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incomprehensible, its excess is inconceivable. I heard the responsorial psalm, which we all sang in common as we processed: Great is our Lord, and great is his strength, and of his understanding there is no number. What then is this? Count the things said, and you will understand the mystery. Great is the Lord; it did not say how great (for it was not possible to say how much), but with the indefiniteness of the meaning it leads the mind to the infinite. Likewise, it says, Great is his strength; and hearing "strength," understand "power." For Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. But also of his understanding there is no number. Isaiah interprets "understanding" clearly, saying: A spirit of wisdom and understanding. 9.340

I heard in the beatitudes those thirsting for the Lord being called blessed. Perhaps then my thought is not out of place, so accept my word, even if it seems disconnected from the present matters; if someone traveling at midday, with the sun's hotter rays beating down on his head and parching with its flame all the moisture in his body (and let us presuppose for the example a rough and difficult and thirsty land), and then such a person should come upon a spring, whose stream is beautiful and clear, and pleasantly cooling, and overflowing abundantly, will he sit down by the water and philosophize about its nature, examining whence and how and through what and such things, of the sort that it is customary for vain talkers to say, that some moisture is sown in the depths of the earth and leaping up and being compressed becomes water, or that veins spread out in the lower cavities, if they are opened, pour forth water, or, letting all such things go, does he bend over the stream, and putting his lips to it, cure his thirst and refresh his tongue and quench his desire and give thanks to the one who gave the grace? Imitate then the thirsty man, since it has also been said [as it has been said] that Blessed are those who thirst, and having learned what and how many good things spring from the Holy Spirit, do what the prophet says, Open your mouth and draw in 9.341 the spirit, Open your mouth wide and he who has the authority over the gifts will fill it. Do you wish to learn how many good things are poured forth from the spring of the Spirit? Incorruption of soul, eternity of life, the kingdom of heaven, unceasing gladness, joy having no end. But looking at the present things, I make little of the loss of what is lacking; my house has been filled with good things, the treasuries are full of the gold of Arabia, and perhaps soon ambassadors will come from Egypt and will stretch out their hand to God, and the kingdoms of the earth will sing with us the victory hymn to the one who calls all to his kingdom, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever, amen.

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ἄληπτον, τούτου τὸ πλεονάζον ἀνεπινόητον. ἤκουσα τοῦ ὑποψάλματος, ὃ κοινῇ πάντες ὑμνολογοῦντες ἐπῄειμεν· Μέγας ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός. τί οὖν τοῦτό ἐστιν; ἀρίθμησον τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ νοεῖς τὸ μυστήριον. Μέγας ὁ κύριος, οὐκ εἶπε πόσον μέγας (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν τὸ πόσον), ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀορίστῳ τῆς σημασίας ἐπὶ τὸ ἄπειρον ὁδηγεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν. ὁμοίως, Μεγάλη, φησίν, ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, ἰσχὺν δὲ ἀκούσας τὴν δύναμιν νόησον. Χριστὸς δὲ θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία. ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός. ἑρμηνεύει τὴν σύνεσιν Ἠσαΐας σαφῶς λέγων.· Πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως. 9.340

Ἤκουσα ἐν τοῖς μακαρισμοῖς μακαριζομένους τοὺς διψῶντας τὸν κύριον. τάχα οὖν οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ καιροῦ τὸ ἐνθύμιον καί μου δέξασθε τὸν λόγον, κἂν ἀπηρτῆσθαι τῶν παρόντων δοκῇ· εἴ τις διὰ μεσημβρίας ὁδεύων τοῦ ἡλίου θερμοτέραις ταῖς ἀκτῖσι τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑπερζέοντος καὶ πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑγρὸν τῇ φλογὶ καταφρύσσοντος (προκείσθω δὲ τῷ ὑποδείγματι γῆ τραχεῖα καὶ δυσπόρευτος καὶ διψώδης) εἶτα ἐπιτύχοι πηγῆς ὁ τοιοῦτος, ἧς καλὸν καὶ διαφανὲς τὸ νᾶμα καὶ προσηνῶς καταψῦχον καὶ ἀφθόνως ὑπερχεόμενον, ἆρα προσκαθεδεῖται τῷ ὕδατι καὶ φιλοσοφήσει περὶ τῆς φύσεως, ὅθεν καὶ ὅπως καὶ διὰ τίνος καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα διεξετά- ζων, οἷα δὴ τοῖς ματαιολογοῦσι σύνηθες λέγειν ὅτι ἰκμάς τις ἐγκατεσπαρμένη τῷ βάθει τῆς γῆς καὶ διαπηδῶσα καὶ συνθλιβομένη ὕδωρ γίνεται ἢ ὅτι φλέβες ἐκκεχυμέναι ταῖς κάτω κοιλότησιν, εἴπερ ἀναστομωθῶσι, τὸ ὕδωρ προχέουσιν, ἢ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα χαίρειν ἐάσας ἐπικύπτει τῷ νάματι καὶ προσθεὶς τὰ χείλη θεραπεύει τὴν δίψαν καὶ ἀναψύχει τὴν γλῶσσαν καὶ καταπαύει τὸν πόθον καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ δεδω-κότι τὴν χάριν; μίμησαι τοίνυν καὶ σὺ τὸν διψῶντα, ἐπεὶ καὶ εἴρηται [καθὼς εἴρηται] ὅτι Μακάριοι οἱ διψῶντες, καὶ καταμαθὼν οἷα καὶ ὅσα ἀγαθὰ πηγάζει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ποίησον τὸ τοῦ προφήτου, Τὸ στόμα σου ἄνοιξον καὶ ἕλκυσον 9.341 πνεῦμα, Πλάτυνον τὸ στόμα σου καὶ πληρώσει ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν χαρισμάτων. βούλει μαθεῖν ὅσα προχεῖται τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος πηγῆς ἀγαθά; ἀφθαρσία ψυχῆς, ἀιδιότης ζωῆς, οὐρανῶν βασιλεία, εὐφροσύνη ἄληκτος, χαρὰ τέλος οὐκ ἔχουσα. ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰς τὰ παρόντα βλέπων ὀλίγην ποιοῦμαι τὴν ζημίαν τοῦ λείποντος· πεπλήρωταί μοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὁ οἶκος, πλήρεις οἱ θησαυροὶ τοῦ χρυσίου τῆς Ἀραβίας, ἥξουσι δὲ τάχα μετ' ὀλίγον καὶ πρέσβεις ἐξ Αἰγύπτου καὶ προ- φθάσουσι χεῖρα αὐτῶν τῷ θεῷ καὶ αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς γῆς μεθ' ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπινίκιον ᾄσουσιν ὕμνον τῷ πάντας εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν καλοῦντι, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.