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almsgiving is done in secret toward God, as the Lord says, that: "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your almsgiving may be in secret." And let the widow pray for the one who has given, whoever he may be, being a holy altar of God, and the Father who sees in secret will repay the one who did good openly. But the widows who do not wish to live according to the commandment of God are careful to ask many questions, who was the one who ministered and who were the ones who received, and having learned, she finds fault with the one who ministered, saying, "Did you not know that I was closer to you than she, and more afflicted than she? Why then did you prefer her to me?" But she says these things being foolish, not understanding that this was not the will of man, but the command of God. For if she testifies that she was closer and was examined in greater need and was more naked than that one, she ought to understand the one who commanded and to be silent and not find fault with the one who ministered, entering her house and casting herself upon her face to beseech God that her transgression be forgiven. For God commanded the one doing good not to make a show of the good deed, but she found fault because she did not proclaim her name, so that she also, having learned, might run to receive. and not only did she find fault, but she even cursed her, forgetting the one who said: "He who blesses you is blessed, and he who curses you is cursed." And the Lord says: "When you enter a house, say: Peace to this house, and if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if he is not worthy, your peace returns to you." If therefore peace returns again to those who sent it because it did not find those worthy of it, how much more will the curse return upon the head of the one who unjustly sent it forth, as the one to whom it was sent was not worthy to receive it. For everyone who reviles in vain curses himself, as Solomon says: "Just as birds and sparrows fly, so a curse in vain will not come upon anyone." And again he says: "But those who bring forth revilings are most foolish." For just as the bee, being weak in its power, when it stings someone, it loses its stinger and becomes barren, in the same way you also, whatever injustice you do to others, you will work this against yourselves. "For he dug a pit

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ται ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐν κρυπτῷ πρὸς Θεόν, καθώς φησιν ὁ Κύριος, ὅτι· «Σοῦ δὲ ποιοῦντος τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ γνώτω ἡ ἀριστερά σου τί ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιά σου, ὅπως ᾖ σου ἡ ἐλεημο σύνη ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ.» Καὶ ἡ χήρα προσευχέσθω ὑπὲρ τοῦ δεδωκότος, ὅστις ποτ' ἂν ᾖ, ἅγιον θυσιαστήριον Θεοῦ ὑπάρχουσα, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει τῷ εὖ ποιήσαντι ἐν τῷ φανερῷ. Ἀλλ' αἱ μὴ κατ' ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ ζῆν θέλουσαι χῆραι φροντίζουσιν πολυπευστεῖν, τίς ἡ διακονησαμένη καὶ τίνες αἱ λαβοῦσαι, καὶ μαθοῦσα ἐπιμέμφεται τῇ διακονησαμένῃ λέγουσα, ὅτι οὐκ ᾔδεις, ὅτι ἐγώ σοι μᾶλλον ἐγγυτέρα παρ' ἐκείνην ὑπῆρχον καὶ μᾶλλον παρ' ἐκείνην θλιβομένη; ∆ιὰ τί οὖν προετίμησας ἐκείνην ἐμοῦ; Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει ἄφρων ὑπάρχουσα, οὐ νοοῦσα, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπου τοῦτο θέλημα γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ πρόσταγμα. Eἰ γὰρ μαρτυρεῖ αὕτη, ὅτι ἐγγυτέρα ὑπῆρχεν καὶ ἐν πλείονι ἐνδείᾳ ἐξητάζετο καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὴ γυμνὴ ἢ ἐκείνη, ὀφείλει νοεῖν τὸν διαταξά μενον καὶ ἀποσιγήσασα καὶ μὴ μεμψαμένη τὴν διακονήσασαν, εἰσελθοῦσα εἰς οἶκον ἑαυτῆς καὶ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἑαυτὴν βαλοῦσα ἱκετεῦσαι τὸν Θεὸν ἀφεθῆναι αὐτῇ τὸ πλημμέλημα. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἐνετείλατο τῇ εὖ ποιούσῃ μὴ τραγῳδεῖν τὴν εὐποιΐαν, ἡ δὲ ἐμέμφετο, ὅτι μὴ ἐκήρυξεν αὐτῆς τὸ ὄνομα, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὴ μαθοῦσα δράμῃ εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν· καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐμέμφετο, ἀλλά γε καὶ κατηρᾶτο αὐτῇ, ἐπιλαθομένη τοῦ εἰπόντος· «Ὁ εὐλογῶν σε εὐλογημένος, καὶ ὁ καταρώ μενός σε κεκατήραται.» Λέγει δὲ ὁ Κύριος· «Ὅταν εἰσέρχησθε εἰς οἶκον, λέγετε· Eἰρήνη τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ, καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἐκεῖ υἱὸς εἰρήνης, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπαναπαύσεται ἐπ' αὐτόν· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἄξιος, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιστρέφει.» Eἰ οὖν ἡ εἰρήνη ἐπὶ τοὺς πέμψαντας αὐτὴν ἐπ' ἐκεί νους πάλιν ἐπιστρέφει ἐπὶ τοὺς προηκαμένους αὐτὴν διὰ τὸ μὴ εὑρεῖν ἀξίους αὐτῆς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ κατάρα ἐπιστρέψει εἰς κεφαλὴν τοῦ ἀδίκως αὐτὴν ἐκπέμψαντος, ὡς οὐκ ἀξίου ὄντος τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτὴν ἐκείνου, πρὸς ὅνπερ ἐξαπεστάλη. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μάτην λοιδορῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀρᾶται, καθά φησιν ὁ Σολομών· «Ὥσπερ ὄρνεα πέτονται καὶ στρουθοί, οὕτως ἀρὰ ματαία οὐκ ἐπελεύσεται ἐπ' οὐδενί.» Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· «Oἱ δὲ ἐκφέροντες λοιδορίας ἀφρονέστατοί εἰσιν.» Ὥσπερ δὲ ἡ μέλισσα ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτῆς ἀσθενὴς οὖσα, ἐπὰν πλήξῃ τινά, τὸ κέντρον ἀποβάλλει καὶ γίνεται στείρα, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσητε ἄδικον εἰς ἑτέρους, τοῦτο εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐνεργήσετε. «Λάκκον γὰρ êρυξεν