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shone, both the sensible and the intelligible. About the ninth hour. When others from lunch and intoxication sleep a deep sleep, then those, being sober, and fully awake, and boiling with great desire, hastened to prayer. If they needed prayer, prayer so earnest, prayer so precise, they who had such great boldness, they who were conscious of no evil in themselves, what shall we do, we who are full of countless wounds, and do not apply the medicine of prayer? A great weapon is prayer. Do you want to learn how great a weapon prayer is? The apostles passed over the care of the poor, so that they might have more leisure for prayer. For appoint, he says, from among you seven men of good repute; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

5. But, as I was saying (for let us not fall away from the subject, that Peter both demonstrated action, and performed a miracle, and is praised more for the action), he went up then into the temple to pray; and behold, a man lame from his mother's womb was being carried there to the door of the temple. From the very birth pangs was the crippling of his nature, and the disease was greater than medical art, so that the grace of God might be shown to be greater. This lame man, then, was laid at the gate of the temple; and seeing them entering, he paid attention to them, seeking to receive alms from them. What then did Peter do? Look at us, he says. The proof of his poverty was sufficient from his appearance; there was no need for words, nor proof, nor answer, nor teaching; his attire shows you the one who possesses nothing. This then is the whole achievement of the mission, that you might say these things to the poor man, that he might not correct poverty alone, that you might say, You will see a greater wealth. Silver, he says, and gold I do not have; but what I have, this I give to you; in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk. Did you see poverty and wealth? Poverty of money, 51.85 but wealth of spiritual gifts. He did not relieve the poverty of money, but he corrected the poverty of nature. Behold the gentleness of Peter; Look at us. He did not insult, he did not revile, which we often do to those who approach us, bringing charges against them, that they are idle. For were you commanded this, O man? He did not command you to accuse of idleness, but to correct poverty; he did not make you an accuser of wickedness, but appointed you a physician of misfortune; not that you should reproach sloth, but that you should stretch out a hand to those who are prostrate; not that you should find fault with their character, but that you should relieve their hunger. But we do the opposite; neglecting to comfort those who approach us with the giving of money, we also aggravate their wounds by adding accusations. But he also makes a defense to the poor man, and speaks with gentleness; For incline, he says, your ear to a poor man without annoyance, and answer him peacefully with meekness. Silver and gold I do not have; but what I have, this I give to you; in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk. Here there are two things, a way of life and a miracle. The way of life is, Silver and gold I do not have; for it is of a way of life to despise earthly things, to cast away possessions, to look down on present vanity; but the miracle is to raise the lame man, to restore the crippled limbs. Behold then, both a way of life and a miracle. Let us see then in what Peter boasts. What did he say? That he performed miracles? And yet he had performed miracles then; but he did not say this; but what? Behold, we have left everything and followed you. Did you see the way of life and the miracle, and the way of life being crowned? What then did Christ do? He accepted and praised this. For I say to you, he says, that you who have left houses, and the rest. He did not say, You who raised the dead, but You who have left your possessions, will sit on twelve thrones; and everyone who has left all his possessions, will enjoy this honor. Are you not able to raise a lame man, just like Peter? But you are able to say, as he did: Silver and gold I do not have. Even if you say this, you have come near to Peter; or rather, not even if

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ἔλαμψε, καὶ τὸ αἰσθητὸν καὶ τὸ νοητόν. Περὶ ὥραν ἐννάτην. Ὅτε ἕτεροι ἀπὸ ἀρίστου καὶ μέθης καθεύδουσιν ὕπνον βαθὺν, τότε ἐκεῖνοι νήφοντες, καὶ διεγηγερμένοι, καὶ πολλῷ τῷ πόθῳ ζέοντες, ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν ἔσπευδον. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνοι εὐχῆς ἐδέοντο, εὐχῆς οὕτω ἐκτενοῦς, εὐχῆς οὕτω διηκριβωμένης, οἱ τοσαύτην ἔχοντες παῤῥησίαν, οἱ μηδὲν ἑαυτοῖς συνειδότες πονηρὸν, τί ποιήσομεν ἡμεῖς, μυρίων γέμοντες τραυμάτων, οὐκ ἐπιτιθέντες δὲ τῆς εὐχῆς τὸ φάρμακον; Μέγα ὅπλον εὐχή. Βούλει μαθεῖν πῶς μέγα ὅπλον ἡ εὐχή; Προστασίας πενήτων παρέδραμον οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἵνα πλείονα σχολὴν περὶ τὴν εὐχὴν ἔχωσι. Καταστήσατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐξ ὑμῶν ἄνδρας μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτά· ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν.

