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He showed the Pharisee, who set forth his achievements, to be poorer than the tax collector. The manner was for both: for the one, a foundation of poverty leading to wealth; for the other, a slip from wealth into destitution. For what does the Lord say? Truly I say to you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than that one. O how great an evil is the disease of pride! The Pharisee went up richly adorned, crowned with his achievements as if with flowers; the tax collector accompanied him, naked of all defense. But the one, by humbling himself at the right time, was exalted; while the other, having hurled himself to an untimely height, endured a ridiculous nakedness.

Was it not better to use more subdued 59.600 words? Was it not better to hear the prophetic voice saying, Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you? Was it not more profitable to hold his tongue, and guard the wealth which he had acquired with many labors? For the virtues which he gathered over time, these he scattered with his voice in the twinkling of an eye. Did the Pharisee perhaps not hear what is written, that Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord?

Was he not taught the well-spoken word, What your right hand does, let not your left hand know? But perhaps he knew both, but the power of vainglory conquered. Let us therefore acquire the humility of the tax collector, and let us put away the burden of our sins; and let us hate pride, through which the Pharisee lost the wealth of his virtues; For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

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Φαρισαῖον εἰς μέσον προθέντα τὰ κατορθώματα, πενέστερον τοῦ τελώνου ἀπέφηνεν. Ἀμ φοτέροις ὁ τρόπος, τῷ μὲν ὑπόθεσις πενίας εἰς πλοῦτον, τῷ δὲ ἐκ πλούτου εἰς πτωχείαν ὀλίσθημα. Τί γάρ φησιν ὁ ∆εσπότης; Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, κατέβη οὗτος δεδι καιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, ἢ ἐκεῖνος. Ὢ πόσον κακὸν τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τὸ νόσημα! Κατάκομος ἀνῆλθεν ὁ Φαρισαῖος ὥσπερ ἄνθεσι τοῖς κατορθώμασι στεφανού μενος· συνώδευσε τούτῳ ὁ τελώνης πάσης ἀπολογίας γυμνός. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν εὐκαίρως ἑαυτὸν ταπεινώσας ὑψώθη· ὁ δὲ πρὸς ἄκαιρον ὕψος ἀκοντίσας ἑαυτὸν, καταγέλαστον ὑπέμεινε γύμνωσιν.

Οὐκ ἦν βέλτιον ὑφειμέναις χρή 59.600 σασθαι ταῖς φωναῖς; οὐκ ἦν κρεῖττον ἀκοῦσαι τῆς προ φητικῆς φωνῆς λεγούσης, Ταπεινώθητε ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, καὶ ὑψώσει ὑμᾶς; οὐκ ἦν μᾶλλον συμφέρον κρατῆσαι τῆς γλώσσης, καὶ φυλάξαι τὸν πλοῦτον, ὃν πόνοις πολ λοῖς ἐκτήσατο; Ἃς γὰρ ἐν χρόνῳ συνήγαγεν ἀρετὰς, ταύτας ἐν ἀκαρεῖ ῥοπῇ τῇ φωνῇ διεσκόρπισεν. Οὐκ ἤκουσε τάχα ὁ Φαρισαῖος τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὅτι Ἀκάθαρτος ἐναντίον Κυρίου πᾶς ὑψηλοκάρδιος;

Οὐκ ἐδιδάχθη τὸ καλῶς εἰρημένον, Ὃ ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιά σου, μὴ γνώτω ἡ ἀριστερά σου; Τάχα δὲ ἔγνω ἀμφότερα, ἀλλ' ἡ ἰσχὺς τῆς κενοδοξίας ἐνίκησεν. Ἡμεῖς οὖν τοῦ τελώνου τὴν ταπείνωσιν κτησώμεθα, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸ βάρος ἀποθώμεθα· ὑπερηφανίαν δὲ μισήσωμεν, δι' ἧς ὁ Φαρισαῖος τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀπώλεσεν· Ὑπερηφά-νοις γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.