Letter 965

To John the Monk. If for the present the demons afflict you through manifold temptations, and drive you toward grievous sorrow and despondency, and that final evil, despair, call to mind the various dispensations of God toward you before you took up the monastic habit [the monk's profession and garb], and his protections, and his many acts of help, and his sufficient benefits. For such remembrance raises up the soul that is already sinking, and anoints it the more toward hope, and urges it on, and thrusts away the enemies who lead men by the hand into despair. Besides these things, it profits you to reason thus: that the Lord, who formerly took thought for me, even when I was not yet serving him, will now far more make provision, and will furnish help, and will confer still greater benefits, and will steer me to safety, now that I bow beneath his yoke and minister to him, and serve him according to my power, and wait upon his compassion.

Ἐὰν πρὸς τὸ παρὸν διὰ τῶν ποικίλων πειρασμῶν θλίβωσί σε οἱ δαίμονες, καὶ ὠθῶσι πρὸς βαρεῖαν λύπην, καὶ τὴν ἀθυμίαν, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον κακὸν πρὸς ἀπόγνωσιν, ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν πρὸ τοῦ σχήματος τοῦ μοναδικοῦ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς σὲ οἰκονομιῶν διαφόρων, καὶ προστασιῶν, ἀντιλήψεών τε οὐκ ὀλίγων, καὶ εὐεργεσιῶν ἱκανῶν. Ἢ γὰρ τοιαύτη ἀνάμνησις, κλίνουσαν ἤδη τὴν ψυχὴν ἀνίστησιν, καὶ πρὸς ἐλπίδα μᾶλλον ἀλείφει, καὶ προτρέπει, καὶ ἀπωθεῖται τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς τῆς ἀπογνώσεως χειραγωγούς. Πρὸς τούτοις δὲ ὠφελεῖς λογίζεσθαι ταῦτα· ὅτι ὁ πρῴην φροντίδα μου θέμενος Κύριος, καίτοι μήπω δουλεύοντός μου αὐτῷ, νῦν πολλῷ πλέον προνοήσει, καὶ παρέξει βοήθειαν, καὶ πλεῖον εὐεργετήσει, καὶ διακυβερνήσει ὑποκύπτοντός μου καὶ ὑπουργοῦντος, λατρεύοντός τε κατὰ δύναμιν, καὶ ἐξυπηρετουμένου τῇ αὐτοῦ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ.