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he is named on behalf of the human race, propitiating the Father; and likewise the Spirit of truth also took a name for his zeal on our behalf. For he too is called Paraclete; and intercession and supplication are certainly made with zeal for those who have sinned, but not for the innocent and blameless. 13.8.7 Emulate, O priest, the solicitude of Moses; imitate his disposition towards those he ruled, who, calling upon God not to be hostile to the people who had sinned, when he perceived that grace was being withdrawn for a little while, supplicated at least for this, to depart before the people, so that he might not see the destruction of those he shepherded. 13.8.8 But there is nothing like quoting the very words: I pray, the people have sinned a great sin, and have made for themselves gods of gold. And now if you will forgive their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me out of the book which you have written. Do you see how he puts the salvation of the multitude before his own, and seeks to be blotted out, if he does not secure forgiveness for the community? But those today, being embittered towards sinners, drive away those who approach, run past those who fall down before them, disregard those seeking to be healed, and do not incline their face to those who weep. 13.9.1 Why then did Luke, or rather the Holy Spirit, record for me the prodigal son, who first by his departure insulted the one who begot him, then, driven to frenzy for pleasures and drunkenness and becoming a lover of women, squandered all his paternal wealth? And when, after some time, having suffered sufficiently from hardships, so as to become a hired swineherd and to share the same food as the pigs, he returned to his paternal hearth, having come to his senses, the father did not turn away nor did he shut the doors on him when he returned, 13.9.2 but quite the contrary, he ran to him as he drew near and fell upon his neck and compassionately shed a tear upon his neck, and he made him blessed again instead of wretched, dressing him in a free man's garment and putting a ring on his hand and making the day a festival and preparing a splendid banquet. All these things are a parabolic discourse, opening the church like a paternal hearth to those who repent and receiving them kindly, so that they may not be table-companions with the pigs, that is, with the demons, but may be born again from strangers into sons, so that they may live together by the will of God as by the counsel of a father and with holy men as with brothers. 13.9.3 But you, do not emulate the opinion of the elder brother, nor grumble against the father's love for humanity, because he took in the prodigal and insolent one. Rather, admire his goodness and imitate the benevolence of God and embrace and enfold those who turn back from error; for thus you will be a guide to the blind and a teacher of those who are lost. 13.10.1 To those, then, of harsher opinion who practice severity before sympathy, enough has been said by us, and there is no need for more; but listen now, you who are in need of conversion, how it befits you to be downcast at your sins and to bewail the transgressions of your heart; or rather, if you please, consider the sinful woman in Luke, which has just now been read to us. Emulate her humility and wisdom and take it as a rule of exact repentance. 13.10.2 For coming to the house of the Pharisee, she was not ashamed by the crowd of guests, nor did she shun the time of the banquet as inopportune for confession, but, being overcome with grief and having a vehement sorrow for her transgressions, she did not for a moment let go of the physician of sins. Nor indeed did she come to his face to supplicate, but interpreting her own unworthiness and lack of confidence through her posture, taking up the place behind him and not just standing simply, 13.10.3 but having taken her place behind his feet, and letting down her hair and making public by her actions her mourning soul and letting her tears flow down on the feet of Jesus with much

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ὀνομάζεται ὑπὲρ τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν Πατέρα ἐξιλεούμενος· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σπουδὴν ἔλαβεν ὄνομα. Παράκλητος γὰρ κἀκεῖνο λέγεται· πρεσβεία δὲ καὶ παράκλησις ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων πάντως σπουδάζεται, οὐ μὴν τῶν ἀνευθύνων καὶ ἀνεγκλήτων. 13.8.7 Ζήλωσον, ὁ ἱερεύς, τὸ κηδεμονικὸν τοῦ Μωσέως· μίμησαι τὴν ἐκείνου περὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους διάθεσιν, ὃς παρα καλῶν τὸν Θεόν, ἵνα μὴ δυσμενῇ τῷ λαῷ πλημμελήσαντι, ἐπειδὴ μικρὸν ᾔσθετο παρελκομένης τῆς χάριτος, τοῦτο γοῦν ἱκέτευε προαπελθεῖν τοῦ λαοῦ, ὡς μήτε θεάσηται τῶν ποιμαινομένων τὸν ὄλεθρον. 13.8.8 Οὐδὲν δὲ οἷον αὐτῆς ἀπομνημονεῦσαι τῆς λέξεως· ∆έομαι, ἡμάρτηκεν ὁ λαὸς ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς θεοὺς χρυσοῦς. Καὶ νῦν εἰ μὲν ἀφίῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μή, ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ἧς ἔγραψας. Ὁρᾷς ὅπως τὴν τοῦ πλήθους σωτήριαν τῆς οἰκείας προτίθησιν καὶ ἐξαλειφθῆναι ζητεῖ, εἰ μὴ κατορθοῖ τῷ κοινῷ τὴν συγγνώμην; Οἱ δὲ νῦν πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας πικραινόμενοι προσιόντας ἐλαύνουσιν, ὑποπίπτοντας παρατρέχουσιν, θεραπευθῆναι ζητούντων ὑπερορῶσιν, δακρυόντων οὐκ ἐπικλῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον. 13.9.1 Τί οὖν ὁ Λουκᾶς, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀνέγραψέ μοι τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἄσωτον, ὃς καθύβρισε μὲν τῇ ἀναχωρήσει πρώτῃ τὸν γεννη σάμενον, εἶτα πρὸς ἡδονὰς καὶ μέθας ἐκβακχευθεὶς καὶ φιλογύνης γενόμενος πάντα τὸν πατρικὸν πλοῦτον ἐκένωσεν; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ χρόνοις ὕστερον ἱκανῶς ἐνταλαιπωρήσας τοῖς μόχθοις, ὡς καὶ συβώτης γενέσθαι μισθωτὸς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μετασχεῖν τοῖς χοίροις τροφῆς, ἐπανῆλθε πρὸς τὴν πατρικὴν ἑστίαν σωφρονισθείς, οὐκ ἀπεστράφη ὁ πατὴρ οὐδὲ ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῷ τὰς θύρας ἐπανελθόντι, 13.9.2 ἀλλὰ πᾶν τοὐναντίον προσέδραμεν ἐγγίζοντι καὶ ἐπεκλίθη τῷ τραχήλῳ καὶ δάκρυον ἐπέσταξε συμπαθῶς τῷ αὐχένι, ἐποίησε δὲ πάλιν ἀντὶ ἀθλίου μακαριστὸν ἐλευθερίῳ ἀμφιέσας ἐσθῆτι καὶ δακτύλιον τῇ χειρὶ περιθεὶς καὶ ἑορτὴν ἄγων τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ εὐτρεπίσας εὐωχίαν λαμπράν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα λόγος ἐστὶ παραβολικὸς ὑπανοίγων τοῖς μετανοοῦσιν ὡς πατρικὴν ἑστίαν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ δεχόμενος φιλοφρόνως, ἵνα μὴ ὦσιν ὁμοδίαιτοι τοῖς χοίροις, τοῖς δαί μοσιν, γεννῶνται δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ἀλλοτρίων υἱοί, ἵνα τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ συζῶσιν ὡς γνώμῃ πατρὸς καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀνδράσιν ὡς ἀδελφοῖς. 13.9.3 Σὺ δὲ μὴ ζήλου τὴν γνώμην τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, μηδὲ καταγόγγυζε τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς φιλανθρωπίας, ὅτι καὶ τὸν ἄσωτον καὶ ὑβριστὴν εἰσῳκίσατο. Θαύμαζε δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν ἀγαθότητα καὶ μιμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εὐμένειαν καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πλάνης ὑποστρέφοντας ἐναγκαλίζου καὶ περιπτύσσου· οὕτως γὰρ ἔσῃ τυφλῶν ὁδηγὸς καὶ πλανωμένων διδάσκαλος. 13.10.1 Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τοὺς τραχυτέρους τὴν γνώμην καὶ τὴν ἀποτομίαν πρὸ τῆς συμπαθείας ἀσκοῦντας ἱκανῶς ἡμῖν εἴρηται καὶ οὐδὲν δεῖ μακροτέρων· ἄκουε δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ ὁ τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς δεόμενος, ὅπως σε προσῆκεν ἐπιστυγνάζειν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν καὶ τὰ παραπτώματα τῆς καρδίας ἀποθρηνεῖν· μᾶλλον δέ, εἰ δοκεῖ, σκόπησον τὴν ἁμαρτωλὸν γυναῖκα τὴν παρὰ τῷ Λουκᾷ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀναγνωσθεῖσαν ἡμῖν. Κἀκείνης τὸ ταπεινὸν καὶ εὐσύνετον ζήλωσον καὶ λάβε κανόνα μετανοίας ἠκριβω μένης. 13.10.2 Ἐλθοῦσα γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Φαρισαίου οὔτε τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἑστιωμένων ἠρυθρίασεν, οὔτε τὸν καιρὸν τῆς εὐωχίας ὡς ἄκαιρον εἰς ἐξομολόγησιν ἔφυγεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ λύπῃ συνεχομένη καὶ σφοδρὸν ἔχουσα τῶν πλημμελημάτων τὸ πένθος οὐδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον ἠφίει τὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἰατρόν. Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον κατ' ὄψιν ἐρχομένη ἱκέτευεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀνάξιον ἑαυτῆς καὶ ἀπαρρησίαστον διὰ τοῦ σχήματος ἑρμηνεύουσα, τὴν κατὰ νώτου χώραν καταλαβοῦσα καὶ οὐδὲ ἑστῶσα ἁπλῶς, 13.10.3 ἀλλὰ κατόπιν τῶν ποδῶν λαβομένη, λύσασα δὲ τὰς κόμας καὶ τοῖς πράγμασι δημοσιεύουσα τὴν πενθοῦσαν ψυχὴν καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὸ δάκρυον ἐπιρρέουσα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς