Letter 667

To Daburius the Monk. A great help in the time of trials is this: "By your endurance gain possession of your souls" [Luke 21:19]. He did not say, "By your fasting," or "by your stillness," or "by your psalmody" - and indeed all these things are fitting for the salvation of the soul - but rather, "By your endurance." By endurance, that is, in every trial that comes and in every affliction, whether it be insult, whether it be contempt, or dishonor from any person whatsoever, be he small or great, whether it be sickness of the body, whether it be the uprising of Satanic wars, whether it be any trial whatsoever, whether from human beings or from demons. "By your endurance gain possession of your souls" - not simply by your endurance, but also with all thanksgiving, and prayer, and humility, so that you may bless, so that you may send up hymns to God the Savior of all, the Benefactor, who fits all things together and brings all things to bear advantageously, whether it be good or otherwise. And the Apostle writes: "Through endurance let us run the contest of faith that is set before you" [cf. Hebrews 12:1]. For what is found greater than virtue? And what is more solid, or mightier, than endurance - I mean endurance according to God, the queen of the virtues, the foundation of valorous deeds, the storm-free harbor? For this, this is the peace amid wars, the calm amid the surging wave, the security amid plots and dangers; it makes the one who has accomplished it firmer than adamant. Neither weapons nor bows brandished, nor armies thrown into confusion, nor siege engines brought up, nor bows, nor spears hurled, nor the very camp of the demons, nor the gloomy phalanxes of the opposing powers, nor the devil himself drawn up in battle array with all his host and his machinery, will be able to harm the one who has gained possession of this in Christ.

Μέγα βοήθημά ἐστιν ἐν καιρῷ τῶν πειρασμῶν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐν τῇ νηστείᾳ ὑμῶν, ἢ ἡσυχίᾳ ὑμῶν, ἢ τῇ ψαλμῳδίᾳ ὑμῶν· καὶ μὴν ταῦτα πάντα ἁρμόζει πρὸς σωτηρίαν ψυχῆς· ἀλλ’ ἑ, Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν. Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ, τουτέστιν ἐν παντὶ πειρασμῷ ἐλευσομένῳ, καὶ πάσῃ θλίψει, κἂν ὕβρις ᾖ, κἂν ἐξουδένωσις, ἢ ἀτιμία ἀνθρώπῳ οἰουδήποτε, εἴτε μικρὸς, εἴτε μέγας εἴη, κἂν ἀσθένεια σώματος, κἂν ἐπανάστασις πολέμων Σατανικῶν, κἂν οἱοσδήποτε πειρασμός, εἴτε ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων, εἴτε ἀπὸ δαιμόνων. Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν· οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πάσης εὐχαριστίας, καὶ προσευχῆς, καὶ ταπεινώσεως, ἵνα εὐλογήσῃς, ἵνα ὕμνους ἀναπέμψῃς τῷ Σωτῆρι τῶν ὅλων Θεῷ, τῷ εὐεργέτῃ, τῷ τὰ πάντα ἁρμόζοντι, καὶ συμφερόντως ἐπάγοντι τὰ πάντα, κἂν ἀγαθὸν, κἂν ἄλλως ἔχῃ. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφει· Δι’ ὑπομονῆς τρέχομεν τὸν προκείμενον ὑμῖν ἀγῶνα τῆς πίστεως. Τί γὰρ εὑρίσκεται μεῖζον ἀρετῆς; τί δὲ στερεώτερον, ἢ κραταιότερον ὑπομονῆς, τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν λέγω, τῆς βασιλίδος τῶν ἀρετῶν, τοῦ θεμελίου τῶν ἀνδραγαθημάτων, τοῦ ἀκυμάντου λιμένος; Αὕτη γὰρ, αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν πολέμοις εἰρήνη, ἡ ἐν κλύδωνι γαλήνη, ἡ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς καὶ τοῖς κινδύνοις ἀσφάλεια, ἡ τὸν κατωρθωκότα αὐτὴν, ἀδάμαντος ποιοῦσα στερεώτερον, ἥν οὐχ ὅπλα, καὶ τόξα κινούμενα, οὐδὲ στρατόπεδα ταρασσόμενα, οὐ μηχανήματα προσαγόμενα, οὐ τόξα, οὐ δόρατα ἀφιέμενα, οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ τῶν δαιμόνων στρατόπεδον, οὐχ αἱ ζοφεραὶ φάλαγγες τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων, οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος μετὰ πάσης αὐτοῦ παρατασσόμενος τῆς στρατιᾶς, καὶ τῆς μηχανῆς, παραβλάψαι δυνήσεται τὸν ταύτῃ κτησάμενον ἐν Χριστῷ.