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to overlook a certain poor man named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, and not even to give him the crumbs from his table; so when both had died, that poor man, full of sores, was carried, he says, to the bosom of Abraham, thus indicating the dwelling place of the just; but the rich man was delivered to the flame of bitter torment in Hades; to whom Abraham said: You received your good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise the bad things; but now he is comforted, and you are in anguish. Elsewhere, likening the kingdom of heaven, he says: The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage feast for his son, thus declaring the future gladness and splendor. For in addressing humble people who were minded of earthly things, he gave the parables from things customary and familiar to them. He did not, however, declare that there would be marriages and banquets in that age; 124 but condescending to their coarseness, he used such names, wishing to make known to them the things to come. Therefore, he says, the king summoned all with a high proclamation to come together to the wedding feast and to be filled with those ineffable good things; but many of those who were invited, being neglectful, did not go, but, having occupied themselves, some with fields, others with business, and others with newlywed wives, they deprived themselves of the splendor of the bridal chamber. And when they had voluntarily estranged themselves from the delightful gladness, others were invited; and the wedding feast was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man not dressed in a wedding garment, and he says to him: Friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment? But he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants: Bind his hands and feet, take him, and cast him into the outer darkness; there will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Therefore, those who made excuses and did not obey the call at all are those who did not run to the faith of Christ, but remained either in idolatry or in some heresy; but he who did not have the wedding garment is one who believed, but with filthy deeds stained the spiritual garment, who also was justly cast out from the joy of the bridal chamber. And he offered another parable agreeing with this one, typifying ten virgins, of whom five were wise, and five were foolish. The foolish ones, taking their lamps, 126 did not take oil with them; but the wise took oil; signifying through the oil the possession of good works. But at midnight, he says, a cry was made: Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him; indicating through the midnight the uncertainty of that day. Then all those virgins arose; Therefore, the ones who were ready went out to meet the bridegroom, and went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut; but the unprepared, whom he fittingly called foolish, seeing their lamps going out, went away to buy oil. But when they arrived after the door was already shut, they cried out, saying: Lord, lord, open to us; but he, he says, answering said: Amen, I say to you, I do not know you; through all these things, therefore, it is clear that there is a recompense not only for contrary deeds, but also for words and for the thoughts themselves. For the Savior said: I say to you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of it on the day of judgment. And again: But of you, he says, even the hairs of the head are numbered; indicating through the hairs the most subtle of reasonings and thoughts. And in harmony with these things the blessed Paul also teaches: For the word of God, he says, is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the division of soul and

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πτωχόν τινα Λάζαρον ὀνόματι πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ βεβλημένον παραβλέπειν, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτῶν τῶν τῆς τραπέζης αὐτοῦ ψιχίων ἐπιδιδόναι αὐτῷ· ἀποθανόντων οὖν ἀμφοτέρων, ὁ μὲν πένης ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἡλκωμένος ἀπηνέχθη, φησίν, εἰς τὸν κόλπον Ἀβραάμ, τὴν τῶν δικαίων συναυλίαν οὕτω δηλώσας· ὁ δὲ πλούσιος παρεδόθη φλογὶ πικρᾶς βασάνου ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ· πρὸς ὃν Ἀβραὰμ ἔλεγεν· Ἀπέλαβες σὺ τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος ὁμοίως τὰ κακά· νῦν δὲ οὗτος μὲν παρακαλεῖται, σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Ἑτέρωθι δὲ παρεικάζων τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν, λέγει· Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἐποίησε γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, τὴν μέλλουσαν εὐφροσύνην καὶ λαμπρότητα οὕτω δηλῶν. πρὸς ἀνθρώπους γὰρ ταπεινοὺς καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντας τὸν λόγον ποιούμενος ἐκ τῶν συνήθων αὐτοῖς καὶ γνωρίμων ἐδίδου τὰς παραβολάς. οὐ μέντοι δὲ γάμους καὶ τραπέζας ἐν ἐκείνῳ παρεδήλου τῷ αἰῶνι εἶναι· 124 ἀλλὰ τῇ αὐτῶν συγκαταβαίνων παχύτητι, τοιούτοις ὀνόμασι κέχρηται, γνωρίσαι αὐτοῖς τὰ μέλλοντα βουλόμενος. πάντας μὲν οὖν, φησί, συνεκάλεσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑψηλῷ κηρύγματι συνελθεῖν εἰς τοὺς γάμους καὶ ἐμφορηθῆναι τῶν ἀπορρήτων ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων· πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν κεκλημένων ἀμελήσαντες οὐκ ἀπῆλθον, ἀλλ', ἀπασχολήσαντες ἑαυτούς, οἱ μὲν εἰς ἀγρούς, οἱ δὲ εἰς ἐμπορίας, οἱ δὲ εἰς νεονύμφους γυναῖκας, ἀπεστέρησαν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς λαμπρότητος τοῦ νυμφῶνος. ἐκείνων δὲ ἐθελοντὶ ἀλλοτριωθέντων τῆς τερπνῆς εὐφροσύνης, ἄλλοι προσεκλήθησαν· καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ γάμος ἀνακειμένων. εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς θεάσασθαι τοὺς ἀνακειμένους εἶδεν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐνδεδυμένον ἔνδυμα γάμου, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἑταῖρε, πῶς εἰσῆλθες ὧδε μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου; ὁ δὲ ἐφιμώθη. τότε εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς διακόνοις· ∆ήσαντες αὐτοῦ χεῖρας καὶ πόδας, ἄρατε αὐτόν, καὶ ἐμβάλετε εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. οἱ μὲν οὖν παραιτησάμενοι καὶ μηδόλως τῆς κλήσεως ὑπακούσαντες εἰσὶν οἱ μὴ προσδραμόντες τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστει, ἀλλ' εἴτε τῇ εἰδωλολατρείᾳ, εἴτε αἱρέσει τινὶ ἐμμείναντες· ὁ δὲ μὴ ἔχων τὸ τοῦ γάμου ἔνδυμα ἐστὶν ὁ πιστεύσας μέν, πράξεσι δὲ ῥυπαραῖς τὸ νοητὸν ἔνδυμα κηλιδώσας, ὃς καὶ δικαίως ἐξεβλήθη τῆς χαρᾶς τοῦ νυμφῶνος. Καὶ ἄλλην δὲ παραβολὴν ταύτῃ συνᾴδουσαν παρέθηκε, δέκα τινὰς παρθένους τυπώσας, Ὧν αἱ μὲν πέντε ἦσαν φρόνιμοι, αἱ δὲ πέντε μωραί. αἵτινες μωραί, λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὐτῶν, 126 οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ' ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον· αἱ δὲ φρόνιμοι ἔλαβον ἔλαιον· διὰ τοῦ ἐλαίου τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων κτῆσιν σημαίνων. Μέσης δὲ τῆς νυκτός, φησί, κραυγὴ γέγονεν· Ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος ἔρχεται· ἐξέρχεσθε εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ· διὰ τοῦ μεσονυκτίου τὸ ἄδηλον τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης παραστήσας. τότε ἠγέρθησαν πᾶσαι αἱ παρθένοι ἐκεῖναι· Αἱ μὲν οὖν ἕτοιμοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ νυμφίου, καὶ εἰσῆλθον μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ ἐκλείσθη ἡ θύρα· αἱ δὲ ἀνέτοιμοι, ἃς εἰκότως μωρὰς ἐκάλεσε, σβεννυμένας τὰς λαμπάδας ἑαυτῶν ὁρῶσαι, ἀπῆλθον ἀγοράσαι ἔλαιον. παραγενόμεναι δὲ κλεισθείσης ἤδη τῆς θύρας, ἔκραζον λέγουσαι· Κύριε, κύριε, ἄνοιξον ἡμῖν· ὁ δέ, φησίν, ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· Ἀμήν, λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς· διὰ τούτων οὖν ἁπάντων δῆλόν ἐστιν ἀνταπόδοσιν εἶναι οὐ μόνον τῶν ἐναντίων πράξεων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥημάτων καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐνθυμήσεων. εἶπεν γὰρ ὁ Σωτήρ· Λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶν ῥῆμα ἀργὸν ὃ ἐὰν λαλήσωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀποδώσουσι περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως. καὶ αὖθις· Ὑμῶν δέ, φησί, καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς ἠριθμημέναι εἰσί· διὰ τῶν τριχῶν τὰ λεπτότατα τῶν διαλογισμῶν καὶ ἐνθυμήσεων παραδηλώσας. συνῳδὰ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ὁ μακάριος διδάσκει Παῦλος· Ζῶν γάρ, φησίν, ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργής, καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον, καὶ διϊκνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς τε