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Do you fast? Show me by your works. What works, you say? If you see a poor man, have mercy; if you see an enemy, be reconciled; if you see a friend. prospering, do not be envious; if you see a beautiful woman, pass by; For let not only the mouth fast, but also the eye, and the ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our body; let the hands fast, being pure from robbery and greed; let the feet fast, refraining from running to unlawful spectacles; let the eyes fast, being taught never to spring upon beautiful forms, nor to busy themselves with the beauties of others. For the food of the eyes is sight; but if it is unlawful and forbidden, it defiles the fast, and overturns the whole salvation of the soul; but if it is lawful and safe, it adorns the fast. For it would be one of the most absurd things, to abstain from foods and permitted nourishment because of the fast, but with the eyes to touch what is forbidden. You do not eat meat? Do not devour licentiousness through your eyes. Let the ear also fast; and the fast of the ear is not to accept evil-speaking and slanders; For, “You shall not receive an idle report,” it says. Let the mouth also fast from shameful words and reviling. For what is the profit when we abstain from birds and fish, but we bite and devour our brothers? The one who speaks evil has eaten his brother's flesh, he has bitten the flesh of his neighbor. For this reason Paul also inspired fear when he said: But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. You have not fixed your teeth into the flesh, but you have fixed evil-speaking into the soul, you have wounded it with an evil suspicion, you have wrought countless evils both to yourself and to him and to many others; for you have also made the listener worse by slandering your neighbor. For if he is a sinner, he becomes more careless, having found a partner in his sin; and if he is righteous, he is lifted up to arrogance, and is puffed up by the sin of others, being led to imagine great things about himself. Along with these things, you have harmed the community of the Church; for not all the listeners slander the one who has sinned, but the reproaches are attached to the Christian people; nor is it possible to hear unbelievers saying that so-and-so is a fornicator and licentious, but instead of the one who has transgressed, they slander all Christians. Besides these things, you have caused the glory of God to be blasphemed; for just as when we are well-reputed the name of God is glorified, so when we sin it is blasphemed and insulted. Fourth, you have shamed the one spoken ill of, and thereby made him more shameless, having made him an enemy and an adversary. Fif 49.54 th, you have made yourself liable to punishment and vengeance, having woven together matters that in no way concern you. For let no one say to me this, that I speak evil only when I say what is false; but if I speak the truth, it is no longer so. Even if you speak ill while telling the truth, this too is a crime; for that Pharisee also spoke ill of the publican while telling the truth, but nevertheless this profited him nothing. For tell me, was the publican a publican and a sinner? It is clear to everyone, surely, that he was a publican; but nevertheless, because the Pharisee vilified him, he went away having lost everything. Do you wish to correct your brother? weep, pray to God, take him aside and admonish, counsel, exhort him. Thus Paul also did; “Lest when I come,” he says, “God should humble me, and I should mourn for many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented of the impurity and fornication and licentiousness which they have committed.” Show love for the one who has sinned; persuade him that because you care for him and are concerned, not because you wish to make a public spectacle, you are reminding him about his sin; grasp his feet, kiss him, do not be ashamed, if indeed you truly wish to heal him. Physicians also often do these things; for by kissing and exhorting the sick who are displeased, they persuade them to accept the saving medicine; so you also do; show the wound to the priest, this is the mark of one who cares, of one who takes thought, of one who is concerned. And not only to those who speak ill, but also to those who listen ill

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Νηστεύεις; δεῖξόν μοι διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν. Ποίων ἔργων, φησίν; Ἐὰν ἴδῃς πένητα, ἐλέησον· ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἐχθρὸν, καταλλάγηθι· ἐὰν ἴδῃς φίλον. εὐδοκιμοῦντα, μὴ βασκήνῃς· ἐὰν ἴδῃς γυναῖκα εὔμορφον, ὑπέρβηθι· Μὴ γὰρ δὴ στόμα νηστευέτω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ ἀκοὴ, καὶ πόδες, καὶ χεῖρες, καὶ πάντα τὰ τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν μέλη· νηστευέτωσαν χεῖρες, ἁρπαγῆς καὶ πλεονεξίας καθαρεύουσαι· νηστευέτωσαν πόδες, δρόμων τῶν ἐπὶ τὰ παράνομα θέατρα ἀφιστάμενοι· νηστευέτωσαν ὀφθαλμοὶ, παιδευόμενοι μηδέποτε ὄψεσιν εὐμόρφοις ἐπιπηδᾷν, μηδὲ ἀλλότρια περιεργάζεσθαι κάλλη. Τροφὴ γὰρ ὀφθαλμῶν, θεωρία; ἀλλὰ ἂν μὲν παράνομος ᾖ καὶ κεκωλυμένη, λυμαίνεται τῇ νηστείᾳ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀνατρέπει τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν σωτηρίαν· ἂν δὲ ἔννομος καὶ ἀσφαλὴς, κοσμεῖ τὴν νηστείαν. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀτοπωτάτων ἂν εἴη, ἐπὶ μὲν βρωμάτων καὶ τῆς συγκεχωρημένης ἀφίστασθαι τροφῆς διὰ τὴν νηστείαν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ τῆς κεκωλυμένης ἅπτεσθαι. Οὐκ ἐσθίεις κρέα; μὴ φάγῃς ἀκολασίαν διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. Νηστευέτω καὶ ἀκοή· νηστεία δὲ ἀκοῆς μὴ δέχεσθαι κακηγορίας καὶ διαβολάς· Ἀκοὴν γὰρ ματαίαν μὴ παραδέξῃ, φησί. Νηστευέτω καὶ στόμα ἀπὸ ῥημάτων αἰσχρῶν καὶ λοιδορίας. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ὅταν μὲν ὀρνίθων καὶ ἰχθύων ἀπεχώμεθα, τοὺς δὲ ἀδελφοὺς δάκνωμεν καὶ κατεσθίωμεν; Ὁ κακηγορῶν ἀδελφικὰ κρέα ἔφαγεν, τὴν σάρκα τοῦ πλησίον ἔδακε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἐφόβησεν εἰπών· Εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε. Οὐκ ἐνέπηξας τῇ σαρκὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας, ἀλλ' ἐνέπηξας τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν κακηγορίαν, τὴν πονηρὰν ὑπόληψιν ἔτρωσας, μυρία εἰργάσω κακὰ καὶ σαυτὸν καὶ ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἑτέρους πλείονας· καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἀκούσαντα χείρονα εἰργάσω, διαβάλλων τὸν πλησίον. Ἄν τε γὰρ ἁμαρτωλὸς ᾖ, ῥᾴθυμος γίνεται, κοινωνὸν εὑρὼν τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἄν τε δίκαιος ᾖ, εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αἴρεται, καὶ φυσᾶται ἐκ τῆς ἑτέρων ἁμαρτίας, μεγάλα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ φαντάζεσθαι προαγόμενος. Μετὰ τούτων τὸ κοινὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἔβλαψας· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα διαβάλλουσιν ἅπαντες οἱ ἀκούοντες, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὀνείδη τῷ Χριστιανῶν ἔθνει προστρίβεται· οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι ἀπίστων λεγόντων, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα πόρνος ἐστὶ καὶ ἀκόλαστος, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τοῦ πεπλημμεληκότος, τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς ἅπαντας διαβάλλουσι. Πρὸς τούτοις τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δόξαν βλασφημεῖσθαι παρεσκεύασας· ὥσπερ γὰρ εὐδοκιμούντων ἡμῶν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ δοξάζεται, οὕτως ἁμαρτανόντων βλασφημεῖται καὶ ὑβρίζεται. Τέταρτον, τὸν κακῶς ἀκούσαντα κατῄσχυνας, καὶ ἀναισχυντότερον ταύτῃ πεποίηκας, ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον καταστήσας. Πέμ 49.54 πτον, ἑαυτὸν ὑπεύθυνον κολάσει καὶ τιμωρίᾳ πεποίηκας, πράγματα τὰ μηδὲν σαυτῷ προσήκοντα πλέξας. Μὴ γάρ μοι τοῦτο λεγέτω τις, ὅτι τότε κακηγορῶ, ἐπειδὰν ψευδῆ εἴπω· ἐὰν δὲ ἀληθεύω, οὐκέτι. Κἂν ἀληθεύων εἴπῃς κακῶς, καὶ τοῦτο ἔγκλημα· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Φαρισαῖος ἐκεῖνος τὸν τελώνην εἶπε κακῶς ἀληθεύων, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν αὐτοῦ τοῦτο προέστη. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, τελώνης ἦν ὁ τελώνης καὶ ἁμαρτωλός; Παντί που δῆλον ὅτι τελώνης· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸν ἐκάκισεν ὁ Φαρισαῖος, ἀπῆλθεν ἅπαντα ἀπολέσας. Βούλει διορθῶσαι τὸν ἀδελφόν; δάκρυσον, εὖξαι τῷ Θεῷ, κατ' ἰδίαν λαβὼν παραίνεσον, συμβούλευσον, παρακάλεσον. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐποίει· Μήπως ἐλθόντα με, φησὶ, ταπεινώσῃ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων, καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, καὶ πορνείᾳ, καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ ᾗ ἔπραξαν. ∆εῖξον ἀγάπην περὶ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα· πεῖσον αὐτὸν ὅτι κηδόμενος καὶ φροντίζων, οὐκ ἐκπομπεῦσαι βουλόμενος, περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν ὑπομιμνήσκεις· κάτασχε πόδας, καταφίλησον, μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς, εἴ γε ἀληθῶς ἰατρεῦσαι βούλει. Ταῦτα καὶ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσι πολλάκις· δυσαρέστως γὰρ ἔχοντας τοὺς κάμνοντας καταφιλοῦντες, παρακαλοῦντες ἀναπείθουσι σωτήριον δέξασθαι φάρμακον· οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίησον· τῷ ἱερεῖ δεῖξον τὸ ἕλκος, τοῦτό ἐστι κηδομένου, τοῦτο προνοοῦντος, τοῦτο φροντίζοντος. Οὐ τοῖς κακῶς δὲ μόνον λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσι κακῶς