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being ashamed of the humility of poverty, and pursuing all abundance and luxury of foods when they receive any of the strangers, I fear lest this same passion should also secretly touch us, and we should be convicted of being ashamed of the poverty that is blessed by Christ. Just as, therefore, it is not seemly for us to procure from outside silver vessels, 31.972 or purple hangings, or soft bedding, or transparent coverings; so also is it not seemly to devise foods that are greatly different from our own diet. For our running about, searching for things sought not for necessary use, but devised for wretched pleasure and destructive vainglory, is not only shameful and inconsistent with our proposed aim, but also has no ordinary harm, when those who live luxuriously, and who define blessedness by the pleasures of the stomach, see us also occupied with the same cares about which they are agitated. For if luxury is evil and to be avoided, it is never to be chosen by us. For none of the things that have been condemned can be suitable for a time. Those who live wastefully, and anoint themselves with the finest ointments, and drink strained wine, are accused by Scripture. And on account of her wastefulness the widow, though living, is said to be dead. The rich man was deprived of paradise because of his luxury here. What then have we to do with luxuries? Has one of the strangers visited? If he is a brother, and has the same aim in life, he will recognize his own table. For what he left at home, this he will find with us. But is he weary from the journey? We add for him only as much as is needed to comfort his toil. Has another come from the outside life? Let him learn through deeds what words did not persuade him of, and let him receive a model and an example of self-sufficiency in food. Let reminders of a Christian table and of a poverty unashamed for Christ's sake remain with him. But if he will not pay attention, but laughs at it, he will not bother us a second time. But we, when we see any of the rich, who place the enjoyment of pleasures among the first of good things, groan greatly over them, because, consuming their whole life in vanity and deifying their own pleasures, they do not perceive that in this life they are receiving their portion of good things, by their luxury here proceeding to the prepared fire and the burning heat in it. And if we should ever get an opportunity, we do not hesitate to discuss these things even with them. But if we ourselves are also to be involved in the same things, and, according to our ability, to seek after things for pleasure, and to prepare for show, I fear lest we should appear to be building up what we tear down, and by what we judge others 31.973 we should condemn ourselves, living our lives with pretense, and being transformed in different ways at different times, unless perhaps we should also change our clothes whenever we encounter the arrogant. But if this is shameful, it is much more shameful to alter our table on account of those who live luxuriously. The Christian life is of one manner, having one aim, the glory of God. For whether you eat, or whether you drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God, says Paul, who speaks in Christ. But the life of those outside is of many manners and varied, being refashioned differently at different times for the pleasing of those they meet. So that you too, by altering your brother's table with a multitude of foods and elaborate preparation for pleasure, accuse him of love of pleasure, and pour on him reproaches of gluttony by what you prepare, convicting him of sensual indulgence in these things. Or have we not often, when we have observed the type and manner of the preparation, guessed who or what the expected guest is? The Lord did not praise Martha when she was distracted with much serving; but, You are anxious, and you are troubled, He says, about many things; but there is need of few things, or one; of few, that is, for preparation, but of one aim, so that the need

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ταπεινὸν τῆς πενίας αἰσχυνομένους, καὶ ἐπιτη δεύοντας πᾶσαν ἀφθονίαν βρωμάτων καὶ πολυτέλειαν, ὅταν τινὰ τῶν ξένων δέχωνται, φοβοῦμαι μὴ καὶ ἡμῶν κατὰ τὸ λανθάνον τὸ αὐτὸ πάθος ἅψηται, καὶ ἐλεγχθῶμεν ἐπαισχυνόμενοι τὴν ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ μακαριζομένην πτωχείαν. Ὥσπερ οὖν σκεύη ἀργυρᾶ, 31.972 ἢ καταπετάσματα περιπόρφυρα, ἢ στρωμνὴν μα λακὴν, ἢ ἐπιβλήματα διαφανῆ συμπορίζεσθαι ἔξωθεν οὐκ εὐπρεπὲς ἡμῖν· οὕτως οὐδὲ βρώματα πε ρινοεῖν παρὰ πολὺ τῆς ἡμετέρας διαίτης ἐξηλλα γμένα. Τὸ γὰρ περιτρέχειν ἡμᾶς διερευνωμένους τὰ μὴ πρὸς τὸ ἀναγκαῖον τῆς χρείας ἐπιζητούμενα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀθλίαν ἡδονὴν καὶ ὀλεθρίαν κενοδοξίαν περινενοημένα, οὐ μόνον αἰσχρὸν καὶ ἀσύμφωνον τῷ προκειμένῳ ἡμῖν σκοπῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλάβην ἔχον οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, ὅταν οἱ τρυφῶντες, καὶ ταῖς ἡδοναῖς τῆς γαστρὸς τὴν μακαριότητα ὁριζόμενοι, περὶ τὰς αὐτὰς φροντίδας ὁρῶσι καὶ ἡμᾶς στρεφομένους, περὶ ἃς ἐκεῖνοι ἐπτόηνται. Εἰ γὰρ πονηρὸν ἡ τρυφὴ καὶ φευκτὸν, οὐδέποτε ἡμῖν αἱρετή. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν κατεγνωσμένων δύναται εἶναι πρὸς καιρὸν ἐπιτή δειον. Οἱ σπαταλῶντες, καὶ τὰ πρῶτα μύρα χριόμε νοι, καὶ τὸν διυλισμένον οἶνον πίνοντες, κατηγοροῦν ται ὑπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς. Καὶ διὰ τὴν σπατάλην ἡ χήρα, ζῶσα, τεθνηκέναι λέγεται. Ὁ πλούσιος ἀπεστερήθη τοῦ παραδείσου διὰ τὴν ἐνταῦθα τρυφήν. Τί οὖν ἡμῖν καὶ ταῖς πολυτελείαις; Ἐπεδήμησέ τις τῶν ξένων; Εἰ μὲν ἀδελφὸς, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν σκοπὸν ἔχων τοῦ βίου, τὴν οἰκείαν τράπεζαν ἐπιγνώσεται. Ἃ γὰρ κατέλιπεν οἴκοι, ταῦτα εὑρήσει παρ' ἡμῖν. Ἀλλὰ κέκμηκεν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας; Τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ προστίθεμεν, ὅσον τὸν κόπον παραμυθήσασθαι. Ἄλλος ἐλήλυθεν ἐκ τοῦ ἔξωθεν βίου; Μαθέτω διὰ τῶν ἔργων, ὅσα ὁ λόγος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔπεισε, καὶ λαβέτω τύπον καὶ ὑπογραμμὸν τῆς ἐν τροφαῖς αὐ ταρκείας. Ἐναπομεινάτω αὐτῷ ὑπομνήματα Χριστιανῶν τραπέζης, καὶ ἀνεπαισχύντου διὰ Χρι στὸν πτωχείας. Εἰ δὲ οὐ προσέξει, ἀλλὰ καταγελάσει, δεύτερον ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐνοχλήσει. Ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὅταν τινὰς τῶν πλουσίων ἴδωμεν, οἳ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν ἡδέων ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν ἀγαθῶν τίθενται, μέγα στενάζομεν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τῇ ματαιότητι πάντα τὸν βίον προσαναλίσκοντες, καὶ θεοποιήσαντες ἑαυτῶν τὰς ἡδονὰς, ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸ μέρος ἀπολαμβάνοντες οὐκ αἰσθάνονται, διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα τρυφῆς, ἐφ' ἕτοιμον τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ καύ σωνα πορευόμενοι. Κἂν καιροῦ ποτε τύχωμεν, οὐδὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους ταῦτα διεξελθεῖν ὀκνοῦ μεν. Εἰ δὲ μέλλοιμεν καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐνέξεσθαι, καὶ, κατὰ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν ἡμῖν δύναμιν, καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἐπιζητεῖν, καὶ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν παρα σκευάζεσθαι, φοβοῦμαι, μὴ ἃ καταλύομεν, ταῦτα φανῶμεν οἰκοδομοῦντες, καὶ δι' ὧν ἑτέρους κρίνο 31.973 μεν, ἑαυτοὺς κατακρίνωμεν, ἐσχηματισμένως τῷ βίῳ κεχρημένοι, καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλως μεταμορφού μενοι, εἰ μὴ ἄρα καὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας ἡμῶν διαμείψωμεν, ὅταν τοῖς ὑπερηφάνοις περιτυγχάνωμεν. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο αἰσχρὸν, πολλῷ αἰσχρότερον διὰ τοὺς τρυφῶντας τὴν τράπεζαν ἡμῶν μετασκευάζεσθαι. Μονότροπός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ βίος, ἕνα σκοπὸν ἔχων, τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἴτε γὰρ ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε, φησὶν ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλῶν Παῦλος. Πολύτροπος δὲ καὶ ποικίλος ὁ τῶν ἔξωθεν βίος, ἄλλοτε ἄλλως πρὸς τὴν ἀρέσκειαν τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων μεταπλασσόμενος. Ὥστε καὶ σὺ, πλήθει βρωμάτων καὶ περιεργίᾳ πρὸς ἡδονὴν μετασκευάζων τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου τὴν τρά πεζαν, κατηγορεῖς αὐτοῦ φιληδονίαν, καὶ καταχέεις αὐτοῦ γαστριμαργίας ὀνείδη δι' ὧν παρασκευάζῃ, ἐλέγχων αὐτοῦ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα ἡδυπάθειαν. Ἢ οὐχὶ πολλάκις, τὸ εἶδος καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς παρασκευῆς θεωρήσαντες, ἐστοχάσμεθα τοῦ προσδοκωμένου, ὅστις ἐστὶν, ἢ ὅπερ ἐστίν; Οὐκ ἐπῄνεσε τὴν Μάρθαν εἰς πολλὴν διακονίαν περισπωμένην ὁ Κύριος· ἀλλὰ, Μεριμνᾷς, καὶ τυρβάζῃ, φησὶ, περὶ πολλά· ὀλίγων δέ ἐστι χρεία, ἢ ἑνός· ὀλίγων μὲν, δηλονότι τῶν πρὸς παρασκευὴν, ἑνὸς δὲ τοῦ σκοποῦ, ὥστε τὴν χρείαν