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we call rich. Why so? Because they have what belongs to others. For even if the clothes are theirs, the price is not theirs; and if the price is theirs, yet this is not wealth. If then contracts being given do not make men rich, because we quickly depart from them, how can things gained by plunder make men rich? But if you desire to be rich at all (for the matter is not of necessity), what more do you wish to enjoy? a longer life? And yet such men quickly become short-lived. For often they pay the penalty for their plunder and covetousness with an untimely death and not enjoying their possessions, but only for a short time, and departing to receive Gehenna; and often also from luxury and from toils and from cares they bring forth diseases and have perished. I would like to learn for what reason wealth has been so eagerly sought by men. And yet God for this reason set a measure and a limit to nature, so that we might have no need to seek after wealth, as, for example, He commanded the body to be clothed with one garment or even a second, and there is no need of more for covering. For what reason the countless garments, and the moth-eaten ones? There is a definite measure for the belly, and what is given beyond this of necessity corrupts the whole creature; for what reason the herds and the flocks and the cuttings of meats? We need one roof; for what reason the enclosures, and the costly buildings? that vultures and jackdaws may dwell there, do you strip the poor? And of how great a Gehenna are these things not worthy? Many often in places, which they have not even seen, with pillars and precious stones fashion glittering buildings (for what have they not contrived?) and they themselves have not enjoyed them, nor have any others; for the desolation does not permit them to depart; and not even so do they desist. Do you see that not even for the sake of making money are these things done? But of all these things folly and irrationality and vainglory are the cause; which, I entreat you, let us flee, that we may be able to flee the other evils, and attain the promised good things for those who love him, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOMILY 3.

For this reason, I also, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, or what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead. 1. Nothing was equal to the bowels of the apostles, nothing like the compassion and tender affection of the blessed Paul, who made all his prayers for whole cities and peoples. And to all he writes this, that I thank God for you, making mention of you in my prayers. Consider how many he had in his mind, of whom it was a task even to be mindful; how many he remembered in his prayers, giving thanks to God for them all, as if he himself were receiving the greatest benefits. For this reason, he says; that is, because of the future, and the good things laid up for those who believe and live rightly. It is right, then, to thank God both for all the things that have been done by him for the human race, both before this and after this; and it is right to thank him also for the faith of those who believe. Having heard, he says, of your faith through Christ, and your love toward all the saints. Everywhere he joins and glues together faith and love, a certain wonderful pair. Not

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καλοῦμεν πλουσίους. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι τὰ ἀλλότρια ἔχουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν τυγχάνει, ἀλλ' ἡ τιμὴ οὐκ αὐτῶν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡ τιμὴ αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὗτος πλοῦτος οὐκ ἔστι. Εἰ δὲ τὰ συμβόλαια διδόμενα οὐ ποιεῖ πλουσίους, διὰ τὸ ταχέως ἡμᾶς αὐτῶν ἀφίστασθαι, τὰ ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς πῶς ποιεῖ πλουσίους; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὅλως ἐπιθυμεῖς πλουτεῖν (οὐ γὰρ ἀνάγκης τὸ πρᾶγμα)· τίνος ἀπολαῦσαι βουλόμενος πλείονος; ἆρα ζωῆς μακροτέρας; Καὶ μὴν οἱ τοιοῦτοι ταχέως ὀλιγοχρόνιοι γίνονται. Πολλάκις γὰρ δίκην διδόασι τῆς ἁρπαγῆς καὶ τῆς πλεονεξίας τὸν ἄωρον θάνατον καὶ τὸ τῶν κτημάτων μὴ ἀπολαῦσαι, ἀλλὰ μικρὸν, καὶ τὴν γέενναν ἀπελθεῖν λαβόντας· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν φροντίδων νόσους τεκόντες ἀπώλοντο. Ἠβουλόμην μαθεῖν τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ πλοῦτος διεσπούδασται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Καίτοι ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦτο τῇ φύσει μέτρον καὶ ὅριον ἔθηκεν, ἵνα μηδεμίαν ἔχωμεν ἀνάγκην τοῦ τὸν πλοῦτον ἐπιζητεῖν, οἷον ἑνὶ ἱματίῳ ἢ καὶ δευτέρῳ περιβάλλεσθαι τὸ σῶμα ἐκέλευσε, καὶ περιττοῦ οὐ χρεία πρὸς τὴν σκέπην. Τίνος ἕνεκεν τὰ μυρία ἱμάτια, καὶ τὰ σητόβρωτα; Μέτρον ὡρισμένον ἐστὶ τῆς γαστρὸς, καὶ πέρα τούτου δοθὲν ἐξ ἀνάγκης διέφθειρε τὸ πᾶν ζῶον· τίνος ἕνεκεν αἱ ἀγέλαι καὶ τὰ ποίμνια καὶ αἱ τῶν κρεῶν κατακοπαί; Μιᾶς στέγης χρῄζομεν· τίνος ἕνεκεν οἱ περίβολοι, καὶ τὰ πολυτελῆ οἰκημάτων; ἵνα γῦπες καὶ κολοιοὶ κατοικῶσι, τοὺς πένητας ἀποδύεις; Καὶ πόσης οὐκ ἄξια ταῦτα γεέννης; Πολλοὶ πολλάκις εἰς τόπους, οὓς οὐδὲ εἶδον, κίοσι καὶ λίθοις πολυτίμοις οἰκοδομήματα ἐξαστράπτοντα κατεργάζονται (τί γὰρ οὐκ ἐμηχανήσαντο;) καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ ἀπέλαυσαν, οὐδὲ ἄλλοι τινές· ἡ γὰρ ἐρημία οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς ἀπελθεῖν· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀφίστανται. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐδὲ χρηματισμοῦ ἕνεκεν ταῦτα γίνεται; Ἀλλὰ πάντων τούτων ἄνοια καὶ ἀλογία καὶ κενοδοξία αἰτία· ἣν, παρακαλῶ, φύγωμεν, ἵνα τὰ ἄλλα φυγεῖν δυνηθῶμεν κακὰ, καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν τυχεῖν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ.

∆ιὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ ἀκούσας τὴν καθ' ὑμᾶς πίστιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὴν

ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου, ἵνα Θεὸς τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ Πατὴρ τῆς δόξης, δῴη ὑμῖν πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως ἐν ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ· πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν, εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς τίς ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις, ἢ τί τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνά μεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. αʹ. Οὐδὲν ἦν ἴσον τῶν σπλάγχνων τῶν ἀποστολικῶν, οὐδὲν ὅμοιον τῆς συμπαθείας καὶ τῆς φιλοστοργίας ἐγένετο τῆς τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου, ὃς πάσας αὐτοῦ τὰς εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ πόλεων ὁλοκλήρων ἐποιεῖτο καὶ δήμων. Καὶ πᾶσι τοῦτο γράφει, ὅτι Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου. Ἐννοήσατε ὅσους εἶχεν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὧν καὶ μνησθῆναι ἔργον ἦν· ὅσων ἐμέμνητο ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς, ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων εὐχαριστῶν τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς αὐτὸς τὰ μέγιστα εὐεργετούμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησί· τουτέστι, διὰ τὸ μέλλον, καὶ τὰ ἀποκείμενα ἀγαθὰ τοῖς ὀρθῶς πιστεύουσι καὶ βιοῦσιν. Ἄξιον μὲν οὖν εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ὑπηργμένων παρ' αὐτοῦ τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει, καὶ πρὸ τούτου καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα· ἄξιον δὲ εὐχαριστεῖν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως τῶν πιστευόντων. Ἀκούσας, φησὶ, τὴν πίστιν τὴν καθ' ὑμᾶς διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. Πανταχοῦ συνάπτει καὶ συγκολλᾷ τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην, θαυμαστήν τινα ξυνωρίδα. Οὐ