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an occasion for salvation, a source of the soul's immortality, an unbreakable wall of the Church, an unshakable guard, fearsome to demons, but saving to us, the pious. This bore the holy prophet Samuel; for since nature was opposed to his mother with respect to childbearing, prayer, appearing, quickly corrected the defect of nature. Such is the fruit of prayer, such a prophet did prayer plant. Because 50.785 of which Samuel became renowned in heaven, greater than a man, an emulator of the angels; for it was necessary, I think, for such an ear of corn of prayer to appear, conquering others in goodness, and in the virtues of his ways, and to conquer the saints before him by as much as the well-formed ears of corn surpass others in the cornfields. With this David drove away so many and such great wars, not by moving weapons, nor shaking a spear, nor drawing a sword, but being fortified by prayers; with this Hezekiah quickly turned the multitude of the Persians to flight. And while they brought siege engines to the wall, he fortified the wall with prayers; and war was brought to an end without weapons by prayer, with no trumpet sounding, and the army being at rest, and weapons not being moved, and the earth not being made red, but prayer being sufficient for the fear of the adversaries. Prayer also saved the Ninevites, and quickly repelled the wrath coming from heaven, and quickly corrected 50.786 a corrupted life. For it has such strength and power, that while the Ninevites lived their whole life shamefully and wickedly, prayer, entering into the city, quickly changed everything, and introduced with itself moderation, and justice, and friendship, and concord, and care for the poor, and all good things. For just as when a queen enters a city, all her wealth must follow with her, so also when prayer enters a soul, every virtue enters with it. For what a foundation is in a house, this is prayer in a soul. And it is necessary, having fixed this first in the soul like some foundation and root, for all to build zealously upon it moderation, and meekness, and justice, and care for the poor, and all the laws of Christ, [so that, by living according to them henceforth, we may obtain the good things in heaven, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ,] through whom and with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

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σωτηρίας ἀφορμὴ, ἀθανασίας πρόξενος ψυχῆς, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τεῖχος ἀῤῥαγὲς, φυλακτήριον ἄσειστον, φοβερὸν μὲν τοῖς δαίμοσι, σωτήριον δὲ τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἡμῖν. Αὕτη τὸν ἅγιον προφήτην τὸν Σαμουὴλ ἐγέννησεν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ φύσις ἠναντιοῦτο τῇ μητρὶ πρὸς γονὰς, ἡ προσευχὴ φανεῖσα ταχέως ἐπανώρθωσε τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἐλάττωμα. Τοιοῦτος τῆς προσευχῆς ὁ καρπὸς, τοιοῦτον ἐφύτευσεν ἡ προσευχὴ προφήτην. ∆ι' 50.785 ὃ περιβόητος ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὁ Σαμουὴλ ἐγένετο, κρείττων ἢ κατ' ἄνθρωπον ζηλωτὴς τῶν ἀγγέλων· ἔδει γὰρ, οἶμαι, τοιοῦτον φανῆναι τῆς προσευχῆς τὸν ἄσταχυν, νικῶντα τοὺς ἄλλους τῇ καλοκαγαθίᾳ, καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς τῶν τρόπων, καὶ τοσοῦτον τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ νικᾷν ἁγίους, ὅσον ἐν τοῖς ληΐοις ὑπερέχουσιν οἱ τῶν ἀσταχύων εὖ πράττοντες. Μετὰ ταύτης ὁ ∆αυῒδ τοσούτους καὶ τοιούτους πολέμους ἀπώσατο, οὐχ ὅπλα κινῶν, οὐδὲ δόρυ σείων, οὐδὲ ξίφος ἕλκων, ἀλλ' εὐχαῖς τειχιζόμενος· μετὰ ταύτης Ἐζεκίας τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Περσῶν εἰς φυγὴν ὀξέως ἔτρεψε. Καὶ οἱ μὲν μηχανήματα τῷ τείχει προσῆγον, ὁ δὲ ταῖς προσευχαῖς τὸ τεῖχος ἐτείχισε· καὶ κατελύθη πόλεμος ἄνευ ὅπλων ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς, σάλπιγγος μὲν οὐκ ἠχούσης, στρατιᾶς δὲ ἡσυχαζούσης, ὅπλων δὲ οὐ κινουμένων, γῆς δὲ οὐ φοινισσομένης, προσευχῆς δὲ ἀρκούσης εἰς φόβον τῶν ἀντιπάλων. Προσευχὴ καὶ Νινευΐτας διέσωσε, καὶ τὴν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ φερομένην ὀργὴν ἀπεκρούσατο ταχέως, καὶ βίον διεφθαρμένον 50.786 ἐπανώρθωσεν ὀξέως. Τοσαύτην γὰρ ἰσχὺν καὶ δύναμιν ἔχει, ὥστε ἔζησαν μὲν οἱ Νινευῗται πάντα τὸν βίον αἰσχρῶς καὶ πονηρῶς, εἰσελθοῦσα δὲ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἡ προσευχὴ ταχέως πάντα μετέβαλε, καὶ σωφροσύνην, καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φιλίαν, καὶ ὁμόνοιαν, καὶ πτωχῶν πρόνοιαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ συνεισήγαγεν ἑαυτῇ. Ὥσπερ γάρ τινος βασιλίδος εἰσιούσης εἰς πόλιν, πάντα τὸν πλοῦτον συνακολουθεῖν ἀνάγκη, οὕτω δὴ καὶ προσευχῆς εἰς ψυχὴν εἰσιούσης, πᾶσα ἀρετὴ συνεισέρχεται. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν οἰκίᾳ θεμέλιος, τοῦτο ἐν ψυχῇ προσευχή. Καὶ δεῖ ταύτην πρώτην, ὥσπερ κρηπῖδα καὶ ῥίζαν τινὰ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πήξαντας πάντας ἐποικοδομεῖν σπουδαίως καὶ σωφροσύνην, καὶ πραότητα, καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ πρόνοιαν πτωχῶν, καὶ πάντας τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Χριστοῦ, [ἵνα καὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς λοιπὸν ζήσαντες τύχωμεν τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,] δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα καὶ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.