Macarius of Egypt, Homilies 7

Of various temptations, but when she gives birth, that is, is perfected, she rejoices continually with inexpressible joy, because a heavenly and new m

The birds of the sky flying in the air rest in it. likewise also is the life of souls, and the air of those having the wings of the spirit is above in

Prepares himself, is pained and distressed by not acting manfully such a one does not become a child of life, since he has not become an imitator and

Therefore, to always examine ourselves and to search our hearts, so that we may know our own faults, trusting in the deliverer of our souls, christ, t

Knowing that you do this not to a man but to god who said, he who hears you hears me, and in lying and withholding what you have brought to god do you

Of a greater judgment than the enumerated evils through such a renunciation, he would have freed the ascetic, together with the brotherhood, from labo

It is necessary to have unceasing remembrance of god and confidence, and so one will be able to wrestle against the evils that beset man, that is, the

For the intention sins when it comes to be with an evil purpose, and sometimes the deed also, when it is done corruptly, or not in the way it ought to

Of salt and if there is taste in empty words, not filled with the testimony of works? 54.9 of abandonments, then, one is for the sake of hidden virtu

I might bear away glory and honor. and paul says, if i do this willingly, i have no reward but if unwillingly, i am entrusted with a stewardship for

To him concerning us. for he only has need of our choice, since he is always ready to have mercy on us and enlighten us, if only we are willing to giv

Unspeakable, so that he weeps, and if the soul were able to leave the body, and to go to the lord. at other times again his soul rejoices within by th

He should bring his thoughts before god by night and day, and weep every hour in the presence of god, and being grieved he should reprove his own soul

prepares himself, is pained and distressed by not acting manfully; such a one does not become a child of life, since he has not become an imitator and follower of all the saints, nor does he follow in the footsteps of the Lord. 53.2 For understand as a sensible man, and see how from the beginning the fathers, the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs and all the sons of life rejoiced in afflictions, and in hardships and necessities they were glad; and their rest was in hardships and toils. For rather, it says, choosing to be mistreated with the people of God, than to have the fleeting enjoyment of sin; and again, Child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation; make your heart straight and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of trial; cling to him and do not depart, that you may be increased at your end; accept gladly whatever is brought upon you, for gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation; trust in him and he will help you, and so on; and elsewhere, Accept all things brought upon you as good; knowing that without God nothing happens. But the blessed apostle more perfectly adds, saying, As ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in persecutions, and the Lord says, Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you, and so on; If, therefore, you wish to become a son and heir of such men, you must undertake the imitation of their conduct and way of life, and be a follower and doer of the Lord's words; For narrow and afflicted is the way that leads to life, and few are those who pass through it. whether, then, you are tested in distresses, or in sufferings, or in sicknesses, or in reproaches, or in insults, you ought rather to exult and rejoice in these things; For woe, he says, to those who live in luxury and to those who are filled and to those who are called blessed in earthly things; for blessedness is prepared for those who mourn and are afflicted for the Lord's sake; Therefore, he who desires to live the eternal life ought to give thanks in all things, and to accept afflictions and distresses, and to love humility. 53.3 For with God there is need not only of knees, so that one may persevere in prayer every day. This is a good practice, truly it is good to pray and to persevere in prayer without ceasing. For it is the head of all practices, but without the other members of virtue it is dead. For prayers become well-pleasing through good deeds; that one not hate his brother; not to speak against anyone; to be humble, and not to be high-minded; not to think oneself to be something, even if he should do all righteous deeds. For the Lord, when sought thus sincerely and piously, is immediately present; but when not sought thus, He is considered as if willingly asleep, and prayer, being superficial, is considered as nothing before God. 53.4 For why does the Lord not reveal Himself to us quickly when He is sought by us? Is it because he does not wish to? By no means. For He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; and all the zeal and labor of the fathers for this reason has been, and of the Lord himself, that God might be made known to men, that is, the working of grace, which is eternal life, but certainly there is some peculiar transgression of the soul in the way, and for this reason the Lord does not yet make Himself known and reveal Himself to us; for God is not a respecter of persons, but He pays attention to the thoughts and intentions of those who seek. Therefore, because of our slackness and negligence or unbelief or certain other faults which we do not know, not discerning ourselves minutely, the Lord is not made known to us, who said he would manifest himself to those who piously seek him and keep his commandments; for it is written, If you love me, keep my commandments, and I and my Father will come, and we will make our home with you. Let us be zealous

