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put together? Clearly those. And in general, applying this reasoning to the whole body in our inquiry, we will find everything healthy and beautiful, as long as each of the members performs its own functions with precision. Thus also we call each vessel beautiful, and animal and plant, not from its form, nor from its color, but from its service. Thus also we call a servant good who is suitable for our service, not one who is handsome and stupid. Do you see how it is possible to be beautiful? When therefore we enjoy the 62.526 greatest and most wonderful things equally, we are at no disadvantage. For example: We see this world equally, the sun, the moon, the stars; we breathe the air equally; we partake of water and food equally, whether we are beautiful or not. And if I must say something wonderful, those who are not such are healthier than the beautiful. For the latter, as though preserving their beauty, do not give themselves over to labors, but to idleness and a sheltered life, by which the functions of their members become especially dulled; but the former, simply and to their fill, since they have no concern for these things, spend their whole energy on that. Let us therefore glorify God, let us bear Him in our body, let us not adorn ourselves; this effort is superfluous and unprofitable. Let us not teach men to love only looks; for if you are so adorned, he is quickly caught by a courtesan, having practiced on your appearance; but if you teach him to love character and modesty, he will not quickly commit fornication; for he does not find these things with a prostitute, but their opposites. Therefore, do not teach him to be captivated by laughter, nor by a dissolute bearing, lest you prepare the poison against yourself. Teach him to rejoice in modesty; and you will be able to do this, when your bearing is also of such a kind; for if you are flighty and dissipated, how will you be able to offer a serious word? And who will not mock you and laugh? But how is it possible to bear God in the body? By practicing virtue, by beautifying the soul; for on it this is not forbidden. Thus we glorify God, when we are good in every way, and we too will be glorified on that day not in the same way, but much more greatly. For I reckon, he says, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Of which may we all be made partakers, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
HOMILY V. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on you, that you might war in them the good
warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, have made shipwreck concerning the faith.
1. The dignity of teaching and of the priesthood is great and wonderful, and truly requires the vote of God, so as to bring forth the worthy one into the midst. Thus it also happened in the old times, and thus it happens now, when we make our choices without human passion, when we look to nothing of this life, neither to friendship, nor to enmity. For even if we do not partake of so great a spirit, yet a good intention is sufficient to draw down the ordination of God. Since not even the apostles partook of the Spirit when they chose Mat 62.526 thias, but committing the matter to prayer, they numbered him among the number of the apostles; for they were not looking to human friendship. Thus it was necessary
