Letter 872

To Irenaeus the Deacon. I once saw a boy being whipped rather severely by his overseer; and in his great fear of the blows, because of his tender age, at each lash he leapt toward the one striking him so heavily, with a piteous cry, and clung gently to the one who was beating him in anger. Perhaps, then, we too ought in this way to keep clinging to the one who disciplines us through trials and misfortunes, namely God, and rather, in the more sorrowful condition, to flee to him for refuge and to hold fast to the divine judgment and providence; for he knows what is profitable for us better than we do ourselves. Let us therefore say to him the words of Scripture: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have been greatly filled with contempt, and we have become as men whipped all the day long, for our soul has been filled with evils, and our life has drawn near to Hades. O Lord, in affliction we have remembered you. Do not turn your face away from us, but have compassion on us, O Master, bend yourself toward mercy. Incline your ear to our supplication; rouse up your might, and come to save us, when you will and as you will, O only mighty one."

Εἶδον ἐγὼ μαστιγούμενον παρὰ τοῦ ἐπιστάτου ποτὲ παῖδα σφοδροτέρως, ἐν δὲ τῷ πάνυ τὸν παῖδα τὰς πληγὰς δεδοικέναι διὰ τὴν ἀπαλότητα, καθ᾽ ἑκάστην μάστιγα προσήλατο τῷ ῥαδαίως τύπτοντι μετὰ ἐλεεινῆς φωνῆς, καὶ περιεπλέκετο μειλιχίως τῷ ὀργῆς τύπτοντι. Τάχα τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς οὕτω πλεῖν ὀφείλομεν τῷ παιδεύοντι ἡμᾶς διὰ τῶν πειρασμῶν, καὶ τῶν συμφορῶν Θεῷ, καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ σκυθρωποτέρᾳ καταστάσει προσφεύγειν, καὶ ἔχεσθαι τῆς θείας κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας· πλέον γὰρ ἡμῶν τὸ σύνοφον ἡμῖν ἐπίσταται. Λέγωμεν οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ τῆς Γραφῆς· «Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ὅτι ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐπλήσθημεν ἐξουθενώσεως, καὶ ἐγενόμεθα μεμαστιγωμένοι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, ὅτι ἐπλήσθη κακῶν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν τῷ ᾅδῃ ἤγγισε. Κύριε, ἐν θλίψει ἐμνήσθημέν σου. Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ σπλαγχνίσθητι ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν, ὦ Δέσποτα, κάμφθητι πρὸς ἔλεον. Κλίνον τὸ οὖς σου. εἰς τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν· ἐξέγειρον τὴν δυναστείαν σου, καὶ ἐλθὲ εἰς τὸ σῶσαι ἡμᾶς, ὅτε θέλεις, καὶ ὡς θέλεις, μόνε δυνατέ.