Letter 936

To Marianus the Monk. The physician, whether he punishes by inflicting pains upon the sick man, or whether he warms and gives him rest, does everything with care and with knowledge. But you, if you wish neither here nor there to pay the penalty, demand a reckoning of yourself; for if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged [1 Corinthians 11:31]. And how, you may say, am I to exact payment from myself? I will tell you. Humble yourself, mourn, and groan over your transgressions. For it is no small punishment and torment to the soul to reflect upon and to lament one's own failings; rather this very thing is a great pain, an affliction, and a chastisement, and on this account God grants the prize of righteousness to the man who wears himself down through confession. For Scripture says: Declare your sins first, that you may be justified [Isaiah 43:26]; declare them before another accuses you, that you may become righteous.

Ὁ ἰατρὸς κἂν κολάζῃ ὀδύνας προσάγων τῷ κάμνοντι, κἂν θάλπῃ καὶ ἀναπαύῃ, κηδεμονικῶς πάντα καὶ μετ’ ἐπιστήμης ποιεῖ. Σὺ δέ, εἰ βούλει μήτε ἐνταῦθα, μήτ’ ἐκεῖ δοῦναι δίκας, ἀπαίτησον σεαυτὸν εὐθύνας· εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα. Καὶ πῶς, ἄν, φαίης, ἐμαυτὸν εἰσπράξω; Ἐγὼ φήσῃ. Ταπείνωσον ἑαυτόν, πένθησον καὶ στέναξον ἐπὶ τοῖς παραπτώμασί σου. Οὐ μικρὰ γὰρ τιμωρία καὶ βάσανος τῇ ψυχῇ, τὸ ἀναλογίζεσθαι καὶ θρηνεῖν τὰ οἰκεῖα σφάλματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγάλη τοῦτό γε ὀδύνη, αἰκία, καὶ κόλασις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἆθλον δικαιοσύνης χαρίζεται Θεὸς τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ δι’ ἐξομολογήσεως αὐτὸν κατατρύχοντι. Λέγε γάρ, φησί, πρῶτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς· λέγε, πρὶν ἄλλος σου κατηγορήσῃ, ἵνα δίκαιος γένῃ.