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having received the promises, but having seen them from afar and greeted them, God having foreseen something better for us, that they should not be made perfect without us. Hold fast to these things, and remember them, and teach those who have not heard; let each one meditate on these things both in church, and in the marketplace, and at home. For nothing is sweeter than divine hearing. Hear, at any rate, what the Prophet says about this 54.616: How sweet are thy words unto my throat, yea, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth. Therefore, set this honeycomb on the evening table, so as to fill it all with spiritual pleasure. Do you not see the wealthy among men, how after their meals they bring in cithara players and flute players? They make their own house a theater; you make your house a heaven. And you will do so, not by changing the walls, nor by altering the foundations, but by inviting the very Lord of heaven to your table. God is not ashamed of such suppers. For where there is spiritual teaching, there is also temperance, and reverence, and gentleness; where there are husband and wife and children, and concord and friendship, and they are bound by the bonds of virtue, there Christ is in the midst. For He does not seek a golden roof, nor the flashing of columns, nor the beauty of marbles, but beauty of soul, and comeliness of mind, and a table full of righteousness and bearing the fruits of almsgiving. And if He sees such a table, He quickly joins the gathering, and is present. For He Himself is the one who said: You saw me hungry, and you fed me. When, therefore, you hear a poor man from below crying out loudly, and then from the table of what is set before you, you give something to him who is in need, you have called the Master to your table through the servant, you have filled it all with blessings, and through the first-fruits you have prepared the greatest occasion for your storehouses to be multiplied with many good things. Now the God of peace, who gives bread for food, and seed to the sower, may he multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of righteousness in all of you, giving his grace, and may he deem you worthy of the kingdom of heaven; which may it befall us all to attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 8. On the day being wintry, and on the gathering of the bishops, and on the giving of the commandment to Adam, and that with much care the

law is to be received. 1. The concourse of the clouds has made the day more gloomy for us; but the presence of the teacher has made it brighter. For the sun, sending forth its rays from the midst of the height of the heavens, does not so illuminate our bodies, as the sight of fatherly affection, sending forth its rays from the midst of the throne, enlightens our souls. Therefore, he, understanding this, has not come to us alone, but he also came having a chorus of luminaries with him, so that the light might be greater. Wherefore also the church rejoices for us, and the flocks leap, and we with greater eagerness take up our discourse. For where there is a gathering of shepherds, there is also the safety of the sheep. So also do sailors rejoice when many pilots are present for them; for both when there is a calm and a stillness, they lighten for them the labor of rowing by means of the rudders; and when the sea is in turmoil, by their skill and their many hands the fury of the waters

