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considering that those for whom we undertake the care of the beasts of burden are brothers of the Savior; and that the goodwill and zeal concerning these is referred to the Lord who said: As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. If he makes his own the things concerning the least, much more will he make his own the things concerning the elect, only let him not consider the ministry an occasion for indifference, but in all sobriety let him secure himself, so that he may be a benefit both to himself and to those who meet him. And if it is necessary to perform any of the more menial tasks, it is necessary to know that the Savior also ministered to the disciples, and did not disdain to do the humble tasks, and it is a great thing for a man of God to become an imitator, being led up through these humble things to the height of that imitation. For who then would call humble those works which God has touched with his own activity?

CHAPTER 24. That the ascetic ought not to seek honors and precedence.

The ascetic ought in no way to seek honors. For if here he seeks the rewards for his labors and achievements, he is wretched in his recompense, forfeiting eternal things for temporal ones; but if he has chosen to strive here, but in heaven to receive the crowns, he ought not only not to seek honors, but also to refuse and reject them when they are given, so that the honor here may not become a lessening of the glory there. For the present life is entirely one of works and struggles; but the future one, of crowns and rewards, just as the great Paul, when about to complete his life here and to depart for the things beyond, says: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, not here. And again the Savior says: In this world you will have tribulation. And again the same Apostle: Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of heaven. If, therefore, you wish to reign in the future, do not seek rest here, nor honor, but even if you are afflicted for the present for the sake of the word, that is, of the truth, know that you will reign 31.1413 later. For this is the appointed reward for the affliction here for the sake of the good. But if you are not afflicted, do not expect the crowns from there, since here you have not paid in advance the appointed struggles and labors for the crowns. Therefore, let the ascetic in no way seek honors, nor to be preferred to the rest. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. If the ascetic exalts himself, he has a harsh and mighty one who humbles him, able even to bring him down to Hades; but if he humbles himself, he will be exalted splendidly and exceedingly, since God exalts the humble one according to His own power. Wait, therefore, for the one who exalts well, O ascetic, and in no way be fainthearted toward the present things. For you are an athlete and a worker of Christ, having agreed to strive the whole day, and to endure the heat of the whole day. Why, having not yet fulfilled the measure of the day, do you pursue rest? Wait for the evening, the end of this life here, so that, when the master of the house comes, he may count out your wages. For when evening came, the master of the vineyard said to his steward: Call the laborers and pay them their wages; not at midday, nor at the beginning of the hiring. Wait, therefore, for the end of life, and then you will receive your wages worthily. But for now, be content with the last place, so that then you may receive the first.

CHAPTER 25. Concerning modesty and simplicity in foods.

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λογιζόμενον, ὡς καὶ δι' οὓς ἡμεῖς τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ὑποζυγίων αἱρούμεθα, ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρός εἰσι· καὶ ἡ περὶ τούτους εὔνοια καὶ σπου δὴ τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἔχει τὸν φήσαντα· Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Εἰ δὲ τὰ τῶν ἐλαχίστων οἰκειοῦται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν οἰκειώσεται, μόνον μὴ τὴν διακονίαν ἀφορμὴν ἀδια φορίας λογίσηται, ἀλλ' ἐν πάσῃ νήψει ἑαυτὸν ἀσφα λιζέσθω, ἵνα καὶ ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς συντυγχάνουσιν ὠφέλεια γένηται. Ἂν δέ τι τῶν εὐτελεστέρων ἔργων δέῃ ἐργάζεσθαι, χρὴ εἰδέναι, ὅτι καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς διηκόνησε, καὶ τὰ εὐτελῆ τῶν ἔργων ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἀπηξίωσε, καὶ μέγα ἀνθρώπῳ Θεοῦ γε νέσθαι μιμητὴν, διὰ τῶν ταπεινῶν τούτων εἰς τὸ ὕψος τῆς μιμήσεως ἐκείνης ἀναγομένῳ. Τίς δ' ἂν καὶ λέγοι λοιπὸν ταπεινὸς, ὧν Θεὸς τῆς ἐνεργείας ἐφήψατο.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Κ∆ʹ. Ὅτι οὐ χρὴ τιμὰς καὶ πρεσβείας ἐπιζητεῖν τὸν ἀσκητήν.

Τιμὰς δὲ κατὰ μηδὲν ἐπιζητεῖν προσήκει τὸν ἀσκητήν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα

τῶν πόνων καὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἐπιζητεῖ τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, ἄθλιος τῆς ἀντιμισθίας ἐστὶ, τοῖς προσκαίροις τὰ αἰώνια ζη μιούμενος· εἰ δὲ προείλετο ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἀγωνίσασθαι, ἐν οὐρανῷ δὲ τοὺς στεφάνους κομίσασθαι, ὀφείλει μὴ μόνον μὴ ἐπιζητεῖν τιμὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδομένας παρ αιτεῖσθαι καὶ ἀποκρούεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ ἡ ἐνταῦθα τιμὴ τῆς ἐκεῖ δόξης ἐλάττωσις γένηται. Ὁ γὰρ παρὼν βίος ὅλος ἔργων καὶ ἀγώνων ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ μέλλων, στεφάνων καὶ ἀμοιβῶν, καθὼς ὁ μέγας Παῦλος μέλ λων τελειοῦσθαι τὴν ἐνταῦθα ζωὴν, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐκεῖθεν μεθίστασθαι, φησί· Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα· λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιο σύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ Κύριος, οὐκ ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ δίκαιος κριτής. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Σωτήρ φησιν· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ θλίψιν ἕξετε. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀπόστολος· ∆ιὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βα σιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει βασιλεῦσαι εἰς τὸ μέλλον, ἐνταῦθα μὴ ἄνεσιν, μὴ τιμὴν ἐπι ζήτει, ἀλλὰ κἂν θλίβῃ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λόγου, δηλονότι τῆς ἀληθείας, γίνωσκε, ὅτι βασιλεύσεις 31.1413 ὕστερον. Τῆς γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ὑπὲρ τοῦ καλοῦ θλίψεως οὗτος ὁ μισθὸς ὥρισται. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θλίβῃ, μὴ προσδοκήσῃς τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν στεφάνους, ὡς ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ὡρισμένους ἐπὶ τοῖς στεφάνοις οὐ προκαταβαλόμενος ἀγῶνας καὶ πόνους. Τιμὰς οὖν μηδαμῶς ἐπιζητείτω ὁ ἀσκητὴς, μήτε τῶν λοιπῶν προῆχθαι. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται· ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθή σεται. Ἐὰν ἑαυτὸν ὑψώσῃ ὁ ἀσκητὴς, βαρὺν καὶ δυνατὸν ἔχει τὸν ταπεινοῦντα, καὶ μέχρις ᾅδου κατ άγειν δυνάμενον· ἐὰν δὲ ἑαυτὸν ταπεινώσῃ, λαμπρὸν καὶ ὑπερμέγεθες ὑψωθήσεται, Θεοῦ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν δύναμιν ὑψοῦντος τὸν ταπεινούμενον. Περίμενε τοί νυν τὸν καλῶς ὑψοῦντα, ὦ ἀσκητὰ, καὶ μηδαμῶς μικροψύχει πρὸς τὰ παρόντα. Ἀθλητὴς γὰρ εἶ καὶ ἐργάτης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀθλῆσαι συν θέμενος, καὶ ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας ὑπομεῖναι τὸν καύσω να. Τί, μηδέπω πληρώσας τῆς ἡμέρας τὸ μέτρον, μεταδιώκεις τὴν ἄνεσιν; Ἔκδεξαι τὴν ἑσπέραν, τὸ πέρας τῆς ἐνταῦθα ζωῆς, ἵνα, ἐλθὼν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης, τοὺς μισθούς σοι ἀπαριθμήσηται. Ὀψίας γὰρ γενο μένης, εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ αὐτοῦ· Κάλεσον τοὺς ἐργάτας, καὶ ἀπόδος αὐτοῖς τὸν μισθόν· οὐ μεσούσης ἡμέρας, οὐδὲ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς μισθώσεως. Περίμεινον οὖν τὸ πέρας τοῦ βίου, καὶ τότε κομίσῃ τοὺς μισθοὺς ἐπαξίως. Ἄρτι δὲ στέγε τὴν ἐσχάτην χώραν, ἵνα τότε λάβῃς τὴν πρώτην.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΚΕʹ. Περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὰ βρώματα ἀτυφίας καὶ ἁπλότητος.