Sermo 23 recensio excerpta

114XXIII. Exzerptfassung C Nr. 32b f. 133v18-134r13 - R Nr. 30a f. 139v1-13 setzt ein mit S. 116,10 - J Nr. 19. Vgl. zu Nr. XXIII Tbr 5 Vbr 12

For the man of God always makes progress in each of the good things: in humility, in kindness, in long-suffering; and the foundation of all these things is trust in God. For those who do not have such a foundation are like those who build a house without a foundation; for just as those around the Maccabees, having acted with great bravery, subdued their enemies in the physical war, let us take them as an example for ourselves in the war “against the spiritual forces of wickedness,” so 116 are the true warriors of Christ noble and great-souled. Just as the visible world is governed by grace and justice—by grace in the abundance of fruits, and by justice in famine and plague—so also the soul that wishes to inherit the world of divinity above is governed in many ways by grace: sometimes it rejoices in the gladness of the spirit, and sometimes it is handed over to the temptations and afflictions of the evil spirit, so that, having been thus tested by fire, it may be rendered approved.

C Nr. 32c f. 134r13-25 - R Nr. 30b f. 139v13-140r2 - J Nr.. 19 For just as in life there is not always abundance, 118 for if there were always ease and luxury, they would have rebelled against God; for “Israel ate and grew fat, and the beloved one kicked.” So also the soul, if it always lived in the ease of the spirit, would no longer know itself and would be ignorant of the way of “righteousness” and would make progress only in conceit, as the apostle says, recounting the afflictions for our benefit: “There was given me,” he says, “a thorn in the flesh, so that I might not be exalted.” You see that for such a holy man the afflictions were for his benefit.

C Nr. 32e f. 134v15-25 - R Nr. 30d f. 140r22-140v8 - J Nr. 19 For just as the hemp fiber, the more it is beaten, becomes finer and more useful, so the soul that loves God, by entering into many trials and afflictions and enduring, 120 becomes more useful and purer for the spiritual work and finally is deemed worthy to inherit the heavenly choir of the saints. For as the soul endures and is long-suffering, little by little the portion of wickedness is diminished. For just as if someone travels a long road carrying a pouch full of sand, but has a very small hole at the bottom, the more one walks, it flows out and becomes lighter, until all the sand is emptied, so little by little the indwelling sin is diminished for the one who clings to God.

C Nr. 32e f. 134v15-25 - R Nr. 30d f. 140r22-140v8 - J Nr.. 19 For just as an infant happens to be useless for the works of the world, for it can neither build cities nor plant nor do anything else, 122 so souls that have not been tested in various afflictions are still infants, not yet useful for the kingdom, as it says: “But if you are without discipline,” “then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” See how much afflictions are for a person's benefit, only that one eagerly and nobly prepare oneself to bear them.

C Nr. 32f f. 134v25-135r15 - R Nr. 30e f. 140v8-141r4 - J Nr. 19 For if in this life one will not be able to pass on to great honors and advancements, unless one first undergoes much training and distinguishes oneself in labors and in wars, having shown victory by experience and bearing trophies against opponents, how much more with the heavenly and true king 124 is no one deemed worthy of the heavenly gifts of the spirit, unless one is first trained in the practice of the holy commandments, and thus receives heavenly armor (grace itself) and strives against the spirits “of wickedness.” 126 For the more one progresses into the

Sermo 23 recensio excerpta

114XXIII. Exzerptfassung C Nr. 32b f. 133v18-134r13 - R Nr. 30a f. 139v1-13 setzt ein mit S. 116,10 - J Nr. 19. Vgl. zu Nr. XXIII Tbr 5 Vbr 12

Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ἕκαστα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀεὶ προκοπὴν λαμβάνει εἰς ταπεινοφροσύνην εἰς χρηστότητα εἰς μακροθυμίαν· ἡ δὲ πάντων τούτων κρηπὶς ἡ πεποίθησίς ἐστιν ἡ εἰς θεόν. οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτον θεμέλιον μὴ ἔχοντες οὕτως εἰσὶν ὡς οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες οἶκον ἄνευ θεμελίου· ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ περὶ τοὺς Μακκαβαίους μεγάλως ἀνδραγαθήσαντες ὑπέταξαν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ σωματικῷ πολέμῳ, ὑπόδειγμα λάβωμεν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὸν «πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας» πόλεμον, οὕτω 116 γενναῖοι καὶ μεγαλόψυχοι οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀληθινοὶ πολεμισταί. ὥσπερ ὁ φαινόμενος κόσμος χάριτι καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ διοικεῖται, χάριτι μὲν ἐπὶ πλήθει καρπῶν, δικαιοσύνῃ δὲ ἔν τε λιμῷ καὶ λοιμῷ, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ βουλομένη τὸν ἄνω τῆς θεότητος κόσμον κληρονομῆσαι ὑπὸ τῆς χάριτος πολυτρόπως διοικεῖται καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀγαλλιᾶται, ποτὲ δὲ παραδίδοται πειρασμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσι τοῦ πονηροῦ πνεύματος, ἵνα οὕτω πυρωθεῖσα δόκιμος ἀποκαταστῇ.

