15

we see someone die, we lament, although we know that he will not be separated from us forever, but that we shall receive him again in the resurrection; but when Christ is separated from us every day, or rather when we drive Christ away from us every day, we do not grieve, nor do we think we are doing anything terrible, doing wrong, grieving, provoking, doing things that do not please Him. But this is not yet the dreadful thing, if we do not even treat Him as a friend; for I will show that we also treat Him as an enemy. How? For the mind of the flesh, says Paul, is enmity against God. And we always carry this about, but Christ who is always willing to run to us, and coming to our doors, we drive away (for evil deeds do this); and we cause Him to be insulted every day, through our covetousness, through our plundering. Is someone glorified who is successful, and speaks his own things, and benefits the Church? and we envy this man, because he does the works of God; and we seem to envy that man, but the envy passes on to Christ. No, he says, but we wish the benefit to come about not through others, but through ourselves. Not for Christ's sake, but for our own; since if it were for Christ's sake, it would have been a matter of indifference 62.520 to us whether these things were done by others, or by ourselves. For tell me, if a physician who had a child about to become blind, was himself too weak for the treatment, but found another able to do this, would he have driven him away? By no means; but he would almost say to him: Whether through you, or through me, let the benefit be done. Why? Because he does not look to his own interest, but to what is profitable for the child. So we too, if we were looking to what is Christ's, would have said, Whether through us, or through another, let what is profitable be done; Whether in truth, or in pretense, he says, Christ is proclaimed. For hear Moses saying to those who wished to provoke him, when Eldad and Medad were prophesying; Are you jealous for my sake? and would that all the Lord's people were prophets! But all these things come from vainglory. Are not these things of enemies and adversaries? Has someone spoken ill of you? You love him. And how is it possible? It is possible, and very possible, if you are willing. But if you love one who speaks well of you, you have no more grace; for you have done this not for the Lord's sake, but for the sake of the good report. Has someone harmed you? Do good; but if you benefit one who has benefited you, you have done nothing great. Have you been wronged and suffered great loss? Strive to repay with the opposite. Yes, I beseech you, let us so manage our own affairs; let us cease from wronging and hating our enemies; He commands us to love our enemies, but we persecute even Him who loves us. May it not be, he says. With our lips we all say this, but not all in our deeds. So great is the darkening of sin, that things which are not tolerable in word, these are tolerable in deed. Let us at some time or other cease from the things that harm and ruin our salvation, that we may obtain those things which it is fitting for friends to obtain. For I will, He says, that where I am, there my disciples may be also, that they may behold my glory. May it be that we all attain this, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY IV. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to

15

ἀποθανόντα ἴδωμεν, ὀλοφυρόμεθα, καίτοι γε εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ διαπαντὸς ἡμῶν διαστήσεται, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἀποληψόμεθα· τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ χωριζομένου ἡμῶν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπελαύνοντες ἀφ' ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἀλγοῦμεν, οὐδὲ δεινόν τι ποιεῖν νομίζομεν, ἀδικοῦντες, λυποῦντες, παροξύνοντες, τὰ μὴ δοκοῦντα αὐτῷ πράσσοντες. Ἀλλ' οὔπω τοῦτο φρικτὸν, εἰ μηδὲ ὡς φίλῳ αὐτῷ κεχρήμεθα· ἐγὼ γὰρ δείξω, ὅτι καὶ ὡς ἐχθρῷ αὐτῷ χρώμεθα. Πῶς; Τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος, ἔχθρα εἰς Θεόν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦτο μὲν ἀεὶ περιφέρομεν, τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν ἀεὶ βουλόμενον ἡμῖν ἐπιτρέχειν, καὶ πρὸς τὰς θύρας ἡμῶν ἐρχόμενον διώκομεν (αἱ γὰρ πονηραὶ πράξεις τοῦτο ἐργάζονται)· καὶ ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν ὑβρίζεσθαι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, διὰ τὰς πλεονεξίας ἡμῶν, διὰ τὰς ἁρπαγάς. ∆οξάζεταί τις εὐδοκιμῶν, καὶ τὰ αὑτοῦ φθεγγόμενος, καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ὠφελῶν; καὶ ἡμεῖς τούτῳ φθονοῦμεν, ὅτι τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐργάζεται· καὶ δοκοῦμεν μὲν φθονεῖν ἐκείνῳ, ὁ δὲ φθόνος διαβαίνει εἰς Χριστόν. Οὒ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ βουλόμεθα οὐ δι' ἑτέρων, ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμῶν τὴν ὠφέλειαν γίνεσθαι. Οὐ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς· ἐπεὶ εἰ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἀδιάφορον ἂν ἦν 62.520 ἡμῖν τὸ καὶ δι' ἑτέρων, καὶ δι' ἡμῶν ταῦτα γίνεσθαι. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τις ἰατρὸς παῖδα ἔχων τυφλοῦσθαι μέλλοντα, αὐτὸς μὲν ἐξασθενήσει πρὸς τὴν ἰατρείαν, ἕτερον δὲ εὕροι δυνάμενον τοῦτο ἐργάζεσθαι, ἆρα ἂν ἀπήλασεν αὐτόν; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ μονονουχὶ ἐρεῖ πρὸς αὐτόν· Εἴτε διὰ σοῦ, εἴτε δι' ἐμοῦ, τὰ τῆς ὠφελείας γινέσθω. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι οὐ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ὁρᾷ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῷ παιδὶ συμφέρον. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς, εἰ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἑωρῶμεν, εἴπομεν ἂν, Εἴτε δι' ἡμῶν, εἴτε δι' ἑτέρου τινὸς, τὸ λυσιτελὲς γινέσθω· Εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ, εἴτε προφάσει, φησὶ, Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται. Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Μωϋσέως λέγοντος πρὸς τοὺς παροξῦναι αὐτὸν βουλομένους, ἡνίκα οἱ περὶ Ἐλδὰδ καὶ Μωδὰδ προεφήτευον· Μὴ ζηλοῖς σὺ ἐμοί· καὶ τίς δῴη πάντα τὸν λαὸν Κυρίου προφήτας εἶναι; Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἀπὸ φιλοδοξίας γίνεται. Ἆρα οὐκ ἐχθρῶν ταῦτα καὶ πολεμίων; Εἶπέ σέ τις κακῶς; ἀγάπησον αὐτὸν σύ. Καὶ πῶς δυνατόν; ∆υνατὸν, καὶ σφόδρα δυνατὸν, ἐὰν θέλῃς. Ἂν δὲ καλῶς εἰπόντα φιλήσῃς, οὐκ ἔτι σοι χάρις· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν εὐφημίαν τοῦτο πεποίηκας. Ἔβλαψέ σέ τις; εὐεργέτησον· ἂν δὲ ὠφελήσαντα ὠφελήσῃς, οὐδὲν μέγα πεποίηκας. Ἠδικήθης καὶ ἐζημιώθης τὰ μεγάλα; τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀμείψασθαι σπούδασον. Ναὶ, παρακαλῶ, οὕτω διοικῶμεν τὰ καθ' ἑαυτούς· παυσώμεθα τοῦ ἀδικεῖν καὶ μισεῖν τοὺς ἐχθρούς· αὐτὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς κελεύει φιλεῖν, ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν φιλοῦντα διώκομεν. Μὴ γένοιτο, φησί. Τῷ ῥήματι τοῦτο πάντες φθεγγόμεθα, διὰ δὲ τῶν ἔργων οὐ πάντες. Τοσαύτη ἡ τῆς ἁμαρτίας σκότωσις, ὅτι ἅπερ οὐκ ἔστι λόγῳ φορητὰ, ταῦτα δι' ἔργων φορητά ἐστιν. Ἀπιστῶμεν ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε τῶν βλαπτόντων καὶ λυμαινομένων ἡμῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἵνα τύχωμεν ὧν τοὺς φίλους εἰκὸς τυχεῖν. Θέλω γὰρ, φησὶν, ἵν', ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, ὦσι καὶ οἱ μαθηταί μου, ἵνα τὴν δόξαν ὁρῶσι τὴν ἐμήν. Ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ∆ʹ. Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθην, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν ἅπασαν μακροθυμίαν, πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἰς