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the valley of Achor and his sons and his daughters and his calves and his beasts of burden and all his sheep and his tent and all that he had, and all Israel stoned them with stones." This is the recompense for lawlessness; so impartial is the justice of God. Knowing this, therefore, let us consider the assault of grievous things as the exaction for our own sins, and each day examining our own offenses, let us not attach the blame for these things to others, but to ourselves. For not only the inattention of the rulers, but much more our own failings have heaped up these evils. Thus, therefore, let each one coming here and considering his own transgressions, not blame another and with fitting good order send up the present doxology. The good order required of us is this: first, to approach God with a contrite heart, then also to show the disposition of the heart through the outward appearance, through posture, through the good order of the hands, through a gentle and subdued voice. For this is easy and possible for anyone who wishes it. How then will it be achieved by all? Let us set a law for ourselves and say that a commandment for the common good has been laid down and we must all partake of such a benefit. For this reason let us silence disorderly voices and check the movements of our hands, presenting them bound to God and not raised in unseemly gestures. For He hates and turns away from this, just as He loves and accepts the one who is modest. "On whom then," He says, "shall I look, but on him who is meek and quiet and trembles at my words?" Let us say to one another that He does not want us, while conversing with Him, also to be speaking to ourselves, nor, having abandoned the conversation with Him, to stir up the happenings of the present and mix the pearls with mud. For He considers such a thing an insult to himself and not a doxology. And if anyone should wish to transgress this commandment, let us silence him, let us drive him away as a plotter against our salvation, let us cast him out from the precincts of the holy church. For by so doing, we will easily wash away our former sins, and we will have the Master himself in our midst dancing in chorus with the holy angels and bestowing upon each the crowns of good order. For since He is a lover of mankind and a munificent giver and rejoices in our salvation, taking delight in our good deeds; for this reason He also promised the kingdom of heaven and a share in incorruptible life, and prepared all good things in advance, wishing us to dwell in these. May we all happen to attain these things by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom is due glory, power, worship to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

2.τ On the prophetic saying: "And it came to pass in the year that king Uzziah died [I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up]," and that one must not overlook a time, nor a single element of the

[divine] Scriptures. 2.1 I rejoice, indeed, seeing you running together for the hearing of the divine oracles, [and I take this as the greatest proof of your progress according to God]. For just as being hungry is a sign of bodily well-being, so to love words is a sign of spiritual health. I rejoice, therefore, for this reason; but I fear lest I may be able to provide nothing worthy of this desire. Thus, I suppose, a loving mother is also pained, when having an infant at the breast

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φάραγγα Ἄχαρ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς μόσχους αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα ὅσα ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐλιθοβόλησαν αὐτὰ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν λίθοις." Αὕτη τῆς παρανομίας ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις, οὕτως ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδέκαστός ἐστι δίκη. Τοῦτο τοίνυν εἰδότες, οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων εἴσπραξιν τὴν τῶν ἀνιαρῶν ἔφοδον λογιζώμεθα καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἐξετάζοντες ἐγκλήματα, μὴ ἑτέροις, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς τὴν τούτων περιάπτωμεν αἰτίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἀρχόντων μόνον ἀπροσεξία, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ ἡμέτερα πταίσματα τὰ κακὰ ἐπεσώρευσεν. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα παραγινόμενος ἕκαστος καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα λογιζόμενος παραπτώματα, οὔτε ἕτερον μέμψοιτο καὶ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης εὐταξίας τὴν παροῦσαν ἀναπέμψοι δοξολογίαν. Ἔστι δὲ ἡ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπαιτουμένη εὐταξία τοιαύτη· πρῶτον μὲν συντετριμμένῃ καρδίᾳ προσέρχεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ τῆς καρδίας ἦθος διὰ τοῦ φαινομένου σχήματος ὑποδεικνύειν, διὰ τῆς στάσεως, διὰ τῆς τῶν χειρῶν εὐταξίας, διὰ τῆς πραείας καὶ συνεσταλμένης φωνῆς. Εὔκολον γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ παντὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ δυνατόν. Πῶς οὖν εἰς πάντας κατορθωθήσεται; Θῶμεν ἑαυτοῖς νόμον καὶ εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωφελὴς ἐντολὴ κατεβλήθη καὶ δεῖ πάντας ἡμᾶς τῆς τοιαύτης μετασχεῖν ὠφελείας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς ἀτάκτους κατασιγάσωμεν φωνὰς καὶ τὰ τῶν χειρῶν καταστείλωμεν ἤθη, δεδεμένας ταύτας παριστάνοντες τῷ Θεῷ καὶ μὴ τοῖς ἀκόσμοις ἐπαιρομένας νεύμασιν. Μισεῖ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἀποστρέφεται, ὥσπερ τὸν συνεσταλμένον ἀγαπᾷ καὶ προσίεται. "Ἐπὶ τίνα γάρ, φησίν, ἐπιβλέψω, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους;" Εἴπωμεν ἀλλήλοις ὅτι οὐ βούλεται αὐτῷ προσδιαλεγομένους ἡμᾶς καὶ ἑαυτοῖς προσομιλεῖν, οὐδὲ ἀφέντας τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν διάλεξιν, τὰς τῶν παρόντων ἀνακινεῖν συντυχίας καὶ τῷ βορβόρῳ τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἀναφύρειν. Ὕβριν γὰρ οἰκείαν καὶ οὐ δοξολογίαν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἡγεῖται. Κἄν τις βουληθείη ταύτην παραβῆναι τὴν ἐντολήν, ἐπιστομίσωμεν, ὡς ἐπίβουλον τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας ἀποδιώξωμεν, ἔξω τῶν περιβόλων τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας ἐκβάλωμεν. Οὕτω γὰρ ποιοῦντες, τὰ μὲν πρότερα ἁμαρτήματα ῥᾳδίως ἀπονιψόμεθα, αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ∆εσπότην εἰς μέσον ἕξομεν μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων συγχορεύοντα καὶ ἑκάστῳ τοὺς τῆς εὐταξίας ἀπονέμοντα στεφάνους. Ἐπεὶ γάρ ἐστι φιλάνθρωπος καὶ μεγαλόδωρος καὶ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ σωτηρίᾳ, ἐπιτερπόμενος τοῖς καλοῖς ἡμῶν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἐπηγγείλατο καὶ ζωῆς ἀκηράτου μέθεξιν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ προητοίμασε, βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς ἐν τούτοις κατασκηνῶσαι. Ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, προσκύνησις τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

2.τ Εἰς τὸ προφητικὸν ῥητόν· "Καὶ ἐγένετο τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, οὗ ἀπέθανεν Ὀζίας ὁ βασιλεύς [εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπῃρμένου]", καὶ ὅτι οὐ δεῖ χρόνον, οὐδὲ στοιχεῖον ἓν παρατρέχειν τῶν

[θείων] Γραφῶν. 2.1 Χαίρω μὲν συντρέχοντας ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν θείων λογίων, [καὶ τεκμήριον μέγιστον τοῦτο ποιοῦμαι τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ὑμῶν προκοπῆς]. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ πεινῆν σωματικῆς ἐστιν εὐεξίας σημεῖον, οὕτω τὸ λόγων ἐρᾶν ψυχικῆς ὑγιείας σημεῖόν ἐστιν. Χαίρω μὲν οὖν διὰ τοῦτο· δέδοικα δὲ μήποτε τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ταύτης οὐδὲν ἄξιον δυνηθῶ παρασχεῖν. Οὕτω που καὶ μήτηρ ὀδυνᾶται φιλόστοργος, ὅταν ὑπομάζιον ἔχουσα