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This place is a groundwork for virtue, a school of philosophy; not only in the assembly, when there is the reading of the Scriptures and spiritual teaching, and a council of venerable Fathers; but also at all other times, step only upon the porch, and immediately you have put away worldly cares. Enter within the porch, and like a spiritual breeze, it surrounds your soul. This quiet leads to awe, and teaches one to be a philosopher; it raises the spirit, and does not allow one to be mindful of present things, it transports you from earth to heaven. If without an assembly there is so much gain from being present here, when prophets cry out from all sides, when apostles preach the gospel, when Christ stands in the midst, when the Father accepts what is done, when the Holy Spirit provides its own exultation, with how much benefit do those who are present depart! but what a loss do the absent ones sustain! I would like to know where those who despise the assembly are spending their time, what has detained them, and led them away from this sacred table, what their conversation is about. Rather, I know clearly; for they are either talking about absurd and ridiculous matters, or they are engrossed in worldly cares; and the pastime of both is deprived of pardon, and has the ultimate punishment. And concerning the first, there is no need for argument or proof; but that even those who put forward to us the affairs of their household, and speak of the unbearable necessity from there, not even these can obtain pardon, being called here once a week, and not even then bearing to prefer spiritual things to earthly matters, is clear from the Gospels. For indeed those who were called to the spiritual 51.146 wedding, put forward these excuses, one that he had bought a yoke of oxen, another that he had purchased a field, another that he had taken a bride, but they were punished nonetheless. The reasons are necessary, indeed; but when God calls, they have no defense; for after God, all things are necessary for us. After honoring him, then let other things enjoy our zeal. For what servant, tell me, before he fulfills his master's service, will ever take care of the affairs of his own house? How then is it not absurd in the case of a man, where mastery is a mere name, to show such reverence and obedience to masters, but to the true Master, not of us only, but also of the powers above, not to deem him worthy of the same service as our fellow-slaves? If only it were possible for you to have entered into their conscience, and then you would have seen well, how full of wounds they were, how many thorns they had. For just as earth, not enjoying the hands of farmers, becomes barren and runs wild with wood; so also a soul, not enjoying spiritual teaching, sends forth thorns and thistles. For if we who every day partake of the reading of the prophets and apostles, scarcely restrain our temper, scarcely bridle our anger, scarcely suppress our desire, scarcely cast out the wasting of envy, chanting continual incantations from the divine Scriptures over our passions, scarcely suppress the shameless beasts; those who never enjoy this healing, nor listen to the divine philosophy, what hope of salvation will they have, tell me? I would wish to be able to show to your eyes their soul, and you would see it filthy, squalid, dejected, and humbled, and without confidence. For just as bodies that do not enjoy baths are full of much squalor and filth; so also the soul, not enjoying spiritual teaching, has a great stain of sins surrounding it. For what is here is a spiritual bath, washing away all filth with the heat of the Spirit; rather, the fire of the Spirit not only washes away filth, but also color. For if, he says, your sins are as scarlet, as snow

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Τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον ὑπόθεσίς ἐστιν ἀρετῆς, διδασκαλεῖον φιλοσοφίας· οὐκ ἐν συνάξει μόνον, ὅτε ἀκρόασις Γραφῶν καὶ διδασκαλία πνευματικὴ, καὶ συνέδριον Πατέρων αἰδεσίμων· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ λοιπῷ καιρῷ, ἐπίβηθι τῶν προθύρων μόνον, καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέθου τὰς φροντίδας τὰς βιωτικάς. Εἴσελθε τῶν προθύρων εἴσω, καὶ καθάπερ αὔρα τις πνευματικὴ περιίσταταί σου τὴν ψυχήν. Αὕτη ἡ ἡσυχία εἰς φρίκην ἄγει, καὶ διδάσκει φιλοσοφεῖν· ἀνίστησι τὸ φρόνημα, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησι μεμνῆσθαι τῶν παρόντων, μεθίστησί σε ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Εἰ δὲ χωρὶς συνάξεως τοσοῦτον τὸ κέρδος τῆς ἐνταῦθα παρουσίας, ὅταν προφῆται πάντοθεν βοῶσιν, ὅταν ἀπόστολοι εὐαγγελίζωνται, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν μέσῳ εἱστήκῃ, ὅταν Πατὴρ ἀποδέχηται τὰ γινόμενα, ὅταν Πνεῦμα ἅγιον παρέχῃ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀγαλλίασιν, πόσης μὲν ὠφελείας ἐμπλησθέντες οἱ παρόντες ἀπέρχονται! οἱ ἀπόντες δὲ πόσην ζημίαν ὑπομένουσιν! Ἐβουλόμην εἰδέναι ποῦ διατρίβουσιν οἱ τῆς συνάξεως καταφρονήσαντες, τί κατέσχεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης τραπέζης ἀπήγαγε, περὶ τίνων ἡ διάλεξις. Μᾶλλον δὲ οἶδα σαφῶς· ἢ γὰρ περὶ ἀτόπων καὶ καταγελάστων πραγμάτων διαλέγονται, ἢ βιωτικαῖς εἰσι προσηλωμένοι φροντίσιν· ἀμφοτέρων δὲ ἡ διατριβὴ συγγνώμης ἀπεστέρηται, καὶ κόλασιν ἔχει τὴν ἐσχάτην. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς προτέρας οὐδὲ λόγου δεῖ, οὔτε ἀποδείξεως· ὅτι δὲ καὶ οἱ τὰ τῆς οἰκίας ἡμῖν προβαλόμενοι πράγματα, καὶ τὴν ἀφόρητον ἐκεῖθεν ἀνάγκην λέγοντες, οὐδὲ οὗτοι δύνανται συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, ἅπαξ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἐνταῦθα καλούμενοι, καὶ οὐδὲ τότε ἀνεχόμενοι τὰ πνευματικὰ τῶν γηΐνων προτιμῆσαι πραγμάτων, ἀπὸ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων δῆλον. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ κληθέντες ἐπὶ τὸν γάμον τὸν πνευ 51.146 ματικὸν, ταύτας προεβάλλοντο τὰς προφάσεις, ὁ μὲν ὅτι ζεῦγος ὠνήσατο, ὁ δὲ ὅτι ἀγρὸν ἐπριάσατο, ὁ δὲ ὅτι νύμφην ἠγάγετο, ἀλλ' ἐκολάσθησαν ὅμως. Ἀναγκαῖαι μὲν αἱ αἰτίαι· ἀλλ' ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς καλῇ, ἀπολογίαν οὐκ ἔχουσι· μετὰ γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῖν πάντα ἀναγκαῖα. Μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τιμὴν, τότε τὰ ἄλλα ἀπολαυέτω σπουδῆς. Τίς γὰρ οἰκέτης, εἰπέ μοι, πρὶν ἢ τὴν δεσποτικὴν πληρώσῃ διακονίαν, τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν οἰκίαν ἐπιμελήσεταί ποτε; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐπ' ἀνθρώπῳ μὲν, ἔνθα ψιλὸν ὄνομα ἡ δεσποτεία, τοσαύτην τοῖς κυρίοις παρέχειν τὴν αἰδῶ καὶ τὴν ὑπακοὴν, τὸν δὲ ἀληθῶς ∆εσπότην, οὐχ ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων, μηδὲ τῆς αὐτῆς τοῖς ἡμετέροις συνδούλοις ἀξιοῦν θεραπείας; Εἴθε ἦν δυνατὸν ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ συνειδὸς αὐτῶν εἰσεληλυθέναι, καὶ τότε εἴδετε ἂν καλῶς, πόσων τραυμάτων ἔγεμον, ὅσας ἀκάνθας εἶχον. Καθάπερ γὰρ γῆ, γεωργικῶν οὐκ ἀπολαύουσα χειρῶν, χερσοῦται καὶ ὑλομανεῖ· οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ, πνευματικῆς οὐκ ἀπολαύουσα διδασκαλίας, ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἐκπέμπει. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τῆς τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων μετέχοντες ἀκροάσεως, μόλις κατέχομεν θυμὸν, μόλις χαλινοῦμεν ὀργὴν, μόλις καταστέλλομεν ἐπιθυμίαν, μόλις ἐκβάλλομεν τηκεδόνα φθόνου, συνεχεῖς ἐπῳδὰς τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἐπᾴδοντες τοῖς ἡμετέροις πάθεσι, μόλις καταστέλλομεν τὰ ἀναίσχυντα θηρία· ἐκεῖνοι οἱ μηδέποτε ταύτης ἀπολαύοντες τῆς ἰατρείας, μηδὲ τῆς θείας ὑπακούοντες φιλοσοφίας, ποίαν σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα ἕξουσιν, εἰπέ μοι; Ἐβουλόμην δύνασθαι δεῖξαι τοῖς ὑμετέροις ὀφθαλμοῖς τὴν ἐκείνων ψυχὴν, καὶ εἴδετε ἂν ῥυπῶσαν, αὐχμῶσαν, κατακεχυμένην, καὶ τεταπεινωμένην, καὶ ἀπαῤῥησίαστον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ βαλανείων οὐκ ἀπολαύοντα σώματα αὐχμοῦ καὶ ῥύπου γέμει πολλοῦ· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ, διδασκαλίας οὐκ ἀπολαύουσα πνευματικῆς, πολλὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχει περικειμένην αὐτῇ τὴν κηλῖδα. Καὶ γὰρ βαλανεῖόν ἐστι τὰ ἐνταῦθα πνευματικὸν, τῇ θέρμῃ τοῦ Πνεύματος πάντα ἀποσμῆχον ῥύπον· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχὶ ῥύπον ἀποσμῆχον μόνον τὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος πῦρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βαφήν. Ἐὰν γὰρ ὦσι, φησὶν, αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα