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the people ruled by him will fall through transgressions, and he will be held accountable for these things, and as he will be enslaved, and he will become a sojourner in Babylon, he wrote the psalm, both healing his own wounds, and preparing a suitable medicine for the people. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy; and according to the multitude of your compassions blot out my transgression. [And to the most divine David, and to the captive people, and to those among us who are in a bad state, the preceding words are fitting. For great wounds require medicines of equal measure. For which reason the great David also beseeches that the whole mercy be poured out on him, that the entire fount of compassion empty out the traces of sin. And he rightly calls the offense a transgression; for it contains a twofold violation of the law] Blot out my transgression. You heard the prophet saying: "And the Lord has taken away your sin." What more then do you seek? I remain giving thanks, I remain giving praise. My sin has been taken away, I want the scar also to disappear; the wound has been removed, I want also to receive back my beauty. 2. He comes, therefore, and says: Have mercy on me, O God. He does not speak of the achievements of his life, but of the love for mankind of the Master, taking refuge in mercy, the common harbor of all who have sinned. Have mercy on me, O God. For your mercy is ineffable, and surpasses speech, not being able to be explained; a comfort to the sinner, but also great security for the righteous. For not only are sinners saved by mercy, but the righteous are also fortified by mercy. And that you may learn that the righteous are fortified by mercy, hear what he says to Peter, the pillar, the foundation, who was called Peter for this reason, because he was made a rock by faith: "Simon, Simon, Satan has often desired to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail." Do you see that the righteous also need mercy, so that from sinners they may become righteous, and that having become righteous, they may remain righteous. For the Apostle also became such through mercy: "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus, because he judged me faithful, appointing to his service a man who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man." How then were you saved? "But for this reason I received mercy." Do you see this man also being saved by mercy? He persecuted, he ravaged the Church, he tore up the vines, he became a wolf. He read the Prophets, and he transgressed what was prophesied. The zealot of the paternal law read the prophets, and did not know the one prophesied. How then did he receive mercy? "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting 55.577 me?" O the love for mankind of the Master, to where did he descend? God says to a man, "Why are you persecuting me?" He imitates his own Father. For he also says to the Hebrew people: "My people, what have I done to you, or how have I wronged you, or how have I troubled you? Answer me." And his Son says to Saul: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" What then did he say? "Who are you, Lord?" Immediately he confessed his lordship. Did you see a discerning soul? "Who are you, Lord?" "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting." O the wisdom of the Master! Why did he not say, "I am the Son of God, I am the Word in the beginning, I am the one sitting at the right hand of the Father, I am the one who exists in the form of God, I am the one who stretched out the heaven, I am the one who founded the earth, I am the one who spread out the sea, I am the one who made the angels, I am the one who is present everywhere and fills all things, I am the one begotten of the Father before the ages?" Why did he not say those august and lofty and great things, but, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, from the lowly city?" Because the persecutor did not know him. For if he had known him, he would not have persecuted him. He did not know that he was begotten of the Father; that

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λαὸς ὁ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βασιλευόμενος πεσεῖται παρανομίαις, καί τινας ὑπὲρ τούτων εὐθύνας ὑφέξει, καὶ ὡς ἐξανδραπο δισθήσεται, καὶ μέτοικος ἐν Βαβυλῶνι γενήσεται, συν έγραψε τὸν ψαλμὸν, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα τραύματα θεραπεύων, καὶ τῷ λαῷ κατασκευάζων κατάλληλον φάρμακον. Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου· καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου. [Καὶ τῷ θειοτάτῳ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ τῷ δορυαλώτῳ λαῷ, καὶ τοῖς ἐν ἡμῖν διακειμένοις κακῶς ἁρμόττει τὰ προκείμενα ῥήματα. Τὰ γὰρ μεγάλα τῶν τραυμάτων ἰσομέτρων δεῖται φαρμάκων. Οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ ὁ μέγας ἱκετεύει ∆αυῒδ ὅλον εἰς αὐτὸν ἐκχυθῆναι τὸν ἔλεον, πᾶσαν τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τὴν πηγὴν κατακενῶσαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ ἴχνη. Εἰκότως δὲ ἀνόμημα καλεῖ τὸ πλημμέλημα· διπλῆν γὰρ ἔχει τοῦ νόμου παράβασιν] Ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνό μημά μου. Ἤκουσας τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Καὶ Κύριος ἀφεῖλε τὸ ἁμάρτημά σου. Τί οὖν πλέον ζητεῖς; Μένω εὐχαριστῶν, μένω δοξολογῶν. Περιῃρέθη τὸ ἁμάρτημά μου, βούλομαι καὶ τὴν οὐλὴν ἀφανισθῆναι· περιῃρέθη τὸ ἕλκος, βούλομαι καὶ τὴν εὐμορφίαν ἀπο λαβεῖν. βʹ. Προσέρχεται τοίνυν καὶ λέγει· Ἐλέησον με, ὁ Θεός. Οὐ λέγει τὰ κατορθώματα τοῦ βίου, ἀλλὰ τὴν φιλανθρω πίαν τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ἐπὶ τὸν ἔλεον καταφεύγων, τὸν κοι νὸν τῶν ἁπάντων ἡμαρτηκότων λιμένα. Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεός. Ὁ γὰρ ἔλεός σου ἄφατος, καὶ λόγον ὑπερβαίνων, ἑρμηνευθῆναι μὴ δυνάμενος· ἁμαρτωλῷ παραμυθία. ἀλλὰ καὶ δικαίῳ ἀσφάλεια πολλή. Οὐ γὰρ ἁμαρτωλοὶ μόνον ἐλέῳ σώζονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιοι ἐλέῳ τειχίζονται. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι δίκαιοι ἐλέῳ τειχίζονται, ἄκουε τί φησι τῷ Πέτρῳ, τῷ στύλῳ, τῇ κρηπῖδι, τῷ διὰ τοῦτο κληθέντι Πέτρῳ, ἐπειδὴ τῇ πίστει πεπετρωμένος ἦν· Σίμων, Σίμων, πολλάκις ἠθέλησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς σινιά σαι σε ὡς τὸν σῖτον· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἡ πίστις σου. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ οἱ δίκαιος ἐλέους χρῄζουσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἐξ ἁμαρτωλῶν δίκαιοι γένων ται, καὶ ἵνα δίκαιοι γενόμενοι, μένωσι δίκαιοι. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐξ ἐλέου ἐγένετο τοιοῦτος· Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι πιστόν με ἡγήσατο, θέμενος εἰς διακονίαν τὸν πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν. Πῶς οὖν ἐσώ θης; Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθην. Ὁρᾷς καὶ τοῦτον ἐλέῳ σωζόμενον; Ἐδίωκεν, ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἀνέσπα τὰς ἀμπέλους, λύκος ἐγένετο. Προφήτας ἀνέγνω, καὶ τὰ προφητευόμενα παρηνόμει. Ὁ τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου ζηλωτὴς προφήτας ἀνέγνω, καὶ τὸν προφητευθέντα οὐκ ᾔδει. Πῶς οὖν ἠλεήθη; Σαῦλε, Σαῦλε, τί με διώ 55.577 κεις; Ὢ φιλανθρωπίας τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ποῦ κατέβη; Θεὸς ἀνθρώπῳ λέγει, Τί με διώκεις; Τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μιμεῖται. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τῷ δήμῳ τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ λέγει· Λαός μου, τί ἐποίησά σοι, ἢ τί ἠδίκησά σε, ἢ τί παρηνώχλησά σοι; ἀποκρίθητί μοι. Καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς αὐτοῦ τῷ Σαύλῳ λέγει· Σαῦλε, Σαῦλε, τί με διώκεις; Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνος; Τίς εἶ, Κύριε; Εὐθέως τὴν δεσποτείαν ὡμολό γησεν. Εἶδες ψυχὴν εὐγνώμονα; Τίς εἶ, Κύριε; Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος, ὃν σὺ διώκεις. Ὢ σοφίας ∆εσπότου! ∆ιὰ τί μὴ εἶπεν, Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ Λόγος, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐν δεξιᾷ καθήμενος τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τὸν οὐρανὸν τείνας, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τὴν γῆν ἐδράσας, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τὴν θάλασσαν ἁπλώσας, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ποιήσας, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ πανταχοῦ παρὼν καὶ τὰ πάντα πληρῶν, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων ἐκ Πατρὸς γεννηθείς; ∆ιὰ τί μὴ εἶπε τὰ σεμνὰ ἐκεῖνα καὶ ὑψηλὰ καὶ μεγάλα, ἀλλ', Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος, ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς κάτω πόλεως; ∆ιότι ἠγνόει αὐτὸν ὁ διώκων. Εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἂν ἐδίωκεν. Ἠγνόει ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦν γεννηθείς· ὅτι