and nurtured by her who honors the honorable with words and with public feasts and festivals, Christ-loving, 318 apostle-loving, martyr-loving, Chrysostom-loving, the sum of all that is most honorable, breathing their honors and festivals, arranging these auspiciously, being occupied in these things. For I know your all-night standings and vigils, the psalm-singing and the sacred hymns, the listening to the oracles of the Spirit and, in addition to these, also of our divine and wise Chrysostom and his ascent or departure to God and his migration, the divine offspring and propositions of that great mind. For this reason one must be persuaded by his teachings; for he is truly the luminary of the world, holding forth the word of life in the world, the pillar of the churches, the bulwark of the faithful, the unerring guide, the good husbandman of our souls, who even to be remembered alone is pleasure and sweetness, whom we admire so exceptionally and on whom we are so dependent and to whose memory we have so bound our souls, as if hanging from some golden chain of sincere and faithful disposition. How excellent is so great a good granted to us for our enjoyment. He who has remembered Chrysostom has abstained from all evil things; for his blameless and God-pleasing life sanctified and honored, wherefore also by us he is always loved and honored and called blessed. If any good is practiced in the life of men, if anything is worthy of reverence, if anything pertaining to a most God-loving way of life is found and achieved, it is from him. The world would have been empty of every good that looks to God, if we had not obtained the good root of the wise preacher, the unerring guide, the never-setting and most brilliant light. The spirit swells and rejoices and, as it were, my affection boils over and is roused, and my discourse does not wish to be drawn away from his memory. Would that it were somehow possible to cross over to him through virtue alone. Would that I could be with the one so longed for and consider this alone joy and enjoyment; for what is sweeter than just to remember him? what is more delightful than to have him on the tongue? By so wisely managing ourselves we shall more graciously obtain the awaited salvation. But O all-golden mouth of Christ, O heavenly trumpet of the Spirit, O beholder and preacher of the unoriginate Father, the interpreter of the Holy Trinity and true evangelist, who intercedes and makes supplication for us directly to the holy and thrice-radiant Godhead, ask from God peace for the churches, which you enlightened with your teachings, so that these festivals may be celebrated by us more lavishly. May greed, which is a second idolatry, not raise its head against us. May the tare of the madness for gold not rise up and choke the wheat of your generous teaching for those in need. May no rock become 319 for us, showing the hardness of wickedness, lacking the richness of your humility, and may the good and rich cultivation of your seeds not be shown to be without root. We have need of the help from you and we seek the ungrudging abundance of your many and great benefactions. Intercede for your holy flock to the common God and King with your prayers, O honored man, equal in weight to the whole world, that our transgressions may be loosed. You have many who intercede with your majesty; take them with you as fellow intercessors. Assemble the choir of the wise apostles and with them make your petition, as being of like character with them. Remind them of what they suffered for the churches, for which they endured dangers and wore chains, for which they were also mutilated in their limbs and were violently deprived of life, for which, to speak prophetically, they passed through fire and water. We are suspicious of the snares brought upon us by the evil one. We expect something troublesome that this evil thought is bringing forth, lest an idol of sin, having been formed in us, should thrust us far away from your teaching. For even if you have transcended this life and with angels, as one incorporeal and heavenly, you minister to and glorify God, yet you know how slippery and

