Letters 1–8

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

Before all things I pour out prayer for your health in [things] invisible, dearly beloved brothers. For the visible things are temporal, but the invisible are eternal. I see now that your body has been lifted upward and is wholly alive. For if a man’s body is alive, God will give it an inheritance, and it will be counted in the inheritance of God, and God will repay it the reward of all its labour; for he takes care to keep its living form, so that it may be counted in the inheritance of God. Now I rejoice over you and over your living body. For the one whose body is dead is not reckoned by God to be his; rather God condemns him, who spoke through the prophet to show that their body was dead, saying thus: “Cry out with strength and do not cease; lift up your voice like a trumpet! Declare to my people their sins and to the house of Jacob their iniquity! Day by day they seek me and desire to draw near to God, saying: ‘Why have we fasted and you did not notice; humbled our soul and you did not see?’” Answering, he says to them: “This is not the fast that I have chosen, says the Lord, not even if you bend your neck like … and spread sackcloth and ashes under you. And do not call this an acceptable fast.” And whatever is written after these words. … But you, dearly beloved brothers, have nothing dead in this body; your body is alive. And I pray God for you, that he may keep you, so that your living body may not be changed, but may rather grow with you and increase in joy, kindness, love of the poor, good conduct and all the fruits of holiness, until you go out from here and God receives each one into [that] dwelling where no grief is given, no evil thought, no sickness, no tribulation, but joy and delight and the glory of the promises, which we cannot now recount. 3. These things I have written to you out of the love we have for you, that your heart may be strengthened. And there are many things I want to write to you. Yet “give a wise man an occasion, and he will become wiser.” May the Lord keep you from this evil world, that you may be sound in body, spirit and soul, and may he give you understanding in everything, to free you from the error of the times. Farewell, my dearest ones and my brothers. But any dead body that befalls a man …

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

To those dearly beloved in God. If anyone loves God with all his soul and with all his heart and with all his strength, he acquires fear. And fear begets weeping, and weeping begets joy. Joy begets strength, and through all these the soul bears fruit. And God, seeing its fruits so delightful, accepts it like a sweet fragrance, and in all things God rejoices over it with his angels and gives it a guardian to keep it in all its ways, until he has prepared it for the dwelling of life, where Satan does not prevail over it. For when the Evil One sees this guardian surrounding the soul, he flees with his wicked power. For he is afraid to approach that man and recoils from the power that possesses him. Nevertheless, my dearest ones in the Lord, whom my soul loves, I know that you are friends of God. Acquire that power for yourselves, so that Satan may fear you and you may prosper in all your works. In this way the sweetness of God, as far as it can, will produce power in you. For the divine sweetness is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, and not many of the hermits and virgins have come to know this great sweetness of the Godhead, because they have not acquired the divine power, except a few here and there; for they have not given effort to cultivating that power. Therefore God has not given it to them. But to all who give effort to cultivating it, God grants it. For God is not a respecter of persons, but [gives it] to those who devote themselves to its exercise in every generation and generation … 2. Now, dearly beloved, I know that you are friends of God and that from the moment you came to this work you have loved God with all your heart. For that reason, see, I too love you with all my heart. And because of the sincerity of your heart you are able to acquire this divine power, so that at all times you may work with ease and joy, and every work of God may be easy for you. For this power, when it is granted to a man here, prepares him to enter into rest, until he has passed beyond the activity of the air. For there is a certain activity in the air that holds men back from reaching God. But if they are endowed with divine power, nothing can hold them back. Accordingly, the divine labour (while it dwells in a man) brings it about that he despises all the dishonours and glories of men, hates all the demands of this world, hates all the pleasures of the body, cleanses his heart from all impure thoughts and from all the vain wisdom of this world, and prays with fasting and tears day and night. God, who is good, will not disdain to give [it] to you; and when you have obtained it, you will spend the whole time of your life in quiet and ease and relief, and you will be found in great freedom; and he will give it to you. And there are many things I want to write to you. But I have written these few things because of the great love I have for you. Farewell in the Lord … in heart, in all your works …

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

1. I have written you this letter as to those who love God and seek him with all their heart. For those who are of this kind God hears when they have prayed; he blesses them in all things and grants them all the petitions of their soul, if they entreat him. But those who come to him, yet not with their whole heart, and do their works to be praised by men: such are not heard by God, not even in a single petition they ask of him; rather he is angry at their works. For it says: “God will scatter the bones of those who please men.” You see, then, how greatly God is angry at their works; he does not grant them a single one of the petitions they ask of him, but rather rejects them, because they do not do their works in good faith but do them for the favour of men. For that reason the divine power does not dwell in them, but they are weak in all the works they do. Therefore they do not know the divine power, nor do they ask for its care and ease and grace; but their soul is weighed down with distress in all their works, being double-minded. Very many of our generation are of this kind. Therefore they have not received the divine power that fattens the soul and disposes it to joy and gives it every day the sweetness that makes their heart fervent in God. For the work they do, they do as though for men; therefore it does not come to them. For a man who performs his work as though for men’s sake is an abomination to this power. 3. But you, dearest ones, whom my soul loves, whose fruits are reckoned before God: in all your works strive against the pursuit of vainglory, so that you may overcome it in all things, and your whole body may become acceptable and firm, living before its Maker, and you may receive the divine power, which is more excellent than all these. As for you, I am persuaded, dearly beloved, that you resist the spirit of the love of vainglory as far as you can and wrestle with it constantly. That is why your body is alive. For this evil spirit approaches a man when it sees him ready to do righteousness, wishing to make his fruits void and to corrupt them, and it does not allow a man, as far as it can, to do righteousness. For this evil spirit joins battle with those who wish to be faithful. If, then, some are celebrated by men as faithful, or as humble and despised, or as merciful, this evil spirit at once joins battle with them, overcomes some of them, scatters their bodies and extinguishes them. And how does it extinguish them and bring them to transgress their way of life and their excellence? When it mixes into them the desire to please men; in this way it destroys the body … while men think they are something. Therefore it does not impart power to them but leaves them empty, because it does not find their bodies … 5. But you, dearest ones, wrestle against the spirit of vainglory at all times, so as to defeat it in all things, that the divine power may cling to you at all times. And I will pray to God for you, that this joy may be granted you at all times; for nothing is … than this. But if you see that the fervour has deserted you and withdrawn from you, seek it, and it will return to you again. For fervour is like fire, which turns cold into its own nature. And if you ever see that your heart is weighed down, summon your soul to you and question it, until it grows fervent and is kindled in God. For David too, when he once saw his soul weighed down [with grief], spoke thus: “I poured out my soul upon me; I remembered the days of old and meditated on all your works, and I lifted up my hands to you. My soul thirsted for you like land.” So David did when he saw that his soul was cold, until he had made it fervent; and he received the divine sweetness … and God will reveal to you the greatest mysteries. May God keep you in health of spirit and soul and body, until he brings you into the kingdom with your fathers, who [ended their life] well, for ever and ever. Amen.

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

I know that I am writing to you as to most beloved sons, sons of the promise and sons of the kingdom. Therefore night and day I remember you, that God may keep you from all evil, and that you may be constantly careful that God may continually grant you enlightenment of the eyes and discernment, so that in all things you may learn to discern between good and evil. For it is written: “Solid food belongs to the perfect, who because of their conscience have their senses trained to discern between good and evil.” These are the ones who have become sons of the kingdom and are counted in the measure of the adoption of sons, to whom God gives enlightenment of the eyes in all their works, so that no one can lead them astray, whether man or demon. For the faithful man is ensnared by the appearance of good; and many go astray, for they have not yet received this enlightenment of the eyes from God. Therefore blessed Paul, knowing that these are the greatest riches of the faithful, said: “I bow my knees day and night for them before the Lord Jesus Christ, that he may give them revelation to know him, the eyes of their hearts being enlightened, to know what is the breadth … of the saints.” Since, then, he loved them with all his heart, Paul himself wished these great riches of knowledge, which are the enlightenment of the eyes, to be given to his sons whom he loved, knowing that when these were granted to them they would give attention to nothing else at all, nor be in fear of anything, but the joy of God would be in them night and day; and this would bring it about that God would be sweet to them in everything, above honey and the honeycomb, and that God would be with them continually and grant them revelations and reveal the greatest mysteries, which I cannot speak to you with my tongue. 2. Now, therefore, dearly beloved, since you have been enrolled in the number of my sons, pray day and night that this discernment may always go before you, which has not yet come to you since you embraced this way of life. And I, your father, will pray for you, that you may reach this stature, which not many of the hermits have reached, but only a few souls, and certain individuals in some places. And now, if indeed to this measure … For they will not let you advance; rather they will even extinguish your fervour … by talk of this kind they will extinguish your fervour. That is why it is written: “Do not quench the Spirit.” For he is quenched by such conversations and occupations. When you see any of them, send them away, and do not mingle with them. For in these times such people do not let men gain spiritual growth. Farewell in the Lord, dearly beloved, in a humble spirit.

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

To those dearly beloved in the Lord. It is known to me that the love of God in a man is always mindful of his neighbour. And the neighbour is the one who is counted in the perfect heavenly calling, praying for us night and day as for himself. Since I hold you as friends, I remember you night and day in my prayers, that your faith and excellence may advance and you may receive a power greater than the one you possess. These things I do for you because in God you have been enrolled in the number of my sons. For Paul, writing to Timothy, who had been enrolled in the number of his disciples, wrote thus: “I remember …” … Now therefore, dearly beloved, as Paul did for Timothy, so I too have done for you, remembering also the sighs and the labour of your hearts. For I know that you too long to see me. And that is very fitting. For Paul said: “I long to come to you, that I may impart some spiritual gift” … of the same Spirit, and that I may make known to you other things which I cannot write to you in a letter. Farewell in the Lord in a humble spirit.

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

Night and day I pray that the divine power may advance in you and reveal to you the greatest mysteries of the Godhead, which it is not easy for me to speak with the tongue, since they are great and are not of this world; nor are they revealed except to those who have purged their heart of all uncleanness and of all the vanity of this world, and to those who have been obedient. In these the Godhead dwells, adorning the soul. For just as trees do not grow unless the power of water has access to them, so likewise the soul cannot ascend on high unless it receives heavenly joy. And even if they receive it, there are only a few individuals to whom God reveals heavenly mysteries and shows them their places while they are still in the body, and grants all their petitions. … And these are the ones who receive those great promises from the Son himself, as gifts … 2. My prayer, then, night and day is this: that you may reach this measure and come to know the unsearchable riches of Christ. For few there are who have become perfect in this way. And those to whom the great promises of the Son belong receive gifts and are of benefit to men. For every generation and generation needs men of this kind who have reached this measure, so that each of them may be an example to his contemporaries, just as the one who is reckoned perfect is an example to men. For this reason I pray without ceasing for your sake, because of the love I have for you. For blessed Paul too spoke thus of those he loved: “I wish to give you not only the gospel but also our own souls, because you have become very dear to us.” I have arranged for my son to come to you, until God grants me also to come to you in body and bestow on you greater progress than that in which you now are. For when fathers receive sons, God is there on both sides. Nevertheless, farewell in the Lord.

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

To those dearly beloved in the Lord, who are counted in the lot of the kingdom of heaven. Truly you have sought God in this way, imitating your fathers in faith, that you too might receive the promises; for you have been enrolled in the number of their sons. … their zeal. For this reason blessed Jacob too, because he imitated in every way the fear of God of his fathers, had the blessings of his fathers come upon him; and having received their blessing he at once saw the ladder and the angels ascending and descending. Now, therefore, when some had received a blessing from their fathers and had seen the heavenly hosts, nothing could move them. For blessed Paul, having seen these hosts, became free of passion and cried out, saying: “Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Sword, or famine, or nakedness? … Not even angels, nor principalities and powers, nor height …” 2. Now, therefore, dearly beloved, pour out prayer constantly night and day, that the blessings of my fathers may come upon you, so that in this way the hosts of angels may rejoice over you in all things and you may fill the rest of your days with all joy of heart. For if anyone reaches this measure, the joy of God remains continually with him. From then on he has leisure for nothing else. For it is written: “The light of the righteous is never extinguished.” And I pray that you too may reach the dwelling of life. This I do because of your obedience. For when the Lord saw that his disciples were obedient to him, he prayed to the Father for them, saying: “Where I am, there may these also be,” because they had obeyed his word. And he prayed further that they might be kept from the Evil One, until they reached the dwelling of rest. This I pray and ask of the Lord himself: that you may be kept from the Evil One and reach the dwelling of God’s rest and obtain the blessing. For Jacob, after the ladder, saw face to face the camps of the angels, so that he wrestled with an angel and overcame him. And God did this in order to bless him. May God, whom I have served from my youth, bless you.

Translated by Claude from M. Kmosko's Latin translation (1915) of the Syriac; neither is shown

To those dearly beloved in the Lord. I write to you as to most beloved sons. For fathers according to the flesh also love their sons more when they are like them. So I too, that you may be brought up in my zeal, pray God that what he granted to our blessed fathers he may grant to you also. And I pour out prayer that I may come to you, so that I may hand on to you also high mysteries, which I cannot write to you on paper. Keep yourselves sound for the Father of mercies in tranquillity, that you may … the gift, [if] you give your souls to labour of the body and labour of the heart. And stretch your thoughts toward heaven night and day, asking with all your heart for the Holy Spirit, and he will be given to you. For he was in Elijah the Tishbite and in Elisha and in all the other prophets. But take care that thoughts of doubt do not perhaps enter your heart, saying to you: “Who will be able to receive him?” Do not give place to such thoughts so that they gain entry to you, but ask with a right intention and you will receive. And I, your father, will pray for you, that you may receive him. For I know that you have denied your souls in order to receive this same Spirit. For he dwells in the upright of heart. And I bear witness to you that you seek God with an upright heart. But when … For his revelations are many, which I cannot [commit] to you on paper … the heavenly … will take hold of you; and in this way you will be as though you had already moved into the kingdom while you are still in the body. And from then on you will have no need to pray for yourselves, but only for your neighbours. For Moses, having received the Spirit, prayed for the people, saying to God: “If you blot these out, blot me out of your book of life.” You see that this was their concern: to pray for one another, once they had reached this measure. But they are individuals out of many who have reached it … I cannot write to you (but you are wise and understand everything); yet when I come to you, I will tell you about the Spirit of joy and the riches which I cannot commit to paper. Farewell in this Spirit of life, advancing and growing strong from day to day.