XIV. (printed 'XIV 1.' with §1)
With these benefits to holy men through prayers expounded as we could, let us examine, from the Gospel record 'Ask for the great things, and the small shall be added to you; and ask for the heavenly things, and the earthly shall be added to you,' what asking great heavenly things is, and small earthly things. For that all visibles are symbols and types, since intelligibles are true — a worthy argument will persuade one hastening from visibles and phenomena alone to know intelligibles and invisibles, saying how the invisible God is seen through his works [rough]. And as dwelling among the notable advances taking on some character, so converse with saints through prayer is always useful toward imitating them — always both having prayed and been heard — and truly asking the same things they typically(?) asked: heavenly and great, shown through small earthly matters — that whoever wants to be spiritual, asking through prayers for heavenly great things, may inherit heaven's kingdom as heavenly and enjoy great goods as great — with earthly small things supplied to him by need's measure for bodily needs, since the Father knows what we need before we ask him.
Since with the apostle four names seem said for four things — 'I exhort then first of all that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men' — it is very useful for us to expound each separately as we can, what each signifies. Petition, then, we take to be some asking of a needy one for things he lacks. Prayer, a nobler asking with doxology for greater things. Intercession, a bolder asking to God from one having more frankness. Thanksgiving, confession with prayer for benefits received — or for the magnitude of benefits, appearing great to the benefited.
Take examples of the first: 'Fear not, Zechariah,' says Gabriel, 'for your petition was heard; Elizabeth your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.' And Moses making petition for the calf-sinners: 'Why rage with anger, Lord, against Your people?' [rough bridge: since forgiving this sin was grave, with fasts and after them reporting petition for them to God from himself at once: 'forty days and forty nights bread was not eaten nor water drunk.'] And Mordecai saying: 'And now, remembering all the works...' and made petition with fasting and strong cry to the Lord, saying: 'Lord, Lord, King Almighty ...' And Esther herself says: 'And now ... of the Lord God of Israel' and said: 'Lord, our King —' [fragments].
Of the second take such examples: Azariah standing and praying these words amid fire, saying: 'Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers; praised and glorified Your name forever; we were not shamed ...' And Tobit in weeping remembering God: 'I prayed with pain and said: Righteous are You, Lord, and all Your works and all Your ways mercy and truth; You judge true and righteous judgment forever ...' How and in what way Daniel prayed we do not know, since Daniel's Song was obelized from the Hebrew — this at least we know by their view: by the circumcision-party Tobit and Judith are not at all received, as not even written in the covenant(?) [rough]. Hence we shall have Habakkuk's and Hannah's examples, with no other such words anywhere in their prayers: 'A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet with song: Lord, I heard Your hearing and feared; I considered Your works and was amazed. Amid two lives You shall be known; as years draw near You shall be recognized; when the season comes You shall be shown.' And Jonah's: 'Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly and said: I cried in my affliction to the Lord my God, and he heard me; from Hades' belly You heard my cry's voice. You cast me into sea-heart depths' — and what follows.
Of the third we shall have examples — intercession: with prayer being for us, and the Spirit making intercession. It is something better and bolder than the one for whom it intercedes: 'What to pray as we ought we know not, but the Spirit itself intercedes with unutterable groanings.' For the Spirit intercedes and entreats(?), while we pray. And Joshua son of Nun — he said to the Lord in the day the Lord delivered the Amorite before Israel, when he crushed them at Gibeon and pursued them, and said: 'Let the sun stand over Gibeon and the moon over Aijalon valley.' Even if Scripture, not saying 'intercession' but saying 'he said,' hearing such is intercession — if we hear names more strictly. And Samson saying, 'Let my soul die with the foreigners,' makes intercession; for he died with the house falling on him and the foreigners.
Petition, intercession, thanksgiving must be made not only to God but also to holy men: Paul and Peter, to benefit us and make us worthy of their forgiveness of sins; and to one not happening to be a saint, but against whom wrongdoers seek pardon, one must petition and intercede. Much more both thank and intercede to Christ: Stephen says, 'Lord, lay not this sin to them.' The epileptic's father: 'I beg, Lord, have mercy' — the son, or myself, or whomsoever. And the Lord's own voice we shall use as example, saying: 'I confess to You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth' — with 'I confess' signifying 'I thank.'
Greek (GCS)
§1. Τούτων δὲ ἡμῖν ἑρμηνευθέντων ὡς ἠδυνήθημεν, τῶν ὠφελούντων ἁγίους ἄνδρας διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν, ἐξετάσωμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἀναγεγραμμένου ὅτι αἰτεῖτε τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται, καὶ αἰτεῖτε τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται τί ποτέ ἐστιν αἰτεῖν τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἐπουράνια καὶ τί τὰ μικρὰ καὶ ἐπίγεια. σύμβολα γὰρ εἶναι καὶ τυπικὰ πάντα τὰ ὁρώμενα, διὰ τὸ ἀληθινὰ εἶναι τὰ νοητά, λόγος ἀξιόχρεως πείσει τὸν μόνον(?) ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρωμένων καὶ φαινομένων σπεύδοντα γνῶναι τὰ νοητὰ καὶ ἀόρατα, λέγων ὡς ὁ ἀόρατος θεὸς ἀπὸ τῶν τῶν(?) ποιημάτων αὐτοῦ τοῖς νοουμένοις(?) ἐνορᾶται(?) [text very rough; sense: the invisible God is seen through his works]. καὶ ὥσπερ ἡ ἐν τοῖς ἐπισήμοις διατριβὴ προαγωγός ἐστι τοῦ ἦθος τὶ χρῆμα λαβεῖν, οὕτως ὁμιλία ἁγίοις διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς ἀεὶ χρήσιμος πρὸς τὸ μιμεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς ἀεὶ καὶ εὐξαμένους καὶ ἐπακουσθέντας καὶ ἀληθῶς τὰ αὐτὰ αἰτεῖν, ἃ ἔτυπον(?) οὗτοι αἰτούμενοι, ἐπουράνια καὶ μεγάλα, δι᾽ ὧν τῶν μικρῶν καὶ ἐπιγείων πραγμάτων δεικνυμένων, ἵνα ὃ θέλει τις εἶναι πνευματικὸς αἰτῶν διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν τὰ ἐπουράνια καὶ μεγάλα κληρονομήσῃ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ὡς ἐπουράνιος καὶ μεγάλων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσῃ ὡς μέγας, τῶν γε ἐπιγείων καὶ μικρῶν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς χρείας πρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς χρείας χορηγουμένων ἅτε τοῦ πατρὸς εἰδότος ὧν χρῄζομεν πρὸ τοῦ ἡμᾶς αἰτῆσαι αὐτόν. §2. ἐπεὶ δὲ παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ τέσσαρα ὀνόματα κατὰ τεσσάρων πραγμάτων δοκεῖ μοι λέγεσθαι, παρακαλῶ οὖν πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις, προσευχάς, ἐντεύξεις, εὐχαριστίας ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων· σφόδρα καὶ ἡμῖν χρήσιμον ἕκαστον ἰδίᾳ διαλαβεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν τὸ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον σημαινόμενον. δέησιν μὲν οὖν εἶναι ὑπολαμβάνομεν αἴτησίν τινα δεομένου πραγμάτων τινῶν, ὧν ἐνδεῶς ἔχει· προσευχὴν δὲ εὐγενεστέραν τινὰ καὶ μετὰ δοξολογίας περὶ μειζόνων τινῶν πραγμάτων αἴτησιν· ἔντευξιν δὲ θρασύτερόν τι καὶ πρὸς θεὸν αἴτημα παρὰ τοῦ πλείονος τὴν παρρησίαν ἔχοντος· εὐχαριστίαν δὲ ὁμολογίαν μετὰ εὐχῆς περὶ ὧν ηὐεργέτηται, ἢ τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ηὐεργετημένων, τῷ εὐηργετημένῳ μεγάλων φαινομένων. §3. παραδείγματα δὲ τοῦ μὲν πρώτου λάβωμεν· τοῦτο γάρ, φησὶ Γαβριὴλ πρὸς Ζαχαρίαν, μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία, διότι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου, καὶ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην. ὁ δὲ Μωυσῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων περὶ τὴν μόσχον ποιούμενος δέησιν, διὰ τί θυμῷ ὀργίζῃ, φησὶ, κύριε, ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου; οὗ οὐ (?) διὰ τὸ ἐπεὶ τὸ ἁμάρτημα τοῦτο αὐτοῖς συγχωρεῖσθαι δεινὸν ἦν, νηστείαις καὶ μετὰ ταύτας δέησιν περὶ αὐτῶν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ παραχρήματα(?) ἀναφέρων τῷ θεῷ, ὅτι τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσαράκοντα νύκτας ὁ ἄρτος οὐκ ἐβρώθη οὐδὲ ὕδωρ ἐπόθη. καὶ ὁ Μαρδοχαῖος δὲ λέγων· καὶ νῦν μνημονεύων πάντα τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὴν δέησιν μετὰ νηστείας καὶ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς ἐποιήσατο πρὸς κύριον λέγων· κύριε κύριε βασιλεῦ παντοκράτορ, ..., καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ Ἐσθὴρ φησὶ· καὶ νῦν ... κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἶπε· κύριε, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν — [fragments]. §4. τοῦ δὲ δευτέρου λαμβάνομεν τὰ τοιαῦτα παραδείγματα· στάντος Ἀζαρίου καὶ προσευξαμένου τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις ἐν μέσῳ πυρός, καὶ εἴποντος· εὐλογητὸς εἶ, κύριε ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνετὸν καὶ δεδοξασμένον τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ κατῃσχύνθημεν ... καὶ ὁ Τωβὴτ ἐν κλαυθμῷ ἀναμνησθεὶς τοῦ θεοῦ· προσηυξάμην μετ᾽ ὀδύνης καὶ εἶπα· δίκαιος εἶ, κύριε, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοί σου ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια, καὶ κρίνεις ἀληθινὴν καὶ δικαίαν κρίσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ... Δανιὴλ δὲ ἀγνοοῦμεν πῶς καὶ ὅπως προσηύξατο, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ Δανιὴλ ᾆσμα ἐκ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὠβελίσθη(?) τοῦτο γοῦν ἴσμεν κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἄποψιν, τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς περιτομῆς οὐδόλως Τωβὴτ καὶ Ἰουδὶθ προσίεται(?) ὡς οὐδὲ συγγραφέντα(?) ἐπὶ τῆς διαθήκης(?) [rough; sense: Daniel's Song obelized from Hebrew; circumcision-party rejects Tobit/Judith as non-covenantal]. ἐξοῦ(?) Ἀμβακοὺμ [Ἀμβακοὺμ προσηύξατο] καὶ Ἄννης ἕξομεν παραδείγματα, τῶν ἄλλων τοιούτων λόγων ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς αὐτῶν οὐδαμοῦ ὄντων. προσευχὴ Ἀμβακοὺμ τοῦ προφήτου μετꞌ ὠδῆς· κύριε, εἰσακήκοα τὴν ἀκοήν σου καὶ ἐφοβήθην· κατενόησα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ἐξέστην. ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζῴων γνωσθήσῃ· ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν τὰ ἔτη ἐπιγνωσθήσῃ· ἐν τῷ παρεῖναι τὸν καιρὸν ἀναδειχθήσῃ. καὶ τὸ Ἰωνᾶ δὲ προσηύξατο Ἰωνᾶς πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους καὶ εἶπεν· ἐβόησα ἐν θλίψει μου πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεόν μου, καὶ εἰσήκουσέ μου· ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου κραυγῆς μου ἤκουσας φωνῆς μου. ἀπέῤῥιψάς με εἰς βάθη καρδίας θαλάσσης — καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. §5 (head printed 'ὅ.'). τοῦ δὲ τρίτου ἕξομεν παραδείγματα, τῆς ἐντεύξεως, εὐχῆς οὔσης ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἔντευξιν δὲ ποιουμένου τοῦ πνεύματος· κρεῖττόν τε καὶ θρασύτερόν τινα αὐτὴν εἶναι παρ᾽ ὃν ἐντυγχάνει, περὶ τοῦ τί δεῖ προσεύξασθαι καθὸ δεῖ οὐκ οἴδαμεν, αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις ὑπερεντυγχάνει. ὑπερεντυγχάνει γὰρ καὶ ἐντυγχάνει τὸ πνεῦμα, ἡμεῖς δὲ προσευχόμεθα. καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς δὲ ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ — εἶπε πρὸς κύριον ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ παρέδωκε κύριος τὸν Ἀμοῤῥαῖον ὑπεναντίον Ἰσραήλ, ὁπηνίκα συνέτριψεν αὐτοὺς ἐν Γαβαὼν καὶ κατεδίωξεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἶπεν· στήτω ἥλιος κατὰ Γαβαὼν καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ φάραγγα Αἰλών. κἂν ἡ γραφὴ μὴ εἰρηκυῖα ἔντευξιν ἀλλὰ εἰποῦσα ἔφη(?) ἀκούειν τοιαύτην ἐστὶν ἔντευξις, εἰ τὰ ὀνόματα κυριώτερον ἀκούοιμεν. καὶ ὁ Σαμψὼν δὲ λέγων· συναποθανέτω ἡ ψυχή μου μετὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, ἔντευξιν ποιεῖται· συναπέθανε γὰρ τῷ οἴκῳ πεσόντι ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους. §6. δέησιν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἔντευξιν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν οὐ μόνον πρὸς θεὸν ποιητέον ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους ἀνθρώπους· τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Πέτρον ἵν᾽ ὠφελήσωσιν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἄξιοι γενώμεθα τῆς παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων· καὶ τοῦ μὴ τυχόντος ἁγίου ὄντος, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ὃν πλημμελήσαντές τινες ἐπιζητοῦσι συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, δεητέον τε καὶ ἐντευκτέον. πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν καὶ ἐντυγχάνειν τῷ Χριστῷ· Στέφανος μὲν γὰρ φησί· κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. ὁ δὲ τοῦ σεληνιαζομένου πατὴρ δέομαι, φησὶ, κύριε, ἐλέησον — τὸν υἱὸν ἢ ἐμὲ αὐτὸν ἢ ὃν δή ποτε [whomsoever]. παραδείγματι δὲ καὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν τῇ φωνῇ χρησόμεθα λέγοντος· ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, πάτερ, κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς — τοῦ ἐξομολογοῦμαι τὸ εὐχαριστῶ δηλουμένου.