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close at hand, and with much abundance. For the Son of Man came not to be ministered 48.777 unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. For that this makes men illustrious and distinguished, see, He says, the thing happening in My case, who need neither honor nor glory; but yet I too accomplish countless good things through this. For before He took flesh and humbled Himself, all things were perishing and corrupt; but when He humbled Himself, He raised all things on high, He abolished the curse, He quenched death, He opened paradise, He put sin to death, He threw open the vaults of heaven, He bore our first-fruits up to heaven, He filled the world with godliness, He drove out error, He brought back the truth, He seated our first-fruits upon a royal throne, He wrought countless good things, which neither I, nor all men, could possibly set forth in words. And before He humbled Himself, only the angels knew Him; but when He humbled Himself, the whole nature of men came to know Him. See how humility did not work a lessening, but countless gains, countless achievements, and made His glory shine more brightly. If then, in the case of God who is without need and wants for 48.778 nothing, to be humbled is so great a good, and brought Him more servants, and extended His kingdom, why do you fear that you will be diminished by being humbled? Then you will be higher, then great, then illustrious, then conspicuous, when you abase yourself; when you do not long for the first place; when you consent to be diminished and to be slaughtered and to be in peril; when you pursue the ministry of the many and their service and care, and are prepared for this to both do and suffer all things.

Considering these things therefore, beloved, let us pursue humility with much eagerness, and when we are insulted and spit upon, and endure all the last things, and are dishonored and despised, let us bear all things with pleasure. For nothing is so accustomed to produce height and glory and honor, and to show one to be great, as the virtue of humility; which may we, having achieved with exactness, attain the promised good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory and honor and worship to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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ἐγγύθεν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἦλθεν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διακο 48.777 νηθῆναι, ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι, καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. Ὅτι γὰρ τοῦτο ποιεῖ λαμπροὺς καὶ ἐπισήμους, ὁρᾶτε ἐπ' ἐμοῦ, φησὶ, τὸ πρᾶγμα συμβαῖνον, τῷ μὴ δεομένῳ τιμῆς μηδὲ δόξης· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐγὼ τὰ μυρία ἀγαθὰ διὰ τούτου κατορθῶ. Πρὶν ἢ μὲν γὰρ λαβεῖν αὐτὸν τὴν σάρκα, καὶ ταπεινῶσαι ἑαυτὸν, πάντα ἀπολώλει καὶ διέφθαρτο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, πάντα εἰς ὕψος ἀνήγαγε, κατάραν ἠφάνισε, θάνατον ἔσβεσε, παράδεισον ἤνοιξεν, ἁμαρτίαν ἐνέκρωσεν, οὐρανοῦ ἁψῖδας ἀνεπέτασε, τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἡμῶν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνήγαγε, τὴν οἰκουμένην εὐσεβείας ἐπλήρωσε, τὴν πλάνην ἀπήλασε, τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἡμῶν εἰς θρόνον ἀνεβίβασε βασιλικὸν, τὰ μυρία ἀγαθὰ εἰργάσατο, ἃ μήτε ἐγὼ, μήτε πάντες ἄνθρωποι δύναιντ' ἂν τῷ λόγῳ παραστῆσαι. Καὶ πρὶν ἢ μὲν ταπεινῶσαι ἑαυτὸν, ἄγγελοι μόνον αὐτὸν ἐγίνωσκον· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, ἅπασα ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσις ἐπέγνω αὐτόν. Ὅρα πῶς ἡ ταπείνωσις οὐκ ἐλάττωσιν εἰργάσατο, ἀλλὰ μυρία κέρδη, μυρία κατορθώματα, καὶ μεῖζον αὐτοῦ τὴν δόξαν διαλάμψαι ἐποίησεν. Εἰ δ' ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀνενδεοῦς καὶ μηδενὸς προσδεο48.778 μένου τὸ ταπεινωθῆναι τοσοῦτον ἀγαθὸν, καὶ πλείους αὐτῷ τοὺς οἰκέτας προσήγαγε, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπέτεινε, τί δέδοικας αὐτὸς, μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ταπεινωθῆναι ἐλαττωθῇς; Τότε ὑψηλότερος ἔσῃ, τότε μέγας, τότε λαμπρὸς, τότε περιφανὴς, ὅταν σεαυτὸν ἐξευτελίσῃς ὅταν μὴ τῶν πρωτείων ἐρᾷς, ὅταν ἐλαττωθῆναι καταδέξῃ καὶ σφαγῆναι καὶ κινδυνεῦσαι· ὅταν τὴν διακονίαν τῶν πολλῶν μεταδιώξῃς καὶ τὴν θεραπείαν καὶ τὴν κηδεμονίαν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου πάντα καὶ ποιῆσαι καὶ παθεῖν ᾖς παρεσκευασμένος.

Ταῦτα οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, διώκωμεν ταπεινοφροσύνην μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας, καὶ ὅταν ὑβριζώμεθα καὶ καταπτυώμεθα, καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα πάντα ὑπομένωμεν, καὶ ἀτιμαζώμεθα καὶ καταφρονώμεθα, πάντα μεθ' ἡδονῆς φέρωμεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω ποιεῖν ὕψος εἴωθε καὶ δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν, καὶ μέγαν δεικνύναι, ὡς ἡ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἀρετή· ἣν γένοιτο μετὰ ἀκριβείας κατορθοῦντας ἡμᾶς τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ δόξα καὶ τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.