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31

be saved by you? For just as the widows standing around her showed her to be alive from being dead; so also those who are saved now, standing around you then, will cause you to enjoy much loving-kindness, and will snatch you from the fire of Gehenna. For if where there is an expenditure of money, the crowns are so many, the reward so great, the recompense so much; where there is a benefit to the soul, how shall our good things not be many? No one can achieve his own success without the salvation of his neighbor. For Paul also says: Let no one seek his own, but 63.608 each one the other's; knowing that his own good lies in the benefit of his neighbor. For just as those who do wrong and are covetous, having departed there, and having seen those who suffered these things (for they will surely see them, and this is clear from the rich man and Lazarus), will not be able to even open their mouth, nor to say anything and make a defense, but being filled with much shame and condemnation, from the sight of them will go away to punishment; so also those who teach and admonish, seeing those saved by them advocating for them there, will be filled with much boldness. And let no one say to me: What do I have in common with him? He is a stranger and unknown. As long as he is a believer, and partakes of the same mysteries as you, and comes to the same church, he is more closely related than all brothers and kinsmen. For just as not only those who steal, but also those who have the power to prevent it but do not, receive the same judgment as they; so not only those who are impious, but also those who are able to lead them away from impiety but are unwilling, will undergo the same punishment as they. Let each of you save one of the brethren, take an interest, be concerned, so that we may come to the next gathering with much boldness, bringing gifts to God, gifts more precious than all, having brought back the souls of the straying; and if it be necessary to be insulted, or to receive blows, or to endure anything else, let us do all things, so as to win them back. For the sick also often kick and insult; but nevertheless we bear with it, and are not stung by the insults, but desire one thing only, to see the health of him who behaves in this unseemly way. How then is it not absurd, for those who care for bodies to take so much pains, but for us to be neglectful when so many souls are perishing, and to think it no terrible thing that our members are decaying? What are you doing, man? you see your brother, tell me, being carried down a cliff, having a neglected life, not discerning what is right, and you do not stretch out a hand, you do not accuse and reprove? but you prefer not to offend him and appear burdensome to his salvation? and what pardon will you have from God, and what defense? Have you not heard what God commanded the Jews? not to overlook the beasts of burden of their enemies wandering astray, nor to pass by them when they have fallen. Then are the Jews commanded not to overlook the irrational animals of their enemies, and shall we overlook the souls of our brethren being tripped up every day? and how is this not of the utmost cruelty and savagery, not to bestow as much care on men, as they on irrational animals? This has overturned everything, this has thrown our life into confusion, that we neither bear being reproved nobly, nor are we willing to reprove others. For this is why we are burdensome when we reprove, because we become like beasts when we are reproved. For if the brother knew that by reproving you he was praised by you, he too, being reproved, would have given the same recompense. Do you wish to correct your brother? Weep, pray to God, take him aside privately, advise him, counsel him, exhort him, show love for the one who has sinned, persuade him that caring for and being concerned for him, not wishing to make a show of it, you are reminding him of his sin 63.609; grasp his feet, kiss his hands, be not ashamed, if indeed you truly wish to heal him. For physicians also often do these things, kissing and exhorting the sick who are displeased, they persuade them to receive a saving medicine. And if it be necessary to die

31

σοῦ διασωθῶσιν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ταύτην περιστᾶσαι αἱ χῆραι ζῶσαν ἀπὸ νεκρᾶς ἔδειξαν· οὕτω καὶ σὲ τότε περιστάντες οἱ διασωθέντες νῦν, ποιήσουσι πολλῆς ἀπολαῦσαι φιλανθρωπίας, καὶ τῆς γεέννης τοῦ πυρὸς ἐξαρπάσουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὅπου χρημάτων δαπάνη, τοσοῦτοι οἱ στέφανοι, τοσοῦτος ὁ μισθὸς, τοσαύτη ἡ ἀμοιβή· ὅπου ψυχῆς ὠφέλεια, πῶς οὐ πολλὰ ἡμῖν ἔσται τὰ ἀγαθά; Οὐδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κατορθῶσαι δύναται, χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ πλησίον σωτηρίας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησι· Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἀλλὰ 63.608 τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου ἕκαστος· εἰδὼς ὅτι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῷ τοῦ πλησίον κεῖται συμφέροντι. Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ ἀδικοῦντες καὶ πλεονεκτοῦντες, ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ, καὶ τοὺς ταῦτα παθόντας ἰδόντες (ὄψονται γὰρ πάντως, καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ πλουσίου καὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου τοῦτο), οὐδὲ ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα δυνήσονται, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν τι καὶ ἀπολογήσασθαι, ἀλλ' αἰσχύνης πολλῆς ἐμπλησθέντες καὶ καταγνώσεως, ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως τῆς ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τὴν κόλασιν ἀπελεύσονται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ διδάσκοντες καὶ νουθετοῦντες, ἰδόντες τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῶν διασωθέντας συνηγοροῦντας αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ, πολλῆς ἐμπλησθήσονται τῆς παῤῥησίας. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις· Τί γὰρ ἔχω κοινὸν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον; ἀλλότριός ἐστι καὶ ἄγνωστος. Ἕως ἂν ᾖ πιστὸς, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν σοι μετέχῃ μυστηρίων, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀπαντᾷ, καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν ἁπάντων ἐστὶν οἰκειότερος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐχ οἱ κλέπτοντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύριοι μὲν ὄντες κωλῦσαι, μὴ ποιοῦντες δὲ, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις διδοῦσι δίκην· οὕτως οὐχ οἱ ἀσεβοῦντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δυνάμενοι μὲν ἀπαγαγεῖν τῆς ἀσεβείας, μὴ βουλόμενοι δὲ, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις ὑποστήσονται τιμωρίαν. Ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἕνα τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀνασωσάτω, περιεργασάσθω, πολυπραγμονησάτω, ἵνα εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν σύναξιν μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας ἀπαντήσωμεν, δῶρα τῷ Θεῷ κομίζοντες, δῶρα πάντων τιμιώτερα, τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν πεπλανημένων ἐπαναγαγόντες· κἂν ὑβρισθῆναι δέῃ, κἂν πληγὰς λαβεῖν, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον ὑπομεῖναι, πάντα ποιήσωμεν, ὥστε αὐτοὺς ἀνακτήσασθαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ νοσοῦντες πολλάκις λακτίζουσι καὶ ὑβρίζουσιν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀνεχόμεθα, καὶ ταῖς ὕβρεσιν οὐ δακνόμεθα, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, τοῦ ταῦτα ἀσχημονοῦντος τὴν ὑγίειαν ἰδεῖν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν τῶν σωμάτων προνοοῦντας τοσαύτην ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ψυχῶν δὲ τοσούτων ἀπολλυμένων ῥᾳθυμεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι πάσχειν δεινὸν τῶν μελῶν ἡμῶν σηπομένων; Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ὁρᾷς τὸν ἀδελφὸν, εἰπέ μοι, κατὰ κρημνοῦ φερόμενον, ἠμελημένον ἔχοντα βίον, οὐ συνορῶντα τὸ δέον, καὶ οὐκ ὀρέγεις χεῖρα, οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖς καὶ ἐλέγχεις; ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ προσκροῦσαι αὐτῷ καὶ φανῆναι ἐπαχθὴς προτιμᾷς τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας; καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τίνα ἀπολογίαν; Οὐκ ἤκουσας τί τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεός; τὰ ὑποζύγια τῶν ἐχθρῶν μὴ περιορᾷν πλανώμενα, μηδὲ παρατρέχειν πεπτωκότα. Εἶτα Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν τὰ ἄλογα κελεύονται μὴ περιορᾷν τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀδελφῶν καθ' ἑκάστην ὑποσκελιζομένας περιοψόμεθα; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης τοῦτο ὠμότητος καὶ θηριωδίας, μηδὲ τοσαύτην ἀπονέμειν ἀνθρώποις πρόνοιαν, ὅσην τοῖς ἀλόγοις ἐκεῖνοι; Τοῦτο πάντα ἀνέστρεψε, τοῦτο τὸν βίον ἡμῶν συνέχεεν, ὅτι οὔτε ἐλεγχόμενοι φέρομεν γενναίως, οὔτε ἑτέρους ἐλέγχειν βουλόμεθα. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς ἐσμεν ἐλέγχοντες, ἐπειδὴ ἐκθηριούμεθα ἐλεγχόμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὅτι ἐλέγξας σε ἐπῃνεῖτο παρὰ σοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλεγχόμενος τὴν αὐτὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀπέδωκεν ἄν. Βούλει διορθῶσαι τὸν ἀδελφόν; δάκρυσον, εὖξαι τῷ Θεῷ, κατ' ἰδίαν λαβὼν παραίνεσον, συμβούλευσον, παρακάλεσον, δεῖξον ἀγάπην περὶ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα, πεῖσον αὐτὸν ὅτι κηδόμενος καὶ φροντίζων, οὐκ ἐκπομπεῦσαι βουλόμενος, περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας 63.609 αὐτὸν ὑπομιμνήσκεις· κάτασχε πόδας, καταφίλησον χεῖρας, μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς, εἴ γε ἀληθῶς ἰατρεῦσαι βούλει. Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσι πολλάκις, δυσαρέστως ἔχοντας τοὺς κάμνοντας καταφιλοῦντες, παρακαλοῦντες, ἀναπείθουσι σωτήριον δέξασθαι φάρμακον. Κἂν ἀποθανεῖν δέῃ