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would be amazed? who would not marvel? Or rather who could be amazed and marvel worthily at that noble and heaven-high soul, that being bound and imprisoned, he wrote to the Philippians from such a great distance? For you know how great is the distance between Macedonia and Rome. But 63.573 neither the length of the journey, nor the length of time, nor the press of business, nor the danger and the successive perils, nor anything else, cast out the love and the memory of his disciples, but he held them all in his mind. And his hands were not so bound by his chains as his soul was bound and riveted by its longing for his disciples. And just as a king, having ascended his throne at dawn and taken his seat in the royal courts, immediately receives countless letters from all sides; so indeed he, sitting in the prison as in royal courts, both received and sent far more letters continually from those everywhere who referred everything concerning their own affairs to his wisdom; and he administered so many more affairs than a king, by as much as he had been entrusted with a greater rule. For such is the power of love, that it embraces and glues and binds not only those who are present and near us and seen, but also those who are far away, and neither length of time, nor distance of journey, nor any other such thing, can ever interrupt and sever the friendship of a soul. For so ought one who loves to love, that, if even his soul were asked for, and it were possible, he would not withhold it; for there is nothing of equal value to a genuine friend. For one who loves rejoices seeing the beloved and is filled with gladness, is entwined with him in an embrace of the soul that has an unspeakable pleasure. And if he only remembers him, he is roused in mind and takes wing, and seeing him every day; he is not satisfied, there is nothing he has that is not his friend’s; he prays for the same things for him as for himself. I know someone, who, when beseeching the holy men for a friend, asked them to pray for him first, and then for himself. I know also Paul, gladly giving his own soul even when not asked, and praying to fall into Gehenna for the sake of those he loved. For thus one must love with a fervent disposition, so as not to think one has the beloved as a debtor, but to be a debtor to him oneself in the very fact of having him as a debtor. For one who loves wishes not only to command, but also to be commanded; he rejoices more in being commanded than in commanding. One who loves wishes to bestow a favor rather than to receive one; for he wants to have his friend as a debtor, rather than to be a debtor to him himself. One who loves both wishes to bestow a favor on the beloved, and does not wish to seem to bestow a favor; and to be the first to do a kindness, and not to seem to be the first to do a kindness. And do not consider for me those who are simply friends, the sharers of one's table, and who are considered friends from name only; if anyone has a friend of the kind I speak of, he will recognize my words. 63.574 A friend is sweeter than the present life. At least, many after the death of their friends have prayed to live no longer; for truly a friend is more desirable than light itself. For it is better for us for the sun to be extinguished than to be deprived of friends; for many, while seeing the sun, are in darkness; but those who have an abundance of friends could never be in affliction. But if a friendship harms you, cut it off from you. For if we often cut off one of our own limbs when it is both incurable and injures the rest, much more ought we to do this in the case of the soul. For nothing is so harmful as evil company; for what necessity cannot do, friendship can often do, both for harm and for benefit. But one who is friends with the king's enemies cannot be a friend of the king. For hatred for His sake is far better than friendship for Christ's sake. For when we are loved for God's sake, we are debtors to Him for the honor; but when we are hated, He is our debtor for the honor. As many of us, therefore, as do not despise even money for Christ's sake, or rather for our own sake, let us shudder, concerning

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ἐκπλαγείη; τίς οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειε; μᾶλλον δὲ τίς κατ' ἀξίαν ἐκπλαγείη καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἂν τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην καὶ οὐρανομήκη ψυχὴν, ὅτι δεδεμένος καὶ καθειργμένος ἀπὸ τοσούτου διαστήματος Φιλιππησίοις ἐπέστελλεν; ἴστε γὰρ ὅσον τὸ μέσον Μακεδονίας, καὶ Ῥώμης, Ἀλλ' 63.573 οὔτε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος, οὔτε τοῦ χρόνου τὸ πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁ τῶν πραγμάτων ὄχλος, οὔτε ὁ κίνδυνος, καὶ τὰ ἐπάλληλα δεινὰ, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν, τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν μνήμην ἐξέβαλε τῶν μαθητῶν, ἀλλ' εἶχεν αὐτοὺς ἅπαντας ἐν διανοίᾳ. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτως αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἁλύσεσιν αἱ χεῖρες ἐδέδεντο, ὡς τῷ πόθῳ τῶν μαθητῶν ἡ ψυχὴ συνεδέδετο καὶ προσήλωτο. Καὶ καθάπερ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἀναβὰς ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω, καὶ καθίσας ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς αὐλαῖς, μυρίας εὐθέως δέχεται πανταχόθεν ἐπιστολάς· οὕτω δὴ κἀκεῖνος, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς αὐλαῖς τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ καθήμενος, πολλῷ πλείω καὶ ἐδέχετο καὶ ἔπεμπε συνεχῶς τὰ γράμματα τῶν πανταχόθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκείνου σοφίαν ὑπὲρ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς πραγμάτων ἀναφερόντων ἅπαντα· καὶ τοσούτῳ πλείονα πράγματα τοῦ βασιλέως ᾠκονόμει, ὅσῳ καὶ μείζονα ἀρχὴν ἐμπεπίστευτο. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐστὶ δύναμις, ὡς οὐ τοὺς παρόντας μόνον καὶ πλησίον ὄντας ἡμῶν καὶ ὁρωμένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μακρὰν ἀφεστῶτας περιλαμβάνειν καὶ συγκολλᾷν καὶ συνδεῖν, καὶ οὔτε χρόνων πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁδῶν διάστημα, οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν, ψυχῆς φιλίαν δύναιτ' ἂν διακόψαι καὶ διατεμεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ οὕτω δεῖ φιλεῖν τὸν φιλοῦντα, ὡς, εἰ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αἰτηθῇ, καὶ δυνατὸν ᾖ, μὴ κωλῦσαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντάξιον γνησίου φίλου. Ἥδεται γὰρ ὁ φιλῶν ὁρῶν τὸν φιλούμενον καὶ διαχεῖται, συμπλέκεται αὐτῷ συμπλοκήν τινα κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν ἄῤῥητον ἔχουσαν τὴν ἡδονήν. Κἂν ἀναμνησθῇ μόνον αὐτοῦ, διανέστη τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἀνεπτερώθη, καὶ βλέπων τοῦτον καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· οὐ κορέννυται, οὐδὲν ἔστιν αὐτῷ ὅπερ μὴ ἔστιν ἐκείνου· ταὐτὰ αὐτῷ ἐπεύχεται ἅπερ καὶ ἑαυτῷ. Οἶδα ἐγώ τινα, ὃς ὑπὲρ φίλου τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας παρακαλῶν, παρεκάλει πρότερον εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ. Οἶδα καὶ Παῦλον τὴν ψυχὴν ἡδέως διδόντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ μὴ αἰτηθέντα, καὶ εἰς γέενναν ἐμπίπτειν ὑπὲρ τῶν φιλουμένων εὐχόμενον. Οὕτω γὰρ χρὴ φιλεῖν διαθέσει πεπυρωμένῃ, ὡς μὴ δοκεῖν ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν τὸν φιλούμενον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτῷ ὀφειλέτης εἶναι ἐν τῷ ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν ἐκεῖνον. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν, οὐκ ἐπιτάττειν βούλεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτάττεσθαι· χαίρει μᾶλλον ἐπιταττόμενος ἤπερ ἐπιτάττων. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν χαρίζεσθαι βούλεται μᾶλλον ἢ χάριν λαμβάνειν· θέλει γὰρ ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν τὸν φίλον, ἤπερ αὐτὸς ὀφείλειν ἐκείνῳ. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν καὶ βούλεται χαρίζεσθαι τῷ ἀγαπωμένῳ, καὶ οὐ βούλεται δοκεῖν χαρίζεσθαι· καὶ ἄρχειν αὐτὸς εὐεργεσίας, καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν ἄρχειν εὐεργεσίας. Καὶ μή μοι τοὺς ἁπλῶς φίλους ἐννοεῖτε, τοὺς κοινωνοὺς τῶν τραπεζῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ προσηγορίας μόνης φίλους λογιζομένους· εἴ τις ἔχει φίλον, οἷον λέγω, ἐπιγνώσεται τὰ ῥήματα. Τῆς 63.574 παρούσης ζωῆς φίλος ἡδύτερος. Πολλοὶ γοῦν μετὰ τὴν τῶν φίλων τελευτὴν εὔξαντο μηκέτι ζῆσαι λοιπόν· καὶ γὰρ ὄντως καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς αὐτοῦ ποθεινότερος ὁ φίλος. Βέλτιον γὰρ ἡμῖν σβεσθῆναι τὸν ἥλιον, ἢ φίλων ἀποστερηθῆναι· πολλοὶ γὰρ τὸν ἥλιον ὁρῶντες, ἐν σκότῳ εἰσί· φίλων δὲ εὐποροῦντες, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐν θλίψει γένοιντο. Εἰ δέ τινός σε φιλία βλάπτει, ἔκκοπτε ἀπὸ σοῦ. Εἰ γάρ τινα τῶν ἡμετέρων μελῶν πολλάκις ἀποτέμνομεν, ὅταν αὐτά τε ἀνιάτως ἔχῃ, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς λυμαίνηται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦτο ποιεῖν χρή. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω βλαβερὸν, ὡς συνουσία πονηρά· ὅσα γὰρ ἀνάγκη μὴ δύναται, δύναται φιλία πολλάκις εἰς βλάβην καὶ ὠφέλειαν. Ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῦ βασιλέως συμφιλιάζων, οὐ δύναται φίλος τοῦ βασιλέως εἶναι. Τῆς γὰρ φιλίας τῆς διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν τὸ μῖσος τὸ δι' αὐτὸν πολλῷ βέλτιον. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ φιλώμεθα διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, ἡμεῖς ὀφειλέται αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν τῆς τιμῆς· ὅταν δὲ μισώμεθα, αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶ τῆς τιμῆς. Ὅσοι τοίνυν μηδὲ χρημάτων διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καταφρονοῦμεν, μᾶλλον δὲ δι' ἡμᾶς, φρίξωμεν, τὸ περὶ