Letter 901

To Anastasius. That woman whom the Gospel mentions, who defiled the ground with the drops of her unspeakable flow of blood [the woman with the issue of blood, Matthew 9:20-22], is taken as a figure of every unclean soul. For by employing surpassing faith, and by touching the hem of the Master's garment, she immediately dried up the fountain of her blood. From this we are taught that for every person who fears on account of his sins, but who believes and calls upon Christ the Son of God, the Sun of Righteousness rises, justifying the one who has sinned and granting healing through his undefiled wings [cf. Malachi 4:2]. Know well that the person who, though held fast by desire and by fleshly habit, yet through the fear of God cuts through such mighty bonds, is to be reckoned no less than those who have contended in the greatest contest.

Ἡ γυνὴ ἐκείνη, ἧς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον μέμνηται, ἣ τὴν γῆν μολύνασα τοῖς τοῦ ἀφάτου αἵματος σταγονοῖς, εἰς πρόσωπον πάσης ψυχῆς ἀκαθάρτου λαμβάνεται. Πίστει γὰρ ὑπερβαλούσῃ χρησαμένη ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἁψαμένη κρασπέδου Δεσποτικοῦ, εὐθὺς ἐξήρανε τὴν τοῦ αἵματος πηγήν. Ἐξ οὗ διδασκόμεθα, ὅτι παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ φοβουμένῳ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, πιστεύοντι δέ, καὶ ἐπικαλουμένῳ Χριστὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνατέλλει ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος δικαιοποιῶν τὸν ἐξαμαρτήσαντα, καὶ θεραπείαν διὰ τῶν ἀχράντων πτερύγων δωρούμενος. Εὖ ἴσθι τῶν τὴν μεγίστην ἄθλησιν ἀθλησάντων οὐκ ἔλαττον ἀλογιστέον ἄνθρωπον τῶν ἐπιθυμίᾳ μέν, καὶ συνηθείᾳ σαρκικῇ κατεχόμενον, διὰ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβον, διακόπτοντα τοὺς τοιούτους ἰσχυροὺς δεσμούς.