4

let us store it up. And if after the fast you wish to heal the body, since it happens to be weak, heal it with moderation; so that, just as a cargo ship carrying a light load, the soul might be higher than the waves of wickedness; and if the temptations of the desires are stirred up, it might be able to be sober for the contest, for the steering of its thoughts, so that we may keep the vessel from shipwreck. For we have a sister of the fast as an ally for help, I mean prayer; and whether it be death, or temptation, or any other of the evils, it is dissolved by prayer and fasting. And what am I saying? Fasting puts demons to flight, and destroys the tyranny of the devil, especially if it has prayer working with it; fasting and prayer led Elijah up into the heavens, delivered the Ninevites from death, fasting kept Daniel unharmed from the lions, fasting preserved the three youths unscathed in the midst of the furnace, fasting deemed Moses worthy of the unseen glory, fasting made Elisha a leader of the prophets. And what more shall I say? If indeed it were a medicine of salvation and a cause of life, God would not have from the beginning commanded to fast. For if Adam had fasted, death would not have approached him, he would not have fallen from the dignity given to him by God, nor been cast out of the delight of paradise, nor been condemned to this toilsome life; but because he obeyed the law of the belly, for this reason he came to death. Fasting is the way of life of angels; and what is greater, the Savior fasted, not needing the medicine of fasting Himself, but in order to sow in us examples of fasting for salvation. Take, therefore, fasting as a companion for your whole life, that it may protect you, that it may deliver you from death, that it may save you from temptations, and bring you into the harbor of the kingdom of the heavens, by the grace of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen. 60.715 On Fasting, Sermon 3. Previously, from what you have heard, you have learned how honorable is the introduction to fasting, brothers. For while abstaining from food, we have feasted on the elements of the world as on delicacies, not in a small way, but rather intensely, beholding with the soul's eye God stretching out the heaven, beautifying the firmament, restraining the sea, bringing forth nourishment from the earth. And consider with me the paradox: for women give birth to a child, and then offer food; for if a child does not come forth, the nipple is fruitless; but the earth, before Adam came to be, brought forth food, and before the birth a table was set for the child, before the birth a table was set for the first-formed man. For, God says, "Let it bring forth vegetation," and then He formed man, dust; not idly, but so that coming forth from the earth, and walking upon the earth, and calling this his mother, and looking to this, he might not be lifted up, but might offer to God that Abrahamic voice, saying: "But I am earth and ashes." For the hospitable one, interceding once with God, brought forth this confession; it is good for us to offer this as well. For this voice of nature is a most secure bridle; this does not allow one to walk disorderly, if one should bear to love the earth, being earth himself. For if he loves earth, let him possess his own body as a property, let him show himself to be fruitful, let him render virtues as contributions to the farmer of creation. "My Father," He says, "is the farmer." And when will one who knows himself to be earth desire gold? and when would one who calls himself dust love splendid clothing? when will he hasten to come to a desire for rank, who has confessed himself to be earth, For that he who has meditated on this voice will not speak evil of his neighbor, will not move his tongue or right hand against his fellow, is surely clear to everyone. So wise and divine is the voice of the hospitable one; "For I," he was saying, it says, "am not your creature," which was true, "not your image," which is not false, "not a divine in-breathing," which is accurate, "not a rational statue," which is certain; but keeping silent on all these things out of reverence and consigning them to oblivion, earth upon the

4

ταμιεύσωμεν. Κἂν μετὰ τὴν νηστείαν βούλῃ θεραπεῦσαι τὸ σῶμα ὡς ἀσθενὲς τυγχάνον, τῇ συμμετρίᾳ θεράπευσον· ἵνα, ὥσπερ ὁλκὰς ἐλαφρὸν φορτίον ἄγουσα, ὑψηλοτέρα ᾖ τῶν κυμάτων τῆς πονηρίας ἡ ψυχή· κἂν οἱ πειρασμοὶ διεγερθῶσι τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, νῆψαι δυνηθῇ πρὸς ἀνταγώνισιν, πρὸς κυβέρνησιν λογισμῶν, ἵνα τὸ σκάφος ἀναυάγητον διαφυλάξωμεν. Ἔχομεν γὰρ ἀδελφὴν τῆς νηστείας σύμμαχον πρὸς βοήθειαν, εὐχὴν λέγω· κἂν θάνατος ᾖ, κἂν πειρασμὸς, ἢ ἕτερόν τι τῶν κακῶν, εὐχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ διαλύεται. Καὶ τί λέγω; Νηστεία δαίμονας φυγαδεύει, καὶ τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου τυραννίδα καταλύει, μάλιστα εἰ τὴν εὐχὴν ἔχει συνεργοῦσαν· νηστεία καὶ εὐχὴ τὸν Ἠλίαν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνήγαγε, Νινευΐτας ἐκ θανάτου ἐῤῥύσατο, νηστεία τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἐκ τῶν λεόντων ἀβλαβῆ διεφύλαξε, νηστεία τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας ἀκεραίους ἐν μέσῳ τῆς καμίνου διετήρησε, νηστεία Μωϋσέα τῆς ἀθεάτου δόξης ἠξίωσε, νηστεία Ἑλισσαῖον ἄρχοντα τῶν προφητῶν ἀπετέλεσε. Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; Εἰ μὴν ἦν φάρμακον σωτηρίας καὶ πρόξενον ζωῆς, οὐκ ἂν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Θεὸς νηστεύειν ἐνετείλατο. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνήστευσεν Ἀδὰμ, οὐκ ἂν αὐτῷ θάνατος ἤγγιζεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐξέπιπτε τῆς ἀξίας τῆς δοθείσης αὐτῷ παρὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς ἐξεβάλλετο, καὶ τὴν ἐπίμοχθον ταύτην ζωὴν κατεδικάζετο· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ νόμῳ γαστρὸς ὑπήκουσε, διὰ τοῦτο εἰς θάνατον κατήντησε. Νηστεία ἀγγέλων ὑπάρχει δίαιτα· καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐνήστευσεν, οὐκ αὐτὸς δεόμενος τοῦ φαρμάκου τῆς νηστείας, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὑπογραμμοὺς ἡμῖν νηστείας ἐγκατασπείρῃ πρὸς σωτηρίαν. Λάβε τοίνυν τὴν νηστείαν ὅλου τοῦ βίου συνέμπορον, ἵνα σε διαφυλάξῃ, ἵνα σε ἐκ θανάτου ῥύσηται, ἵνα σε ἐκ πειρασμῶν διασώσῃ, καὶ εἰσάξῃ σε εἰς τὸν τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν λιμένα, χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 60.715 Περὶ νηστείας Λόγος γʹ. Πρώην, ἐξ ὧν ἀκηκόατε, μεμαθήκατε ὅπως φιλότιμον τὸ τῆς νηστείας προοίμιον, ἀδελφοί. Ἀσιτοῦντες γὰρ, τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου στοιχείοις ὡς ὄψοις εἱστιάθημεν, οὐ μικρῶς, μᾶλλον δὲ σφοδρῶς θεασάμενοι Θεὸν ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμῷ ἐκτείνοντα τὸν οὐρανὸν, καλλωπίζοντα τὸ στερέωμα, χαλινοῦντα θάλασσαν, τροφοφοροῦντα ἐκ γῆς. Καὶ σκόπει μοι τὸ παράδοξον τὰ μὲν γὰρ γύναια τίκτει βρέφος, καὶ τότε προσφέρει τροφήν· ὡς ἐὰν μὴ βρέφος προέλθῃ, ἄκαρπος ἡ θήλη· γῆ δὲ, πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι τὸν Ἀδὰμ, προήγαγε τροφὴν, καὶ πρὸ τόκου τράπεζα προὔκειτο τῷ παιδὶ, πρὸ τόκου τῷ πρωτοπλάστῳ προὔκειτο τράπεζα. Βλαστησάτω γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς, βοτάνην, καὶ τότε ἔπλασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν· οὐκ ἀργῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐκ τῆς γῆς προελθὼν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περιπατῶν, καὶ ταύτην τὴν μητέρα καλῶν, καὶ εἰς ταύτην ὁρῶν, μὴ ἐπαίρηται, ἀλλὰ τὴν Ἀβραμιαίαν ἐκείνην Θεῷ προσφέρῃ φωνὴν λέγων· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός. Ταύτην γὰρ τὴν ὁμολογίαν Θεῷ ποτε πρεσβεύων προσήνεγκεν ὁ φιλόξενος· ταύτην καὶ ἡμᾶς προσφέρειν καλόν. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ φωνὴ τῆς φύσεως ἀσφαλέστατος χαλινός· αὕτη ἄτακτα βαίνειν οὐ συγχωρεῖ, ἄν τις ἀνάσχοιτο ἐρασθῆναι γῆς, τυγχάνων γῆ αὐτός. Εἰ γὰρ γῆς ἐρᾷ, κτῆμα κεκτήσθω τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα, καρποφόρον δεικνύτω ἑαυτὸν, τὰς ἀρετὰς ὡς εἰσφορὰς ἀποδιδότω τῷ τῆς κτίσεως γεωργῷ. Ὁ πατήρ μου, φησὶν, ὁ γεωργός. Πότε δέ τις ἐπιθυμήσει χρυσοῦ, ὁ γῆν ἐπιστάμενος ἑαυτόν; πότε δὲ ἐρασθείη ἐσθῆτος λαμπρᾶς ὁ κόνιν καλῶν ἑαυτόν; πότε εἰς πόθον ἀξίας ἐλθεῖν σπουδάσει, γῆν ὁμολογήσας ἑαυτόν, Ὅτι γὰρ ὁ ταύτην μελετήσας τὴν φωνὴν οὐκ ἐρεῖ τῷ πλησίον κακῶς, οὐ κινήσει κατὰ τοῦ πέλας γλῶτταν ἢ δεξιὰν, παντί που δῆλόν ἐστιν. Οὕτω σοφή τις καὶ θεία ἡ τοῦ φιλοξένου φωνή· Ἐγὼ γὰρ, ἔλεγε, φησὶν, εἰμὶ, οὐ πλάσμα σὸν, ὅπερ ἦν ἀληθὲς, οὐκ εἰκὼν σὴ, ὅπερ ἀψευδὲς, οὐκ ἐμφύσημα θεῖον, ὅπερ ἀκριβὲς, οὐ λογικὸς ἀνδριὰς, ὅπερ ἀσφαλές· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα δι' εὐλάβειαν σιγήσας καὶ λήθῃ παραδοὺς, γῆν ἐπὶ τοῦ