Letter 668

To Dracontius the Monk. Christ takes delight when we constrain him, that he may remain with us. Now that the light of virtue has dawned upon us, let us therefore constrain him, just as Cleopas did [Luke 24:29, the disciple at Emmaus who urged Christ to stay], that he may abide together with us, and recline at table with our meanness and with our lowliness, and break the divine bread, and bestow it upon our soul. And nothing is more constraining than prayer, which often forces even the appointed times. For prayer is all-powerful and unconquerable, even as the devil too strives eagerly to hinder us with the most grievous and burdensome temptations, so that, as though gaining no benefit, we may let go the weapon of the greatly profitable and saving prayer that is in Christ.

Ἥδεται Χριστὸς βιαζομένων ἡμῶν αὐτὸν, ἵνα μείνῃ μεθ’ ἡμῶν. Δήξαντος ἡμῖν λοιπὸν τοῦ φωτὸς τῆς ἀρετῆς, βιασώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτὸν, καθάπερ ὁ Κλεώπας, ἵνα συμμείνῃ ἡμῖν, καὶ συγκατακλιθῇ τῇ εὐτελείᾳ ἡμῶν, καὶ τῇ ταπεινότητι ἡμῶν, κλάσῃ τὸν θεῖον ἄρτον, καὶ ἐπιδῷ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ψυχῇ. Οὐδὲν δὲ ὑπάρχει εὐχῆς βιαιότερον τῆς ἐδιαζομένης πολλάκις καὶ τοὺς καιρούς. Διότι παντοδύναμός ἐστιν ἡ εὐχὴ, καὶ ἀήττητος, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ διάβολος κωλύειν ἡμᾶς σπουδάζει πειρασμοῖς χαλεπωτάτοις καὶ φορτικοῖς, ἵνα ὡς μηδὲν ὠφελούμενοι, ἐάσωμεν τὸ ὅπλον τῆς μεγαλοωφελοῦς, καὶ σωτηρίου εὐχῆς τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ.