John Chrysostom, On Blessed Philogonus

to do, and this is sufficient for you as a defense. I testify and guarantee that each one of us who sins, if, having desisted from his former evils, he promises God in truth to touch them no more, God will seek nothing else greater for a defense. For He is a lover of mankind and merciful, and just as a woman in labor desires to give birth, so also He desires to pour out His mercy; but our sins interrupt this. Let us therefore take away the dividing wall, and from this point let us begin the feast, having renounced all things for these five days; away with law courts, away with council chambers, let worldly affairs and contracts and transactions lament; I wish to save my soul. What does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul? The magi came out of Persia; you, come out of worldly affairs, and journey toward Jesus; not 48.755 the distance is not great, if we are willing. For it is not necessary to cross a sea, nor to go over the peaks of mountains, but while sitting at home, showing reverence and great compunction, it is possible to see the entire dividing wall destroyed, the hindrance removed, the length of the road shortened; For I am a God at hand, He says, and not a God far off; and, The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth. But now many of the faithful have come to such folly and contempt, that being full of countless evils, and taking no care of themselves at all, they approach this table on the feasts simply and as it happens, not knowing that the time for communion is not a feast and a festival, but a clean conscience and a life free from accusations.

And just as one who is conscious of no evil in himself ought to approach each day, so it is not safe for one who has been caught up in sins, and is not repenting, to approach even on a feast day. For to approach once a year does not free us from our accusations, if we approach unworthily, but this very thing condemns us more greatly, that approaching once, not even then do we approach in a pure state. For this reason I beseech all of you not to partake of the divine mysteries simply because of the necessity of the feast; but if ever you intend to partake of this holy offering, to purify yourselves many days beforehand through repentance and prayer and almsgiving and leisure for spiritual things, and not to turn back again like a dog to its own vomit. For how is it not absurd to take such great care for bodily things, so that when a feast is approaching, many days beforehand to take out the finest garment from the chests and prepare it, and to buy shoes, and to use a more lavish table, and to devise many resources from all sides, and in every way to brighten and adorn oneself; but of the neglected soul, filthy, squalid, perishing with hunger, remaining impure, to take no account, but to bring the body in here adorned, while overlooking that one as naked and shameful? And yet this one the fellow servant sees, and there is no harm however 48.756 it may be disposed, but that one the Master sees, and He brings the greatest punishment for the neglect. Do you not know that this table is full of spiritual fire, and just as springs by nature gush forth water, so also this one has a certain ineffable flame?

Do not therefore approach having stubble, not wood and hay, lest you work a greater conflagration, and burn up the partaking soul; but having precious stones, gold, silver, that you may make the material purer, that having received great merchandise, you may depart. If there is anything evil, banish it, drive it out from your soul. Does someone have an enemy, and has been greatly wronged? Let him put an end to the enmity, let him restrain his mind that is inflamed, that is swollen, so that there may be no uproar within nor disturbance. For you are about to receive a King through communion; but of a king

ποιεῖν, καὶ ἀρκεῖ σοι τοῦτο εἰς ἀπολογίαν. Ἐγὼ διαμαρτύρομαι καὶ ἐγγυῶμαι, ὅτι τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἡμῶν ἕκαστος, ἂν ἀποστὰς τῶν προτέρων κακῶν ὑπόσχηται τῷ Θεῷ μετὰ ἀληθείας μηκέτι αὐτῶν ἅψασθαι, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ὁ Θεὸς ζητήσει πρὸς ἀπολογίαν μείζονα. Φιλάνθρωπος γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἐλεήμων, καὶ καθάπερ ἡ ὠδίνουσα ἐπιθυμεῖ τεκεῖν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιθυμεῖ τὸν ἔλεον ἐκχεῖν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ· ἀλλ' αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αἱ ἡμέτεραι τοῦτο διακόπτουσιν. Ἀνέλωμεν τοίνυν τὸ τειχίον, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῆς ἑορτῆς ἀρξώμεθα, τὰς πέντε ἡμέρας ταύτας πᾶσιν ἀποταξάμενοι· ἐῤῥέτω δικαστήρια, ἐῤῥέτω βουλευτήρια, οἰμωζέτω βιωτικὰ πράγματα καὶ συμβόλαια καὶ συναλλάγματα· τὴν ψυχήν μου βούλομαι σῶσαι. Τί ὠφελεῖται ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδάνῃ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ· Ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ Περσίδος οἱ μάγοι· ἔξελθε σὺ τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὅδευσον· οὐκ 48.755 ἔστι πολὺ τὸ μέσον, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ πέλαγος ἀνάγκη διαπερᾶσαι, οὐδὲ ὀρῶν ὑπερβῆναι κορυφὰς, ἀλλ' οἴκοι καθήμενον, εὐλάβειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενον καὶ πολλὴν τὴν κατάνυξιν, ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἅπαν καταλῦσαι τὸ τειχίον, ἀνελεῖν τὸ κώλυμα, συστεῖλαι τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος· Θεὸς γὰρ ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν· καὶ, Ἐγγὺς Κύριος πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Νῦν δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτο ἀνοίας καὶ καταφρονήσεως πολλοὶ τῶν πιστῶν ἐληλάκασιν, ὡς καὶ μυρίων γέμοντες κακῶν, καὶ μηδεμίαν ὅλως ἑαυτῶν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιούμενοι, ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς τῇ τραπέζῃ ταύτῃ προσέρχονται, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι καιρὸς κοινωνίας οὐχ ἑορτὴ καὶ πανήγυρις, ἀλλὰ συνειδὸς καθαρὸν καὶ βίος ἐγκλημάτων ἀπηλλαγμένος.

Καὶ καθάπερ τὸν οὐδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδότα φαῦλον καθ' ἑκάστην δεῖ προσιέναι τὴν ἡμέραν, οὕτω τὸν ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι προκατειλημμένον, καὶ μὴ μετανοοῦντα οὐδὲ ἐν ἑορτῇ προσιέναι ἀσφαλές. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ προσελθεῖν ἀπαλλάττει τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἡμᾶς, ἂν ἀναξίως προσίωμεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο μειζόνως καταδικάζει, ὅτι ἅπαξ προσιόντες, οὐδὲ τότε καθαρῶς προσίεμεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς μὴ ἁπλῶς διὰ τὴν τῆς ἑορτῆς ἀνάγκην τῶν θείων ἅπτεσθαι μυστηρίων· ἀλλ' εἴ ποτε μέλλοιτε τῆς ἁγίας ταύτης μεθέξειν προσφορᾶς, πρὸ πολλῶν ἡμερῶν ἑαυτοὺς διακαθαίρειν διὰ μετανοίας καὶ εὐχῆς καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ σχολῆς, καὶ μὴ πάλιν ἐπιστρέφεσθαι καθάπερ κύων ἐπὶ τὸν ἴδιον ἔμετον. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον τῶν μὲν σωματικῶν τοσαύτην ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ὥστε ἑορτῆς παραγούσης, πρὸ πολλῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ ἱμάτιον ἐκ τῶν κιβωτίων τὸ κάλλιστον ἀνελομένους προευτρεπίζειν, καὶ ὑποδήματα ὠνεῖσθαι, καὶ τραπέζῃ δαψιλεστέρᾳ κεχρῆσθαι, καὶ πολλοὺς πάντοθεν προσεπινοεῖν πόρους, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ φαιδρύνειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ καλλωπίζειν· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς ἠμελημένης, ῥυπώσης, αὐχμώσης, λιμῷ διαφθειρομένης, ἀκαθάρτου μενούσης μηδένα ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν σῶμα καλλωπίζοντα εἰσάγειν ἐνταῦθα, ἐκείνην δὲ γυμνὴν καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσαν περιορᾷν; Καίτοι τοῦτο μὲν ὁ σύνδουλος ὁρᾷ, καὶ βλάβος οὐδὲν κἂν ὁπωσοῦν δια 48.756 κείμενον ᾖ, ἐκείνην δὲ ὁ ∆εσπότης, καὶ μεγίστην ἐπάγει κόλασιν τῆς ἀμελείας. Οὐκ ἴστε ὅτι πυρὸς αὕτη γέμει ἡ τράπεζα πνευματικοῦ, καὶ καθάπερ αἱ πηγαὶ φύσιν ὕδατος ἀναβλύζουσιν, οὕτω καὶ αὕτη φλόγα τινὰ ἔχει ἄῤῥητον;

Μὴ τοίνυν προσέλθῃς καλάμην ἔχων, μὴ ξύλα καὶ χόρτον, ἵνα μὴ πλείονα τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν ἐργάσῃ, καὶ κατακαύσῃς τὴν μεταλαμβάνουσαν ψυχήν· ἀλλ' ἔχων λίθους τιμίους, χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, ἵνα καθαρωτέραν ποιήσῃς τὴν ὕλην, ἵνα πολλὴν λαβὼν τὴν ἐμπορίαν, ἀπέλθῃς. Εἴ τι πονηρὸν, ἐξόρισον, φυγάδευσον ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς σου. Ἔχει τις ἐχθρὸν, καὶ τὰ μεγάλα ἠδίκηται; καταλυέτω τὴν ἔχθραν, καταστελλέτω τὴν διάνοιαν φλεγμαίνουσαν, οἰδοῦσαν, ἵνα μηδεὶς ἔνδον θόρυβος ᾖ μηδὲ ταραχή. Βασιλέα γὰρ ὑποδέχεσθαι μέλλεις διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας· βασιλέως δὲ