Prayers

^A Then he descends to food, when necessity compels him. A prudent monk does not fawn upon the wealthy for the sake of his belly. A monk possessing nothing, a light runner, will reach the prize of the Lord’s heavenly calling more sagely. A true monk, after moderate work, devotes himself to prayers and readings. A monk possessing nothing stores up treasure in heaven; he sings praises to the Lord day and night in the fear of the Lord. The glory of a monk is patience with charity. The glory of a monk is when he desires to possess no things of this present life. The glory of a monk is meekness and faith. The glory of a monk is vigils and weeping in prayers. The glory of a monk is when he has loved God with his whole heart, and his neighbor as himself. The glory of a monk is abstinence from foods and no babbling of the tongue. The glory of a monk is when his words agree with his deeds. The glory of a monk is when he remains in his own place and does not wander hither and thither. The glory of a monk is long-suffering with humility and grace. As a bright ^B lamp in a dark place, and as the radiant sun is brilliant, so is a monk perfect in sobriety and chastity and a vigilant heart at the time of the psalms. As a weight of salt weighs down an infirm man, so does sleep weigh down the eyes of a monk. As thorns and thistles in a field, so impure thoughts in the heart of a monk.

As a moth destroys a garment, so does detraction destroy the soul of a monk. Do not give yourself to the conversation of a woman, lest you be separated from the kingdom of God, and do not wish to say, “I am speaking with a woman and I am pure.” A wise monk works with his own hands and acquires his daily bread, and has earned his prayers and fasts. But if he receives his bread from another, what good is it that he keeps vigil and prays? He is like a harsh and bad hireling. For it is written: It is better to give than to receive. A abundance of wood also stirs up a huge flame; but a multitude of foods begets disobedience and death. A needy belly provides vigilance in prayers and acquires a crown for the soul; but one filled with foods induces sleep and heaviness. The eye of the glutton searches out feasts, but the eye of the wise meditates on the continence of the martyrs. A cowardly soldier shudders at the trumpet which signifies war; and a gluttonous monk, if he hears one preaching abstinence, does not listen willingly. A flame, when it has burned, knows how to be fed again if it receives wood, and lust, once calmed, grows hot again in the satiety of foods. Here ends the letter of Macarius given to the monks.

THE PRAYERS OF SAINT MACARIUS THE EGYPTIAN

Prayer of Saint Macarius

καὶ ἀξióσόν με ἀκατακρίτως ἀνοίγειν τὸ ^A στόμα μου τὸ ἀνάξιον, καὶ ἀνυμνεῖν τὸ πανάγιον ὄνομά σου τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Συγχώρησόν μοι, Κύριε, πᾶν ἄτοπον ὁρμημα τῆς καρδίας μου, ὁ ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. Σὺ γὰρ γινώσκεις, Δέσποτα τῶν ἁπάντων, ὅτι ἀκούσιά μου εἰσι. Συγχώρησόν μοι ἀναξίως προσερχομένῳ σοι, διότι σὲ ἐπόθησα καὶ ποθῶ. Συγχώρησόν μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, τῷ πονηρῷ, τῷ ψεύστῃ, τῷ ἀνυπομονήτῳ, τῷ ὀλιγοψύχῳ, τῷ ἀσυστάτῳ, τῷ ῥᾳθύμῳ, τῷ ἀμελεῖ τῶν ἁγίων σου ἐντολῶν, τῷ πᾶσαν καὶ παντοίαν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἀνομίαν τελέσαντι, πορνείας, μοιχείας, μαλακίας ἐν γῇ, ἐν θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ τῆς δεσποτείας σου. Κύριε, ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀλαθήτων σου ὀφθαλμῶν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην πάντα ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ πονηρὰ καὶ αἰσχρά. Καὶ ἀκμὴν ὁ ἐχθρὸς γαστριμαργίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς καὶ πονηραῖς ἐπιθυμίαις, δόλοις τε καὶ κενοδοξίαις καὶ βλασφημίαις ἐμπλέκειν με οὐ παύεται. Ἀλλὰ σύ, ὡς μόνος ὢν ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἐλεήμων, βοήθησόν μοι καὶ σῶσόν με ὡς τὸν ἄσωτον, ὡς τὸν τελώνην, ὡς τὴν πόρνην, ὡς τὸν λῃστήν. Ναί, Δέσποτα, φιλάνθρωπε, ὑπεράγαθε, μὴ βδελύξῃ με τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν καὶ ἀχρεῖον οἰκέτην σου, πρεσβείαις τῆς παναχράντου Δεσποίνης ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου, καὶ πάντων σου τῶν ἁγίων. ^B

Εὐχὴ εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἄγγελον τὸν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ταχθέντα σκεπεῖν καὶ διαφυλάττειν ἡμᾶς.

Ἅγιε ἄγγελε, ὁ ἐφεστὼς τῆς ἀθλίας μου ψυχῆς καὶ ταλαιπώρου μου ζωῆς, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπης με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν, μηδ᾽ ἀποστῆς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ διὰ τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν μου, μὴ δῶς χώραν τῷ πονηρῷ δαίμονι, κατακυριεῦσαί μου τῇ καταδυναστείᾳ τοῦ θνητοῦ τούτου σώματος. Κράτησον τῆς ἀθλίας καὶ παρειμένης χειρός μου, καὶ ὁδήγησόν με εἰς ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. Ναί, Ἅγιε ἄγγελε τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἐφεστὼς τῆς ἀθλίας μου ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος, πάντα μοι συγχώρησον, ὅσα σοι ἔθλιψα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου, καὶ εἴ τι ἥμαρτον τὴν σήμερον ἡμέραν. Σκέπασόν με ἐν τῇ παρούσῃ νυκτὶ καὶ διαφύλαξόν με ἀπὸ πάσης ἐπηρείας καὶ ἐπιβουλῆς τοῦ ἀντικειμένου, ἵνα μὴ ἔν τινι ἁμαρτήματι παροργίσω τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ πρέσβευε ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον τοῦ ἐπιστηρίξαι με ἐν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄξιον ἀναδεῖξαι με δοῦλον τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητος. Ἀμήν. ^C