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a temple of God, laying as a foundation the Son, Christ, the cornerstone, upon whom are built the good works of righteousness.

Doing these things, even if you are afflicted, endure; even if you are persecuted, do not grow weary; even if you hunger, do not flee; but endure all things eagerly for the sake of the hoped-for repossession in the delight of paradise. You are a wayfarer according to the one who says, "Establish my steps in your paths, that my footsteps may not be shaken;" flee the wide and spacious road that leads to destruction; take up the staff of the Spirit which performs two actions, both killing the crooked serpent that lies in the way, and supporting you when you are sometimes weakened and fall in temptations. Bear the temptation when it comes; if you thirst, run to the immortal spring, Christ; if you hunger, seek the living bread, so that you may not grow weary, nor give in, being puffed up by pleasures, but be strengthened, looking to the end of the road, hoping for the life equal to angels in the kingdom of heaven. O physician of souls, cut out with the sword of the Spirit the swollen and ulcerated passions of pride, wash away the filth of pleasures with the water of teaching; heal the wounds inflicted by sin on the souls of men, using wine and oil according to the Lord; with wine, make it astringent so that, no longer being puffed up, it gives in to desires, and with oil, soothe the pains of the soul, promising them swift forgiveness for their past failings. Do not, looking to monetary gain, overlook the poor man, nor again, because of despicable wealth, overlook the rich man, but exhort both poor and rich to be temperate.

Cause no one to despair, not even the greatest sinner, lest we cast them completely into the abyss of sin, but give a hand to the one who has fallen, saying: "The Lord came not to save the righteous, but sinners"; so that becoming eager, turning from evil they might do good and be saved. Do all things for the health of the weak, being nourished by the hope of those who are being saved, and by the exultation hoped for from God. As an athlete, compete according to the rules; "For no one is crowned unless he competes according to the rules." The struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Love the ascetic labors, flee the snares of the devil. Behold Paul, both running and boxing and wrestling. "So I run," he says, "that I may obtain; so I box, not as one beating the air; but I discipline my body, lest I, who have preached, should myself be disqualified." Run therefore, that you may obtain, box and wrestle, that you may conquer the enemy; anoint yourself with the oil of piety; you have wrestling holds left to you by the holy fathers; take the long-suffering of Moses, the chastity of Joseph, the meekness of David, the virginity of Elijah, the fasting of Elisha, the poverty of Isaiah, the faith of Paul and Peter, the love of Christ, so that, having competed well in all things, you may receive the prizes of victory from the hand of God. Are you a shepherd of the rational sheep of Christ? Fold the sheep, bring back the straying, bind up the broken, heal those bitten by wolves, turn away the wolves, drive away those dogs who for the sake of the flock do not sleep, but bark and steal into the Master's flock.

Point out the evergreen grass that sprouted from Mary, show them the immortal spring of baptism, cleanse the stained sheep with the water of tears; endure every toil and labor, so that, when the chief shepherd Christ is revealed, you may receive the unfading crown of glory. Are you a sheep? Obey your shepherd, do not flee the fold, but love the faith, the shepherd's rod

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ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τιθεὶς θεμέλιον Υἱὸν Χριστὸν τὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον, ἐφ' ὃν οἰκοδομεῖται τὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης καλλιεργήματα.

Ταῦτα πράττων, κἂν θλίβῃ, ὑπόμενε· κἂν διώκῃ, μὴ ἀπόκαμνε· κἂν λιμώττῃς, μὴ ἀπόφευγε· ἀλλὰ πάντα ὑπόμενε προθύμως διὰ τὴν ἐλπιζομένην ἐν τρυφῇ τοῦ παραδείσου ἀνάκτησιν. Ὁδοιπόρος εἶ κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα, Κατάρτισαι τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις σου, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶσι τὰ διαβήματά μου· φεῦγε τὴν πλατεῖαν καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν τὴν ἀπάγουσαν εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν· λάμβανε τὴν βακτηρίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος δύο πράξεις ἐπιτελοῦσαν, τόν τε ἐγκαθήμενον ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σκολιὸν δράκοντα ἀποκτείνουσαν, καὶ σέ ποτε ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς ἐκλυόμενον καὶ καταπίπτοντα διαβαστάζουσαν. Φέρε τὸν πειρασμὸν προσφερόμενον· κἂν διψῇς, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀθάνατον πηγὴν τὸν Χριστὸν ἀνάτρεχε· κἂν πεινῇς, τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ζῶντα ἐπιζήτει, ἵνα μὴ ἀποκάμῃς, μηδὲ ἐνδῷς χαυνούμενος ταῖς ἡδοναῖς, ἀλλ' ἐνδυναμοῦ ἀποβλέπων τὸ τέλος τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἐλπίζων τὴν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἰσάγγελον ζωήν. Ὁ ἰατρὸς τῶν ψυχῶν ἔκτεμε τῇ μαχαίρᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὰ οἰδαίνοντα καὶ ἡλκωμένα πάθη τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, ἀπόπλυνε τὸν βόρβορον τῶν ἡδονῶν τῷ ὕδατι τῆς διδασκαλίας· θεράπευε τὰς ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπιτεθείσας πληγὰς ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἴνῳ καὶ ἐλαίῳ χρώμενος κατὰ τὸν Κύριον· οἴνῳ στῦφε πρὸς τὸ μηκέτι χαυνούμενον ἐνδιδόναι ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις, ἐλαίῳ δὲ λῦσον τοὺς πόνους τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τῶν προημαρτημένων πταισμάτων τὴν συγχώρησιν ταχεῖαν αὐτοῖς ὑπισχνούμενος. Μὴ πρὸς τὰ χρηματικὰ κέρδη ἀποβλέπων παρίδῃς τὸν πένητα, μηδὲ πάλιν διὰ τὸν κατάπτυστον πλοῦτον παρίδῃς τὸν πλούσιον, ἀλλὰ πένητα καὶ πλούσιον ὁμοῦ παρακαλεῖ σωφρονεῖν.

Μηδένα ἀπέλπιζε, μηδὲ τὸν ἄγαν ἁμαρτωλὸν, ἵνα μὴ τέλεον εἰς τὸν βυθὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοὺς ῥίψωμεν, ἀλλὰ δίδου χεῖρα τῷ πεπτω 60.774 κότι λέγων· Οὐκ ἦλθεν ὁ Κύριος σῶσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς· ἵνα πρόθυμοι γενόμενοι, ἐκκλίναντες ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ ποιήσωσι τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ σωθῶσι. Πάντα πρᾶττε διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀσθενούντων ὑγίειαν, τρεφόμενος τῇ ἐλπίδι τῶν σωζομένων, καὶ τῇ παρὰ Θεῷ ἐλπιζομένῃ ἀγαλλιάσει. Ὡς ἀθλητὴς, νομίμως ἄθλησον· Οὐδεὶς γὰρ στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. Τοὺς ἀσκητικοὺς πόνους στέργε, τοὺς διαβολικοὺς βρόχους φεῦγε. Ἴδε Παῦλον καὶ τρέχοντα καὶ πυκτεύοντα καὶ παλαίοντα. Οὕτω τρέχω, φησὶν, ἵνα καταλάβω· οὕτω πυκτεύω, οὐχ ὡς ἀέρα δέρων· ἀλλ' ὑποπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα, μήπως ἐγὼ ὁ κηρύξας, αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος ἔσωμαι. Τρέχε τοίνυν ἵνα καταλάβῃς, πύκτευε καὶ πάλαιε, ἵνα νικήσῃς τὸν ἐχθρόν· ἀλείφου τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐλαίῳ· ἔχεις παλαίσματα καταλειφθέντα σοι ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων· λάμβανε τὴν ἀνεξικακίαν τοῦ Μωϋσέως, τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τὴν σωφροσύνην, τοῦ ∆αυῒδ τὴν πραότητα, τοῦ Ἠλία τὴν παρθενίαν, τοῦ Ἐλισσαίου τὴν νηστείαν, τοῦ Ἡσαΐου τὴν ἀκτημοσύνην, Παύλου καὶ Πέτρου τὴν πίστιν, Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἵνα ἐν πᾶσι καλῶς ἀγωνισάμενος, τῆς νίκης τὰ βραβεῖα ἐκ χειρὸς Θεοῦ ὑποδέξῃ. Ποιμὴν εἶ τῶν λογικῶν προβάτων τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Τὰ πρόβατα μάνδρευε, τὰ πεπλανημένα ἐπίστρεφε, τὰ συντετριμμένα ἐπίδευε, τὰ λυκόδηκτα ἰῶ, τοὺς λύκους ἀπόστρεφε, τοὺς κύνας τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ποιμνίου οὐ γὰρ ὑπνοῦντας, ἀλλ' ὑλακτοῦντας καὶ λαθροφοροῦντας εἰς τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὸ ποίμνιον· τούτους ἀπέλαυνε.

Τὴν ἐκ τῆς Μαρίας ἀειθαλῆ βλαστήσασαν χλόην ὑποδείκνυε, τὴν ἀθάνατον πηγὴν τοῦ βαπτίσματος σήμαινε, τὸ ἐσπιλωμένον πρόβατον τῷ ὕδατι τῶν δακρύων ἀπόσμηχε· πάντα πόνον καὶ κάματον ὑπόμενε, ἵνα, φανερωθέντος τοῦ ἀρχιποιμένος Χριστοῦ, δέξῃ τὸν ἀμαράντινον τῆς δόξης στέφανον. Πρόβατον εἶ; Πείθου τῷ ποιμένι σου, τὴν μάνδραν μὴ φεῦγε, τὴν πίστιν δὲ στέργε, τὴν ῥάβδον τοῦ ποιμένος