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of the things that happen, so that he might not be lifted up against God. For if, though clothed with so much humility, he is lifted up, and is ignorant of the one who created him, and rejects the one who formed him; if he had received what is above nature, who could have contained the immeasurability of his pride? For this reason God, having formed man, placed in the creature both great powers and many humiliations, so that through the inherent power the grace of the craftsman might be admired, and through the humiliation the human mindset might be restrained. He gave him a speaking tongue, praising God, singing of divine things, interpreting the beauties of creation. A little piece of flesh, the tongue, discourses about heaven and earth, not even two fingers in measure; and why do I say fingers? not even the tip of a fingernail; but that small tip speaks about heaven and earth. And so that it might not think that it is something great, and be lifted up beyond its own nature, often both sores and wounds are entwined with it, so that it may learn that, being mortal, it speaks of immortal things, and ought to recognize what is the power of the one proclaimed, and what is the weakness of the one proclaiming. He gave him the eye, that small grain, and through it he sees all of creation. And so that, embracing all creation with his sight, he might not be lifted up, often ophthalmias and discharges and tears and whatever things cloud the vision arise; so that from his weakness he might know himself, and from the creation he might glorify the craftsman. If, then, man, carrying about such weakness, so forgets his own lowliness as even to be insolent against the Creator; if he were entirely rid of this weakness, who could have borne him when he was lifted up? Consider with whom you have fellowship, O man, being puffed up and lifted up to arrogance, and being ashamed of serving the stranger. And how could this be, he says? For if someone were noble and renowned and brilliant and distinguished, would he himself wash the feet of the stranger? And how is that not shameful? Therefore, it is rather the not washing that is shameful. For even if you were to extol his nobility and renown and brilliance ten thousand times, he partakes of the same nature as the one being washed, and is a fellow-servant and of equal honor with the one being served. Consider who washed the disciples' feet, and cease discoursing about nobility. For not being high-minded about one's possessions is profitable not only for the future, but also for the present. For nothing is so subject to envy as a rich man; but when arrogance is also added to this, the precipice becomes twofold. But he who knows how to be moderate cuts away with humil 63.618 ity of mind the tyranny of envy, and possesses what he has with security; such is the greatness of this. For it not only benefits us for the future, but also gives its rewards from here and now. Let us not, therefore, be high-minded about wealth, nor indeed about anything else. For if he who is high-minded about spiritual things is gone and has perished, much more he who is so about carnal things. Let us consider our nature, let us reckon our sins, let us learn who we are, and this is a sufficient ground for all humility for us. For this is especially the one who knows himself, the one who considers himself to be nothing. For nothing is so dear to God as to count oneself among the last. For, 'Come,' He says, 'learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.' For if I were not gentle, would I, being the son of the King, have chosen a handmaiden for a mother? if I were not gentle, would I, the creator of unseen and seen substance, have come among you? if I were not gentle, would I have accepted the poverty of a manger, I who possess the wealth of the whole creation? if I were not gentle, would I have given My back to scourges on behalf of captives? And what? I do not speak of what is greater: if I were not gentle, when others owed the debt of suffering, would I, who owed nothing, have paid the debt of death on their behalf, So gentle am I, that you sinned, and I was scourged; so humble am I, that I am not ashamed to entreat My servants, but I choose to exhort, so that I may not be forced to punish. Therefore, when it comes into your mind to admire yourself for humility, consider the

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τῶν γινομένων, ἵνα μὴ ἐπαίρηται κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτῃ ταπεινώσει περιβεβλημένος ἐπαίρεται, καὶ ἀγνοεῖ τὸν κτίσαντα, καὶ ἀθετεῖ τὸν πλάσαντα· εἰ ἔλαβε τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν, τίς ἂν ἐχώρησεν αὐτοῦ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τὴν ἀμετρίαν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς πλάσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ δυνάμεις μεγάλας ἐνέθηκε τῷ πλάσματι καὶ ταπεινώσεις πολλὰς, ἵνα διὰ μὲν τῆς ἐγκειμένης δυνάμεως ἡ χάρις τοῦ τεχνίτου θαυμάζηται, διὰ δὲ τῆς ταπεινώσεως τὸ φρόνημα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον καταστέλληται. Ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ γλῶσσαν φθεγγομένην, Θεὸν ὑμνοῦσαν, τὰ θεῖα ᾄδουσαν, ἑρμηνεύουσαν τὰ κάλλη τῆς κτίσεως. ∆ιαλέγεται περὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς μικρὸν σαρκίον ἡ γλῶττα, οὐδὲ δύο δακτύλων ἔχουσα μέτρον· καὶ τί λέγω δακτύλων; οὐδὲ ἄκρου ὄνυχος· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἄκρον ἐκεῖνο τὸ μικρὸν φθέγγεται περὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ ὅτι μεγάλη τίς ἐστι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἑαυτῆς φύσιν ἐπαίρηται, πολλάκις καὶ φύματα καὶ τραύματα αὐτῇ περιπλέκεται, ἵνα μάθῃ ὅτι θνητὴ οὖσα περὶ ἀθανάτων λαλεῖ, καὶ ὀφείλει γνωρίζειν, τίς μὲν ἡ τοῦ κηρυττομένου δύναμις, καὶ τίς ἡ ἀσθένεια τοῦ κηρύττοντος. Ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὀφθαλμὸν, τὴν μικρὰν ἐκείνην κέγχρον, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς καθορᾷ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ περιλαμβάνων πᾶσαν τῇ ὄψει τὴν κτίσιν ἐπαίρηται, πολλάκις καὶ ὀφθαλμίαι καὶ λῆμαι καὶ δάκρυα καὶ ὅσα θολοῖ τὴν ὄψιν ἐπιγεννᾶται· ἵνα ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀσθενείας ἑαυτὸν γνωρίζῃ, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς δημιουργίας τὸν τεχνίτην ἐκθειάζῃ. Εἰ οὖν τοιαύτην ἀσθένειαν περιφέρων ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὕτω τῆς ἰδίας εὐτελείας ἐπιλανθάνεται, ὡς καὶ κατὰ ∆ημιουργοῦ θρασύνεσθαι· εἰ ταύτης παντελῶς ἀπήλλακτο τῆς ἀσθενείας, τίς ἂν αὐτὸν ἤνεγκεν ἐπαιρόμενον; Ἐννόησον τίνι κοινωνεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, φυσώμενος καὶ πρὸς ἀλαζονείαν ἐπαιρόμενος, καὶ τοῦ ξένου τὴν θεραπείαν ἐπαισχυνόμενος. Καὶ πῶς τοῦτο γένοιτ' ἂν, φησί; Εἰ γὰρ εὐγενής τις εἴη καὶ περιφανὴς καὶ λαμπρὸς καὶ ἐπίσημος, αὐτὸς τοῦ ξένου νίψει τοὺς πόδας; καὶ πῶς οὐκ αἰσχρόν; Αἰσχρὸν μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ νίπτειν μᾶλλόν ἐστι. Κἂν γὰρ μυριάκις αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐγένειαν ἐπάρῃς καὶ τὴν περιφάνειαν καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα, τῆς αὐτῆς μετέχει τῷ νιπτομένῳ φύσεως, καὶ σύνδουλός ἐστι τοῦ θεραπευομένου καὶ ὁμότιμος. Ἐννόησον τίς τῶν μαθητῶν τοὺς πόδας ἔνιψε, καὶ παῦσαι περὶ εὐγενείας διαλεγόμενος. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ μέγα φρονεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς οὖσιν, οὐ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα ἐπιτήδειον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπίφθονον, ὡς ἄνθρωπος πλουτῶν· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ἀπόνοια προσῇ τούτῳ, διπλοῦς ὁ κρημνὸς γίνεται. Ὁ δὲ μετριάζειν εἰδὼς ὑποτέμνει τῇ ταπει 63.618 νοφροσύνῃ τῆς βασκανίας τὴν τυραννίδα, καὶ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἔχει ἅπερ ἔχει· τοιοῦτον τὸ μέγεθος τούτου. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη δίδωσι τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Μὴ τοίνυν μέγα φρονῶμεν ἐπὶ πλούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἐφ' ἑτέρῳ μηδενί. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς μέγα φρονῶν οἴχεται καὶ ἀπόλωλε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς σαρκικοῖς. Ἐννοήσωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν, ἀναλογισώμεθα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, μάθωμεν τίνες ἐσμὲν, καὶ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσιν. Οὗτος γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστιν ὁ ἑαυτὸν εἰδὼς, ὁ μηδὲν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι νομίζων. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως τῷ Θεῷ φίλον, ὡς τὸ μετὰ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἑαυτὸν ἀριθμῆσαι. ∆εῦτε γὰρ, φησὶ, μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, τοῦ βασιλέως ὢν υἱὸς, δούλην ἐπελεγόμην μητέρα; εἰ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, ὁ τῆς ἀφανοῦς καὶ φαινομένης οὐσίας δημιουργὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπεδήμουν; εἰ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, φάτνης ἐδεχόμην πενίαν, ὁ τῆς κτίσεως ὅλης κεκτημένος τὸν πλοῦτον; εἰ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, τὸν νῶτόν μου παρεῖχον ὑπὲρ αἰχμαλώτων εἰς μάστιγας; Τί δέ; τὸ μεῖζον οὐ λέγω· εἰ μὴ πρᾶος ἤμην, ἄλλων τὸ παθεῖν χρεωστούντων, ὁ μηδὲν ὀφείλων ἐγὼ, τὸ τοῦ θανάτου χρέος ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων κατέβαλον, Οὕτως εἰμὶ πρᾶος, ὅτι ἥμαρτες σὺ, καὶ ἐμαστιγώθην ἐγώ· οὕτως εἰμὶ ταπεινὸς, ὅτι ἱκετεύειν τοὺς ἐμοὺς οὐκ αἰσχύνομαι δούλους, ἀλλ' αἱροῦμαι παρακαλεῖν, ἵνα μὴ κολάζειν ἀναγκασθῶ. Ὅταν οὖν εἰς ἔννοιαν ἔλθῃς θαύμασαι σαυτὸν ἐπὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, ἐννόησον τὸν