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then, let us rejoice together today. Thus also Paul commanded, Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. And it is necessary to do this not only for the people who flourished with us, but also for those who lived long ago. And let no one say to me: Yes, what profit will there be for me from Anna, and from her stories? For both the barren will be able to learn how they might become mothers; and the mothers will know in turn what would be the best way of raising children. And not only women, but also men will reap the greatest fruits from this story, being taught to be disposed gently toward their own wives, even if they suffer from childlessness, just as Elkanah was disposed toward Anna. Not only this, but they will also gain another greater thing than this, learning that all parents ought to raise the children born to them for God. Therefore, let us not think our hearing is useless because it is not possible to receive money and silver from the story, but on the contrary, for this very reason let us consider it profitable and beneficial, since it shows us not gold and silver, but what is much greater than these, piety of soul, and the treasures in the heavens, and it teaches how we shall overcome every danger. For it is easy even for humans to provide money; but to correct nature, and to loose such despondency, and to take away pain, and to raise up a soul about to fall, is possible for no human, but only for the Master of nature. But you, if, having an incurable sickness, and having gone around the entire city, and having spent money, and having used many physicians, and having found no comfort, you met a woman who had suffered the same affliction and was delivered from it, would you not stop supplicating, exhorting, begging, so as to persuade her to show you the one who delivered her? but now seeing Anna standing in the midst, and explaining her affliction, and telling of the medicine, and pointing out the physician without supplication, without exhortation, will you not approach and receive the medicine, nor listen to the story with all accuracy? And what good will you ever be able to obtain? But others have often crossed 54.654 long seas, and have made a long journey from home, and have spent money, and have endured labor, that they might see the physician who was pointed out in a foreign land, and this without being very confident that they would by all means be delivered from their sickness; but you, O woman, not about to set out on a journey across the sea, nor to move abroad, nor to endure any such labor; and what am I saying, abroad? not even being compelled to cross the threshold of your house, but even being able in your own chamber to meet with the physician, and without any mediator to converse with him about all that you wish—for I am a God at hand, he says, and not a God afar off—do you put it off and hesitate? And what defense will you have? what pardon will you enjoy, when, being able to find an easy and in every way ready deliverance from your besetting evils, you are indolent, and betray your own salvation? For indeed this physician can cure not only barrenness, but also any sickness whatever both of soul and body, by merely willing it. And not only is this wonderful, that it is without labor, and a journey from home, and expense, and mediators, but that he also performs the cure without pain. For he does not stand against the affliction with iron and fire, as the sons of physicians do; but it is enough to nod only, and all despondency, and all pain, and every affliction runs away and is put to flight. 2. Therefore let us not be neglectful, nor let us put it off, even if we are poor and have fallen into extreme want. For there is no money to pay down, that we should plead poverty. For this physician does not demand silver as his fee, but tears, and prayers, and faith. And if you come to him having these things, you will by all means receive whatever you ask, and you will depart with much gladness. And it is possible to learn this from many sources, and not least also from this woman; for not by paying down gold and silver, but prayer and faith

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τότε, συνησθῶμεν σήμερον. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσε, Χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, καὶ κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν συνακμασάντων ἡμῖν ἀνθρώπων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πάλαι γεγενημένων ποιεῖν χρή. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις· Ναὶ τί μοι κέρδος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἄννης ἔσται, καὶ τῶν ταύτης διηγημάτων; Αἵ τε γὰρ στεῖραι δυνήσονται μαθεῖν, πῶς ἂν γένοιντο μητέρες· καὶ αἱ μητέρες εἴσονται πάλιν, ποῖος παιδοτροφίας ἄριστος ἂν γένοιτο τρόπος. Οὐ γυναῖκες δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνδρες μέγιστα ἀπὸ τῆς ἱστορίας ταύτης καρπώσονται, παιδευθέντες ἡμέρως πρὸς τὰς αὐτῶν διακεῖσθαι γυναῖκας, κἂν ἀπαιδίαν νοσῶσι, καθάπερ ὁ Ἐλκανὰ πρὸς τὴν Ἄνναν διέκειτο. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον τούτου μεῖζον κερδανοῦσι, μαθόντες ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς γονεῖς ἅπαντας τῷ Θεῷ τὰ τεχθέντα τρέφειν παιδία. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ χρήματα καὶ ἀργύριον οὐκ ἔστι λαβεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ διηγήματος, ἀνόνητον ἡμῖν εἶναι τὴν ἀκρόασιν νομίζωμεν, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο κερδαλέαν καὶ ὠφέλιμον, ἐπειδὴ οὐ χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον, ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ μεῖζον τούτων ἐστὶ, ψυχῆς εὐλάβειαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἡμῖν δείκνυσι θησαυροὺς, καὶ διδάσκει πῶς ἅπαντα διακρουσόμεθα κίνδυνον. Χρήματα μὲν γὰρ παρασχεῖν καὶ ἀνθρώποις ῥᾴδιον· διορθῶσαι δὲ φύσιν, καὶ ἀθυμίαν λῦσαι τοιαύτην, καὶ ὀδύνην ἀνελεῖν, καὶ ψυχὴν ἀναστῆσαι καταπίπτειν μέλλουσαν, ἀνθρώπῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ, τῷ δὲ τῆς φύσεως ∆εσπότῃ μόνῳ δυνατόν. Σὺ δὲ, εἰ μὲν νόσημα ἀνίατον ἔχουσα, καὶ τὴν πόλιν περιελθοῦσα ἅπασαν, καὶ χρήματα δαπανήσασα, καὶ ἰατροῖς χρησαμένη πολλοῖς, καὶ μηδεμίαν εὑροῦσα παραμυθίαν, ἐνέτυχες γυναικὶ τὸ αὐτὸ παθούσῃ πάθος καὶ ἀπαλλαγείσῃ, οὐκ ἂν ἀπέστης ἱκετεύουσα, παρακαλοῦσα, δεομένη, ὥστε πεῖσαι τὸν ἀπαλλάξαντα δεῖξαι· νυνὶ δὲ ὁρῶσα Ἄνναν ἑστῶσαν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ, καὶ τὸ πάθος αὐτῆς ἐξηγουμένην, καὶ τὸ φάρμακον λέγουσαν, καὶ τὸν ἰατρὸν δεικνύουσαν χωρὶς ἱκετηρίας, χωρὶς παρακλήσεως, οὐ προσελεύσῃ καὶ λήψῃ τὸ φάρμακον, οὐδὲ ἀκούσῃ τῆς ἱστορίας μετ' ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης; Καὶ τίνος δυνήσῃ ποτὲ ἐπιτυχεῖν ἀγαθοῦ; Ἀλλ' ἕτεροι μὲν καὶ πελάγη 54.654 διέβαλον μακρὰ πολλάκις, καὶ πολλὴν ἀποδημίαν ἐστείλαντο, καὶ χρήματα ἐδαπάνησαν, καὶ πόνον ὑπέμειναν, ἵνα τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας μηνυθέντα ἰατρὸν ἴδωσι, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ σφόδρα θαῤῥοῦντες, ὅτι πάντως ἀπαλλαγήσονται τοῦ νοσήματος· σὺ δὲ, ὦ γύναι, οὐ διαπόντιον ἀποδημίαν στέλλεσθαι μέλλουσα, οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν ὑπερορίαν μετοικίζεσθαι, οὐδὲ πόνον τινὰ τοιοῦτον ὑπομένειν· καὶ τί λέγω τὴν ὑπερορίαν; οὐδὲ αὐτὸν μὲν οὖν τὸν οὐδὸν ἀναγκαζομένη τῆς οἰκίας ὑπερβῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ δυναμένη τῷ θαλάμῳ συγγενέσθαι τῷ ἰατρῷ, καὶ χωρὶς μεσίτου τινὸς αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι περὶ πάντων ὧν ἂν ἐθέλῃς Θεὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν, ἀναβάλλῃ καὶ ὀκνεῖς; Καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις ἀπολογίαν; τίνος ἀπολαύσῃ συγγνώμης, ὅταν καὶ εὔκολον καὶ πανταχόθεν ῥᾳδίαν τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν ἀπαλλαγὴν εὑρεῖν δυναμένη, ῥᾳθυμῇς, καὶ τὴν σαυτῆς σωτηρίαν προδιδῷς; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον στείρωσιν ὁ ἰατρὸς οὗτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν νόσημα καὶ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος θεραπεῦσαι δύναται, θελήσας μόνον. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι χωρὶς πόνου, καὶ ἀποδημίας, καὶ δαπάνης, καὶ μεσιτῶν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ χωρὶς ἀλγηδόνος τὴν ἰατρείαν ποιεῖται. Οὐ γὰρ σιδήρῳ καὶ πυρὶ πρὸς τὸ πάθος ἵσταται, καθάπερ οἱ τῶν ἰατρῶν παῖδες ποιοῦσιν· ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ νεῦσαι μόνον, καὶ πᾶσα μὲν ἀθυμία, πᾶσα δὲ ὀδύνη, καὶ πάθος ἅπαν δραπετεύει καὶ φυγαδεύεται. βʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀμελῶμεν, μηδὲ ἀναβαλλώμεθα, κἂν πένητες ὦμεν καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην καταπεπτωκότες ἔνδειαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ χρήματά ἐστι καταβαλεῖν, ἵνα πενίαν προβαλλώμεθα. Οὐ γὰρ ἀργύριον οὗτος ὁ ἰατρὸς ἀπαιτεῖ τὸν μισθὸν, ἀλλὰ δάκρυα, καὶ εὐχὰς, καὶ πίστιν. Κἂν ταῦτα ἔχων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλθῃς, λήψῃ πάντως, ὅπερ ἂν αἰτήσῃς, καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐφροσύνης. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν πολλαχόθεν ἔξεστι μαθεῖν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ταύτης· οὐ γὰρ χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον καταβαλοῦσα, ἀλλ' εὐχὴν καὶ πίστιν