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κομισάμενοι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ πόῤῥωθεν εἰδότες αὐτὰς καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι, τοῦ Θεοῦ κρεῖσσόν τι περὶ ἡμῶν προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσι. Ταῦτα κατέχετε, καὶ μέμνησθε, καὶ τοὺς οὐκ ἀκηκοότας διδάσκετε· ταῦτα καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ ἐν ἀγορᾷ, καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ μελετάτω ἕκαστος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡδύτερον ἀκροάσεως θείας. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησι περὶ ταύ 54.616 της ὁ Προφήτης· Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον τῷ στόματί μου. Τοῦτο τοίνυν παρατίθει τὸ κηρίον ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης τῆς ἑσπερινῆς, ὥστε πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἡδονῆς πληρῶσαι πνευματικῆς. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς εὐπόρους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πῶς μετὰ τὰ σιτία κιθαρῳδοὺς καὶ αὐλητὰς ἐπεισάγουσι; Θέατρον ἐκεῖνοι ποιοῦσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν οἰκίαν σὺ ποίησον τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν σὴν οὐρανόν· ποιήσεις δὲ, οὐχὶ τοὺς τοίχους ἀμείβων, οὐδὲ μεταλλάττων τὰ θεμέλια, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν οὐρανῶν ∆εσπότην ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν καλῶν τὴν σήν. Οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται τὰ τοιαῦτα δεῖπνα ὁ Θεός. Ἔνθα γὰρ διδασκαλία πνευματικὴ, ἐκεῖ καὶ σωφροσύνη, καὶ σεμνότης, καὶ ἐπιείκεια· ἔνθα ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ καὶ παιδία, καὶ ὁμόνοια καὶ φιλία, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς συνδεδεμένοι δεσμοῖς, ἐκεῖ μέσος ὁ Χριστός. Οὐ γὰρ χρυσοῦν ὄροφον ζητεῖ, οὐδὲ ἀστραπὰς κιόνων, οὐδὲ κάλλη μαρμάρων, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς ὥραν, καὶ διανοίας εὐμορφίαν, καὶ τράπεζαν δικαιοσύνης γέμουσαν καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης καρποὺς ἔχουσαν. Κἂν ἴδῃ τοιαύτην τράπεζαν, ταχέως κοινωνεῖ τοῦ συλλόγου, καὶ παραγίνεται. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ εἰρηκώς· Πεινῶντά με εἴδετε, καὶ ἐθρέψατε. Ὅταν οὖν ἀκούσῃς πένητος κάτωθεν μεγάλα βοῶντος, εἶτα ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν προκειμένων δῷς τι τῷ δεομένῳ, τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐκάλεσας διὰ τοῦ δούλου πρὸς τὴν τράπεζαν τὴν σὴν, πᾶσαν αὐτὴν εὐλογιῶν ἐνέπλησας, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀπαρχῆς ἀφορμὴν μεγίστην τοῦ πληθύνεσθαί σοι τὰ ταμεῖα ἀγαθῶν πολλῶν παρεσκεύασας. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ διδοὺς ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν, καὶ σπέρμα τῷ σπείροντι, πληθύνοι τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν, καὶ αὐξήσειε τὰ γεννήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ χάριν διδοὺς, καὶ καταξιώσειε τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ δόξα τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Ηʹ. Εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν χειμέριον οὖσαν, καὶ εἰς τὴν σύνοδον τῶν ἐπισκόπων, καὶ εἰς τὴν δόσιν τῆς ἐντολῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμ, καὶ ὅτι πολλῆς κηδεμονίας τὸν

νόμον λαβεῖν. αʹ. Ἡ μὲν τῶν νεφῶν συνδρομὴ τὴν ἡμέραν ἡμῖν κατηφεστέραν ἐποίησεν· ἡ δὲ παρουσία τοῦ διδασκάλου φαιδροτέραν αὐτὴν εἰργάσατο. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἥλιος ἐκ μέσης τῶν οὐρανῶν τῆς κορυφῆς τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἀφιεὶς, καταλάμπει τὰ σώματα, ὡς ὄψις πατρικῆς φιλοστοργίας ἀκτῖνας ἀφιεῖσα ἐκ μέσου τοῦ θρόνου, καταυγάζει τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχάς. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς συνιδὼν, οὐχὶ μόνος ἡμῖν παραγέγονεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φωστήρων χορὸν ἔχων ἦλθε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ, ὥστε πλέον γενέσθαι τὸ φῶς. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία ἡμῖν ἀγάλλεται, καὶ σκιρτᾷ τὰ ποίμνια, καὶ ἡμεῖς μετὰ πλείονος προθυμίας τῶν λόγων ἁπτόμεθα. Ὅπου γὰρ συνδρομὴ ποιμένων, ἐκεῖ καὶ προβάτων ἀσφάλεια. Οὕτω καὶ ναῦται χαίρουσι, κυβερνητῶν αὐτοῖς παρόντων πολλῶν· καὶ γὰρ γαλήνης οὔσης καὶ νηνεμίας, τὸν τῆς κωπηλασίας πόνον αὐτοῖς ἐπικουφίζουσι διὰ τῶν οἰάκων· καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης στασιαζούσης, τῇ τέχνῃ καὶ τῇ πολυχειρίᾳ τὴν τῶν ὑδάτων