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I have mentioned them by name. But there are some, he says, who are also healthy. Because they apply themselves not only to luxury, but also to labors. For show me a man who is constantly being fattened, lying inactive, laboring at nothing, and see him be healthy. But you would not find one. For even if a multitude of ten thousand physicians should come together, they would not be able to deliver him from his diseases, being perpetually overfed; for the thing is not natural. But I will also tell you a medical argument: Of the things cast into the stomach, not all becomes nourishment; since not even in the nature of food itself is everything nutritious, but part of it is divided for evacuation, and part for nourishment. If, then, one gives a moderate amount and it is completely digested, this happens, and it has taken its proper place, and the healthy and good part has run up to its proper place, while the superfluous and useless has withdrawn and been evacuated; but if a large quantity, even what of it is nutritious, this also becomes harmful. By way of example, I will say this, so that what I am saying may be clearer to you: Of wheat, part is fine flour, part is meal, and part is bran. If, then, the mill takes what it can grind, it has separated all these things; but if you put more on, everything is mixed together. Again, if wine receives the proper processing, and the right mixture of seasons, at first everything is mixed together, but after this part of it settles as lees, part runs up as foam, and part remains for the enjoyment of those who partake, and this is the good part, and this would not quickly be turned; but before, it is neither wine nor lees, everything being mixed. This one might also see in the case of the sea, when an excess of winter storm occurs. Just as, then, at that time we see dead fish floating, those which were unable to sink to the bottom because of the cold; so indeed it also happens in our case. For when the heavy rain of gluttony flows down from above, having stirred up everything, it makes the thoughts that were formerly healthy and at rest within us float up dead. Since, therefore, the great harm has been shown to us by so many examples, let us stop calling those blessed whom we ought to deem wretched, and weeping for those whom we ought to have called blessed, and let us love self-sufficiency. Or do you not hear physicians also saying that want is the mother of health? But I say that want is the mother not only of bodily health, but also of spiritual health. These things Paul also, the true physician, proclaims, saying, Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. Let us, therefore, obey him, that being in good health we may do what we ought to do, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
60.133 HOMILY 17. This Moses, whom they denied, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? this man God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
1. This is exceedingly appropriate to the subject before us. This
Moses, he says. This man, which one? The one who was in danger of perishing, the one despised by them 60.134 whom they denied, saying; Who made you a ruler? just as they also said to Christ; We have no king but Caesar. This man God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by the hand of the angel who said to him; I am the God of Abraham. Here he shows that the miracles that happened were also done through Christ. This one, that is, Moses (and see how he shows him to be illustrious), led them out, having performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the 60.135 wilderness for forty years. This is Moses, who said to the sons of Israel; The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren, like me; that is, one despised, one plotted against. For Herod also wished to kill this one,
