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having in their eyes the traces of sin in the flesh, like some indelible dye, remaining forever in the memory of their soul. But it is for few to approach the true light, and to reveal, and after the revelation of secret things, not to depart with faces ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him. Poverty is not always praiseworthy, but that which is achieved by choice according to the evangelical purpose. For many are poor in possessions, but happen to be most avaricious in their disposition; whom want does not save, but their disposition condemns. Therefore, the one who is in need is not by all means blessed, but the one who has considered the commandment of Christ better than the treasures of the world. These the Lord also calls blessed, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit; not those who are destitute in possessions, but those who have chosen poverty from their soul. For nothing that is not a matter of choice is blessed. Because every virtue, and especially this one above all, is characterized by what is voluntary. This poor man, he says, therefore, cried out. With a demonstrative voice he calls your thought toward the one who is poor for God's sake, and hungers, and thirsts, and is naked: This poor man, as if pointing with a finger; This is the disciple of Christ. It is possible also to refer the saying to Christ, who, being rich by nature, because all that belongs to the Father is his, for our sake became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich. For of almost every work that leads to blessedness the Lord himself was the beginner, setting himself forth as an example to those who learn. Return to the Beatitudes, and having examined each one you will find, that he anticipated the teaching of the word with his works. Blessed are the meek. How then may we learn meekness? Learn from me, he says, for I am meek and humble in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Who will teach us the good of peace? The Peacemaker himself, who makes peace, and reconciles the two into one new man; who made peace through the blood of his cross, whether things in heaven or things on earth. Blessed are the poor. He is the one who became poor, and emptied himself in the form of a servant, that we all might receive from his fullness, and grace for grace. If someone then, being led by the holy and benevolent Spirit, not being proud of himself, but humbling himself in order to exalt others, might cry out in the spirit praying for great things, and might utter nothing mean nor base from seeking earthly and 29.364 worldly things, the cry of such a one is heard by the Lord. What then is the result of his hearing? To be rescued from all tribulations unharmed, not being laid low, nor serving the mind of the flesh. What then is the manner by which the poor man is rescued? The angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him, and will deliver them. He has interpreted whom he calls the poor man: the one who fears the Lord. Because the one who fears is still in the rank of a servant. But the one who has been perfected by love has henceforth ascended to the dignity of a son. Wherefore the servant is also called poor, because he has nothing of his own; but the son is already also rich, because he is the heir of the paternal goods. Therefore the angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him. To every one who has believed in the Lord an angel attends, unless we at some time drive him away by wicked deeds. For just as smoke drives away bees, and a foul smell drives out doves; so also the angel, the guardian of our life, is driven away by tearful and foul-smelling sin. If you have in your soul works worthy of angelic guardianship, and a rich mind dwells in you in the contemplations of truth because of the wealth of the precious works of virtue, God necessarily appoints guards and guardians for you, and surrounds you with a wall of angelic protection. But consider how great is the nature of the angels; that the one angel is compared to a whole army and a populous encampment. Therefore, on account of the greatness of the

