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to ask for many things, is very audacious and requires great boldness; but for many to come together as one, to make supplication for one, will not seem burdensome at all. For it is possible to pray even at home; but to pray in such a way as in the church is impossible, where there is such a multitude of fathers, where a cry is sent up to God with one accord. You are not heard in the same way when you entreat the Lord by yourself, as when you do so with your brethren. For here there is something more, such as unanimity and concord, and the bond of love, and the prayers of the priests. For this reason the priests stand by, so that the prayers of the people, being weaker, may take hold of these more powerful ones 63.587 and ascend together with them to heaven. For if the prayer of the Church benefitted Peter, and brought that pillar out of the prison; how can you despise its power, tell me? For just as the power of love is not separated by distance of place, so neither is the energy of prayer; but just as the former binds together those who are distant from one another, so also the latter will be able to benefit greatly those who are far away. For even Moses, though he was not present in body with those who were fighting, contributed no less than the combatants, but even much more to that battle by the stretching out of his hands, lifting up the affairs of his own people, and making things fearful for the enemies. For no good deed can be exceedingly great, when the profit does not also spread to others. For even if you remain without food, even if you sleep on the ground, even if you eat ashes, even if you lament continually, and benefit no one else, you do nothing great. For many and great wonders and signs were worked by Moses; but nothing made him so great as that blessed utterance, which he sent forth to God, saying: If you will forgive their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me out too. And David, showing this same thing, said: I the shepherd have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand be against me, and against my father's house. These things, then, are great, and worthy of an angelic way of life; but that of Paul has a great excess beyond these; for he prayed to fall away from the glory to come for the sake of others' salvation. But Jonah, because he sought his own advantage, was both in danger of perishing, and while the city stood, he himself was sunk in the sea. Great, then, are also the other achievements of the virtue of Moses; but the chief point and the crown of that holy soul is that he chose to be blotted out of the book for the sake of the salvation of the Jews. But that of Paul by a great abundance surpassed it. For the one chose to perish with others; but this one prayed not to perish with others, but that while others were being saved he himself might fall from the infinite glory. It is good, then, to benefit from the prayer of the saints, but only when we ourselves are also active; since, if this is not added, not even the help of others benefits us, but we perish even with it. For what did Jeremiah benefit the Jews? Did he not come to God a third time, and hear a third time, "Do not pray, and do not ask concerning this people, for I will not hear you"? What did Samuel benefit Saul, praying until his last day, and mourning for him? And what did he benefit the Israelites? Did he not say, "Far be it from me that I should sin by ceasing to pray for you"? Did they not all perish? For hear God saying through the prophet: If Noah and Job and Daniel should stand, they will not deliver their sons and their daughters, because their wickedness has prevailed. What then? Do prayers benefit nothing? They do benefit, and greatly, but when we also cooperate. And if you wish to learn how much they have benefitted, consider for me Cornelius, Tabitha; and hear also God saying: I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake. But when? In the time of Hezekiah the righteous. Since if prayers were powerful even for the exceedingly wicked, why did God not say this also when Nebuchadnezzar came, but gave 63.588 up the city? Because wickedness prevailed more. And

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πολλῶν ἀξιοῦν, σφόδρα τολμηρὸν καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον παῤῥησίας· πολλοὺς δὲ ὁμοῦ συνελθόντας, ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν δέησιν, οὐδὲν φορτικὸν φανήσεται. Εὔξασθαι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας δυνατόν· οὕτω δὲ εὔξασθαι, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἀδύνατον, ὅπου πατέρων πλῆθος τοσοῦτον, ὅπου βοὴ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἀναπέμπεται. Οὐχ οὕτως ἀκούῃ κατὰ σαυτὸν τὸν ∆εσπότην παρακαλῶν, ὡς μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν σῶν. Ἐνταῦθα γάρ ἐστι τὸ πλέον, οἷον ἡ ὁμόνοια καὶ ἡ συμφωνία, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ὁ σύνδεσμος, καὶ αἱ τῶν ἱερέων εὐχαί. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἱερεῖς παρεστήκασιν, ἵνα αἱ τοῦ πλήθους εὐχαὶ ἀσθενέστεραι οὖσαι, τῶν δυνατωτέρων τού 63.587 των ἐπιλαβόμεναι, ὁμοῦ συνέλθωσιν αὐταῖς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Εἰ γὰρ Πέτρον ὠφέλησε τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ εὐχὴ, καὶ τὸν στύλον ἐκεῖνον ἐξέβαλε τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου· πῶς σὺ καταφρονεῖς τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῆς, εἰπέ μοι; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης δύναμις οὐ διείργεται διαστήματι τόπου, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡ τῆς εὐχῆς ἐνέργεια· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκείνη τοὺς ἀλλήλων ἀφεστηκότας συνδεῖ, οὕτω καὶ αὕτη τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελεῖν δυνήσεται. Καὶ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς, εἰ καὶ μὴ παρῆν τῷ σώματι τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν, οὐδὲν ἔλαττον τῶν πολεμούντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον εἰς τὴν μάχην συνετέλεσεν ἐκείνην τῇ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκτάσει τὰ πράγματα τῶν οἰκείων ἐπαίρων, καὶ φοβερὰ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ποιῶν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ κατόρθωμα σφόδρα μέγα εἶναι δύναιτ' ἂν, ὅταν μὴ τὸ κέρδος καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους διαδιδῶ. Κἂν γὰρ ἄσιτος μένῃς, κἂν χαμαὶ καθεύδῃς, κἂν τέφραν ἐσθίῃς, κἂν θρηνῇς διαπαντὸς, καὶ μηδένα ἕτερον ὠφελῇς, οὐδὲν μέγα ἐργάζῃ. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα εἰργάσθη θαύματα καὶ σημεῖα· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν οὕτως αὐτὸν μέγαν ἐποίησεν, ὡς ἡ μακαρία ἐκείνη φωνὴ, ἣν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀφῆκε λέγων· Εἰ μὲν ἀφῇς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μὴ, κἀμὲ ἐξάλειψον. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐνδεικνύμενος, ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ ὁ ποιμὴν ἥμαρτον, καὶ ἐγὼ ἐκακοποίησα· καὶ οὗτοι τὸ ποίμνιον τί ἐποίησαν; Γενέσθω ἡ χείρ σου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου. Μεγάλα μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἀγγελικῆς ἄξια πολιτείας· τὸ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν ὑπερβολὴν πρὸς ταῦτα· τῆς γὰρ δόξης τῆς μελλούσης ηὔξατο ἐκπεσεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑτέρων σωτηρίας. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωνᾶς ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ συμφέρον ἐζήτησε, καὶ ἀπολέσθαι ἐκινδύνευσε, καὶ ἡ μὲν πόλις εἱστήκει, αὐτὸς δὲ κατεποντίζετο. Μεγάλα μὲν οὖν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τῆς τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἀρετῆς κατορθώματα· τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον καὶ ἡ κορωνὶς τῆς ἁγίας ψυχῆς ἐκείνης, ὅτι ἐξαλειφθῆναι εἵλετο τῆς βίβλου ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Τὸ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ὑπερηκόντισεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ συναπολέσθαι ἑτέροις ᾑρεῖτο· οὗτος δὲ οὐ συναπολέσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑτέρων σωζομένων αὐτὸς ἐκπεσεῖν ηὔχετο τῆς δόξης τῆς ἀπεράντου. Καλὸν οὖν εὐχῆς ἀπολαύειν τῆς τῶν ἁγίων, ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐνεργοὶ ὦμεν· ὡς, ἂν μὴ τοῦτο προσῇ, οὐδὲ ἡ ἑτέρων ὀνίνησι βοήθεια, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετ' ἐκείνης ἀπολλύμεθα. Τί γὰρ ὠφέλησεν Ἱερεμίας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους; οὐχὶ τρίτον προσῆλθε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τρίτον ἤκουσε, Μὴ προσεύχου, καὶ μὴ ἀξίου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαί σου; Τί ὠφέλησε τὸν Σαοὺλ ὁ Σαμουὴλ, μέχρις ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας εὐχόμενος, καὶ πενθῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ; Τί δαὶ καὶ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ὠφέλησεν; οὐχὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο ἁμαρτεῖν διαλείποντα εὐχόμενον ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν; οὐχὶ πάντες ἀπώλοντο; Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἐὰν στῇ Νῶε καὶ Ἰὼβ καὶ ∆ανιὴλ, οὐκ ἐξελοῦνται τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας, ἐπειδὴ ὑπερίσχυσεν ἡ κακία αὐτῶν. Τί οὖν; οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦσιν αἱ εὐχαί; Ὠφελοῦσι καὶ μεγάλα, ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ ἡμεῖς συμπράττωμεν. Καὶ εἰ βούλει μαθεῖν ὅσα ὠφέλησαν, ἐννόει μοι τὸν Κορνήλιον, τὴν Ταβιθά· ἄκουε δὲ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος· Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ ∆αυῒδ τὸν παῖδά μου. Ἀλλὰ πότε; ἐπὶ Ἐζεκίου τοῦ δικαίου. Ἐπεὶ εἴ γε ἴσχυον εὐχαὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σφόδρα πονηρῶν, διὰ τί μὴ καὶ ὅτε ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἦλθεν, εἶπε τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐξ 63.588 έδωκε τὴν πόλιν; Ἐπειδὴ μεῖζον ἴσχυσεν ἡ πονηρία. Καὶ