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I pray and I supplicate and I entreat that you not approach this holy table with a stain, nor with an evil conscience; for this would not be an approach, nor communion, even if we should touch that holy body ten thousand times, but condemnation and punishment and an addition of chastisement. Let no sinner, therefore, approach; or rather, I do not say, let no sinner, since I would first exclude myself from the divine table, but let no one remaining a sinner approach. For this reason I say beforehand from this point on, so that when the royal supper has arrived and that holy evening has come, no one may be able to say: I came unprepared and am excluded, and that these things should have been said long ago. For if I had heard these things long ago, I would certainly have changed; having certainly cleansed myself, I would have thus approached. So that, therefore, no one may be able to use these things as an excuse, from this point on I testify beforehand and I beseech you to show great repentance. I know that we are all under penances and that no one will boast of having a pure heart; but this is not the terrible thing, that we do not have a pure heart, but that not having a pure heart, we do not even approach the one who is able to make it pure. For he is able, if he is willing; and he is more willing than we are ourselves; but he awaits to receive a small pretext from us, so that he may crown us with boldness. Who has become more sinful than the publican? But because he only said, 'Be merciful to me, a sinner,' he went down justified more than the Pharisee. And yet how much power did that saying have? But it was not the saying that cleansed him, but the disposition with which he also spoke that saying; or rather, not even the disposition alone, but before this, the loving-kindness of God. 6.4 For what toil, tell me, what labor, what sweat is it for the sinner to persuade himself that he is a sinner and to say this to God? Do you see how I did not say in vain that he wishes to take hold of a small pretext from us and he himself contributes everything else for our salvation? Let us repent, therefore, let us weep, let us lament. Someone who has lost a daughter often spends the greater part of his life in lamentations and wailings; have we lost our soul, and do we not lament? Have we fallen from salvation, and are we not grief-stricken? And why do I say soul and salvation? We have provoked a Master so gentle and mild, and we do not bury ourselves? For in his care for us he surpasses not only the goodwill of a caring master, but also of a child-loving father and an affectionate mother. 'For can a woman,' he says, 'forget her child, or not have compassion on the fruit of her womb? Even if a woman should forget, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord.' The declaration is therefore faithful even before proof, for it is of God; but nevertheless, come, let us furnish the proof through deeds as well. Rebekah, once commanding her child to act out the drama concerning the theft of the blessings, and having dressed him well on all sides and having put on the mask of his brother, when she saw that even so he was not bold, wishing to remove all fear from the child, says, 'Upon me be your curse, my child.' Truly the word of a mother, and of one inflamed by love for her child. But Christ not only said this, but also did it. He not only promised, but also became it. And Paul cries out, saying: 'Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.' Him, therefore, we provoke; tell me: and how is this not more grievous than Gehenna itself and the undying worm and the unquenchable fire? When, therefore, you are about to approach the holy table, consider that the king of all is also present there; for indeed he is truly present, observing the disposition of each, and who approaches with fitting holiness, and who with an evil conscience, with unclean and filthy thoughts, with

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ρομαι καὶ ἱκετεύω καὶ ἀντιβολῶ μὴ μετὰ κηλῖδος, μηδὲ μετὰ πονηροῦ συνειδότος τῇ ἱερᾷ ταύτῃ προσιέναι τραπέζῃ· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴη τοῦτο πρόσοδος, οὐδὲ κοινωνία, κἂν μυριάκις ἁψώμεθα τοῦ ἁγίου σώματος ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ καταδίκη καὶ κόλασις καὶ τιμωρίας προσθήκη. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἁμαρτωλὸς προσίτω, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ λέγω· μηδεὶς ἁμαρτωλός, ἐπεὶ πρότερον ἐμαυτὸν ἀπείργω τῆς θείας τραπέζης, ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς μένων ἁμαρτωλὸς προσίτω. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη προλέγω, ἵνα μὴ τῶν βασιλικῶν καταλαβόντων δείπνων καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἑσπέρας παραγενομένης ἐκείνης, ἔχῃ τις λέγειν· Ἀπαρασκεύαστος εἰσῆλθον καὶ ἐέργομαι, καὶ ὅτι πάλαι ταῦτα προειπεῖν ἐχρῆν. Εἰ γὰρ πάλαι ταῦτα ἤκουσα, πάντως ἂν μετεβαλόμην, πάντως ἂν ἐμαυτὸν καθάρας, οὕτω προσῆλθον. Ἵν' οὖν μηδεὶς ταῦτα προφασίζεσθαι ἔχῃ, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη προδιαμαρτύρομαι καὶ παρακαλῶ πολλὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι τὴν μετάνοιαν. Οἶδα ὅτι πάντες ἐσμὲν ἐν ἐπιτιμίοις καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν· ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δεινόν, ὅτι ἁγνὴν καρδίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι μὴ ἔχοντες καρδίαν ἁγνήν, οὐδὲ τῷ δυναμένῳ ποιῆσαι ταύτην ἁγνὴν προσερχόμεθα. ∆ύναται γάρ, ἐὰν ἐθέλῃ· καὶ θέλει δὲ μᾶλλον ἡμῶν αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ ἀναμένει μικρὰν πρόφασιν παρ' ἡμῶν λαβεῖν, ἵνα μετὰ παρρησίας ἡμᾶς στεφανώσῃ. Τίς τοῦ τελώνου γέγονεν ἁμαρτωλότερος; Ἀλλ' ὅτι μόνον εἶπεν· "Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ", κατῆλθεν ὑπὲρ τὸν φαρισαῖον δεδικαιωμένος. Καίτοι πόσην δύναμιν εἶχεν ἡ λέξις ἐκείνη; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ λέξις αὐτὸν ἐκάθηρεν, ἀλλ' ἡ διάθεσις, μεθ' ἧς καὶ τὴν λέξιν ἐκείνην εἶπεν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἡ διάθεσις μόνη, ἀλλὰ πρὸ ταύτης ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία. 6.4 Ποῖος γάρ, εἰπέ μοι, κάματος, ποῖος πόνος, ποῖος ἱδρὼς τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ πεῖσαι ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστιν ἁμαρτωλὸς καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τοῦτο εἰπεῖν; Ὁρᾷς ὡς οὐ μάτην ἔλεγον ὅτι μικρᾶς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπιλαβέσθαι προφάσεως βούλεται καὶ τὸ πᾶν αὐτὸς εἰσφέρει λοιπὸν εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν; Μετανοήσωμεν τοίνυν, κλαύσωμεν, θρηνήσωμεν. Θυγατέρα τις πολλάκις ἀποβαλὼν τὸν πλείω διατελεῖ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ χρόνον ἐν θρήνοις καὶ ὀδυρμοῖς· ἡμεῖς ψυχὴν ἀπωλέσαμεν, καὶ οὐ θρηνοῦμεν; σωτηρίας ἐξεπέσομεν, καὶ οὐ κατακοπτόμεθα; Καὶ τί λέγω ψυχῆν καὶ σωτηρίαν; ∆εσπότην παρωξύναμεν οὕτω πρᾷον καὶ ἥμερον, καὶ οὐ κατορύττομεν ἑαυτούς; Καὶ γὰρ οὐχὶ ∆εσπότου κηδεμονικοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατρὸς φιλόπαιδος καὶ μητρὸς φιλοστόργου πᾶσαν εὔνοιαν ὑπερβαίνει τῇ περὶ ἡμᾶς κηδεμονίᾳ. "Μὴ ἐπιλήσεται γάρ, φησί, γυνὴ τοῦ παιδίου αὐτῆς, ἢ τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτο γυνή, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαι, λέγει Κύριος." Πιστὴ μὲν οὖν καὶ πρὸ ἀποδείξεως ἡ ἀπόφασις· Θεοῦ γάρ ἐστιν· πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων, φέρε, παράσχωμεν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. Ἡ Ῥεβέκκα ποτὲ κελεύουσα τῷ παιδὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν κλοπὴν τῶν εὐλογιῶν ὑποκρίνασθαι δρᾶμα καὶ περιστείλασα αὐτὸν πάντοθεν καλῶς καὶ τὸ προσωπεῖον ἐπιθεῖσα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν οὐδὲ οὕτω θαρροῦντα, βουλομένη πάντα φόβον τοῦ παιδὸς ἐξελεῖν· "Ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἡ κατάρα σου, τέκνον", φησίν. Μητρὸς ὄντως τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ ἐκκαιομένης τῇ φιλότητι τοῦ παιδός. Ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐποίησεν. οὐκ ἐπηγγείλατο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγένετο. Καὶ Παῦλος βοᾷ λέγων· "Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα." Τοῦτον οὖν παροξυνοῦμεν· εἰπέ μοι· καὶ πῶς οὐ γεέννης αὐτῆς τοῦτο χαλεπώτερον καὶ τοῦ ἀτελευτήτου σκώληκος καὶ τοῦ ἀσβέστου πυρός; Ὅταν οὖν τῇ ἱερᾷ τραπέζῃ προσιέναι μέλλῃς, νόμιζε ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν ἁπάντων παρεῖναι· καὶ γὰρ πάρεστιν ὄντως, τὴν ἑκάστου καταμανθάνων γνώμην, καὶ τίς μὲν μετὰ προσηκούσης ἁγιωσύνης, τίς δὲ μετὰ πονηροῦ προσέρχεται συνειδότος, μετὰ λογισμῶν ἀκαθάρτων καὶ ῥυπαρῶν, μετὰ