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they will marvel and they will love, and loving, they will also lay hold of the truth, proceeding on the way. But if he does not immediately become a believer, do not marvel, nor be in a hurry, 63.580 nor seek all things at once, but for the time being let him praise, love, and proceeding on this path he will arrive. Since, therefore, love is the creator of virtue, let us plant it with all exactness in our own souls, so that it may bring us many good things, and we may have its fruit gushing forth continually, which is ever-flourishing and never withering. Thus, indeed, we will also attain eternal good things; may it be that we all attain them, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the holy and good Spirit be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

HOMILY II. Concerning prayer. A great good is prayer, if it is made with a thankful mind, if

we teach ourselves to give thanks to God, not only when receiving, but also when not receiving. For sometimes He gives, and sometimes He does not give, both usefully; so that whether you receive or do not receive, you have received in not receiving; whether you obtain or do not obtain, you have obtained in not obtaining. For there are times when not to receive is more profitable. For if it were not often profitable for us not to receive, He would certainly have given; but to fail profitably is to succeed. Let us not then be vexed at the slowness of the granting of our requests, but by this rather let us show much perseverance and long-suffering. For was God not able to grant even before we ask? But He waits for this reason, that He might receive from us a cause to justly deem us worthy of His providence. Whether, therefore, we obtain what we have asked, or whether we do not obtain, let us persist in the request; and let us not only give thanks when obtaining, but also when failing. For to fail when God wills is not less than to succeed; for we do not know what is profitable for us, as He knows; Therefore, whether we succeed or fail, we ought to give thanks, and with joy to receive whatever He may approve. For God does not often put off our requests by refusing them, but by wisely managing our perseverance, and wishing to draw us to Himself; since also a loving father, being often asked by his child, does not consent, not because he does not want to give, but by this drawing out the child's perseverance. For to be heard in prayer, comes first from being worthy to receive, second from praying according to the laws of God, third from doing so continually, fourth from asking for nothing worldly, fifth from contributing everything on one's own part, and again from seeking things that are profitable. As, therefore, from these things being heard comes, so from the opposite comes not being heard, even if those who ask are righteous. For what has been more righteous than Paul? But because he asked for unprofitable things, he was not heard; For this I besought the Lord three times, he says, and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, And again, what is more righteous than Moses? But not even he was heard; God saying, Let it suffice thee. For since 63.580 he was asking to enter into the land of promise, but this was unprofitable, God did not permit it. Along with these things there is also another that causes one not to be heard, when we pray while persisting in our sins; which God also said to Jeremiah concerning the Jews; Do not pray for this people; or do you not see what they are doing? They have not departed, he says, from impiety, and you offer supplication for them? But I will not hear you. Again, when we ask for things against our enemies, not only are we not heard, but we also provoke God. For prayer is a medicine, but if we do not know how the medicine must be applied, we do not reap its power

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θαυμάσονται καὶ φιλήσουσι, φιλοῦντες δὲ, καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπιλήψονται ὁδῷ προβαίνοντες. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ εὐθέως γίνεται πιστὸς, μὴ θαύμαζε, μηδὲ ἐπείγου, 63.580 μηδὲ ἅπαντα ὁμοῦ ζήτει, ἀλλ' ἔασον αὐτὸν τέως ἐπαινεῖν, φιλεῖν, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ὁδῷ προϊὼν ἥξει. Ἐπεὶ οὖν δημιουργὸς ἀρετῆς ἡ ἀγάπη, μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης ἐν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν καταφυτεύσωμεν αὐτὴν ψυχαῖς, ἵνα ἡμῖν πολλὰ κομίσῃ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ βρύοντα αὐτῆς διηνεκῶς τὸν καρπὸν ἔχωμεν, τὸν ἀεὶ τεθηλότα, καὶ οὐδέποτε μαραινόμενον. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ Πνεύματι δόξα, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Βʹ. Περὶ εὐχῆς. Μέγα ἀγαθὸν ἡ εὐχὴ, ἐὰν μετὰ διανοίας εὐχαρίστου γίνηται, ἐὰν

παιδεύσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, μὴ μόνον λαμβάνοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ μὴ λαμβάνοντες, εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν δίδωσι, ποτὲ δὲ οὐ δίδωσιν, ἀμφότερα χρησίμως· ὥστε κἂν λάβῃς, κἂν μὴ λάβῃς, ἔλαβες ἐν τῷ μὴ λαβεῖν· κἂν ἐπιτύχῃς, κἂν μὴ ἐπιτύχῃς, ἔτυχες ἐν τῷ μὴ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν λυσιτελέστερον. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ συμφέρον ἡμῖν ἦν πολλάκις τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν, πάντως ἔδωκεν ἄν· τὸ δὲ συμφερόντως ἀποτυχεῖν ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐστι. Μὴ δὴ πρὸς τὴν βραδυτῆτα τῆς τῶν αἰτουμένων δόσεως δυσχεραίνωμεν, ἀλλὰ ταύτῃ μᾶλλον πολλὴν τὴν καρτερίαν καὶ τὴν μακροθυμίαν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Μὴ γὰρ, καὶ πρὶν ἢ αἰτήσωμεν, οὐκ ἠδύνατο παρασχεῖν ὁ Θεός; ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναμένει, ἵνα ἀφορμὴν λάβῃ παρ' ἡμῶν τοῦ δικαίως ἡμᾶς ἀξιοῦν τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ προνοίας. Κἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν τοίνυν τῶν αἰτηθέντων, κἂν μὴ ἐπιτύχωμεν, παραμένωμεν τῇ αἰτήσει· καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐπιτυγχάνοντες εὐχαριστῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποτυγχάνοντες. Τὸ γὰρ ἀποτυχεῖν ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς βούληται, οὐκ ἔλαττόν ἐστι τοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς τὰ συμφέροντα ἡμῖν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπίσταται· Ὥστε οὖν, κἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν, κἂν ἀποτύχωμεν, εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν, καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς δέχεσθαι ἅπερ αὐτὸς δοκιμάσει. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνανεύων ἡμῶν πρὸς τὰς αἰτήσεις ὑπερτίθεται πολλάκις ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ σοφιζόμενος ἡμῶν τὴν προσεδρείαν, καὶ βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐφέλκεσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος αἰτούμενος πολλάκις παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς οὐκ ἐπινεύει, οὐχὶ βουλόμενος μὴ δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ παιδὸς τὴν προσεδρείαν διὰ τούτου ἐπισπώμενος. Τὸ γὰρ ἀκούεσθαι εὐχόμενον, πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀξίους εἶναι λαβεῖν γίνεται, δεύτερον δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Θεοῦ προσεύχεσθαι, τρίτον ἐκ τοῦ συνεχῶς, τέταρτον ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲν βιωτικὸν αἰτεῖν, πέμπτον ἐκ τοῦ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ συνεπεισφέρειν ἅπαντα, καὶ πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ τὰ συμφέροντα ζητεῖν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκ τούτων τὸ ἀκούεσθαι γίνεται, οὕτως ἑτέρωθεν τὸ μὴ ἀκούεσθαι, κἂν δίκαιοι ὦσιν οἱ αἰτοῦντες. Τί γὰρ τοῦ Παύλου δικαιότερον γέγονεν; ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀσύμφορα ᾔτησεν, οὐκ ἠκούσθη· Ὑπὲρ τούτου τρὶς τὸν Κύριον παρεκάλεσα, φησὶ, καὶ εἶπέ μοι. Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, Τί δὲ Μωϋσέως πάλιν δικαιότερον; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος ἠκούετο· λέγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἱκανούσθω σοι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ 63.580 ᾔτει εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας εἰσελθεῖν, ἀσύμφορον δὲ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐκ ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ Θεός. Μετὰ τούτων καὶ ἕτερόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ ποιοῦν ἀκούεσθαι, ὅταν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐπιμένοντες προσευχώμεθα· ὃ καὶ περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλεγεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ· Μὴ προσεύχου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου· ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τί οὗτοι ποιοῦσιν; Οὐκ ἀπέστησαν, φησὶ, τῆς ἀσεβείας, καὶ σὺ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δέησιν ἀναφέρεις; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκούσομαί σου. Πάλιν ὅταν κατ' ἐχθρῶν αἰτῶμεν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀκουόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ παροξύνομεν τὸν Θεόν. Φάρμακον γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εὐχὴ, ἀλλὰ ἐὰν μὴ εἰδῶμεν τὸ φάρμακον πῶς ἐπιθεῖναι χρὴ, οὐδὲ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ καρπούμεθα