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gently letting fall a bitter tear for the soul. For it is possible even without this procession to weep bitterly, and not merely to play a part; for what is done by some differs in nothing from plays. For those beatings of the breast in the marketplace are not of sympathy, but of display and ambition and vainglory; many women do this for show. Weep bitterly, groan in your house, with no one seeing; this is of sympathy, this also benefits you. For he who mourns for that one in this way, will much more strive himself never to fall into the same things; sin will be fearful to you henceforth. Weep for the unbelievers, weep for those who differ in nothing from them, those who depart without enlightenment, those without the seal; these are truly worthy of laments, these of dirges; they are outside the palace with the condemned, with the convicted. For Amen I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Weep for those who have died in wealth, and devised no consolation from their wealth for their own souls, those who received the power to wash away their sins, and were not willing. Let us all weep for these, both privately and in common, but with propriety, but with solemnity, 62.204 but not so as to make a show of ourselves. Let us weep for these not one day, nor a second, but all our life. This tear is not of irrational passion, but of loving affection; but that one is of irrational passion; for this reason it is also quickly extinguished. For when it is for the fear of God, it always remains. Let us therefore weep for these, let us help them according to our power, let us devise some assistance for them, small though it be, yet able to help. How and in what way? Both by praying ourselves, and by exhorting others to make prayers for them, and by continually giving to the poor for them. The matter has some consolation; for hear God saying, "I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake." If the mere remembrance of a righteous man had such power, when works are also done for him, how will it not have power? Not in vain were these things instituted by the Apostles, that a remembrance of the departed should be made at the awful mysteries; they know that great gain results to them, great benefit. For when the whole people stands with hands outstretched, a priestly assembly, and the awful sacrifice is set forth, how shall we not prevail upon God by entreating for these? But this is concerning those who have passed away in faith; but the catechumens are not deemed worthy even of this consolation, but are deprived of all such help, except one. What is this one? It is possible to give to the poor for them; this matter gives them some refreshment. For God wills that we be helped by one another. For why did he command to pray for the peace and stability of the world? Why for all men? And yet here among all are robbers and tomb-robbers and thieves, and men full of countless evils; but nevertheless we pray for all; for perhaps there will be a conversion for some of them. As therefore we pray for the living who differ in nothing from the dead, so it is possible also to pray for those. Job offered sacrifices for his children, and freed them from their sins; Lest perhaps, he says, they have thought something in their heart. Thus one takes care for children. He did not say, like many men now: I leave them possessions; he did not say: I will give them glory; he did not say: I will buy them an office; he did not say: I will purchase fields; but what? Lest they have thought something in their heart. For what is the benefit of all those things that remain here? Nothing. I will make the King of all gracious to them, he says, and nothing will be lacking to them then; for, he says, The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want. This is great wealth, this is a treasure; if we have the fear of God, we have need of nothing

