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For we will shun the foolishness of the foolish, and emulate the wisdom of the wise. 38. But let us also be ready for the resurrection of the Lord from the dead. Let us not prepare things for the stomach for luxury. Let us not heap up many garments for the body, nor useless luxury of perfumes, nor revelings and drunkennesses, and their companion beds and licentiousness; let us not be high-minded against the poor; let us not kindle a desire for vainglory, and spit out the sober reins of desire; let us not become like horses mad for females, raging disorderly for others' vessels; let us not sow into the flesh the kindlings of fire; let us not be stolen by the foul bait of gold and silver and precious stones; lest, while others are hungry, our full table should stir up for us the untamable worm of Gehenna. For behold, the Bridegroom rises; behold, the King of kings comes forth from the tomb. Let us prepare ourselves, so that we may not be deprived of the joy. Let us become approved money-changers, distinguishing the better from the worse, and let us burn the one with the fire of divine zeal and love, but lay up the other in our own treasuries. Let us restrain anger and desire; let us wither the appetite of the stomach; let us gird ourselves with sobriety through continence and a humble heart; let us cast down pride through simplicity and remembrance of death; let us become all things to all people; let us bear revilings nobly; being wronged, let us rejoice in hope. For the fashion of this world passes away, and everything now seen passes by. 39. Above all, let this mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus, who loved us while we were enemies, and having loved had mercy, and having had mercy humbled Himself, and having humbled, saved. For from love comes mercy, and from mercy humility, and from humility salvation and exaltation. If we live in this way, we will now indeed be set free from the present sorrows. If we cast off 96.644 the yoke of the passions, we will also shake off the harness of the tyrants, and just as the sorrows came from the better things, so also from the sorrows the better things will return, and we will recover our ancient boldness, and we will purely celebrate a festival of exodus to the Lord God, and we will be delivered from the blasphemous voice that is raised against the Creator, and the polity of the Church will be in peace; and then with bright lamps we will splendidly go to meet the conqueror of death, the immortal bridegroom, and the undefiled bridal chamber will receive us, and with unveiled face we will behold the glory of the Lord, and we will delight in His beauty, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, honor, worship and majesty, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
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γὰρ τῶν μωρῶν μὲν τὴν ἀφροσύνην ἐκκλινοῦμεν, τῶν δὲ φρονίμων τὴν σοφίαν ζηλώσομεν. ληʹ. Γενώμεθα δὲ ἕτοιμοι καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν. Μὴ τῇ γαστρὶ τὰ πρὸς τρυφὴν εὐτρεπίσωμεν. Μὴ σώματι πολλὰ σωρεύσωμεν περιβόλαια, μὴ μύρων πολυτέλειαν ἄχρηστον, μὴ κώμας καὶ μέθας, καὶ τὰς τούτων συζύγους κοίτας καὶ ἀσελγείας· μὴ φρονήσωμεν μέγα κατὰ τοῦ πένητος· μὴ δόξης κενῆς ἐκκαύσωμεν ὄρεξιν, καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τοὺς σώφρονας χαλινοὺς ἀποπτύσωμεν· μὴ θηλυμανεῖς ἵπποι γενώμεθα, τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις σκεύεσιν ἀτάκτως ἐπιμαινόμενοι· μὴ σπείρωμεν εἰς τὴν σάρκα τὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐκκαύματα· μὴ κλαπῶμεν χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἀργύρου, καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν μιαρῷ δελεάσματι· μὴ ἄλλων πεινώντων, ἡμῖν ἡ τράπεζα πλήθουσα διεγείρῃ τὸν τῆς γεέννης ἀτίθασσον σκώληκα. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁ Νύμφιος ἀνίσταται· ἰδοὺ ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων ἐκ τάφου προέρχεται. Ἑτοιμασθῶμεν, ἵνα μὴ τῆς χαρᾶς ἀμοιρήσωμεν. Γενώμεθα δόκιμοι τραπεζῖται, τὸ κρεῖττον τοῦ χείρονος διακρίνοντες, καὶ τὸ μὲν πυρὶ θείου ζήλου καὶ ἔρωτος φλέξωμεν, τὸ δὲ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ταμιείοις ἐναποθώμεθα. Θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν κολάσωμεν· γαστρὸς μαράνωμεν ὄρεξιν· σωφροσύνην δι' ἐγκρατείας καὶ ταπεινῆς καρδίας περιζωσώμεθα· τύφον δι' εὐτελείας καὶ θανάτου καταβάλωμεν μνήμης· τοῖς πᾶσι τὰ πάντα γενώμεθα· λοιδορίας γενναίως ἐνέγκωμεν· ἀδικούμενοι τῇ ἐλπίδι χαίρωμεν. Παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, καὶ παροδεύει πᾶν τὸ νῦν καθορώμενον. λθʹ. Ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῦτο φρονείσθω ἐν ἡμῖν, ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐχθροὺς ὄντας ἡμᾶς ἠγάπησε, καὶ ἀγαπήσας ἠλέησε, καὶ ἐλεήσας ἑαυτὸν ἐταπείνωσε, καὶ ταπεινώσας ἔσωσεν. Ἐκ γὰρ ἀγάπης προέρχεται ἔλεος, καὶ ἐξ ἐλέους ταπείνωσις, ἐκ ταπεινώσεως δὲ σωτηρία καὶ ὕψωσις. Ἂν οὕτω πολιτευσώμεθα, νῦν μὲν τῶν ἐπικειμένων λυπηρῶν ἐλευθερωσόμεθα. Ἂν τὸν ζυγὸν τῶν παθῶν ἀποῤῥίψω 96.644 μεν, καὶ τῶν τυράννων τὴν ζεύγλην ἀποσεισόμεθα, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ τῶν κρειττόνων ἦλθε τὰ λυπηρὰ, οὕτω καὶ ἐκ τῶν λυπηρῶν ἐπανελεύσεται τὰ χρηστότερα, καὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν παῤῥησίαν ἀπολειψόμεθα, καὶ καθαρῶς ἑορτάσομεν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἑορτὴν ἐξόδιον, καὶ τῆς βλασφήμου φωνῆς τῆς ἐπαιρομένης κατὰ τοῦ κτίσαντος ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα, καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἔσται τὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πολίτευμα· ἔπειτα δὲ φαιδραῖς ταῖς λαμπάσι τῷ νικητῇ τοῦ θανάτου, τῷ ἀθανάτῳ νυμφίῳ λαμπρῶς ὑπαντήσομεν, καὶ ὁ νυμφὼν ἡμᾶς ὁ ἄχραντος ὑποδέξεται, καὶ ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτισόμεθα, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ κατατρυφήσομεν ὡραιότητος, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, τιμὴ, προσκύνησις καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια, νῦν τε καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.