καὶ θρέμματα τῆς τιμώσης τὰ τίμια λόγοις καὶ πανδήμοις ἑορταῖς τε καὶ πανηγύρεσι, φιλόχριστοι, 318 φιλαπόστολοι, φιλομάρτυρες, φιλοχρυσόστομοι, τὸ πάντων τῶν τιμιωτάτων κεφάλαιον, τὰς τούτων τιμάς τε καὶ πανηγύρεις ἐμπνέοντες, ταύτας αἰσίως διατιθέντες, ἐν τούτοις στρεφόμενοι. Οἶδα γὰρ ὑμῶν τὰς παννύχους στάσεις καὶ ἀγρυπνίας, τὰς ψαλμῳδίας καὶ τοὺς ὕμνους τοὺς ἱερούς, τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν λογίων τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ πρός γε τούτοις καὶ τοῦ ἡμετέρου θείου καὶ σοφοῦ Χρυσοστόμου καὶ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν ἀνάβασιν ἢ ἐκδημίαν καὶ μεταχώρησιν, ἐκείνου τοῦ μεγάλου νοῦ τὰ θεῖα καὶ γεννήματα καὶ προβλήματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πειστέον ταῖς αὐτοῦ εἰσηγήσεσιν· οὗτος γὰρ ἀληθῶς ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης φωστήρ, ζωῆς ἐν κόσμῳ λόγον ἐπέχων, ὁ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν στύλος, τῶν πιστῶν τὸ προπύργιον, ὁ ἀπλανὴς ὁδηγὸς ὁ καλὸς γεωργὸς τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, ὁ μόνον καὶ μνημονευόμενος ἡδονὴ καὶ γλυκύτης, ὃν οὕτως διαφερόντως ἀγάμεθα καὶ οὕτως αὐτοῦ ἐξηρτήμεθα καὶ οὕτως τῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ μνήμῃ συνεδήσαμεν τὰς ψυχάς, ὡς ἀπό τινος χρυσῆς σειρᾶς ἀδόλου καὶ πιστῆς διαθέσεως ἐκκρεμάμενοι. Ὑπέρευγε τοσούτου καλοῦ χαρισθέντος ἡμῖν εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν. Χρυσοστόμου ὁ μνησθεὶς πάντων τῶν φαύλων ἀπέσχετο· ἐκείνου γὰρ ὁ ἄμεμπτος καὶ θεάρεστος βίος ἡγίασε καὶ ἐτίμησε, διὸ καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀεὶ φιλεῖται καὶ τιμᾶται καὶ μακαρίζεται. Εἴ τι καλὸν τῷ βίῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐμπολιτεύεται, εἴ τι σεμνότητος ἄξιον, εἴ τι πολιτείας θεοφιλεστάτης ἐχόμενον ἐκ τούτου εὕρηται καὶ κατόρθωται. Κενὸς ἂν ἦν ὁ κόσμος παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ τοῦ πρὸς θεὸν βλέποντος, εἰ μὴ τῆς ἀγαθῆς ῥίζης ἐτύχομεν τοῦ σοφοῦ κήρυκος, τοῦ ἀπλανοῦς ὁδηγοῦ, τοῦ ἀνεσπέρου φωτὸς καὶ λαμπροτάτου. Ὀργᾷ τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ γέγηθε καὶ ὥσπερ περιζέει τὸ φίλτρον καὶ διανίσταται καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλει τῆς περὶ τούτου μνήμης ὁ λόγος ἀφέλκεσθαι. Αἴθε πως ἦν καὶ διαβῆναι μόνον δι' ἀρετῆς πρὸς αὐτόν. Αἴθε συνεῖναι τῷ ποθουμένῳ καὶ τοῦτο μόνον ἡγεῖσθαι χαρὰν καὶ ἀπόλαυσιν· τὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦ μόνον ἐκείνου μεμνῆσθαι γλυκύτερον; τὶ δὲ τοῦ διὰ γλώσσης τοῦτον ἔχειν ἐπιτερπέστερον; Οὕτω σοφῶς ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομοῦντες καὶ σωτηρίας χαριέστερον ἐντευξόμεθα τῆς προσδοκωμένης. Ἀλλ' ὦ στόμα πάγχρυσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὦ σάλπιγξ οὐρανία τοῦ πνεύματος, ὦ θεωρὲ καὶ κῆρυξ τοῦ ἀνάρχου πατρός, ὁ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ὑποφήτης καὶ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἀληθής, ὁ ἀμέσως ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐντυγχάνων καὶ πρεσβεύων τῇ ἁγίᾳ καὶ τρισηλίῳ θεότητι, αἴτησαι παρὰ θεοῦ εἰρήνην ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ἃς ταῖς σαῖς διδαχαῖς ἐφώτισας, ἵνα ἡμῖν αἱ πανηγύρεις αὗται φιλοτιμότερον ἄγωνται. Μὴ πλεονεξία, ἥτις ἐστὶ δευτέρα εἰδωλολατρεία, ἄρῃ καθ' ἡμῶν κεφαλήν. Μὴ ζιζάνιον χρυσομανίας ἐγερθὲν ἀποπνίξῃ τὸν σῖτον τῆς σῆς μεταδοτικῆς διδασκαλίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς δεομένους. Μή τις πέτρα γένηται καθ' 319 ἡμῶν τὸ στερρὸν ὑποφαίνουσα τῆς κακίας λειπομένη τῆς πιότητος τῆς σῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ ἄρριζον ἀποδειχθῇ τῶν σῶν σπερμάτων τὸ καλὸν καὶ πίον γεώργιον. Χρήζομεν τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ ὠφελείας καὶ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων σου εὐεργεσιῶν τὴν ἄφθονον δαψίλειαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν. Πρέσβευσον ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς ἁγίας ποίμνης πρὸς τὸν κοινὸν θεὸν καὶ βασιλέα ταῖς σαῖς εὐχαῖς τίμιε καὶ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου ἰσοστάσιε ἄνθρωπε λυθῆναι τὰ ἡμῶν πλημμελήματα. Ἔχεις πολλοὺς τῇ σῇ μεγαλειότητι συμπρεσβεύοντας, τούτους συμπρεσβευτὰς συμπαράλαβε. Ἄθροισον τὸν χορὸν τῶν σοφῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ μετὰ τούτων δεήθητι ὡς τούτων ὑπάρχων ὁμότροπος. Ὑπόμνησον αὐτοὺς ἃ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐκακοπάθησαν, ὑπὲρ ὧν τοὺς κινδύνους ὑπήνεγκαν καὶ τὰς ἁλύσεις ἐφόρεσαν, ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ μελῶν ἠκρωτηριάσθησαν καὶ τοῦ ζῆν βιαίως ἀφῄρηνται, ὑπὲρ ὧν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος προφητικῶς εἰπεῖν διήλθωσαν. Ὑφορώμεθα τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ εἰσαγομένας ἡμῖν παγίδας. Προσδοκῶμέν τι τῶν ὀχληρῶν τοῦτο τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐννοίας ἀποτικτούσης, μήπως εἴδωλον ἁμαρτίας ἐν ἡμῖν μορφωθὲν πόρρω τῆς σῆς διδασκαλίας ἀπώσηται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑπερέβης τὸν βίον καὶ μετὰ ἀγγέλων τῷ θεῷ ὡς ἄϋλός τις καὶ οὐράνιος λειτουργεῖς καὶ δοξάζεις, ἀλλ' οἶδας, ὡς ὀλισθηρὰ καὶ