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consider it to be nothing, as indeed it is not? Cast out the desire for wealth, and you have become rich. This is the one who is rich, the one who does not wish to be rich; the one who does not wish to be poor, this is the one who is poor. Just as that man is sick who frets even in health, not he who bears sickness more easily than any health, so also here he is poor who cannot bear poverty, but in wealth considers himself poorer than the poor, not he who 62.197 bears poverty more easily than the rich; for this one is rather the richer. For tell me, why do you fear poverty? Why do you tremble? Is it not because of hunger? Is it not because of thirst? Is it not because of cold? Or is it not for these things? But there is not, there is not anyone who ever lacked these things. For look upon the ancient generations, and see; who trusted in the Lord, and was forsaken? Or who hoped in him, and was put to shame? and again, Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. No one could show us anyone who has quickly perished from hunger and cold. For what reason, then, do you tremble at poverty? You have nothing to say. For if you are well supplied with necessities, why do you tremble at it? Because you do not have a multitude of servants? This is to be released from masters, this is continual blessedness, this is freedom from care. But because utensils, and couches, and furniture made of silver are not yours? For what more in enjoyment has he who possesses these things than you? Nothing; for the things of use are equal, whether they be from this material or that. But because you are not feared by the many? May you never be; for what pleasure is it for some to tremble and fear you? but because you fear others? but there is no need to fear. For do you wish not to fear the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it. But because we are easily despised, he says, and 62.198 ready to suffer evil? In fact, it is not poverty that does this, but wickedness. Since while many poor people live their whole lives untroubled, rulers, rich men, and potentates have departed more wretchedly than all evildoers and robbers and tomb-robbers. For what poverty has in your case, wealth has in his. For just as those who wish to do evil treat you badly here because you are despised; so they treat him because of envy and malice; and these more than those; rather this compulsion to do evil is stronger. For the one who envies does everything with all his might and power, but the one who despises has often even pitied the one despised; and this very thing has become for him a cause of release, being poor, not being able to have strength; "You will achieve great things," they say to him, "if you destroy so-and-so, if you kill one poor man; how many rewards will you not enjoy?" and thus we check their anger. But over the rich, envy stands, not ceasing before it accomplishes what it wishes, and pours out its own venom. Do you see that neither poverty nor wealth is a good, but our own choice? Therefore let us regulate this, let us teach this to philosophize. If this is well-disposed, neither will wealth be able to cast us out of the kingdom, nor will poverty cause us to have less; but we shall bear poverty gently, not being harmed with respect to the enjoyment of the good things to come, nor even here; but we shall enjoy these things also, and we shall obtain the good things in the heavens; of which may it be that we all attain, and what follows.

HOMILY 3. And in this I rejoice, but I will also rejoice. For I know that this for me

will turn out for salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that

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νόμισον εἶναι μηδὲν, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδέ ἐστιν; ἔκβαλε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τοῦ πλούτου, καὶ ἐπλούτησας. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλουτῶν, ὁ μὴ θέλων πλουτεῖν· ὁ μὴ θέλων πένεσθαι, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πενόμενος. Καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος νοσῶν ὁ καὶ ἐν ὑγείᾳ ἀλύων, οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ὁ πάσης ὑγείας εὐκολώτερον τὴν νόσον φέρων, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πένης ἐστὶν ὁ μὴ δυνάμενος πενίαν ἐνεγκεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν πλούτῳ τῶν πενομένων μᾶλλον ἡγούμενος εἶναι πένης, οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ὁ 62.197 τῶν πλουτούντων μᾶλλον τὴν πενίαν εὐκολώτερον φέρων· οὗτος γάρ ἐστι μᾶλλον ὁ πλουσιώτερος. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, τὴν πενίαν διὰ τί δέδοικας; διὰ τί τρέμεις; οὐχὶ διὰ λιμόν; οὐχὶ διὰ δῖψος; οὐχὶ διὰ ψῦχος; ἢ οὐ διὰ ταῦτα; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς ὁ τούτων ἀπορήσας ποτέ. Ἐμβλέψατε γὰρ εἰς ἀρχαίας γενεὰς, καὶ ἴδετε· τίς ἐπίστευσε τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐγκατελείφθη; ἢ τίς ἤλπισεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν, καὶ κατησχύνθη; καὶ πάλιν, Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά. Οὐδένα ἂν ἔχοι τις ἡμῖν δεῖξαί τινα ταχέως διὰ λιμὸν καὶ ψῦχος ἀπολωλότα. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τρέμεις τὴν πενίαν; Οὐκ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ εὐπορεῖς τῶν ἀναγκαίων, τί δήποτε τρέμεις αὐτήν; ὅτι πλῆθος οὐκ ἔστι σοι οἰκετῶν; Τοῦτο δεσποτῶν ἐστιν ἀπαλλαγῆναι, τοῦτο μακαριότης διηνεκὴς, τοῦτο φροντίδος ἐλευθερία. Ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ σκεύη, καὶ κλῖναι, καὶ ἔπιπλα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξ ἀργυρίου κατεσκευασμένα σοι; Τί γάρ σου πλέον ἔχει κατὰ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ὁ ταῦτα κεκτημένος; Οὐδέν· τὰ γὰρ τῆς χρήσεως ἴσα, ἄν τε ἀπὸ ταύτης, ἄν τε ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς ὕλης ᾖ. Ἀλλ' ὅτι φοβερὸς οὐκ εἶ τοῖς πολλοῖς; Μηδὲ γένοιό ποτε· ποία γὰρ ἡδονὴ τρέμειν καὶ δεδοικέναι σέ τινας; ἀλλ' ὅτι ἑτέρους φοβῇ; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι φοβηθῆναι. Θέλεις γὰρ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν; τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἔξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅτι εὐκαταφρόνητοί ἐσμεν, φησὶ, καὶ 62.198 πρὸς τὸ παθεῖν ἕτοιμοι κακῶς; Μάλιστα μὲν οὐχ ἡ πενία τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἡ κακία. Ἐπεὶ πολλῶν πενήτων ἀπραγμόνως τὸν πάντα βίον διαγόντων, ἄρχοντες, πλουτοῦντες καὶ δυνάσται πάντων κακούργων καὶ λῃστῶν καὶ τυμβωρύχων ἀθλιώτερον ἀπήλλαξαν. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ σοῦ ἡ πενία, τοῦτο ἐπ' ἐκείνου ὁ πλοῦτος ἔχει. Ὥσπερ γάρ σε διὰ τὸ καταφρονεῖσθαι ἐνταῦθα ποιοῦσι κακῶς οἱ κακοῦν βουλόμενοι· οὕτως ἐκεῖνον διὰ τὸ φθονεῖν καὶ βασκαίνειν· καὶ μᾶλλον οὗτοι, ἢ ἐκεῖνοι· μᾶλλον αὕτη ἡ ἀνάγκη ἰσχυροτέρα τοῦ κακῶς ποιεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ φθονῶν, ἰσχύϊ πάσῃ καὶ δυνάμει πάντα πράττει, ὁ δὲ καταφρονῶν πολλάκις καὶ ἠλέησε τὸν καταφρονούμενον· καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ γέγονεν αὐτῷ αἴτιον ἀπαλλαγῆς, τὸ πένητα εἶναι, τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἔχειν ἰσχύν· Μεγάλα τε κατορθώσεις, λέγοντες πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἐὰν τὸν δεῖνα ἀνέλῃς, ἐὰν ἀποκτείνῃς ἕνα πένητα· πόσων οὐκ ἀπολαύσῃ μισθῶν; καὶ οὕτως αὐτῶν τὸν θυμὸν χαλῶμεν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πλουτούντων ὁ φθόνος ἐφέστηκεν, οὐ πρότερον λήγων, ἕως ἂν ὅπερ βούλεται ἐργάσηται, καὶ τὸν ἰὸν ἐκχέῃ τὸν αὑτοῦ. Ὁρᾷ ὅτι οὐχ ἡ πενία, οὐδὲ ὁ πλοῦτος ἀγαθὸν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἡμετέρα προαίρεσις; Οὐκοῦν ταύτην ῥυθμίζωμεν, ταύτην παιδεύωμεν φιλοσοφεῖν. Ἂν αὕτη καλῶς ᾖ διακειμένη, οὔτε πλοῦτος ἡμᾶς ἐκβαλεῖν τῆς βασιλείας δυνήσεται, οὔτε πενία ποιήσει ἔλαττον ἔχειν· ἀλλὰ πράως τὴν πενίαν οἴσομεν, οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἀπόλαυσιν παραβλαπτόμενοι, οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα· ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἀπολαύσομεν, καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ. Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι τοῦτό μοι

ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν δεήσεως, καὶ ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ Πνεύματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἀπο καραδοκίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα μου, ὅτι