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we are warmed towards him, and we hold him in very high honor; and we love, but our Master loves us so much, and are we not roused? No, I beseech you, let us not be so indifferent concerning the salvation of our own souls, but let us both love according to our ability, and let us empty out everything for His love, both soul, and money, and glory, and everything whatsoever, with joy, with gladness, with eagerness, not as giving anything to Him, but as to ourselves. For such is the law of those who love. They consider themselves to be well-treated, when they are ill-treated for the sake of those they love.

So then let us also be thus disposed toward our Master, that we may also obtain the good things to come, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father be glory, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

62.713 HOMILY 3.

If then you have me as a partner, receive him as myself. But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes anything, charge that to me. I, Paul, have written with my own hand, I

will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self. 1. Nothing is so skillful at persuading, as not to ask for everything at once. See

for after how many praises, after how much preparation he placed this great thing. After saying that he is My child, that he is a partner in the gospel, that he is my bowels, that you have him back as a brother, that you should have him as a brother, then he added, As myself. And Paul was not ashamed of this. For he who is not ashamed to be called a servant of the faithful, but even confesses this, much more would not have refused this. But what he says is this: 62.714 If you think the same things as I, if you run for the same things, if you consider me a friend, receive him as myself. But if he has wronged you in any way. See where and when he has placed the wrong; later, after having said many things on his behalf. For since the loss of money is especially accustomed to sting men, so that he should not bring a charge even on account of this (for it is likely that it has also been spent); then he puts this and says: But if he has wronged you in any way. He did not say: If he has stolen anything, but what? If he has wronged you in any way. At the same time he both confessed the sin, and not as a slave’s sin, but as of a friend to a friend, using the name of wrong rather than that of theft. Charge this to me, he says; that is, Hold the debt against me, I will repay. Then also with 62.715 spiritual grace; I, Paul, have written with my own hand; both impressively and gracefully at the same time, if indeed Paul not having refused to even execute a bond for him, he himself will refuse to receive him. This greatly put him to shame, and delivered Onesimus from the annoyance. And with my own hand, he says, I have written.

Nothing is warmer than these bowels, nothing more earnest, nothing more eager. For one man, see how much forethought he takes. Not to mention, he says, to you, that you owe me even your own self. Then, lest it seem to be an insult to the one being asked, if indeed he did not dare to ask and obtain concerning a theft, he also somehow consoles this; Not to mention, he says, that you owe me even your own self; not only your things, but also your self. And this was from love and according to the principle of friendship, and from being very confident. See how everywhere he takes care of both things, both of asking with great security, and of this not becoming a proof of his being very confident in him. Yes, brother. What is, Yes, brother? Receive him, he says; for this must be understood from the context. For leaving the pleasantry, he again holds to the former, the serious matters. And yet these things are also serious; for the things from the saints and

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διαθερμαινόμεθα πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰς τιμὴν αὐτὸν ἄγομεν σφοδράν· καὶ ἡμεῖς φιλοῦμεν, ὁ δὲ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν ἡμᾶς φιλεῖ τοσοῦτον, καὶ οὐ διανιστάμεθα; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ οὕτω ῥᾴθυμοι γινώμεθα περὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ πάντα κενώσωμεν εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ψυχὴν, καὶ χρήματα, καὶ δόξαν, καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν, μετὰ χαρᾶς, μετὰ εὐφροσύνης, μετὰ προθυμίας, μὴ ὡς ἐκείνῳ τι παρέχοντες, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ τῶν φιλούντων ὁ νόμος. Εὖ πάσχειν ἡγοῦνται, ὅταν κακῶς πάσχωσι διὰ τοὺς φιλουμένους.

Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς διακεώμεθα περὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην τὸν ἡμέτερον, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

62.713 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ.

