; but neither be over-bold even with one another, for boldness [parresia: unguarded familiarity] is a fire that burns up the soul. Practice death always, so that you may be prepared for your departure with joy. Hold fast the traditions; perform the things appointed, both in psalmody and in prayer and in whatever else there is. Do not lay up gold for yourselves, so as to hand it over in time of gathering to your own kin or to friends, on the grounds that the monastery will take care of your needs (this is not the act of children of God, but of those who are minded after the flesh); but rather, so that the things needful may be provided and what one has acquired may be brought forward to the brotherhood, so that from many persons there may be the maintenance of the community. These things have been said by me because it has been heard that certain ones are already making dispositions from here, saying: "This animal and this garment, or some other thing, I wish to leave to so-and-so." Oh, the wretchedness! Oh, the senselessness! Such a one, then, is neither a child nor a brother, but an alien, indeed a temple-robber, whose portion is with Gehazi the thief [the servant of Elisha, struck with leprosy for greed; 2 Kings 5]. Do not, then, be deceived in your minds in this way, brothers, nor, being overtaken by such a disposition, be found liable to eternal judgment; for if this be so, I too will do likewise and will distribute to my own kin according to the flesh whatever is in my hands. But if you cannot endure even to hear of this in my case (for it is not the work of an abbot, but of an enemy of God), with good reason neither will I endure it concerning you; and for this reason I make myself secure and proclaim the righteous ordinance of God, clearing myself of the blood of the one who is liable to the sin, and not as one seeking gold (do not be deceived), but the salvation of your souls. For I will boast in the Lord: it is a great occasion of wealth for me to say, with the chief of the apostles [Peter; Acts 3:6], "Silver and gold I do not possess" - even though I speak thus, loving in my foolishness [cf. 2 Corinthians 11; "speaking in foolishness"]: so much is given to me that I even grow weary of receiving it. These things I write as one who loves, and I make myself secure. And may the God of my father, the giver of peace, the supplier of mercy, the good Shepherd, still shepherd us and you, lacking nothing of the things needful both for the spirit and for bodily life; and may he account us worthy also of the eternal Kingdom.

Καιρὸς τοῦ λαλεῖν, φησίν, καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ σιγᾶν. ἐπεὶ οὖν τοῦ δευτέρου ὁ λόγος ἐν ταῖς προλαβούσαις ἡμέραις, εἴπω δὲ καὶ ἐν αἷς τὸ παρόν, διὰ τοῦτο μόλις καὶ ἄρτι ἐξεληλυθότες τῆς πόλεως εὐδοκίᾳ θεοῦ φθεγγόμεθα ὑμῖν, πατέρες καὶ ἀδελφοί, φθεγγόμεθα δὲ ἀποστολικαῖς φωναῖς· χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε, καὶ πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε, οὐ κατὰ τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ τῇδε κόσμου (πλὴν ὅτι οὐδὲ χαρά, ἀλλὰ πάνυ θλῖψις, ἀτακτοῦντος τοῦ ὑπηκόου), ἀλλὰ χαίρετε κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης, ὅτι ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ἐκ τῆς ματαίας ἀναστροφῆς, ἀπὸ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος, δουλεύοντες θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷ· ἐξ οὗ καὶ ὁ πρότερος κατὰ τὸν διωγμὸν μακαρισμὸς καὶ ὁ νῦν ξενισμός, ὧδέ τε κἀκεῖσε διεσπαρμένων ὑμῶν, ἕως οὗ ἐπίδοι Κύριος, εἰρήνην βραβεύων τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποκαθιστῶν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον δέομαι ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθημεν μετὰ πάσης ἀσφαλείας καὶ προσοχῆς, μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ ὑπακοῆς τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἔχοντος τοῦ προηγουμένου τὸν τόπον τῆς ἀρχῆς οὐκ εἰς ἔπαρσιν δαιμονικήν, ἀλλ' εἰς τύπον ἀρετῆς τῶν ἑπομένων, καὶ τῶνδε ὑπεικόντων καὶ πειθομένων ὡς ἐμοὶ τῷ ἀναξίῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ Χριστῷ, δι' ὃν καὶ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ βίου καὶ ὁ καθ' ἡμέραν προαιρετικὸς θάνατος. ὦ τέκνα, μέγα τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μυστήριον· βλέπετε πῶς ἀναστρέφεσθε, μὴ ὡς ἐμπαθεῖς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπαθεῖς, μὴ ὡς φιλόσαρκοι, ἀλλ' ὡς φιλόθεοι. μὴ ἐπιβάλλοιτε τὰ ὄμματα ὄψεσι γυναικῶν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς εἴητε παρρησιαστικοί· παρρησία γὰρ πῦρ καταφλέγον ψυχήν. μελετᾶτε τὸν θάνατον ἀεί, ὡς ἂν εἴητε παρασκευασμένοι πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον ἐν χαρᾷ· τὰς παραδόσεις κρατεῖτε, τὰ ὡρισμένα τελεῖτε κατά τε ψαλμ ωδίαν καὶ προσευχὴν καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον. μὴ θησαυρίζετε ἑαυτοῖς χρυσίον εἰς τὸ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισυναγωγῆς παρασχέσθαι αὐτὸ ἰδίοις ἢ φίλοις, ὡς ὅτι τὸ μοναστήριον φροντίσει τὰ καθ' ὑμᾶς (οὐ τέκνων θεοῦ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ σαρκοφρόνων), πῶς δὲ ἵνα τὰ κατὰ χρείαν γίνοιτο καὶ τὸ φθάσαν εἶναι προσενεχθῇ τῇ ἀδελφότητι, ἵνα ἐκ πολλῶν προσώπων τὸ συστατικὸν εἴη τοῦ κοινοβίου. Ταῦτα δέ μοι εἴρηται, ἐπειδὴ ἤκουσται ὅτιπερ τινὲς ἤδη ἀπ' ἐντεῦθεν ὁρίζονται· "4τόδε"5, φησίν, "4τὸ ζῷον καὶ τόδε τὸ ἱμάτιον εἴτουν ἕτερον βούλομαι τῷ δεῖνι ἐᾶσαι"5. ὢ τῆς ἀθλιότητος· ὢ τῆς ἀφροσύνης· οὐκοῦν οὔτε τέκνον ὁ τοιοῦτος οὔτε ἀδελφός, ἀλλ' ἀλλότριος, ἀλλὰ ἱερόσυλος, οὗ ἡ μερὶς μετὰ Γιεζῆ τοῦ κλέπτου. μὴ δὴ οὕτως, ἀδελφοί, φρεναπατᾶσθε μηδὲ τοιαύτῃ διαθέσει φθαζόμενοι ἔνοχοι εὑρεθῆτε κρίματος αἰωνίου· ἐπεί, εἰ τοῦτο, κἀγὼ ποιήσω οὕτως καὶ διανείμω τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα ὅσα ἐν χερσί μου. εἰ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι ἀνέχεσθε (οὐ γὰρ ἡγουμένου τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ ἐχθροῦ θεοῦ), εἰκότως οὐδὲ ἐγὼ περὶ ὑμῶν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀσφαλίζομαι καὶ τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναγγέλλω, ἀθωῶν ἑαυτὸν τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐνόχου τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἐπιζητῶν χρυσίον (μὴ πλανᾶσθε), ἀλλὰ τὸ σῶσμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν. ἐπεὶ καυχήσομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ· μέγα μοι πλούτου ὑπόθεσις μετὰ τοῦ κορυφαίου τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγειν, ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι, καίπερ οὕτω φιλοῦντι ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω· ἐπιδίδοταί μοι τοσοῦτον, ὥστε καὶ ἐκκακεῖν με λαμβάνειν. Ταῦτα ὡς φιλῶν γράφω καὶ ἀσφαλίζομαι. ὁ δὲ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου, ὁ τῆς εἰρήνης δοτήρ, ὁ τοῦ ἐλέους χορηγός, ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς ἔτι ποιμανεῖ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑμᾶς, μηδὲν ὑστερῶν τῶν δεόντων κατά τε πνεῦμα καὶ σωματικὴν ζωήν· καὶ ἀξιώσειεν καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου βασιλείας.