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to approach his unmixed divinity. For indeed the wise hunters do this: he who wishes to hunt a sparrow, puts forth a sparrow; he who wishes to hunt a partridge, puts forth a partridge; he who wishes to hunt a dove, puts forth a dove, so that like might be hunted by like. Thus also did Christ; he caught men through man, he trampled down the devil through humility, he despoiled Satan through his forbearance, and for those who keep his commandments he has prepared the kingdom of heaven. Today angels give glory and men worship and the dead supplicate. Today three orders offer gifts to him: men, gold as to a king, angels, frankincense as to God, the dead, myrrh as †through the dead†. They offer different kinds, because different races bring him worship today. Come therefore, all who happen to be hearers of my words, let us celebrate today in a Christian manner. How will this be? Let us render evil for evil to no one, for it is written in Proverbs: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; for in doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be a cause of scandal, for the Lord says in the gospels: truly I say to you: whoever scandalizes one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. Share with the one in need of shelter, of covering, of food, you who use these things beyond your need; for again the Lord says: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Do not be arrogant; for he who thinks he is something when he is nothing, deceives himself. Deem your priests worthy of much honor and attendance; For they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Abstain from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For accursed before the Lord is he who eats blood or what is strangled or what is caught by a wild beast or what has died of itself among birds or what has died of itself among animals, having died in a trap; and may his memory be blotted out from the earth. Cut off the habit of oaths, glorifying the born Christ, for to him belongs honor and worship for ever and ever. Amen.

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προσεγγίσαι τῇ ἀκράτῳ αὐτοῦ θεότητι. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ σοφοὶ τῶν θηρευτῶν τοῦτο ποιοῦσι· ὁ βουλόμενος στρουθίον θηρεῦσαι, στρουθίον προβάλλεται· ὁ βουλόμενος πέρδικα θηρεῦσαι, πέρδικα προβάλλεται· ὁ βουλόμενος περιστερὰν θηρεῦσαι, περιστερὰν προβάλλεται, ἵνα τὸ ὅμοιον διὰ τοῦ ὁμοίου θηρευθῇ. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησεν· τοὺς ἀνθρώπους διὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐσαγήνευσεν, τὸν διάβολον διὰ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης κατεπάτησεν, τὸν Σατανᾶν διὰ τῆς ἀνοχῆς αὐτοῦ ἐσκύλευσεν, καὶ τοῖς τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φυλάττουσι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἡτοίμασεν. Σήμερον ἄγγελοι δοξολογοῦσι καὶ ἄνθρωποι προσκυνοῦσι καὶ νεκροὶ ἱκετεύουσιν. Σήμερον τρεῖς τάξεις δῶρα αὐτῷ προσφέρουσιν· τὸν χρυσὸν ὡς βασιλεῖ ἄνθρωποι, λίβανον ὡς θεῷ ἄγγελοι, σμύρναν νεκροὶ ὡς †διὰ τῶν νεκρῶν†. ∆ιάφορα εἴδη προσφέρουσιν, ἐπειδὴ γένη διάφορα τὴν προσκύνησιν αὐτῷ σήμερον ἄγουσιν. ∆εῦτε οὖν ὅσοι τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων ἀκροαταὶ τυγχάνετε, χρι στιανικῶς ἑορτάσωμεν σήμερον. Πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο; μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδώσωμεν, ὅτι γέγραπται ἐν παροιμίαις· ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Μὴ αἴτιος σκανδάλου γίνου, ὅτι λέγει ἐν εὐαγγελίοις ὁ κύριος· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· ὅστις σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ, συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ῥιφῇ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. Μετάδος τῷ δεομένῳ στέγης, σκέπης, σιτίων, ὁ ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν τούτοις χρώμενος· ὅτι πάλιν φησὶν ὁ κύριος· μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. Μὴ μέγα φρόνει· ὁ γὰρ δοκῶν τι εἶναι μηδὲν ὤν, ἑαυτὸν φρεναπατᾷ. Τοὺς ἱερεῖς ὑμῶν πολλῆς τιμῆς καὶ δορυφορίας ἀξιώσατε· Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες. Ἀπέχεσθε πορνείας καὶ πνικτοῦ καὶ αἵματος. Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ ἐναντίον κυρίου ὁ ἐσθίων αἷμα ἢ πνικτὸν ἢ θηριάλωτον ἢ πετεινόθνητον ἢ θηράθνητον ἐν παγίδι τεθνηκός· καὶ ἐξολο θρευθῇ ἐκ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ. Τὴν συνήθειαν τῶν ὅρκων ἐκκόψατε, τὸν γεννηθέντα Χριστὸν δοξάζοντες, ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.