9

he may be young, and after marriage again looks upon another woman, what is the benefit of marriage, tell me? The punishment is therefore greater, the sin unpardonable, when his wife being within, he disgraces himself with prostitutes, and commits adultery. For after having a wife, even if it is a prostitute who consorts with the married man, the act is adultery. These things happen, 54.643 and after marriage they run to courtesans, because before marriage they did not practice being chaste. From this come fights, and revilings, and the overthrow of households, and daily wars; from this the love for his wife ebbs and withers, since association in brothels dissolves it. So that if he learns to be chaste, he will consider his own wife more desirable than all, and will look upon her with much goodwill, and will keep much harmony with her, and when there is peace and harmony, all good things will enter into that house. In order, therefore, that our affairs here may be well managed, and that with these we may also obtain the kingdom of heaven, and we may provide for ourselves and our children, especially for the sake of this commandment, so that we may not, clothed in filthy garments, enter into that spiritual marriage, but with much boldness may enjoy the honor laid up there for the worthy; may it be that we all attain to it, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, honor, power, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 2. On the faith of Hannah, and on her wisdom, and on her forbearance, and concerning the honor due to priests, and that it is necessary both

when beginning a meal, and when ending it to pray. 1. Nothing then is equal to prayer, beloved, nothing is more powerful than faith. Both

Hannah showed us formerly; for approaching the God of gifts with these, she accomplished all that she wished, and corrected a disabled nature, and opened a closed womb, and took away shame, and put an end to the reproaches of her rival, and restored herself to much boldness, reaping a full ear of corn from a barren rock. And you all heard how she prayed, how she asked, and persuaded and received, and bore and raised and dedicated Samuel. So that one would not err in calling this woman both mother and father of the child. For though the husband sowed the seed, her prayer gave the power to the seed, and made the beginnings of Samuel’s birth more venerable. For indeed, not as in the case of others, were sleep and the union of the parents alone, but prayers, and tears, and faith were the beginnings of this birth, and the prophet had a more venerable origin than others, having been born through the faith of his mother. Wherefore also one might seasonably say of this woman: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Let us men emulate her, let us women imitate her; for the woman is a teacher of both sexes. Let as many as are barren, not despair; let as many as are mothers, so raise the children that are born; and let us all emulate the woman's wisdom before the birth, the faith during the birth, the zeal after the birth. For what could be wiser than that woman, who bore so intolerable a calamity meekly and nobly, and did not give up before she had resolved the terrible thing, and found a wonderful and extraordinary end to her misfortune, having received no ally and helper from below? For she knew the loving-kindness of the Master; wherefore also she approached alone, and accomplished what she wished. For the correction of that despondency did not need human help, 54.644 but divine grace; for indeed she was not in a loss of money, that someone bringing gold might resolve the despondency; nor in a bodily

9

νέος ᾖ, καὶ μετὰ τὸν γάμον πάλιν πρὸς ἑτέραν βλέπῃ γυναῖκα, τί τῶν γάμων ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι; Μείζων μὲν οὖν ἡ κόλασις, ἀσύγγνωστος ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὅταν γυναικὸς ἔνδον οὔσης εἰς πόρνας ἑαυτὸν καταισχύνῃ, καὶ μοιχείαν ἐργάζηται. Μετὰ γὰρ γυναῖκα, κἂν πόρνη ᾖ ἡ προσφθειρομένη τῷ γεγαμηκότι, μοιχεία τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Ταῦτα δὲ γίνεται, 54.643 καὶ μετὰ γάμον πρὸς τὰς ἑταιριζομένας γυναῖκας τρέχουσιν, ἐπειδὴ πρὸ τοῦ γάμου σωφρονεῖν οὐκ ἐμελέτησαν. Ἐντεῦθεν μάχαι, καὶ λοιδορίαι, καὶ οἰκιῶν ἀνατροπαὶ, καὶ καθημερινοὶ πόλεμοι· ἐντεῦθεν ὁ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα ἔρως ὑποῤῥεῖ καὶ μαραίνεται, τῆς ἐν τοῖς πορνείοις ὁμιλίας ἐκλυούσης αὐτόν. Ὡς ἐὰν σωφρονεῖν μάθῃ, πάντων ποθεινοτέραν τὴν αὐτοῦ γυναῖκα ἡγήσεται, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὴν ὄψεται τῆς εὐνοίας, καὶ πολλὴν πρὸς αὐτὴν τηρήσει τὴν ὁμόνοιαν, εἰρήνης δὲ οὔσης καὶ ὁμονοίας, πάντα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἐκείνην εἰσελεύσεται τὰ ἀγαθά. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ τὰ ἐνταῦθα ἡμῖν καλῶς οἰκονομῆται, καὶ μετὰ τούτων καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν παιδίων προνοῶμεν, ταύτης ἕνεκεν μάλιστα τῆς ἐντολῆς, ὅπως μὴ ῥυπαρὰ ἐνδεδυμένοι ἱμάτια, εἰς τὸν πνευματικὸν ἐκεῖνον εἰσέλθωμεν γάμον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ παῤῥησίας πολλῆς ἀπολαύσωμεν τῆς ἐκεῖ κειμένης τοῖς ἀξίοις τιμῆς· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ Πατρὶ δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Βʹ. Εἰς τὴν πίστιν τῆς Ἄννης, καὶ εἰς τὴν φιλοσο φίαν, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐπιείκειαν αὐτῆς, καὶ περὶ τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἱερέας τιμῆς, καὶ εἰς τὸ δεῖν καὶ

ἀρχομένους ἀρίστου, καὶ λήγοντας εὔχεσθαι. αʹ. Οὐδὲν ἄρα ἴσον εὐχῆς, ἀγαπητοὶ, οὐδὲν πίστεως δυνατώτερον. Ἀμφότερα

ἔδειξεν ἡμῖν ἡ Ἄννα πρώην· μετὰ γὰρ τούτων προσελθοῦσα τῷ Θεῷ τῶν δώρων, πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν ἤνυσε, καὶ φύσιν πεπηρωμένην διώρθωσε, καὶ μήτραν κεκλεισμένην ἀνέῳξε, καὶ αἰσχύνην ἀνεῖλε, καὶ τὰ ὀνείδη τῆς ἀντιζήλου κατέλυσε, καὶ πρὸς παῤῥησίαν ἑαυτὴν πολλὴν ἐπανήγαγεν, ἐκ πέτρας ἀγόνου στάχυν κομῶντα θερίσασα. Καὶ πάντες ἠκούσατε, πῶς ηὔξατο, πῶς ᾔτησε, καὶ ἔπεισε καὶ ἔλαβε, καὶ ἔτεκε καὶ ἔθρεψε καὶ ἀνέθηκε τὸν Σαμουήλ. Ὥστε οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι, μητέρα ὁμοῦ καὶ πατέρα τοῦ παιδίου τὴν γυναῖκα ταύτην προσειπών. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἔσπειρεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ σπέρματι τὴν δύναμιν ταύτης παρέσχεν ἡ εὐχὴ, καὶ σεμνοτέρας τοῦ Σαμουὴλ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς γεννήσεως ἐποίησεν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, ὕπνος καὶ σύνοδοι τῶν γεννησαμένων μόνον, ἀλλ' εὐχαὶ, καὶ δάκρυα, καὶ πίστις ἀρχαὶ τῆς γεννήσεως ταύτης ἐγένοντο, καὶ σεμνοτέρας τῶν ἄλλων ἔσχε τὰς γονὰς προφήτης, διὰ τὴν πίστιν τῆς μητρὸς γεγονώς. ∆ιὸ καὶ περὶ ταύτης εὐκαίρως ἄν τις εἴποι τῆς γυναικός· Οἱ σπείροντες ἐν δάκρυσιν, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θεριοῦσι. Ταύτην ζηλώσωμεν ἄνδρες, ταύτην μιμησώμεθα, γυναῖκες· καὶ γὰρ ἑκατέρου τοῦ γένους διδάσκαλός ἐστιν ἡ γυνή. Ὅσαι στεῖραι, μὴ ἀπαγορευέτωσαν· ὅσαι μητέρες, οὕτω τρεφέτωσαν τεχθέντα τὰ παιδία· καὶ πάντες ζηλώσωμεν τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν πρὸ τοῦ τόκου, τὴν πίστιν τὴν ἐν τῷ τόκῳ, τὴν σπουδὴν τὴν μετὰ τὸν τόκον. Τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο τῆς γυναικὸς ἐκείνης φιλοσοφώτερον, ἣ συμφορὰν οὕτως ἀφόρητον πράως ἤνεγκε καὶ γενναίως, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστη πρότερον, ἕως ἔλυσε τὸ δεινὸν, καὶ τοῦ κακοῦ πέρας εὗρε θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον, οὐδένα κάτωθεν λαβοῦσα σύμμαχον καὶ βοηθόν; Καὶ γὰρ ᾔδει τὴν τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν· διὸ καὶ μόνη προσῆλθε, καὶ ἤνυσεν ὅπερ ἠθέλησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνης βοηθείας, 54.644 ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας ἐδεῖτο χάριτος ἡ διόρθωσις τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐκείνης· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐν ζημίᾳ χρημάτων ἦν, ἵνα τις ἐνεγκὼν χρυσίον λύσῃ τὴν ἀθυμίαν· οὐκ ἐν σώματος