Macarius of Egypt, Homilies 7

Of various temptations, but when she gives birth, that is, is perfected, she rejoices continually with inexpressible joy, because a heavenly and new m

The birds of the sky flying in the air rest in it. likewise also is the life of souls, and the air of those having the wings of the spirit is above in

Prepares himself, is pained and distressed by not acting manfully such a one does not become a child of life, since he has not become an imitator and

Therefore, to always examine ourselves and to search our hearts, so that we may know our own faults, trusting in the deliverer of our souls, christ, t

Knowing that you do this not to a man but to god who said, he who hears you hears me, and in lying and withholding what you have brought to god do you

Of a greater judgment than the enumerated evils through such a renunciation, he would have freed the ascetic, together with the brotherhood, from labo

It is necessary to have unceasing remembrance of god and confidence, and so one will be able to wrestle against the evils that beset man, that is, the

For the intention sins when it comes to be with an evil purpose, and sometimes the deed also, when it is done corruptly, or not in the way it ought to

Of salt and if there is taste in empty words, not filled with the testimony of works? 54.9 of abandonments, then, one is for the sake of hidden virtu

I might bear away glory and honor. and paul says, if i do this willingly, i have no reward but if unwillingly, i am entrusted with a stewardship for

To him concerning us. for he only has need of our choice, since he is always ready to have mercy on us and enlighten us, if only we are willing to giv

Unspeakable, so that he weeps, and if the soul were able to leave the body, and to go to the lord. at other times again his soul rejoices within by th

He should bring his thoughts before god by night and day, and weep every hour in the presence of god, and being grieved he should reprove his own soul

of bondage from his neck, and having loosed him, brought him out of prison, and made him lord of Egypt; the one who appeared to Moses in a bush of fire, and gave him power to subdue all creatures, and made the sea to run before him; the one who strengthened Joshua the son of Nun, and made him a victor in all the encounters of wars; the one who chose Samuel to be a priest, and anointed David from behind the flocks; the one who from a little flour in a jar and a little oil in the widow's cruse, made a fountain of abundance for three years and six months. the one who sent horses and a chariot of fire to Elijah and brought him into heaven, and granted to Elisha a double portion of his spirit as he had asked; the one who commanded wonders to be done in Egypt by a staff, and made the dry rod of Aaron to bear fruit. That peace, which strengthened Job in his temptations, and brought Lot out of the flood of fire. The one who was with all the fathers, in whom they believed and whom they loved, they went out after him enduring reproaches and afflictions; and they became strangers and poor, and sojourners and persecuted, despising the world, scorning death, and denying themselves; and they were tried with every temptation, and they were thrown to wild beasts, and they became a spectacle to the world; and having passed through fire and water, they came out into a place of refreshment. 51.2 And I have written these things to you, beloved brethren, so that you may know that from the day Adam was created upon the earth and until the end of the age the evil one does not rest from making war against the saints. For in this very body with which we are clothed, now after the transgression of the first-formed man, he dwells and moves among us wickedly and deceitfully in his villainies and practices. But as many as are infants and untrained in his wars are wounded more grievously by him on account of the simplicity of their infancy; but inasmuch as they seek the Lord in truth, they do not fall; for it is written, The Lord protects the infants; for Christians, clothed with heavenly armor, make war in it, as one against one, secretly, in their own souls. And men who war against each other have seasons in which they fight, and after the war against each other, each of them rests and sits down in his own country in quiet and peace; but as many as make war with Satan, such people stand in the contest night and day; for in one house, which is the body, the soul of man and Satan, against whom he wars, have taken up lodging; there he dwells in it and moves about, and for this reason he is nearer to the soul every hour; for this reason they are not quiet nor do they rest, until they put on armor and power from on high, since they believed and knew through God, that the murderer of humanity is with them; and in these their wars they take pleasure, in which they knew that they love God, and they war against Satan with the power of God. But few and rare are they who know that the destroyer of souls is with them; for this reason they are in affliction, and there is no one on earth to comfort them, since they attend and expect from heaven, that they may receive something in themselves, and in that power and with that armor of the spirit they conquer. For the power which they receive is from heaven, not visible to eyes of flesh; for as much as they seek God with their whole heart, the power of God secretly helps them every hour; and if they are also tempted by Satan on account of their weakness, yet the Lord does not abandon them to be hindered for long or to be tempted more; but the wars themselves teach them to know what Satan is, and how he corrupts men; and the very sufferings of the wars teach them to draw near to God the savior of the world; and when they know their own weakness,

δουλείας ἐκ τοῦ τραχήλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ λύσας ἐξέβαλεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς, καὶ ἐποίησε κύριον τῆς Αἰγύπτου· ὁ ἐν βάτῳ πυρὸς ὀφθεὶς τῷ Μωσεῖ, καὶ δοὺς αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν ὑποτάσσειν πάντα τὰ κτίσματα, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ποιήσας δραμεῖν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· ὁ ἐνδυναμώσας Ἰησοῦν τὸν τοῦ Ναυῆ, καὶ νικητὴν ποιήσας ἐν πάσαις ταῖς συμβολαῖς τῶν πολέμων· ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος τὸν Σαμουὴλ εἰς ἱερέα, καὶ τὸν ∆αβὶδ χρίσας ὀπίσω ποιμνίων· ὁ ἐξ ὀλίγου ἀλεύρου ἐν τῇ ὑδρίᾳ καὶ ἐλαίου ὀλίγου ἐν τῷ καψάκῃ τῆς χήρας, ποιήσας πηγὴν πλησμονῆς εἰς ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἕξ. ὁ ἀποστείλας ἵππους καὶ ἅρμα πυρὸς πρὸς Ἠλίαν καὶ εἰσαγαγὼν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ χαρισάμενος Ἐλισσαίῳ πνεῦμα διπλοῦν καθὼς ᾐτήσατο· ὁ κελεύσας ξύλῳ ποιῆσαι θαυμάσια ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ῥάβδῳ ξηρᾷ τοῦ Ἀαρὼν ποιῆσαι καρπόν. εἰρήνη ἐκείνη, ἡ ἐνδυναμώσασα τὸν Ἰὼβ ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς, καὶ ἐξαγαγοῦσα τὸν Λὼτ ἐκ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ τοῦ πυρός. ὁ γενόμενος μετὰ τῶν πατέρων πάντων, ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες καὶ ὃν ἀγαπήσαντες ἐξῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπομεί ναντες ὀνείδη καὶ θλίψεις· καὶ ἐγένοντο ξένοι καὶ πτωχοί, καὶ πάροικοι καὶ δεδιωγμένοι, ἐξουδενώσαντες τὸν κόσμον, καταφρονήσαντες τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ ἀρνησάμενοι ἑαυτούς· καὶ ἐπειράσθησαν παντὶ πειρασμῷ, καὶ ἐβλήθησαν εἰς θηρία, καὶ γεγόνασι θέατρον τῷ κόσμῳ· καὶ διελ θόντες διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀναψυχήν. 51.2 ταῦτα δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί, ἵνα γνῶτε ὡς ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας ἐκτίσθη ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐχ ἡσυχάζει ὁ πονηρὸς ποιεῖν πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων. ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ τῷ σώματι ᾧ ἐσμὲν ἐνδεδυμένοι, λοιπὸν μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν τοῦ πρω τοπλάστου, οἰκεῖ καὶ ἀναστρέφεται μεθ' ἡμῶν πονηρῶς καὶ δολίως ἐν ταῖς πανουργίαις καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτοῦ. ὅσοι δέ εἰσι νήπιοι καὶ ἀγύμναστοι τῶν πολέμων αὐτοῦ περισσοτέρως τραυματίζονται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς νηπιότητος αὐτῶν· ἐφ' ὅσον δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ζητοῦσιν οὐ πίπτουσι· γέγραπται γὰρ Φυλάσσων τὰ νήπια ὁ Κύριος· ὅπλον γὰρ οὐράνιον οἱ Χριστιανοὶ ἐνδεδυμένοι ἐν αὐτῷ ποιοῦσι πόλεμον, ὡς εἷς πρὸς ἕνα, κρυπτῶς, ἐν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄνθρωποι κατέναντι ἀλλήλων πολεμοῦντες καιροὺς ἔχουσιν ἐν οἷς πολεμοῦσι, καὶ μετὰ τὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους πόλεμον ἕκασ τος αὐτῶν ἀναπαύεται καὶ καθέζεται ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἡσυχίας καὶ εἰρήνης· ὅσοι δὲ μετὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ πόλεμον ποιοῦσι, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἐν ἀγῶνι στήκουσιν· ἐν ἑνὶ γὰρ οἴκῳ, ὅς ἐστι τὸ σῶμα, κατέλυσε ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς, πρὸς ὃν πολεμεῖ· ἐκεῖ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀναστρέφεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐγγύτερός ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς πᾶσαν ὥραν· διὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ἡσυχάζουσιν οὔτε ἀναπαύονται, ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσωνται ὅπλον καὶ δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους, ἐπειδὴ ἐπίστευσαν καὶ ἔγνωσαν διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐστὶ μετ' αὐτῶν ὁ φονεὺς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος· καὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς τοὺς πολέμους αὐτῶν ἥδονται, ἐν οἷς ἔγνωσαν ὅτι τὸν θεὸν ἀγα πῶσι, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ πολεμοῦσι σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ θεοῦ. ὀλίγοι δέ εἰσι καὶ σπάνιοι οἱ εἰδότες ὅτι ἐστὶ μετ' αὐτῶν ὁ ἀφανιστὴς τῶν ψυχῶν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐν θλίψει εἰσί, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπὶ γῆς ὃς παρακαλέσει αὐτούς, ἐπειδὴ προσέχουσι καὶ προσδοκῶσιν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἵνα δέξων ταί τι ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τῷ ὅπλῳ τοῦ πνεύματος νικῶσιν. ἐξ οὐρανοῦ γάρ ἐστιν ἣν δέχονται δύναμιν, μὴ φαινομένην ὀφθαλμοῖς σαρκός· ὅσον γὰρ τὸν θεὸν ζητοῦσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, δύναμις θεοῦ κρυπτῶς πᾶσαν ὥραν βοηθεῖ αὐτοῖς· εἰ δὲ καὶ πειράζονται ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκαταλιμπάνει αὐτοὺς ὁ Κύριος ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐμποδισθῆναι καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖον πειρασθῆναι· αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ πόλεμοι διδάσκουσιν αὐτοὺς γνῶναι τί ἐστιν ὁ Σατανᾶς, καὶ πῶς φθείρει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ πάθη τῶν πολέμων διδάσκουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐγγίζειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου· καὶ ἐπὰν γνῶσι τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἑαυτῶν,