John Chrysostom, Catechetical Homilies

the contests, until the herald takes them and leads them around in the sight of all, shouting and saying: Does anyone accuse this man? And yet there the struggles are not of the soul, but of bodies; for what reason then do you demand an account of noble birth? But here it is nothing of the sort, but all the contrary, our struggles are not in the entanglement of hands, but in the philosophy of the soul and the virtue of the mind; the judge of the contest does the contrary. For he does not take him and lead him around and say: Does anyone accuse this man? but he cries out: "Even if all men, even if demons with the devil, rising up together, accuse him of the most extreme and unutterable evils, I do not cast him out nor abominate him, but having released him from his accusers, and having freed him from wickedness, thus I bring him to the contests." and very reasonably so. For there the judge of the contest contributes nothing to the competitors for the victory, but stands in the middle; but here the judge of the contests of piety becomes an ally and a helper, joining with them in the battle against the devil.

4. And not only this is wonderful, that he forgives 49.237 us our sins, but that he does not even reveal them, nor make them manifest and plain, nor compel us to come forward into the midst to declare our offenses, but he commands us to make our defense to him alone and to confess to him. And yet if one of the secular judges were to say to one of the captured robbers or tomb-robbers, to declare his offenses and be released from punishment, they would have accepted this with all eagerness, despising the shame in their desire for salvation. But here there is nothing of the sort, but he both forgives our sins and does not compel us to parade them in the presence of anyone, but seeks one thing only, that he who enjoys the forgiveness may learn the greatness of the gift. How then is it not strange, if in those things in which he benefits us he is satisfied with our testimony alone, while we, in those things in which we serve him, seek other witnesses and do things for show? Let us, therefore, admiring his kindness, show what is from our side, and before all other things let us curb the impulse of the tongue, and not be always speaking; For from a multitude of words you will not escape sin. If then you have something useful to say, open your lips, but if there is nothing necessary, be silent; for it is better. Are you a craftsman? While you sit, sing psalms; but you do not wish to sing with your mouth? Do this in your mind; the psalm is a great companion. You will suffer nothing terrible from this, but you will be able to sit in your workshop as in a monastery; for it is not the suitability of places, but the exactness of ways that will provide us with tranquility. Paul, at any rate, while using his craft in a workshop, was in no way harmed in respect to his own virtue. Do not say, therefore: "How shall I, being a craftsman and a poor man, be able to practice philosophy?" For this very reason, above all, you will be able to practice philosophy. For poverty, more than wealth, and work, more than idleness, is more suitable for us for piety, since wealth, at least for those who are not careful, also becomes an obstacle. For when it is necessary to put away anger, when to extinguish envy, when to relax wrath, when to show prayerfulness, when forbearance and gentleness, when kindness and love, where could poverty be a hindrance? For it is not by paying money that one can accomplish these things, but by showing a right disposition. Almsgiving is what most requires money, but even it has shone forth more greatly through poverty; for she who cast in the two mites was poorer than all people, and she surpassed them all. Therefore let us not consider wealth to be something great, nor reckon gold to be better than clay; for the value of the material is not from its nature, but from our own way of thinking. For if one were to examine closely, iron is much more necessary than gold; for the one brings no necessity into life, while the other has furnished us with the greater part of our needs, serving in countless crafts. And why do I speak of a comparison of gold and iron? For these stones are more necessary than precious stones; for from those nothing useful could come,

τοὺς ἀγῶνας, ἕως ἂν αὐτοὺς ὁ κῆρυξ λαβὼν ὑπὸ τοῖς ἁπάντων ὀφθαλμοῖς περιαγάγῃ βοῶν καὶ λέγων· Μή τις τούτου κατηγορεῖ; Καίτοι γε οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ σωμάτων τὰ παλαίσματα· τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖς εὐγενείας; Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ' ἅπαν τοὐναντίον, οὐκ ἐν χειρῶν συμπλοκαῖς ὄντων ἡμῖν τῶν παλαισμάτων, ἀλλ' ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ψυχῆς καὶ ἀρετῇ διανοίας· τοὐναντίον ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ποιεῖ· οὐ γὰρ λαβὼν αὐτὸν περιάγει καὶ λέγει· Μή τις τούτου κατηγορεῖ; ἀλλὰ βοᾷ· Κἂν ἄνθρωποι πάντες, κἂν δαίμονες μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου συστάντες αὐτοῦ κατηγορῶσι τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα δεινὰ, οὐκ ἐκβάλλω οὐδὲ βδελύσσομαι, ἀλλὰ τῶν κατηγόρων αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξας, καὶ τῆς πονηρίας ἐλευθερώσας, οὕτως ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἄγω· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης οὐδὲν συντελεῖ τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις πρὸς τὴν νίκην, ἀλλ' ἕστηκε μέσος· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀγωνοθέτης τῶν ἄθλων τῆς εὐσεβείας σύμμαχος γίνεται καὶ βοηθὸς, συνεφαπτόμενος αὐτοῖς τῆς πρὸς τὸν διάβολον μάχης.

