Letter 802

To the same person. The Lord knows exactly and sees the evils which the unclean demons inflict upon us. For He says to Moses: "I know their pain, and the affliction with which the Egyptians afflict them." [Exodus 3:7] But He waits, and is long-suffering for what is profitable to us; He waits in order to multiply the reward of our endurance; He waits so that His compassion may be increased the more and magnified upon us, the pitiable ones, and the more He contrives our perseverance toward Him through our prayers and supplications; that we may learn not to turn away from Him, nor to forget Him, even if at some time we lay hold of freedom from care, and of a peaceful and war-free condition; that through affliction we may make the Benefactor our own; that in being hard-pressed we may flee for refuge to Christ, the most loving of mankind; that in our toiling we may draw near to Him, and in our need may make ourselves ready for help toward Him who is able to give. For this reason we must take refuge in Him with the whole heart and with painful effort, not buzzing or muttering under our breath at all, but in every affliction holding good hope before us.

Οἶδεν ἀκριβῶς καὶ βλέπει Κύριος ἅπερ προστρί- βουσιν ἡμῖν κακὰ οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι δαίμονες. Φησὶ γὰρ τῷ Μωϋσῇ, ὅτι « Οἶδα τὴν ὀδύνην αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸν θλιμμόν, ὃν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι θλίβουσιν αὐτούς. » Ἀλλὰ ἀναμένει, καὶ μακροθυμεῖ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν· ἀναμένει πρὸς τὸ πολυπλασιάσαι τὸν μισθὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἡμῶν· ἀναμένει πρὸς τὸ αὐξηθῆναι μᾶλ- λον καὶ μεγαλυνθῆναι τὸν οἰκτιρμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐλεεινούς, καὶ μᾶλλον σοφίζεται τὴν διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν καὶ δεήσεων ἡμῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν παραμο- νήν· ἵνα μάθωμεν μὴ ἀπονεύειν αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ ἐπι- λανθάνεσθαι, κἄν ποτε τῆς ἀμεριμνίας ἐπιλαβώμεθα, καὶ εἰρηνικῆς καὶ ἀπολεμήτου καταστάσεως· ἵνα διὰ θλίψεως τὸν εὐεργέτην οἰκειωσώμεθα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ στενοχωρεῖσθαι προσφεύγωμεν Χριστῷ τῷ φιλαν- θρωποτάτῳ, ἵνα ἐν τῷ κάμνειν προσεγγίζωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ τῇ χρείῃ ἐν βοηθείας παρασκευαζώμεθα πρὸς τὸν δοῦναι δυνάμενον. Διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ ὁλοκαρ- δίως καὶ ἐπόνως πρὸς αὐτὸν καταφεύγειν, μηδὲ ὅλως βομβαίνοντας ἢ ὑπογογγύζοντας, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐλπίδα προβαλλομέ- νους.