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Adversus eos qui non adfuerant

63.477 A hortatory homily delivered in the church of Saint Anastasia to those who were absent; and a demonstration concerning the struggles and contests of the blessed and righteous Job.

αʹ. The fewer who have gathered than is usual, the greater the zeal we will employ. For it would not be just that the sloth of those who are absent should damage our earnestness, but rather for this very reason we will set out a more bountiful table, so that those who were not present, learning their loss by experience, may henceforth be more zealous about these gatherings. Therefore, I beseech your love to pay attention to what is being said; for thus your gain will be twofold: for by conveying what is said to those who are absent, you will make them more zealous, and you will render your own soul more philosophical. For just as the nature of the earth, when neglected, brings forth bad weeds, but when it continually enjoys the hands of the farmer, it gives ripe fruit; so also the soul of man, when it lies in sloth, it brings forth the thorns of transgressions; but when it enjoys care, it bears the luxuriant fruit of virtue. Therefore a certain wise man exhorts, saying: Like a field of a foolish man, and like a vineyard of a man lacking sense; if you leave it, it will be laid waste and overrun with weeds. So that this may not happen now, we constantly handle the sickle of our discourse; and if any evil thing sprouts up, we continually cut it out; but if there is anything ripe and bearing fruit, we both nourish and water it, and bring it to its prime, showing continual care. For we need twofold care, or rather even threefold: first, that we may be freed from evil; second, that we may acquire virtue; and after these, that we may preserve what we have acquired; where the greatest labor is especially needed; since that wicked demon, envying our good things, attacks more greatly those who have succeeded; and just as pirates and wreckers pass by the ships that carry sand, 63.478.20 but if they see one somewhere carrying a costly cargo and stored-up wealth, they attack these, piercing them from below, attacking them from above, setting every device in motion; so also the devil is accustomed to attack and to envy and to plot against those who have especially gathered much virtue. For there were so many people throughout the world in the time of Job, and he stripped himself for battle against him alone, and set all his devices in motion; but nevertheless he was not strong enough to cause a shipwreck, but rather made the cargo greater and the merchandise larger. For such is virtue: when assailed, it becomes stronger, and when plotted against, it is rendered more secure. Which is indeed what happened in the case of that blessed man, who, though assailed from all sides, stood more securely, and receiving countless darts, did not give in, but he emptied the devil's quiver, while he himself did not fall nor was he tripped up, but like an excellent helmsman, he was not submerged when the sea was raging and the waves were stirred up, nor did he become more slothful when there was a calm; but in each of the different circumstances he maintained his skill equally, and neither did wealth puff him up, nor did poverty cast him down. Therefore, neither was he supine and reclining when his affairs were carried along with the current, nor was he disturbed and did he disgrace his own courage when almost his entire house was overturned and complete destruction occurred. Let the rich hear, let the poor hear; for the narrative is useful for both; or rather, the story is profitable for all people, both for those in prosperity and for those in misfortunes. For the champion of piety, having handled both kinds of weapons, the

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Adversus eos qui non adfuerant

63.477 Ὁμιλία παραινετικὴ λεχθεῖσα ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς ἁγίας Ἀναστασίας πρὸς τοὺς ἀπολειφθέντας· καὶ ἀπό δειξις περὶ τῶν ἀγώνων καὶ ἄθλων

τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ δικαίου Ἰώβ.

