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The command was difficult; but if He commanded men to love men, where both our common substance and kinship contribute a great inclination, and the exhortation comes from nature itself, what difficulty could it have? This is what happens even with lions and wolves; for even there, the kinship of nature is a guide to friendship. What defense, then, could we have, taming lions and making them live with us, but not attracting our own kind? Do you not see that many, for the sake of an inheritance, go about hunting for old men, and endure all the evils of old age, though they are young and vigorous—gout and the other infirmities of old age, and a running nose—by attending on them constantly? And yet in that case there is money, and an uncertain hope; but here there is heaven, and before heaven, the pleasing of God. But who is she that inherits? For the inscription speaks on behalf of her that inherits. The Church, and her fullness; concerning whom Paul says: I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. And John: He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But a human bridegroom after the first days diminishes the intensity of his love; but our Bridegroom remains loving us forever, and intensifies our longing; which John indicates by calling Him a bridegroom, at the time when desires are at their peak. Not for this reason only 55.63 did he call her a bride, but also because He wills all to be one body and one soul, according to the principle of virtue and of love; and because just as the bride does everything to please her husband, so we too ought to be such throughout our whole life. As the bride on that day sits in the bridal chamber, caring for one thing only, how she may please the bridegroom; so indeed let us also, sitting in this life, look to one thing, the pleasure of the Bridegroom, and let us maintain the good order of the bride. Of this bride David also makes mention, saying: The queen stood at Your right hand, arrayed in a garment of gold, adorned with golden tassels. Do you wish to see her sandals too? Hearken to Paul, the groomsman, saying: Having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Do you wish to see her belt too, and how it is composed of truth? The same man will teach you. Having girded your loins with truth. Do you wish to see her beauty also? This too you will learn from him. Not having spot or wrinkle. Hear also what Ecclesiastes says about this: You are all fair, my love, and there is no flaw in you. Do you wish to see her feet too? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, and preach the gospel of good things. And the wonderful and astonishing thing is that even after adorning her in this way, He did not come displaying His own glory, lest by the excess of His beauty He should overwhelm her and drive her mad, but He comes clothed in a garment such as the bride wears; for He partakes of blood and flesh in like manner to her; and He does not call her up, but He Himself comes to her; observing even here the law of the bridegroom which brings him to the bride. This is what Moses also said: For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife. And Paul: This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Coming therefore to her dwelling, and finding her filthy, squalid, naked, stained with blood, He washed her, anointed her, nourished her, clothed her with a garment such as another cannot be found. He Himself became a covering for her, and taking her, He thus leads her up. For her the inheritance has been prepared. What then does the Prophet say on her behalf? Many things; for he is her advocate, and he foretold and proclaimed most of the things that would happen to her: such as concerning the bridegroom, concerning the bridal procession, concerning the good things that would succeed her. For this reason also here

