Letter 4

To Marcellinus the monk. By prayer and by the stretching out of his hands Moses put Amalek to flight [Exodus 17:11-13]. If, then, you bear no resentment against your brother, and if you pray on behalf of the neighbor who afflicts and grieves you, it is plain that your hands are stretched up on high toward heaven, and you most certainly obtain help when you are tempted and worn down by the devil. But if you keep your wrath against your neighbor, and you cast him down, and you find fault with him, and you slander the man, then most certainly you still hold the hands of the inner man below, even if to outward appearance you seem to spread out your hands and your eye toward God; and you will by no means be heard in your supplication. "For your hands," says God, "are full of a brother's blood" [cf. Isaiah 1:15]. For what is more murderous than the bearing of grudges? Let us therefore be persuaded by him who says: Wash yourselves through repentance, and become clean from your wickednesses by means of pure entreaty [cf. Isaiah 1:16]. The demons wish to be set firmly, always, upon outrage against us, and dishonor, and conspiracy against us; but, as the Prophet says, those who rise against us in outrage and with a haughty heart shall be put to shame, and they shall be brought low [cf. Psalm 34/35]. For us, however, there shall be the crown of life, and of glory, and of incorruption, which is woven for those who patiently endure the Lord.

Τῇ εὐχῇ καὶ τῇ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκτάσει ἐτρέψατο Μωϋσῆς τὸν Ἀμαλήκ. Ἐὰν τοίνυν μὴ ἔχεις μνησι- κακίαν πρὸς ἀδελφόν, καὶ εὐχῇ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πέλας θλίβοντος, καὶ λυποῦντός σε, πρόδηλον ὅτι ἄνω εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν αἱ χεῖρές σου ἀνατέτανται, καὶ πάντως βοηθείας ἐπιτυγχάνεις ἐν τῷ πειράζεσθαί σε, καὶ καταπονεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου· ἐὰν δὲ τὴν μῆνιν φυλάττῃς πρὸς τὸν πλησίον, καὶ καταβάλλεις αὐ- τοῦ, καὶ ψέγεις, καὶ διαβάλλεις τὸν ἄνθρωπον, πάν- τως ἔτι κάτω ἔχεις τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου, κἂν εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον δοκῇς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀναπετά- ζειν τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ τὸ ὄμμα, καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσακου- σθῇς δεόμενος· «Αἱ γὰρ χεῖρές σου, φησὶν ὁ Θεός, αἵματος ἀδελφικοῦ πλήρεις εἰσίν.» Τί γὰρ μνης- κακίας φονικώτερον; Πεισθῶμεν οὖν τῷ λέγοντι· Λούσασθαι διὰ μεταμελείας, καὶ καθαροὶ γίνεσθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν διὰ τῆς καθαρᾶς ἱκεσίας. Ἐφ’ ὕβρει, καὶ ἀτιμίᾳ, καὶ ἐπιβουλῇ τῇ καθ’ ἡμῶν διὰ παντὸς ἱδρῦσθαι βούλονται οἱ δαίμονες, ἀλλά, καθὼς λέγει ὁ Προφήτης, αἰσχυνθήσονται οἱ καθ’ ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ὕβρει, καὶ ὑψηλῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται. Ἡμῖν δὲ ἔσται ὁ στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ δόξης, καὶ ἀφθαρσίας, ὃ πλακεὶς τοῖς τὸν Κύριον ὑπομένουσιν.