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Honor widows, those who are truly widows, he says. So then, it is possible for one not to have a husband, but not be a widow. For just as it is not this which makes a virgin a virgin, that she has not had intercourse in marriage, but many other things are needed, blamelessness, attentiveness; so also it is not simply the destitution of a husband that makes a widow, but patience with sobriety, the being alone from all. He exhorts to honor such widows, with good reason; for being left alone they are in need of much honor; they do not have husbands to protect them; the matter seems to be a reproach and of bad omen among the many. For this reason he wants her to enjoy much honor from the priest; but not for this reason only, but because she is also worthy. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety toward their own house, and to requite their parents. See the prudence of Paul, how in many places he exhorts from human reasonings. For he did not place here anything great 62.567 and lofty, but that which is conscientious; And to requite, he says, their parents. How? For their nurture, their raising. For instance, you enjoyed much care; they departed; you were not able to give them their requital; for you did not give birth to them, nor did you raise them; in his grandchildren be you requited, pay the debt through the children. Let them learn, he says, first to show piety toward their own house. Here he speaks more simply of 'doing good'. Then, that he might lift them up more, he added: For this is acceptable in the sight of God. But since he said, Those who are truly widows, he says who the true widow is. She who is truly a widow and left desolate has hoped in God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day; but she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. If anyone, he says, has not chosen a worldly life, even while being in widowhood, this one is truly a widow; she who hopes in God as she ought, she who gives attention to supplication, and perseveres night and day, this one is a widow; not as though she who has children is not a widow; for he also admires that one who brings up children, as she ought; but if one has no children, that is, she who is desolate. Then he comforts her, as one not having children, saying, that this is to be a widow most of all, when she happens to be deprived not only of the comfort from her husband, but also of that from her children; for she has God in place of all. For she is not less for not having children, but what is lacking to her because of the absence of children he fills with consolation. What he says, therefore, is this: Do not grieve if you hear that one must bring up children, as though you have no children, as if your dignity is diminished by this; you truly are. But the widow who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 3. For since many who have children choose widowhood, not that they may cut off the occasions of life, but that they may rather inflame them, that they may do all things with greater authority, and may give themselves over more to worldly desires, for this reason he says, But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. What do you say? And must a widowed woman not live in pleasure? No, he says. If, therefore, when both her age and nature are weak, living in pleasure is not even so necessary, but becomes the cause of death, eternal death, what might men who live in pleasure say? And he says with good reason, But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. But that you may learn, come, let us see what is the work of the living, and what of the dead, and where we shall place this woman. The living are active in the things of life, of the life to come, of the true life. But what are the things of the life to come, with which it befits us to be occupied all the time, hear Christ saying: Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. The living are not distinguished from the dead by this alone, by seeing the sun, and breathing the air; not by this, we say, but by doing some good; since if this were not present, of the

