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For when some say, What is this? To what purpose is this? they say these things contrary to what pleases God. He has placed you in so much fear, and not even so are you humble-minded, but if ever you should attain some small prosperity, you reach heaven itself in your pride. d. For this reason there are the swiftest changes and reversals, and not even so are we disciplined; for this reason there are constant and untimely deaths, but we think as if we were immortal, as if we will never die; thus we seize, thus we are covetous, as if we will never give an account; thus we build, as if remaining here forever, and not even the word of God sounding in our ears each day, nor the events themselves, teach us. It is not possible to name a day, not an hour, in which one cannot see constant funeral processions; but all is in vain, and nothing touches our hardness of heart. Neither are we able to become better through the misfortunes of others, or rather, we are not even willing; but when we ourselves mourn, then we are restrained; and if God should let up His hand, again we raise our hand. No one sets his mind on things above, no one despises the things on earth, no one looks toward heaven; but just as swine look downwards, bending towards their belly, and wallowing in the mire; so also the majority of men, defiling themselves with the most foul mire, do not perceive it; for it is better to be defiled 63.101 by unclean clay, than by sins. For the one defiled by that, washed himself off in a short time, and has become like one who never fell into that swamp in the first place; but the one who has fallen into the pit of sin has received a defilement not cleansed by water, but requiring much time, and exact repentance, and tears, and lamentations, and more weeping, and more fervent, than you show for your dearest ones. For this filth comes to us from without; which is why we also quickly put it off; but that is born from within; which is why we are cleansed only with difficulty, washing it away. For out of the heart, He says, proceed evil thoughts, fornications, adulteries, thefts, false witness. Wherefore also the prophet said: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and another: Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem. Do you see that to do right is both our part and God's? And again, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Therefore let us become pure according to our ability; let us wipe away our sins. But how is it possible to wipe them away? The prophet teaches, saying, Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. What is, From before my eyes? Since some seem to be without wickedness, but only to men, while to God they are manifest as 63.102 whitewashed tombs; for this reason He says, Put it away in such a way as I see. Learn to do good, seek judgment, do justice for the humble and poor; and come, and let us reason together, says the Lord: and, though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, I will make them white as wool. Do you see that we must first cleanse ourselves, and then God cleanses? For having first said, Wash you, make you clean, He then added, I will make them white. Let no one therefore who has come to the uttermost of wickedness despair of himself; for even if you should come to a habit, He says, and almost to the very nature of wickedness, do not be afraid. For this reason, taking colors that are not fleeting, but almost essential to the underlying materials, He said they would come to the opposite state. For He did not say simply to wash, but to make white as snow and as wool, that He might suggest good hopes to us. Great, then, is the power of repentance, if indeed it makes us as snow, and whitens us as wool, even if sin has previously dyed our souls. Let us strive, therefore, to become pure; He has commanded nothing burdensome; Judge for the orphan, and do justice for the widow, He says. Do you see everywhere how great an account God makes of mercy, and of the protection of the wronged? Let us pursue these good deeds, and we will be able by

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Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγωσί τινες, Τί τοῦτο; εἰς τί τοῦτο; παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ταῦτά φασιν. Ἐν τοσούτῳ σε φόβῳ κατέστησε, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω ταπεινοφρονεῖς, ἀλλὰ μικρᾶς εὐπραγίας ἂν ἐπιλάβῃ ποτὲ, πρὸς αὐτὸν φθάνεις τὸν οὐρανὸν τῷ φρονήματι. δʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αἱ τάχισται μεταβολαὶ καὶ μεταπτώσεις, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω παιδευόμεθα· διὰ τοῦτο θάνατοι συνεχεῖς καὶ ἄωροι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἀθάνατοι φρονοῦμεν, ὡς οὐδέποτε τεθνηξόμενοι· οὕτως ἁρπάζομεν, οὕτω πλεονεκτοῦμεν, ὡς οὐδέποτε δώσοντες λόγον· οὕτως οἰκοδομοῦμεν, ὡς ἐνταῦθα μένοντες ἀεὶ, καὶ οὐδὲ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἡμῖν ἐνηχούμενος, οὐδὲ αὐτὰ παιδεύει τὰ πράγματα. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμέραν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὥραν εἰπεῖν, ἐν ᾗ μὴ συνεχεῖς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἐκφοράς· ἀλλὰ πάντα μάτην, καὶ τῆς σκληρότητος ἡμῶν οὐδὲν καθικνεῖται. Οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς ἑτέρων συμφοραῖς βελτίους γενέσθαι δυνάμεθα, μᾶλλον δὲ, οὐδὲ θέλομεν· ἀλλ' ὅταν αὐτοὶ μόνοι πενθῶμεν, τότε συστελλόμεθα· κἂν ἀνῇ τὴν χεῖρα ὁ Θεὸς, πάλιν ἡμεῖς τὴν χεῖρα ἐπήραμεν. Οὐδεὶς τὰ ἄνω φρονεῖ, οὐδεὶς καταφρονεῖ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ, οὐδεὶς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὁρᾷ· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ χοῖροι κάτω νεύουσι, πρὸς τὴν γαστέρα κύπτοντες, καὶ τῷ βορβόρῳ ἐγκαλινδούμενοι· οὕτω καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, βορβόρῳ χαλεπωτάτῳ ἑαυτοὺς μολύνοντες οὐκ αἰσθάνονται· βέλτιον γὰρ πηλῷ μολύ 63.101 νεσθαι ἀκαθάρτῳ, ἢ ἁμαρτήμασιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν μολυνθεὶς, ἀπενίψατο ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ, καὶ γέγονεν ὅμοιος τῷ μηδὲ ἐμπεσόντι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ τέλμα· ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸ βάραθρον τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐμπεσὼν, ἐδέξατο μολυσμὸν οὐχ ὕδατι καθαιρόμενον, ἀλλὰ πολλοῦ δεόμενον χρόνου, καὶ μετανοίας ἀκριβοῦς, καὶ δακρύων, καὶ κοπετῶν, καὶ πλείονος θρήνου καὶ θερμοτέρου, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις ἐπιδείκνυσθε. Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ὁ ῥύπος ἔξωθεν ἡμῖν προσγίνεται· διὸ καὶ ταχέως αὐτὸν ἀποτιθέμεθα· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἔνδοθεν τίκτεται· διὸ καὶ μόλις αὐτὸν ἀπονιπτόμενοι καθαιρόμεθα. Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς καρδίας, φησὶν, ἐξέρχονται διαλογισμοὶ πονηροὶ, πορνεῖαι, μοιχεῖαι, κλοπαὶ, ψευδομαρτυρίαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγε· Καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοὶ, ὁ Θεός· ἕτερος δέ· Ἀπόπλυνον ἀπὸ κακίας τὴν καρδίαν σου, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ κατορθοῦν καὶ ἡμῶν ἐστι καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Καὶ πάλιν, Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Οὐκοῦν γενώμεθα καθαροὶ εἰς δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν· ἀποσμήξωμεν ἑαυτῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Πῶς δὲ ἔστιν ἀποσμῆξαι; Ὁ προφήτης διδάσκει, λέγων, Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου. Τί ἐστιν, Ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου; Ἐπειδή τινες εἶναι δοκοῦσιν ἀπόνηροι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, τῷ δὲ Θεῷ δῆλοι ὄντες τάφοι 63.102 κεκονιαμένοι· διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Οὕτως ἀφέλετε, ὡς ἐγὼ ὁρῶ. Μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν, ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε· καὶ δεῦτε, καὶ διελεγχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος· καὶ, ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ· ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὡς κόκκινον, ὡσεὶ ἔριον λευκανῶ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι προτέρους ἡμᾶς ἑαυτοὺς δεῖ καθαίρειν, καὶ τότε ὁ Θεὸς καθαίρει; Πρῶτον γὰρ εἰπὼν, Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γένεσθε, τότε ἐπήγαγεν, Ἐγὼ λευκανῶ. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν τῶν εἰς ἐσχάτην κακίαν ἡκόντων, ἀπογινωσκέτω ἑαυτοῦ· κἂν γὰρ εἰς ἕξιν, φησὶν, ἔλθῃς, καὶ σχεδὸν εἰς φύσιν τῆς κακίας αὐτῆς, μὴ φοβηθῇς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο χρώματα οὐκ ἐξίτηλα, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν συνουσιωμένα τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις λαβὼν εἰς τὴν ἐναντίαν αὐτὰ ἔφησε κατάστασιν ἥξειν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς πλύνειν ἔφη, ἀλλ' ὡς χιόνα, καὶ ὡς ἔριον λευκαίνειν, ἵνα ἡμῖν χρηστὰς ὑποτείνῃ τὰς ἐλπίδας. Ἄρα μεγάλη τῆς μετανοίας ἡ δύναμις, εἴ γε ὡς χιόνα ἡμᾶς ἐργάζεται, καὶ ὡς ἔριον λευκαίνει, κἂν προλαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία βάψῃ τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχάς. Σπουδάσωμεν τοίνυν καθαροὶ γενέσθαι· οὐδὲν φορτικὸν ἐπέταξε· Κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ, καὶ δικαιώσατε χήραν, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ πῶς πολὺς τῷ Θεῷ ὁ τοῦ ἐλέους λόγος, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀδικουμένων προστασίας; Ταῦτα μετίωμεν τὰ κατορθώματα, καὶ δυνησόμεθα τῇ