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sea,” let us not doubt, let us immediately let this down, and a fish will be brought up for us in whose entrails a stater will be found, and it will be given for Jesus and for us, and the tax collectors will pass us by. If we see Jesus walking toward us, let us forbid his approach, putting forward our sinfulness; if we see him again walking on the waters, let us not liken him to phantoms; it is truly he who is bound with flesh and blood, which he bears even after the resurrection and is not ashamed to show; but let us seek to come to him, so that we may be trained in miracles or test the power of the one who calls. If then he calls, let us walk toward him; but if we are troubled on account of the imperfection and instability of our mind, let us not give up on salvation; the pilot is near, the savior is near, and he will stretch out his hand and take hold of us as we are tossed by the waves; and though we may be reproached for our little faith and accused of our doubt, yet we shall also escape the danger. If you are sent for the gospel with one tunic and no copper, do not neglect it at all; if for the healing of the sick, hasten; if for the destruction of demons, hurry; great indeed are these things, both the preaching and the healings and the power against demons; but the greatest is that our names are written in the heavens. If we are commanded to go up a mountain with Christ, let us go up with him and with those to whom he has entrusted the mysteries; and if you see a sudden alteration and a change to better things, do not be alarmed nor let your mind be troubled so as not even to know what you are saying; if you are commanded to say nothing about this until the Lord is glorified, embrace the silence. If you say something not in accordance with the mind of the teacher and hear “get behind me, Satan, for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men,” do not be grieved, but revere the word. If you hear “Satan has asked for you, Peter, to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail,” do not disbelieve what is said; he who speaks is true, even if you yourself happen to be stubborn. If he washes the feet of the disciples, and then comes to you, do not be displeased with the humility of the teacher; for you will hear “if I do not wash you, you have no part with me”; but learn through this words of mystery and tending toward better things. If he says again: “Peter, before the rooster crows you will deny me three times,” do not doubt the pronouncement; he knows the outcome of future things better than you. If you trust in your zeal, he has known the changeableness of nature; if you have trusted in the excess of your love, he understands above all the mutability of the mind; for in a little while you will also deny Christ three times, for whom you have often chosen to die, for whom you said you would lay down your life ten thousand times, and you will forget both your great eagerness for the teacher and your great intensity and zeal and haste, so as even to strike Malchus at his capture and cut off his ear. But if you have suffered such things and this happened to you, the zealous one, do not despair; weep bitterly, having gone outside, standing apart from sensible and corruptible things, and you will heal the wound and return to your first honor, and again you will be entrusted with the proclamation of the teaching, and again the things of Christ's flock will be put into your hands, and you will learn, being a man, to condescend to the failings of men and not by the severity of justice to bring loss upon the flock. If Christ is crucified and buried, do not hesitate to run to the tomb; run with others, but also come to the monument alone, stoop down inside, know the marvels, learn the wonders; for you will not see the master's body, but you will behold only the linen cloths and the sudarium that was on his head lying apart in one place, and you will know precisely the mystery of the resurrection, and you will announce it to the others for their consolation. What more? Do you wish to receive also the keys of the kingdom of the heavens and

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θάλασσαν», μὴ ἀμφιβάλωμεν, παραυτίκα τοῦτο χαλάσωμεν, καὶ ἀναχθή σεται ἡμῖν ἰχθὺς οὗ τοῖς σπλάγχνοις στατὴρ εὑρεθήσεται, καὶ ἀντὶ Ἰησοῦ δοθήσεται καὶ ἡμῶν, καὶ παρέλθωσιν ἡμῖν οἱ εἰσπράττοντες. ἂν ἴδωμεν Ἰησοῦν βαδίσαντα πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἀπαγορεύσωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν συνέλευσιν τὸ πλημμελὲς προβαλλόμενοι· ἂν ἴδωμεν πάλιν τοῦτον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι βαί νοντα, μὴ φάσμασι παρεικάσωμεν· αὐτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σαρκὶ συνδεδεμένος καὶ αἵματι, ἃ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν φέρει καὶ ὑποδεικνύειν οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται· ζητήσωμεν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτον ἐλθεῖν, ὡς ἂν ἐγγυμνασθῶμεν τοῖς θαύμασιν ἢ τῆς τοῦ καλοῦντος πειραθῶμεν δυνάμεως. ἂν οὖν καλέσῃ, πρὸς τοῦτον βαδίσωμεν· ἂν δὲ ταραχθῶμεν διὰ τὸ ἀτελὲς καὶ ἀπαγίωτον τοῦ φρονήματος, μὴ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἀπαγο ρεύσωμεν· ἐγγὺς ὁ κυβερνήτης, ἐγγὺς ὁ σωτήρ, καὶ ἐκτενεῖ τὴν χεῖρα καὶ προσλάβηται κλυδωνιζομένους· καὶ τὸ ὀλιγό πιστον μὲν ὀνειδισθῶμεν καὶ τὸν δισταγμὸν ἐγκληθῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον ἐκφευξούμεθα. ἂν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέ λιον ἀποσταλῇς μονοχίτων καὶ ἄχαλκος, μὴ ἀμελήσῃς ὅλως· ἂν εἰς θεραπείαν νοσούντων, τάχυνον· ἂν εἰς δαιμονίων ἀφανισμούς, σπεῦσον· μεγάλα μὲν ταῦτα καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα καὶ αἱ θεραπεῖαι καὶ ἡ κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων δύναμις· μέγι στον δὲ τὸ ἐγγεγράφθαι ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τὰ ὀνόματα. ἂν εἰς ὄρος συνανελθεῖν Χριστῷ προσταχθῶμεν, συνανέλθω μεν τούτῳ καὶ οἷς τὰ μυστήρια ἐμπεπίστευκε· ἂν δὲ ἴδῃς ἀθρόαν ἀλλοίωσιν καὶ πρὸς τὰ κρείττω μετάμειψιν, μὴ θροηθῇς μηδὲ ταραχθῇς τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ὡς μηδὲ γινώσκειν ὅ, τι λαλῇς· ἂν κελευθῇς μηδέν τι περὶ τούτου ἐρεῖν μέχρις ἂν ὁ κύριος δοξασθῇ, τὴν σιωπὴν ἄσπασαι. ἂν ἐρεῖς τι μὴ κατὰ γνώμην πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον καὶ ἀκούσῃς «ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ, ὅ τι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων», μὴ λυπηθῇς, ἀλλὰ τὸν λόγον σεβάσθητι. ἂν ἀκούσῃς «ᾐτήσατο, Πέτρε, ὁ σατανᾶς σινιᾶσαι ὑμᾶς ὡς τὸν σῖτον, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ ἵνα μὴ ἐκλείπῃ ἡ πίστις σου», μὴ ἀπιστήσῃς τοῖς λεγομένοις· ἀληθὴς ὁ λέγων ἐστίν, κἂν ἰσχυρογνώμων τυγχάνῃς αὐτός. ἂν νίπτῃ τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν, εἶτα δὴ ἀφίκηται περὶ σέ, μὴ δυσα νασχετήσῃς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου ταπείνωσιν· ἀκούσεις γὰρ «ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ ἔχεις μέρος μετ' ἐμοῦ»· μάθε δὲ διὰ τούτου λόγους μυστηρίου καὶ πρὸς τὰ κρείττω συν τείνοντας. ἂν πάλιν ἐρεῖ· «Πέτρε, πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι τρὶς ἀπαρνήσῃ με», μὴ ἀμφιβάλῃς τὴν ἀπόφασιν· κρεῖττον οἶδεν οὗτος σοῦ τῶν μελλόντων τὴν ἔκβασιν. ἂν σὺ θαρρῇς τῷ ζήλῳ, ἀλλ' οὗτος τὸ εὔτρεπτον τῆς φύσεως ἔγνωκεν· ἂν σὺ τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι τῆς ἀγάπης πεπίστευκας, ἀλλ' οὗτος τὸ εὐαλλοίωτον τῆς γνώμης ὑπὲρ πάντας ἐπίσταται· μικρὸν γὰρ καὶ ἀρνήσῃ τρὶς τὸν Χριστόν, ὑπὲρ οὗ πολλάκις ἀποθνήσ κειν προῄρησαι, ὑπὲρ οὗ σὺ θεῖναι μυριάκις τὴν ψυχὴν ἔλεγες, καὶ ἐπιλησθήσῃ καὶ τῆς τοσαύτης ὑπὲρ τοῦ διδασ κάλου σοι προθυμίας καὶ τοῦ τόσου τόνου καὶ τοῦ ζήλου καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς, ὡς καὶ πατάξαι τὸν Μάλχον ἐν τῇ ἁλώσει αὐτοῦ καὶ τούτου τὸ ὠτίον ἀποτεμεῖν. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τοιαῦτα πέπονθας καὶ οὕτω σοι συνέβη τῷ ζηλωτῇ, μὴ ἀπελπίσῃς· δάκρυσον ἐξελθὼν ἔξω πικρῶς, τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐκστὰς καὶ φθαρτῶν, καὶ θεραπεύσεις τὸ τραῦμα καὶ πρὸς τὴν πρώτην ἐπανέλθῃς τιμήν, καὶ πάλιν ἐμ πιστευθήσῃ τῆς διδασκα λίας τὸ κήρυγμα καὶ πάλιν τὰ τῆς ποίμνης ἐγχειρισθήσῃ Χριστοῦ, καὶ μάθῃς ἄνθρωπος ὢν ἀνθρώπων συγκαταβαίνειν τοῖς πταίσμασι καὶ μὴ τῷ ἀποτόμῳ τῆς δίκης ζημίαν ἐπά γειν ἐπὶ τὸ ποίμνιον. ἂν σταυρωθῇ Χριστὸς καὶ ταφῇ, μὴ ὀκνήσῃς τὸ εἰς τὸν τάφον δραμεῖν· σύνδραμε μὲν ἄλλοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ μόνος εἰς τὸ μνῆμα ἐλθέ, παράκυψον ἐντός, γνῶθι θαύματα, μάθε τεράστια· τὸ μὲν γὰρ σῶμα τὸ δεσπο τικὸν οὐ θεάσῃ, κατίδῃς δὲ τὰ ὀθόνια μόνα καὶ τὸ σουδά ριον τὸ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ χωρὶς εἰς ἕνα τόπον ἐγκείμενον, καὶ γνωρίσῃ ἀκριβῶς τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὸ μυστήριον, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀναγγελεῖς εἰς παράκλησιν. τί ἔτι; θέλεις δέξασθαι καὶ τὰς κλεῖς τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