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we shudder at those who harm us in nothing, and we fear the shame from them; for this reason, in the things we fear, we pay the penalty for these. For he who is ashamed to reveal his sins to a man, but is not ashamed to commit them while God is watching, nor is willing to confess and repent, on that day is made an example of, not before one or two, but with the whole world watching. Let us then converse with Christ; for even now He stands in our midst, speaking to us through the prophets and through the apostles. Let us listen, therefore, and obey Him. For how long shall we live randomly and in vain? For when we have spent the time given to us on nothing, we shall depart to pay the ultimate penalty for the untimely expenditure. For this reason God brought us into the present life, and breathed into us a rational soul, not that we should use only the present life, but that we all should busy ourselves for the life to come. For irrational animals are useful only for the present life; we for this reason have an immortal soul, that we may do all things for the life there, that we may shine there, that we may dance with angels, that we may stand beside the King forever in the incorruptible ages. For this reason the soul has become immortal, and the body will be so again. But if you are nailed to the earth, while heavenly things are set before you, consider how great an insult it is to the Giver, when He offers you the things above, but you, holding them of little account, exchange them for the earth.

For these reasons He has also threatened Gehenna, as one who is despised, so that you may learn from this of how many good things you deprive yourself. But may it not happen that we have experience of that punishment; but that we, having been well-pleasing, may attain the eternal good things, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power, with the Father and the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς παραβλάπτοντας, τούτους φρίττομεν, καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν αἰσχύνην δεδοίκαμεν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐν οἷς δεδοίκαμεν, ἐπὶ τούτων διδόαμεν τὴν τιμωρίαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐπαισχυνόμενος ἀνθρώπῳ ἀποκαλύψαι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, Θεοῦ δὲ ὁρῶντος μὴ αἰσχυνόμενος πρᾶξαι, μηδὲ θέλων ὁμολογῆσαι, καὶ μετανοῆσαι, ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ οὐκ ἐνώπιον ἑνὸς καὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης ὁρώ σης παραδειγματίζεται. ∆ιαλεχθῶμεν οὖν τῷ Χριστῷ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν μέσος ἡμῶν ἕστηκε, καὶ διὰ τῶν προφη τῶν, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἡμῖν φθεγγόμενος. Ἀκούσωμεν τοίνυν, καὶ πεισθῶμεν αὐτῷ. Μέχρι τίνος ζῶμεν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην; Ὅταν γὰρ τὸν δοθέντα ἡμῖν χρόνον ἀναλώσωμεν εἰς οὐδὲν, ἀπελευσόμεθα δίκην δώσοντες τὴν ἐσχάτην τῆς ἀκαίρου δαπάνης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἤγαγεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν παρόντα βίον, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐνέπνευσε λογικὴν, οὐχ ἵνα τῷ παρόντι βίῳ χρησώμεθα μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν πάντες πραγματευσώμεθα. Τὰ γὰρ ἄλογα μόνῳ τῷ παρόντι χρήσιμα βίῳ· ἡμεῖς διὰ τοῦτο ψυχὴν ἀθάνατον ἔχομεν, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν ἐκεῖ ζωὴν πάντα πράξωμεν, ἵνα ἐκεῖ λάμψωμεν, ἵνα μετὰ ἀγγέλων χορεύσωμεν, ἵνα τῷ βασιλεῖ παριστώμεθα διὰ παντὸς ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς ἀκηράτοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἀθάνατος γέγονεν ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἔσται πάλιν. Ἐὰν δὲ τῇ γῇ προσηλωμένος ᾖς, τῶν οὐρανίων προκειμένων, ἐννόησον, ὅση γίνεται ὕβρις εἰς τὸν δωρούμενον, ὅταν ἐκεῖ- νος τὰ ἄνω σοι προτείνῃ, σὺ δὲ οὐ πολὺν αὐτῶν ποιούμενος λόγον, τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν ἀνταλλάσσῃ.

∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ γέενναν ἠπείλησεν, ἅτε καταφρονούμενος, ἵνα μάθῃς ἐντεῦθεν, ὅσων ἀποστερεῖς σεαυτὸν καλῶν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο πεῖραν λαβεῖν τῆς κολάσεως ἐκείνης· ἀλλ' εὐαρεστήσαντας ἡμᾶς τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.