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in the Church trees never putting forth fruit (f. 389v); And the wonderful thing is, paradise does not only preserve the plants but it also changes the plants. If I find a thorn, I make a vineyard, if I find a wild olive tree, I make an olive tree. For such is the nature of this earth.

9 For these things I rejoice and leap for joy; yet because I rejoice, I do not omit the apology. For since the length of so much time has removed us, receive my apology, beloved. If you sent a slave somewhere, would you not demand an account from him when he returned? Where have you been, where have you spent so much time? And I am a slave of your love; you bought me not by putting down silver, but by showing love; I rejoice in this slavery and may I never be released. For this slavery is better than a diadem, this slavery procures the kingdom of heaven, this slavery is better than freedom, this slavery prepares a throne for me at that judgment seat, this slavery is not of necessity, but of choice.

10 For who would not gladly serve you, being such impassioned lovers? even if I had a soul of stone, you have made it softer than wax; what can I say of the longing which you showed, the frenzy and the rage of yesterday, the shouts in the marketplace, you sanctified the air, you made the city a church; I was honored and God received it; heretics were put to shame, the church was crowned, you were proclaimed. For the prosperity of the Church is when the root is bound to the branches, when the shepherd is lodged with the sheep.

11 I came and I received good tidings. What kind? That you have trampled upon heretics, you have refuted those who transgressed regarding baptism. Was it in vain that I said that a prudent wife, in the absence of her husband, has refuted adulterers, in the absence of the shepherd, has driven away the wolves, without the pilot, the sailors have saved the ship, without the general, the soldiers have set up the trophy, without the teacher (f. 390) the students, without the father the children, or rather, not without. For your achievements are my crown, my boast.

12 But we desired, he says, to celebrate the Pascha with you. I make my apology, even if you especially have put away your anger at the sight of me. For if a father, having received a prodigal son, was reconciled and did not demand an account from him but immediately embraced him, how much more so children receiving a father.

13 But we wished, he says, to celebrate the Pascha with you. But nevertheless I will also make an apology for this. You wished to celebrate the Pascha with me? You are not hindered; celebrate the Pascha with me today. Shall we then celebrate two Paschas? No, but one and the same many times. For just as the sun always rises and we do not see many suns but there is one rising daily, so also the Pascha is always celebrated and it is one being always celebrated.

14 Our things are not such as the Jewish things; I am not a slave to place, I am not subject to the necessity of seasons. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death." Let us also proclaim today the death of Christ. But then it was a feast and today it is a feast. For where there is love, there is a feast. Where you have received a father, O children, there is a feast. For that feast is also one of love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten son for us."

15 But many were also baptized when you were not present. And what of this? The grace has nothing less, the gift is not lame. They were not baptized in my presence, but they were baptized in the presence of Christ. For is it a man who baptizes? a man lends his right hand, God moves the hand; do not doubt concerning the grace, beloved. Why? I say: baptism is a gift.

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ἐκκλησίᾳ δένδρα μηδέποτε καρπὸν ἀναβάλλοντα (f. 389v)· Καὶ τὸ θαυμαστόν, ὁ παράδεισος οὐ τηρεῖ τὰ φυτὰ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ μεταβάλλει τὰ φυτά. Ἐὰν εὕρω ἄκανθαν, ἀμπελῶνα ἐργάζομαι, ἐὰν εὕρω ἀγριελαίαν, ἐλαίαν ἀπεργάζομαι. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς γῆς ταύτης ἡ φύσις.

9 ∆ιὰ ταῦτα χαίρω καὶ σκιρτῶ· οὐ μὴν ἐπειδὴ χαίρω, παραλείπω τὴν ἀπολογίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἦρεν τοῦ τοσούτου χρόνου τὸ μῆκος, δέξασθέ μου τὴν ἀπολογίαν, ἀγαπητοί. Εἰ δοῦλον ἐπέμψατέ που, ἐπανελθόντα οὐκ ἂν ἀπῃτήσατε εὐθύνας; Ποῦ διέτριβες, ποῦ τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἀνήλωσας; Καὶ ἐγὼ δοῦλός εἰμι τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης· ἠγοράσατέ με οὐκ ἀργύριον καταβαλόντες, ἀλλ' ἀγάπην ἐπιδειξάμενοι· χαίρω τῇ δουλείᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ μηδέποτε λυθείην. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ δουλεία διαδήματος βελτίων, αὕτη ἡ δουλεία βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν προξενεῖ, αὕτη ἡ δουλεία ἐλευθερίας ἀμείνων, αὕτη ἡ δουλεία ἐν τῷ βήματι ἐκείνῳ θρόνον μοι κατασκευάζει, αὕτη ἡ δουλεία οὐκ ἀνάγκης, ἀλλὰ γνώμης.

