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will free us from all the impending anxiety. The father is interceding there; we from here will intercede with the king of heaven; let us help him with our prayers. The common prayer of the Church is powerful, if with a suffering soul, if with a contrite heart we offer up our prayers. It is not possible to cross the sea, it is not possible to set out on a long journey; let each man and each woman, both coming to Church and remaining at home, call upon God with great earnestness, and he will certainly grant our requests. How is this clear? Because he very much wants us always to take refuge in him, and in all things to ask of him, and to do or say nothing without him. For men, when we continually bother them about our affairs, grow weary and shrink back, and are ill-disposed toward us; but God is entirely the opposite, not when we continually approach him about our affairs, but when we do not do this, he is most indignant then. Hear, at any rate, what he charges the Jews with, saying: You made a plan, but not through me, and covenants, but not through my Spirit. For such is the custom of those who love; they want all the affairs of those who are loved to be accomplished through them, and for them to do or say nothing without them. For this reason God, not 49.50 only here, but also elsewhere, making this very same charge, said: They made kings, but not through me; they ruled, but did not make it known to me. Let us not then hesitate to continually take refuge in him, and whatever may be terrible will certainly receive its proper solution. Has a man frightened you? Run to the Master above, and you will suffer no harm. In this way the ancients resolved their misfortunes, not only men, but also women. There was a certain Hebrew woman, Esther was her name; this Esther rescued the whole Jewish people, who were about to be delivered to utter destruction, in this way. For since the king of the Persians had commanded all the Jews to be utterly destroyed, and there was no one able to stand against that wrath, the woman, taking off her brighter garment, and putting on sackcloth, and spreading ashes under herself, besought the man-loving God to enter with her before the king, and praying she spoke these words to him: Grant grace, Lord, to my words, give well-ordered speech to my mouth. Let us now ask these things from God for our teacher also. For if a woman, interceding for the Jews, was able to quell a barbarian's rage, much more will our teacher, praying for such a city and with such a Church, be able to persuade this most gentle and mild emperor. For if he has received authority to loose sins against God, much more will he be able to remove and abolish those committed against man. He too is a ruler, and a ruler more venerable than that one. For the sacred laws have submitted the royal head itself to his hands; and whenever some good thing must come from above, the emperor is accustomed to take refuge with the priest, not the priest with the emperor. He too has the breastplate of righteousness, he has also the belt of truth, he has also sandals much more venerable, those of the Gospel of peace, he has also a sword, not of iron, but of the spirit; he has also a crown placed upon his head. This full armor is more splendid, the weapons more venerable, the confidence greater, the strength more abundant. So that both from the dignity of his office, and from his own magnanimity, and before all other things, from his hope in God, he will speak with the emperor with much confidence, with much understanding. Let us not then despair of our own salvation, but let us ask, let us beseech, let us supplicate, let us intercede with the king above with many tears; we also have this fast as an ally, joining with us in this good intercession. Therefore, just as when winter has passed and summer has appeared, the sailor draws his ship toward the sea,

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τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἡμᾶς ἀγωνίας ἀπαλλάξει πάσης. Ὁ πατὴρ ἐκεῖ πρεσβεύεται, ἡμεῖς ἐντεῦθεν πρεσβευσώμεθα πρὸς τὸν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλέα, βοηθήσωμεν αὐτῷ ταῖς εὐχαῖς. Μέγα τὸ κοινὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δύναται, ἂν μετ' ὀδυνωμένης ψυχῆς, ἂν μετὰ συντετριμμένης καρδίας τὰς εὐχὰς ἀνενέγκωμεν. Οὐκ ἔστι διαβῆναι πέλαγος, οὐκ ἔστι μακρὰν ἀποδημίαν στείλασθαι· ἕκαστος καὶ ἑκάστη, καὶ εἰς Ἐκκλησίαν ἀπαντῶντες, καὶ οἴκοι μένοντες, καλῶμεν μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πάντως ἐπινεύσει ταῖς δεήσεσι. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ὅτι σφόδρα βούλεται ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν καταφεύγειν, καὶ ἐν ἅπασιν αὐτοῦ δεῖσθαι, καὶ μηδὲν χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν ἢ λέγειν. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ, ὅταν συνεχῶς αὐτοὺς ἐνοχλῶμεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων πραγμάτων, ναρκῶσι καὶ ἀναδύονται, καὶ ἀηδῶς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔχουσιν· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τοὐναντίον ἅπαν, οὐχ ὅταν αὐτῷ συνεχῶς ἐντυγχάνωμεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' ὅταν μὴ τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, τότε μάλιστα ἀγανακτεῖ. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐγκαλεῖ, λέγων· Ἐποιήσατε βουλὴν, καὶ οὐ δι' ἐμοῦ, καὶ συνθήκας, καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου. Τοιοῦτο γὰρ τῶν φιλούντων τὸ ἔθος· πάντα τὰ τῶν φιλουμένων πράγματα δι' αὐτῶν ἀνύεσθαι βούλονται, καὶ μηδὲν χωρὶς αὐτῶν ἐκείνους ἢ ποιεῖν, ἢ λέγειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ 49.50 ἐνταῦθα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐγκαλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ἐβασίλευσαν, καὶ οὐ δι' ἐμοῦ· ἦρξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώρισάν μοι. Μὴ τοίνυν ὀκνῶμεν συνεχῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν καταφεύγειν, καὶ ὅπερ ἂν ᾖ δεινὸν, πάντως λήψεται τὴν προσήκουσαν λύσιν. Ἐφόβησεν ἄνθρωπος; δράμε πρὸς τὸν ἄνω ∆εσπότην, καὶ οὐδὲν πείσῃ δεινόν. Οὕτως οἱ παλαιοὶ τὰς συμφορὰς ἔλυον, οὐκ ἄνδρες δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες. Ἐγένετό τις Ἑβραία γυνὴ, Ἐσθὴρ ἦν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς· αὕτη ἡ Ἐσθὴρ ὅλον τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν δῆμον πανωλεθρίᾳ παραδίδοσθαι μέλλοντα, τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ ἐξήρπασεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς πάντας ἄρδην ἀναιρεῖσθαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐκέλευσε, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἦν ὁ πρὸς τὴν ὀργὴν ἐκείνην στῆναι δυνάμενος, ἀποδυσαμένη τὴν φαιδροτέραν στολὴν ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ σάκκον περιβαλλομένη, καὶ σποδὸν ὑποστρωσαμένη, παρεκάλει τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν συνεισελθεῖν αὐτῇ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ τοιαῦτα προσευχομένη πρὸς αὐτὸν ῥήματα ἔλεγε· Χαρίτωσον, Κύριε, τὰ ῥήματά μου, δὸς λόγον εὔρυθμον εἰς τὸ στόμα μου. Ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου παρακαλῶμεν νῦν ἡμεῖς τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ γυνὴ ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων παρακαλοῦσα, βαρβαρικὸν ἴσχυσε καταστεῖλαι θυμὸν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ διδάσκαλος ὁ ἡμέτερος ὑπὲρ τοιαύτης πόλεως καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης Ἐκκλησίας δεόμενος, τὸν πραότατον καὶ ἡμερώτατον βασιλέα τοῦτον πεῖσαι δυνήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ τὰς εἰς Θεὸν ἁμαρτίας λύειν ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰς εἰς ἄνθρωπον γενομένας ἀνελεῖν καὶ ἀφανίσαι δυνήσεται. Ἄρχων ἐστὶ καὶ οὗτος, καὶ ἄρχων ἐκείνου σεμνότερος. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλικὴν κεφαλὴν οἱ ἱεροὶ νόμοι ταῖς τούτου φέροντες χερσὶν ὑπέταξαν· καὶ ὅταν τι δέοι γενέσθαι χρηστὸν ἄνωθεν, ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα, οὐχ ὁ ἱερεὺς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καταφεύγειν εἴωθεν. Ἔχει καὶ οὗτος θώρακα τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἔχει καὶ ζώνην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἔχει καὶ ὑποδήματα πολλῷ σεμνότερα τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης, ἔχει καὶ μάχαιραν, οὐ τὴν ἀπὸ σιδήρου, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος· ἔχει καὶ στέφανον ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς κείμενον. Λαμπροτέρα αὕτη ἡ παντευχία, σεμνότερα τὰ ὅπλα, μείζων ἡ παῤῥησία, πλείων ἡ ἰσχύς. Ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὄγκου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας μεγαλοψυχίας, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίδος, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παῤῥησίας, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς συνέσεως διαλέξεται τῷ βασιλεῖ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπογινώσκωμεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμῶν αὐτῶν σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ δεώμεθα, παρακαλῶμεν, ἱκετεύωμεν, πρεσβευώμεθα πρὸς τὸν ἄνω βασιλέα μετὰ πολλῶν δακρύων· ἔχομεν καὶ τὴν νηστείαν ταύτην σύμμαχον καὶ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης συνεφαπτομένην ἡμῖν πρεσβείας. Καθάπερ οὖν χειμῶνος παρελθόντος, καὶ θέρους φανέντος, ἕλκει μὲν πρὸς τὸ πέλαγος τὸ πλοῖον ὁ ναύτης,