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of the peace of Christ, which surpasses all reason and understanding? Therefore, the prophet Malachi, knowing that the transgression is difficult and excessive, said as from the person of God: My people, speak truth each one with his neighbor, and let each one not bear a grudge in his heart against his neighbor, and do not love a false oath; and you shall not die, O house of Israel, says the Lord. As if to say, if you are to be liars, grudge-bearers, perjurers, forgetting my commandments, you will surely die. Knowing all these things, therefore, beloved, let us put away all anger, and be at peace with one another, and having uprooted the root of wickedness, and having cleansed our conscience, with meekness and gentleness and much reverence let us approach the partaking of these dreadful and fearful mysteries, not pushing and kicking, nor shouting out with noises and cries, but approaching with much fear and trembling, with compunction and tears, so that the philanthropic Master, having watched over our peaceful state from above, and our unhypocritical love, and our brotherly fellowship, may deem us all worthy of these good and promised things, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
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τῆς εἰρήνης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τῆς πάντα λόγον καὶ νοῦν ὑπερεχούσης; Τοῦτο οὖν καὶ ὁ προφήτης Μαλαχίας εἰδὼς χαλεπὸν εἶναι καὶ ὑπέρογκον τὸ παράπτωμα, ἔλεγεν ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ· Λαός μου, λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕκαστος κακίαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ μὴ μνησικακείτω, καὶ ὅρκον ψευδῆ μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε· καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθανεῖτε, οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, λέγει Κύριος. Ὡς ἂν εἰ μέλλοιτε εἶναι ψεῦσται, μνησίκακοι, ἐπίορκοι, ἐπιλαθόμενοι τῶν ἐντολῶν μου, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα εἰδότες, ἀγαπητοὶ, πᾶσαν καταλύσωμεν ὀργὴν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰρηνεύσωμεν, καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν τῆς κακίας ἐκτίλαντες, καὶ καθάραντες ἡμῶν τὸ συνειδὸς, μετὰ πραότητος καὶ ἐπιεικείας καὶ πολλῆς τῆς εὐλαβείας προσίωμεν τῇ μεταλήψει τῶν φρικτῶν τούτων καὶ φοβερῶν μυστηρίων, μὴ ὠθοῦντες καὶ λακτίζοντες, μήτε κτύποις καὶ κραυγαῖς ἐκβοῶντες, ἀλλὰ φόβῳ πολλῷ καὶ τρόμῳ μετὰ κατανύξεως καὶ δακρύων προσερχόμενοι, ἵνα καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης, ἐποπτεύσας ἡμῶν ἄνωθεν τὴν εἰρηνικὴν κατάστασιν, καὶ τὴν ἀνυπόκριτον ἀγάπην, καὶ τὴν φιλάδελφον κοινωνίαν, καὶ τούτων τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀξιώσῃ, 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.