Letter 482: Theodore Studite, Letter 482; Greek heading: Εὐφροσύνῃ ἡγουμένῃ.

The remembrance of your blessed mother—who was such to you in both respects [by birth and in the spirit], and to me according to the spirit, and, I am bold to say, to many others as well (since the lady was venerable)—has urged me, as though I were pricked on by her, to address to you, sister in the Lord, a few brief words even now. And what are these words? That you should contend the good contest of ascetic discipline [askesis], to which you were called and in which you confessed the good confession before many witnesses. And how is one to contend? By holding the fear of God in the heart; for where there is fear, there is the keeping of the commandments. By meditating upon death; for where there is such meditation, there is estrangement from the passions. By taking thought for the soul's separation from the body, for the angelic supervision that attends upon it, for the leading away of the soul toward the things of heaven—how then it may pass by the ruler of this present age, who tries to draw the ascending soul to himself, should he see it spotted with the passions; and then where it may receive its restoration until the time of the resurrection, when the body that is yoked to it shall be united again by the ineffable power of God. I mean the coming, a little later, of the Bridegroom Christ from heaven with the angels of his power, and the snatching up into the air of the souls that love God, and the gathering together of all creation at once before the face of the fearful judgment-seat, and then the sentence pronounced upon both the parties standing there—the one calling the just into the kingdom of heaven, the other sending away the sinners into the outer fire. Therefore the soul that perceptively considers these things trembles, is afraid, is pierced with compunction, weeps, is purified, is illumined, standing apart from the attachments of this world, being altered with the good alteration and running back up to God in spiritual joy and unspeakable gladness, so that it turns away even from beholding the sun and from the other delights of the present life, on account of the overpowering contemplation of the Good. Thus it is possible to contend the good contest, most honored one; and your good mother, having indeed contended this contest, was joined to God and departed laudably from the things here below. Let us too then make haste, I beg you, to follow in her footsteps; and do not be made dizzy when you are summoned to the height of virtue—first, because by the grace of God you are even being lifted up together by these good ascents, from which I hear that you are doing well; and second, because where the willing is present, there little by little the perfecting also comes to be, since God empowers and loves the salvation of the one who so chooses. But perhaps you will reckon the governance of the sisters to be an impediment to such a purpose, being weighed down by the office of guidance. But by no means, O lady; for nothing is so beloved by God as to shepherd and to guide those who follow. For he says to the great Peter: "If you love me, shepherd my sheep" [John 21:16]. And again: "He who brings forth the worthy from the unworthy shall be as my mouth" [Jeremiah 15:19]. And again: "He who has turned back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" [James 5:20]. For if someone, running up out of love of rule, should seize the shepherd's staff, he is hateful and an abomination to God, neither saving nor being saved; but if, being called, he should receive the office of governance through obedience to God, he will be shown to be both a friend of God and one who saves and is saved. And since you yourself have been called in this way, rejoice and tremble—the one because of hope, the other because of the contest [agonia]. Lead and prosper, shepherding and discharging the care of the sisterhood. The rumored troubles make you dread, as you say? But you have God as your helper, by the cooperation of your mother's prayers; upon him cast your care, and he himself will make your dispositions easier. You say that you have no one to govern you sincerely? But you have as your own protector the Lord whom you loved, and then also the angel who is the guardian of your life, delivering you from every evil. Therefore be of good cheer and do not be despondent, be strong and do not fall ill, taking forethought for the good condition of your body, so that you may serve God sufficiently and administer the sisters. And the sisters in turn (for let the word be turned now toward them) ought to follow according to reason and to be shepherded in a manner befitting God, breathing you alone and acknowledging you as their true mother and one another as kinswomen who cannot deceive. For where such unity of soul is present, there Christ is in the midst, and the blessed life is brought to perfection; for they chose the blessed life when they embraced virginity and have Christ as their Bridegroom and not perishable suitors, whose union is painful and whose separation a little later is more grievous still. But the Bridegroom whom they have, Christ, never dies, but is also the life of all, and they shall enter in together with him, keeping the promise of purity, into the heavenly bridal-chamber. And let them eat and drink and clothe themselves and receive whatever else is needful from your well-discerning love of God; since the Apostle says: "So, yearning over you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls" [1 Thessalonians 2:8]. Only let them be of one mind, let them think together, having one soul, one will, all things in common, nothing privately owned, nothing of a different opinion—and the whole work of their salvation has been accomplished, and the short and the all-beautiful course of the cenobitic [communal monastic] life has been completed. And they shall dance for ages of ages together with you, the good and God-minded mother; for thus the good community and she who shepherds well shall rejoice with a joy shared in a common life, and they shall be with the Lord always. This is our small and worthless address. But you, lady, having received these brief seeds, add from yourself the things that are lacking, and be exhorted to pray for us sinners; that we, of which words we are teachers, may be seen to be effective doers of these same things, and may be saved together with you in the kingdom of heaven.

Ἡ μνήμη τῆς μακαρίας μητρός, σοῦ μὲν ἀμφοτέρωθεν, ἐμοῦ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα, θαρρῶ δὲ εἰπεῖν καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων (ἐπείπερ σεβασμία ἡ κυρία), προυτρέψατό με, ὥσπερ ὑπ' ἐκείνης νυττόμενον, προσφθέγξασθαί σε, ἀδελφὴ ἐν Κυρίῳ, βραχέα τινὰ καὶ τανῦν. τίνα δὲ ταῦτα; ἵνα ἀγωνίζῃ τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς ἀσκήσεως, εἰς ἣν ἐκλήθης καὶ ὡμολόγησας τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐνώπιον πολλῶν μαρτύρων. πῶς δὲ ἔστιν ἀγωνίσασθαι; ἐκ τοῦ ἔχειν τὸν φόβον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ· οὗ γὰρ φόβος, ἐκεῖ ἐντολῶν τήρησις. ἐκ τοῦ μελετᾶν τὸν θάνατον· ἔνθα γὰρ μελέτη, παθῶν ἀλλοτρίωσις. ἐκ τοῦ μεριμνᾶν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος διάζευξιν, τὴν ἐπὶ ταύτῃ ἀγγελικὴν ἐπιστασίαν, τὴν ἀπαγωγὴν τῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια, πῶς ἆρα διέλθοι τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ τῇδε αἰῶνος, πειρώμενον πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τὴν ἀνιοῦσαν ψυχὴν ἐπισπάσασθαι, εἴπερ ἴδοι αὐτὴν κατεστιγμένην τοῖς πάθεσιν, εἶτα ποῦ τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν λάβοι μέχρι καιροῦ ἀναστάσεως, ἡνίκα τὸ συζυγὲς σῶμα ἑνωθείη κατὰ τὴν ἄρρητον τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν. λέγω τὴν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐπέλευσιν τοῦ νυμφίου Χριστοῦ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ μετ' ἀγγέλων δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, τήν τε εἰς ἀέρα ἁρπαγὴν τῶν θεοφιλῶν ψυχῶν καὶ τὴν ὁμοῦ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως συναγωγὴν πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ φοβεροῦ βήματος, εἶτα τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἑκατέρων τῶν παρισταμένων μερῶν, τοὺς μὲν δικαίους καλοῦσαν εἰς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, τοὺς δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἀποπέμπουσαν εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἐξώτερον. τοίνυν ἡ ταῦτα ἐννοοῦσα εὐαισθήτως ψυχὴ τρέμει, δεδιᾷ, κατανύσσεται, δακρύει, καθαίρεται, φωτίζεται, ἐξισταμένη τῶν τῇδε σχέσεων, ἀλλοιουμένη τε τὴν καλὴν ἀλλοίωσιν καὶ πρὸς θεὸν ἀνατρέχουσα ἐν χαρᾷ πνευματικῇ καὶ ἀρρήτῳ θυμηδίᾳ, ὡς ἀποστρέφεσθαι μὲν καὶ ἥλιον ὁρᾶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἡδέων τοῦ παρόντος βίου διὰ τὴν ὑπερνικῶσαν τοῦ καλοῦ θεωρίαν. Οὕτως ἔστιν τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἀγωνίζεσθαι, τιμιωτάτη, τοῦτον δὴ ἀγωνισαμένη ἡ καλή σου μήτηρ ἐκολλήθη θεῷ καὶ μετέβη ἐπαινετῶς τῶν ἐνθένδε. ἐπειχθῶμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς, παρακαλῶ, τοῖς ἐκείνης ἴχνεσιν ἕπεσθαι· καὶ μή τι ἰλιγγιάσῃς πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκκαλουμένη, τὸ μὲν ὅτι χάριτι θεοῦ καὶ συνεπαίρῃ ταῖς καλαῖς ἀναβάσεσιν, ἐξ ὧν ἀκούω εὖ πράττειν σε, τὸ δέ, ὅτι, οὗ τὸ θέλειν πάρεστιν, ἐκεῖ κατὰ μικρὸν καὶ ἡ τελείωσις προσγίνεται, τοῦ θεοῦ δυναμοῦντος καὶ φιλοῦντος τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ οὕτως προαιρουμένου. τάχα δὲ τὴν προστασίαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐμπόδιον ἡγήσῃ τῆς τοιαύτης προθέσεως, προσβαρουμένη τῇ ὁδηγίᾳ. ἀλλὰ μηδαμῶς, ὦ κυρία· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀγαπητὸν θεῷ ὡς τὸ ποιμαίνειν καὶ ὁδηγεῖν τοὺς ἑπομένους. φησὶ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν μέγαν Πέτρον· εἰ ἀγαπᾷς με, ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. καὶ πάλιν· ὁ ἐξάγων ἄξιον ἐξ ἀναξίου ὡς στόμα μου ἔσται. καὶ πάλιν· ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἐπιτρέχων τις ἐκ φιλαρχίας δράξηται τῆς ποιμαντικῆς ῥάβδου, μισητὸς καὶ ἀπόπτυστος θεῷ, οὔτε σῴζων οὔτε σῳζόμενος· ἂν δὲ κληθεὶς δι' ὑπακοὴν θεοῦ δέξηται τὴν προστασίαν, καὶ φίλος θεῷ καὶ σῴζων καὶ σῳζόμενος ἀποδειχθήσεται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὴ οὕτως κέκλησαι, χαῖρε καὶ τρέμε, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀγωνίαν· ἡγοῦ καὶ κατευοδοῦ, ποιμαίνουσα καὶ διαφέρουσα τὴν φροντίδα τῆς ἀδελφότητος. ὀρρωδεῖ σε τὰ θρυλλούμενα, ὡς φῆς; ἀλλ' ἔχεις θεὸν ἐπίκουρον συνεργίᾳ τῶν προσευχῶν τῆς μητρός, ἐφ' ᾧ τὴν μέριμνάν σου ἐπιρρίψοις καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει ῥᾴους τὰς διαθέσεις σου. οὐκ ἔχειν λέγεις τινὰ τὸν προστατοῦντά σοι γνησίως; ἀλλ' ἔχεις τὸν προστάτην αὐτὸν ὃν ἠγάπησας Κύριον, ἔπειτα καὶ τὸν φύλακα τῆς ζωῆς σου ἄγγελον, ῥυόμενόν σε ἐκ παντὸς κακοῦ. Διὸ εὐθύμει καὶ μὴ ἀθύμει, εὐρώστει καὶ μὴ ἀρρώστει, πρόνοιαν ποιοῦσα τῆς εὐεξίας τοῦ σώματος, ἵνα δουλεύῃς θεῷ ἀρκούντως καὶ διέπῃς τὰς ἀδελφάς. καὶ αἱ ἀδελφαὶ πάλιν (πρὸς αὐτὰς γὰρ ὁ λόγος ἐπιστρέφοιτο) ἵνα ἕπωνται κατὰ λόγον καὶ ποιμαίνωνται θεοπρεπῶς, σὲ μόνον ἀναπνέουσαι καὶ σὲ μητέρα ἀληθινὴν γνωρίζουσαι καὶ συγγόνους ἀψευδεῖς ἀλλήλας. ὅπου γὰρ ἡ τοιαύτη συμψυχία πάρεστιν, ἐκεῖ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν μέσῳ καὶ ἡ μακαρία ζωὴ τελειουμένη· μακαρίαν γὰρ ζωὴν εἵλαντο, παρθενίαν ἀσπασάμεναι καὶ Χριστὸν νυμφίον ἔχουσαι καὶ οὐκ ἐπικήρους μνήστορας, ὧν ἡ συνάφεια ὀδυνηρὰ καὶ ἡ μικρὸν ὕστερον διάζευξις ἀλγεινοτέρα. ὃν δὲ νυμφίον ἔχουσι, Χριστόν, οὔποτε ἀποθνήσκει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζωή ἐστι τῶν ἁπάντων καὶ συνεισελεύσονται αὐτῷ, τηροῦσαι τὸ ἐπάγγελμα τῆς ἁγνείας εἰς τὸν οὐράνιον νυμφῶνα. καὶ φαγέτωσαν καὶ πιέτωσαν καὶ ἐνδιδυσκέσθωσαν καὶ ὅ τι ἂν ἄλλο χρειῶδες λαμβανέτωσαν πρὸς τῆς εὐδιακρίτου σου θεοφιλίας· ἐπείπερ φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος· οὕτως ὀμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς. μόνον ὁμογνωμονείτωσαν, συμφρονείτωσαν, μίαν ψυχὴν ἔχουσαι, ἓν θέλημα, πάντα κοινά, μηδὲν ἰδιόκτητον, μηδὲν ἑτερόγνωμον, καὶ τὸ πᾶν αὐταῖς τῆς σωτηρίας ἐξείργασται καὶ ὁ σύντομος καὶ ὁ πάγκαλος τοῦ κοινοβιακοῦ βίου διήνυσται. καὶ χορεύσουσιν εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων μετὰ σοῦ, τῆς καλῆς μητρὸς καὶ θεόφρονος· οὕτω γὰρ τὸ καλὸν κοινόβιον καὶ ἡ καλῶς ποιμαίνουσα εὐφρανθήσονται ὁμοδίαιτον εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἔσονται σὺν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε. Αὕτη ἡμῶν ἡ μικρὰ καὶ μηδαμινὴ προσφώνησις. σὺ δέ, κυρία, τὰ βραχέα σπέρματα λαβοῦσα, παρ' ἑαυτῆς πρόσθες τὰ ἐλλείποντα καὶ προσεύχεσθαι περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν παρακλήθητι· ἵνα, ὧν λόγων ἐσμὲν διδάσκαλοι, τούτων ἐνεργεῖς ὀφθῶμεν πράκτορες καὶ σωθῶμεν σὺν ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν.