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shall we not even come from our house to him? when Magi, barbarian and foreign men, run from Persia, so as to see him lying in the manger; but will you, the Christian, not even endure a short distance, so as to enjoy this blessed sight? For if we come with faith, we will certainly see him lying in the manger; for this table fulfills the role of the manger. For here also will lie the Lord's body, not wrapped in swaddling clothes, as then, but enfolded on all sides by the Holy Spirit. Those who have been initiated know what is said. The Magi, then, only worshiped; but you, if you approach with a clean conscience, we will permit you both to receive him and to go away home. Approach, therefore, you also, bringing gifts, not such as those, but much more revered. They brought gold; you bring self-control and virtue; they brought frankincense; you bring pure prayers, the spiritual incense; they brought myrrh; you bring humility and a humbled heart and almsgiving. If you approach with these gifts, you will enjoy this holy table with much confidence. For I am stirring up these words now for this reason, because I know that certainly many will approach on that day, and will fall upon this spiritual sacrifice. So that we may not do this for evil, nor for the judgment of our soul, but for salvation, I from this point now forewarn and beseech, having purified yourselves in every way, to thus approach the holy mysteries.

4. And let no one say to me, I am full of shame, of sins 48.754 I have the

conscience filled, I carry a very heavy burden; for the period of these five days is sufficient, if you are watchful and pray and keep vigil, for the great part of your sins to be cut away. For do not see that the time is short, but consider this, that the Lord is a lover of mankind; since even the Ninevites in three days averted so great a wrath, and the shortness of the time was no hindrance, but the soul's eagerness, laying hold of the Lord's love for mankind, was strong enough to accomplish everything. And the prostitute also, approaching Christ in a brief moment of time, washed away all her reproaches, and when the Jews accused, because Christ received her and gave her so much boldness, he silenced them, but having delivered her from all evils, and having approved of her zeal, thus sent her away. Why is this? Because she approached with a fervent mind and a fiery soul and a boiling faith, and touched those holy and sacred feet, having unbound her locks, having let loose springs of tears from her eyes, having poured out the myrrh. For by the means with which she enchanted men, by these she prepared the medicines of repentance; by the means with which she excited the gazes of the licentious, by these she wept; by the tresses, by which she tripped many into sin, by these she wiped the feet of Christ; by the myrrh, by which she lured many, by this she anointed his feet. You therefore, by the means with which you have provoked God, by these make him gracious again.

Have you provoked him by the seizure of money? by these reconcile him, both by giving back what was seized to those who were wronged, and by giving other things in addition to these, say according to Zacchaeus: I give back fourfold all that I have seized. Have you provoked by your tongue and by reviling insulted many? propitiate by your tongue again, sending up pure prayers, blessing those who revile you, praising those who speak ill of you, giving thanks to those who wrong you. These things do not need days, nor many years, but only purpose, and are accomplished in a single day. Depart from wickedness, lay hold of virtue, cease from evil, and promise no longer these things

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μηδὲ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐρχώμεθα; ὅταν μάγοι μὲν, ἄνθρωποι βάρβαροι καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι, ἐκ Περσίδος τρέχωσιν, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς φάτνης κείμενον· σὺ δὲ ὁ Χριστιανὸς μηδὲ μικρὸν διάστημα ὑπομένῃς, ὥστε τῆς μακαρίας ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι θεωρίας; Καὶ γὰρ, ἂν μετὰ πίστεως παραγενώμεθα, πάντως αὐτὸν ὀψόμεθα ἐπὶ τῆς φάτνης κείμενον· ἡ γὰρ τράπεζα αὕτη τάξιν τῆς φάτνης πληροῖ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα κείσεται τὸ σῶμα τὸ δεσποτικὸν, οὐχὶ ἐσπαργανωμένον, καθάπερ τότε, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι πανταχόθεν ἁγίῳ περιστελλόμενον. Ἴσασιν οἱ μεμυημένοι τὰ λεγόμενα. Οἱ μὲν οὖν μάγοι προσεκύνησαν μόνον· σὺ δὲ, ἂν μετὰ καθαροῦ προσέλθῃς συνειδότος, καὶ λαβεῖν σοι αὐτὸ συγχωρήσομεν καὶ ἀπελθεῖν οἴκαδε. Πρόσιθι τοίνυν καὶ σὺ δῶρα προσάγων, μὴ τοιαῦτα οἷα ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ σεμνότερα. Προσήνεγκαν ἐκεῖνοι χρυσόν· προσένεγκε σὺ σωφροσύνην καὶ ἀρετήν· προσήνεγκαν ἐκεῖνοι λιβανωτόν· προσένεγκε σὺ εὐχὰς καθαρὰς, τὰ θυμιάματα τὰ πνευματικά· προσήνεγκαν ἐκεῖνοι σμύρναν· προσένεγκε σὺ ταπεινοφροσύνην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην καρδίαν καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην. Ἂν μετὰ τούτων προσέλθῃς τῶν δώρων, μετὰ ἀδείας ἀπολαύσῃ πολλῆς τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης τραπέζης. Καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ διὰ τοῦτο τούτους κινῶ τοὺς λόγους νῦν, ἐπειδὴ οἶδα ὅτι πάντως πολλοὶ κατ' ἐκείνην προσελεύσονται τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ ἐπιπεσοῦνται τῇ πνευματικῇ ταύτῃ θυσίᾳ. Ἵνα οὖν μηδὲ ἐπὶ κακῷ, μηδὲ ἐπὶ κρίματι τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη προδιαμαρτύρομαι καὶ παρακαλῶ, παντὶ τρόπῳ καθάραντας ἑαυτοὺς οὕτω προσιέναι τοῖς ἱεροῖς μυστηρίοις.

δʹ. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις, αἰσχύνης γέμω, ἁμαρτη 48.754 μάτων ἔχω τὸ

συνειδὸς πεπληρωμένον, φορτίον ἐπιφέρομαι βαρύτατον· ἱκανὴ γὰρ τῶν πέντε ἡμερῶν τούτων ἡ προθεσμία, ἐὰν νήφῃς καὶ προσεύχῃ καὶ ἀγρυπνῇς, τὸ πολὺ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὑποτέμνεσθαι. Μὴ γὰρ ὅτι βραχὺς ὁ χρόνος ἴδῃς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο σκόπησον, ὅτι φιλάνθρωπος ὁ ∆εσπότης· ἐπειδὴ καὶ Νινευῗται ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις τοσαύτην ὀργὴν ἀπεκρούσαντο, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐνεπόδισεν ἡ τοῦ καιροῦ στενοχωρία, ἀλλ' ἴσχυσεν ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς προθυμία τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐπιλαβομένης τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὸ πᾶν ἐργάσασθαι. Καὶ ἡ πόρνη δὲ ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ προσελθοῦσα τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ὀνείδη πάντα ἀπενίψατο, καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐγκαλούντων, ὅτι προσήκατο καὶ μετέδωκεν αὐτῇ παῤῥησίας τοσαύτης ὁ Χριστὸς, τοὺς μὲν ἐπεστόμισεν, ἐκείνην δὲ πάντων ἀπαλλάξας τῶν κακῶν, καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς ἀποδεξάμενος, οὕτως ἀπέπεμψε. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι μετὰ θερμῆς διανοίας καὶ πεπυρωμένης ψυχῆς καὶ ζεούσης προσῆλθε πίστεως, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἱερῶν ἐκείνων ἥψατο ποδῶν, τοὺς βοστρύχους λύσασα, πηγὰς δακρύων ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀφεῖσα, τὸ μύρον κενώσασα. ∆ι' ὧν γὰρ ἐγοήτευσε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, διὰ τούτων τὰ φάρμακα τῆς μετανοίας κατεσκεύασε· δι' ὧν ἀνεπτέρωσε τὰς τῶν ἀκολάστων ὄψεις, διὰ τούτων ἐδάκρυσε· διὰ τῶν πλοκάμων, δι' ὧν ὑπεσκέλισεν εἰς ἁμαρτίαν πολλοὺς, διὰ τούτων τοὺς πόδας ἀπέμαξε τοῦ Χριστοῦ· διὰ τοῦ μύρου, δι' οὗ πολλοὺς ἐδελέασε, διὰ τούτου τοὺς πόδας ἐκείνου ἤλειψε. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν δι' ὧν παρώξυνας τὸν Θεὸν, διὰ τούτων ἵλεων ποίησον πάλιν.

Παρώξυνας αὐτὸν διὰ χρημάτων ἁρπαγῆς; διὰ τούτων αὐτὸν κατάλλαξον, καὶ τὰ ἁρπαγέντα ἀποδοὺς τοῖς ἠδικημένοις, καὶ ἕτερα τούτοις προσεπιδοὺς, εἰπὲ κατὰ τὸν Ζακχαῖον· ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλασίονα ὧν ἥρπασα πάντων. Παρώξυνας διὰ γλώττης καὶ λοιδορίας ὑβρίσας πολλούς; ἐξιλέωσαι διὰ γλώττης πάλιν, εὐχὰς καθαρὰς ἀναπέμπων, εὐλογῶν τοὺς λοιδοροῦντας, ἐγκωμιάζων τοὺς κακῶς λέγοντας, χάριν ὁμολογῶν τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι. Ταῦτα οὐχ ἡμερῶν δεῖται, οὐδὲ ἐνιαυτῶν πολλῶν, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως μόνης, καὶ ἐν μιᾷ κατορθοῦται ἡμέρᾳ. Ἀπόστηθι τῆς πονηρίας, ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς, παῦσαι τῆς κακίας, καὶ ὑπόσχου μηκέτι ταῦτα