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not to deliver? There is no benefit for men to bear only the name of Christians, while not possessing good works; for dignities are not honored by God, but works are sought. For Judas also was among the apostles, and enjoyed the same honor with the others; but loving avarice, he received a noose; just as now many wear sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. If you wish to fast, hate 60.718 avarice; for avarice is the great evil. Do you fast? Flee adultery, flee fornication, flee slander, falsehood, reviling, enmity, blasphemy, and all meddling. Do you fast? Flee greed, robbery, strife, and soul-destroying envy. Do you fast? Flee anger, fornication, jealousy, perjury, and all injustice. Do you fast? Flee gluttony, the mother of all evil, which separates us even from God himself; gluttony, which brings us down to the abysses of destruction. If you fast for God, flee every thing that God hates, and he accepts your repentance. For the present time is for repentance, and not for ease; repentance raises up the fallen soul, it makes the estranged soul a friend to God; repentance awakens the shattered soul, it straightens the lame, it heals the broken, it makes the wounded whole. Let us run, therefore, to repentance, brethren, let us run. For it is a time to repent, not to live wastefully and recline; a time to lament and weep, not to be lewd and be puffed up; a time for confession and mourning and groaning, not for carelessness and indolence. For repentance is the procurer of the kingdom of heaven, and the entrance to paradise, and the enjoyment of eternal delight; repentance is a ransom for sins, a purification of stains; repentance, the mother of salvation, the tripping up of the devil, the destruction of passions; repentance dissolves the bonds of sins, it saves despondent souls, it enlightens those in darkness, it turns back to God those who are far off, it recalls those who have gone astray; repentance is the guidance and comfort of all who have despaired; repentance is the dispensary and saving medicine for every weakness of soul and body. But let us return to the subject at hand. Do you fast? Do not overlook the poor. Do you fast? See the widow's tears. Do you fast? Clothe the naked. Do you fast? See the orphans groaning. Do you fast? If you have, have mercy; if 60.719 you do not have, at least do not seize what belongs to others. Do you fast? Cease your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit, and it is enough for your salvation. Do you fast? Do not disfigure your face, like the hypocrites, do not look gloomy, but anoint your head, and wash your face, so that you may not appear to men to be fasting, but to the one who examines hearts and minds. If you fast, fast in such a way as Christ commanded, so that you may not both endure the labor and lose the reward. For if you fast, see that you do not lend your money at interest. Do you fast? Tear up the bond of violent transactions; forgive, so that he may forgive you; let go of the grief against your brother, so that you may be let go; have mercy, so that you may receive mercy; forgive your neighbor's fault. Do you fast? Have mercy on one you have wronged, never envy a brother, nor again hate anyone. Do you fast? Do not be vainglorious. Do you fast? Flee fornication, which defiles our soul and body; fornication, which separates us from God and from the saints; fornication, the cause of the eternal and unquenchable fire. Do you fast? Do not defraud a poor man, lest you provoke the one who made him. Do you fast? Feed the hungry, give drink to the 60.720 thirsty, clothe the naked, comfort strangers, visit the sick, those in prison not

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μὴ ῥύεσθαι; Οὐδὲν ὄφελος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ὄνομα μόνον Χριστιανῶν ἐπιφέρεσθαι, ἔργα δὲ ἀγαθὰ μὴ κεκτημένοις· οὐ γὰρ ἀξιώματα παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ τιμῶνται, ἀλλ' ἔργα ζητοῦνται. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰούδας ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ὑπῆρχε, καὶ τῆς ἴσης τιμῆς ἀπήλαυσε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων· ἀλλὰ φιλαργυρίαν ἀγαπήσας ἀγχόνην ἐδέξατο· ὡς καὶ ἄρτι πολλοὶ φοροῦσι προβάτων ἐνδύματα, ἀλλ' ἔσωθεν λύκοι εἰσὶν ἅρπαγες. Ἐὰν βούλῃ νηστεύειν, μίσησον 60.718 φιλαργύριον· τὸ μέγα κακόν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία. Νηστεύεις; Φύγε μοιχείαν, φύγε πορνείαν, φύγε καταλαλιὰν, ψεῦδος, λοιδορίαν, ἔχθραν, βλασφημίαν καὶ πᾶσαν περιεργίαν. Νηστεύεις; Φύγε πλεονεξίαν, ἁρπαγὴν, ἔριν καὶ τὸν ψυχόλεθρον φθόνον. Νηστεύεις; Φύγε ὀργὴν, πορνείαν, ζῆλον, ἐπιορκίαν καὶ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν. Νηστεύεις; Φύγε γαστριμαργίαν τὴν γεννήτειραν πάσης κακίας, τὴν χωρίζουσαν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ· γαστριμαργίαν τὴν κατάγουσαν ἡμᾶς ἕως τῶν ἀβύσσων τῆς ἀπωλείας. Ἐὰν νηστεύῃς διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, φύγε πᾶν πρᾶγμα ὃ μισεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ δέχεταί σου τὴν μετάνοιαν. Μετανοίας γὰρ ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς, οὐχὶ δὲ ἀνέσεως· μετάνοια τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν ψυχὴν ἀνιστᾷ, τὴν ἀλλοτριωθεῖσαν φίλην τῷ Θεῷ καθίστησι· μετάνοια τὴν κατεῤῥαγμένην ψυχὴν διεγείρει, τὴν χωλεύουσαν ἀνορθοῖ, τὴν συντετριμμένην ἰᾶται, τὴν τετραυματισμένην ὑγιάζει. ∆ράμωμεν τοίνυν πρὸς τὴν μετάνοιαν, ἀδελφοὶ, δράμωμεν. Καιρὸς γὰρ τοῦ μετανοῆσαι, οὐχὶ δὲ τοῦ σπαταλᾷν καὶ ἀναπεσεῖν· καιρὸς θρηνεῖν καὶ δακρύειν, οὐχὶ δὲ τὸ κινίζειν καὶ μετεωρίζεσθαι· καιρὸς ἐξομολογήσεως καὶ πένθους καὶ στεναγμῶν, οὐχὶ δὲ ἀμελείας καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας. Μετάνοια γάρ ἐστι βασιλείας οὐρανῶν πρόξενος, καὶ εἴσοδος παραδείσου, καὶ τρυφῆς αἰωνίου ἀπόλαυσις· μετάνοια τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων λυτήριον, τῶν σπιλωμάτων καθαρτήριον· μετάνοια, σωτηρίας μήτηρ, διαβόλου σκελισμὸς, παθῶν ἀφανισμός· ἡ μετάνοια τὰ δεσμὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων διαλύει, τὰς ἀπηλπισμένας ψυχὰς διασώζει, τοὺς ἐσκοτισμένους φωταγωγεῖ, τοὺς μεμακρυμμένους πρὸς Θεὸν ἐπιστρέφει, τοὺς πεπλανημένους ἀνακαλεῖται· μετάνοια πάντων τῶν ἀπεγνωσμένων ψυχαγωγία καὶ παραμύθιον· μετάνοια πάσης ψυχικῆς καὶ σωματικῆς ἀσθενείας ἰατρεῖον καὶ σωτήριον φάρμακον. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. Νηστεύεις; Πένητα μὴ παρίδῃς. Νηστεύεις; Βλέπε τῆς χήρας τὰ δάκρυα. Νηστεύεις; Γυμνὸν περίβαλλε. Νηστεύεις; Βλέπε ὀρφανοὺς στενάζοντας. Νηστεύεις; Ἐὰν ἔχῃς, ἐλέησον· εἰ 60.719 δὲ οὐκ ἔχεις, κἂν μὴ ἁρπάζῃς τὰ ἀλλότρια. Νηστεύεις; Παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ χείλη σου τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον, καὶ ἀρκεῖ σοι εἰς σωτηρίαν. Νηστεύεις; Μὴ ἀφανίσῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ, μὴ σκυθρωπάσῃς, ἀλλ' ἄλειψόν σου τὴν κεφαλὴν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι, ὅπως μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐτάζοντι καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. Ἐὰν νηστεύῃς, οὕτω νήστευε ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκέλευσεν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τὸν κόπον ὑπομείνῃς, καὶ τὸν μισθὸν ἀπολέσῃς. Ἐὰν γὰρ νηστεύῃς, βλέπε μὴ δανείσῃς τὸ ἀργύριόν σου ἐπὶ τόκῳ. Νηστεύεις; ∆ιάῤῥηξον βιαίων συναλλαγμάτων χειρόγραφον· συγχώρησον, ἵνα συγχωρῇ σοι· τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου τὴν λύπην ἄφες, ἵνα ἀφεθῇς· ἐλέησον, ἵνα ἐλεηθῇς· ἄφες τῷ πλησίον τὸ σφάλμα. Νηστεύεις; Ἐλέησον ὃν ἠδίκησας, μὴ φθονήσῃς ποτὲ ἀδελφῷ, μήτε πάλιν μισήσῃς τινά. Νηστεύεις; Μὴ κενοδοξήσῃς. Νηστεύεις; Φύγε πορνείαν, τὴν μιαίνουσαν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα· πορνείαν, τὴν χωρίζουσαν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων· πορνείαν, τὴν πρόξενον τοῦ αἰωνίου καὶ ἀσβέστου πυρός. Νηστεύεις; Μὴ συκοφαντήσῃς πένητα, ἵνα μὴ παροργίσῃς τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτόν. Νηστεύεις; Θρέψον πεινῶντας, πότισον δι 60.720 ψῶντας, γυμνοὺς ἔνδυσον, ξένους παραμύθησαι, ἀσθενοῦντας ἐπίσκεψαι, τῶν ἐν φυλακῇ μὴ