Letter 891

To Chariton. Just as smoke, once it has risen up into the air, leaves behind no trace of its own nature, and, having become one fire with the fire, is no longer to be found, so too, when you for a long time entreat the Lord who loves mankind and supplicate him, if the divine grace and power overtakes you, the passions that now prevail will be brought round to utter disappearance. For the darkness does not endure the presence of the light, nor does sickness hold its ground once health has overtaken it. The passions, therefore, are not active when dispassion is present.

Ὥσπερ ὁ καπνὸς ἀναχθεὶς εἰς τὸν ἀέρα σημεῖον τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως οὐχ ὑπελείπετο, καὶ πῦρ ἓν πυρὶ γενόμενος οὐκ ἔτι εὑρίσκεται· οὕτως ἐπὶ πολὺ παρακαλοῦντός σου τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Κύριον, καὶ καθικετεύοντος, ἐὰν φθάσῃ ἐπὶ σὲ ἡ θεία χάρις καὶ δύναμις, τὰ νῦν ἐπικρατοῦντα πάθη εἰς ἀφανισμὸν περιστήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ ὑπομένει τὸ σκότος, τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς παρουσίαν, οὔτε νόσος ἵσταται ἐπιλαθούσης ὑγείας. Οὐκ ἐνεργεῖ οὖν τὰ πάθη παρούσης τῆς ἀπαθείας.