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For these reasons I mourn. I know that he will rise again, but I cannot bear the separation in the meantime; a great crowd of troubles rushes in, I am exposed to all who wish to do me wrong; those of the household who were formerly afraid, now despise me, they trample upon me; if anyone has been well-treated, he has forgotten his kindness; if anyone suffered ill from him, holding a grudge against the departed, he unleashes his anger upon me. These things do not allow me to bear my widowhood, to lament gently; for these things I beat my breast, for these things I wail. How then shall we comfort such women? What shall we say? How shall we drive away their pain? First I will try to convince them that their lamentation is not for these reasons, but from an irrational passion. For if you mourn for these things, you ought to mourn for the departed always; but if after a year has passed you have forgotten, as if nothing had ever happened, you do not lament the departed, nor his protection. But you cannot bear the separation, nor the interruption of your routine? What would those say who enter into second marriages? Indeed; for they do not seek their former husbands. But let us not direct our argument to these women, but to those who keep their good will for the departed. Why do you mourn the child? Why the husband? The one, she says, because I did not enjoy him; the other, because I expected to enjoy him more. But this very thing, what great unbelief it is to think that your husband or your child established you in security, and not God? how do you not think you provoke Him? For He often takes them for this reason, so that she may not be so bound to them as to lead her hope away from Him. For God is a jealous God, and desires to be loved by us more than all things, and this, because He loves us exceedingly. For you know that this is the custom of those who love madly; they are exceedingly jealous, and would choose to give up their life rather than be surpassed in favor by any of their rivals. For these reasons, and for these words, God took him. 3. For why, tell me, in ancient times did widowhood and untimely orphanhood not happen? Why did He allow Abraham and Isaac to live a long time? Surely because even while he was living, he preferred God. At least, He said, 'Slay him;' and he would have slain him. Why did He lead Sarah to such a great old age? Because even while she was living, he listened more to God than to her. For this reason God said to him: 'Listen to Sarah your wife.' No one then angered God, neither through the love of a husband, nor of a wife, nor through the protection of a child. But now, since we are prone to fall, and 62.432 have fallen very low, and men love women more than God, and women prefer husbands more than God, for this reason He draws us, even unwillingly, to the desire of Himself. Do not love your husband more than God, and you will never feel widowhood; or rather, even if it happens, you will not perceive it. Why? Because you have an immortal protector who loves you more. If you love God more, do not mourn; for the one loved more is immortal, and does not allow the feeling for the one loved less to be perceived; I will make this clear to you by an example. Tell me, if you have a husband who does everything according to your mind, who is well-esteemed, and makes you renowned and respected everywhere, esteemed by all, prudent, wise, loving you, you being blessed on his account, and with him you bear a child, then if this child should depart before coming to the prime of life, will you feel the grief? Not at all; for the one loved more conceals that loss. And now, if you love God more than your husband, first of all, He will not take him quickly; but if He should take him, you will have no perception of the grief. For this reason also the blessed Job suffered nothing terrible when he heard of the sudden death of his children, because he loved God more than them. Therefore, since the beloved was living, those things were not going to grieve him. What are you saying, O woman? Your husband and child were your protectors, but God does not spare you? Who gave you that very one? Was it not He? And who you

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διὰ ταῦτα πενθῶ. Οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται, ἀλλ' οὐ φέρω τὸν μεταξὺ χωρισμόν· πολὺς τῶν πραγμάτων ὁ ὄχλος ἐπιῤῥεῖ, πᾶσι πρόκειμαι τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀδικεῖν· οἱ δεδοικότες πρότερον τῶν οἰκετῶν, καταφρονοῦσι νῦν, ἐπεμβαίνουσι· εἴ τις εὐηργέτηται, τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐπιλέλησται τῆς ἐκείνου· εἴ τις κακῶς ἔπαθε παρ' αὐτοῦ, τῷ ἀπελθόντι μνησικακῶν εἰς ἐμὲ τὴν ὀργὴν ἀφίησι. Ταῦτα οὐκ ἀφίησί με τὴν χηρείαν φέρειν, πράως ὀδύρασθαι· διὰ ταῦτα κόπτομαι, διὰ ταῦτα θρηνῶ. Πῶς οὖν τὰς τοιαύτας παραμυθησόμεθα; τί ἐροῦμεν; πῶς αὐτῶν τὴν ὀδύνην ἀποκρουσόμεθα; Πρῶτον αὐτὰς διελέγξαι πειράσομαι, ὅτι οὐ τούτων ἐστὶν ὁ θρῆνος τῶν ῥημάτων, ἀλλὰ πάθους ἀλογίστου. Εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα πενθεῖς, ἐχρῆν διαπαντὸς πενθεῖν τὸν ἀπελθόντα· εἰ δὲ ἐνιαυτοῦ παρελθόντος ἐπιλέλησαι, ὡς οὐδὲ γενομένου τινὸς, οὐ τὸν ἀπελθόντα θρηνεῖς, οὐδὲ τὴν προστασίαν. Ἀλλὰ τὸν χωρισμὸν οὐ φέρεις, οὐδὲ τὴν τῆς συνηθείας διακοπήν; Τί δ' ἂν εἴποιεν αἱ καὶ δευτέροις ὁμιλοῦσαι γάμοις; Σφόδρα γε· οὐ γὰρ τοὺς προτέρους ἐπιζητοῦσιν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ πρὸς ταύτας τὸν λόγον ἀποτείνωμεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσιν εὔνοιαν φυλαττούσας. ∆ιὰ τί πενθεῖς τὸ παιδίον; διὰ τί τὸν ἄνδρα; Τοῦ μὲν, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἀπέλαυσα, φησί· τοῦ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ προσεδόκησα ἐπιπλέον ἀπολαύσεσθαι. Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ ὅσης ἀπιστίας τὸ νομίζειν, ὅτι ὁ ἀνὴρ ἢ τὸ παιδίον ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ σε καθίστη, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Θεός; πῶς οὐκ οἴει παροξύνειν αὐτόν; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς λαμβάνει πολλάκις, ἵνα μὴ οὕτως αὐτοῖς ᾖ προσδεδεμένη, ὥστε ἀπ' ἐκείνων τὴν ἐλπίδα ἀπαγαγεῖν. Θεὸς γάρ ἐστι ζηλωτὴς, καὶ πάντων μάλιστα βούλεται παρ' ἡμῶν φιλεῖσθαι, καὶ τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἡμᾶς φιλεῖ. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι τοῦτο τῶν μανικῶς φιλούντων τὸ ἔθος· σφόδρα εἰσὶ ζηλότυποι, καὶ αἱροῖντο ἂν τὴν ψυχὴν προέσθαι, ἢ παρευδοκιμηθῆναι ὑπό τινος τῶν ἀντεραστῶν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἔλαβε, διὰ ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα. γʹ. Ἐπεὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ παλαιὸν οὐκ ἐγίνοντο χηρεῖαι, οὐδὲ ὀρφανίαι ἄωροι; διὰ τί τὸν Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ἀφῆκε πολὺν ζῆσαι χρόνον; Πάντως ὅτι καὶ ζῶντος αὐτοῦ, προετίμα τὸν Θεόν. Εἶπε γοῦν. Σφάξον· καὶ ἔσφαξε. ∆ιὰ τί τὴν Σάῤῥαν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἤγαγε γῆρας; Ὅτι καὶ ζώσης αὐτῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἤκουεν, ἢ αὐτῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός· Ἄκουσον Σάῤῥας τῆς γυναικός σου. Οὔτε δι' ἀνδρὸς φιλίαν, οὔτε διὰ γυναικὸς, οὔτε διὰ παιδὸς προστασίαν παρώργιζέ τις τότε τὸν Θεόν. Νῦν δὲ ἐπειδὴ κατωφερεῖς ἐσμεν, καὶ 62.432 σφόδρα καταπεπτώκαμεν, καὶ ἄνδρες γυναῖκας τοῦ Θεοῦ πλέον φιλοῦμεν, καὶ γυναῖκες ἄνδρας τοῦ Θεοῦ πλέον προτιμῶμεν, τούτου χάριν καὶ ἄκοντας ἡμᾶς εἰς πόθον ἕλκει τὸν αὐτοῦ. Μὴ φίλει τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦ Θεοῦ πλέον, καὶ οὐκ αἰσθήσῃ χηρείας ποτέ· μᾶλλον δὲ κἂν συμβῇ, οὐ λήψῃ τὴν αἴσθησιν. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι προστάτην ἔχεις τὸν μᾶλλον φιλοῦντα ἀθάνατον. Εἰ μᾶλλον τὸν Θεὸν φιλεῖς, μὴ πένθει· ὁ γὰρ μᾶλλον φιλούμενος, ἀθάνατός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησι τοῦ ἧττον φιλουμένου λαβεῖν αἴσθησιν· Ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματός σοι τοῦτο ποιήσω φανερόν. Εἰπέ μοι, εἰ ἄνδρα ἔχεις κατὰ γνώμην σοι πάντα πράττοντα, εὐδοκιμοῦντα, καὶ ποιοῦντά σε λαμπρὰν πανταχοῦ, καὶ ἀκαταφρόνητον, εὐδοκιμοῦντα παρὰ πᾶσι, συνετὸν, σοφὸν, φιλοῦντά σε, μακαριζομένη δι' αὐτὸν, καὶ μετὰ τούτου τέκῃς καὶ παιδίον, εἶτα πρὶν ἢ εἰς ὥραν ἐλθεῖν ἡλικίας ἀπέλθοι τοῦτο, ἆρα αἰσθήσῃ τοῦ πένθους; Οὐδαμῶς· ὁ γὰρ μᾶλλον φιλούμενος ἐκεῖνο ἀποκρύπτει. Καὶ νῦν τὸν Θεὸν ἂν πλέον φιλῇς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, μάλιστα μὲν οὐ ταχέως αὐτὸν λήψεται· εἰ δὲ ἄρα καὶ λάβοι, οὐχ ἕξεις αἴσθησιν τοῦ πένθους. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ οὐδὲν ἔπασχε δεινὸν, τῶν παίδων ἀθρόον τὸν θάνατον ἀκούσας, ἐπειδὴ τὸν Θεὸν ἐφίλει πλέον αὐτῶν. Τοῦ τοίνυν φιλουμένου ζῶντος, οὐδὲν ἔμελλεν ἐκεῖνα λυπήσειν αὐτόν. Τί λέγεις, ὦ γύναι; ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ ὁ παῖς προΐστατό σου, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐ φείδεταί σου; αὐτὸν δὴ ἐκεῖνον τίς σοι ἔδωκεν; οὐχὶ αὐτός; σὲ δὲ τίς