Письмо XXI. Святейшему епископу Кидонии

Piously exploring the mystery of God's care for us, my God-protected master came to know that God is equal to Himself in height and depth, and was amazed how the limit and infinity, things that are opposite and unmixed, combine in Him and reveal each other: infinity is in an ineffable way co-limited with the limit, and the limit supernaturally extends with infinity; The same One, to Whom both one and the other relate, is identical with Himself in both, without departing from Himself in the least in infinity, for he is limitless by nature, but by structure he is both appearing and being known as incomprehensible; the height of Divine glory is inconceivable, and the depth of the economic condescension of the One who, like obedient wax, placed Himself under the seal of God, and, having fully accepted His image, became the clearest likeness of Divine bliss, is immeasurable. For, having wisely changed Himself in a Divine image, He mixed the sublimity of His dignity with virtue from the baseness of nature and, again, raised the baseness of nature to the height of dignity by knowledge, causing us to miraculously see one in the other. Indeed, both in exaltation and in lowness, He preserved Himself identical to Himself, in neither one nor the other, departing in no way from His greatness - and by the fact that He acquired true likeness to God, He clearly showed that God established the priesthood on earth in His place. In it He is contemplated bodily, and does not cease to reveal His secrets to those who can see. Therefore, my lord, being god-like in mind and disposition, has erected a great salvation for me. For just as the Lord called people to be reconciled with God and the Father, they suffered damage rather than caused it themselves - as the inspired Paul testifies to this, saying: “We are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, and it is as if God Himself exhorts through us. In the name of Christ we ask: be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20), in order to shame the greatness of the good deed and make people realize their insensitivity - so my master, skillfully captivating me with his condescension, when, as it seemed, he wanted to learn from my letter what he clearly knows in his rank, made me, albeit late, see my own ignorance. I thank my master for his mercy, and I am proud that in this way he gently dispelled the cloud of my conceit, and I ask that he continue to correct, without ceasing, his servant with such speeches and such treatment. You might be interested in: