John Chrysostom, Catechetical Homilies

bath, you correct the habit, so that when the colors have been applied and the royal image has shone forth, you may no longer wipe it away, and inflict wounds and scars on the beauty given to you by God. Therefore, repress anger, extinguish passion; even if someone wrongs you, even if he insults you, weep for him; do not you be indignant, feel compassion, do not be provoked, nor say, "I have been wronged in my soul." No one is wronged in his soul, unless we wrong ourselves in our soul; and how, I say. Has someone taken away your property? He has not wronged you in your soul, but in your money; but if you bear a grudge, you have wronged yourself in your soul. For the money that was taken away did no harm, but even benefited you, but you, by not letting go of your anger, will give an account there for this grudge-bearing. Has someone reviled and insulted you? He has not wronged you in your soul, nor even in your body. Did you revile and insult him in return? You wronged yourself in your soul, being about to give an account there for the words which you spoke. And this, above all things, I want you to know, that no one can wrong a Christian and faithful person in his soul, not even the devil himself. And not only is this wonderful, that God has made us invincible to all plots, but that He has also made us well-suited for the practice of virtue, and there is no hindrance, if we are willing, even if we are poor, even if we are weak in body, even if we are outcasts, even if we are obscure, even if we are household servants. For neither poverty, nor sickness, nor bodily mutilation, not slavery, nor anything else of that sort could ever become an obstacle to virtue. And why do I say poor and a servant and obscure? Even if you are a prisoner, not even this becomes an obstacle to virtue for you; and how, I say. Has one of those within grieved and provoked you? Forgive him your anger; have your chains and poverty and dishonor become an obstacle to this for you? And why do I say an obstacle? Indeed it has even helped, and cooperated in repressing pride. Have you seen another prospering? Do not be envious; for not even here does poverty become a hindrance. Again, when it is necessary to pray, do this with a sober and 49.236 watchful mind, and there will be nothing to hinder you here either. Show all gentleness, forbearance, self-control, gravity; for not even these things need external aids. And this is especially the greatest thing about virtue, that it has no need of wealth, or power, or glory, or any other such thing, but only of a sanctified soul, and it seeks nothing more. See this very thing also happening in the case of grace; for even if one is lame, or has had his eyes gouged out, or is maimed in body, or has fallen into the last stage of sickness, grace is not prevented from coming upon him by any of these things; for it seeks only a soul that receives it with eagerness, and it passes by all these external things. For in the case of external soldiers, those who are about to enlist them in the army seek both a measure of body and a good condition of flesh; but it is necessary for the one who is going to serve as a soldier to have not only these things, but also to be free; for if one is a slave, he is cast out; but the king of the heavens seeks nothing of the sort, but he even receives slaves into his own army, and old men and those with paralyzed limbs, and is not ashamed. What could be more humane than this? What could be more kind? For He seeks only the things in our power, while they seek the things not in our power. For to be a slave or free is not our own doing; again, to be tall or short is not in our power, to be old or of sound limb, and as many such things; but to be forbearing or kind and things similar to these, depends on our own will. And God requires from us only these things, of which we are masters; and very reasonably; for He does not call us to His grace for His own need, but for our benefit, whereas kings do so for their own service; and they drag men to a perceptible war, but He to a spiritual battle. And not only in the case of external wars, but also in the case of athletic contests one might see the same analogy; for those who are about to be dragged into that theater, they do not first let down into