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συγκειμένους; ∆ῆλον ὅτι ἐκείνους. Καὶ ὅλως ἐπὶ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος τούτῳ προσάγοντες τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ζήτησιν, εὑρήσομεν πάντα τὰ ὑγιῆ καὶ καλὰ, ἕως ἂν ἐνεργῇ μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ οἰκεῖα τῶν μελῶν ἕκαστον. Οὕτω καὶ σκεῦος ἕκαστον λέγομεν καλὸν, καὶ ζῶον καὶ φυτὸν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς διαπλάσεως, οὐδ' ἀπὸ τοῦ χρώματος, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς διακονίας. Οὕτω καὶ οἰκέτην καλοῦμεν καλὸν τὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἡμῖν πρὸς διακονίαν, οὐ τὸν ὡραῖον καὶ βλᾶκα. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἔστιν εἶναι καλήν; Ὅταν τοίνυν τῶν 62.526 μεγίστων καὶ θαυμαστῶν ὁμοίως ἀπολαύωμεν, οὐδὲν πλεονεκτούμεθα. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ὁμοίως ὁρῶμεν, τὸν ἥλιον, τὴν σελήνην, τοὺς ἀστέρας, τὸν ἀέρα ὁμοίως ἕλκομεν, τοῦ ὕδατος, τῆς τροφῆς ὁμοίως μετέχομεν, ἄν τε εὔμορφοι ὦμεν, ἄν τε μή. Εἰ δὲ χρή τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, τῶν εὐμόρφων αἱ μὴ τοιαῦται μᾶλλον ὑγιεινότεραι. Ἐκεῖναι μὲν γὰρ ὡς δὴ τὴν ὥραν διαφυλάττουσαι, καμάτοις ἑαυτὰς οὐ διδόασιν, ἀλλ' ἀργίᾳ καὶ σκιατροφίᾳ, ὑφ' ὧν μάλιστα αἱ τῶν μελῶν ἐνέργειαι ἀμβλύτεραι γίνονται· αὗται δὲ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἄδην, ἅτε οὐδεμίαν περὶ ταῦτα ἔχουσαι τὴν σπουδὴν, ἐκεῖ τὸ πᾶν ἀναλίσκουσι. ∆οξάσωμεν τοίνυν τὸν Θεὸν, ἄρωμεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν, μὴ καλλωπιζώμεθα· περιττὴ αὕτη ἡ σπουδὴ καὶ ἀνόνητος. Μὴ παιδεύωμεν τοὺς ἄνδρας ὄψεις μόνας φιλεῖν· ἂν γὰρ ᾖς οὕτω κοσμουμένη, ταχέως ὑπὸ τῆς ἡταιρηκυίας, μελετήσας ἐν τῇ ὄψει τῇ σῇ, ἁλίσκεται· ἂν μέντοι διδάξῃς αὐτὸν τρόπους φιλεῖν καὶ κοσμιότητα, οὐ ταχέως πορνεύσει· οὐδὲ γὰρ εὑρίσκει ταῦτα παρὰ τῇ πόρνῃ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τούτοις ἐναντία. Μὴ τοίνυν διδάξῃς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ γέλωτος ἁλίσκεσθαι, μηδὲ ὑπὸ σχήματος ἐκκεχυμένου, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ σαυτῆς ἀρτύσῃς τὰ φάρμακα. Παίδευε αὐτὸν κοσμιότητι χαίρειν· δυνήσῃ δὲ τοῦτο, ὅταν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα τοιοῦτον ᾖ· ἐπεὶ ἐὰν ἐπτερωμένη καὶ ἄσωτος ᾖς, πῶς δυνήσῃ προσενεγκεῖν ῥῆμα σεμνόν; τίς δέ σε οὐ χλευάσεται καὶ γελάσει; Πῶς δὲ ἔστι καὶ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἆραι τὸν Θεόν; Ἀρετὴν ἀσκοῦντα, τὴν ψυχὴν καλλωπίζοντα· καὶ γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τοῦτο οὐ κεκώλυται. Οὕτω δοξάζομεν τὸν Θεὸν, ὅταν πάντοθεν ὦμεν ἀγαθοὶ, καὶ δοξαζόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ οὐχ ὁμοίως, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μειζόνως. Λογίζομαι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς μετασχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Εʹ. Ταύτην τὴν παραγγελίαν παρατίθεμαί σοι, τέ κνον Τιμόθεε, κατὰ τὰς προαγούσας ἐπὶ σὲ προφητείας, ἵνα στρατεύῃ ἐν αὐταῖς τὴν καλὴν
στρατείαν, ἔχων πίστιν καὶ ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν, ἥν τινες ἀπωσάμενοι, περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν.
αʹ. Τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας καὶ τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα μέγα ἐστὶ καὶ θαυμαστὸν, καὶ ὄντως τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δεόμενον ψήφου, ὥστε τὸν ἄξιον εἰς μέσον παραγαγεῖν. Οὕτω καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν ἐγίνετο, οὕτω καὶ νῦν γίνεται, ὅταν χωρὶς πάθους ἀνθρωπίνου τὰς αἱρέσεις ποιώμεθα, ὅταν πρὸς μηδὲν ὁρῶντες βιωτικὸν, μὴ πρὸς φιλίαν, μὴ πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ τοσούτου πνεύματος μετέχομεν, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ πρόθεσις ἀγαθὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν χειροτονίαν ἐπισπάσασθαι. Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι Πνεύματος μετεῖχον, ὅτε τὸν Ματ 62.526 θίαν ἐξελέξαντο, ἀλλ' εὐχῇ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπιτρέψαντες, ἐγκατέλεξαν αὐτὸν τῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀριθμῷ· οὐ γὰρ πρὸς φιλίαν ἀνθρωπίνην ἑώρων. Οὕτως ἔδει