εʹ. Ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἔλεγον (μὴ γὰρ ἐκπέσωμεν τῆς ὑποθέσεως, ὅτι ὁ μὲν Πέτρος καὶ πρᾶξιν ἐπεδείξατο, καὶ θαῦμα ἐποίησε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πράξεως ἐπαινεῖται μᾶλλον), ἀνῆλθεν οὖν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι· καὶ ἰδοὺ χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, βασταζόμενος ἐκεῖ πρὸς τὴν θύραν τοῦ ἱεροῦ. Ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ὠδίνων ἡ πήρωσις τῆς φύσεως ἦν, καὶ μεῖζον ἰατρικῆς τέχνης τὸ νόσημα, ἵνα μειζόνως ἐπιδειχθῇ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ χωλὸς ἔκειτο πρὸς τὴν πύλην τοῦ ἱεροῦ· καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτοὺς εἰσιόντας, προσεῖχεν αὐτοῖς, ζητῶν ἐλεημοσύνην παρ' αὐτῶν λαβεῖν. Τί οὖν ὁ Πέτρος; Βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς, φησίν. Ἱκανὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ἡ ἀπόδειξις τῆς ἀκτημοσύνης· οὐ χρεία λόγων, οὐδὲ ἀποδείξεως, οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως, οὐδὲ διδασκαλίας· ὁ στολισμός σοι δείκνυσι τὸν ἀκτήμονα. Τοῦτο οὖν ὅλον τὸ κατόρθωμα τῆς ἀποστολῆς, ἵνα ταῦτα λέγῃς πρὸς τὸν πένητα, ἵνα μὴ διορθώσῃ τὴν πενίαν μόνον, ἵνα εἴπῃς, Ὄψει μείζονα πλοῦτον. Ἀργύριον, φησὶ, καὶ χρυσίον οὐκ ἔχω· ὃ δὲ ἔχω, τοῦτό σοι δίδωμι· ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔγειραι, καὶ περιπάτει. Εἶδες πενίαν καὶ πλοῦτον; πενίαν μὲν χρημά 51.85 των, πλοῦτον δὲ χαρισμάτων. Οὐκ ἔλυσε πενίαν χρημάτων, ἀλλὰ διώρθωσε πενίαν φύσεως. Ὅρα τὴν ἐπιείκειαν Πέτρου· Βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς. Οὐχ ὕβρισεν, οὐκ ἐλοιδορήσατο, ὃ πολλάκις ποιοῦμεν ἡμεῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἡμῖν, εὐθύνας ἐγκαλοῦντες αὐτοῖς, ὅτι καθεύδουσι. Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπετάγης, ἄνθρωπε; Οὐκ ἐκέλευσέ σοι ἀργίαν ἐγκαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ πενίαν διορθοῦσθαι· οὐκ ἐποίησέ σε κατήγορον κακίας, ἀλλὰ ἰατρὸν κατέστησε συμφορᾶς· οὐχ ἵνα ὀνειδίζῃς νωθείαν, ἀλλ' ἵνα χεῖρα ὀρέγῃς τοῖς κειμένοις· οὐχ ἵνα κακίζῃς τρόπον, ἀλλ' ἵνα λύσῃς λιμόν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον ποιοῦμεν· ἀφέντες παραμυθήσασθαι τοὺς προσιόντας τῇ δόσει τῶν χρημάτων, καὶ προσεπιτρίβομεν αὐτῶν τὰ τραύματα ταῖς τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἐπαγωγαῖς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπολογεῖται τῷ πένητι, καὶ μετ' ἐπιεικείας διαλέγεται· Κλῖνον γὰρ, φησὶ, πτωχῷ ἀλύπως τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἀποκρίθητι αὐτῷ ἐν πραότητι εἰρηνικά. Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐκ ἔχω· ὃ δὲ ἔχω, τοῦτό σοι δίδωμι· ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔγειραι, καὶ περιπάτει. ∆ύο ἐνταῦθά ἐστι, πολιτεία καὶ θαῦμα. Πολιτεία, τὸ, Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι· πολιτείας γὰρ τὸ καταφρονεῖν τῶν γηΐνων πραγμάτων, τὸ ῥῖψαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, τὸ ὑπεριδεῖν τῆς παρούσης ματαιότητος· θαῦμα δὲ τὸ ἐγεῖραι τὸν χωλὸν, τὸ διορθῶσαι τὰ μέλη τὰ πεπηρωμένα. Ἰδοὺ τοίνυν καὶ πολιτεία καὶ θαῦμα. Ἴδωμεν οὖν πόθεν ὁ Πέτρος καυχᾶται. Τί εἶπεν; Ὅτι θαύματα ἐποίησε; καίτοι θαύματα ἦν πεποιηκὼς τότε· ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα, καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι. Εἶδες τὴν πολιτείαν καὶ τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν στεφανουμένην; Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Τοῦτον ἀπεδέξατο καὶ ἐπῄνεσε. Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀφέντες οἰκίας, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Οἱ ἀναστήσαντες νεκροὺς, ἀλλ' Ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀφέντες τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ὑμῶν, καθήσεσθε ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους· καὶ πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῷ πάντα, ταύτης ἀπολαύσεται τῆς τιμῆς. Οὐ δύνασαι ἀναστῆσαι χωλὸν, καθάπερ ὁ Πέτρος; Ἀλλὰ δύνασαι εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος· Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι. Κἂν τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ἐγγὺς ἐγένου τοῦ Πέτρου· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἂν