3

to meet him, what he might say. "I have sinned," he said, "against you, and before heaven." These things he planned; he did not escape the notice of the good father. He came to make his defense, the compassionate one met him. Only be willing, and he himself 31.1481 comes to meet you. He begins to speak, and the father embraces him. Consider his compassion, and do not cut off your hope. He received him, and says: Sacrifice a bull, and bring out a robe, and that the first one, and a ring for his hand. All these things are indeed interpreted allegorically, but they briefly show the good exhortation of the one who received him, not according to what I wish, but according to what he says. But if you are indignant that he receives him after he fed pigs, after he wasted everything, the brother was also indignant, but nevertheless the compassionate one received him. And a fig tree being cultivated, and not having given fruit in three years, was left alone, and was not cut down, in the hope of its giving. The Master shows grace, and you will speak against it? For does anyone seize his own things for himself? But if God shows grace, who is he that speaks against it? Since we were taught to pray: "Forgive us our debts, because we also have forgiven." You forgive, does God not forgive? He has made you a physician of yourself. With the measure you use in return, it will be measured back to you. You forgive, he forgives you. But you who are wicked are kind, is the good one not much more so? Jesus is with sinners, the physician is with the sick.

The Pharisees are indignant, the fathers of those who are now indignant; the merciful one does not turn away. He entered the house of a Pharisee, having been invited; a sinful woman, who had not been invited, came in after him. She saw the sin, she approached righteousness; she saw the sickness, she went where the physician was. She approached not face to face, for she did not have boldness; she did not take his hand, for she did not dare; but at his feet, which she washed with her tears, she let down her hair then only for a good purpose, that hair which had often appeared for evil, she then uncovered for a good purpose. It was outlined for you to take refuge at the feet of Jesus. He ascended to the Father, but he says: "I am with you." Whenever you wish, take refuge with confidence, wet his feet, he is near. And he came, being present, and he departed, being present. These things from the New are sisters to those in the Old. What does John preach? A baptism of repentance. And he teaches in parables, not once, not twice, so that being taught many times you might learn. Peter denies three times, and he is laid in the foundation. Paul from a persecutor, a herald. But here there is a question. But what does he himself say? "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first." He reveals his own fault, in order to show the greatness of grace. But Peter, having spoken and been blessed, having said, "You are the Son of God" most high, and having heard, "You are a rock," was praised. For although he is a rock, not as Christ is a rock, is Peter a rock; for Christ is truly an immovable rock; but Peter through 31.1484 the rock. For Jesus bestows his own dignities, not being emptied, but possessing what he gives. He is light. "You are the light of the world." He is a priest; he makes priests. He is a sheep. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves." He is a rock; he makes a rock, and he bestows his own things to his servants. For this is a sign of a rich man, to have and to bestow. But the rich among us, by bestowing, diminish what they have. For we are not rich, for we possess things that belong to another. But he who is so rich, whatever he may bestow, remains just as rich; like an ever-flowing spring. However much you may take, the stream is not diminished. And yet not like a spring; for no example of ours is worthy of that nature. But not having anything worthy, we use lesser things, that we might somehow know the unknowable. Peter denies three times, not so that Peter might fall, but so that you too might have comfort. He wept, his tears bent our merciful one. For his eagerness was good. Everywhere he alone confesses. "The spirit indeed is willing; but the flesh is weak." The one who formed knows his creation, and he bears our weaknesses, forgiving our transgressions. "Remember," he says, "O Lord, that we are dust." For what is our righteousness? Great indeed was Abraham. Thus

3

ἀπαν τήσων, τί εἴποι. «Ἥμαρτον, εἶπεν, ἐπὶ σοὶ, καὶ ἔμ προσθεν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.» Ταῦτα ἐβουλεύσατο, οὐκ ἔλαθε τὸν ἀγαθὸν πατέρα. Ἦλθεν ἀπολογήσασθαι, ἀπήντη σεν ὁ αἰσχυνόμενος. Μόνον θέλησον, καὶ αὐτὸς 31.1481 προαπαντᾷ. Ἄρχεται λέγειν, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ προσλαμ βάνεται. Κατανόει τὰ σπλάγχνα, καὶ μὴ ἀποκόψῃς· τὴν ἐλπίδα. Ἐδέξατο, καί φησι· Θύσατε ταῦρον, καὶ στολὴν ἐξενέγκατε, καὶ ταύτην ἀρχαίαν, καὶ δακτύ λιον ἐν τῇ χειρί. Ταῦτα πάντα παρερμηνεύεται μὲν, δηλοῖ δὲ συντόμως τὴν προτροπὴν τὴν ἀγαθὴν τοῦ ὑποδεξαμένου, οὐ πρὸς ἃ θέλω, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἃ λέγει. Εἰ δὲ ἀγανακτεῖς, ὅτι δέχεται μετὰ τὸ βοσκῆσαι χοίρους, μετὰ τὸ ἀναλῶσαι πάντα, ἠγανάκτησε καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐδέξατο ὁ αἰσχυνόμενος. Καὶ συκῆ γεωργουμένη, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἔτεσι μὴ δοῦσα καρπὸν, ἀφείθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐξετμήθη ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τοῦ δοῦναι. ∆εσπότης χαρίζεται, καὶ σὺ ἀντερεῖς; Μὴ γὰρ ἴδια πράγματά τις ἑαυτῷ ἁρπά ζει; Εἰ δὲ χαρίζεται ὁ Θεὸς, τίς ὁ ἀντιλέγων; Ἐπεὶ διδαχθῶμεν εὔχεσθαι· «Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, διότι ἀφήκαμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς.» Σὺ ἀφίης, Θεὸς οὐκ ἀφίησι; Σὲ ἐποίησεν ἰατρὸν σεαυτοῦ. Ὧ μέτρῳ ἀντιμετρῇς, ἀντιμετρηθήσεταί σοι. Ἀφίης, ἀφίησί σοι. Ἀλλὰ σὺ ὁ πονηρὸς χρηστεύῃ, ὁ ἀγαθὸς οὐ πολὺ μᾶλλον; Μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν Ἰησοῦς, μετὰ νο σούντων ὁ ἰατρός.

Ἀγανακτοῦσι Φαρισαῖοι, οἱ πα τέρες τῶν νῦν ἀγανακτούντων· οὐκ ἀποστρέφεται ὁ ἐλεήμων. Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς οἶκον Φαρισαίου κληθείς· ἐπεισ ῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἁμαρτωλὸς γυνὴ μὴ κληθεῖσα. Εἶδε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, προσῆλθε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ· εἶδε τὴν νόσον, ἀπῆλθεν ὅπου ὁ ἰατρός. Προσῆλθεν οὐ πρὸς προσ ώπῳ, οὐ γὰρ εἶχε παῤῥησίαν· οὐκ ἐκράτησεν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα, οὐ γὰρ ἐτόλμα· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας, οὓς τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔπλυνεν, ἐξέβαλε τὰς τρίχας τότε μόνον καλῶς, τὰς πολλάκις κακῶς φανείσας τότε καλῶς ἐγύμνωσεν. Ὑπεγράφη σοι τὸ προσφυγεῖν τοῖς ποσὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ἀνῆλθε πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ἀλλά φησιν· «Ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι.» Ὁπότε θέλεις, πρόσφυγε θαῤῥῶν, βρέξον πόδας, ἐγγίζων ἐστί. Καὶ ἦλθε παρὼν, καὶ ἀπῆλθε παρών. Ταῦτα ἀπὸ Καινῆς ἀδελφὰ τῶν ἐν Παλαιᾷ. Τί κηρύττει ὁ Ἰωάννης; Βάπτισμα μετανοίας. Καὶ διδάσκει ἐν παραβολαῖς, οὐχ ἅπαξ, οὐ δὶς, ἵνα πολλάκις διδασκόμενος μάθῃς. Πέτρος τρὶς ἀπαρνεῖται, καὶ κεῖται ἐν θεμελίῳ. Παῦ λος ἀπὸ διωκτῶν κῆρυξ. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθά ἐστι ζήτημα. Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτός; «Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ.» Τὸ ἴδιον ἐλάττωμα φανεροῖ, ἵνα δείξῃ τὸ μέγε θος τῆς χάριτος. Ἀλλὰ Πέτρος εἰπὼν καὶ εὐλογη θεὶς, εἰπὼν, ὅτι «Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ» τοῦ ὑψίστου, καὶ ἀκούσας, ὅτι «Πέτρα εἶ,» ἐνεγκωμιάσθη. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πέτρα, οὐχ ὡς Χριστὸς πέτρα, ὡς Πέτρος πέτρα· Χριστὸς γὰρ ὄντως πέτρα ἀσάλευτος· Πέτρος δὲ διὰ 31.1484 τὴν πέτραν. Χαρίζεται γὰρ Ἰησοῦς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀξιώ ματα, οὐκ ἀποκενούμενος, ἀλλ' ἔχων ἃ δίδωσι. Φῶς ἐστιν. «Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.» Ἱερεύς ἐστι· ποιεῖ ἱερέας. Πρόβατόν ἐστιν. «Ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλ λω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων.» Πέτρα ἐστί· πέτραν ποιεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἴδια χαρίζεται τοῖς δούλοις. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημεῖον πλουσίου, τὸ ἔχειν καὶ χαρίζεσθαι. Ἀλλ' οἱ παρ' ἡμῖν πλούσιοι χαριζόμενοι ἐλαττοῦσιν ἃ ἔχουσιν. Οὐ γὰρ πλούσιοι, ἀλλότρια γὰρ κεκτήμεθα. Ὁ δὲ οὕτως πλουτῶν, ὅσα ἐὰν χαρίζηται, τοσοῦτον μένει πλούσιος ὤν· ὥσπερ πηγὴ ἀένναος. Ὅσον ἐὰν λάβῃς, οὐκ ἀπομειοῦται τὸ ῥεῦμα. Καὶ οὐχ ὡς πηγή· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄξιον ὑπόδειγμα τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν ἐκείνης τῆς φύσεως. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ἔχοντές τι ἄξιον, χρώμεθα τοῖς ἐλάττοσιν, ἵνα ὁπωσδήποτε γνῶμεν τὰ ἄγνωστα. Τρὶς ὁ Πέτρος ἀρνεῖται, οὐχ ἵνα Πέτρος πέσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ σὺ σχῇς παραμυθίαν. Ἐδάκρυσεν, ἔκαμψε τὰ δάκρυα τὸν ἐλεήμονα ἡμῶν. Ἡ γὰρ προθυμία ἦν ἀγαθή. Πανταχοῦ ὁμολογεῖ μόνος. «Τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα πρόθυμον· ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής.» Οἶδεν ὁ πλάσας τὴν πλάσιν, καὶ βαστάζει τὰ ἀσθενήματα, συγχωρῶν τὰ παραπτώματα. «Μνήσθητι, φησὶ, Κύριε, ὅτι χοῦς ἐσμεν.» Τί γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη; Μέγας ἦν ὄντως Ἀβραάμ. Οὕτως