αʹ. Ὅσῳ ἐλάττους τῶν εἰωθότων οἱ συνελθόντες, τοσούτῳ καὶ ἡμεῖς μείζονι χρησόμεθα τῇ προθυμίᾳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δίκαιον ἂν εἴη τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν σπουδὴν λυμήνασθαι, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο καὶ δαψιλεστέραν παραθήσομεν τὴν τράπεζαν, ἵνα τῇ, πείρᾳ μαθόντες τὴν ζημίαν οἱ μὴ παραγενόμενοι, σπουδαιότεροι λοιπὸν περὶ τὰς συνόδους γίνωνται ταύτας. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην παρακαλῶ προσέχειν τοῖς λεγομένοις· οὕτω γὰρ διπλοῦν ὑμῖν ἔσται τὸ κέρδος· τοῖς τε γὰρ ἀπολειφθεῖσι διαβιβάζοντες τὰ λεγόμενα, σπουδαιοτέρους αὐτοὺς ἐργάσεσθε, τήν τε ὑμετέραν ψυχὴν φιλοσοφωτέραν κατασκευάσετε. Καθάπερ γὰρ τῆς γῆς ἡ φύσις ἀμελουμένη μὲν, βοτάνας ἐκφέρει πονηρὰς, συνεχῶς δὲ γεωργικῶν ἀπολαύουσα χειρῶν, ὥριμον δίδωσι τὸν καρπόν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ, ἡ μὲν ἐν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ κειμένη, πλημμελημάτων ἀκάνθας τίκτει· ἡ δὲ ἀπολαύουσα προνοίας, κομῶντα τῆς ἀρετῆς φέρει τὸν καρπόν. ∆ιὸ καί τις σοφὸς παραινεῖ λέγων· Ὥσπερ γεώργιον ἀνὴρ ἄφρων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἀμπελὼν ἀνὴρ ἐνδεὴς φρενῶν· ἐὰν ἀφῇς αὐτὸν, χερσωθήσεται καὶ χορτομανήσει. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γίνηται νῦν, συνεχῶς τοῦ λόγου τὴν δρεπάνην μεταχειρίζομεν· κἂν μέν τι πονηρὸν βλαστάνῃ, διηνεκῶς ἐκκόπτομεν· ἂν δέ τι ὥριμον καὶ καρπὸν ἔχον, τρέφομέν τε καὶ ἀρδεύομεν, καὶ πρὸς ἀκμὴν ἄγομεν, συνεχῆ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι. ∆ιπλῆς γὰρ δεόμεθα προνοίας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τριπλῆς· μιᾶς μὲν, ἵνα ἀπαλλαγῶμεν κακίας· ἑτέρας δὲ, ἵνα κτησώμεθα ἀρετήν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, ἵνα τὴν κτηθεῖσαν διαφυλάξωμεν· ἔνθα καὶ πολλοῦ δεῖ μάλιστα πόνου· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τοῖς ἡμετέροις βασκαίνων καλοῖς, τοῖς κατωρθωκόσιν ἐπιτίθεται μειζόνως· καὶ καθάπερ οἱ πειραταὶ καὶ καταποντισταὶ τὰ μὲν ἄμμον ἔχοντα πλοῖα 63.478.20 παρατρέχουσιν, εἰ δέ που φόρτον ἴδοιεν ἔχοντα πολυτελῆ καὶ πλοῦτον ἐναποκείμενον, τούτοις ἐπιτίθενται, διατιτρῶντες κάτωθεν, προσβάλλοντες ἄνωθεν, πᾶσαν κινοῦντες μηχανήν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ διάβολος τοῖς μάλιστα πολλὴν συναγηοχόσι τὴν ἀρετὴν προσβάλλειν εἴωθεν καὶ φθονεῖν καὶ ἐπιβουλεύειν. Τοσοῦτοι γοῦν ἦσαν ἄνθρωποι κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μόνον ἀπεδύσατο, καὶ τὰ μηχανήματα αὐτοῦ πάντα ἐκίνησεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἴσχυσε ποιῆσαι ναυάγιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείονα τὸν φόρτον εἰργάσατο καὶ μείζονα τὴν ἐμπορίαν. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἀρετή· βαλλομένη δυνατωτέρα γίνεται, καὶ ἐπιβουλευομένη ἀσφαλεστέρα καθίσταται. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου γέγονεν ἐκείνου, ὃς πανταχόθεν βαλλόμενος, ἀσφαλέστερος ἵστατο, καὶ μυρία βέλη δεχόμενος, οὐκ ἐνεδίδου, ἀλλ' ἐκένωσε μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν βελοθήκην, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ κατέπεσεν οὐδὲ ὑπεσκελίσθη, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης, οὔτε μαινομένης τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τῶν κυμάτων διεγειρομένων κατεποντίζετο, οὔτε γαλήνης οὔσης ῥᾳθυμότερος ἐγίνετο· ἀλλ' ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ τῶν καιρῶν διαφορᾷ ἴσην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τέχνην διετήρησε, καὶ οὔτε πλοῦτος αὐτὸν ἐφύσησεν, οὔτε πενία ἐταπείνωσεν. Οὔτε τοίνυν κατὰ ῥοῦν τῶν πραγμάτων φερομένων ὕπτιος ἦν καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὼς, οὔτε ὅλης σχεδὸν τῆς οἰκίας ἀνατραπείσης καὶ πανωλεθρίας γενομένης διεταράχθη καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἤλεγξε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ἀκουέτωσαν πλούσιοι, ἀκουέτωσαν πένητες· ἑκατέροις γὰρ τὸ διήγημα χρήσιμον· μᾶλλον δὲ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἡ ἱστορία λυσιτελὴς, καὶ τοῖς ἐν εὐημερίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐν συμφοραῖς. Ἑκάτερα γὰρ τὰ ὅπλα μεταχειρίσας ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