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ὀνομαστὶ παρήγαγον αὐτούς. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες, οἳ καὶ ὑγιαίνουσι, φησίν. Ἐπειδὴ μὴ μόνον τρυφῇ προσανέχουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόνοις. Ἐπεὶ δός μοι ἄνθρωπον διαπαντὸς πιαινόμενον, ἀνενέργητον κείμενον, μηδὲν πονοῦντα, ἰδεῖν ὑγιαίνοντα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εὕροις. Κἂν γὰρ μυρίων ἰατρῶν πλῆθος συνέλθῃ, ἐξελεῖν αὐτὸν οὐ μὴ δυνηθῇ τῶν νοσημάτων, διηνεκῶς γαστριζόμενον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα φύσιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἰατρικὸν ὑμῖν ἐρῶ λόγον· Τῶν εἰς τὴν γαστέρα καταβαλλομένων, οὐ τὸ πᾶν γίνεται τροφή· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ τῆς τροφῆς φύσει τὸ πᾶν ἐστι τρόφιμον, ἀλλ' ἔστι τὸ μὲν αὐτῆς εἰς διαχώρησιν μεριζόμενον, τὸ δὲ εἰς τροφήν. Ἂν μὲν οὖν σύμμετρα δοὺς τέλεον κατεργασθῇ, τοῦτο γίνεται, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἔλαβε χώραν, καὶ τὸ μὲν ὑγιὲς καὶ χρηστὸν εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀνέδραμε τόπον, τὸ δὲ περιττὸν καὶ ἄχρηστον ὑπεξῆλθε καὶ ἐξεχώρησεν· ἂν δὲ πλῆθος, καὶ ὅσον αὐτοῦ τρόφιμον, καὶ τοῦτο γίνεται βλαβερόν. Ὡς ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος δὲ τοιοῦτον ἐρῶ, ἵνα σαφέστερον, ὃ λέγω, ὑμῖν γένηται· Τοῦ σίτου τὸ μέν ἐστι σεμίδαλις, τὸ δὲ ἄλευρον, τὸ δὲ πίτυρον. Ἂν μὲν οὖν ἡ μύλη λάβῃ, ἃ δύναται ἀλεῖν, ἀπέκρινε ταῦτα πάντα· ἂν δὲ πλέον ἐπιβάλῃς, πάντα συγκέχυται. Πάλιν ὁ οἶνος ἂν τῆς προσηκούσης κατεργασίας τύχῃ, καὶ τῆς τῶν ὡρῶν κράσεως, πρότερον μὲν πάντα ὁμοῦ γίνεται, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὸ μὲν αὐτοῦ εἰς τρύγα ὑφιζάνει, τὸ δὲ εἰς ἀφρὸν ἀνατρέχει, τὸ δὲ μένει ἀπόλαυσις τῶν μετεχόντων, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ χρηστὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ταχέως τοῦτο τραπείη· πρότερον δὲ οὔτε οἶνός ἐστιν, οὔτε τρὺξ, πάντων μιχθέντων. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάττης ἴδοι τις ἂν, ὅταν ὑπερβολὴ χειμῶνος γένηται. Καθάπερ οὖν τότε τοὺς ἰχθύας ὁρῶμεν νεκροὺς ἐπιπλέοντας τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ ψύχους εἰς τὸν βυθὸν δῦναι μὴ δυνηθέντας· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν γίνεται. Ὅταν γὰρ πολὺς ἄνωθεν ἐπιῤῥεύσῃ τῆς λαιμαργίας ὁ ὑετὸς, πάντα ἀνακινήσας, νεκροὺς ἐπιπλέειν ποιεῖ τοὺς λογισμοὺς τοὺς τέως ὑγιαίνοντας, καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἠρεμοῦντας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐκ τοσούτων ὑποδειγμάτων ἡμῖν ἀποδέδεικται πολλὴ ἡ βλάβη, παυσώμεθα μακαρίζοντες τούτους, ἐφ' οἷς ταλανίζειν ἐχρῆν, δακρύοντες δὲ αὐτοὺς, ἐφ' οἷς μακαρίζειν ἔδει, καὶ τὴν αὐτάρκειαν ἀγαπῶμεν. Ἢ οὐκ ἀκούετε καὶ ἰατρῶν λεγόντων, ὅτι ἔνδεια μήτηρ ὑγείας; Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχὶ τῆς σωματικῆς ὑγείας μητέρα τὴν ἔνδειαν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ψυχικῆς λέγω. Ταῦτα καὶ Παῦλος βοᾷ ὁ ὄντως ἰατρὸς, Ἔχοντες, λέγων, διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτῷ, ἵνα ὑγιαίνοντες πράττωμεν, ἃ δεῖ ποιεῖν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
60.133 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΖʹ. Τοῦτον τὸν Μωϋσῆν, ὃν ἠρνήσαντο, εἰπόντες, Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς; τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς ἀρχηγὸν καὶ λυτρωτὴν ἀπ έστειλε σὺν χειρὶ ἀγγέλου τοῦ ὀφθέντος αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ βάτῳ.
αʹ. Σφόδρα τοῦτο κατάλληλον πρὸς τὴν προκειμένην ὑπόθεσιν. Τοῦτον τὸν
Μωϋσῆν, φησί. Τοῦτον, ποῖον; Τὸν κινδυνεύσαντα ἀπολέσθαι, τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν 60.134 ἐξουθενηθέντα, ὃν ἠρνήσαντο εἰπόντες· Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα; καθάπερ καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἔλεγον· Οὐκ ἔχομεν βασιλέα, εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα. Τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς ἀρχηγὸν καὶ λυτρωτὴν ἀπέστειλε σὺν χειρὶ ἀγγέλου τοῦ εἰπόντος αὐτῷ· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραάμ. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὰ γενόμενα θαύματα, διὰ Χριστοῦ δείκνυσιν γεγενῆσθαι. Οὗτος, τουτέστιν, ὁ Μωϋσῆς (καὶ ὅρα, πῶς δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν λαμπρὸν), ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ποιήσας τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ἐν Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ ἐν τῇ 60.135 ἐρήμῳ ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα. Οὗτός ἐστι Μωΰσης, ὁ εἰπὼν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐμέ· τουτέστιν ἐξουθενημένον. ἐπιβουλευθέντα. Καὶ γὰρ ἠβουλήθη καὶ τοῦτον ἀνελεῖν Ἡρώδης,