Adornments And Grace

Στέφανον χαρίτων δέξῃ τῇ κορυφῇ σου, ὁ Σολομῶν εἴρηκεν. Οὐ γὰρ μία ὑπάρχει χάρις, ᾗ πλέκεται ὁ νοούμενος στέφανος, πολλαὶ δὲ πάνυ χάριτες· καί φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Χάρις ὑμιν πληθυνθείη. Βεβούλησαι καὶ τὸν χρύσεον κλοιὸν τὸν τῷ στεφάνῳ ἐφεπόμενον, τίς ἐστιν, ἐπιγνῶναι. Οὗτος δ' ἂν εἴῃ ὁ τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ χρησὸς ζυγὸς ἐπιτιθέμενος τῷ τραχήλῳ τῆς πιστευσάσης τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ψυχῆς. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΠϟΔ' ΠϟϚ, Ἀναξαγορᾳ Γραμματικῳ Source: Migne PG 79.156c-d

'Receive a garland of graces for your head,' Solomon says. 1 For it should not be thought there is just one grace from which the crown is woven, but indeed there are many graces, as the Apostle says: 'May grace be multiplied among you.' 2 And if you desire the golden torque which follows the garland, 1 know that this is the sweet yoke of Christ the Saviour, 3 which is placed on the neck of the truly faithful soul. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 195 and 196, to Anaxagoras the Grammarian 1 Prov 1.9 2 1 Pet 1.2 3 Mt 11.30