Prayer And Healing

Εὐξώμεθα ἐκτενῶς ἐκδιωχθῆναι τὴν λέπραν τὴν ψυχικὴν ἀπὸ τε τοῦ στήμονος, καὶ τῆς κρόκης, καὶ τοῦ δέρματος· στήμονος μὲν νοουμένου τοῦ νευρώδους μέρους τῆς Χριστιοῦ Ἐκκλησίας, ἐπισκόπων λέγω, καὶ ὅσοι τῆς Λευϊτικῆς ἀξίας τὰ γέρα καρπίζονται· κρόκης δὲ ἐκλαμβανομένης τοῦ εὐθυνομένου, καὶ ποιμαινομένου ὑπ' αὐτοῖς ἠγιασμένου λαοῦ, δέρματος δὲ νοουμένου τῶν νεωστὶ προσελθόντων τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τέως κατηχουμένων, μή πως ἀποβεβληκότων διὰ τῆς ἀναγεννήσεως τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος τὴν νεκρότητα τῶν παλαιῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας χιτώνων. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΣΜϚ' Ευφρασιῳ Ἐπισκοπῳ Source: Migne PG 79.173a

We should pray continually to be stripped of that leprosy which is spiritual, from the thread, the woof, and the skin. 1 The threads are to be thought of as the nerves of Christ , I speak of prelates who are adorned with Levitical dignity, and the warp is that which is taken up and guided and pastured by them, that is, the sanctified people. The skin are those who have recently come to God, and are yet catechumens, who have yet to dispose of their sins through regeneration by holy baptism from the old covering of death Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 246, To Euphrasius the Bishop 1 Levit 13.48