Offering Oneself

Ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς Σανὶρ, καὶ Ἑρμὼν, φησὶ τὸ τῶν ᾀσμάτων Ἄσμα. Σανὶρ δὲ ἑρμηνεύεται ὁδὸς λύχνοῦ, Ἑρμὼν δὲ ἀνάθημα· διὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς τὸ λογιστικὸν ἡμῶν ὁ Σολομὼν αἱνιξάμενος. Ὅλους τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ ἁναθῶμεν πεζοποροῦντες ἀόκνως τὴν προκειμένην ἡμῖν στενὴν καὶ μακρὰν ὁδὸν πεφωτισμένοις τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς τῇ λαμπηδονι τῶν θείων προσταγμάτων. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΤΛΑ´ Ἱλαριῳ Μονακῳ Source: Migne PG 79.202c

'From the head of Sanir and Hermon,' 1 is it said in the Song of Songs. Sanir means 'way of the lamp', and Hermon 'an offering.' By the head Solomon indicates to us the endowed faculty of reason. Thus let us totally offer ourselves to God, without hesitation setting forth on foot on the narrow and long way proposed to us, with the eyes of the soul illuminated by the the splendour of the Divine teachings. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 331 To Hilarius the Monk 1 Song 4.8