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He himself comes upon the clouds. Believe me, from the pain that possesses my soul at this narrative, I am not even able to finish my discourse. Let us consider how much glory we are deprived of, when it is possible not to be deprived. For this is the terrible thing, that though we have the power not to suffer these things, we suffer them. For when He receives some and leads them away to the Father in the heavens, but leaves others, and certain angels taking them drag them unwillingly and weeping and with heads bowed down to the fire of Gehenna, after first being made an example of before the whole world, how great do you think the pain is? Let us hasten therefore while there is time, and let us take much care for our own salvation. How many such things we will have to say like the rich man, If someone now permitted us, we would have deliberated on something advantageous; but no one permits! And that we will say these things is clear not only from that man, but also from many others. And that 62.282 you may learn, how many have been in a fever, and have said, If we recover ourselves, we will no longer fall into the same things! We will say many such things then, but we will hear what the rich man heard, that there is a chasm, that we have received our good things here. Let us groan, I beseech you, bitterly; or rather, let us not only groan, but also pursue virtue. Let us mourn now for salvation, that we may not mourn then in vain; let us weep now, and not weep then for wickedness; this weeping is of virtue, that of unprofitable repentance; let us afflict ourselves now, that we may not be afflicted then. It is not the same to be afflicted here, and there. For here you are afflicted for a short time, or rather you do not even perceive the affliction, knowing that you are afflicted for a good cause; but there the affliction is more grievous, because it is not in hope, nor with any way out, but is infinite and for ever. May it be that we all, being delivered, may attain to rest. But since, in order not to miss this, there is need of intense earnestness and unceasing prayers, let us be earnest, I beseech you; for if we are earnest, we also accomplish by praying; if we pray fervently, God gives. But if we neither ask Him, nor do anything of the kind, nor work, how is it possible to ever succeed while sleeping? In no way. For it is a difficult thing for those who are running and stretching forward and being conformed to His death, as Paul said, to be able to attain, let alone those who are sleeping. If by any means I might attain, he says. If Paul said, If by any means I might attain, what shall we say? For while sleeping it is not possible to accomplish even worldly things, much less spiritual things; while sleeping it is not possible to receive anything from friends, much less from God; while sleeping, not even fathers honor, much less God. Let us labor a little, that we may rest forever. We must be afflicted in any case; and if we are not afflicted here, that awaits us there. Why do we not choose to be afflicted here, that we may rest there? May it be that we all, having conducted ourselves worthily of Christ, and having been conformed to His death, may attain to the ineffable good things in Christ Jesus, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and for ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 14. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Your gentleness

be known to all men. The Lord is at hand; be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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αὐτὸς ἔρχηται ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν. Πιστεύσατέ μοι, ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης τῆς κατεχούσης μου τὴν ψυχὴν τῷ διηγήματι τούτῳ οὐδὲ ἐξανύσαι τὸν λόγον δύναμαι. Ἐννοήσωμεν πόσης ἀποστερούμεθα δόξης, ἐξὸν μὴ ἀποστερηθῆναι. Τὸ γὰρ δεινὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι κύριοι ὄντες τοῦ μὴ ταῦτα παθεῖν, πάσχομεν. Ὅταν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν δέχηται καὶ ἀπάγῃ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, τοὺς δὲ ἀφιῇ, καὶ λαβόντες ἄγγελοί τινες ἕλκωσιν ἄκοντας καὶ δεδακρυμένους καὶ κάτω νεύοντας ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς γεέννης πῦρ, πρῶτον παραδειγματισθέντας ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης, πόσην οἴει τὴν ὀδύνην εἶναι; Σπεύδωμεν οὖν ἕως ἐστὶ καιρὸς, καὶ πολλὴν τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας τὴν φροντίδα ποιώμεθα. Πόσα τοιαῦτα ἔχομεν εἰπεῖν οἷα ὁ πλούσιος Εἴ τις ἡμᾶς νῦν συνεχώρει, ἐβουλευσάμεθα ἄν τι τῶν συμφερόντων· ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἀφίησι! Καὶ ὅτι ἐροῦμεν, οὐχὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνου μόνου δῆλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ ἄλλων πολλῶν. Καὶ ἵνα 62.282 μάθῃς, πόσοι ἐν πυρετῷ ἐγένοντο, καὶ εἶπον, Ἐὰν ἀνακτησώμεθα ἑαυτοὺς, οὐκέτι τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσούμεθα! Πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἐροῦμεν τότε, ἀλλὰ ἀκουσόμεθα ἅπερ ὁ πλούσιος, ὅτι χάσμα ἐστὶν, ὅτι ἀπελάβομεν τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐνταῦθα. Στένωμεν οὖν, παρακαλῶ, πικρόν· μᾶλλον δὲ μὴ μόνον στένωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετέλθωμεν τὴν ἀρετήν. Πενθήσωμεν νῦν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ, ἵνα μὴ τότε πενθήσωμεν εἰκῆ· κλαύσωμεν νῦν, καὶ μὴ τότε κλαύσομεν ἐπὶ κακίᾳ· οὗτος ὁ κλαυθμὸς ἀρετῆς, ἐκεῖνος ἀνωφελοῦς μετανοίας· θλίψωμεν ἑαυτοὺς νῦν, ἵνα μὴ τότε θλιβῶμεν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσον ἐνταῦθα θλιβῆναι, κἀκεῖ. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ πρὸς βραχὺν θλίβῃ χρόνον, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ αἴσθησιν λαμβάνεις τῆς θλίψεως, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ θλίβῃ· ἐκεῖ δὲ χαλεπωτέρα ἡ θλῖψις, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' ἐλπίδι, οὐδὲ ἐπί τινι διεξόδῳ, ἀλλὰ ἀπείρως καὶ διαπαντός ἐστι. Γένοιτο δὲ πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλαγέντας τυχεῖν τῆς ἀνέσεως. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ταύτης διαμαρτεῖν χρεία συντόνου σπουδῆς καὶ ἀδιαλείπτων εὐχῶν, σπουδάζωμεν, παρακαλῶ· ἂν γὰρ σπουδάζωμεν, καὶ εὐχόμενοι ἀνύομεν· ἐὰν εὐχώμεθα ἐκτενῶς, δίδωσιν ὁ Θεός. Ἂν δὲ μήτε αἰτῶμεν αὐτὸν, μήτε ἐνεργῶμέν τι τοιοῦτον, μηδὲ ἐργαζώμεθα, πῶς ἔνι κατορθῶσαί ποτε καθεύδοντας; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ τρέχοντας καὶ ἐπεκτεινομένους καὶ συμμορφουμένους τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ, ὡς Παῦλος εἶπε, δυνηθῆναι ἐπιτυχεῖν, μήτι γε δὴ καθεύδοντας. Εἴ πως καταντήσω, φησίν. Εἰ δὲ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν, Εἴ πως καταντήσω, τί ἡμεῖς ἐροῦμεν; Καθεύδοντας γὰρ οὐδὲ κοσμικὰ πράγματα ἔστιν ἀνύσαι ποτὲ, μήτι γε πνευματικά· καθεύδοντας οὐδὲ παρὰ τῶν φίλων ἔστι τι λαβεῖν ποτε, μήτι γε παρὰ Θεοῦ· καθεύδοντας οὐδὲ πατέρες τιμῶσι, μήτι γε ὁ Θεός. Μικρὸν πονήσωμεν, ἵνα διαπαντὸς ἀναπαυσώμεθα. Πάντως θλιβῆναι δεῖ· κἂν μὴ θλιβῶμεν ἐνταῦθα, ἐκεῖ τοῦτο μένει. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ αἱρούμεθα ἐνταῦθα θλιβῆναι, ἵνα ἐκεῖ ἀναπαυσώμεθα; Γένοιτο δὲ πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀξίως πολιτευσαμένους Χριστοῦ, καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ συμμορφωθέντας, τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ι∆ʹ. Χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε· πάλιν ἐρῶ, Χαίρετε. Τὸ ἐπιεικὲς ὑμῶν

γνωσθήτω πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγύς· μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν γνωριζέσθω πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν φρουρήσει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.