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let us partake of the body and blood of Christ. ANSWER. The Apostle teaches us fear, saying: He who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself; but faith in the words of the Lord produces full assurance, when He said: This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me; and of the testimony of John, who first narrated the glory of the Word, and then brought in the manner of the incarnation by saying that, The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; and of the Apostle who wrote that, Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. When, therefore, the soul, having believed these and such and so many words, understands the majesty of the glory, and marvels at the excess of the humility and of the obedience, that so great a one obeyed the Father unto death for our life, I think that it achieves the disposition for love both toward God the Father, Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all; and toward his only-begotten Son, who was obedient unto death for our redemption and salvation. And thus it is able to endure the Apostle, as he sets forth a certain rule for those who are sound in good conscience in these things, in saying: For the love of Christ compels us, because we have concluded this: that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised. Such a disposition and preparation ought he to have who partakes of the bread and the cup. 31.1197 QUESTION 173. Whether it is necessary for any talking to occur during the hour of psalmody at home. ANSWER. It is not necessary, except for those entrusted with the care and supervision of good order, and of the management of the works, and this according to the necessity of an urgent need; and not even then thoughtlessly, but considerately, of both the place and of the good order, of the solemnity and of what is without offense; for all others silence is necessary. For if in a time of discourse, and among those appointed for the word of teaching the first is commanded to be silent if something is revealed to another, how much more in a time of psalmody is silence necessary for the many? QUESTION 174. How can someone keep the commandments of the Lord with inward disposition and with desire. ANSWER. By nature the experience of what is pleasant and beneficial, and the very expectation of such a thing, produces in the soul the disposition and desire for it. If, therefore, someone hates and abhors injustice, and is cleansed from all sin, from which, just as from a disease the body suffers from a lack of appetite and a distaste for foods, so also the soul suffers from sluggishness and laziness concerning the righteous precepts of God; and if he is fully convinced that the commandment of God is eternal life, and that all things promised to those who keep it are true, the disposition of the one who said is accomplished in him: The judgments of the Lord are true, justified altogether; more to be desired than gold and much precious stone, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. For your servant keeps them; in keeping them there is great reward. QUESTION 175. How is the one who loves his brother according to the commandment of the Lord shown; and how is the one not loving so, reproved? ANSWER. Two things are characteristic of love: to be grieved and to be distressed over what harms the one who is loved, and to rejoice and to strive for his benefit. Blessed, therefore, is he who mourns over the one who sins, whose danger is terrible; and who rejoices over the one who does right, whose gain is incomparable, as it is written.

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μεταλάβωμεν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸν μὲν φόβον διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέ γων· Ὁ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων ἀναξίως κρῖμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· τὴν δὲ πληροφορίαν ἐμποιεῖ ἡ πίστις τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν· καὶ τῆς μαρτυρίας τοῦ Ἰωάννου διηγησαμένου πρότερον τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ ἐπαγαγόντος τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν ὅτι, Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονο γενοῦς παρὰ Πατρὸς, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀλη θείας· καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου γράψαντος ὅτι, Ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ· ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενό μενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ὅταν οὖν, πιστεύσασα ἡ ψυχὴ τοῖς ῥήμασι τούτοις καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις καὶ τοσούτοις, καταμάθῃ τὴν μεγαλειότη τα τῆς δόξης, καὶ θαυμάσῃ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς τα πεινώσεως καὶ τῆς ὑπακοῆς, ὅτι ὁ τοσοῦτος ὑπ ήκουσε τῷ Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς, νομίζω ὅτι κατορθοῖ τὴν διάθεσιν εἰς ἀγάπην τήν τε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα, Ὃς τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν· καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ αὐ τοῦ Υἱὸν, τὸν ὑπακούσαντα μέχρι θανάτου ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀπολυτρώσεως καὶ σωτηρίας. Καὶ δύνα ται οὕτως ἀνασχέσθαι τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, ὥσπερ ὅρον τινὰ ἐκτιθεμένου τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσι τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἀγα θὴν συνείδησιν, ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν· Ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς κρίναντας τοῦτο, ὅτι, εἰ εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπ έθανον. Καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀπο θανόντι, καὶ ἐγερθέντι. Τοιαύτην διάθεσίν τε καὶ ἑτοιμασίαν ὀφείλει ἔχειν ὁ μεταλαμβάνων τοῦ ἄρτου καὶ τοῦ ποτηρίου. 31.1197 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΟΓʹ. Εἰ δεῖ ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς κατ' οἶκον ψαλμῳδίας λαλιάν τινα γίνεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οὐ δεῖ, ἐκτὸς τῶν πεπιστευμένων τὴν φροντίδα καὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς εὐταξίας, καὶ τῆς οἰκονο μίας τῶν ἔργων, καὶ τοῦτο κατὰ ἀνάγκην τῆς ἐπειγούσης χρείας· καὶ οὐδὲ τότε ἀπερισκέπτως, ἀλλ' ἐστοχασμένως, τοῦ τε τόπου καὶ τῆς εὐταξίας, τῆς τε σεμνότητος καὶ τοῦ ἀπροσκόπου· τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσιν ἀναγκαία ἐστὶν ἡ σιωπή. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ διαλέξεως, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἐπιτεταγμένοις τὸν λόγον τῆς διδασκαλίας ὁ πρῶτος σιγᾷν προτέτακται, ἐὰν ἄλλῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐν καιρῷ ψαλμῳδίας ἡ σιγὴ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀναγκαία; ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΟ∆ʹ. Πῶς δυνηθῇ τις ἐνδιαθέτως καὶ μετὰ ἐπιθυμίας ποιεῖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Κατὰ φύσιν ἡ πεῖρα τοῦ ἥδοντος καὶ ὠφελοῦντος, καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ προσδοκία τοῦ τοιούτου ἐμποιεῖ τῇ ψυ χῇ τὴν περὶ τούτου διάθεσίν τε καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν. Ἐὰν οὖν τις μισήσῃ καὶ βδελύξηται τὴν ἀδικίαν, καὶ κα θαρεύσῃ πάσης ἁμαρτίας, ἀφ' ἧς, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ νόσου τὸ σῶμα πάσχει τὴν ἀνορεξίαν καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ βρώματα ἀηδίαν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τὴν περὶ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Θεοῦ νωθρότητα καὶ ὀκνηρίαν· καὶ ἐὰν πληροφορηθῇ, ὅτι ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιός ἐστι, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα τοῖς φυ λάσσουσιν αὐτὴν ἀληθῆ, κατορθοῦται αὐτῷ ἡ διά θεσις τοῦ εἰπόντος· Τὰ κρίματα Κυρίου ἀληθινὰ, δεδικαιωμένα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· ἐπιθυμητὰ ὑπὲρ χρυ σίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολὺν, καὶ γλυκύτερα ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ δοῦλός σου φυλάσσει αὐτά· ἐν τῷ φυλάσσειν αὐτὰ ἀνταπό δοσις πολλή. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΟΕʹ. Πῶς φαίνεται ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν κατὰ τὴν ἐν τολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ πῶς ἐλέγχεται ὁ μὴ οὕτως ἀγαπῶν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τῆς ἀγάπης ἐξαίρετα δύο ταῦτα· τὸ λυπεῖσθαι μὲν καὶ ἀγωνιᾷν ἐφ' οἷς βλάπτεται ὁ ἀγαπώμενος χαίρειν δὲ καὶ ἀγωνίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς ὠφελείας αὐ τοῦ. Μακάριος οὖν ὁ πενθῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι, οὗ ὁ κίνδυνος φοβερός· καὶ χαίρων ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατ ορθοῦντος, οὗ τὸ κέρδος ἀσύγκριτον, καθὼς γέγρα πται.