Letter 363

To Heliodorus the Monk. As for those who, struggling against the pleasures through many labors and sweat and a long stretch of time, have at last with difficulty attained the gift of dispassion [apatheia, freedom from disordered passion], let us permit them to hold meetings with the women who practice asceticism. But those who, like you, are weighed down with the passions of pleasure-loving, let them be kept from such a most perilous interview, lest they cast both their own souls and the souls of others into the pit. For without some inescapable and necessary need, one ought not to look upon women, whether they be canonical [consecrated nuns] or worldly. And to the men of this world who urge us into their own houses, that we may offer prayers on their behalf, we must say the word of the Gospel in humility: "I am not worthy in virtues, that I should enter into your house [echoing Luke 7:6]; but since you believe that you are helped through the prayer of the monks, let it be done for you, even as you have believed [Matthew 8:13]." And all the fathers and brothers who love our insignificance shall be entreated by me to pray sincerely on behalf of the worldly men who have made their request.

Ὅσοι μὲν πολλοῖς πόνοις, καὶ ἱδρῶσι, καὶ χρόνῳ μακρῷ μαχόμενοι ταῖς ἡδοναῖς, μόλις ποτὲ τοῦ χαρίσματος ἐπέτυχον τῆς ἀπαθείας, τούτοις συγχωρήσωμεν συντυχίας ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς ἀσκητρίας. Ὅσοι δὲ κατά σε πάθεσι φιληδονίας πεφορτισμένοι εἰσίν, εἰργέσθωσαν τῆς τοιαύτης σφαλερωτάτης ἐντεύξεως, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τὰς ἰδίας ψυχάς, καὶ τὰς ἀλλοτρίας εἰς βάραθρον ῥίψωσιν. Ἄνευ γὰρ ἀπαιραίτητου τινὸς, καὶ ἀναγκαίας χρείας, οὐ δεῖ βλέπειν θελείας, κἂν κανονικαὶ ὦσι, κἂν κοσμικαὶ. Τοῖς δὲ προτρέπουσιν ἡμᾶς εἰς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν οἴκους βιωτικοῖς ἀνδράσιν, ὥστε ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιήσασθαι προσευχὰς, λεκτέον τὸ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, ὅτι· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἐν ἀρεταῖς, ἵνα εἰσέλθω εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου· ἐπεὶ δὲ πιστεύεις ὠφελεῖσθαι δι’ εὐχῆς τῶν μοναχῶν, γενέσθω σοι, καθὼς καὶ ἐπίστευσας. Καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ ἀγαπῶντες τὴν ἡμετέραν εὐτέλειαν πατέρες καὶ ἀδελφοὶ παρακληθήσονται παρ’ ἐμοῦ προσεύξασθαι γνησίως ὑπὲρ τῶν δεηθέντων βιωτικῶν.