John Chrysostom, On the Parable of the Prodigal Son

to be in need. For nothing was left to him, except only the evils of intemperance, since he had committed the evils of disorder. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country. And the citizens of that country were the demons, in which he happened to be a sojourner. And that citizen sent him into his field to feed swine. For so do demons honor those who honor them; so do they love those who love them; such gifts do they bestow upon those who obey them. And he desired to fill his belly with the husks that the swine ate. What does it mean, "With the husks"? The taste of the husks is sweet, but they are also hard and rough.

For such is the nature of sin; it gives little pleasure, and punishes greatly; it delights for a time, and scourges for eternity. Coming to himself, therefore, and considering his former blessedness and his latter misery, and reflecting on who he was when he was appointed with God the Father, and who he had become, subjected to demons. Coming to himself, therefore, he said: How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger? How many catechumens now delight in the holy Scriptures, while I am consumed by a famine of the divine words? Oh, of how many good things have I deprived myself! Oh, with how many evils have I surrounded myself! For why did I depart from that blessed way of life? And why did I come into this death-bearing life? I have learned from what I have suffered not to abandon God; I have learned to hold fast to Him who always keeps those who hold fast to Him; I have learned not to trust unclean demons, who teach all impurity and cor 59.518 ruption. What then does he say? I will arise and go to my father. I will return well, from whence I departed badly; I will go to my father, and Maker, and Master, and guardian, and provider; I will go to Him who has long been waiting and anticipating those who return to Him. I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants. These words are sufficient for my salvation; the name is sufficient for my intercession with my father; for my father, being called father by me, cannot but show himself a father in his deeds; he cannot but be moved with compassion, being compassionate; he cannot, having heard, "I have sinned," not grant pardon to my transgressions; he cannot, having heard my voice, not forget his righteous anger. I know how much repentance avails with him; I know how powerful tears are with him; I know how every sinner who turns to him and weeps fervently, like Peter, receives the remission of his sins; I know the goodness of my God; I know the gentleness of my father. He will have mercy on me when I repent, He who did not punish me when I sinned. 2. And he arose and came to his father. He added the good deed to the good counsel. For we must not only take counsel for what is profitable, but also show our good intentions by our deeds. And while he was still a long way off from the place, but near in his manner, and continually wringing his hands, and beating his own breast, as the workshop of wicked thoughts, and fixing his face to the ground, and requiring his eyes to give as fellow-intercessors the drops of his tears, and rehearsing his defense, he arrived and cried out with a loud voice, saying with tears: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I have sinned, I know, Christ, Master and God; you alone know my sins; I have sinned, have mercy as God and Master. I am not worthy to look to heaven, and to call upon you, my good Master, being full of the greatest and grievous accusations; there is no number to my sins. Have mercy, as you are ever a good God, For I am not worthy to be called your son, make me as one of your hired servants.

ὑστερεῖσθαι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ λοιπὸν ἔμεινεν, εἰ μὴ μόνον τὰ τῆς ἀκρασίας κακὰ, ἐπειδὴ ἔπραξε τὰ τῆς ἀκοσμίας κακά. Καὶ πορευθεὶς ἐκολλήθη ἑνὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης. Πολῖται δὲ τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης ἦσαν οἱ δαίμονες, ἐν ᾗ ἐτύγχανε μετανάστιος. Καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν ὁ πολίτης ἐκεῖνος εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν αὐτοῦ βόσκειν χοίρους. Οὕτω γὰρ τιμῶσιν οἱ δαίμονες τοὺς τιμῶντας αὐτούς· οὕτω φιλοῦσι τοὺς φιλοῦντας αὐτούς· τοιαύτας δωρεὰς χαρίζονται τοῖς πειθομένοις αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἐπεθύμει γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων, ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων; Τῶν κερατίων ἡ γεῦσις γλυκεῖά ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ σκληρὰ κατ' αὐτό τε καὶ τραχεῖα.

Τοιαύτη γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ φύσις· εὐφραίνει μὲν μικρὰ, καὶ κολάζει μεγάλα· τέρπει πρόσκαιρα, καὶ μαστίζει αἰώνια. Εἰς ἑαυτὸν οὖν ἐλθὼν, καὶ λογισάμενος τὴν προτέραν μακαριότητα καὶ τὴν δευτέραν ἀθλιότητα, καὶ βαλὼν κατὰ νοῦν, τίς μὲν ἦν, ὅτε ἦν μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς τεταγμένος, τίς δὲ γέγονεν ὑποτεταγμένος τοῖς δαίμοσιν. Εἰς ἑαυτὸν οὖν ἐλθὼν, εἶπε· Πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύουσιν ἄρτων, ἐγὼ δὲ ὧδε λιμῷ ἀπόλλυμαι; Πόσοι νῦν κατηχούμενοι κατατρυφῶσι τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν, τῷ λιμῷ δὲ τῶν θείων λογίων ἐγὼ συνέχομαι; ὢ πόσων ἀγαθῶν ἐμαυτὸν ἐστέρησα! ὢ πόσοις κακοῖς ἐμαυτὸν περιέβαλον! Τί γὰρ ἀφιστάμην τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης διαγωγῆς; τί δὲ ταύτης ἐντὸς ἐγενόμην τῆς θανατηφόρου ζωῆς; Ἔμαθον ἀφ' ὧν ἔπαθον, μὴ ἐγκαταλιμπάνειν Θεόν· ἔμαθον κρατεῖν τὸν ἀεὶ φυλάσσοντα τοὺς κρατοῦντας αὐτόν· ἔμαθον μὴ πιστεύειν τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις δαίμοσι, τοῖς διδάσκουσι πᾶσαν ἀκαθαρσίαν τε καὶ φθο 59.518 ράν. Τί οὖν φησιν; Ἀναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου. Ὑποστρέψω καλῶς, ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον κακῶς· ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν ἐμὸν πατέρα, καὶ Ποιητὴν, καὶ ∆εσπότην, καὶ κηδεμόνα, καὶ προνοητήν· καταλάβω τὸν πάλαι περιμένοντα καὶ προλαμβάνοντα τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιστρέφοντας. Ἀναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου, καὶ ἐρῶ αὐτῷ· Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου· ποίησόν με, ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων σου. Ἀρκεῖ μοι πρὸς σωτηρίαν ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα· ἀρκεῖ μοι πρὸς τὴν πρεσβείαν τοῦ πατρός μου τὸ ὄνομα· οὐ δύναται γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς, πατὴρ προσαγορευθεὶς παρ' ἐμοῦ, μὴ φανῆναι τοῖς ἔργοις πατήρ· οὐ δύναται μὴ κινῆσαι τὰ σπλάγχνα, εὔσπλαγχνος ὤν· οὐ δύναται τὸ, Ἥμαρτον, ἀκούσας, μὴ δοῦναι συγγνώμην τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὀλισθήμασιν· οὐ δύναται τῆς ἐμῆς ἀκούσας φωνῆς, μὴ ἐπιλαθέσθαι τῆς δικαίας ὀργῆς. Οἶδα πόσα δύναται παρ' αὐτῷ ἡ μετάνοια· οἶδα πῶς ἰσχύει παρ' αὐτῷ τὰ δάκρυα· οἶδα πῶς ἕκαστος ἁμαρτωλὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνανεύων, καὶ δακρύων θερμῶς, ὡς ὁ Πέτρος λαμβάνει τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἄφεσιν· οἶδα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου τὴν ἀγαθότητα· οἶδα τοῦ πατρός μου τὴν ἡμερότητα. Ἐλεήσει με μετανοοῦντα, ὃν οὐκ ἐκόλασεν ἁμαρτήσαντα. βʹ. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ. Προσέθηκε τῇ καλῇ βουλῇ τὴν πρᾶξιν τὴν ἀγαθήν. ∆εῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐ μόνον βουλεύεσθαι τὰ συμφέροντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς ὁρμὰς δεικνύειν ταῖς πράξεσιν. Ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος τοῦ τόπου, πλησίον δὲ ὄντος τῷ τρόπῳ, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας συνεχῶς ἐπιῤῥηγνύντος, καὶ τύπτοντος τὸ ἴδιον στῆθος, ὡς τῶν πονηρῶν λογισμῶν ὑπάρχον ἐργαστήριον, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον προσηλοῦντος τῇ γῇ, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπαιτοῦντος δοῦναι συμπρεσβευτὰς τὰς τῶν δακρύων σταγόνας, καὶ προμελετῶντος τὴν ἀπολογίαν, φθάσας ἀνεβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, μετὰ δακρύων λέγων· Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου. Ἥμαρτον, οἶδα, Χριστὲ ∆έσποτα καὶ Θεέ· ἐμὰς ἁμαρτίας σὺ μόνος ἐπίστασαι· ἥμαρτον, ἐλέησον ὡς Θεὸς καὶ ∆εσπότης. Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν βλέπειν, καὶ παρακαλεῖν σε τὸν ἀγαθόν μου ∆εσπότην, γέμων μεγίστων καὶ χαλεπῶν ἐγκλημάτων· οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἐμῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Ἐλέησον ὡς ἀγαθὸς Θεὸς ὢν ἀεὶ, Ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου, ποίησόν με ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων σου.