Letter 811

To Philippus. "He who finds his soul will lose it; and he who loses his soul will find it." [Matthew 10:39; Luke 17:33] You see in these words a most excellent losing and a good finding. Whenever, therefore, after examining your own soul, you find it in some sin, hasten to lose it from that wretched habit, so that it may again be found by you, having returned to its ancient good, that is, to the virtuous life.

« Ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτήν. » Βλέπεις ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασι τούτοις ἀπώλειαν καλλίστην, καὶ εὕρεσιν ἀγαθήν· Ὅταν τοῖνυν κατανοήσας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν εὕρῃς ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ τινί, σπεῦσον τοῦ ἀπολέσαι ταύτην τῆς μοχθηρᾶς ἕξεως, ἵνα πάλιν εὑρεθῇ σοι ἐπανελθοῦσα εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον καλόν, τουτέστιν τὴν ἐνάρετον ζωήν.