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kingdom of heaven? But you, fearing her tyranny, endure all things, and do not despise her? This is shamelessness. Do you not see crippled old men? But oh, what foolishness! So-and-so, he says, lends out so many gold pieces; and so-and-so lends out so many, and begs. You tell the tales and nonsense of little children; for they always hear such tales from their nurse. I am not persuaded, I do not believe it, may it not be so. Does someone lend, and being in abundance, beg? For what reason, tell me? What is more shameful than to beg? It is better to die than to beg. How long shall we be harsh? What then? Do all lend money? Are all impostors? Is no one truly poor? Yes, he says, and many are. Why then do you not help them, since you are an exact examiner of their lives? This is an excuse and a pretext. Give to everyone who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away; stretch out your hand, let it not be drawn back. We have not been appointed examiners of lives, since in that case we would have mercy on no one. Why, when you beseech God, do you say, 'Remember not my sins'? So if that man is a great sinner, consider this in his case as well, and do not remember his sins. It is a time for loving-kindness, not for exact examination; for mercy, not for calculation. He wants to be fed; if you are willing, give; but if you are not willing, send him away, without adding reproaches. Why are you wretched and miserable? Why do you not pity him yourself, and turn away those who wish to? For when so-and-so hears from you that this man is a cheat, that that man is a hypocrite, that another lends money; he gives neither to these nor to those; for he suspects all to be such. For you know that we easily suspect evil things, but good things 63.96 no longer. Let us become merciful, not simply, but as our heavenly Father; He Himself feeds adulterers, and fornicators, and sorcerers; and what am I saying? Those having every form of wickedness. For in so great a world it is necessary that there be many such people; but nevertheless He clothes all; no one has ever perished from famine, unless it were willingly. Let us thus be compassionate; if he asks, and is in need, help him. But now we have come to such a point of irrationality, as to do this not only in the case of the poor who walk through the narrow streets, but also in the case of monastic men. So-and-so is an impostor, he says. Did I not say this before, that if we give to all without distinction, we shall always be merciful; but if we begin to be inquisitive, we shall never be merciful? What are you saying? So that he may receive bread, he is an impostor? If indeed he asks for talents of gold and silver, or costly garments, or slaves, or anything else, one might reasonably call this man a cheat; but if none of these, but food and shelter, which belong to philosophy, is this the mark of a cheat, tell me? Let us cease from this untimely meddlesomeness, this satanic, this destructive thing. For if he should say he is enrolled among the clergy, or call himself a priest, be inquisitive, be meddlesome; for there the unexamined fellowship is not without danger; for the danger is concerning great things; but if he needs sustenance, examine nothing; for you are not giving, but receiving. Examine, if you will, how Abraham showed hospitality to all who came to him. If he had been inquisitive about those who took refuge with him, he would not have entertained angels; for perhaps, not thinking them to be angels, he would have pushed them away with the others; but since he received all, he received angels also. For does God give you the reward based on the life of those who receive? From your own purpose, from your own generosity, from your great loving-kindness, from your goodness; let this be, and you will obtain all good things; which may we all be counted worthy to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

HOMILY XII.

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οὐρανῶν βασιλεία; σὺ δὲ τὴν ἐκείνης δεδοικὼς τυραννίδα, πάντα ὑπομένεις, καὶ ἐκείνης οὐ καταφρονεῖς; Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἀναισχυντία. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς γέροντας ἀναπήρους; Ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ληρωδίας! ὁ δεῖνα, φησὶ, τοσούσδε χρυσοῦς δανείζει· ὁ δεῖνα δὲ τόσους, καὶ ἐπαιτεῖ. Παίδων μικρῶν μύθους διηγεῖσθε καὶ λήρους· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τοιούτων ἀεὶ μύθων παρὰ τῆς τιτθίδος ἀκούουσιν. Οὐ πείθομαι, οὐ πιστεύω, μὴ γένοιτο. ∆ανείζει τις, καὶ ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ ὢν προσαιτεῖ; τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι; τί δὲ ἀσχημονέστερον τοῦ ἐπαιτεῖν; κρεῖσσον ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ ἐπαιτεῖν. Μέχρι τίνος ἀπηνεῖς ἐσμεν; Τί οὖν; πάντες δανείζουσι; πάντες ἐπιθέται εἰσίν; οὐδεὶς πένης ὄντως; Ναὶ, φησὶ, καὶ πολλοί. Τί οὖν ἐκείνοις οὐκ ἐπικουρεῖς, ἐπειδὴ ἀκριβὴς εἶ τῶν βίων αὐτῶν ἐξεταστής; Σκῆψις ταῦτα καὶ πρόφασις. Παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου, καὶ τὸν θέλοντα δανείσασθαι ἀπὸ σοῦ μὴ ἀποστραφῇς· ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου, μὴ ἔστω συνεσταλμένη. Οὐχὶ τῶν βίων κατέστημεν ἐξετασταὶ ἐπεὶ οὐδένα οὕτως ἐλεήσομεν. ∆ιὰ τί, ὅταν τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλῇς, λέγεις· Μὴ μνησθῇς τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου; Ὥστε εἰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνος ἁμαρτωλὸς, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ λογίζου, καὶ μὴ μιμνήσκου τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοῦ. Φιλανθρωπίας ἐστὶν ὁ καιρὸς, οὐκ ἀκριβοῦς ἐξετάσεως· ἐλέους, οὐ λογισμοῦ. ∆ιατραφῆναι βούλεται· ἂν μὲν βούλῃ, δός· ἂν δὲ μὴ βούλῃ, ἀπόπεμψον, μὴ ἐπαπορήσας. ∆ιὰ τί ἄθλιος εἶ καὶ ταλαίπωρος; ∆ιὰ τί οὐδὲ αὐτὸν ἐλεεῖς, καὶ τοὺς θέλοντας ἀποτρέπεις; Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ δεῖνα ἀκούσῃ παρὰ σοῦ, ὅτι οὗτος ἀπατεὼν, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑποκριτὴς, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος δανείζει· οὔτε τούτοις δίδωσιν, οὔτε ἐκείνοις· πάντας γὰρ ὑποπτεύει τοιούτους εἶναι. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι τὰ πονηρὰ εὐκόλως ὑποπτεύομεν, τὰ δὲ χρηστὰ 63.96 οὐκέτι. Γενώμεθα ἐλεήμονες, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος· αὐτὸς καὶ μοιχοὺς, καὶ πόρνους, καὶ γόητας τρέφει· καὶ τί λέγω; πᾶν εἶδος κακίας ἔχοντας. Ἐν γὰρ τοσούτῳ κόσμῳ ἀνάγκη εἶναι καὶ τοιούτους πολλούς· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἅπαντας ἐνδιδύσκει· οὐδεὶς λιμῷ διεφθάρη ποτὲ, πλὴν εἴ τις ἑκών. Οὕτω γενώμεθα οἰκτίρμονες· ἐὰν δέηται, καὶ ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ᾖ, βοήθει. Νῦν δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἤλθομεν ἀλογίας, ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἐπὶ τῶν πενήτων τοῦτο ποιεῖν τῶν διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν βαδιζόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ μοναζόντων ἀνδρῶν. Ὁ δεῖνα ἐπιθέτης ἐστὶ, φησίν. Οὐχὶ τοῦτο ἔλεγον πρώην, ὅτι ἂν μὲν πᾶσιν ἀδιαφόρως διδῶμεν, ἀεὶ ἐλεήσομεν· ἐὰν δὲ ἀρξώμεθα περιεργάζεσθαι, οὐδέποτε ἐλεήσομεν; Τί λέγεις; ἵνα ἄρτον λάβῃ, ἐπιθέτης ἐστίν; Εἰ μὲν χρυσίου τάλαντα αἰτεῖ καὶ ἀργυρίου, ἢ ἱμάτια πολυτελῆ, ἢ ἀνδράποδα, ἢ ἄλλ' ὁτιοῦν, εἰκότως ἄν τις τοῦτον εἴποι ἀπατεῶνα· εἰ δὲ μηδὲν τούτων, ἀλλὰ διατροφὴν καὶ σκέπην ἃ φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶ τοῦτο ἀπατεῶνος, εἰπέ μοι; Παυσώμεθα τῆς ἀκαίρου ταύτης φιλοπραγμοσύνης, τῆς σατανικῆς, τῆς ὀλεθρίας. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐν κλήρῳ κατειλεγμένον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι λέγοι, ἢ ἱερέα ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζοι, περιεργάζου, πολυπραγμόνει· οὐ γὰρ ἀκίνδυνος ἐκεῖ ἡ ἀνεξέταστος κοινωνία· περὶ γὰρ μεγάλων ὁ κίνδυνος· ἂν δὲ διατροφῆς δέηται, μηδὲν ἐξέταζε· οὐ γὰρ δίδως, ἀλλὰ λαμβάνεις. Ἐξέτασον, εἰ βούλει, πῶς Ἀβραὰμ τὴν φιλοξενίαν περὶ πάντας τοὺς προσιόντας ἐπεδείκνυτο. Εἰ περίεργος ἦν περὶ τοὺς καταφεύγοντας πρὸς αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἂν ἀγγέλους ἐξένισεν· ἴσως γὰρ ἂν μὴ νομίζων αὐτοὺς ἀγγέλους εἶναι, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τούτους ἀπώσατο· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πάντας ἐδέχετο, ἐδέξατο καὶ ἀγγέλους. Μὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου σοι τῶν λαμβανόντων τὸν μισθὸν δίδωσιν ὁ Θεός; Ἀπὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως τῆς σῆς, ἀπὸ τῆς φιλοτιμίας τῆς οἰκείας, ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας τῆς πολλῆς, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγαθότητος· αὕτη ἔστω, καὶ πάντων ἐπιτεύξῃ τῶν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΒʹ.