8

If I had sent her away from the beginning, you would not have learned of her faith. If she had received it from the start, she would have quickly departed, and no one would have known her treasure.

For this reason I postponed the gift, that I might show her faith to all. O woman. God says, O woman. Let those who pray 52.458 with coarseness hear. When I say to someone, ‘Beseech God, ask of him, supplicate him,’ he says: ‘I beseeched once, a second time, a third, a tenth, a twentieth; and I still did not receive.’ Do not desist, brother, until you receive; the end of asking is the granting of what is asked. Desist then, when you receive, or rather, not even then, but even then persist. And if you do not receive, ask that you may receive; but when you do receive, give thanks, because you have received. Many enter into the church, they finish myriad verses of a prayer, and they go out, and they do not know what they said; their lips move, but their hearing does not hear. You do not hear your own prayer, and you want God to hear your prayer? ‘I bent,’ you say, ‘my knees;’ but your mind was flying outside; your body was inside the church, and your thought was outside; your mouth was saying the prayer, and your mind was counting up interest, contracts, transactions, lands, possessions, companionships of friends. For the devil, being wicked, and knowing that in the time of prayer we accomplish great things, then attacks. Often we lie on our backs in bed, and we think of nothing; we have come to pray, and myriad thoughts arise, that he might cast us out empty.

11. Therefore, beloved, knowing that these things happen during prayers, the Canaanite woman

imitate, O man, the woman, the foreigner, the weak one, the rejected and despicable one. But you do not have a demon-possessed daughter? But you have a sinning soul. What did the Canaanite woman say? ‘Have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously vexed by a demon.’ You say also, ‘Have mercy on me; my soul is grievously vexed by a demon.’ For a great demon is sin. The one possessed by a demon is pitied, the one sinning is hated; the former has an excuse, the latter is deprived of a defense. ‘Have mercy on me;’ a short phrase, and it found a sea of loving-kindness; for where there is mercy, there are all good things. Even if you are outside, cry out and say, ‘Have mercy on me,’ not by moving your lips, but by shouting with your mind; for God hears even those who are silent. A place is not sought, but a beginning of conduct. Jeremiah was in the mire, and drew God to himself; Daniel was in the lions’ den, and placated God; the three children were in the furnace, and by hymning God they prevailed; the thief was crucified, and the cross did not hinder, but opened paradise; Job was on a dunghill, and rendered God merciful; Jonah was in the belly of the whale, and had God as an obedient hearer. Even if you are in a bath, pray; even if on a road, even if on a bed; wherever you may be, pray. You are a temple of God, do not seek a place; there is need of thought only. Even if you stand before a judge, pray; when the judge is angry, pray. The sea was in front, the Egyptians behind, Moses in the middle; there was great distress in the prayer, but the breadth of the prayer was great. Behind, the Egyptians were pursuing, in front, the sea, in the middle, the prayer; and Moses said nothing; and God says to him: ‘Why do you cry to me?’ The mouth indeed does not speak, but the mind cries out. And you, therefore, beloved, when you stand before a raging judge, a tyrant, threatening the greatest things, and other executioners doing the same, you pray to God, and as you pray the waves are calmed. The judge is against you? You take refuge in God. The ruler is near you? You call upon the 52.459 Master. For is he a man, that you should go to a place? God is always near. If you wish to entreat a man, you ask what he is doing, if he is sleeping, if he is busy; one who is serving does not answer you. But with God there is none of these things; wherever you go and call, he hears; there is no busyness, no mediator, no servant to wall you off. Say, ‘Have mercy on me,’ and immediately God is present; For ‘While you are yet speaking,’ he says, ‘I will say, “Behold, I am here.”’ O word full of gentleness.

8

ἐξαρχῆς αὐτὴν ἀπέλυσα, οὐκ ἂν ἔμαθες αὐτῆς τὴν πίστιν. Εἰ ἐκ προοιμίων ἔλαβεν, ἀνεχώρει ἂν ταχὺ, καὶ τὸν θησαυρὸν αὐτῆς οὐκ ἂν ἠπίστατό τις.

∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀνεβαλόμην τὴν δόσιν, ἵνα ἅπασι δείξω τὴν πίστιν. Ὦ γύναι. Θεὸς λέγει, Ὦ γύναι. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ εὐχό 52.458 μενοι μετὰ βαναυσίας. Ὅταν εἴπω τινὶ, Παρακάλεσον τὸν Θεὸν, δεήθητι αὐτοῦ, ἱκέτευσον αὐτὸν, λέγει· Παρεκάλεσα ἅπαξ, δεύτερον, τρίτον, δέκατον, εἰκοστόν· καὶ οὐκέτι οὐκ ἔλαβον. Μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἀδελφὲ, ἕως ἂν λάβῃς· τέλος αἰτήσεως, ἡ δόσις τοῦ αἰτουμένου. Τότε ἀπόστηθι, ὅταν λάβῃς, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ τότε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τότε παράμενε. Κἂν μὴ λάβῃς, αἴτει ἵνα λάβῃς· ὅταν δὲ λάβῃς, εὐχαρίστησον, ὅτι ἔλαβες. Εἰσέρχονται πολλοὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἀπαρτίζουσι μυρίους στίχους εὐχῆς, καὶ ἐξέρχονται, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασι τί εἶπον· τὰ χείλη κινεῖται, ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ οὐκ ἀκούει. Σὺ οὐκ ἀκούεις τῆς εὐχῆς σου, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν θέλεις εἰσακοῦσαι τῆς εὐχῆς σου; Ἔκλινα, λέγεις, τὰ γόνατα· ἀλλ' ἡ διάνοιά σου ἔξω ἐπέτετο· τὸ σῶμά σου ἔνδον τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ ἡ γνώμη σου ἔξω· τὸ στόμα ἔλεγε τὴν εὐχὴν, καὶ ἡ διάνοια ἠρίθμει τόκους, συμβόλαια, συναλλάγματα, χωρία, κτήματα, φίλων συνουσίας. Ὁ γὰρ διάβολος πονηρὸς ὢν, καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐν καιρῷ εὐχῆς μεγάλα ἀνύομεν, τότε ἐπέρχεται. Πολλάκις κείμεθα ὕπτιοι ἐν κλίνῃ, καὶ οὐδὲν λογιζόμεθα· ἤλθομεν εὔξασθαι, καὶ μυρίοι λογισμοὶ, ἵνα ἐκβάλῃ ἡμᾶς κενούς.

ιαʹ. Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδὼς ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς, ἀγαπητὲ, γίνεσθαι, τὴν Χαναναίαν

μίμησαι, ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν γυναῖκα, τὴν ἀλλόφυλον, τὴν ἀσθενῆ, τὴν ἀπεῤῥιμμένην καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔχεις θυγατέρα δαιμονιζομένην; Ἀλλ' ἔχεις ψυχὴν ἁμαρτάνουσαν. Τί εἶπεν ἡ Χαναναία; Ἐλέησόν με· ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται· εἰπὲ καὶ σὺ, Ἐλέησόν με· ἡ ψυχή μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Μέγας γὰρ δαίμων ἡ ἁμαρτία. Ὁ δαιμονῶν ἐλεεῖται, ὁ ἁμαρτάνων μισεῖται· ἐκεῖνος συγγνώμην ἔχει, οὗτος ἀπολογίας ἐστέρηται. Ἐλέησόν με· βραχὺ τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ πέλαγος εὗρε φιλανθρωπίας· ὅπου γὰρ ἕλεος, πάντα τὰ ἀγαθά. Κἂν ἔξω ᾖς, κράζε καὶ λέγε, Ἐλέησόν με, μὴ κινῶν τὰ χείλη, ἀλλὰ τῇ διανοίᾳ βοῶν· καὶ σιωπώντων γὰρ ἀκούει ὁ Θεός. Οὐ ζητεῖται τόπος, ἀλλ' ἀρχὴ τρόπου. Ὁ Ἱερεμίας ἐν βορβόρῳ ἦν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπεσπάσατο· ὁ ∆ανιὴλ ἐν λάκκῳ λεόντων, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐξευμενίσατο· οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ ἦσαν, καὶ Θεὸν ὑμνοῦντες ἐδυσώπησαν· ὁ λῃστὴς ἐσταυρώθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐκώλυσεν ὁ σταυρὸς, ἀλλὰ παράδεισον ἤνοιξεν· ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐν κοπρίᾳ ἦν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεων κατεσκεύασεν· ὁ Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὑπήκοον ἔσχε. Κἂν ἐν βαλανείῳ ᾖς, εὔχου, κἂν ἐν ὁδῷ, κἂν ἐπὶ κλίνης· ὅπου ἐὰν ᾖς, εὔχου. Ναὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μὴ ζήτει τόπον· γνώμης χρεία μόνον. Κἂν δικαστῇ παραστῇς, εὔχου· ὅταν ὀργίζηται ὁ δικαστὴς, εὔχου. Θάλαττα ἦν ἔμπροσθεν, ὄπισθεν Αἰγύπτιοι, μέσος ὁ Μωϋσῆς· πολλὴ ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ στενοχωρία, ἀλλὰ μέγα τὸ πλάτος τῆς εὐχῆς ἦν. Ὄπισθεν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐδίωκον, ἔμπροσθεν ἡ θάλασσα, μέση ἡ εὐχή· καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλάλει ὁ Μωϋσῆς· καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· Τί βοᾷς πρός με; Τὸ μὲν στόμα οὐ λαλεῖ, ἡ δὲ διάνοια βοᾷ. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ἀγαπητὲ, ὅταν παραστῇς δικαστῇ μαινομένῳ, τυραννοῦντι, τὰ μέγιστα ἀπειλοῦντι, καὶ ἄλλοις δημίοις τὰ αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, εὖξαι σὺ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ εὐχομένου σοῦ τὰ κύματα καταστέλλεται. Ὁ δικαστὴς ἐπὶ σέ; Σὺ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν κατάφευγε. Ὁ ἄρχων πλησίον σου; Σὺ τὸν 52.459 ∆εσπότην κάλεσον. Μὴ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, ἵνα ἀπέλθῃς εἰς τόπον; Θεὸς ἀεὶ ἐγγύς ἐστιν. Ἐὰν θέλῃς παρακαλέσαι ἄνθρωπον, ἐρωτᾷς τί ποιεῖ, καθεύδει, ἀσχολεῖται· διακονῶν οὐκ ἀποκρίνεταί σοι. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδὲν τούτων· ὅπου ἐὰν ἀπέλθῃς καὶ καλέσῃς, ἀκούει· οὐκ ἀσχολία, οὐ μεσίτης, οὐ διάκονος διατειχίζει. Εἰπὲ, Ἐλέησόν με, καὶ παρευθὺς Θεὸς παραγίνεται· Ἔτι γὰρ, φησὶ, λαλοῦντός σου, ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πάρειμι. Ὢ ῥῆμα ἡμερότητος γέμον.