Letter 902

To Theophron the Deacon. "Draw near to God," Scripture says, "and he will draw near to you" [James 4:8]. It is a good thing, then, to be joined to God through a pure and undefiled heart. But if this is not possible because of some sluggishness or weakness of soul, then at least through your groanings, and your lamentations, and your good hope, be earnest to entwine yourself about the invisible and longed-for feet of Jesus Christ, our benevolent Master and Lord. For God the King of all, being compassionate, does not turn away from those who gape after him and who groan from the depth of their heart, even if they happen to be burdened with many sins; rather, he receives them and cleanses them, and bestows on them the gift of adoption [as sons], and reveals them, as time goes on, to be workers of the virtues.

«Ἐγγίσατε, φησί, τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν.» Καλὸν μὲν οὖν τὸ διὰ καθαρᾶς καὶ ἀμιάντου καρδίας συνάπτεσθαι τῷ θεῷ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐνδέχεται τοῦτο διά τινα νωθρείαν, ἢ ἀσθένειαν ψυχῆς, κἂν διὰ τῶν στεναγμῶν, καὶ τῶν θρήνων, καὶ τῆς εὐελπιστίας σπούδαζε περιπλέκεσθαι τοῖς ἀοράτοις, καὶ ποθεινοῖς ποσὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Δεσπότου Κυρίου ἡμῶν. Εὐσπλαγχνος γάρ ὧν ὁ παμβασιλεὺς θεός, οὐκ ἀποστρέφεται τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν κεχηνότας, καὶ ἀπὸ βάθους καρδίας στενάζοντας, κἂν πολλοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι πεφορτισμένοι τυγχάνωσι, ἀλλὰ προσίεται καὶ καθαρίζει τούτους, καὶ τῆς υἱοθεσίας δωρεῖται τὸ χάρισμα, καὶ ἀρετῶν ἐργάτας ἀποφαίνει προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου.