Letter 897

To Eupraxius the Deacon. From the saying of the holy psalmist, "Who will give me wings like a dove's?" [Psalm 54:7 LXX], we are taught that it belongs to God to give us spiritual wings, so that both now we may have the strength to fly over the deadly passions, and at our departure [death] over the demonic phalanxes that rush against us. Yet the Lord does not bestow the divine grace of spiritual gifts simply upon any chance comers, but upon those who ask for it with toil and labor and sweat, by night and by day. Therefore, more than anything else, let us devote ourselves to the service of prayer.

Ἐκ τοῦ λέγειν τὸν ἅγιον· «Τίς δώσει μοι πτέρυ-γας ὡσεὶ περιστερᾶς;» διδασκόμεθα, ὅτι παρὰ Θεοῦ Ἀ ἔστι τὸ δοῦναι ἡμῖν πνευματικὰς πτέρυγας, ἵνα καὶ νῦν τὰ ὀλέθρια πάθη, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐξόδῳ τὰς δαιμονικὰς φάλαγγας ὁρμώσας καθ’ ἡμῶν, ὑπερπῆναι ἰσχύσωμεν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ τοῖς τυχοῦσι τὴν θείαν τῶν πνευματικῶν χάριν δωρεῖται ὁ Κύριος, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μετὰ πόνου καὶ μόχθου, καὶ ἱδρῶτος αἰτουμένοις νύκτωρ, καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέραν. Οὐκοῦν πλέον πάντων τὴν εὐκτικὴν λατρείαν μεταχειρισώμεθα.