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to run? No, I beg and beseech you, let us not stir up the wrath of God against ourselves. What is set before us is a saving medicine for our wounds, it is an unfailing wealth, a procurer of the kingdom of heaven. Let us therefore tremble as we approach, let us give thanks, let us fall down, confessing our offenses, let us weep, mourning our own evils, let us offer fervent prayers to God; and so having cleansed ourselves, quietly and with fitting good order, as approaching the king of the heavens, so let us draw near; and having received the blameless and holy sacrifice, let us kiss it, 49.362 let us embrace it with our eyes, let us warm our minds, so that we may not come together for judgment or for condemnation, but for sobriety of soul, for love, for virtue, and reconciliation with God, for a steadfast peace, and the foundation of a myriad of good things, so that we may both sanctify ourselves and edify our neighbors. These things I say continually, and saying them I will not cease. For what is the benefit of running here simply and in vain, learning nothing useful? And what is the profit in always speaking to please? The present time is short, beloved; let us be sober, let us be watchful, let us compose ourselves, let us show all genuine earnestness towards all people, let us be reverent in all things; whether it be necessary to listen to the divine oracles, or to pray, or to approach, or to do anything else, let it be done with fear and trembling, so that we may not draw down a curse upon ourselves through carelessness. For "Cursed," he says, "is everyone who does the work of the Lord negligently." Tumult and anger become an insult to the sacrifice set before us. It is the utmost contempt to present oneself defiled to God. Hear what the Apostle says about such things: "If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him."

Therefore, let us not provoke God instead of being reconciled, but showing all diligence and all good order, and tranquility of soul, let us approach with prayer and a contrite heart, so that having propitiated our Master Jesus Christ by this very means, we may be able to obtain the good things promised to us, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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τρέχειν; Μὴ, δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, μὴ κινήσωμεν τὴν ὀργὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καθ' ἑαυτῶν. Φάρμακόν ἐστι σωτήριον τῶν ἡμετέρων τραυμάτων τὸ προκείμενον, πλοῦτός ἐστιν ἀνελλιπὴς, βασιλείας οὐρανῶν πρόξενος. Φρίξωμεν τοίνυν προσιόντες, εὐχαριστήσωμεν, προσπέσωμεν, ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰ πταίσματα ἡμῶν, δακρύσωμεν τὰ οἰκεῖα πενθοῦντες κακὰ, ἐκτενεῖς εὐχὰς ἀποδῶμεν τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ οὕτω διακαθάραντες ἑαυτοὺς ἠρέμα, καὶ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης εὐταξίας, ὡς τῷ βασιλεῖ προσιόντες τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὕτω προσέλθωμεν· καὶ δεξάμενοι τὴν ἄμωμον καὶ ἁγίαν θυσίαν καταφιλήσω 49.362 μεν, τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς περιπτυξώμεθα, διαθερμάνωμεν ἑαυτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς κρῖμα ἢ εἰς κατάκριμα συνερχώμεθα, ἀλλ' εἰς σωφροσύνην ψυχῆς, εἰς ἀγάπην, εἰς ἀρετὴν, καὶ καταλλαγὴν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, εἰς εἰρήνην βεβαίαν, καὶ μυρίων ἀγαθῶν ὑπόθεσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἁγιάσωμεν, καὶ τοὺς πλησίον οἰκοδομήσωμεν. Ταῦτα συνεχῶς λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ τρέχειν ἐνταῦθα, μηδὲν τῶν χρησίμων μανθάνοντας; ποῖον δὲ κέρδος, ἀεὶ τὰ πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλεῖν; Βραχὺς ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς, ἀγαπητοί· νήψωμεν, γρηγορήσωμεν, συγκροτήσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν περὶ πάντας γνησίαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, περὶ πάντα γενώμεθα εὐλαβεῖς· κἂν ἀκροᾶσθαι δέοι τῶν θείων λογίων, κἂν εὔχεσθαι, κἂν προσιέναι, κἂν ἕτερόν τι ποιεῖν, μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τοῦτο γινέσθω, ἵνα μὴ κατάραν ἐπισπασώμεθα διὰ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας. Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ, φησὶ, πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Κυρίου ἀμελῶς. Ὁ θόρυβος καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ ὕβρις εἰς τὴν προκειμένην θυσίαν γίνεται. Καταφρόνησις ἐσχάτη, μεμολυσμένον ἑαυτὸν προσενέγκαι τῷ Θεῷ. Ἄκουσον τί περὶ τῶν τοιούτων φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός.

Μὴ τοίνυν ἀντὶ καταλλαγῆς παροξύνωμεν τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ πάντα κόσμον ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, καὶ ἀταραξίαν ψυχῆς, μετ' εὐχῆς καὶ συντετριμμένης καρδίας προσίωμεν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτῷ τούτῳ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐξιλεωσάμενοι, δυνηθῶμεν ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.