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δύσκολον ἦν τὸ ἐπίταγμα· εἰ δὲ ἀνθρώπους ὄντας ἀνθρώπους φιλεῖν ἐκέλευσεν, ἔνθα καὶ τὸ ὁμοιούσιον καὶ συγγενὲς πολλὴν εἰσφέρει ῥοπὴν, καὶ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως ἡ παραίνεσις, ποίαν ἂν ἔχοι δυσκολίαν; Ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ λεόντων καὶ λύκων γίνεται· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖ τὸ συγγενὲς τῆς φύσεως ἀγωγὸν εἰς φιλίαν ἐστί. Ποίαν οὖν σχοίημεν ἀπολογίαν, λέοντας μὲν ἡμεροῦντες καὶ ἑαυτοῖς συνοικίζοντες, τὸ δὲ ὁμογενὲς μὴ ἐπισπώμενοι; Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε, ὅτι πολλοὶ διὰ κληρονομίαν γέροντας περιίασιν ἀγρεύοντες, καὶ πάντων τῶν τοῦ γήρως ἀνέχονται κακῶν, νέοι ὄντες καὶ σφριγῶντες, ποδαλγίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐν τῷ γήρᾳ νοσημάτων, καὶ κορύζης, διὰ τοῦ προσεδρεύειν διηνεκῶς; Καίτοι χρήματά ἐστιν ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἄδηλος ἐλπίς· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐρανὸς, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ εὐαρεστῆσαι Θεῷ. Τίς δὲ ἡ κληρονομοῦσα; Ὑπὲρ τῆς κληρονομούσης γάρ φησιν ἡ προγραφή. Ἡ Ἐκκλησία, καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς· περὶ ἧς λέγει ὁ Παῦλος· Ἡρμοσάμην ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ, παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ. Καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης· Ὁ ἔχων τὴν νύμφην,νυμφίος ἐστίν. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν νυμφίος μετὰ τὰς πρώτας ἡμέρας καταλύει τὸ σφοδρὸν τοῦ ἔρωτος· ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος νυμφίος μένει διηνεκῶς ἡμᾶς ἀγαπῶν, καὶ ἐπιτείνων τὸν πόθον· ὅπερ δηλῶν ὁ Ἰωάννης νυμφίον καλεῖ, ὅτε ἀκμάζοντες οἱ πόθοι. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μό 55.63 νον νύμφην ἐκάλεσεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πάντας ἓν σῶμα εἶναι βούλεται καὶ μίαν ψυχὴν, κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης λόγον· καὶ ὅτι καθάπερ ἡ νύμφη πάντα ποιεῖ πρὸς ἀρέσκειαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, οὕτω καὶ ἡμᾶς διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου τοιούτους εἶναι χρή. Οἵα ἡ νύμφη κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἐπὶ τῶν παστάδων καθέζεται, ἓν μεριμνῶσα μόνον ὅπως ἀρέσῃ τῷ νυμφίῳ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ βίου τούτου προκαθήμενοι ἓν σκοπῶμεν, τοῦ νυμφίου τὴν ἀρέσκειαν, καὶ τὴν τῆς νύμφης εὐταξίαν διατηρῶμεν. Ταύτης τῆς νύμφης καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ μέμνηται λέγων· Παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη ἐν κροσσωτοῖς χρυσοῖς. Θέλεις αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα ἰδεῖν; Ἄκουσον Παύλου τοῦ νυμφαγωγοῦ λέγοντος· Ὑποδησάμενοι τοὺς πόδας ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης. Θέλεις αὐτῆς ἰδεῖν καὶ τὴν ζώνην, καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ ἀληθείας σύγκειται; Ὁ αὐτός σε διδάξει. Περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Θέλεις ἰδεῖν αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ κάλλος; Καὶ τοῦτο μαθήσῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ. Μὴ ἔχουσα σπῖλον ἢ ῥυτίδα. Ἄκουε καὶ ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς τί περὶ ταύτης λέγει· Ὅλη καλὴ εἶ, ἡ πλησίον μου, καὶ μῶμος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν σοί. Θέλεις ἰδεῖν καὶ τοὺς πόδας; Ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ εὐαγγελιζομένων τὰ ἀγαθά. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν καὶ ἐκπλήξεως γέμον, ὅτι καὶ κοσμήσας τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον αὐτὴν, οὐκ ἦλθε τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τοῦ κάλλους ἐκπλήξῃ αὐτὴν, καὶ παράφρονα ἐργάσηται, ἀλλ' ἔρχεται ἱμάτιον περιβεβλημένος, οἷον ἡ νύμφη· μετέχεται γὰρ αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς παραπλησίως αὐτῇ· καὶ οὐκ αὐτὴν ἄνω καλεῖ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς πρὸς αὐτὴν παραγίνεται· τηρῶν κἀνταῦθα τοῦ νυμφίου τὸν νόμον τὸν πρὸς τὴν νύμφην αὐτὸν ἄγοντα. Ὅπερ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἔλεγεν· Ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ἐλθὼν τοίνυν εἰς τὸ καταγώγιον αὐτῆς, καὶ εὑρὼν ῥυπῶσαν, αὐχμῶσαν, γυμνὴν, πεφυρμένην αἵματι, ἔλουσεν, ἤλειψεν, ἔθρεψεν, ἐνέδυσεν ἱμάτιον, οἷον εὑρεθῆναι ἕτερον οὐκ ἔνι. Αὐτὸς αὐτῇ γενόμενος περιβολὴ, καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὴν, οὕτως ἀνάγει. Ταύτῃ ἡ κληρονομία ἡτοίμασται. Τί οὖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς φησιν ὁ Προφήτης; Πολλά· συνήγορος γάρ ἐστιν αὐτῆς, καὶ τὰ πλείονα τῶν αὐτῇ συμβησομένων προεῖπε καὶ προανεφώνησεν· οἷον περὶ τοῦ νυμφίου, περὶ τῆς νυμφαγωγίας, περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν διαδεξομένων αὐτήν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα