1 | grc-pg Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐάγριος· Καθεζόμενος ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ, συνάγαγέ σου τὸν λογισμόν· μνήσθητι ἡμέρας θανάτου· ἴδε τότε τοῦ σώματος τὴν νέκρωσιν· ἐννόει τὴν συμφοράν· λαβὲ τὸν πόνον· κατάγνωθι τῆς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ματαιότητος· ὅπως δυνηθῇς διαπαντὸς μένειν ἐν τῇ προθέσει τῆς ἡσυχίας, καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσῃς. Μνήσθητι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ νῦν καταστάσεως· λογίζου τὸ πῶς εἰσιν ἐκεῖ αἱ ψυχαὶ, ἐν ποίᾳ δεινοτάτῃ σιωπῇ, ἐν ποίῳ πικροτάτῳ στεναγμῷ, καὶ πηλίκῳ φόβῳ καὶ ἀγῶνι καὶ προσδοκίᾳ· τὴν ἄπαυστον ὀδύνην, τὸ ψυχικὸν καὶ ἀπέραντον δάκρυον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμέρας ἀναστάσεως μνήσθητι, καὶ παραστάσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· φαντάζου τὸ φρικῶδες καὶ φοβερὸν ἐκεῖνο κρῖμα. Ἄγε εἰς μέσον τὰ ἀποκείμενα τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν, αἰσχύνην τὴν κατ' ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, τουτέστι κολαστήρια, πῦρ αἰώνιον, σκώληκα τὸν ἀκοίμητον, τὸν τάρταρον, τὸ σκότος, τὸν τῶν ὀδόντων βρυγμὸν, τοὺς φόβους καὶ τὰς βασάνους. Ἄγε δὴ καὶ τὰ τοῖς δικαίοις ἀποκείμενα ἀγαθὰ, παῤῥησίαν τὴν μετὰ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων, καὶ παντὸς δήμου τῶν ἁγίων, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τὰ ταύτης δωρήματα τὴν χαρὰν καὶ τὴν ταύτης ἀπόλαυσιν. Ἑκατέρων τούτων τὴν μνήμην ἄγε σεαυτῷ· καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κρίσει δάκρυσον, πένθησον, φοβούμενος μὴ καὶ σὺ αὐτὸς ἐν τούτοις γένῃ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀποκειμένοις τοῖς δικαίοις, χαῖρε καὶ εὐφραίνου. Καὶ τούτων μὲν σπούδασον ἐν ἀπολαύσει γενέσθαι, καὶ ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι ἐκείνων. Ὅρα μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ποτὲ, κἂν ἔνδον τοῦ κελλίου σου τυγχάνῃς, κἂν ἔξω που, τῆς παροὺς καὶ βλαβεροὺς διαφεύξῃ λογισμούς. | lat-pg Dixit abbas Evagrius: Cum sedes in cella collige mentem tuam; memento diei mortis; tunc vide corporis mortificationem: cogita calamitatem; laborem assume; condemna vanitatem mundi; quo possis manere semper in quietae vitae proposito nec in infirmitatem incidas. Memor quoque esto status praesentis in inferno: reputa quemadmodum illic degant animae, in quo gravissimo silentio, in quo amarissimo gemitu, in quali timore, certamine, exspectatione; reputa nunquam desinentem dolorem, lacrymas animae easque interminatas. Sed et recordare diei resurrectionis, ac exhibitionis ad Deum: imaginare horribile tremendumque illud judicium. Profer in medium quae reposita sunt peccatoribus, ignominiam coram Deo, angelis, archangelis, cunctis hominibus; supplicia, ignem sempiternum, vermem nunquam dormientem, tartarum, tenebras, stridorem dentium, terrores, tormenta. Profer pariter justis bona reposita, fiduciam cum Deo Patre, et Christo ejus, angelis, archangelis, cuncto sanctorum coetu, regnum coelorum, ejusque dona, gaudium ejusque voluptatem. Horum utrorumque memoriam adduc in mentem tuam; ac de peccatorum quidem judicio, fle, luge, veritus ne tu quoque inter illos consistas; de iis vero quae reposita sunt justis, gaude ac laetare. Atque tum his frui contende, tum ab illis esse alienus. Cave ne unquam, sive intra cellam tuam resideas, sive extra sis, haec e memoria elabantur; quo vel per haec eadem sordidas noxiasque effugias cogitationes. | eng-ward Abba Evagrius said, 'Sit in your cell, collecting your thoughts. Remember the day of your death. See then what the death of your body will be; let your spirit be heavy, take pains, condemn the vanity of the world, so as to be able to live always in the peace you have in view without weakening. Remember also what happens in hell and think about the state of the souls down there, their painful silence, their most bitter groanings, their fear, their strife, their waiting. Think of their grief without end and the tears their souls shed eternally. But keep the day of resurrection and of presentation to God in remembrance also. Imagine the fearful and terrible judgement. Consider the fate kept for sinners, their shame before the face of God and the angels and archangels and all men, that is to say, the punishments, the eternal fire, worms that rest not, the darkness, gnashing of teeth, fear and supplications. Consider also the good things in store for the righteous: confidence in the face of God the Father and His Son, the angels and archangels and all the people of the saints, the kingdom of heaven, and the gifts of that realm, joy and beatitude. 'Keep in mind the remembrance of these two realities. Weep for the judgement of sinners, afflict yourself for fear lest you too feel those pains. But rejoice and be glad at the lot of the righteous. Strive to obtain those joys but be a stranger to those pains. Whether you be inside or outside your cell, be careful that the remembrance of these things never leaves you, so that, thanks to their remembrance, you may at least flee wrong and harmful thoughts.' |
