Letter 611

To Theodotus the Presbyter. Now that you have given yourself over to enmity, a harsh storm has fallen upon you, and your understanding, thrown into confusion, can see nothing, nor hear anything sound. But if you force yourself and tear through the cloud of ill will, then you will have the strength, once you have laid aside the hatred you bear toward your neighbor, to be filled with the love that is pleasing to Christ; and the face that was formerly hostile to you, and that now appears repugnant to you because of your ill will, will now appear to you longed-for and delightful, once your reasoning has been enlightened.

Τῇ ἐχθρᾳ προκεχραμένην σοι, χειμὼν ἐπιπέπτωκε χαλεπός, καὶ συγχυθεῖσα ἡ διάνοια, οὐδὲν βλέπειν δύναται, οὔτ’ ἀκοῦσαι ὑγιές· ἂν δὲ βιασάμενος διαρ- ῥήξῃς τὸ νέφος τῆς δυσμενείας, τότε ἰσχύσεις ἀντι- πλησίον ἀποθέμενος μῖσος, ἀγάπῃς ἐμπλησθήσῃ τῆς ἀρεσκούσης Χριστῷ, καὶ ἡ πρώην πολεμικὴ, νῦν ἀηδὴς φαινομένη σοι ὄψις διὰ τὴν δυσμένειαν, νῦν ποθεινή σοι, καὶ ἐπίχαρις φανεῖται, πεφωτισμένου τοῦ λογισμοῦ.