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Χήρας τίμα, τὰς ὄντως χήρας, φησίν. Ἄρα ἔστι μὴ ἔχειν μὲν ἄνδρα, μὴ εἶναι δὲ χήραν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὴν παρθένον οὐ τοῦτο ποιεῖ παρθένον, τὸ μὴ ὡμιληκέναι γάμῳ, ἀλλὰ πολλῶν καὶ ἑτέρων δεῖ, τοῦ ἀμέμπτου, τοῦ εὐπροσέδρου· οὕτω καὶ χήραν οὐχ ἡ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐρημία ποιεῖ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἡ μετὰ σωφροσύνης ὑπομονὴ, ἡ ἐκ πάντων μόνωσις. Τὰς τοιαύτας χήρας τιμᾷν παραινεῖ, εἰκότως· πολλῆς γὰρ δέονται τιμῆς μεμονωμέναι· ἄνδρας οὐκ ἔχουσι τοὺς προστησομένους· τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπονείδιστον εἶναι δοκεῖ καὶ δυσοιώνιστον παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πολλῆς αὐτὴν βούλεται παρὰ τοῦ ἱερέως ἀπολαύειν τιμῆς· οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἀξία ἐστίν. Εἰ δέ τις χήρα τέκνα ἢ ἔκγονα ἔχει, μανθανέτωσαν πρῶτον τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον εὐσεβεῖν, καὶ ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις. Ὅρα τοῦ Παύλου τὸ συνετὸν, πῶς πολλαχοῦ ἀπὸ ἀνθρωπίνων προτρέπει λογισμῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔθηκεν ἐνταῦθα μέγα 62.567 τι καὶ ὑψηλὸν, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἐστὶν εὐσυνείδητον· Καὶ ἀμοιβὰς, φησὶν, ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις. Πῶς; Τῆς ἀνατροφῆς, τῆς αὐξήσεως. Οἷον, ἀπέλαυσας πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιμελείας· ἀπῆλθον ἐκεῖνοι· οὐκ ἠδυνήθης αὐτοῖς ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ἀμοιβήν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ καὶ αὐτὴ ἐγέννησας αὐτοὺς, οὐδὲ ἀνέθρεψας· ἐν τοῖς ἐκγόνοις αὐτοῦ ἀμείβου, ἀποδίδου τὸ ὀφείλημα διὰ τῶν παίδων. Μανθανέτωσαν, φησὶν, πρῶτον τὸν οἶκον ἴδιον εὐσεβεῖν. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν φησὶν ἁπλούστερον. Εἶτα ἵνα μᾶλλον ἐπάρῃ, ἐπήγαγε· Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀποδεκτὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶπε, Τὰς ὄντως χήρας, λέγει τίς ἐστιν ἡ ὄντως χήρα. Ἡ δὲ ὄντως χήρα καὶ μεμονωμένη ἤλπικεν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ προσμένει ταῖς δεήσεσι καὶ ταῖς προσευχαῖς νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας· ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν. Εἴ τις, φησὶ, μὴ κοσμικὸν ἐπανῄρηται βίον, καὶ ἐν χηρείᾳ οὖσα, αὕτη ὄντως χήρα ἐστίν· ἡ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίζουσα ὡς χρὴ, ἡ δεήσει προσανέχουσα, καὶ προσκαρτεροῦσα νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, αὕτη χήρα ἐστίν· οὐχ ὡς καὶ τῆς τέκνα ἐχούσης οὐχὶ χήρας οὔσης· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνην θαυμάζει τὴν παιδοτροφοῦσαν, ὡς χρή· ἀλλ' εἴ τις τέκνα μὴ ἔχει, τουτέστιν, ἡ μεμονωμένη οὖσα. Εἶτα παραμυθεῖται αὐτὴν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσαν τέκνα, εἰπὼν, ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι χήραν μάλιστα εἶναι, ὅταν μὴ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παραμυθίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς παρὰ τῶν τέκνων ἀπεστερημένη οὖσα τύχῃ· ἔχει γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν ἀντὶ πάντων. Οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἔχουσα τέκνα ἐλάττων ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ λεῖπον αὐτῇ διὰ τὴν τῶν παίδων ἀπουσίαν πληροῖ τῇ παραμυθίᾳ. Ὃ οὖν λέγει, τοιοῦτό ἐστι· Μὴ ἄλγει, ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι δεῖ παιδοτροφεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσα τέκνα, ὡς ἐκ τούτου ἐλαττουμένου σοι τοῦ ἀξιώματος· ὄντως εἶ· Ἡ χήρα δὲ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν. γʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλαὶ τέκνα ἔχουσαι τὴν χηρείαν αἱροῦνται, οὐχ ἵνα τοῦ βίου τὰς ἀφορμὰς περικόψωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μᾶλλον αὐτὰς ἐξάψωσιν, ἵνα μετὰ πλείονος αὐθεντίας ἅπαντα πράττωσι, καὶ κοσμικαῖς μᾶλλον ἐκδοῖεν ἑαυτὰς ἐπιθυμίαις, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκε. Τί λέγεις; καὶ χήρα γυνὴ οὐκ ὀφείλει σπαταλᾷν; Οὒ, φησίν. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας, καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἀσθενούσης οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀναγκαία ἡ σπατάλη, ἀλλὰ θανάτου γίνεται πρόξενος, θανάτου τοῦ αἰωνίου, τί ἂν εἴποιεν ἄνδρες σπαταλῶντες; Εἰκότως δέ φησιν, Ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς, φέρε ἴδωμεν τί τῶν ζώντων ἔργον ἐστὶ, καὶ τί τῶν τεθνηκότων, καὶ ποῦ τάξομεν ταύτην. Οἱ ζῶντες τὰ τῆς ζωῆς ἐνεργοῦσι, τῆς μελλούσης, τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς. Τίνα δέ ἐστι τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς, περὶ ἣν ἡμᾶς ἠσχολῆσθαι προσήκει τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, ἄκουε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· ∆εῦτε, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου· ἐπείνασα γὰρ, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με. Οἱ ζῶντες οὐχὶ τούτῳ διεστήκασι τῶν νεκρῶν μόνον, τῷ τὸν ἥλιον ὁρᾷν, καὶ πνεῖν τὸν ἀέρα· οὐ τούτῳ φαμὲν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀγαθόν τι ποιεῖν· ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο προσῇ, τῶν