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is forced to be anxious. Thus we must also do, since we are being led to the perfect life and the one befitting men: to forsake all things on earth and imagine them as truly childish playthings, and to think of heaven and all the splendor and glory of the life there. For we too have been betrothed to a bridegroom who so seeks to be loved by us that we forsake for his sake, when it is necessary, not only the things on earth, nor these small and trivial things, but even our very soul. Since, therefore, it is necessary to depart there at last, let us free ourselves from trivial care. For not even if we were about to move from a poor house into a kingdom would we have been concerned for tiles and wood and furniture and the other poverty pertaining to the house. Therefore, let us not now be anxious about the things on earth; for the time now calls us to heaven, just as the blessed Paul also said when writing to the Romans: "For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed; the night is far spent, the day is at hand." And again: "From now on the time is short, so that even those who have wives should be as though they had none." What need, then, of marriage for those who are not going to enjoy marriage but will be in the same state as those who have none? What need of money, what need of possessions, what need of the things of this life, since their use is henceforth untimely and out of season? For if those who are about to stand before a tribunal here among us and give an account for their transgressions, when the appointed day draws near, abstain from not only wife but also food and drink and every care, being concerned only for their defense—how much more must we, who are about to stand not before some earthly tribunal but before the heavenly judgment seat and to give an account of our words and deeds and thoughts, abstain from all things, both from the joy and the sorrow over present affairs, and be anxious only for that fearful day. "If any man," he says, "come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." But do you sit idly by, devoting yourself to the desires of a wife and to laughter and dissipation and luxury? "The Lord is at hand." But are you concerned and anxious about money? "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." But are you thinking about a house and luxury and other pleasure? "The fashion of this world passes away." Why then do you trouble yourself with the affairs of the world, which do not abide but are spent, while neglecting those that are abiding and sure? No longer marriage, nor birth pangs, nor pleasure and intercourse, nor abundance of money nor care of possessions, not food nor clothing, not farming and seafaring, not crafts nor buildings, not cities nor houses, but a different state and way of life. For all these things will perish a little later. For this is what was said: "The fashion of this world passes away." Why then, as if we were to remain here for all ages, do we show so much zeal, being anxious for things from which we will often depart before evening? Why do we choose the toilsome life when Christ calls us to the life free from toil? For "I would have you," he says, "be without care. He that is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord."

74 How, wanting us to be without care, does he bid us to be anxious. How then do you wish us to be without care, casting us again into another care? Because this is not to be careful, just as it is not to be afflicted to be afflicted for Christ's sake, not because the nature of the things is changed, but because the will of those who bear these things with pleasure overcomes even the nature of the things. For he who is anxious for these things which he will not enjoy for a long time, and often not even for a short one, would reasonably be said to be anxious. But he who will receive greater fruits from his cares would rightly by every account be ranked among those who are without care. And apart from these things, so great is the difference between each type of anxiety that this is not even an anxiety compared to that one

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μεριμνᾶν ἀναγκάζεται. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμᾶς χρὴ ποιεῖν, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸν τέλειον ἀγόμεθα βίον καὶ τὸν ἀνδράσι προσήκοντα τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πάντα ἀφέντας τὰ ὄντως παιδικὰ ἀθύρματα φαντάζεσθαι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ διατριβῆς τὴν λαμπρότητα καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἅπασαν. Ἡρμόσθημεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς νυμφίῳ οὕτως ζητοῦντι παρ' ἡμῶν ἀγαπᾶσθαι ὡς μὴ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ μόνον μηδὲ τῶν μικρῶν τούτων καὶ εὐτελῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς ἀφίστασθαι δι' αὐτὸν ὅταν δέῃ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐκεῖ λοιπὸν ἀπιέναι χρὴ ἀπαλλάξωμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς φροντίδος τῆς εὐτελοῦς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς βασιλείαν μεθίστασθαι μέλλοντες ἀπὸ πενιχρᾶς οἰκίας, κεραμίδων καὶ ξύλων καὶ ἐπίπλων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐφροντίσαμεν ἂν πενίας. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ νῦν τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ μεριμνῶμεν· ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς ἡμᾶς ἤδη καλεῖ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν, καθάπερ καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἐπιστέλλων ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἔλεγε· «Νῦν γὰρ ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία ἢ ὅτε ἐπιστεύσαμεν· ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικε.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Ἐνταῦθα ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος τὸ λοιπόν ἐστιν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες γυναῖκας ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες ὦσι.» Τί οὖν δεῖ γάμου τοῖς οὐ μέλλουσιν ἀπολαύεσθαι γάμου ἀλλ' ἐν ἴσῳ τοῖς οὐκ ἔχουσι διακείσεσθαι; Τί δαὶ χρημάτων, τί δαὶ κτημάτων, τί δαὶ τῶν βιωτικῶν, τῆς χρήσεως αὐτῶν ἀώρου λοιπὸν οὔσης καὶ παρὰ καιρόν; Εἰ γὰρ οἱ μέλλοντες δικαστηρίῳ παραστήσεσθαι τῷ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ λόγον ὑφέξειν τῶν πεπλημμελημένων, τῆς κυρίας γενομένης ἐγγύς, οὐ γυναικὸς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ σίτων καὶ ποτῶν καὶ πάσης ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστήσαντες φροντίδος τῆς ἀπολογίας γίνονται μόνης- πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τοὺς οὐκ ἐπιγείῳ τινὶ δικαστηρίῳ ἀλλ' οὐρανίῳ βήματι παραστήσεσθαι μέλλοντας καὶ ῥημάτων καὶ πραγμάτων καὶ ἐννοιῶν εὐθύνας ὑφέξειν, πάντων ἀφίστασθαι χρὴ καὶ χαρᾶς καὶ λύπης τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσι πράγμασι καὶ τὴν φοβερὰν μόνον ἐκείνην ἡμέραν μεριμνᾶν. «Εἴ τις», γάρ φησιν, «ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν, οὐ δύναταί μου μαθητὴς εἶναι. Καὶ ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔρχεται ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναταί μου εἶναι μαθητής.» Σὺ δὲ παρακάθῃ σχολάζων ἐπιθυμίαις γυναικὸς καὶ γέλωτι καὶ διαχύσει καὶ τρυφῇ; «Ὁ κύριος ἐγγύς.» Σὺ δὲ ὑπὲρ χρημάτων φροντίζεις καὶ μεριμνᾷς; «Ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐφέστηκε.» Σὺ δὲ περὶ οἰκίας καὶ τρυφῆς καὶ τῆς ἄλλης σκοπεῖς ἡδονῆς; «Παράγει τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου.» Τί οὖν κόπτεις σαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου πράγμασι τοῖς οὐ μένουσιν ἀλλὰ δαπανωμένοις, τῶν μενόντων καὶ βεβαίων ἀμελῶν; Οὐκέτι γάμος, οὐδὲ ὠδῖνες, οὐχ ἡδονὴ καὶ μίξις, οὐ χρημάτων εὐπορία οὐδὲ κτημάτων ἐπιμέλεια, οὐ τροφὴ οὐδὲ ἐνδύματα, οὐ γεωργίαι καὶ ναυτιλίαι, οὐ τέχναι οὔτε οἰκοδομαί, οὐ πόλεις οὐδὲ οἰκίαι ἀλλ' ἑτέρα τις κατάστασις καὶ διαγωγή. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀπολεῖται. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον· «Παράγει τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου.» Τί τοίνυν ὡς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἅπαντας ἐνθάδε μενοῦντες, οὕτως πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα, ὑπὲρ πραγμάτων μεριμνῶντες ὧν πρὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας πολλάκις ἀποστησόμεθα; Τί τὸν μοχθηρὸν αἱρούμεθα βίον ἐπὶ τὸν ἀπράγμονα καλοῦντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ; «Θέλω,» γὰρ «ὑμᾶς,» φησίν, «ἀμερίμνους εἶναι. Ὁ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου.»

74 Πῶς θέλων ἡμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι κελεύει μεριμνᾶν. Πῶς οὖν ἡμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι βούλει εἰς ἑτέραν πάλιν ἐμβαλὼν φροντίδα; Ὅτι οὔτε φροντίζειν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ θλίβεσθαι τὸ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν θλίβεσθαι, οὐ διὰ τὸ μεταβάλλεσθαι τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων φύσιν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ τὴν προαίρεσιν τῶν ταῦτα φερόντων μεθ' ἡδονῆς καὶ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων φύσεως κρατεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ τούτων φροντίζων ὧν οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἀπολαύσεται χρόνον, πολλάκις δὲ οὐδὲ εἰς βραχύν, εἰκότως ἂν λέγοιτο μεριμνᾶν. Ὁ δὲ μείζονας τῶν φροντίδων ἀποληψόμενος τοὺς καρποὺς ἐν τοῖς ἀμερίμνοις παντί που δικαίως ἂν τάττοιτο λόγῳ. Καὶ τούτων δὲ χωρὶς τοσοῦτον τῆς μερίμνης ἑκατέρας τὸ μέσον ὡς μηδὲ μέριμναν ταύτην ἐκείνῃ