6

Did you wish me to appear benevolent toward you, but inhuman toward her? But I do not endure to take you as the administrator of my goodness. If you had such a place, and she yours, would you wish her to say such things about you as you think about her? Have you not heard that, 'What you do not wish to suffer, do not wish to do'; for this is the common law of nature. Who then, tell me, will love him more? And Simon answering said, I suppose, that he to whom he granted more. And the Savior to him: You have judged rightly. Therefore, abide by what you yourself judged first. And turning toward the woman, he says to Simon, Do you see this woman? I no longer call her a prostitute, she who has cast away with the deed also the 61.732 name. Do you see this woman who entered unbidden among us, who displays a shamelessness that is praised, who practices an impudence that is loved, the guide of the way leading to me, the leader of piety, the teacher of repentance, who taught things by deed, who weeps without ceasing, the boldness of sinners, the herald of my compassion, who has made your house a church, who alone prays to the only one, who sees me as a man and beseeches me as God, without bodyguards, without a judicial bench, and kneels before me as a judge, adoring me as I recline? Do you see this woman, the tireless one, the worker of good things, who through her braided hair and tears weaves for herself the robe of immortality, who intercedes for herself with all her members, who was insatiable in those things she ought not to have seen, more insatiable in those things wherein the measureless is blessed? Consider what was done by you, and behold what has been done by her, and you will crown with me her who has crowned herself. If you do not also marvel at her piety and her work, find fault with my compassions. I, the Christ, entered into your house, I who am above and below and everywhere, and here just as you see, and I have honored you with my presence, and your house; and you gave no water for my feet. You did not pour upon my feet what is easy, what is simple, what is readily available; but she, who is reviled by you, with her tears has washed my feet, which all the waters and the waves of the sea have not bathed. Do you see a strange irrigation flowing upon my feet; do you see an extraordinary rain, not brought from the clouds, but born from the eyes of the woman. What spring abounds in so many streams, as she in tears? What gushing fountain with so many drops is not surpassed? She has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, and made her hair a strange towel, and made her braided locks an extraordinary cloth for my feet. You gave me no kiss; you did not deem it worthy to join your lips to my lips; but she, since she entered, has not ceased kissing my feet. O the constant attendance! O divine kisses! O spiritual kisses that made amends for former embraces! You did not anoint my head with oil; you did not moisten the more honorable part of my body with simple oil; but she with ointment of myrrh has anointed my feet. What then do you think? Shall I turn away from her who brings me such gifts of hospitality? Shall I reject the gifts dear to me? Shall I not be moved by such and so great a disposition? Shall I not be moved by a faith higher than heaven? Shall I overlook such and so many good things; shall I overlook piteous groans? But I am not of such a nature.

Shall I overlook the floods of tears? But I am not able. Shall I overlook the tear-stained form? For philanthropy alone I took the form of a servant. Shall I deny myself for your sake? shall I hate her who so genuinely longs for me? shall I drive away her who so clings to my feet? shall I cast out the suppliant who has not obtained what she hoped for? shall I fulfill the will of the devil? shall I grant the prey to the enemy? shall I send my dove back again to the hawk? shall I not pity her who nothing else

6

Ἤθελές με περὶ μὲν σὲ φανῆναι φιλάνθρωπον, περὶ δὲ ταύτην ἀπάνθρωπον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνέχομαι λαβεῖν σε διοικητὴν τῆς ἐμῆς ἀγαθότητος. Εἰ σὺ τοιαύτην ἔσχες χώραν, αὕτη δὲ τὴν σὴν, ἐβούλου αὐτὴν περὶ σοῦ τοιαῦτα λέγειν ἃ σὺ κατ' αὐτῆς φρονεῖς; Οὐκ ἤκουσας ὅτι, Ἃ μὴ βούλει παθεῖν, μὴ θέλῃς ποιεῖν· οὗτος γὰρ ὁ κοινὸς νόμος τῆς φύσεως. Τίς οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, πλέον ἀγαπήσει αὐτόν; Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Σίμων εἶπεν, Ὑπολαμβάνω, ὅτι ᾧ τὸ πλέον ἐχαρίσατο. Καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὀρθῶς ἔκρινας. Οὐκοῦν ἔμμεινον οἷς ἐδίκασας πρῶτος αὐτός. Καὶ στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, τῷ Σίμωνι λέγει, Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα; Ἐγὼ οὐκ ἔτι καλῶ πόρνην, τὴν ῥίψασαν μετὰ τοῦ πράγματος καὶ τὸ 61.732 ὄνομα. Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὐτόκλητον ἐπεισελθοῦσαν ἡμῖν, τὴν ἐπιδεικνυμένην ἀναίδειαν ἐπαινουμένην, τὴν ἀσκοῦσαν ἀναισχυντίαν ἀγαπωμένην, τὴν ὁδηγὸν τῆς πρὸς ἐμὲ φερούσης ὁδοῦ, τὴν ἡγεμόνα τῆς εὐσεβείας, τὴν διδάσκαλον τῆς μετανοίας, τὴν ἔργῳ τὰ πράγματα διδάξασαν, τὴν ἄπαυστα κλαίουσαν, τὴν παῤῥησίαν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, τὴν κήρυκα τῆς ἐμῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὸν σὸν οἶκον ποιήσασαν, τὴν μόνην μόνῳ προσευχομένην, τὴν ἄνθρωπόν με θεωροῦσαν καὶ ὡς Θεὸν ἱκετεύουσαν, μὴ δορυφόρους, μὴ βῆμα δικαστικὸν, καὶ ὡς κριτήν με γονυπετοῦσαν, τὸν κείμενον προσκυνοῦσαν; Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα, τὴν ἀκάματον, τὴν ἐργάτιν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν διὰ τῶν πλοκάμων αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν δακρύων ὑφαίνουσαν ἑαυτῇ τὴν τῆς ἀθανασίας στολὴν, τὴν πρεσβεύουσαν διὰ πάντων αὐτῆς τῶν μελῶν περὶ ἑαυτῆς, τὴν ἄπληστον ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἐχρῆν ἰδεῖν, ἀπληστοτέραν ἐν οἷς τὸ ἄμετρον μακαρίζεται; Σκόπησον τὰ γενόμενα παρὰ σοῦ, καὶ θέασαι τὰ γεγενημένα παρ' αὐτῆς, καὶ στεφανώσεις σὺν ἐμοὶ τὴν ἑαυτὴν στεφανώσασαν. Ἐὰν μὴ καὶ σὺ θαυμάσῃς τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν αὐτῆς, μέμφου τοῖς ἐμοῖς οἰκτιρμοῖς. Εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν σου ἐγὼ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ ἄνω καὶ κάτω καὶ πανταχοῦ καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὕτως ὡς βλέπεις, καὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ μου τετίμηκά σε, καὶ τὸν οἶκόν σου· καὶ σὺ ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας μου οὐκ ἔδωκας. Σὺ τὸ εὔκολον, τὸ ῥᾴδιον, τὸ εὐπόριστον τοῖς ἐμοῖς ποσὶν οὐκ ἐπέχεας· αὕτη δὲ, ἡ παρὰ σοῦ λοιδορουμένη, τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔβρεξέ μου τοὺς πόδας, οὓς οὐκ ἔβαψεν ὅλα τῆς θαλάσσης τὰ ὕδατα καὶ τὰ κύματα. Βλέπεις ξένην ἀρδείαν τοῖς ἐμοῖς ποσὶν ἐπιῤῥέουσαν· βλέπεις βροχὴν παράδοξον, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν νεφῶν φερομένην, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν τῆς γυναικὸς ὀμμάτων τικτομένην. Ποία πηγὴ τοσούτων εὐπορεῖ ναμάτων, ὅσον αὕτη δακρύων; ποία κρήνη βλύζουσα τοσαύτας σταγόνας οὐκ ἐλέγχεται; Αὕτη τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔβρεξέ μου τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς ἐξέμαξε, καὶ ξένον λέντιον τὰς τρίχας αὐτῆς κατεσκεύασε, καὶ παράδοξον ἐκμαγεῖον τῶν ἐμῶν ποδῶν τοὺς πλοκάμους αὐτῆς ἐποίησε. Φίλημά μοι οὐκ ἔδωκας σύ· τὰ χείλη τὰ σὰ τοῖς ἐμοῖς χείλεσι προσαρμόσαι οὐ κατηξίωσας· αὕτη δὲ, ἀφ' οὗ εἰσῆλθεν, οὐ διέλειπε καταφιλοῦσά μου τοὺς πόδας. Ὢ τῆς ὁμαλῆς προσεδρίας! ὢ φιλημάτων θείων! ὢ φιλημάτων πνευματικῶν ἀπολογησαμένων ὑπὲρ τῶν προτέρων περιπλοκῶν. Ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου οὐκ ἤλειψας· τὸ τιμιώτερον μέρος τοῦ σώματος οὐκ ἐνότισας ἐλαίῳ ψιλῷ· αὕτη δὲ ἐλαίῳ μύρῳ ἤλειψέ μου τοὺς πόδας. Τί οὖν σοι δοκεῖ; ἀποστραφῶ τὴν τοιαῦτά μοι φέρουσαν ξένια; ἀποσείσωμαι τὰ φίλα μοι δῶρα; μὴ ἐντραπῶ τοιαύτην καὶ τοσαύτην διάθεσιν; μὴ ἐντραπῶ πίστιν οὐρανοῦ ὑψηλοτέραν; παρίδω τοιαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτα καλά· παρίδω ἐλεεινοὺς στεναγμούς; Ἀλλ' οὐ πέφυκα τοιοῦτος.

Παρίδω τοὺς τῶν δακρύων κρουνούς; Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι. Παρίδω τὴν δεδακρυμένην μορφήν; ∆ιὰ μόνην φιλανθρωπίαν ἔλαβον τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν. Ἀρνήσομαι ἐμαυτὸν διὰ σέ; μισήσω τὴν οὕτω με γνησίως ποθοῦσαν; ἀπελάσω τὴν οὕτω περιπλεκομένην μου τοῖς ποσίν; ἀποδιώξω τὴν ἱκέτιν μὴ τυχοῦσαν ὧν ἤλπισε; πληρώσω τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ βούλημα; χαρίσωμαι τῷ πολεμίῳ τὸ θήραμα; πέμψω πάλιν τὴν ἐμὴν περιστερὰν πρὸς τὸν ἱέρακα; μὴ οἰκτείρω τὴν οὐδὲν ἕτερον