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of peace? For nothing is so characteristic of a Christian as making peace, because the Lord has also promised us a reward for it. Those who are seen to embrace the good of peace are near to God and divine things, and they hate and are displeased by its opposite, strife. Just as when health takes hold, disease vanishes, and when light appears, darkness does not remain, so also when peace appears, all the passions that arise from its opposite are dissolved. The whole herd of evils vanishes through a loving disposition. He places nothing higher than love and peace. Such is the custom of those who love: they wish all the affairs of their beloved to be accomplished through them, and that they do nothing, say nothing, without them. The nature of love knows no satiety, but ever enjoying its beloved, it is raised to a greater flame. And Paul, knowing this as one nurtured by it, said: Owe no one anything, except to love one another. For this debt is always being paid, but is never paid off. Here it is good and worthy of praise to be perpetually in debt. For in the case of money, we praise those who owe nothing, but in the case of love, we bless those who are perpetually in debt; and what is a sign of ingratitude there, is here a sign of gratitude, never to discharge the debt of love. He who has prayed for peace for all has cast out the war of passions, the sin of improper thoughts, the disturbance of desires, the dizziness, the waves, the storm, and has made the soul calmer than a harbor, having introduced peace, the mother and common nurse of all good things, with much zeal into the souls of the faithful who have received peace. Just as a soul without a body is not called a man, nor again a body without a soul, so also love for God, if it does not have love for neighbor following it, is not love; nor again is love for neighbor, if it does not have love for God, called love. Therefore it is rare to find perfect love. Therefore, all who think orthodoxly concerning the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and who keep love for one another, these possess the perfection of love. Love confesses the Father, worships the Son, and glorifies the Holy Spirit. Love does not divide the harmony of the Trinity. Love is the companion of angels, the foster-brother of the fathers, the tent-mate of the prophets, the fellow-contestant of the martyrs, the fellow-dancer of the apostles, the bond of the Church 95.1201. Love knows no war, has no enemy 95.1201, it advocates for peace. Love calms murderous rages, it honors rational peoples. Love, not contained in the world, and dwelling in a humble heart. Love is sweeter than honey and milk, which has sweetness not only in the mouth, but possesses delight in the depth of the heart. Love is the harmony of all things, through which earthly things consist and heavenly things increase. Love, for which God sent His own Son into the world for us; so that He gave His only-begotten Son into the world for us. Love yoked the pairs of plows in one mind to the wood of the cross; and it taught to endure dangers on land and sea. Love perfects martyrs, crowns apostles. Love sees another as itself, and considers its own things common to all. Love makes the need of a neighbor its own care. Love sets a common table for all, for rich and poor, for wise and simple. Love sweetens the embittered soul, heals the afflicted, makes the humbled to flourish again. Love carries about an unquenchable lamp of virginity, and busies itself seeking its own. Love opens the gates of the kingdom, and does not forbid those who live in a holy marriage to enter. Love loves almsgiving, and prepares crowns of golden sheen for the farmer of these things. Love does not know the proud, but glorifies the humble. Love flees slander, but cherishes blessing. Love advises a man and a woman joined in marriage to be of one mind, and never wishes them to be separated from each other. Love the fathers

