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Imitate him also; be at peace. The more your brother makes war on you, the greater the reward. For hear the prophet saying, With those who hate peace, I was peaceful. This is virtue, this is greater than human reasoning, this makes one to be near God. Nothing so gladdens God as not being resentful; this releases you from your sins, this absolves you of your offenses. But if we fight and box, we become far from God. For from fighting, enmities are born, and from enmity, resentments. Cut off the root, and there will be no fruit; thus we will learn to despise the things of this life. For there is not, there is not a fight in spiritual things, but whatever you see happening, whether fights, or envy, or whatever one might say, it happens for the sake of worldly things; for every fight has its beginning either in greed, or envy, or vainglory. If, therefore, we are at peace, we will learn also to despise the things on earth. Did someone seize your money? But he did no wrong, as long as he does not seize the 62.287 wealth above, he says. Did he hinder your glory? But not that which is toward God, but that which is of no account; for this is not glory, but the name of glory, or rather even ingloriousness. Did he seize your honor? But not yours, but his own. For just as he who does wrong does not wrong, but is himself wronged; so also he who plots against his neighbor, destroys himself first; for he who digs a pit for his neighbor, falls into it himself. Let us not, therefore, plot against others, so that we may not harm ourselves. When we trip up the glory of others, let us consider that we are harming ourselves, that we are plotting more against ourselves. For perhaps we harm him, if we can, in the sight of men; but we wrong ourselves in the sight of God, provoking Him. Let us not then harm ourselves. For just as if we wrong our neighbors, we wrong 62.288 ourselves; so in doing them good, we do ourselves good. When, therefore, your enemy harms you, having considered that he has benefited you, if you are sober, not only do not retaliate against him in kind, but also do him good. But the blow remains severe, he says. Consider this, therefore, that you are not doing him good, but you are punishing him, while doing yourself good, and you will quickly come to do good. What then? Must one act with such a purpose, he says? One ought not to act with this purpose; but when the heart cannot bear it, even with this, he says, lead it on, and you will quickly persuade it to let go of the enmity, and you will then do good to your enemy as to a friend, and thus you will obtain the good things to come; may it be that we all obtain them in Christ Jesus, and so forth.

HOMILY 15. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your for me

to be concerned; indeed, you were concerned, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; everywhere and in all things I have been initiated, both to be full and

to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless you have done well to share in my affliction.

a. I have often said that almsgiving was not introduced for the sake of the receivers, but of the givers; for they are the ones who gain the most. This Paul also shows here. How? The Philippians sent him certain things after a long time, entrusting these very things to Epaphroditus. When he was about to send him, therefore, carrying the letter, see how he both praises them, and shows that not of the

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μίμησαι καὶ σὺ αὐτόν· εἰρήνευσον· ὅσῳ ἄν σε πολεμῇ ὁ ἀδελφὸς, τοσούτῳ μείζων ὁ μισθός. Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, Μετὰ τῶν μισούντων τὴν εἰρήνην, ἤμην εἰρηνικός. Τοῦτο ἀρετὴ, τοῦτο μεῖζον ἀνθρωπίνου λογισμοῦ, τοῦτο Θεοῦ ἐγγὺς εἶναι ποιεῖ. Οὐδὲν οὕτως εὐφραίνει τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς τὸ μὴ εἶναι μνησίκακον· τοῦτο ἀφίησί σε τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, τοῦτό σοι λύει τὰ ἐγκλήματα. Ἂν δὲ μαχώμεθα καὶ πυκτεύωμεν, μακρὰν γινόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς μάχης ἔχθραι τίκτονται, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἔχθρας μνησικακίαι. Ἔκκοψον τὴν ῥίζαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ καρπός· οὕτω μαθησόμεθα τῶν βιωτικῶν καταφρονεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς μάχη, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἂν ἴδῃς γενόμενον, ἢ μάχας, ἢ φθόνον, ἢ ὅπερ ἂν εἴποι τις, βιωτικῶν ἕνεκεν γίνεται· ἢ γὰρ πλεονεξίας, ἢ φθόνου, ἢ κενοδοξίας ἔχει ἀρχὴν πᾶσα μάχη. Ἂν τοίνυν εἰρηνεύσωμεν, μαθησόμεθα καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ καταφρονεῖν. Ἥρπασέ τις τὰ χρήματα; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἠδίκησε, μόνον μὴ τὸν 62.287 ἄνω πλοῦτον ἁρπάσῃ, φησίν. Ἐνεπόδισέ σου τῇ δόξῃ; Ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ τῇ οὐδαμινῇ· οὐδὲ γὰρ δόξα αὕτη ἐστὶν, ἀλλ' ὄνομα δόξης, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀδοξία. Ἥρπασέ σου τὴν τιμήν; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τὴν σὴν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἀδικῶν οὐκ ἀδικεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀδικεῖται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῷ πλησίον ἐπιβουλεύων, ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖ πρῶτον· ὁ γὰρ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπίπτει. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπιβουλεύωμεν ἑτέροις, ἵνα μὴ ἑαυτοὺς βλάπτωμεν. Ὅταν τὴν ἑτέρων δόξαν ὑποσκελίσωμεν, ἐννοήσωμεν ὅτι ἑαυτοὺς βλάπτομεν, ὅτι μᾶλλον ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιβουλεύομεν. Ἐκεῖνον μὲν γὰρ ἴσως, κἂν ἰσχύσωμεν, παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις βλάπτομεν· ἑαυτοὺς δὲ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἀδικοῦμεν, παροξύνοντες αὐτόν. Μὴ δὴ βλάπτωμεν ἑαυτούς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ ἀδικοῦμεν τοὺς πλησίον, ἑαυτοὺς ἀδικοῦ 62.288 μεν· οὕτως αὐτοὺς εὖ ποιοῦντες, ἑαυτοὺς εὖ ποιοῦμεν. Ὅταν οὖν σε βλάψῃ ὁ ἐχθρὸς, ἐννοήσας, ὅτι εὐηργέτησέ σε, ἐὰν νήφῃς, μὴ μόνον τοῖς ἴσοις αὐτὸν ἀμύνῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐεργέτησον. Ἀλλ' ἡ πληγὴ μένει σφοδρὰ, φησί. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐννόησον, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκεῖνον εὖ ποιεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον μὲν κολάζεις, σαυτὸν δὲ εὖ ποιεῖς, καὶ ταχέως ἥξεις πρὸς τὸ εὖ ποιῆσαι. Τί οὖν; καὶ σκοπῷ, φησὶ, τοιούτῳ ποιεῖν δεῖ; Οὐ δεῖ μὲν τούτῳ ποιεῖν τῷ σκοπῷ· ὅταν δὲ μὴ φέρῃ ἡ καρδία, κἂν τούτῳ, φησὶν, αὐτὴν ἐνάγαγε, καὶ ταχέως αὐτὴν πείσεις ἀφεῖναι τὴν ἔχθραν, καὶ ὡς φίλον εὐεργετήσεις λοιπὸν τὸν ἐχθρὸν, καὶ οὕτω τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτεύξῃ· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς τυχεῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΕʹ. Ἐχάρην δὲ ἐν Κυρίῳ μεγάλως, ὅτι ἤδη ποτὲ ἀνεθάλετε τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ

φρονεῖν· ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἐφρονεῖτε, ἠκαιρεῖσθε δέ. Οὐχ ὅτι καθ' ὑστέρησιν λέγω· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον, ἐν οἷς εἰμι, αὐτάρκης εἶναι. Οἶδα καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι, οἶδα καὶ περισσεύειν· ἐν παντὶ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι μεμύημαι, καὶ χορτάζεσθαι καὶ

πεινᾷν, καὶ περισσεύειν καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι· πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. Πλὴν καλῶς ἐποιήσατε συγκοινωνήσαντές μου τῇ θλίψει.

αʹ. Πολλάκις εἶπον, ὅτι ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη οὐ τῶν λαμβανόντων ἕνεκεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν διδόντων ἐπεισήχθη· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοί εἰσιν οἱ τὰ μέγιστα κερδαίνοντες. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν ὁ Παῦλος. Πῶς; Ἀπέστειλαν αὐτῷ τινα διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου Φιλιππήσιοι, αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα Ἐπαφροδίτῳ ἐγχειρίσαντες. Μέλλων τοίνυν αὐτὸν πέμπειν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀποκομίζοντα, ὅρα πῶς καὶ ἐπαινεῖ αὐτοὺς, καὶ δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐ τῆς τῶν