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a sinful woman to be saved, and you are envious, O Pharisee? Perhaps ... he was his kinsman, or rather a forefather of his doctrines. So that you may know, then, that he is not a prophet, but *the* prophet—for the addition of the article has some meaning—what great thing was it, if he knew that the woman was a sinner? This was easy to learn even through rumor; this even you, the Pharisee, though not being a prophet, knew. He shows, therefore, what is greater than knowing. For her life, perhaps, fame also reported, and especially since she was exceedingly sinful; but the Lord, in order to show his divine power, read the reasoning of the Pharisee. For the narrative does not have it, 59.764 that the Pharisee spoke to one of those reclining, but he was saying it in himself, and was reasoning in himself. So that you may know, then, that he is not only a prophet, but *the* prophet: you stir your reasoning within, and the Master reads it; you turn your thoughts, and the Lord finds, and heals; and thus he brought forth the narrative of the two debtors, to one of whom he had forgiven five hundred, and to the other fifty, saying, Who will love more? When the Pharisee answered, The one to whom he forgave more, he then compares the Pharisee, and that woman who had received forgiveness of many sins; whom I do not praise for her former life, but I bless for her latter end. Let no one reproach her with the Pharisees: She was a prostitute and dissolute. Let Paul interpret, let Paul be the woman’s advocate: It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? And come, let us examine the narrative more minutely, that we may not only bless her, but also imitate her; She comes to Jesus prepared, bringing ointment in an alabaster jar, and tears in her eyes; the inanimate vessel of ointment, the animate spring of repentance; from the body of flesh she brings ointment, to extinguish the stench of licentiousness; for sin is foul-smelling, as David also testifies: My wounds have stunk and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. Every sinner works a foul odor; everyone who repents prepares an ointment. But just as in ointments there are many spices, so also of repentance there are many kinds. For it is necessary to bring together many ways of life and many fruits, to prepare the ointment of repentance. And do you wish to know the woman’s humility? Another woman once, having brought ointment to Christ, poured it over his head; for she had confidence from her manner of life. This one, because of her consciousness of her failings, did not dare for his head, but took hold of the tips of his feet. And his feet are no less effective. For if not only the garment, but even the hem of the garment bestows perfect health on the one who believed, and makes the theft praiseworthy for the one who believed; how much more can the footsteps of Christ wipe away the bruises of sins! Therefore, she not only poured out the ointment, but also stirred up the springs of her tears. Blessed are the lakes of the woman, from which are poured forth rivers of healing for sins. Let her be a teacher to you as to why God has graced us with eyes. Are they only servants of sight? This each of the irrational animals also has; and if you examine closely, some of the irrational animals even see more sharply than we do. For to you they are not only servants of sight, but also workers of repentance. Blessed are you to guard the bath of baptism; but if as a human you have been overtaken, stir up the springs of tears. You have the well; draw up sorrow from the depth of your heart; stir the twin pupils, pour forth streams of tears; let the tears be in proportion to the sins committed. Small drops carry away light specks; great depths and currents of rivers, violent and deep torrents, are wont to sweep away the weights of logs and the burdens of stones. Weigh your sins. If your sin is small, even a short tear suffices; if the sin is great, greater the

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ἁμαρτωλὸς γυνὴ σωθῆναι, καὶ φθονεῖς, ὦ Φαρισαῖε; Τάχα ἂν ... αὐτοῦ συγγενὴς ἦν, μᾶλλον δὲ τῶν δογμάτων προπάτωρ. Ἵν' οὖν γνῷς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι προφήτης, ἀλλ' ὁ προφήτης ἔχει γάρ τι ἡ τοῦ ἄρθρου προσθήκη, τί μέγα ἦν, εἰ ἔγνω ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ γυνή; Τοῦτο καὶ διὰ φήμης ῥᾴδιον ἦν μαθεῖν· τοῦτο καὶ σὺ ὁ Φαρισαῖος, μὴ ὢν προφήτης, ἐγίνωσκες. ∆είκνυσιν οὖν τὸ μεῖζον τοῦ εἰδέναι. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνης βίον καὶ φήμη τυχὸν διήγγελλε, καὶ μάλιστα λίαν οὔσης ἁμαρτωλοῦ· ὁ δὲ Κύριος, ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν θεϊκὴν δύναμιν, τὸν διαλογισμὸν ἀνέγνω τοῦ Φαρισαίου. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχει 59.764 τὸ διήγημα, ὅτι ὁ Φαρισαῖος πρός τινα τῶν ἀνακειμένων εἶπεν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔλεγε, καὶ διελογίζετο ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ἵν' οὖν γνῷς, ὅτι οὐ μόνον προφήτης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ προφήτης· σὺ κινεῖς ἔνδον τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἀναγινώσκει· σὺ στρέφεις τὰς ἐννοίας, καὶ ὁ Κύριος εὑρίσκει, καὶ θεραπεύει· καὶ οὕτω τὰ τῶν χρεωφειλετῶν τῶν δύο διηγήματα παρήγαγε, τῷ μὲν ὅτι ἀφῆκε πεντακόσια, τῷ δὲ πεντήκοντα, Τίς πλέον ἀγαπήσει; λέγων. Ἀποκρινομένου τοῦ Φαρισαίου, Ὧ τὸ πλεῖον ἐχαρίσατο, συγκρίνει λοιπὸν τὸν Φαρισαῖον, κἀκείνην τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν λαβοῦσαν πολλῶν ἁμαρτημάτων συγχώρησιν· ἣν οὐκ ἐπαινῶ τοῦ προτέρου βίου, μακαρίζω δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου τέλους. Μηδεὶς αὐτὴν μετὰ Φαρισαίων ὀνειδιζέτω· Πόρνη ἦν καὶ ἀκόλαστος. Παῦλος ἑρμηνευσάτω, Παῦλος τῇ γυναικὶ συνηγορείτω· Θεὸς ὁ δικαιῶν. Τίς ὁ κατακρίνων; Καὶ φέρε, τὸ διήγημα λεπτότερον ἐξετάσωμεν, ἵνα μὴ μακαρίζωμεν μόνον ἐκείνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ μιμησώμεθα· Ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐμπαράσκευος, κομίζουσα μύρον ἐν ἀλαβάστρῳ, καὶ δάκρυον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς· τὸ ἄψυχον σκεῦος τοῦ μύρου, ἡ ἔμψυχος πηγὴ τῆς μετανοίας· ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκὸς κομίζει μύρον, ἵνα σβέσῃ τὴν τῆς ἀσελγείας δυσωδίαν· δυσώδης γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτία, καθὰ καὶ ∆αυῒδ μαρτύρεται· Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου, ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου. Πᾶς ἁμαρτάνων δυσωδίαν ἐργάζεται· πᾶς μετανοῶν μύρον σκευάζει. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς μύροις πολλὰ ἀρώματα, οὕτω καὶ μετανοίας πολλὰ εἴδη. ∆εῖ γὰρ πολλὰς πολιτείας καὶ πολλοὺς συναγαγεῖν καρποὺς, ἵνα σκευάσωσι τῆς μετανοίας τὸ μύρον. Καὶ βούλεσθε γνῶναι τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην; Ἄλλη ποτὲ γυνὴ κομίσασα μύρον παρὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, καταχέει τῆς κεφαλῆς· εἶχε γὰρ παῤῥησίαν ἐκ πολιτευμάτων. Αὕτη διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν τῶν πταισμάτων οὐ κατατολμᾷ τῆς κεφαλῆς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ποδῶν ἄκρων ἐφήψατο. Καὶ οὐκ ἔλαττον ἐνεργοῦσιν οἱ πόδες. Εἰ γὰρ οὐ τὸ ἱμάτιον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἱματίου τὸ κράσπεδον τελείαν ὑγίειαν τῇ πιστευσάσῃ χαρίζεται, καὶ ποιεῖ τῇ πιστευσάσῃ ἐπαινετὴν τὴν κλοπήν· πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὰ ἴχνη τοῦ Χριστοῦ δύνανται τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλεῖψαι τοὺς μώλωπας! Οὐ τοίνυν τὸ μύρον μόνον κατέχεεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν δακρύων ἐκίνησε. Μακάριαι τῆς γυναικὸς αἱ λίμναι, ὅθεν ποταμοὶ θεραπευτικοὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων προχέονται. Σοὶ γενέσθω διδάσκαλος διατί τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς κεχάρισται. Ἆρα μόνον ὄψεως ὑπηρέτας; Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων ἕκαστον ἔχει· κἂν ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσῃς, ἔνια τῶν ἀλόγων καὶ πλέον ὀξυδερκεῖ παρ' ἡμᾶς. Σοὶ γὰρ οὐ μόνον εἰσὶν ὄψεως ὑπηρέται, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετανοίας ἐργάται. Μακάριόν σε φυλάξαι τὸ λουτρὸν τοῦ βαπτίσματος· εἰ δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπος προελήφθης, κίνησον δακρύων πηγάς. Ἔχεις τὸ φρέαρ· ἐκ τοῦ βάθους τῆς καρδίας τὴν λύπην ἄντλησον· κίνησον τὰς διδύμους κόρας, πρόχεε δακρύων ῥεύματα· κατ' ἀναλογίαν τῶν πεπλημμελημένων ἔστω τὰ δάκρυα. Μικραὶ ψεκάδες κοῦφα παραφέρουσι κάρφη· μεγάλα ποταμῶν βάθη καὶ ῥεύματα, χείμαῤῥοι σφοδροὶ καὶ βαθεῖς κορμῶν βάρη καὶ λίθων ἄχθη παρασύρειν πεφύκασι. Στάθμισόν σου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Εἰ μικρόν σου τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἀρκεῖ καὶ βραχὺ δάκρυον· εἰ μέγα τὸ ἁμάρτημα, μείζων ὁ τῶν