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εἰρήνης; Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἴδιον Χριστιανοῦ, ὡς τὸ εἰρηνοποιεῖν, διότι καὶ τὸν ἐπ' αὐτὴν μισθὸν ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἐπηγγείλατο. Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν θείων ἐγγὺς, ὅσοι τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης ἀγαθὸν ἀσπαζόμενοι φαίνονται, καὶ τῷ ἐναντίῳ, τῇ στάσει ἀπεχθραίνονται καὶ δυσχεραίνουσιν. Ὥσπερ ὑγείας ἐπιλαβούσης, νόσος ἐξαφανίζεται, καὶ φωτὸς φαίνοντος, οὐχ ὑπολείπεται σκότος, οὕτως καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπιφανείσης, λύεται πάντα τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου συνιστάμενα πάθη. Πᾶσα ἡ τῶν κακῶν ἀγέλη τῇ ἀγαπητικῇ διαθέσει ἐξαφανίζεται. Τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης οὐδὲν ἀνώτερον τίθησι. Τοιοῦτον τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸ ἔθος· πάντα τὰ τῶν ἀγαπωμένων πράγματα δι' αὐτῶν ἀνύεσθαι βούλονται, καὶ μηδὲν χωρὶς αὐτῶν ἐκείνους, μὴ ποιεῖν, μὴ λέγειν. Ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης φύσις κόρον οὐκ οἶδεν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τῶν ἀγαπωμένων ἀπολαύουσα, πρὸς μείζονα αἴρεται φλόγα. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ ταύτης τρόφιμος εἰδὼς Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν ἀλλήλους. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ὄφλημα ἀεὶ μὲν καταβάλλεται, οὐδέποτε δὲ ἀποδίδοται. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ διηνεκῶς ὀφλεῖν καλὸν καὶ ἐπαίνων ἄξιον. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν χρημάτων, τοὺς μηδὲν ὀφείλοντας ἐπαινοῦμεν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀγάπης, τοὺς διηνεκῶς ὀφείλοντας μακαρίζομεν· καὶ ὅπερ ἀγνωμοσύνης ἐκεῖ, τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα εὐγνωμοσύνης σημεῖόν ἐστι, τὸ μηδέποτε διαλύεσθαι τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ὄφλημα. Ὁ ἐπευξάμενος εἰρήνην ἅπασι, τὸν πόλεμον παθῶν ἐξέβαλεν, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τῶν ἀτόπων λογισμῶν, τὴν ταραχὴν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, τὴν ζάλην, τὰ κύματα, τὸν χειμῶνα, καὶ λιμένος εὐδιωτέραν τὴν ψυχὴν κατεσκεύασε, τὴν μητέρα καὶ κοινὴν τροφὸν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων εἰρήνην, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς. σπουδῆς εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν δεξαμένων τὴν εἰρήνην πιστῶν εἰσαγαγών. Ὥσπερ ψυχὴ ἄνευ σώματος ἄνθρωπος οὐ καλεῖται, οὐδ' αὖ σῶμα ἄνευ ψυχῆς, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἀγάπη πρὸς Θεὸν, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἀγάπην, οὐ τυγχάνει ἀγάπη· οὐδ' αὖ πάλιν ἡ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἀγάπη, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν, οὐ καλεῖται ἀγάπη. ∆ιὸ σπάνιον ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τελείαν ἀγάπην. Ὅσοι τοίνυν ὀρθοδόξως φρονοῦσι περὶ Πατρὸς, καὶ Υἱοῦ, καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καὶ τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους φυλάττουσιν ἀγάπην, οὗτοι κέκτηνται τὸ τέλειον τῆς ἀγάπης. Ἀγάπη Πατέρα ὁμολογεῖ, Υἱὸν προσκυνεῖ, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα δοξολογεῖ. Ἀγάπη τὴν συμφωνίαν τῆς Τριάδος οὐ διαιρεῖ. Ἀγάπη ἀγγέλων σύμβιος, πατέρων σύντροφος, προφητῶν σύσκηνος, μαρτύρων σύναθλος, ἀποστόλων σύγχορος, Ἐκκλη 95.1201 σίας σύνδεσμος. Ἀγάπη πόλεμον οὐκ οἶδεν, ἐχθρὸν 95.1201 οὐκ ἔχει, εἰρήνην πρεσβεύει. Ἀγάπη φονικοὺς θυμοὺς πραΰνει, λογικοὺς λαοὺς σεμνύνει. Ἀγάπη ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ μὴ χωροῦσα, καὶ ἐν ταπεινῇ καρδίᾳ κατοικοῦσα. Ἀγάπη μέλιτος καὶ γάλακτος γλυκυτέρα, ἡ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ στόματι τὸ γλυκὺ ἔχουσα, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ βάθει τῆς καρδίας τὸ ἡδὺ κέκτηται. Ἀγάπη ἡ πάντων ἁρμογὴ, δι' ἧς συνέστηκε μὲν τὰ ἐπίγεια, αὔξει δὲ τὰ οὐράνια. Ἀγάπη, δι' ἣν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Ἀγάπη τὰ ζεύγη τῶν ἀρότρων ὁμοφρόνως τῷ ξύλῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ ὑπέζευξεν· κινδύνους δὲ κατὰ γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν ὑπομένειν ἐδίδαξεν. Ἀγάπη μάρτυρας τελειοῖ, ἀποστόλους στεφανοῖ. Ἀγάπη ἄλλον, ὡς ἑαυτὸν ὁρᾷ, καὶ τὰ ἴδια κοινὰ πᾶσιν ἡγεῖται. Ἀγάπη τὴν ἔνδειαν τοῦ πλησίον μέριμναν ἰδίαν τίθησιν. Ἀγάπη κοινὴν τράπεζαν πᾶσιν ἱστᾷ, πλουσίῳ τε καὶ πένητι, σοφῷ τε καὶ ἰδιώτῃ. Ἀγάπη τὴν πεπικρασμένην ψυχὴν γλυκαίνει, τὴν τεθλιμμένην θεραπεύει, τὴν τεταπεινωμένην ἀναθάλλειν ποιεῖ. Ἀγάπη ἄσβεστον λαμπάδα τῆς παρθενίας περιφέρει, καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους περιεργάζεται ζητοῦσα. Ἀγάπη τὰς τῆς βασιλείας θύρας ἀνοίγει, καὶ τοὺς ἐν σεμνῷ γάμῳ βιοῦντας εἰσελθεῖν οὐ κωλύει. Ἀγάπη τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην φιλεῖ, καὶ τῷ ταῦτα γεωργῷ στεφάνους χρυσαυγεῖς ἑτοιμάζει. Ἀγάπη ὑπερηφάνους οὐκ οἶδεν, ταπεινοὺς δὲ δοξάζει. Ἀγάπη κακολογίαν φεύγει, εὐλογίαν δὲ στέργει. Ἀγάπη ἄνδρα καὶ γυναῖκα γάμῳ συναφθέντας ὁμονοεῖν συμβουλεύει, χωρίζεσθαι δὲ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων οὐδέποτε θέλει. Ἀγάπη τοὺς πατέρας