δʹ. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἀφίησιν 49.237 ἡμῖν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀλλ' ὅτι αὐτὰ οὐδὲ ἐκκαλύπτει, οὐδὲ ποιεῖ φανερὰ καὶ δῆλα, οὐδὲ ἀναγκάζει παρελθόντας εἰς μέσον ἐξειπεῖν τὰ πεπλημμελημένα, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἀπολογήσασθαι κελεύει καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξομολογήσασθαι. Καίτοι γε ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν δικαστῶν εἴ τις εἶπέ τινι τῶν ἁλόντων λῃστῶν ἢ τυμβωρύχων, εἰπεῖν τὰ πεπλημμελημένα, καὶ ἀφεθῆναι τῆς κολάσεως, πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ ἂν κατεδέξαντο τοῦτο, τῇ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς αἰσχύνης καταφρονοῦντες. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφίησι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ οὐκ ἀναγκάζει παρόντων τινῶν αὐτὰ ἐκπομπεύειν, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον ζητεῖ, ὅπως αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἀπολαύων μάθοι τῆς δωρεᾶς τὸ μέγεθος. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐν οἷς αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς εὐεργετεῖ εἰ ἀρκοῖτο τῇ παρ' ἡμῶν μαρτυρίᾳ μόνῃ, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν οἷς αὐτὸν θεραπεύομεν, ἑτέρους ἐπιζητοῦμεν μάρτυρας καὶ πρὸς ἐπίδειξίν τι ποιοῦμεν; Θαυμάσαντες τοίνυν τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλοφροσύνην ἐπιδειξώμεθα τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὴν τῆς γλώττης χαλινώσωμεν ῥύμην, καὶ μὴ ἀεὶ φθεγγώμεθα· Ἐκ γὰρ πολυλογίας οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ ἁμαρτίαν. Ἂν μὲν οὖν ἔχῃς τι χρήσιμον εἰπεῖν, ἄνοιξον τὰ χείλη, ἂν δὲ μηδὲν ἀναγκαῖον ᾖ, σίγα· βέλτιον γάρ. Χειροτέχνης εἶ; καθεζόμενος ψάλλε· ἀλλ' οὐ βούλει τῷ στόματι ψάλλειν; τῇ διανοίᾳ τοῦτο ποίει· μέγας συνόμιλος ὁ ψαλμός. Οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν ὑποστήσῃ δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν μοναστηρίῳ ἐν τῷ ἐργαστηρίῳ δυνήσῃ καθέζεσθαι· οὐ γὰρ τόπων ἐπιτηδειότης, ἀλλὰ τρόπων ἀκρίβεια τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἡμῖν παρέξεται. Παῦλος γοῦν ἐν ἐργαστηρίῳ τῇ τέχνῃ κεχρημένος, οὐδὲν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετὴν παρεβλάβη. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε σύ· Πῶς δυνήσομαι χειροτέχνης ὢν καὶ πένης φιλοσοφεῖν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὖν μάλιστα δυνήσῃ φιλοσοφεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ πενία πλούτου, καὶ ἐργασία ἀργίας πρὸς εὐλάβειαν ἡμῖν ἐπιτηδειότερον, ὡς ὅ γε πλοῦτος τοῖς μὴ προσέχουσι καὶ ἐμπόδιον γίνεται. Ὅταν γὰρ ὀργὴν δέῃ ἀφεῖναι, ὅταν σβέσαι φθόνον, ὅταν χαλᾶσαι θυμὸν, ὅταν εὐχὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι, ὅταν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ πραότητα, ὅταν φιλοφροσύνην καὶ ἀγάπην, ποῦ γένοιτ' ἂν κώλυμα ἡ πενία; Οὐ γὰρ ἀργύριον καταβαλόντας ταῦτα ἀνύσαι ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ προαίρεσιν ὀρθὴν ἐπιδειξαμένους. Ἐλεημοσύνη μάλιστά ἐστιν ἡ χρημάτων δεομένη, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ διὰ τῆς πενίας μειζόνως ἐξέλαμψε· καὶ γὰρ ἡ τοὺς δύο ὀβολοὺς καταβαλοῦσα, ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων ἦν πενεστέρα, καὶ πάντας ὑπερηκόντισε. Μὴ τοίνυν μέγα τι νομίζωμεν εἶναι πλοῦτον, μηδὲ πηλοῦ βελτίονα εἶναι τὸν χρυσὸν λογιζώμεθα· ἡ γὰρ τιμὴ τῆς ὕλης οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας διανοίας ἐστίν. Εἰ γάρ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσειε, πολὺ τοῦ χρυσοῦ σίδηρος ἀναγκαιότερος· ὁ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὸν βίον οὐδεμίαν εἰσάγει χρείαν, οὗτος δὲ τὸ πλέον ἡμῖν κατεσκεύασε τῆς χρείας μυρίαις τέχναις ὑπηρετούμενος. Καὶ τί λέγω χρυσοῦ καὶ σιδήρου σύγκρισιν; τῶν γὰρ πολυτελῶν λίθων ἀναγκαιότεροι οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι· ἐξ ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἂν γένοιτο χρηστὸν,