for those who have had a spark of intelligible light, but have turned to unintelligent knowledge, even the little gleam which they have will be extinguished, which is what the Jews suffered, who did not believe in Christ; for they had a small illumination from the law guiding them to the knowledge of God. but since they have acted impiously toward Christ, they have been deprived of it as well. However, the Lord, showing more clearly what it is that he said, that to the one who has it will be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him, adds: For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. To people who are eager to learn and well-disposed to receive the divine words, the Holy Spirit will dwell, increasing the gifts in them, but for those possessing a spark of light and having neglected it, it will be altogether extinguished and even the very smallest thing, which they had before, will be taken from them. And this is what the Jews have suffered, having received light from the law and not having multiplied it, but when the truth came, having been dim-sighted toward it, they were deprived of what they possessed. 166 Mt 13, 15 The saying, "lest they should turn and I should heal them" shows an intensified stubbornness, however, it is also of one drawing them on and provoking them; for it shows that if they turn, he heals them; for he speaks thus so that they may be saved, since he should have spoken nothing at all, but been silent, yet not for his own glory, but for their salvation he does all things. 167 Mt 13, 16 He blesses them, therefore, as having heard the voice of the Son and been deemed worthy of the sight of him, through whom and in whom they saw the nature of the Father and God intelligibly, of which things the saints of old were deemed worthy and had the fullest gladness in good things. 168 Mt 13, 19-22 Let us see, as if in coarse matters, what it is to be on the path. Every path is somehow hard and unprofitable because it is subject to the feet of all and none of the seeds is buried in it, but rather lies on the surface and ready for the birds who wish it, for plunder. Therefore those who have in themselves a hard and, as it were, compressed mind, these do not receive the divine seed, but have become a path trodden by unclean spirits; for these are "the birds of the air." And by "heaven" here we understand the air, in which the spirits of wickedness roam, by whom also the good seed is snatched away and perishes. And who are those on the rock? There are some who hold the faith in themselves without deep examination, not applying their mind to the testing of the mystery. These have a light and rootless piety toward God. And if Christian affairs are carried along by a fair wind, with no trial assailing them like a storm, then they barely preserve the faith in themselves; but when persecution has raised a clamor, they have a soul that is averse to war. 169 Mt 13, 19-23 Matthew wrote "the evil one," Mark "Satan," Luke "the devil." "by the path" and "in the path" is not the same thing, and we need the distinction because of "I am the way"; however, the three wrote "by the path." And most gracefully Matthew and Mark say the word was sown "on rocky places," not "on rock." In the case of everything by the path, it is said of the one who does not understand. But in the case of the good soil, "this is the one who hears the word and understands." Perhaps, then, those on the rocky places and those in the thorns are between those who do not understand and those who do. And it is an exhortation to care for understanding; for if the seed of the one who does not understand is snatched away, one must take up understanding and cover the seed in the earth, that is, the memory, so that it may take root and not, being found bare, be snatched away by the spirits of wickedness. 171 Mt 13, 49-50 That the call through Christ has become ecumenical, he himself will confirm, saying clearly, that the net of the evangelical proclamations gathers from every kind. And just as those who are skilled in the hunting of fish and

ἐσχηκόσι σπινθῆρα φωτὸς νοητοῦ, εἰς ἀσύνετον δὲ τρα πεῖσι γνῶσιν σβεσθήσεται καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ μικρὸν ὃ ἔχουσι σέλας, ὅπερ πεπόνθασιν Ἰουδαῖοι εἰς Χριστὸν μὴ πιστεύσαντες· εἶχον γὰρ μικρὰν φωταγωγίαν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου ὁδη γοῦσαν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν εἰς θεὸν γνῶσιν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς Χριστὸν δε δυσσεβήκασιν, καὶ αὐτῆς ἐστερή θησαν. ὁ μέντοι κύριος σαφέστερον δεικνὺς τί ἐστιν ὅπερ εἶπεν, ὅτι τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθή σεται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ἐπάγει· διὰ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλῶ, ὅτι βλέποντες οὐ βλέ πουσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες οὐκ ἀκούουσιν οὐδὲ συνιοῦσιν. Τοῖς εὐμαθέσιν ἀνθρώποις καὶ καλῶς διακειμένοις πρὸς παρα δοχὴν θείων λόγων ἐνοικισθήσεται τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐξάνον ἐν αὐτοῖς τὰ χαρίσματα, τοῖς δὲ σπιν θῆρα φωτὸς κεκτημένοις καὶ τού του ἀμελήσασι σβεσθήσεται πάν τως καὶ ἀρθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ σμικρότατον, ὃ πρότερον εἶχον. τοῦτο δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι πεπόνθασι λα βόντες φῶς ἐκ τοῦ νόμου καὶ μὴ πολυπλασιάσαντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐλθούσης ἀμβλυωπήσαν τες πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀφῃρέθησαν, ὃ ἐκέκτηντο. 166 Mt 13, 15 Τὸ εἰπεῖν μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτοὺς ἐπιτετα μένην ἐμφαίνει δυστροπίαν, πλὴν καὶ ἐπισπωμένου ἐστὶν καὶ ἐρεθίζοντος· δείκνυσι γάρ, ὅτι ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψωσιν, ἰᾶται αὐτούς· διὰ γὰρ τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτοὺς οὕτως λαλεῖ, ἐπεὶ ἔδει αὐτὸν ὅλως μηδὲν λαλῆσαι, ἀλλὰ σιωπᾶν, πλὴν οὐ διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δόξαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν αὐτῶν σωτηρίαν πάντα ποιεῖ. 167 Mt 13, 16 Μακαρίζει τοίνυν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἀκηκοότας τῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ φωνῆς καὶ ἀξιωθέντας τῆς αὐτοῦ θέας, δι' οὗ καὶ ἐν ᾧ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ θεοῦ ἑώρων φύσιν νοητῶς, ὧν ἠξιώθησαν οἱ πάλαι ἅγιοι καὶ πληρεστάτην ἔσχον τὴν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς θυμηδίαν. 168 Mt 13, 19-22 Ἴδωμεν ὡς ἐν παχέσι πράγμασι, τί ἐστι τὸ ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ εἶναι. σκληρὰ καὶ ἀνόνητός πώς ἐστι πᾶσα ὁδὸς διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἁπάντων ὑπο κεῖσθαι ποσὶ καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῇ ἐγχώννυται τῶν σπερμάτων, κεῖται δὲ μᾶλλον ἐπιπολῆς καὶ τοῖς ἐθέλουσι τῶν πτηνῶν ἕτοιμα εἰς διαρπαγήν. οὐκοῦν οἳ τὸν νοῦν ἔχουσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς σκληρὸν καὶ οἷον πεπιλημένον, οὗτοι τὸν θεῖον οὐ παραδέχονται σπόρον, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις πνεύ μασι πεπατημένη γεγόνασιν ὁδός· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι "τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρα νοῦ". οὐρανὸν δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὸν ἀέρα νοοῦμεν, ἐν ᾧ τὰ τῆς πονηρίας πνεύ ματα στρέφονται, ὑφ' ὧν καὶ τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα διαρπάζεται καὶ ἀπόλλυ ται. τίνες δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας; εἰσί τινες ἀπεριέργως ἔχοντες τὴν πίστιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, τὸν δὲ νοῦν οὐ καθιέντες εἰς τὴν τοῦ μυστηρίου βά σανον. οὗτοι κούφην τε καὶ ἀνάρριζον ἔχουσι τὴν εἰς θεὸν εὐσέβειαν. κἂν μὲν ἐξ οὐρίας φέρηται τὰ Χριστιανῶν πράγματα οὐδενὸς αὐτὰ καταχειμάζοντος πειρασμοῦ, σῴζουσιν τηνικάδε μόλις ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἐκεῖνοι τὴν πίστιν, θορυβήσαντος δὲ διωγμοῦ ἀφιλοπόλεμον ἔχουσιν τὴν ψυ χήν. 169 Mt 13, 19-23 Ματθαῖος ἔγραψε πονηρός, Μᾶρκος δὲ "σατανᾶς", Λουκᾶς δὲ "διάβολος". οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστι παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, δεόμεθα δὲ τῆς διαφορᾶς διὰ τὸ "ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός"· πλὴν οἱ τρεῖς ἔγραψαν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν. χαριέστατα δὲ Ματθαῖος καὶ Μᾶρκος "ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη", οὐκ ἐπὶ πέτραν φησὶν ἐσπάρθαι τὸν λόγον. ἐπὶ μὲν σύμπαντος τοῦ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εἴρηται τὸ μὴ συνιέντος. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς καλῆς γῆς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιείς· μήποτ' οὖν οἱ ἐπὶ τὰ πε τρώδη καὶ οἱ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας μεταξύ εἰσιν ἀσυνετούντων καὶ συν ιέντων. προτρεπτικὸν δὲ εἰς τὸ συνέσεως ἐπιμελεῖσθαι· εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦ συνιέντος ἁρπάζεται ὁ σπόρος, σύνεσιν ἀναληπτέον καὶ καλυπτέον τὸν σπόρον ἐν τῇ γῇ, τῇ μνήμῃ, ἵνα ῥιζοβολήσῃ καὶ μὴ γυμνὸν εὑρισκόμενον ἁρπαγῇ ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς πονηρίας πνευμάτων. 171 Mt 13, 49-50 Ὅτι δὲ οἰκουμενικὴ γέγονεν ἡ διὰ Χριστοῦ κλῆσις, αὐτὸς πιστώ σεται λέγων ἐναργῶς, ὅτι τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν κηρυγμάτων τὸ λίνον ἐκ παντὸς συνάγει γένους. καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ τῆς τῶν ἰχθύων θήρας ἐπιστή μονες καὶ