John Chrysostom, On "Do not fear"

it dissolves; all plead, he does not listen; the children in orphanhood, the wife in widowhood; all are humbled, wine-pourers, mixing-bowls, parasites, flatterers, eunuchs. To take something from those vessels and depart he is not able; but what? He is carried away alone. They pelt him with praises. And what is that to him again? But does vainglory praise him? Why? For can he receive anything from it? None of these things can stand by him on that day. He who seizes all things goes to the grave, he is buried in three cubits, and nothing more; and earth upon his face, and the cover of the coffin. And the wife departs. Where is the wealth? where are the slaves? where is the pomp? where is the great and beautiful house? They abandon him; his wife also leaves him, even if she does not wish it; for the stench drives her away, the sources of worms pursue her. Is this all? Yes; for he departed having none of his own things. And that you may learn that he departed having none of his own things, since the blessed martyrs receive their own things, we do not depart from their tomb. And here indeed not even a wife can bear to remain; but there the emperor throws off his diadem, and remains at the tomb of the martyr, entreating and begging that a release from his troubles be given him, and victory over his enemies. Do not be afraid, therefore, when a man becomes rich. Taking up this verse, let us begin to the Lord, giving thanks to him for all these things, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, for to him is the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. BY THE SAME. After another had spoken, a homily delivered in Constantinople in the great church, when few had gathered, on the text, "Do not be afraid, when

a man becomes rich," and concerning almsgiving. 1. Short is the fruit of him who has spoken well, but ripe; slender is the string, but great is the sound; few are the words, but precious are the thoughts. For he has uplifted a whole people with his praises, and made them more zealous with his encomiums, and he revealed the cause of the husbandry, and composing hymns to him, and giving thanks according to the apostolic law, he concluded his speech in a doxology. But if he quickly cleared the table, it was not through poverty, but through humility. For not at a loss for more to say did he bring his speech to silence, but yielding the teaching 55.512 to us. Come, therefore, let us too, being delivered from the squall of the tumults that have already occurred, wash our hearing with the reading of the Scriptures as with some river waters. Thus also do sailors; when, having run through a storm and crossed a great sea, they arrive at a calm harbor, lowering the sails, and putting away the oar, and disembarking from the ship, with baths, and food, and drinks and sleep, and rest having recovered their body, they prepare it more vigorously for the remaining voyage. Let us then imitate these men, and delivered from the former 55.513 disturbance that occurred, and from the tumult, and from the waves, let us bring our soul to anchor in the reading of the Scriptures, as into some fair-weathered harbor. For the company of the divine Scriptures is a harbor without waves, and an unbreakable wall, and an unshaken tower, and an inalienable glory, and an invulnerable weapon, and unfading cheerfulness, and perpetual pleasure, and all good things that one might mention. This both repels despondency, and preserves cheerfulness, and makes the poor man richer than the wealthy, and bestows security on the rich, and

λύει· παρακαλοῦσι πάντες, οὐχ ὑπακούει· τὰ παιδία ἐν ὀρφανίᾳ, ἡ γυνὴ ἐν χηρείᾳ· πάντες ταπεινοὶ, οἰνοχόοι, κρατῆρες, παράσιτοι, κόλακες, εὐνοῦχοι. Λαβεῖν τι ἐξ ἐκείνων τῶν σκευῶν, καὶ ἀπελθεῖν οὐ δύναται· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἀποφέρεται μόνος. Εὐφημίαις βάλλουσι. Καὶ τί πρὸς αὐτὸν πάλιν; Ἀλλ' ἡ κενοδοξία αὐτὸν εὐφημεῖ; ∆ιὰ τί; Μὴ γὰρ δύναταί τι λαβεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς; Οὐ δύναται οὐδὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν παραστῆναι αὐτῷ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. Ἀπέρχεται εἰς τὸν τάφον ὁ πάντα ἁρπάζων, εἰς τρεῖς πήχεις θάπτεται, καὶ πλέον οὐδέν· καὶ γῆ ἐπάνω τῆς ὄψεως, καὶ τὸ κάλυμμα τῆς θήκης. Καὶ ἀναχωρεῖ ἡ γυνή. Ποῦ ὁ πλοῦτος; ποῦ οἱ δοῦλοι; ποῦ ἡ φαντασία; ποῦ ἡ οἰκία ἡ μεγάλη καὶ περικαλλής; Καταλιμπάνουσιν αὐτόν· ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἡ γυνὴ, κἂν μὴ βούληται· ἡ δυσωδία γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐλαύνει, αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν σκωλήκων αὐτὴν διώκουσι. Τοῦτο ὅλον; Ναί· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔχων ἀπῆλθε τῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἔχων τῶν αὑτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν, οἱ μακάριοι μάρτυρες ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν λαμβάνουσιν, οὐκ ἀναχωροῦμεν τοῦ τάφου αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὧδε μὲν οὐδὲ γυνὴ ἀνέχεται παραμεῖναι· ἐκεῖ δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ῥίπτει τὸ διάδημα, καὶ παραμένει τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ μάρτυρος, δυσωπῶν καὶ δεόμενος δοθῆναι αὐτῷ λύσιν τῶν δεινῶν, καὶ νίκην κατ' ἐχθρῶν. Μὴ οὖν φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Τοῦτον λαβόντες τὸν στίχον, ἐξάρξωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὑπὲρ τούτων ἁπάντων εὐχαριστοῦντες αὐτῷ, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ Προειρηκότος ἑτέρου, ὁμιλία λεχθεῖσα ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ μεγάλῃ, ὀλίγων συνελθόντων, εἰς τὸ, "Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν

πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος," καὶ περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης. αʹ. Βραχὺς ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ καλῶς εἰρηκότος, ἀλλ' ὥριμος· λεπτὴ ἡ νευρὰ, ἀλλὰ μεγάλη ἡ ἠχή· ὀλίγα τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλὰ πολυτελῆ τὰ νοήματα. Καὶ γὰρ δῆμον ὁλόκληρον τοῖς ἐπαίνοις ἀνεπτέρωσε, καὶ σπουδαιοτέρους τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις εἰργάσατο, καὶ τὸν αἴτιον τῆς γεωργίας ἐδήλωσεν, ὕμνους τε συνθεὶς αὐτῷ, καὶ εὐχαριστήσας κατὰ τὸν ἀποστολικὸν νόμον, εἰς δοξολογίαν τὸν λόγον κατέλυσεν. Εἰ δὲ ταχέως τὴν τράπεζαν συνέστειλεν, οὐ διὰ πτωχείαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ ταπεινοφροσύνην. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπορῶν πλείονα εἰπεῖν, εἰς σιγὴν τὸν λόγον κατέκλεισεν, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν τῆς διδασκα 55.512 λίας παραχωρῶν. Φέρε οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς ζάλης τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων θορύβων ἀπαλλαγέντες, ὥσπερ τισὶ ποταμίοις ὕδασι τῇ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀναγνώσει τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποπλύνωμεν. Οὕτω καὶ ναῦται ποιοῦσιν· ἐπειδὰν χειμῶνα διαδραμόντες καὶ πολὺ διαβάντες πέλαγος εἰς λιμένα καταντήσωσι γαληνὸν, ἱστία χαλάσαντες, καὶ κώπην ἀποθέμενοι, καὶ τῆς νηὸς ἀποβάντες, βαλανείοις, καὶ σιτίοις, καὶ πότοις καὶ ὕπνῳ, καὶ ἀνέσει τὸ σῶμα ἀνακτησάμενοι, ἀκμαιότερον αὐτὸ πρὸς τὴν λοιπὴν ναυτιλίαν παρασκευάζουσι. Τούτους δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμησώμεθα, καὶ τῆς πρώην 55.513 γενομένης ταραχῆς ἀπαλλαγέντες, καὶ τοῦ θορύβου, καὶ τῶν κυμάτων, ὥσπερ εἴς τινα λιμένα εὔδιον, τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁρμίσωμεν. Καὶ γὰρ λιμήν ἐστιν ἀκύμαντος, καὶ τεῖχος ἀῤῥαγὲς, καὶ πύργος ἄσειστος, καὶ δόξα ἀναφαίρετος, καὶ ὅπλον ἄτρωτον, καὶ εὐθυμία ἀμάραντος, καὶ ἡδονὴ διηνεκὴς, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἂν εἴποι τις καλὰ, τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἡ συνουσία. Αὕτη καὶ ἀθυμίαν ἀποκρούεται, καὶ εὐθυμίαν διατηρεῖ, καὶ τὸν πένητα τῶν εὐπόρων πλουσιώτερον κατασκευάζει, καὶ τοῖς πλουτοῦσιν ἀσφάλειαν περιτίθησι, καὶ