Letter 914

To Eideim. The one who contends [in the ascetic struggle] ought so to forget kinship and family intimacy according to the flesh that he is never at all troubled by the remembrance of these things. Or do you not know that to be excessively attached to one's kindred according to the flesh is a snare of Satan? If, then, you have died to the world, if you have renounced this corruptible life, if you have enrolled yourself in the heavenly army, and rank, and order, let nothing be between you and earthly things, and do not be passionately attached to your race according to the flesh. But if, as you say, they are in need of assistance, then do them good, if you are able, as though they were some unrelated poor strangers; but do not be attached to these people as earthly things, lest you be convicted of being wholly carnal, and earthly, and ignorant.

Τῆς κατὰ σάρκα συγγενείας καὶ οἰκειότητος οὕτως ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι προσήκει τὸν ἀγωνιζόμενον, ὡς μὴ ὅλως ταῖς τούτων μνήμαις παρενοχλεῖσθαί ποτε. Ἢ ἀγνοεῖς ὅτι τὸ ἄγαν προσκεῖσθαι τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα συγγενέσι θήρατρον ὑπάρχει Σατανικόν; Εἰ τέθνηκας τοίνυν τῷ κόσμῳ, εἰ ἀπετάξω τῷ φθειρομένῳ βίῳ, εἰ συνετάξω τῇ οὐρανίῳ στρατιᾷ, καὶ τάξει, καὶ ἀγωγῇ, μηδέν σοι, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιγείοις, μηδὲ πρόσπασχε τῷ κατὰ σάρκα γένει. Εἰ-δὲ, ὡς λέγεις, δέονται ἐπικουρίας, ὥσπερ τινὰς ξένους πτωχούς, εἰ δύνη τούτους εὖ ποίησον, ἀλλὰ μὴ προσπαθεῖς τούτοις γηΐνοις, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇς ὅλος σάρκινος, καὶ γήϊνος, καὶ ἀμαθὴς ὑπάρχων.