ἑαυτὸν εὐτρεπίζει, ὀδυνᾶται καὶ στενοχωρεῖται μὴ ἀνδριζόμενος· ὁ τοιοῦτος ζωῆς οὐ γίνεται τέκνον, ἐπειδὴ μὴ γέγονε μιμητὴς καὶ ἀκό λουθος πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, μήτε τοῖς ἴχνεσι τοῦ Κυρίου ἀκολουθεῖ. 53.2 κατανόησον γὰρ ὡς συνετός, καὶ βλέπε πῶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἱ πατέρες, οἱ πατριάρχαι, οἱ προφῆται, οἱ ἀπόστολοι, οἱ μάρτυρες καὶ πάντες οἱ τῆς ζωῆς υἱοὶ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ἔχαιρον, καὶ ἐν ταῖς στενοχωρίαις καὶ ἀνάγκαις ἥδοντο· καὶ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις αὐτῶν ἦν ἐν ταῖς κακουχίαις καὶ τοῖς πόνοις. Μᾶλλον γάρ, φησί, ἑλόμενοι συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν· καὶ πάλιν Τέκνον, εἰ προ σέρχῃ δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν· εὔθυνον τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ καρτέρει, καὶ μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς· κολλήθητι αὐτῷ καὶ μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἵνα αὐξηθῇς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων σου· πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ἐπενεχθῇ σοι δέξαι ἀσμένως, ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμάζεται χρυσός, καὶ ἄνθρωποι δεκτοὶ ἐν καμίνῳ ταπεινώσεως· πίστευσον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀντιλήψε ταί σοι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ Τὰ ἐπιφερόμενά σοι πάντα ὡς ἀγαθὰ προσδέχου· εἰδὼς ὅτι ἄτερ θεοῦ οὐδὲν γίνεται. ὁ δὲ μακάριος ἀπόστολος ἐντελέστερον ἐπάγει λέγων Ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν διωγμοῖς, καὶ ὁ Κύριος Μακάριοι, φησίν, ἐστὲ ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· εἰ τοίνυν τῶν τοιούτων υἱὸς καὶ κληρονόμος γενέσθαι βούλει, τὴν μίμησιν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς αὐτῶν καὶ πολιτείας ὀφεί λεις ἀναδέξασθαι, καὶ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου λόγων ἀκόλουθος εἶναι καὶ ποιη τής· Στενὴ γάρ ἐστι καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν ὁδός, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ διερχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς. εἴτε οὖν ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἢ ἐν πάθεσιν, ἢ ἐν νόσοις, ἢ ἐν ὀνειδισμοῖς, ἢ ἐν ὕβρεσιν ἐξετασθῇς, μᾶλλον ἐν τούτοις ὀφείλεις ἀγαλλιᾶσθαι καὶ χαίρειν· Οὐαὶ γάρ, φησί, τοῖς τρυφῶσι καὶ τοῖς ἐμπεπλησμένοις καὶ τοῖς ἐν ἐπιγείοις μακαριζομένοις· ὁ γὰρ μακαρισμὸς τοῖς πενθοῦσι καὶ θλιβομένοις διὰ τὸν Κύριον ἡτοίμασται· ὀφείλει τοίνυν ὁ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἐπιθυμῶν ζῆσαι ἐν πᾶσιν εὐχαρι στεῖν, καὶ τὰς θλίψεις καὶ τὰς στενοχωρίας ἀποδέχεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ταπεί νωσιν ἀγαπᾶν. 53.3 οὐ γὰρ μόνον γονάτων χρεία παρὰ θεῷ, ὅπως εἰς πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ καρτερῇ τις. καλὸν μὲν ἐπιτήδευμα τοῦτο, καλὸν ἀληθῶς τὸ εὔχεσθαι καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως προσκαρτερεῖν τῇ εὐχῇ. κεφαλὴ γάρ ἐστι πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων, ἀλλὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἄνευ τῆς ἀρετῆς μελῶν νεκρά ἐστιν. εὐχαὶ γὰρ ταῖς εὐποιΐαις εὐπρόσδεκτοι γίγνονται· ἵνα τις μὴ μισῇ τὸν ἀδελφόν· μὴ κατά τινος λαλεῖν· ταπεινὸν εἶναι, καὶ μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖν· μὴ οἴεσθαι ἑαυτὸν εἶναί τι, κἂν πάσας τὰς δικαιοσύνας ποιήσῃ. ζητούμενος γὰρ ὁ Κύριος οὕτως εἰλικρινῶς καὶ ὁσίως εὐθέως παραγίγνεται· μὴ ζητούμενος δὲ οὕτως, ὡς ἐν ὕπνῳ ἑκὼν εἶναι λελό γισται, καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ ἐπιπόλαιος οὖσα, οὐδὲν λελόγισται παρὰ θεῷ. 53.4 διὰ τί γὰρ ὁ Κύριος οὐκ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἡμῖν ἐν τάχει ζητούμε νος ὑφ' ἡμῶν; ὅτι οὐ βούλεται; μὴ γένοιτο. Πάντας γὰρ ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν· καὶ πᾶσα σπουδὴ καὶ κάματος τῶν πατέρων διὰ τοῦτο γέγονε καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰς τὸ τὸν θεὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γνωρισθῆναι, τουτέστι χάριτος ἐνέργεια, ἥτις ἐστὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος, ἀλλὰ πάντως ἔστι τι ἴδιον τῆς ψυχῆς ἐν μέσῳ πλημμέ λημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐδέπω γνωρίζει καὶ ἀποκαλύπτει ἡμῖν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Κύριος· οὐ γάρ ἐστι προσωπολήπτης ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ προσέχει ταῖς ἐνθυμή σεσι καὶ ἐννοίαις τῶν ζητούντων. διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν τοίνυν χαυνότητα καὶ ἀμέλειαν ἢ ἀπιστίαν ἢ ἕτερά τινα παραπτώματα ἅπερ οὐκ ἴσμεν μὴ λεπτῶς ἑαυτοὺς διακρίνοντες, οὐ γνωρίζεται ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος, ὁ εἰπὼν ἐμφανίζειν ἑαυτὸν τοῖς ὁσίως αὐτὸν ζητοῦσι καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φυλάττουσι· γέγραπται γάρ Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρή σατε, καὶ ἐλευσόμεθα ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου, καὶ μονὴν παρ' ὑμῖν ποιήσομεν. σπουδάσωμεν