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there you may have an accuser before the tribunal of the Lord. One way of repentance, therefore, is this, the best one: but there is also another no less than this, not to bear a grudge against enemies, to control anger, to forgive the sins of fellow-servants; for in this way our sins against the Master will also be forgiven us. behold also a second purification from sins. For if you forgive, he says, your debtors, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Do you wish to learn also a third way of repentance? Fervent and precise prayer, and to do this from the deepest heart. Have you not seen that widow, how she persuaded the shameless judge? But you have a gentle and mild and benevolent 49.264 Master; she asked against her enemies, but you do not ask against enemies, but for your own salvation. And if you wish to learn a fourth, I will speak of almsgiving; for this has great and unspeakable power. For indeed to Nebuchadnezzar, who had come to every form of evil, and had committed every impiety, Daniel says: O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; redeem your sins by almsgiving and your iniquities by compassion for the poor. What could be equal to this philanthropy? After myriad sins, after so many transgressions, he promises to be reconciled to the one who has offended, if he will be philanthropic to his fellow-servants. And to be moderate and humble no less than all that has been said consumes the nature of sins. and the publican is a witness, having no good deeds to speak of, but offering humility instead of all, and putting off the heavy burden of sins. Behold, we have shown five ways of repentance: first, the condemnation of one's sins; second, the forgiveness of the sins of one's neighbors; third, that which comes from prayer; fourth, that from almsgiving; fifth, that from humility. Therefore, do not be idle, but travel all these each day; for the ways are easy, and you cannot put forward poverty as an excuse. but even if you live poorer than all, you will be able to forgive anger and be humble, and pray earnestly, and condemn your sins, and nowhere is poverty an obstacle. And what am I saying here, when not even on that way of repentance, on which it is possible to spend money—I mean almsgiving—not even there does poverty hinder us at all from the commandment? And the widow who put in the two mites has shown this. Having learned, therefore, the cure for our wounds, let us continually apply these remedies, so that having returned to true health, we may both partake of the holy table with confidence, and with much glory meet Christ the king of glory, and attain the eternal good things, by the grace and mercies and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, power, honor, together with the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. That evil comes from indolence, and virtue from diligence, and that neither wicked men, nor the devil himself can harm the vigilant man; and the proof is from many other places, and from the stories of

Adam and Job.

Homily 3. 1. We, the day before yesterday, were addressing the sermons about the devil to your charity; but others, the day before yesterday, when sermons were being delivered here

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ἐκεῖ κατήγορον ἔχῃς ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Κυρίου. Μία μὲν οὖν μετανοίας ὁδὸς, ἀρίστη αὕτη· ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἑτέρα ταύτης οὐκ ἐλάττων, τὸ μὴ μνησικακεῖν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, τὸ κρατεῖν ὀργῆς, τὸ ἀφιέναι τὰ συνδουλικὰ ἁμαρτήματα· οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀφεθήσεται καὶ τὰ εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην γεγενημένα· ἰδοὺ καὶ δεύτερον ἁμαρτημάτων καθάρσιον· Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε, φησὶ, τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ἀφήσει ὑμῖν. Βούλει καὶ τρίτην μαθεῖν μετανοίας ὁδόν; Εὐχὴ ζέουσα καὶ ἀκριβὴς, καὶ ἀπὸ βαθυτάτης καρδίας τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Οὐκ εἶδες ἐκείνην τὴν χήραν, πῶς τὸν ἀναίσχυντον δικαστὴν ἐπεσπάσατο; Σὺ δὲ ἥμερον ἔχεις ∆εσπότην καὶ προσηνῆ καὶ φιλάνθρω 49.264 πον· ἐκείνη κατ' ἐχθρῶν ᾔτει, σὺ δὲ οὐ κατ' ἐχθρῶν αἰτεῖς, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς σεαυτοῦ σωτηρίας. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τετάρτην θέλεις μαθεῖν, τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐρῶ· πολλὴν γὰρ δύναμιν αὕτη ἔχει, καὶ ἄφατον· καὶ γὰρ τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ εἰς πᾶν εἶδος κακίας ἐλθόντι, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν ἐπελθόντι, φησὶν ὁ ∆ανιήλ· Βασιλεῦ, ἡ βουλή μου ἀρεσάτω σοι· τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις λύτρωσαι καὶ τὰς ἀνομίας σου ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς πενήτων. Τί γένοιτο ταύτης ἴσον τῆς φιλανθρωπίας; Μετὰ μυρία ἁμαρτήματα, μετὰ τοσαύτας παρανομίας ἐπαγγέλλεται καταλλάττεσθαι τῷ προσκεκρουκότι, εἰ τοῖς συνδούλοις φιλανθρωπεύσεται τοῖς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τὸ μετριάζειν δὲ καὶ ταπεινοφρονεῖν τῶν εἰρημένων ἁπάντων οὐχ ἧττον δαπανᾷ ἁμαρτημάτων φύσιν· καὶ μάρτυς ὁ τελώνης, κατορθώματα μὲν οὐκ ἔχων εἰπεῖν, ἀντὶ δὲ πάντων τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην προσφέρων, καὶ τὸ βαρὺ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀποτιθέμενος φορτίον. Ἰδοὺ πέντε μετανοίας ὁδοὺς ἐδείξαμεν, πρώτην τὴν κατάγνωσιν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων, δευτέραν τὸ ἀφεῖναι τοῖς πλησίον τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, τρίτην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐχῆς γιγνομένην, τετάρτην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης, πέμπτην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης. Μὴ τοίνυν ἄργει, ἀλλὰ πάσας ταύτας καθ' ἑκάστην ὅδευε τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ γὰρ εὔκολοι αἱ ὁδοὶ, καὶ οὐκ ἔχεις προβαλέσθαι πενίαν· ἀλλὰ κἂν ἁπάντων πτωχότερον βιοῖς, καὶ ὀργὴν ἀφεῖναι καὶ ταπεινοφρονῆσαι δυνήσῃ, καὶ εὔξασθαι ἐκτενῶς, καὶ καταγνῶναι τῶν ἡμαρτημένων, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ κώλυμα ἡ πενία γίνεται. Καὶ τί λέγω ἐνταῦθα, ὅπου οὐδὲ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὁδῷ τῆς μετανοίας, ἐν ᾗ χρήματα καταβαλεῖν ἔστι τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην λέγω, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ κωλύει τι πρὸς ἐντολὴν ἡμᾶς ἡ πενία; Καὶ ἐδήλωσεν ἡ τὰ δύο λεπτὰ καταβαλοῦσα χήρα. Μαθόντες οὖν τὴν θεραπείαν τῶν ἡμετέρων τραυμάτων, συνεχῆ ταῦτα ἐπιθῶμεν τὰ φάρμακα, ἵνα πρὸς ὑγίειαν ἐπανελθόντες τὴν ἀληθῆ, καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς τραπέζης μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἀπολαύσωμεν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς δόξης ἀπαντήσωμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ τῆς δόξης Χριστῷ, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, ἅμα τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Ὅτι ἐκ ῥᾳθυμίας ἡ κακία, καὶ ἀπὸ σπουδῆς ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε οἱ ἄνθρωποι πονηροὶ, οὔτε αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος τὸν νήφοντα παραβλάψαι δύναται· καὶ ἡ ἀπόδειξις ἄλλοθέν τε πολλαχόθεν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὸν

Ἀδὰμ καὶ τὸν Ἰώβ.

Ὁμιλία γʹ. αʹ. Ἡμεῖς μὲν πρὸ τῆς χθὲς ἡμέρας τοὺς περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου λόγους πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην ἐκινοῦμεν τὴν ὑμετέραν· ἕτεροι δὲ πρὸ τῆς χθὲς ἡμέρας, λόγων κινουμένων ἐνταῦθα