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with eyes beholding the resurrection; for there I await him to come and from there, having raised me with all, he may grant me unending life". And see his magnanimity, proclaiming beforehand the words of Paul; for he says: "who made both one and broke down the middle wall of the partition, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man from the two, making peace, and that he might reconcile both to God in one body". That is, having lifted up the middle wall of the partition, which is the law; for the law is called a partition of the Jews because it does not permit a Jew to be found with a Gentile. Since, therefore, the Lord, having come, took it away by breaking down the middle wall of the partition and made both one, both the races of the Jews and the multitudes of the Gentiles, making peace through his blood, and he bestowed one and the same grace upon all. For this reason Simeon also says, "A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." O old age interwoven with wisdom, O old age brightened by a spotless life; O most excellent prophet, having become a vessel of the Holy Spirit. Imitate him, all you who are advanced in life; for he received the Lord; and nothing prevents us also from being thrones of the Holy Spirit, if we imitate his life. And how could this happen, when we spend our days in drunkenness and in theaters and in dice, in which "the flood of debauchery" takes place. Simeon did not do these things, 70 but the opposite. For you run to drunkenness and dice, but he to the temple; you look around at the theaters, but he devoted himself to spiritual contemplations; you take your mind captive to shameful desire, but he, as a noble athlete, struggled against such things. Do not be ashamed when you are reproved, but rather be pierced to the heart when you hear. For if you wish to receive the certificate of the forgiveness of sins and so depart from here, do not put forward hesitation to me, but give yourself with a fervent soul, groaning bitterly for what you have done, and confessing to the Master to no longer be found in the same things. From then on, be assured that you too have received the gift of the forgiveness of sins, and do not yet despair of yourself. Sin is not as grievous as despair is grievous. But many times, he says, having sinned, I repented, and again I fell into the same things, and what to do I do not know; and this I consider, that God has turned away from me. Hear, beloved, concerning this. This happens from nowhere else than from your not hearing the scripture nor devoting yourself to the church which says: "God is untempted by evil; for each one is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desire". For just now weeping a little, and after you go out of the church no longer remembering the exhortations you have heard, but giving yourself over to distractions, how would you not then fall into transgression, tell me? But hold fast to my words, and devote yourself to prayer, using beneficence lavishly, and living with holy men, no longer give yourself over to gluttony; let not your eye wander at the wrong times; let not your heart ponder empty and vain things; possess humility; increase in love; "to him who strikes you on the right cheek, offer the other also"; when compelled to go one mile, go two; "not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling"; let no oath pass through your mouth any longer, but cry out with Paul: "I have been crucified to the world, and the world to me". Have therefore securely the traditions of the holy 72 apostles and of the fathers, devote yourself to the readings of the divine scriptures; keep the divine oracles secure and firm and immovable in your heart.

Then, therefore, you will be persuaded when you have also received the forgiveness of your offenses. Since, therefore, until now you were ignorant of the Master, and you gladdened the opposing powers by your perdition, strive at least from now on, he who has been long-suffering toward you

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ὀφθαλμοῖς θεωρῶν τὴν ἀνάστασιν· ἐκεῖ γὰρ περιμένω αὐτὸν ἔρχεσθαι κἀκεῖθεν ἐγείρας με μετὰ πάντων ἀτελεύτητον ζωὴν χαρίσηται". Καὶ βλέπε τὴν τούτου μεγαλοφροσύνην προαναφωνοῦντα τὰ τοῦ Παύλου λόγια· ἐκεῖνος γάρ φησιν· "ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ". Τουτέστιν ἐπάρας τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ, ὅ ἐστι νόμος· φραγμὸς γὰρ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὁ νόμος λέγεται διὰ τὸ μὴ συγχωρεῖν τὸν Ἰουδαῖον εὑρίσκεσθαι μετὰ ἐθνικοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος ἦρεν αὐτὸν καταλύσας τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ καὶ ἐποίησε τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν, τά τε τῶν Ἰουδαίων γένη καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν πλήθη εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν χάριν τοῖς πᾶσι ἐδωρήσατο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο φησὶ καὶ ὁ Συμεὼν "Φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ". Ὢ πολιὰ φρονήσει συμπεπλεγμένη, ὢ γῆρας βίῳ ἀκηλιδότῳ λαμπρυνόμενον· ὢ προφήτης ἄριστος, δοχεῖον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος γεγονώς. Τοῦτον μιμήσασθε, ὅσοι τῷ βίῳ προέβητε· οὗτος γὰρ τὸν Κύριον ὑπεδέξατο· οὐδὲν δὲ κωλύει καὶ ἡμᾶς θρόνους εἶναι τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἐὰν τούτου τὸν βίον μιμησώμεθα. Καὶ πῶς ἄρα γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦτο, ἐν μέθαις καὶ ἐν θεάτροις καὶ κύβοις διημερευόντων ἡμῶν, ἐν ᾧ "τῆς ἀσωτίας ἡ ἀνάχυσις" γίνεται. Ὁ Συμεὼν ταῦτα οὐκ ἔπραττεν, 70 ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ τρέχεις ἐν μέθαις καὶ κύβοις, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· σῦ τὰ θεάτρα περισκοπεῖς, οὗτος δὲ εἰς θεωρίας πνευματικὰς ἐσχόλαζε· σὺ πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν αἰσχρὰν τὸν νοῦν αἰχμαλωτίζεις, οὗτος δὲ ὡς γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀντεπάλαιε. Μὴ αἰσχύνου ἐλεγχόμενος ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κατανύγηθι ἀκούων. Εἰ γὰρ βούλει τὸ γραμματεῖον τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν λαβὼν οὕτως ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελθεῖν, μὴ προβάλλου μοι ὄκνον, ἀλλὰ δὸς θερμῇ τῇ ψυχῇ σεαυτὸν στενάξας πικρῶς ἐφ' οἷς ἔπραξας, καὶ καθομολογήσας τῷ δεσπότῃ μηκέτι τοῖς αὐτοῖς εὑρίσκεσθαι. Ἔκτοτε ἀσφαλῶς ἔχε, ὅτι καὶ σὺ τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὴν δωρεὰν ἔλαβες, καὶ μηδέπω ἀπογνῷς σεαυτόν. Οὐ χαλεπὸν ἡ ἁμαρτία ὡς χαλεπὸν ἡ ἀπόγνωσις. Ἀλλὰ πλειστάκις, φησί, πτάισας μετενόησα, καὶ πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιέπεσα, καὶ τί ποιῆσαι οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ τοῦτο λογίζομαι, ὅτι ἀπέστραπταί μοι ὁ θεός. Ἄκουσον, ἀγαπητέ, περὶ τούτου. οὐδαμόθεν ἄλλοθεν τοῦτο γίνεται ἢ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ τῆς γραφῆς σε ἀκουέιν μηδὲ σχολάζειν σε τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ λεγούσῃ· "Θεὸς κακῶν ἀπείραστος· ἕκαστος γὰρ πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος". Μικρὸν γὰρ ἄρτι κλαυθμυρίζων, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἐξιέναι σε τῆς ἐκκλησίας μηκέτι μνημονεύων τῶν παραινέσεων ὧν ἀκήκοας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς μετεωρισμοὺς σεαυτὸν ἐκδούς, πῶς οὐχὶ ἄρα παραπτώματι περιπέσῃς, εἰπέ μοι; Ἀλλὰ κάτεχέ μου τοὺς λόγους, καὶ σχόλαζε τῇ εὐχῇ, τῇ εὐποιΐᾳ δαψιλῶς κεχρημένος, καὶ μετὰ ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν διάγων, μηκέτι πρὸς ἀδηφαγίαν σεαυτὸν ἐκδῷς· μὴ ῥεμβέσθω ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἄκαιρα· μὴ λογιζέτω ἡ καρδία σου κενὰ καὶ μάταια· κέκτησο τὴν ταπείνωσιν· αὔξανον πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην· "τῷ τύπτοντί σε εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, πάρεχε αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν"· ἀγγαρευόμενος προστίθει· "μὴ ἀποδιδοὺς κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ, ἢ λοιδορίαν ἀντὶ λοιδορίας"· μηκέτι ὅρκος διὰ τοῦ στόματός σου διερχέσθω, ἀλλὰ βόα μετὰ τοῦ Παύλου· "Ἐσταύρωμαι τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἐμοί". Ἔχε τοίνυν ἀσφαλεῖς τὰς παραδόσεις τῶν ἁγίων 72 ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πατέρων, ταῖς ἀναγνώσεσι τῶν θείων γραφῶν σχόλαζε· ἀσφαλῆ καὶ ἑδραῖα καὶ ἀμετακίνητα τὰ θεῖα λόγια φύλασσε ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου.

Τότε οὖν πεπεισμένος ἔσο ὅτε καὶ τὴν συγχώρησιν τῶν πταισμάτων εἴληφας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἠγνόησας τὸν δεσπότην, καὶ τὰς ἐναντίας δυνάμεις ἐφαίδρυνας τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ σου, σπούδασον κἂν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν μακροθυμήσαντα ἐπὶ σοὶ