John Chrysostom, Sermon on Repentance 1

fulfilled. Many struggles, brothers, are needed, much sweat, many tears and much prayer and heartfelt humility. What way shall we use? What art shall we devise? What method shall we discover, so that we do not fall away from those signified goods, which were revealed to the blessed John? Whom shall we ask, and who will teach us the way, how we might be able to become heirs of those ineffable goods, which God has prepared for those who love him? The Lord who teaches man knowledge, he himself will teach us the way, how one must conquer the world. Let us approach him shamelessly, and let us ask sincerely; let us imitate that precious company of the apostles, and just as they approached and questioned him about the end of the age and about all things, and learned the truth from the truth; let us approach him now also, even if we happen to be unworthy and lowly, and far from the worthiness of the apostles.

For he is not far, nor is he distant from those who seek him in truth, as the prophet says: The Lord is near to all who call upon him in truth. Tell us, Lord, tell us, how one must conquer the world; Lord, teach us to do your will. Lord, guide us in your way, lest the abyss of this evil age swallow us up; Lord, Lord, do not forsake us; Lord, beside you we know no other; have mercy on us, for we are weak; Lord, do not leave us orphans; Good Teacher, what must we do to inherit eternal life? To these things let us hear what he will answer and say: Come after me, follow in my footsteps, become imitators of me, become poor willingly, that you may be rich in the manner of my victory. Hear the apostle recounting and saying: For our sakes he became poor, though he was rich. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death. So also let everyone who wishes to conquer, be humbled; indeed he ought to, as a servant, more than me; but if not, at least as I, the Master; let him endure persecutions, insults, dishonors, slaps, spittings. Thus the one who lives with a right confession conquers the world, and inherits those things revealed by John, which angels desire to look into. Truly nothing is stronger than one who is poor for the Lord's sake; no one is so fearsome to demons as the humble-minded; he who wishes to conquer the world and the things in the world and the high-minded and the proud, will keep my commandments, just as I have kept my Father's, becoming obedient unto death, accepting insults and dishonors, slaps 60.694 and spittings; and thus he conquers the world. This way frightened and unnerved the devil, and broke his teeth, and shattered his strength and his vain power; in this let him who boasts, boast, as it is written: Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation; for this is he who conquers the world. Do you see the height of humility, do you behold the victory of poverty? Have you seen the invincible battle-array of the humble in heart? O poverty richer than all kings; O humility more powerful than giants; O humiliation and obedience, a weapon and an arrow against the evil one. Truly every man is troubled in vain, who wishes to conquer without this way. Do not be deceived, O man, no one is stronger than Christ; but he himself thus arrayed himself for battle and was victorious, teaching us an invincible way of victory; by this way he cast down the proud one, by this art he cast down the one who said, I will be like the Most High; by this method he conquered the world and broke the teeth of the ruler of this world, being persecuted, plotted against, insulted, spat upon. Do you see the invincible weapon? Do you see the victory and the art? Do you behold the unconquerable power

πεπληρωμένος. Πολλῶν ἀγώνων, ἀδελφοὶ, χρεία, πολλῶν ἱδρώτων, πολλῶν δακρύων καὶ πολλῆς δεήσεως καὶ ἐγκαρδίου ταπεινώσεως. Ποίῳ τρόπῳ χρησώμεθα; ποίαν τέχνην ἐπινοήσωμεν; ποίαν ἐφεύρωμεν μέθοδον, ἵνα μὴ ἐκπέσωμεν ἐκεῖνα τὰ σημαινόμενα ἀγαθὰ, ἅπερ ἀπεκαλύφθη τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἰωάννῃ; τίνα ἐρωτήσωμεν καὶ διδάξει ἡμᾶς τὸν τρόπον, πῶς δυνηθῶμεν κληρονόμοι γενέσθαι τῶν ἀνεκφωνήτων ἐκείνων ἀγαθῶν, Ὧν ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν; Ὁ διδάσκων ἄνθρωπον γνῶσιν Κύριος, αὐτὸς διδάξει ἡμᾶς τὸν τρόπον, πῶς δεῖ νικᾷν τὸν κόσμον. Προσέλθωμεν αὐτῷ ἀναιδῶς, καὶ ἐρωτήσωμεν εἰλικρινῶς· μιμησώμεθα τὸν τίμιον χορὸν ἐκεῖνον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ καθὼς ἐκεῖνοι προσελθόντες ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν περὶ συντελείας καὶ περὶ πάντων, καὶ ἔμαθον παρὰ τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἀλήθειαν· προσέλθωμεν αὐτῷ καὶ νῦν, εἰ καὶ ἀνάξιοι καὶ εὐτελεῖς τυγχάνομεν, καὶ πόῤῥω τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀξίας.

Οὐ γάρ ἐστι μακρὰν, οὐδὲ διέστηκε τῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ζητούντων αὐτὸν, καθὼς ὁ προφήτης λέγει· Ἐγγὺς Κύριος πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, Κύριε, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, πῶς δεῖ νικῆσαι τὸν κόσμον· Κύριε, δίδαξον ἡμᾶς ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά σου. Κύριε, ὁδήγησον ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ὀδῷ σου, μήποτε καταπιέτω ἡμᾶς ὁ βυθὸς τοῦ πονηροῦ τούτου αἰῶνος· Κύριε, Κύριε, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς ἡμᾶς· Κύριε, ἐκτὸς σοῦ ἄλλον οὐκ οἴδαμεν· ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ὅτι ἀσθενεῖς ἐσμεν· Κύριε, μὴ ἀφήσῃς ἡμᾶς ὀρφανούς· ∆ιδάσκαλε ἀγαθὲ, τί ποιήσαντες ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσομεν; Πρὸς ταῦτα ἀκούσωμεν τί ἀποκριθήσεται καὶ λαλήσει· ∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου, τοῖς ἴχνεσί μου ἀκολουθήσατε, μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, πτωχεύσατε ἑκουσίως, ἵνα πλουτήσητε τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐμῆς νίκης. Ἀκούσατε τοῦ ἀποστόλου διηγουμένου καὶ λέγοντος· ∆ι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσε πλούσιος ὤν. Ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου. Οὕτω καὶ πᾶς ὁ βουλόμενος νικῆσαι, ταπεινούσθω· ὀφείλει μὲν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ ὡς δοῦλος· εἰ δὲ μὴ, κἂν ὡς ἐγὼ ∆εσπότης· ὑπομενέτω διωγμοὺς, ὕβρεις, ἀτιμίας, ῥαπίσματα, ἐμπτύσματα. Οὕτως ὁ βιῶν μετὰ ὀρθῆς ὁμολογίας νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον, καὶ κληρονομεῖ ἐκεῖνα τὰ ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου μηνυθέντα, ἅπερ ἄγγελοι ἐπιθυμοῦσι θεάσασθαι. Ὄντως οὐδὲν ἰσχυρότερον τοῦ πτωχεύοντος διὰ τὸν Κύριον· οὐδεὶς οὕτω φοβερὸς τοῖς δαίμοσιν, ὡς ὁ ταπεινόφρων· ὁ βουλόμενος νικῆσαι τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ τὸν ὑψηλόφρονα καὶ ὑπερήφανον, τὰς ἐντολάς μου φυλάξει, καθὼς ἐγὼ τοῦ Πατρός μου τετήρηκα, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, καταδεξάμενος ὕβρεις καὶ ἀτιμίας, ῥαπίσματα 60.694 καὶ ἐμπτύσματα· καὶ οὕτω νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον. Οὗτος ὁ τρόπος ἐφόβησε καὶ ἐξενεύρωσε τὸν διάβολον, καὶ κατέκλασε αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀδόντας, καὶ συνέτριψεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὸ μάταιον αὐτοῦ κράτος· ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος καθὼς γέγραπται· Καυχάσθω ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ· οὗτος γὰρ ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμον. Ὁρᾷς τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ ὕψος, βλέπεις τῆς πτωχείας τὸ νῖκος; εἶδες ἀήττητον παράταξιν τοῦ ταπεινοῦ τῇ καρδίᾳ; Ὢ πτωχεία πλουσιωτέρα πάντων τῶν βασιλέων· ὢ ταπεινοφροσύνη δυνατωτέρα γιγάντων· ὢ ταπείνωσις καὶ ὑπακοὴ, ὅπλον καὶ βέλος κατὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Ὄντως μάτην ταράσσεται πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, χωρὶς τοῦ τρόπου τούτου νικῆσαι βουλόμενος. Μὴ πλανῶ, ἄνθρωπε, οὐδεὶς Χριστοῦ ἰσχυρότερος· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς οὕτως παρετάξατο καὶ ἐνίκησε, διδάξας ἡμᾶς τρόπον νίκης ἀήττητον· τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ κατέβαλε τὸν ὑπερήφανον, τῇ τέχνῃ ταύτῃ κατέβαλε τὸν εἰπόντα, Ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ· ταύτῃ τῇ μεθοδείᾳ ἐνίκησε τὸν κόσμον καὶ τοῦ κοσμοκράτορος κατέκλασε τοὺς ὀδόντας, διωκόμενος, ἐπιβουλευόμενος, ὑβριζόμενος, ἐμπτυόμενος. Ὁρᾷς τὸ ἀήττητον ὅπλον; ὁρᾷς τὴν νίκην καὶ τὴν τέχνην; βλέπεις τὸ ἀνίκητον κράτος