λουτρὸν, τὴν συνήθειαν διόρθωσον σὺ, ἵνα τῶν χρωμάτων ἐπενεχθέντων καὶ λαμψάσης τῆς βασιλικῆς εἰκόνος, μηκέτι λοιπὸν ἐξαλείφῃς, καὶ τραύματα καὶ οὐλὰς ἐμποιῇς τῷ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθέντι σοι κάλλει. Κατάστειλον τοίνυν ὀργὴν, σβέσον θυμόν· κἂν ἀδικήσῃ τις, κἂν ὑβρίσῃ, δάκρυσον ἐκεῖνον· μὴ ἀγανακτήσῃς σὺ, συνάλγησον, μὴ παροξυνθῇς, μηδὲ εἴπῃς, ὅτι Εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἠδίκημαι· οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς εἰς ψυχὴν ἀδικούμενος, ἐὰν μὴ ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς εἰς ψυχὴν ἀδικήσωμεν· καὶ πῶς, ἐγὼ λέγω· Ἀφείλετό σού τις τὴν οὐσίαν; οὐκ ἠδίκησεν εἰς ψυχὴν, ἀλλ' εἰς χρήματα· ἂν δὲ σὺ μνησικακήσῃς, εἰς ψυχὴν σαυτὸν ἠδίκησας. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ χρήματα ἀφαιρεθέντα οὐδὲν ἐζημίωσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφέλησε, σὺ δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν οὐκ ἀφεὶς, εὐθύνας ἐκεῖ δώσεις τῆς μνησικακίας ταύτης. Ἐλοιδορήσατό τις καὶ ὕβρισεν; οὐδὲν εἰς ψυχὴν ἠδίκησεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἰς σῶμα. Ἀντελοιδόρησας σὺ καὶ ὕβρισας; σὺ σαυτὸν εἰς ψυχὴν ἠδίκησας, τῶν ῥημάτων, ὧν εἶπας, ἐκεῖ μέλλων εὐθύνας ὑφέξειν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὴ μάλιστα πάντων ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι βούλομαι, ὅτι τὸν Χριστιανὸν καὶ πιστὸν οὐδεὶς εἰς ψυχὴν ἀδικῆσαι δύναται, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἀχειρώτους ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς πάσαις ἐποίησε ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργασίαν ἐπιτηδείους ἡμᾶς κατεσκεύασε, καὶ κώλυμα οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἐὰν θέλωμεν, κἂν πένητες ὦμεν, κἂν ἀσθενεῖς τῷ σώματι, κἂν ἀπεῤῥιμμένοι, κἂν ἀνώνυμοι, κἂν οἰκέται. Οὔτε γὰρ πενία, οὔτε ἀῤῥωστία, οὔτε σώματος πήρωσις, οὐ δουλεία, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν ἐμπόδιον πρὸς ἀρετὴν γένοιτ' ἄν ποτε. Καὶ τί λέγω πένητα καὶ οἰκέτην καὶ ἀνώνυμον; κἂν δεσμώτης ᾖς, οὐδὲ τοῦτό σοι γίνεται ἐμπόδιον πρὸς ἀρετήν· καὶ πῶς, ἐγὼ λέγω· Ἐλύπησέ σέ τις τῶν ἔνδον καὶ παρώξυνεν; ἄφες αὐτῷ τὴν ὀργήν· μήτι σοι πρὸς τοῦτο τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ ἡ πενία καὶ τὸ ἄτιμον εἶναι ἐμπόδιον γέγονε; Καὶ τί λέγω ἐμπόδιον; καὶ ἐβοήθησε μὲν οὖν, καὶ συνέπραξε πρὸς τὸ καταστεῖλαι τὸν τῦφον. Εἶδες ἕτερον εὐπραγοῦντα; μὴ βασκήνῃς· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἡ πενία κώλυμα γίνεται. Πάλιν, ὅταν εὔξασθαι δέῃ, νηφούσῃ καὶ 49.236 ἀγρυπνούσῃ διανοίᾳ τοῦτο ποίησον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔσται τὸ κωλύον οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα. Πραότητα, ἐπιείκειαν ἐπιδείκνυσο πᾶσαν, σωφροσύνην, σεμνότητα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτα τῶν ἔξωθεν δεῖται βοηθημάτων. Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα τὸ μέγιστόν ἐστι τῆς ἀρετῆς, ὅτι οὐ πλούτου, οὐ δυναστείας, οὐ δόξης, οὐκ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν τοιούτων ἔχει χρείαν, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς μόνης ἡγιασμένης, καὶ πλέον οὐδὲν ἐπιζητεῖ. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς χάριτος αὐτὸ τοῦτο γινόμενον· κἂν γὰρ χωλεύῃ τις, κἂν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκκεκομμένος ᾖ, κἂν τὸ σῶμα πεπηρωμένος, κἂν εἰς ἐσχάτην καταπεπτωκὼς ἀῤῥωστίαν, οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐπελθεῖν ἡ χάρις κωλύεται· ψυχὴν γὰρ ἐπιζητεῖ μόνην μετὰ προθυμίας αὐτὴν δεχομένην, καὶ ταῦτα ἅπαντα παρατρέχει τὰ ἔξωθεν. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἔξωθεν στρατιωτῶν καὶ σώματος μέτρον καὶ σαρκὸς εὐεξίαν ἐπιζητοῦσιν οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτοὺς καταλέγειν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον· οὐ ταῦτα δὲ μόνον ἔχειν χρὴ τὸν μέλλοντα στρατεύεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλεύθερον εἶναι· ἂν γὰρ δοῦλός τις ᾖ, ἐκβάλλεται· ὁ δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεὺς οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐπιζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ δούλους δέχεται εἰς τὸ αὑτοῦ στρατόπεδον, καὶ γεγηρακότας καὶ παρειμένους τὰ μέλη, καὶ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται. Τί τούτου φιλανθρωπότερον; τί χρηστότερον γένοιτ' ἄν; Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ζητεῖ μόνον, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὰ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. Τὸ γὰρ δοῦλον εἶναι ἢ ἐλεύθερον, οὐχ ἡμέτερον· τὸ ὑψηλὸν πάλιν εἶναι καὶ βραχὺν, οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν, τὸ γεγηρακότα καὶ ἄρτιον, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· τὸ δὲ ἐπιεικῆ ἢ χρηστὸν εἶναι καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις, τῆς ἡμετέρας γνώμης. Καὶ ταῦτα ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἀπαιτεῖ μόνα, ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν κύριοι· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· οὐ γὰρ δι' οἰκείαν χρείαν, ἀλλὰ δι' εὐεργεσίαν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν αὑτοῦ χάριν καλεῖ, οἱ δὲ βασιλεῖς διὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν διακονίαν· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν ἐπὶ πόλεμον ἕλκουσιν αἰσθητὸν, οὗτος δὲ ἐπὶ μάχην πνευματικήν. Οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν πολέμων δὲ μόνον τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγώνων τὴν αὐτὴν ἀναλογίαν ἴδοι τις ἄν· οἱ γὰρ μέλλοντες εἰς τὸ θέατρον ἕλκεσθαι ἐκεῖνο, οὐ πρότερον καθιᾶσιν εἰς