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a pit, and a companion and tent-mate and teacher of the more dissolute. Wherefore also Paul, because of their great vanity and weakness, calls them women, and not simply women, but silly women laden down; for it is the custom for such women to gather and sit together and to chatter about things they ought not, whom God does not shepherd; For they did not set God before them; Always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. But he who loves the Lord with his whole heart, and holds His memory unfailingly, as soon as he hears the herald calling to that fearful, life-giving sacrifice of God, rises up with haste; and first he considers if he holds anything against someone, or another against him; and having set right this impediment to salvation, and having freed and loosed himself from such a harsh bond, he runs to the hearing of the divine oracles; as a deer for the springs of waters, so running in faith and longing he reaches the spiritual harbor of God. And having composed himself and gathered his mind, and for the time having cast off every care of this life, he prepares his ears for the hearing of the angelic melody; then, with the sacred psalmist David crying out, Come and see the works of God. Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord, and exultation, a sacrifice of righteousness and an offering; come see at the altar the fatted calf, and the Lamb of God being sacrificed, and not being put to death; Magnify the Lord, and let us exalt His name together. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Then Isaiah, the swallow of the Church, cries with a loud voice: As a sheep He was led to the slaughter. Rejoice, you heavens, and let the earth be glad, for God has had mercy on His people. Go, my people, into the place of hearing, hear what the Lord commands through my mouth; Say, brothers, to those who hate you 60.685 and to those who detest you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified. Then Paul, the successor of Isaiah, the lyre of the Holy Spirit, the cicada of the Church, the dwelling-place of Christ, being raised up upon the ambo cries with a clear voice in boldness: Our Passover, Christ has been sacrificed for us. Who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Through His blood we have received the forgiveness of sins. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. But what is it, 'Let one examine himself'? That is, let him consider the things that are written, and search himself, lest he be unprepared for the reception of the body and blood of the Lord, and has not prepared himself like Simeon, and like Anna the prophetess, and like Joseph in the clean linen cloth. If you have so prepared yourself, trusting in Him, with faith and fear approach crying out and saying, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God; and you will not be condemned, having striven to make yourself worthy. For he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself. See, brothers, that no one repays evil for evil. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. See how you walk. Do you see how many good things and what joy he who loves God receives, and is gathered for His sake? Hear again John crying: Children, it is the last hour, and the antichrist is coming; and now many antichrists have come. But do not believe every spirit, because many deceivers have gone out into the world. Then James, the brother of God, coming into the midst says: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials. Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has been approved, he will receive the unfading crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. After these, Peter the lofty running up cries out: Beloved, the end of all things is at hand; be vigilant and sober for

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λάκκος, καὶ τῶν χαυνοτέρων συνόμιλος καὶ σύσκηνος καὶ διδάσκαλος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος διὰ τὴν πολλὴν χαυνότητα καὶ μαλακίαν γυναῖκας ὀνομάζει, καὶ οὐδὲ γυναῖκας ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ γυναικάρια σεσωρευμένα· ἔθος γὰρ ταῖς τοιαύταις γυναιξὶ συγκουστουδιάζειν καὶ συνεδριάζειν καὶ φλυαρεῖν τὰ μὴ δέοντα αὐταῖς, ἃς οὐ ποιμαίνει ὁ Θεός· Οὐ γὰρ προέθεντο τὸν Θεὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν· Πάντοτε μανθάνοντα, καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν δυνάμενα. Ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Κύριον ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἔχων τὴν αὐτοῦ μνήμην ἀλάθητον, ἅμα ἀκούσει τοῦ κήρυκος ἐπὶ τὴν φοβερὰν ἐκείνην προσκαλουμένου ζωοποιὸν θεοσφαγίαν, σπουδαίως ἀνίσταται· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐννοεῖ μή που κατά τινος ἔχει, ἣ ἄλλος κατ' αὐτοῦ· καὶ τοῦτο κατορθώσας τὸ ἐμπόδιον τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐλευθερώσας καὶ λύσας ἀπὸ τοῦ τοιούτου χαλεποῦ δεσμοῦ, τρέχει πρὸς τὴν τῶν θείων λογίων ἀκρόασιν· ὃν τρόπον ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐν πίστει καὶ πόθῳ τρέχων καταλαμβάνει τὸν πνευματικὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λιμένα. Καὶ συσφίγξας ἑαυτὸν καὶ συναγαγὼν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ πᾶσαν βιωτικὴν τέως ἀποῤῥιψάμενος μέριμναν, ἑτοιμάζει τὰς ἀκοὰς πρὸς ἀκρόασιν τῆς ἀγγελικῆς μελῳδίας· εἶτα τοῦ ἱεροψάλτου ∆αυῒδ βοῶντος, ∆εῦτε καὶ ἴδετε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆εῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον Κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἀγαλλίασιν, θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀναφοράν· δεῦτε ἴδετε ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸν σιτευτὸν μόσχον, καὶ τὸν ἀμνὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ θυόμενον, καὶ μὴ θανατούμενον· Μεγαλύνατε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ὑψώσωμεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος.

Εἶτα Ἡσαΐας, ἡ χελιδὼν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, μεγάλῃ τῇφωνῇ κράζει· Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη. Εὐφραίνεσθε οἱ οὐρανοὶ, καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ, ὅτι ἠλέησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. Βάδιζε, λαός μου, εἰς τὸ ἀκροατήριον, ἀκούσατε τί ὁ Κύριος διὰ τοῦ στόματός μου προστάσσει· Εἴπατε, ἀδελφοὶ, τοῖς μισοῦσιν 60.685 ὑμᾶς καὶ τοῖς βδελυσσομένοις, ἵνα τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου δοξασθῇ. Εἶτα ὁ διάδοχος Ἡσαΐου Παῦλος, ἡ λύρα τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ὁ τέττιξ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατοικητήριον ἀνυψούμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄμβωνος λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ κράζει ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ· Τὸ Πάσχα ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐτύθη Χριστός. Ὃς ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις. ∆ιὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἐλάβομεν. ∆οκιμαζέτω δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἑαυτὸν, καὶ οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου ἐσθιέτω, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου πινέτω. Τί δέ ἐστι, ∆οκιμαζέτω τις ἑαυτόν; Τουτέστιν, ἐννοείτω τὰ γεγραμμένα, καὶ ἐρευνάτω ἑαυτὸν, μήποτε ἀνέτοιμός ἐστι τῆς ὑποδοχῆς τοῦ σώματος καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ οὐχ ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτὸν ὥσπερ ὁ Συμεὼν, καὶ ὥσπερ Ἄννα ἡ προφῆτις, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν σινδόνι καθαρᾷ ὁ Ἰωσήφ. Ἐὰν οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ἡτοίμασας, αὐτῷ θαῤῥῶν, πίστει καὶ φόβῳ πρόσελθε βοῶν καὶ λέγων, Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος· καὶ οὐ κατακριθήσῃ ὁ σπουδάσας ποιῆσαι ἑαυτὸν ἄξιον. Ὁ γὰρ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων ἀναξίως, κρῖμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει. Ὁρᾶτε, ἀδελφοὶ, μή τις κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδώσῃ. Ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Βλέπετε πῶς περιπατεῖτε. Ὁρᾷς πόσα ἀγαθὰ καὶ ὁποίαν χαρὰν δέχεται ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν συναγόμενος; Ἄκουε πάλιν Ἰωάννου κράζοντος· Παιδία, ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστὶ, καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται· καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν. Ἀλλὰ Μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. Εἶτα ὁ ἀδελφόθεος Ἰάκωβος παρελθὼν εἰς μέσον λέγει· Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, ὃς ὑπομενεῖ πειρασμὸν, ὅτι δόκιμος γενόμενος λήψεται τὸν ἀμαράντινον στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς, ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ Κύριος τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Μετὰ τούτων Πέτρος ὁ ὑψηλὸς ἀναδραμὼν κράζει· Ἀγαπητοὶ, πάντων τὸ τέλος ἤγγικε· γρηγορήσατε καὶ νήψατε εἰς