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you have seized, whatever you have taken by fraud; restore all fourfold; thus you will make your defense to God. But there are some who have come to such a point of madness and blindness, that not even then do they see what is right; but as if striving to make God’s judgment harsher for themselves, so they do all things. For this reason this blessed one said in writing: Walk as children of light. But the covetous man lives especially in darkness and spreads much darkness over all things. And, Have no fellowship, he says, with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of. But all things when they are reproved by the light are made manifest. Hear, I entreat you, all who do not wish to be hated for nothing. He robs, and you do not reprove him? But you fear hatred. And yet this is not to be hated for nothing; but you reprove justly, and you fear hatred? Reprove your brother, undertake enmity for the sake of love for Christ, for the sake of love for him; stop him as he goes to the pit. For to share a table and pleasant words and address and luxury is not really friendship. Let us give such gifts to our friends, that we may draw their souls out from the wrath of God; seeing them lying in the furnace of wickedness, let us raise them up. But he is not corrected, one says. But you, do what is yours, and you will have made your defense to God. Do not hide your talent; for this reason you have reason, for this reason you have a tongue and a mouth, that you may correct your neighbor. The irrational animals alone do not care for their neighbor, nor have any concern for others; but you, calling God Father, and seeing your neighbor as a brother, when he does countless evil things, do you prefer his favor to his benefit? Do not, I entreat you. There is no such proof of friendship, as not to overlook the sins of our brethren. Have you seen them at enmity? Reconcile them. Have you seen them acting covetously? Stop them. Have you seen them being wronged? Defend them; not them, but you have first done a favor to yourself. For this reason we are friends, that we may benefit one another. A man will hear it differently from a friend, and differently from a random person; he will perhaps suspect the random person, and the teacher likewise, but not the friend. For the things which are done in secret, it is a shame, he says, even to speak of. But all things when they are reproved by the light are made manifest. What does he mean to say here? He says this, that some sins are done here secretly, and others openly; but there it will not be so; for there is no one who is not conscious to himself of sin. For this reason he says: But all things when they are reproved by the light are made manifest. What then? Is this not spoken here also about idolatry, he says? No, but the discourse is about life and sins. For whatsoever is made manifest, 62.127 he says, is light. Wherefore, I beseech you, neither be slow to reprove, nor be displeased when reproved. For as long as anything is done in darkness, it is done with greater impunity; but when it has many who witness what is done, it is brought to light. Wherefore, let us do all things especially, so as to drive away the deadness of our brethren, so as to scatter the darkness, so as to draw in the sun of righteousness. For if there are many lights, both the 62.128 path of virtue will be easy for them, and those in darkness will be more easily taken, as the light increases, and makes that disappear. But if the contrary, there is a fear that these too may be extinguished, the thickness from the darkness and sins overpowering the light, and driving away its transparency. As therefore benefiting ourselves, let us be so disposed, that through all things we may send up glory to the God who loves mankind, by grace and loving-kindness, and so forth.

HOMILY XIX. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not

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ἥρπασας, ὅσα ἐπλεονέκτησας· πάντα ἀπόδος τετραπλάσια· οὕτως ἀπολόγησαι τῷ Θεῷ. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες εἰς τοῦτο μανίας ἥκοντες καὶ πηρώσεως, οἳ οὐδὲ τότε συνορῶσι τὸ δέον· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ σπουδάζοντες χαλεπώτερον ἑαυτοῖς ἐργάσασθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ κρῖμα, οὕτως ἅπαντα πράττουσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ἔλεγε γράφων· Ὡς τέκνα φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε. Ὁ δὲ πλεονέκτης μάλιστα ἐν σκότῳ ζῇ καὶ σκότος πολὺ κατασκεδάζει πάντων. Καὶ, Μὴ συγκοινωνῆτε, φησὶ, τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις τοῦ σκότους, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε· τὰ γὰρ κρυφῇ γινόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν, αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ λέγειν. Τὰ δὲ πάντα, ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς, φανεροῦται. Ἀκούσατε, παρακαλῶ, πάντες ὅσοι οὐ βούλεσθε εἰκῆ μισεῖσθαι. Ἁρπάζει, καὶ οὐκ ἐλέγχεις; Ἀλλὰ δέδοικας τὸ μῖσος. Καίτοι οὐκ ἔστιν εἰκῆ μισεῖσθαι τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ δικαίως ἐλέγχεις, καὶ δέδοικας τὸ μῖσος; ἔλεγξον τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἀνάδεξαι ἔχθραν διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν, διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς αὐτόν· κώλυσον αὐτὸν εἰς βάραθρον ἀπερχόμενον. Τὸ γὰρ τραπέζης κοινωνῆσαι καὶ ῥημάτων χρηστῶν καὶ προσρήσεως καὶ τρυφῆς, οὐ σφόδρα φιλίας ἐστί. Τοιαῦτα τοῖς φίλοις ἡμῶν χαριζώμεθα δῶρα, ἵνα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἐξέλκωμεν ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἰς τὴν κάμινον κειμένους αὐτοὺς ὁρῶντες τῆς κακίας, ἀναστήσωμεν. Ἀλλ' οὐ διορθοῦται, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ σὺ τὸ σαυτοῦ πρᾶξον, καὶ ἀπελογήσω τῷ Θεῷ. Μὴ κρύψῃς τὸ τάλαντον· διὰ τοῦτο λόγον ἔχεις, διὰ τοῦτο γλῶσσαν καὶ στόμα, ἵνα διορθοῖς τὸν πλησίον. Τὰ ἄλογα μόνα οὐ φροντίζει τοῦ πλησίον, οὐδὲ λόγον ἔχει τινὰ τῶν ἄλλων· σὺ δὲ πατέρα καλῶν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀδελφὸν τὸν πλησίον ὁρῶν, αὐτὸν μυρία ποιοῦντα κακὰ, τὴν χάριν τὴν παρ' ἐκείνου τῆς ὠφελείας αὐτοῦ προτίθης; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ. Οὐδὲν οὕτω φιλίας τεκμήριον, ὡς τὸ μὴ περιορᾷν ἁμαρτάνοντας τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Εἶδες ἐχθραίνοντας; διάλυσον. Εἶδες πλεονεκτοῦντας; κώλυσον. Εἶδες ἀδικουμένους; πρόστηθι· οὐκ ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ σαυτῷ προτέρῳ ἐχαρίσω. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο φίλοι ἐσμὲν, ἵνα ἀλλήλους ὠφελῶμεν. Ἄλλως ἀκούσεται παρὰ τοῦ φίλου, καὶ ἄλλως παρὰ τοῦ τυχόντος· τὸν τυχόντα ὑποπτεύσει ἴσως, καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον ὁμοίως, τὸν δὲ φίλον οὐκέτι. Τὰ γὰρ κρυφῇ γινόμενα, αἰσχρόν ἐστι, φησὶ, καὶ λέγειν. Τὰ δὲ πάντα, ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς, φανεροῦται. Τί βούλεται ἐνταῦθα εἰπεῖν; Τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι τὰ μὲν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐνταῦθα λάθρα γίνεται, τὰ δὲ καὶ φανερῶς· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἔσται· οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ μὴ συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήματι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· Τὰ δὲ πάντα, ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς, φανεροῦται. Τί οὖν; οὐ περὶ εἰδωλολατρείας, φησὶ, καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο εἴρηται; Οὐχὶ, ἀλλὰ περὶ βίου καὶ ἁμαρτημάτων ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος. Πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον, 62.127 φησὶ, φῶς ἐστι. ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, μήτε ὑμεῖς ὀκνεῖτε ἐλέγχειν, μήτε δυσχεραίνετε ἐλεγχόμενοι. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἐν σκότει πράττηταί τι, μετὰ πλείονος πράττεται τῆς ἀδείας· ἐπειδὰν δὲ πολλοὺς ἔχῃ τοὺς μαρτυροῦντας τοῖς γινομένοις, φωτίζεται. ∆ιὸ μάλιστα πάντα πράττωμεν, ὥστε τὴν νέκρωσιν τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀποσοβεῖν, ὥστε τὸ σκότος σκεδάζειν, ὥστε τὸν ἥλιον ἐπισπάσασθαι τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Ἂν γὰρ πολλοὶ ὦσιν οἱ φωστῆρες, αὐτοῖς τε εὔκολος ἔσ 62.128 ται τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ οἱ ἐν σκότει μᾶλλον ἁλώσονται, τοῦ φωτὸς ἐπιτεινομένου, κἀκεῖνο ἀφανίζοντος. Ἂν δὲ τοὐναντίον, δέος μὴ καὶ οὗτοι σβεσθῶσι, τῆς παχύτητος τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κρατούσης τοῦ φωτὸς, καὶ ἀποσοβούσης αὐτοῦ τὸ διειδές. Ὡς οὖν ἑαυτοὺς ὠφελοῦντες, οὕτω διακεώμεθα, ἵνα διὰ πάντων δόξαν ἀναπέμψωμεν τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΘʹ. Βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ' ὡς σοφοὶ,

ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρὸν, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μὴ γίνεσθε