Εἰ οὖν ἐμὲ ἔχεις κοινωνὸν, προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ. Εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέ σε, ἢ ὀφείλει, ἐμοὶ τοῦτο ἐλλόγει. Ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ, ἐγὼ

ἀποτίσω, ἵνα μὴ λέγω σοι, ὅτι καὶ σαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις. αʹ. Οὐδὲν οὕτω πρᾶγμα παραινεῖν οἶδεν, ὡς τὸ μὴ πάντα ἀθρόον αἰτεῖν. Ὅρα

γὰρ μετὰ πόσα ἐγκώμια, μετὰ πόσην κατασκευὴν τὸ μέγα τοῦτο ἔθηκε. Μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Τέκνον μου, ὅτι κοινωνὸς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, ὅτι σπλάγχνα, ὅτι ἀδελφὸν αὐτὸν ἀπέχεις, ὅτι ὡς ἀδελφὸν ἔχε, τότε ἐπήγαγεν, Ὡς ἐμέ. Καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνθη τοῦτο Παῦλος. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ αἰσχυνόμενος δοῦλος κληθῆναι τῶν πιστῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁμολογῶν τοῦτο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν παρῃτήσατο. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό 62.714 ἐστιν· Εἰ τὰ αὐτά μοι φρονεῖς, ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς τρέχεις, εἰ φίλον ἡγῇ, προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν, ὡς ἐμέ. Εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησεν. Ὅρα, ποῦ τέθεικε καὶ πότε τὸ ἀδίκημα· ὕστερον, μετὰ τὸ πολλὰ ὑπὲρ τούτου προειπεῖν. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ μάλιστα ἡ τῶν χρημάτων ζημία δάκνειν εἴωθε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἵνα μηδὲ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐγκαλέσῃ (εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὰ καὶ κατηναλῶσθαι)· τότε τοῦτο τίθησι καί φησιν· Εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησεν. Οὐκ εἶπεν· Εἴ τι ἔκλεψεν, ἀλλὰ τί; Εἴ τι ἠδίκησεν. Ἅμα καὶ τὸ ἁμάρτημα ὡμολόγησε, καὶ οὐχ ὡς δούλου ἁμάρτημα, ἀλλ' ὡς φίλου πρὸς φίλον, τῷ τῆς ἀδικίας μᾶλλον, ἢ τῷ τῆς κλοπῆς ὀνόματι χρησάμενος. Τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἐλλόγει, φησί· τουτέστι, Πρὸς ἐμὲ ἔχε τὴν ὀφειλὴν, ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω. Εἶτα καὶ μετὰ 62.715 χάριτος τῆς πνευματικῆς· Ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί· καὶ ἐντρεπτικῶς ἅμα καὶ χαριέντως, εἴ γε ὑπὲρ τούτου καὶ γραμματεῖον ἐκτελέσαι Παύλου μὴ παραιτησαμένου, τοῦτον αὐτὸς παραιτήσεται προσλαβεῖν. Τοῦτο σφόδρα καὶ αὐτὸν ἐδυσώπησε, καὶ τῆς ἐνοχλήσεως ἀπήλλαξε τὸν Ὀνήσιμον. Καὶ τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ, φησὶν, ἔγραψα.

Οὐδὲν τῶν σπλάγχνων θερμότερον τούτων, οὐδὲν σπουδαιότερον, οὐδὲν προθυμότερον. Ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ὅρα πόσην ποιεῖται πρόνοιαν. Ἵνα μὴ λέγω, φησὶ, σοὶ, ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ εἶναι ὕβρις εἰς τὸν ἀξιούμενον, εἴ γε μὴ ἐθάῤῥησεν ὑπὲρ κλοπῆς ἀξιῶσαι καὶ τυχεῖν, καὶ τοῦτό πως παραμυθεῖται· Ἵνα μὴ λέγω, φησὶν, ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις· οὐ τὰ σαυτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σαυτόν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ ἀγάπης καὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς φιλίας λόγον, καὶ τοῦ σφόδρα θαῤῥεῖν ἦν. Ὅρα πῶς πανταχοῦ ἀμφοτέρων ἐπιμελεῖται, καὶ τοῦ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἀξιοῦν, καὶ τοῦ μὴ τοῦτο γενέσθαι τεκμήριον τοῦ σφόδρα θαῤῥεῖν αὐτῷ. Ναὶ, ἀδελφέ. Τί ἐστι, Ναὶ, ἀδελφέ; Προσλαβοῦ, φησὶν, αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔξωθεν δεῖ προσυπακούειν. Ἀφεὶς γὰρ τὸν χαριεντισμὸν, πάλιν ἔχεται τῶν προτέρων, τῶν σπουδαίων. Καίτοι καὶ ταῦτα σπουδαῖα· τὰ γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