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to think, if indeed one ought. But the poor man is easily despised, he says. Not him, but those who despise him. For why should I not despise those who do not know what ought to be admired? But if someone is a painter, he will laugh at all who mock him, as long as they are ignorant, and he will not pay attention to what is said by them, but is content with his own testimony; but we shall make ourselves dependent on the opinion of the many; and where are these things worthy of forgiveness? For this reason we are worthy of being despised, when we do not despise those who despise us because of poverty, nor count them miserable. And I pass over how many sins are born from wealth, and how many good things from poverty; or rather, neither wealth nor poverty is good in itself, but it becomes so according to those who use it. The approved Christian is more clearly seen in poverty than in wealth. How? For being in poverty he will be less proud, more self-controlled, more dignified, more reasonable, more prudent; but while remaining in wealth, he has many hindrances to these things. Let us see then what things the rich man does, or rather the one who uses wealth badly. He seizes, is covetous, does violence. And what then? Will you not find improper loves, unlawful unions, sorceries, poisonings, and all other dreadful things born from wealth? Do you see that it is easier in poverty than in wealth to pursue virtue? For do not, since the rich do not pay the penalty here, think that they do not sin; for if it were easy for a rich man to pay the penalty, you would have found the prisons filled with them; but along with its other evils, wealth has this one too, that he who possesses it, sinning in wickedness with impunity, will never stop doing so, but will receive wounds without remedies, and no one will put a bridle on him. But if one wishes, he will also find that poverty provides us with more opportunities for pleasure. How? Because it is delivered from cares, hatred, fighting, contention, strife, countless dreadful things. Therefore, let us not pursue being rich, nor let us ever envy those who possess much; but let those who have wealth use it for what is needed; and let those who do not have, not be grieved because of this, but let us give thanks to God for all things, because with little labor He prepares us to receive the same reward as the rich, or 63.27 even a greater one, if we wish, and from a few things we shall gain great things. Since he who brought the two talents was also admired and honored in the same way as he who brought the five. Why so? Because although he was entrusted with two talents, yet he fulfilled all that was his part, and brought in double what was entrusted. Why then do we hasten to be entrusted with many things, when it is possible through few things to gain the same, or even more? when the labor is less, and the reward much greater? For it is easier for a poor man to part with his own things, than for a rich man possessing many and great things 63.28. Or do you not know that the more one gets, the more he desires? Therefore, that we may not suffer this, let us not seek wealth, nor be impatient with poverty, nor hasten to be rich, but let even those who have, use it as Paul commanded: Those who have, he says, as though they have not, and those who use this world, as not misusing it; that we may obtain the promised good things; of which may it be granted to us all to partake, by grace and love for mankind.

HOMILY 3.

But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, And

let all the angels of God worship him. And to the angels he says, He who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But to the Son, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ calls his presence in the flesh an exodus; as for instance

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φρονεῖν, εἴ γε καὶ ἐχρῆν. Ἀλλ' εὐκαταφρόνητός ἐστιν ὁ πένης, φησίν. Οὐκ ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' οἱ τούτου καταφρονοῦντες. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ ἐγὼ μὴ καταφρονῶ τῶν οὐκ εἰδότων θαυμάζειν ἃ χρή; Ἀλλ' ἂν μὲν ζωγράφος ᾖ τις, πάντων καταγελάσεται τῶν σκωπτόντων αὐτὸν, ἕως ἂν ὦσιν ἀμαθεῖς, καὶ οὔτε πρὸς τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων λεγόμενα ἐπιστρέφεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀρκεῖται μαρτυρίᾳ· ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης ἐξαρτήσομεν ἑαυτούς· καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα συγγνώμης ἄξια; ∆ιὰ τοῦτό ἐσμεν ἄξιοι καταφρονεῖσθαι, ὅταν τῶν καταφρονούντων ἡμῶν διὰ τὴν πενίαν μὴ καταφρονῶμεν, μηδὲ ταλανίζωμεν αὐτούς. Καὶ παρίημι ὅσα μὲν ἁμαρτήματα ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου τίκτεται, ὅσα δὲ ἀγαθὰ ἀπὸ τῆς πενίας· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ πλοῦτος, οὐδὲ πενία καθ' ἑαυτὸ καλὸν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοὺς χρωμένους τούτῳ γίνεται. Ὁ Χριστιανὸς δόκιμος ἐν πενίᾳ μᾶλλον διαφαίνεται, ἢ ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ. Πῶς; Ἐν πενίᾳ μὲν γὰρ ὢν ἀτυφότερος ἔσται, σωφρονέστερος, σεμνότερος, ἐπιεικέστερος, συνετώτερος· ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ δὲ μένων, πολλὰ πρὸς ταῦτα ἔχει τὰ κωλύματα. Ἴδωμεν οὖν τίνα ἐστὶν ἃ ὁ πλούσιος ἐργάζεται, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ κακῶς τῷ πλούτῳ κεχρημένος. Ἐκεῖνος ἁρπάζει, πλεονεκτεῖ, βιάζεται. Τί δαί; τοὺς ἔρωτας τοὺς ἀτόπους, τὰς ἀθεμίτους μίξεις, τὰς γοητείας, τὰς φαρμακείας, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα δεινὰ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου εὑρήσεις τικτόμενα; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐν πενίᾳ μᾶλλον ἀκοπώτερόν ἐστιν, ἢ ἐν πλούτῳ τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιέναι; Μὴ γάρ μοι, ἐπειδὴ δίκην οὐ διδόασιν ἐνταῦθα οἱ πλούσιοι, νομίσῃς αὐτοὺς μηδὲ ἁμαρτάνειν· ὡς εἴ γε ἦν εὔκολον πλούσιον δίκην διδόναι, ἐκ τούτων ἂν εὗρες ἐμπεπλησμένα τὰ δεσμωτήρια· ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο ἔχει κακὸν ὁ πλοῦτος, ὅτι ἐν πονηρίᾳ ἀτιμωρητὶ πλημμελῶν ὁ τοῦτον κεκτημένος, οὐδέποτε στήσεται τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ λήψεται τραύματα ἄνευ φαρμάκων, καὶ χαλινὸν οὐδεὶς ἐπιθήσει αὐτῷ. Εἰ δὲ βούλοιτό τις, καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν εὑρήσει τὴν πενίαν πλείους παρέχουσαν ἡμῖν τὰς ἀφορμάς. Πῶς; Ὅτι φροντίδων ἀπήλλακται, μίσους, μάχης, φιλονεικίας, ἔριδος, μυρίων δεινῶν. Μὴ τοίνυν διώκωμεν τὸ πλουτεῖν, μηδὲ τούτους ζηλώσωμεν ἀεὶ τοὺς πολλὰ κεκτημένους· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἔχοντες, εἰς δέον τῷ πλούτῳ χρώμεθα· οἱ δὲ μὴ ἔχοντες, μὴ ἀλγῶμεν διὰ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' εὐχαριστῶμεν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἡμᾶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ πόνῳ τὸν αὐτὸν τοῖς πλουσίοις, ἢ 63.27 καὶ μείζονα, ἂν θέλωμεν, παρασκευάζει μισθὸν λαβεῖν, καὶ ἐξ ὀλίγων μεγάλα κερδανοῦμεν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ τὰ δύο τάλαντα προσενέγκας ἐθαυμάσθη καὶ ἐτιμήθη ὁμοίως τῷ τὰ πέντε προσενεγκόντι. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι εἰ καὶ δύο ἐπιστεύθη τάλαντα, ἀλλὰ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πάντα ἐπλήρωσε, καὶ τὰ ἐμπιστευθέντα διπλᾶ εἰσήνεγκε. Τί τοίνυν σπεύδομεν πιστευθῆναι πολλὰ, ὅταν ἐξῇ δι' ὀλίγων τὰ αὐτὰ καρπώσασθαι, ἢ καὶ πλείονα; ὅταν ὁ μὲν πόνος ἐλάττων ᾖ, ὁ δὲ μισθὸς πολλῷ πλείων; Εὐκολώτερον γὰρ πένης ἐκστήσεται τῶν αὑτοῦ, ἢ πλούσιος πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα 63.28 κεκτημένος. Ἢ οὐκ ἴστε, ὅτι ὅσῳ ἂν πλείονά τις περιβάληται, τοσούτῳ πλειόνων ἐρᾷ; Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο πάθωμεν, μὴ ζητῶμεν τὸν πλοῦτον, μηδὲ δυσανασχέτως ἔχωμεν πρὸς τὴν πενίαν, μηδὲ σπεύδωμεν πλουτεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες οὕτως αὐτῷ χρώμεθα, ὡς ὁ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσεν· Οἱ ἔχοντες, φησὶν, ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες, καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· ἵνα τύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ.

Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει· Καὶ

προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ· Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὑτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὑτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα· πρὸς δὲ τὸν Υἱόν· Ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. αʹ. Ὁ μὲν Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν παρουσίαν αὑτοῦ τὴν ἔνσαρκον ἔξοδον καλεῖ· οἷον ὡς