10 Τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἡδέως δουλεύσειεν ὑμῖν οὕτω μανικοῖς οὖσιν ἐρασταῖς; εἰ καὶ λιθίνην εἶχον ψυχήν, κηροῦ αὐτὴν ἐποιήσατε μαλακωτέραν· τί εἴπω τὸν πόθον ὃν ἐπεδείξασθε, τὴν μανίαν τὴν χθὲς καὶ τὴν λύτταν, τὰς βοὰς τὰς ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ, ἡγιάσατε τὸν ἀέρα, ἐκκλῃσίαν τὴν πόλιν ἐποιήσατε· ἐτιμώμην ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐδέχετο· αἱρετικοὶ κατῃσχύνοντο, ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐστεφανοῦτο, ὑμεῖς ἀνεκηρύττεσθε. Ἐκκλησίας γὰρ εὐημερία ὅταν ἡ ῥίζα τοῖς κλάδοις ᾖ συνδεδεμένη, ὅταν ὁ ποιμὴν τοῖς προβάτοις συναυλίζηται.

11 Ἦλθον καὶ ἐδεξάμην εὐαγγέλια. Ποῖα; Ὅτι αἱρετικοὺς κατεπατήσατε, τοὺς παρανομήσαντας εἰς τὸ βάπτισμα διηλέγξατε. Μή τι μάτην ἔλεγον ὅτι σώφρων ἡ γυνὴ ἀπόντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοὺς μοιχοὺς διήλεγξεν, οὐ παρόντος τοῦ ποιμένος τοὺς λύκους ἀπήλασεν, χωρὶς τοῦ κυβερνήτου οἱ ναῦται τὸ πλοῖον διέσωσαν, χωρὶς τοῦ στρατηγοῦ οἱ στρατιῶται τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησαν, χωρὶς τοῦ διδασκάλου (f. 390) οἱ μαθηταί, χωρὶς τοῦ πατρὸς τὰ τέκνα, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ χωρίς. Τὰ γὰρ ὑμέτερα κατορθώματα ἐμὸς στέφανος, ἐμὸν καύχημα.

12 Ἀλλ' ἐπεθυμοῦμεν, φησίν, τὸ πάσχα μετὰ σοῦ ποιῆσαι. Ἀπολογοῦμαι, εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἐλύσατε τὴν ὀργὴν τῇ ὄψει. Εἰ γὰρ πατὴρ ἄσωτον υἱὸν δεξάμενος κατηλλάγη καὶ οὐκ ἀπῄτησεν αὐτὸν εὐθύνας ἀλλ' εὐθέως περιεπλάκη, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ τέκνα πατέρα δεξάμενα.

13 Ἀλλ' ἐβουλόμεθα, φησίν, τὸ πάσχα μετὰ σοῦ ποιῆσαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου ἀπολογήσομαι. Τὸ πάσχα ἐβούλεσθε μετ' ἐμοῦ ποιῆσαι; Οὐ κωλύεσθε· ποιήσατε μετ' ἐμοῦ σήμερον τὸ πάσχα. ∆ύο οὖν πάσχα ποιήσωμεν; Οὔ, ἀλλ' ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πολλάκις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ἀεὶ ἀνατέλλει καὶ οὐ βλέπομεν πολλοὺς ἡλίους ἀλλ' ἔστιν εἷς καθημέραν ἀνατέλλων, οὕτω καὶ τὸ πάσχα ἀεὶ τελεῖται καὶ ἕν ἐστιν ἀεὶ ἐπὶ τελούμενον.

14 Οὐχ οἷα τὰ ἰουδαϊκὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα· οὐ δουλεύω τόπῳ, οὐχ ὑπόκειμαι καιρῶν ἀνάγκῃ. «Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἂν ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον καὶ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο πίνητε, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κυρίου καταγγέλλετε». Καταγγείλωμεν καὶ σήμερον τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀλλὰ τότε ἑορτὴ καὶ σήμερον ἑορτή. Ὅπου γὰρ ἀγάπη ἑορτή. Ὅπουἀπελάβετε πατέρα, τέκνα, ἑορτή. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνη ἡ ἑορτὴ ἀγάπης ἐστίν. «Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν».

15 Ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐβαπτίσθησαν μὴ παρόντος σου. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἔχει ἡ χάρις, οὐ χωλεύει ἡ δωρεά. Παρόντος ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἐβαπτίσθησαν, ἀλλὰ παρόντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβαπτίσθησαν. Μὴ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων; ἄνθρωπος τὴν δεξιὰν δανείζει, Θεὸς τὴν χεῖρα κινεῖ· μὴ ἀμφίβαλλε περὶ τῆς χάριτος, ἀγαπητέ. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐγὼ λέγω· τὸ βάπτισμα δῶρόν ἐστιν.