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a likeness of the heavenly kingdom is received, which the word of the Lord shows it is impossible for us to attain, unless we first give up everything we possess—wealth, glory, family, and whatever else is highly valued by many—in exchange for it. Then indeed the Lord declared it impossible for what is striven for to be achieved when the mind is divided by different cares, saying: No one can serve two masters; and again: You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, we must choose one treasure, the heavenly one, so that in it we may have our heart. For where your treasure is, he says, there your heart will be also. If, therefore, we leave for ourselves any earthly possession and any perishable abundance, with the mind buried here as if in some mire, it is necessary for the soul to be without sight of God, and unmoved toward the desire for heavenly beauties and for the goods laid up for us in the promises; the possession of which is impossible for us to attain, unless an undistracted and more vehement longing leads us to ask for them and lightens the labor for them. Renunciation, therefore, as the argument has shown, is a loosing of the bonds of this material and temporary life, and a freedom from human duties, making us more fit to begin the way to God. An unimpeded starting point for the possession and use of the things more precious than gold and many a precious stone. And, to speak concisely, a transfer of the human heart to the commonwealth in heaven, so as to be able to say: For our commonwealth is in heaven. And, what is greatest, the beginning of likeness to Christ, who for our sakes became poor, though he was rich; which if we do not achieve, it is impossible for us to grasp the way of life according to the Gospel of Christ. For when can either contrition of heart, or humility of mind, or release from anger, and grief, and cares, and, to speak concisely, from the destructive passions of the soul, be achieved amidst wealth and the anxieties of life, and affection for and familiarity with other things? And in general, for one who is not permitted to be anxious even about necessities, 31.941 such as food and clothing, what reason permits him to be constrained as if by wicked thorns by the anxieties of wealth, which hinder the fruitfulness of the seed cast down by the farmer of our souls? our Lord having said: And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

QUESTION 9. Whether it is necessary for one who joins those dedicated to the Lord

to hand over indifferently to the inconsiderate members of his household the things that belong to him. RESPONSE. Since the Lord said, Sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me; and again: Sell your possessions, and give alms; I reckon that he who comes out from his own property, with such a purpose, ought not to be contemptuously disposed concerning the things that belong to him, but to try, having received everything with exactness, as things henceforth dedicated to the Lord, to manage them with all piety, either through himself, if he is able and experienced, or through those chosen with much testing, and who have given proof of their ability to manage faithfully and prudently; knowing that it is not without danger either to hand them over to his household, or to manage them through any chance person. For if one who is entrusted with the care of royal possessions, even if he does not often embezzle from what is at hand, but through some negligence betrays what could have been acquired, is not absolved of the charge; what condemnation must one expect to undergo in the case of things already named for the Lord, loosely and

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ὁμοίωσιν τῆς ἐπουρανίου βασι λείας παρείληπται, ἣν ἀδύνατον ἡμῖν προσγενέσθαι ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου δείκνυσι λόγος, μὴ πάντα ὁμοῦ τὰ προσόντα ἡμῖν, καὶ πλοῦτον, καὶ δόξαν, καὶ γένος, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τῶν πολλοῖς περι σπουδάστων, πρὸς τὴν ἀνταλλαγὴν αὐτῆς προεμένοις. Εἶτα μέντοι καὶ ἀδύνατον πρὸς διαφόρους φρον τίδας τοῦ νοῦ μεριζομένου κατορθοῦσθαι τὸ σπου δαζόμενον ὁ Κύριος ἀπεφήνατο, εἰπών· Οὐδεὶς δύ ναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· καὶ πάλιν· Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμμωνᾷ. Ἕνα οὖν θησαυρὸν τὸν ἐπουράνιον ἡμῖν ἐκλεκτέον, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχωμεν τὴν καρδίαν. Ὅπου γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ὁ θησαυρός σου, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ καρδία σου ἔσται. Ἐὰν οὖν τι ὑπολειπώμεθα ἑαυτοῖς κτῆμα γήϊνον καὶ περιουσίαν τινὰ φθαρτὴν, ἐνταῦθα τοῦ νοῦ οἷον ἔν τινι βορβόρῳ κατορυγέντος, ἀνάγ κη τὴν ψυχὴν ἀθέατον εἶναι Θεοῦ, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν ἐπουρανίων καλῶν καὶ τῶν ἀποκει μένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀκίνητον· ὧν τὴν κτῆσιν περιγίνεσθαι ἡμῖν ἀμήχανον, μὴ ἀπερι σπάστου καὶ σφοδροτέρου πόθου ἄγοντος ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν αὐτῶν αἴτησιν, καὶ τὸν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς πόνον ἐπικουφίζοντος. Ἔστιν οὖν ἡ ἀποταγὴ, ὡς ὁ λόγος ὑπέδειξε, λύσις μὲν τῶν δεσμῶν τῆς ὑλικῆς ταύτης καὶ προσκαίρου ζωῆς, ἐλευθερία δὲ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων καθηκόντων, ἐπιτηδειοτέρους κατασκευάζουσα πρὸς τὸ ἀπάρξασθαι τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ὁδοῦ. Τῆς τῶν πο λυτιμήτων κτήσεώς τε καὶ χρήσεως ἀκώλυτος ἀφ ορμὴ τῶν Ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολύν. Καὶ, συνελόντα εἰπεῖν, καρδίας ἀνθρωπίνην πρὸς τὴν ἐν οὐρανῷ πολιτείαν μετάθεσις, ὥστε δύ νασθαι λέγειν· Ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρα νοῖς ὑπάρχει. Καὶ, τὸ μέγιστον, ἀρχὴ τῆς πρὸς Χριστὸν ὁμοιώσεως, ὃς δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσε, πλούσιος ὤν· ἣν εἰ μὴ κατορθώσαιμεν, ἀδύνα τον ἡμᾶς τῆς κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ πο λιτείας ἐφάψασθαι. Πότε γὰρ ἢ καρδίας συντριμ μὸς, ἢ ταπείνωσις φρονήματος, ἢ θυμοῦ, καὶ λύ πης, καὶ φροντίδων, καὶ, συνελόντα εἰπεῖν, τῶν ὀλεθρίων παθῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπαλλαγὴ, ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ μερίμναις βιωτικαῖς, προσπαθείᾳ τε καὶ συν ηθείᾳ τῶν ἄλλων κατορθωθῆναι δύναται; Ὅλως δὲ, ᾧ μηδὲ περὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀναγκαίων μεριμνᾷν 31.941 συγχωρεῖται, οἷον τροφῆς, καὶ ἐνδύματος, τούτῳ τίς ἐπιτρέπει λόγος, οἷον ἀκάνθαις συνέχεσθαι πονηραῖς ταῖς μερίμναις τοῦ πλούτου, τῆς παρὰ τοῦ γεωργοῦ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν ἐγκαταβαλλομένης σπορᾶς τὴν καρ ποφορίαν ἐμποδιζούσαις; τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν εἰπόντος· Οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπα ρέντες, οἳ ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν καὶ πλούτου καὶ ἡδο νῶν τοῦ βίου συμπνίγονται, καὶ οὐ τελεσφοροῦσιν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Θ. Εἰ χρὴ τὸν συναπτόμενον τοῖς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνα κειμένοις

προσαφιέναι ἀδιαφόρως τοῖς ἀγνώ μοσι τῶν οἰκείων τὰ αὐτῷ διαφέροντα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, Πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρ χοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι· καὶ πά λιν· Πωλήσατε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ὑμῶν, καὶ δότε ἐλεημοσύνην· λογίζομαι, ὅτι τὸν ἐξερχόμενον ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων, σκοπῷ τοιούτῳ, οὐ χρὴ καταφρονητικῶς περὶ τῶν διαφερόντων αὐτῷ διακεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ πει ρᾶσθαι πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας λαβόντα, ὡς τῷ Κυ ρίῳ λοιπὸν ἀφιερωμένα, μετὰ πάσης εὐλαβείας οἰκο νομεῖν, ἢ δι' ἑαυτοῦ, ἐὰν δυνατῶς καὶ ἐμπείρως ἔχῃ, ἢ διὰ τῶν μετὰ δοκιμασίας πολλῆς ἐπιλεγέντων, καὶ ἀπό δειξιν δεδωκότων τοῦ δύνασθαι πιστῶς καὶ φρονίμως οἰκονομεῖν· εἰδότα, ὅτι οὐκ ἀκίνδυνόν ἐστιν οὔτε τὸ προσαφιέναι τοῖς οἰκείοις, οὔτε τὸ διὰ τοῦ τυχόντος οἰκονομῆσαι. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ φροντίδα βασιλικῶν κτημά των ἐγχειρισθεὶς, κἂν μὴ νοσφίσηται πολλά κις ἐκ τῶν ἑτοίμων, ἀμελείᾳ δέ τινι καταπροδῷ τὰ προσκτηθῆναι δυνάμενα, οὐκ ἀπολύεται τοῦ ἐγκλήματος· τίνα χρὴ προσδοκᾷν ἐπὶ τῶν ἤδη κατονομασθέντων τῷ Κυρίῳ τὴν κατάκρι σιν ὑποστήσεσθαι, χαύνως καὶ