C Nr. 32c f. 134r13-25 - R Nr. 30b f. 139v13-140r2 - J Nr.. 19 Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ βίῳ οὔκ ἐστι πάντοτε εὐφορία, 118 εἰ γὰρ πάντοτε ἄνεσις ἦν καὶ τρυφή, κατεσκίρτων ἂν τοῦ θεοῦ· «ἔφαγε» γὰρ «ὁ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπαχύνθη καὶ ἀπελάκτισεν ὁ ἠγαπημένος». οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ εἰ πάντοτε ἐν τῇ ἀνέσει τοῦ πνεύματος διῆγεν, οὐκέτι ἐπεγίνωσκεν ἑαυτὴν καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς «δικαιοσύνης» ἠγνόει καὶ μόνον οἰήσει προέκοπτεν, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ἐπὶ συμφέροντι τὰς θλίψεις διηγούμενος· «ἐδόθη μοί» φησιν «σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί, ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι». ὁρᾷς ὅτι τῷ τοιούτῳ ἁγίῳ ἀνδρὶ αἱ θλίψεις εἰς τὸ συμφέρον ἦσαν.

C Nr. 32e f. 134v15-25 - R Nr. 30d f. 140r22-140v8 - J Nr. 19 Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ εἶδος τῆς καννάβεως ὅσῳ τύπτεται λεπτότερον καὶ χρησιμώτερον καθίσταται, οὕτως ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ φιλόθεος εἰς πολλὰς δοκιμασίας καὶ θλίψεις εἰσερχομένη καὶ ὑπομένουσα 120 χρησιμωτέρα καὶ καθαρωτέρα εἰς τὸ πνευματικὸν ἔργον καθίσταται καὶ τέλος τὸν ἐπουράνιον τῶν ἁγίων χορὸν κληρονομεῖν καταξιοῦται. ὑπομενούσης γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ μακροθυμούσης κατ' ὀλίγον τὸ τῆς κακίας μέρος μειοῦται. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐάν τις διοδεύῃ ὁδὸν μακρὰν βαστάζων μαρσίπιον μεστὸν ἄμμου, ἔχῃ δὲ κάτωθεν λεπτοτάτην ὀπήν, ὅσῳ τις βαδίζει ἐκεῖνο ἀπορρέει καὶ κουφίζεται, ἕως ἂν ὅλη ἡ ἄμμος ἐκκενωθῇ, οὕτω κατ' ὀλίγον ἐλαττοῦται ἡ ἔνοικος ἁμαρτία τῷ προσκολλομένῳ τῷ θεῷ.

C Nr. 32e f. 134v15-25 - R Nr. 30d f. 140r22-140v8 - J Nr.. 19 Ὥσπερ γὰρ νήπιον πρὸς τὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἔργα ἄχρηστον τυγχάνει, οὔτε γὰρ πόλεις οἰκοδομεῖν δύναται οὔτε φυτεῦσαι οὔτε ἕτερόν τι 122 ποιῆσαι οὕτω ψυχαὶ μὴ δοκιμασθεῖσαι ἐν διαφόροις θλίψεσιν ἀκμὴν νήπιαί εἰσιν, οὔπω χρησιμεύουσι τῇ βασιλείᾳ ὥς φησιν· «εἰ δὲ χωρίς ἐστε παιδείας», «ἄρα νόθοι καὶ οὐχ υἱοί ἐστε». ἴδε, πόσον αἱ θλίψεις εἰς συμφέρον εἰσὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, μόνον ἵνα τις προθύμως καὶ γενναίως ἑαυτὸν ἑτοιμάσῃ φέρειν.

C Nr. 32f f. 134v25-135r15 - R Nr. 30e f. 140v8-141r4 - J Nr. 19 Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ εἰς ἀξιώματα καὶ προκοπὰς μεγάλας οὐ δυ- νήσεταί τις διελθεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον ἐν πολλῇ γυμνασίᾳ γένηται καὶ εἰς πόνους καὶ εἰς πολέμους εὐδοκιμήσῃ πείρᾳ ἐπιδειξάμενος τὴν νίκην καὶ τρόπαια κατὰ τῶν ὑπεναντίων φέρων πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ καὶ ἀληθινῷ βασιλεῖ 124 τὰς δωρεὰς τοῦ πνεύματος τὰς ἐπουρανίους οὐδεὶς καταξιοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον ἐγγυμνασθῇ ἐν τῇ μελέτῃ τῶν ἁγίων ἐντολῶν, καὶ οὕτω λαμβάνει ὅπλον ἐπουράνιον (αὐτὴν τὴν χάριν) καὶ ἀγωνίζεται κατὰ τῶν πνευμάτων «τῆς πονηρίας». 126 ὅσῳ γάρ τις προκόπτει εἰς τὸν