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ψυχὴν ἠρέμα δάκρυον ἀφιέντες πικρόν. Ἔνεστι γὰρ καὶ ταύτης χωρὶς τῆς πομπῆς κλαῦσαι πικρῶς, καὶ μὴ παῖξαι μόνον· παιγνίων γὰρ οὐδὲν διενήνοχε τὰ ὑπό τινων γινόμενα. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ συμπαθείας ἐκεῖνοι οἱ κοπετοὶ οἱ ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς, ἀλλ' ἐπιδείξεως καὶ φιλοτιμίας καὶ κενοδοξίας εἰσί· πολλαὶ διὰ τέχνην τοῦτο ποιοῦνται. Κλαῦσον πικρὸν, στέναξον κατ' οἰκίαν, μηδενὸς ὁρῶντος· τοῦτο συμπαθείας ἐστὶ, τοῦτο καὶ σὲ ὠφελεῖ. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον πενθῶν οὕτω, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς σπουδάσει μηδέποτε τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν· φοβερά σοι ἔσται ἡ ἁμαρτία λοιπόν. Κλαῦσον τοὺς ἀπίστους, κλαῦσον τοὺς οὐδὲν ἐκείνων ἀπέχοντας, τοὺς χωρὶς φωτίσματος ἀπερχομένους, τοὺς χωρὶς σφραγῖδος· οὗτοι ὄντως θρήνων ἄξιοι, οὗτοι ὀδυρμῶν· ἔξω τῶν βασιλείων εἰσὶ μετὰ τῶν καταδίκων, μετὰ τῶν κατεγνωσμένων. Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Κλαῦσον τοὺς ἐν πλούτῳ τετελευτηκότας, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου παραμυθίαν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς ἐπινοήσαντας, τοὺς λαβόντας ἐξουσίαν ἀπολούσασθαι αὑτῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ μὴ βουληθέντας. Τούτους κλαίωμεν καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ πάντες, ἀλλὰ μετὰ κοσμιότητος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ σεμνό 62.204 τητος, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὥστε παραδειγματίζειν ἑαυτούς. Τούτους κλαίωμεν μὴ μίαν ἡμέραν, μηδὲ δευτέραν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πάντα βίον ἡμῶν. Τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι πάθους ἀλόγου τὸ δάκρυον, ἀλλὰ φιλοστοργίας· ἐκεῖνο δὲ πάθους ἀλόγου· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ταχέως σβέννυται. Ὅταν γὰρ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον γίνηται, ἀεὶ παραμένει. Κλαίωμεν οὖν τούτους, βοηθῶμεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν, ἐπινοήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τινα βοήθειαν, μικρὰν μὲν, βοηθεῖν δὲ ὅμως δυναμένην. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Αὐτοί τε εὐχόμενοι, καὶ ἑτέρους παρακαλοῦντες εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι, πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόντες συνεχῶς. Ἔχει τινὰ τὸ πρᾶγμα παραμυθίαν· ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος· Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ, καὶ διὰ ∆αυῒδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου. Εἰ μνήμη μόνον δικαίου τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσεν, ὅταν καὶ ἔργα γένηται ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἰσχύσει; Οὐκ εἰκῆ ταῦτα ἐνομοθετήθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων μνήμην γίνεσθαι τῶν ἀπελθόντων· ἴσασιν αὐτοῖς πολὺ κέρδος γινόμενον, πολλὴν τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἑστήκῃ λαὸς ὁλόκληρος χεῖρας ἀνατείνοντες, πλήρωμα ἱερατικὸν, καὶ προκέηται ἡ φρικτὴ θυσία, πῶς οὐ δυσωπήσομεν ὑπὲρ τούτων τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλοῦντες; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν περὶ τῶν ἐν πίστει παρελθόντων· οἱ δὲ κατηχούμενοι οὐδὲ ταύτης καταξιοῦνται τῆς παραμυθίας, ἀλλὰ ἀπεστέρηνται πάσης τῆς τοιαύτης βοηθείας, πλὴν μιᾶς τινος. Ποίας δὴ ταύτης; Ἔνεστι πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόναι· ποιεῖ τινα αὐτοῖς παραψυχὴν τὸ πρᾶγμα· καὶ γὰρ παρ' ἀλλήλων ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖσθαι βούλεται ὁ Θεός. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης καὶ εὐσταθείας τοῦ κόσμου ἐκέλευσεν εὔχεσθαι; διὰ τί ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων; Καίτοι γε ἐνταῦθα ἐν πᾶσίν εἰσι καὶ λῃσταὶ καὶ τυμβωρύχοι καὶ κλέπται, καὶ μυρίων κακῶν γέμοντες· ἀλλ' ὅμως ὑπὲρ πάντων εὐχόμεθα· ἴσως γὰρ ἔσται τις αὐτῶν ἐπιστροφή. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ζώντων εὐχόμεθα τῶν οὐδὲν διαλλαττόντων τῶν νεκρῶν, οὕτως ἔνεστι καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων εὔχεσθαι. Ὁ Ἰὼβ ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων ἐποίει θυσίας, καὶ ἀπήλλαττεν αὐτοὺς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων· Μή ποτε ἐνενόησαν, φησὶ, τὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν. Οὕτω τις προνοεῖται παίδων. Οὐκ εἶπε, καθάπερ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν νῦν ἀνθρώπων· Καταλείπω αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχοντα· οὐκ εἶπε· ∆ῶ αὐτοῖς δόξαν· οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἀρχὴν ὠνήσομαι· οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἀγροὺς πρίωμαι· ἀλλὰ τί; Μή τι ἐνενόησαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἐκείνων πάντων ἐνταῦθα μενόντων; Οὐδέν. Τὸν Βασιλέα πάντων ἵλεων ποιήσω, φησὶν, αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς λείπει λοιπόν· Κύριος γὰρ, φησὶ, ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει. Οὗτος πλοῦτος μέγας, οὗτος θησαυρός· ἂν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἔχωμεν, οὐδενὸς ἡμῖν