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Having been deemed worthy, then, of such great mysteries, let us show forth a life worthy of the gift, a most excellent way of life. But you who have not yet been deemed worthy of these things, do all things so that you may be deemed worthy, that we may become one body, that we may be brothers. For as long as we are divided in this respect, even if one is a father, or a brother, or anyone at all, he is not yet a true kinsman, being severed from the kinship from above. For what is the benefit of being joined by earthly lineage, when we are not joined by the spiritual one? What gain is there in kinship on earth, when in the heavens we are strangers? For the catechumen is a stranger to the faithful. For he does not have the same head, he does not have the same father, he does not have the same city, nor food, nor clothing, nor table, nor house, but all things are different. For to the one, all things are on earth; to the other, all things are in heaven; to the one, Christ is king; to the other, sin and the devil; to the one, the delicacy is Christ; to the other, that which rots and perishes. And clothing again, to the one, the works of moths; to the other, the Lord of angels; to the one, the city is heaven; to the other, the earth. When therefore we have nothing in common, in what shall we have communion, 59.152 tell me? But did we endure the same birth-pangs, and did we come from one womb? But this is nothing in comparison to the truest kinship. Let us strive, therefore, to become citizens of the city above. How long do we remain in exile? We must regain our ancient fatherland; for the danger is not about trivial matters. But if it should happen—which may it not!—that an unexpected end should come, and we depart hence uninitiated, even if we have ten thousand good things, nothing else will await us but Gehenna and the venomous worm, and unquenchable fire, and unbreakable chains. But may it not happen that any of those who hear these things experience that punishment. And this will be, if having been deemed worthy of the holy mysteries, we build gold and silver and precious stones upon the foundation. For thus we will be able, when we depart, to appear rich there, when we do not leave our wealth here, but transfer it to the inviolable treasuries through the hands of the poor; when we lend to Christ. We owe many things there, not money, but sins. Let us, therefore, lend Him money, that we may receive forgiveness of sins; for He is the one who judges. Let us not overlook Him hungry here, so that He may also feed us there. Let us clothe Him here, so that He may not leave us naked of the security that comes from Him. If we give Him drink here, we shall not say like the rich man, Send Lazarus, that with the tip of his finger he may drop water on our tongue which is tormented in the flame. If we receive Him here into our houses, He will prepare many mansions for us there. If we go to Him when He is in prison, He will also release us from our bonds. If we take Him in when He is a stranger, He will not overlook us when we are strangers to the kingdom of heaven, but will grant us a share in the city above. If we visit Him when He is sick, He will also quickly free us from our infirmities. Since, then, we receive great things and give small things, let us at least give the small things that we may trade for the great things. While there is still time, let us sow, that we may reap. When winter overtakes us, when the sea is no longer navigable, we are no longer masters of the trade. But when will the winter be? When that great and manifest day comes. For then we shall no longer sail this great and wide sea; for to this the present life is like. Now is the time for sowing, then for reaping and gaining. If anyone does not cast seed in the time of sowing, sowing in the harvest, besides accomplishing nothing, he will also be ridiculous. But if the present time is for sowing, it would not be a time for gathering, but rather for scattering. Let us scatter, therefore, that we may gather; let us not wish to gather now, lest we lose the harvest. For this time, as I have said, calls for sowing, and spending, and consuming, not for gathering and storing up. Let us not, therefore, betray the opportunity, but the bountiful

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Τηλικούτων οὖν μυστηρίων καταξιωθέντες, βίον ἐπιδειξώμεθα ἄξιον τῆς δωρεᾶς, πολιτείαν ἀρίστην. Οἱ δὲ μηδέπω τούτων καταξιωθέντες, πάντα πράττετε ὥστε καταξιωθῆναι, ἵνα γενώμεθα σῶμα ἓν, ἵνα ὦμεν ἀδελφοί. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν κατὰ τοῦτο διεστήκωμεν, κἂν πατήρ τις ᾖ, κἂν ἀδελφὸς, κἂν ὁστισοῦν, οὐδέπω συγγενής ἐστι γνήσιος, τῆς ἄνωθεν συγγενείας διεσπασμένος. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἀπὸ τοῦ πηλίνου γένους συνῆφθαι, ὅταν ἀπὸ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ μὴ συνημμένοι ὦμεν; ποῖον δὲ κέρδος τῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ ἀγχιστείας, ὅταν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀλλότριοι ὦμεν; Ἀλλότριος γὰρ ὁ κατηχούμενος τοῦ πιστοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχει κεφαλὴν τὴν αὐτὴν, οὐκ ἔχει πατέρα τὸν αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἔχει πόλιν τὴν αὐτὴν, οὐ τροφὴν, οὐκ ἔνδυμα, οὐ τράπεζαν, οὐκ οἰκίαν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐξηλλαγμένα. Καὶ γὰρ πάντα ἐπὶ γῆς τούτῳ, τὰ πάντα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐκείνῳ· βασιλεὺς τούτῳ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐκείνῳ δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία καὶ ὁ διάβολος· τρυφὴ τούτῳ μὲν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐκείνῳ δὲ ἡ σηπομένη καὶ φθειρομένη. Καὶ ἔνδυμα πάλιν, τούτῳ μὲν τὰ σητῶν ἔργα, ἐκείνῳ δὲ ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων ∆εσπότης· πόλις τούτῳ μὲν ὁ οὐρανὸς, ἐκείνῳ δὲ ἡ γῆ. Ὅταν οὖν μηδὲν ἔχωμεν κοινὸν, κατὰ τί κοινωνήσομεν, 59.152 εἰπέ μοι; Ἀλλὰ τὰς αὐτὰς ἐλύσαμεν ὠδῖνας, καὶ ἐκ μιᾶς προήλθομεν γαστρός; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρὸς συγγένειαν τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην. Σπουδάσωμεν τοίνυν τῆς ἄνω πόλεως γενέσθαι πολῖται. Μέχρι τίνος ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπερορίας μένομεν; δέον τὴν ἀρχαίαν πατρίδα ἀπολαβεῖν· Οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ τῶν τυχόντων ὁ κίνδυνος. Ἀλλ' εἰ γένοιτο, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, ἀπροσδοκήτου τῆς τελευτῆς ἐπελθούσης, ἀμυήτους ἐντεῦθεν ἀπελθεῖν, κἂν μυρία ἔχωμεν ἀγαθὰ, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ἕτερον διαδέξεται, ἢ γέεννα καὶ σκώληξ ἰοβόλος, καὶ πῦρ ἄσβεστον, καὶ δεσμὰ ἄλυτα. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό τινα τῶν ταῦτα ἀκουόντων ἐκείνης πειραθῆναι τῆς κολάσεως. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἂν τῶν ἁγίων καταξιωθέντες μυστηρίων, χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ λίθους τιμίους οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ φανῆναι πλούσιοι, ὅταν μὴ ἐνταῦθα χρήματα καταλείψωμεν, ἀλλὰ μετακομίσωμεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀσύλους θησαυροὺς διὰ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν πενήτων· ὅταν δανείσωμεν τῷ Χριστῷ. Πολλὰ ὀφείλομεν ἐκεῖ, οὐ χρήματα, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτήματα. ∆ανείσωμεν τοίνυν αὐτῷ χρήματα· ἵνα λάβωμεν ἁμαρτημάτων συγχώρησιν· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ δικάζων. Μὴ περιίδωμεν αὐτὸν ἐνταῦθα πεινῶντα, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖ ἡμᾶς διαθρέψῃ. Ἐνταῦθα ἐνδύσωμεν αὐτὸν, ἵνα μὴ ἀφῇ ἡμᾶς γυμνοὺς τῆς ἀσφαλείας τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸν ποτίσωμεν, οὐκ ἐροῦμεν κατὰ τὸν πλούσιον, Πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ ἐπιστάξῃ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἡμῶν ἀποτηγανιζομένῃ. Ἐὰν ἐνταῦθα εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸν δεξώμεθα, ἐκεῖ πολλὰς παρασκευάσει μονὰς ἡμῖν. Ἐὰν ἀπέλθωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν φυλακῇ ὄντα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξει τῶν δεσμῶν. Ἐὰν ξένον ὄντα συναγάγωμεν, οὐ περιόψεται ξένους ἡμᾶς ὄντας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλὰ μεταδώσει ἡμῖν τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἄνω. Ἐὰν ἀσθενῆ ὄντα ἐπισκεψώμεθα, ταχέως ἐλευθερώσει ἡμᾶς καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν ἀσθενειῶν ἡμῶν. Ὡς οὖν μεγάλα λαμβάνοντες καὶ μικρὰ διδόντες, κἂν τὰ μικρὰ δῶμεν ἵνα ἐμπορευσώμεθα τὰ μεγάλα. Ὡς ἔτι καιρὸς, σπείρωμεν, ἵνα ἀμήσωμεν. Ὅταν ὁ χειμὼν καταλάβῃ, ὅταν ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔτι πλέηται, οὐκ ἔτι κύριοι τῆς ἐμπορίας ἐσμέν. Πότε δὲ ἔσται ὁ χειμών; Ὅταν ἡ ἡμέρα ἐπισταίη ἡ μεγάλη, τότε ἐκείνη καὶ ἐπιφανής. Τότε γὰρ οὐκ ἔτι πλευσόμεθα τὴν θάλασσαν ταύτην τὴν μεγάλην καὶ εὐρύχωρον· ταύτῃ γὰρ ὁ παρὼν ἔοικε βίος. Νῦν ὁ τοῦ σπεῖραι καιρὸς, τότε ὁ τοῦ ἀμᾶσθαι καὶ κερδαίνειν. Ἐάν τις ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ σπόρου μὴ καταβάλῃ σπέρματα, ἐν ἀμήτῳ σπείρων, πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἀνύειν καὶ καταγέλαστος ἔσται. Εἰ δὲ σπόρου ἐστὶν ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς, οὐ τοῦ συλλέγειν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ σκορπίζειν καιρὸς ἂν εἴη λοιπόν. Σκορπίσωμεν τοίνυν, ἵνα συναγάγωμεν· μὴ βουληθῶμεν συναγαγεῖν νῦν, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀμητὸν ἀπολέσωμεν. Οὗτος γὰρ, ὅπερ ἔφην, ὁ καιρὸς ἐπὶ τὸ σπείρειν καλεῖ, καὶ δαπανᾷν καὶ ἀναλίσκειν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸ συλλέγειν καὶ ἀποτίθεσθαι. Μὴ τοίνυν προδῶμεν τὴν εὐκαιρίαν, ἀλλὰ δαψιλῆ τὸν