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ὀφθαλμοῖς ἔχοντες τὰ ἴχνη τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ ἁμαρ τίας, οἱονεί τινος βαφῆς ἀνεκπλύτου, τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς παραμένοντα. Ὀλίγων δέ ἐστι τὸ προσελθεῖν τῷ φωτὶ τῷ ἀληθινῷ, καὶ ἀπο καλύψαι, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν κρυπτῶν, μὴ ἀπελθεῖν αἰσχυνθέντας τὰ πρόσωπα. Οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε, καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσ ήκουσεν αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ ἀεὶ ἐπαινετὴ ἡ πτωχεία, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐκ προαιρέσεως κατὰ τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν σκοπὸν κατ ορθουμένη. Πολλοὶ γὰρ πτωχοὶ μὲν τῇ περιουσίᾳ, πλεονεκτικώτατοι δὲ τῇ προαιρέσει τυγχάνουσιν· οὓς οὐχ ἡ ἔνδεια σώζει, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις κατακρίνει. Οὐ τοίνυν ὁ ἐνδεὴς πάντως μακαριστὸς, ἀλλ' ὁ κρείτ τονα ἡγησάμενος τῶν τοῦ κόσμου θησαυρῶν τὴν ἐν τολὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τούτους καὶ ὁ Κύριος μακαρίζει λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι· οὐχ οἱ πένητες κατὰ τὴν περιουσίαν, ἀλλ' οἱ τὴν πτωχείαν ἐκ ψυχῆς προελόμενοι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀπροαιρέ των μακαριστόν. ∆ιότι πᾶσα ἀρετὴ, μάλιστα δὲ αὕτη πρὸ πάντων, τῷ ἑκουσίῳ χαρακτηρίζεται. Οὗτος οὖν, φησὶν, ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε. Τῇ δεικτικῇ φωνῇ ἐπὶ τὸν πτωχεύοντα κατὰ Θεὸν, καὶ πεινῶντα, καὶ διψῶντα, καὶ γυμνητεύοντα, τὴν διάνοιάν σου προ καλεῖται· Οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς, μονονουχὶ δακτύλῳ δεικνύς· Οὗτος ὁ μαθητὴς Χριστοῦ. ∆υνατὸν καὶ εἰς Χριστὸν ἀνάξαι τὸν λόγον, ὃς, πλούσιος ὢν τῇ φύσει, διότι πάντα τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστι, δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν. Σχεδὸν γὰρ παντὸς ἔργου τοῦ προάγον τος ἐπὶ τὸν μακαρισμὸν αὐτὸς ἦρξεν ὁ Κύριος, πα ράδειγμα τοῖς μανθάνουσιν ἑαυτὸν προτιθείς. Ἐπάν ηκε ἐπὶ τοὺς μακαρισμοὺς, καὶ ἕκαστον ἐξετάσας εὑρήσεις, ὅτι προέλαβε τὴν ἐκ τοῦ λόγου διδασκαλίαν τοῖς ἔργοις. Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς. Πῶς οὖν μάθωμεν τὴν πραότητα; Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, φησὶν, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνο ποιοί. Τίς ἡμᾶς διδάξει τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης καλόν; Αὐτὸς ὁ εἰρηνοποιὸς, ὁ ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀποκαταλλάσσων τοὺς δύο εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον· ὁ εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί. Αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ πτωχεύσας, καὶ κενώσας ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ, ἵνα ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐκ τοῦ πληρώ ματος αὐτοῦ λάβωμεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος. Εἴ τις οὖν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ φιλανθρώπου Πνεύ ματος ἀγόμενος, μὴ φρονῶν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ ταπει νῶν ἑαυτὸν, ἵνα τοὺς ἄλλους ὑψώσῃ, κράζοι τῷ πνεύ ματι τὰ μεγάλα εὐχόμενος, καὶ μηδὲν μικροπρεπὲς μηδὲ ταπεινὸν φθέγγοιτο ἐκ τοῦ τὰ ἐπίγεια καὶ 29.364 κοσμικὰ ζητεῖν, τοῦ τοιούτου ἡ κραυγὴ εἰσ ακουστὴ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Τί οὖν τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀκοῆς; Τὸ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων ἄτρωτον, μὴ ὑπο κατακλιθέντα, μηδὲ δουλεύοντα τῷ φρονήματι τῆς σαρκός. Τίς οὖν καὶ ὁ τρόπος δι' οὗ ῥύεται ὁ πτωχός; Παρεμβαλεῖ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβου μένων αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτούς. Ἡρμήνευσε τίνα λέγει τὸν πτωχὸν, τὸν φοβούμενον τὸν Κύριον. ∆ιότι ὁ φοβούμενος ἔτι ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου τάξει ἐστίν. Ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τετελειωμένος πρὸς τὴν τοῦ υἱοῦ λοιπὸν ἀξίαν ἀνέδραμε. ∆ιόπερ ὁ μὲν δοῦλος καὶ πτωχὸς λέγεται, τῷ μηδὲν ἴδιον ἔχειν· ὁ δὲ υἱὸς ἤδη καὶ πλούσιος, τῷ κληρονόμος εἶναι τῶν πατρι κῶν ἀγαθῶν. Παρεμβαλεῖ οὖν ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύ κλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν. Παντὶ πεπιστευκότι εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἄγγελος παρεδρεύει, ἐὰν μήποτε αὐ τὸν ἡμεῖς ἐκ τῶν πονηρῶν ἔργων ἀποδιώξωμεν. Ὡς γὰρ τὰς μελίσσας καπνὸς φυγαδεύει, καὶ τὰς περι στερὰς δυσωδία ἐξελαύνει· οὕτω καὶ τὸν φύλακα τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἄγγελον ἡ πολύδακρυς καὶ δυσώδης ἀφ ίστησιν ἁμαρτία. Ἐὰν ἔχῃς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἄξια φυλακῆς ἀγγελικῆς ἔργα, καὶ νοῦς πλούσιος ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀλη θείας θεωρήμασιν ἐνοικῇ σοι διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν τιμίων ἔργων τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀναγκαίως φρουρούς σοι καὶ φύλακας παρακαθίστησιν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ περιτειχί ζει σε φυλακῇ ἀγγέλων. Σκόπει δὲ ἡλίκη ἐστὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ φύσις· ὅτι ὅλῳ στρατοπέδῳ καὶ παρεμ βολῇ πολυανθρώπῳ παρεικάζεται ὁ εἷς ἄγγελος. ∆ιὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