Letter 60: Love conquers anger, envy, quarrels, and attachment to the world.

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us in Jesus Christ, strengthened us in the faith of his Christ when we were shaken, raised us up through his death when we had fallen, rescued us from poverty, and saved us from the hands of those who enslaved us. He sent from his holy heaven Christ, our redeemer and the savior of our souls, and gave us boldness in him, because he conquered all the powers opposed to us, saying, "Take heart; I have conquered the world." He drove Satan out from us through his holy commandments, opened for us the door of life, and made known to us the way, that is, himself, as he says, "I am the way." Running in him and through him, we shall receive knowledge of the worshipful and holy Trinity. Since our God is love, my brothers, according to John's word, the person who walks in love does not grow angry with his brother, does not rage, does not envy, does not quarrel, and is not jealous. Love does not allow the person who has acquired it to do any of these things. Instead, according to blessed Paul, it rejoices with those who rejoice, which is a sign of freedom from envy, and weeps with those who weep, which is an example of mercy. Both display holy love. If it is useful to set out the nature of love clearly, I think it is this: love is the virtue of a rational soul, completed by abstaining from every corruptible object of desire and making people disciples of Christ. The one who truly possesses love despises food, possessions, and vainglory, and along with these denies his own flesh for the love of the knowledge of God. How could someone be patient with the person who strikes him on the cheek if he loves vainglory or his own body? And how could someone avoid going to court against the person who takes his money if he is held by passions for food and property? Therefore it is written, "Do not love the world or the things in the world," so that you may not be defiled by fighting and litigating over them. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God. And if our God is love, as it is written, friendship with this world is hostility toward holy love.

Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0): ευλογητος θεος ο πατηρ του κυριου ημων Ι. Χ. ος ηυλογησεν ημας εν Ι. Χ. και εστηριξεν ημας εν πιστει του Χ. αυτου σαλευθεντας και ανωρθωσεν ημας δια θανατου αυτου πεσοντας και ελυτρωσεν ημας εκ της πτωχειας και εσωσεν ημας εκ χειρων καταδουλουντων πεμψας απ' ουρανου της αγιοτητος αυτου τον Χ. λυτρωτην ημων και σωτηρα των ψυχων, και εδωκεν ημιν εν αυτωι παρρησιαν οτι πασας τας δυναμεις ημιν αντικειμενας ενικησε λεγων θαρσειτε εγω νενικηκα τον κοσμον και εξεβαλεν ημων τον σατανα δια των αγιων αυτου εντολων και ανεωιξεν ημιν την θυραν ζωης και εγνωρισεν ημιν την οδον τουτεστιν αυτος ην η οδος καθως φησι εγω ειμι η οδος , εν ηι δη και δι' ης τρεχοντες γνωσιν της προσκυνητης και αγιας τριαδος ληψομεθα. οτι δη ουν ο θεος ημων αγαπη εστιν, αδελφοι μου, κατα το ιωαννου ρημα, ο περιπατων εν αγαπηι ουκ οργιζεται κατα του αδελφου, ου μηνιει, ου φθονει, ου φιλονεικει ουδε ζηλοτυπει οτι εν τι τουτων η αγαπη ουκ αφιησι ποιειν τον κτησαμενον αυτην, αλλα κατα τον μακαριον παυλον χαιρει μετα των χαιροντων — εστι δε τουτο σημειον του αφθονου — και κλαιει μετα των κλαιοντων — εστι δε τουτο ελεους υποδειγμα· εκατερα δε ταυτα την αγιαν αγαπην παριστησιν. ει δε συμφερει δηλαυγως εκθειναι την φυσιν της αγαπης ουτως νομιζω, οτι εστιν η αγαπη αρετη λογικης ψυχης δι αποχης παντων των φθαρτων επιθυμητων τελουμενη και κατορθουσα τους Χ. μαθητας· οντος γαρ κεκτηται την αγαπην ος εδεσματος και κτηματων και κενοδοξιας καταφρονει και μετα τουτου και την αυτου σαρκα απαρνειται δι αγαπην της θεου γνωσεως. πως γαρ τις μακροθυμησει προς τον ραπιζοντα επι την σιαγονα αυτου ει την κενοδοξιαν η την αυτου σαρχα (σωμα) φιλει, η πως ου δια πολεμου δικασεται τωι αυτον χρηματα αφελοντι ο παθεσιν εδεσματος και κτηματος κατεχομενος; τοιγαρουν γεγραπται μη αγαπατε τον κοσμον μηδε τα εν τωι κοσμωι ινα μη στασιαζοντες περι τουτων και δικαζομενοι μολυνθητε· η γαρ φιλια του κοσμου εχθρα εστι τωι θεωι . και ει ο θεος ημων αγαπη εστι, καθως γεγραπται, η φιλια τουτου του χοσμου εχθρα δη εστι της αγιας αγαπης· ου γαρ εστι κτασθαι αγαπην τον κοσμον μη μισουντα ουδε μισειν τον κοσμον εαν μη τα παθη αποθωμεθα εν οις υφισταται ο παλαιος ημων ανθρωπος εν απατης επιθυμιαις διαφθειρομενος Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.