Letter 952

To Theodorus the Monk. "By day," he says, "I cried out, and in the night before you, O Lord my God." [Psalm 87:2 LXX / 88:1] Do you see how the inspired David becomes a pattern for us of praying without ceasing, and of not being dragged down into acedia [spiritual listlessness, the monk's besetting weariness]? And reasonably so: for if often we have been greatly benefited by meeting with some good man, how much shall we gain by conversing day and night, through prayer and psalmody, with Christ, the Master of all?

Ἡμέρας, φησὶν, ἐκέκραξα, καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ ἐναν- τίον σου, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ὁ Δαυΐδ θεσπέσιος· ὑποτύπωσις γίνεται πρὸς τὸ ἀδιαλεί- πτως λιτανεύειν, καὶ μὴ καταφέρεσθαι εἰς ἀκηδίαν; Καὶ εἰκότως, εἰ πολλάκις τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελήθημεν ἀνδρί τινι ἀγαθῷ συντυχόντες, πηλίκα κερδανοῦμεν καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα προσδιαλεγόμενοι δι' εὐχῆς καὶ ψαλμῳδίας τῷ ὅλων Δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ;