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1. Blessed are those who mourn, and, Woe to those who laugh, 62.282 says Christ. What then does Paul say, Rejoice in the Lord always? not opposing Christ; may it not be so. For "Woe to those who laugh," said Christ, signifying the laughter of this world, that which comes from present circumstances; and He called those who mourn blessed, not simply those who mourn over the loss of their own, but those who are contrite, and mourn their own evils, those who consider their own sins, or even those of others. But this 62.283 joy is not contrary to that mourning; but rather from that mourning this joy is also born; for he who mourns his own evils, and confesses them, rejoices. In another sense, it is possible to mourn for one's own sins, and to rejoice in Christ. Since, therefore, they were afflicted by what they were suffering (For it has been granted to you, he says, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake), for this reason he says, Rejoice in the Lord. For this is nothing other than: Display such a life, so that you may rejoice. Therefore when the things of God are not hindered for you, rejoice. He either says this, then, or the 'in' is for 'with', as if he said: Rejoice with the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice. This is of one encouraging and showing that he who is in God always rejoices; whether he is afflicted, or suffers anything whatsoever, such a one always rejoices. For hear what Luke says concerning the apostles, that they returned from the presence of the council, rejoicing because they were counted worthy to be scourged for his name. If scourges and bonds, which seem to be the most grievous of all things, produce joy, what else will be able to cause us grief? Again I will say, Rejoice. He has well repeated the word. For since the nature of the circumstances produced grief, through the repetition he shows that one must by all means rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all men. He said above, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, and that they mind earthly things. Since, therefore, it is likely that they would be hostilely disposed toward the wicked, he therefore exhorts them to have nothing in common with those men, but to treat them with great forbearance, not only the brothers, but also enemies and adversaries. The Lord is at hand, be anxious for nothing. For what reason, tell me, are you distressed? That they oppose you? That you see them living in luxury? Be anxious for nothing. The judgment is already at hand; before long they will give an account of their deeds. But you are in affliction, and they in luxury? But these things will soon come to an end. But they plot against you, and threaten? But these things will not proceed for them to the end; judgment is already at hand, when the opposite will be true. Be anxious for nothing; the time of recompense is already at hand. Even if you behave with forbearance towards those who have treated you terribly, whether poverty, or death, or any other terrible thing, all will pass away. Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. That, then, is one consolation, "The Lord is at hand," and that, "I will be with you all the days, even to the end of the age." Behold another consolation, and a liberating medicine for grief and circumstance and all troubles. What is it then? To pray, to give thanks in everything. So he wishes prayers to be not only a request, but also a thanksgiving for what we have. For how will someone ask for future things, if he is not grateful for former things? But in everything, he says, that is, in every matter, by prayer and supplication. So it is necessary to give thanks for all things, even 62.284 for those that seem to be grievous; for this is truly characteristic of a thankful person. For the former, the nature of things demands it; but the latter comes from a grateful soul, and one exceedingly well-disposed toward God. These prayers God acknowledges, but the others he does not know. Therefore, pray for such things, so that you may be acknowledged. For He manages all things for what is profitable, even if we

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αʹ. Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, καὶ, Οὐαὶ τοῖς γελῶ 62.282 σι, φησὶν ὁ Χριστός. Τί οὖν ὁ Παῦλός φησι, Χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε; οὐκ ἐναντιούμενος τῷ Χριστῷ· μὴ γένοιτο. Οὐαὶ γὰρ τοῖς γελῶσιν, εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς, τὸν γέλωτα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου αἰνιττόμενος, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσι γινόμενον πράγμασι· καὶ τοὺς πενθοῦντας ἐμακάρισεν, οὐ τοὺς ἁπλῶς πενθοῦντας ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν οἰκείων ἀποβολαῖς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κατανενυγμένους, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα πενθοῦντας κακὰ, τοὺς τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτήματα ἀναλογιζομένους, ἢ καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια. Οὐκ ἔστι 62.283 δὲ αὕτη ἡ χαρὰ ἐναντία τῷ πένθει ἐκείνῳ· ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀπ' ἐκείνου τοῦ πένθους καὶ αὕτη τίκτεται· ὁ γὰρ πενθῶν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κακὰ, καὶ ἐξομολογούμενος, χαίρει. Ἄλλως δὲ, ἔνεστι πενθεῖν μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων, χαίρειν δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ Χριστῷ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν συνεθλίβοντο δι' ὧν ἔπασχον (Ἐχαρίσθη γὰρ ὑμῖν, φησὶν, οὐ μόνον, τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν), διὰ τοῦτο λέγει, Ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρετε. Ταῦτα γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἢ ὅτι Τοιοῦτον ἐπιδείκνυσθε βίον, ὥστε χαίρειν. Ὅταν τοίνυν τὰ κατὰ Θεὸν ὑμῖν μὴ ᾖ ἐμπεποδισμένα, χαίρετε. Ἢ τοίνυν τοῦτό φησιν, ἢ τὸ, ἐν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, σὺν, ἐστὶν, ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε· Χαίρετε σὺν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε. Πάλιν ἐρῶ, Χαίρετε. Τοῦτο θαρσύνοντός ἐστι καὶ δεικνύντος, ὅτι ὁ ἐν Θεῷ ὢν, ἀεὶ χαίρει· κἄν τε θλίβηται, κἂν ὁτιοῦν πάσχῃ, ἀεὶ χαίρει ὁ τοιοῦτος. Ἄκουσον γὰρ περὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ Λουκᾶ λέγοντος, ὅτι Ὑπέστρεφον ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ συνεδρίου χαίροντες, ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ μαστιγωθῆναι. Εἰ μάστιγες καὶ δεσμὰ, ἃ πάντων εἶναι δοκεῖ λυπηρότερα, χαρὰν τίκτει, τί τῶν ἄλλων δυνήσεται ἐμποιῆσαι λύπην ἡμῖν; Πάλιν ἐρῶ, Χαίρετε. Καλῶς τὸν λόγον ἐδιπλασίασεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φύσις λύπην ἔτικτε, διὰ τοῦ διπλασιασμοῦ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι πάντως δεῖ χαίρειν. Τὸ ἐπιεικὲς ὑμῶν γνωσθήτω πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. Εἶπεν ἀνωτέρω, Ὧν ὁ θεὸς ἡ κοιλία, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦσιν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς πρὸς τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀπεχθῶς διακεῖσθαι, παραινεῖ τοίνυν αὐτοῖς μηδὲν ἔχειν πρὸς ἐκείνους κοινὸν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτοῖς κεχρῆσθαι ἐπιεικείας, οὐ μὴν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις. Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγὺς, μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, ἀλύετε; ὅτι ἀνθίστανται; ὅτι ὁρᾶτε τρυφῶντας αὐτούς; Μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε. Ἤδη ἡ κρίσις ἐφέστηκεν· οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δώσουσι λόγον τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτοῖς. Ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς ἐν θλίψει, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐν τρυφαῖς; Ἀλλ' ἤδη ταῦτα λήψεται τέλος. Ἀλλ' ἐπιβουλεύουσι, καὶ ἀπειλοῦσιν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τέλος αὐτοῖς ταῦτα προχωρήσει· ἤδη ἐφέστηκεν ἡ κρίσις, ὅτε τἀναντία ἔσται. Μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε· ἤδη τὰ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως ἐφέστηκε. Κἂν ἐπιεικῶς προσενεχθῆτε τοῖς τὰ δεινὰ ὑμᾶς διατεθεῖσι, κἂν πενία, κἂν θάνατος, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο δεινὸν ᾖ, πάντα οἰχήσεται. Μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε· ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν γνωριζέσθω πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Μία μὲν οὖν ἐκείνη παραμυθία, τὸ, Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγὺς, καὶ ἐκεῖνο, τὸ, Ἔσομαι μεθ' ὑμῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἄλλη παραμυθία, καὶ λύπης καὶ περιστάσεως καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀνιαρῶν λυτήριον φάρμακον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Τὸ εὔχεσθαι, τὸ ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖν. Ὥστε τὰς εὐχὰς οὐ μόνον αἴτησιν εἶναι βούλεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐχαριστίαν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔχομεν. Πῶς γὰρ αἰτήσει τις τὰ μέλλοντα, ὁ τῶν προτέρων χάριν οὐκ εἰδώς; Ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ, φησὶ, τουτέστι, πράγματι, τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει. Ὥστε ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων εὐχαριστεῖν δεῖ, καὶ 62.284 τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι λυπηρῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ ὄντως εὐχαρίστου. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ἡ φύσις τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπαιτεῖ· τοῦτο δὲ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς γίνεται εὐγνώμονος, καὶ σφόδρα διακειμένης πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ταύτας ἐπιγινώσκει τὰς εὐχὰς ὁ Θεὸς, τὰς δὲ ἄλλας οὐκ οἶδεν. Οὐκοῦν τοιαῦτα εὔχεσθε, ὥστε ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι. Πάντα γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ συμφέροντος οἰκονομεῖ, κἂν ἡμεῖς