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we despise a little gold; but he for our sake also gave his own Son. Let us use rightly the love of God, beloved, let us enjoy his friendship; For you are my friends, he says, if you do what I say to you. Alas, those who were his enemies, infinitely distant from him, from whom he differed in all things by an incomparable excess, these he made friends and calls friends? What then should we not choose to suffer for the sake of this friendship? But we often even face danger for the sake of human friendships, but for God's we do not even give up money. Truly our affairs are worthy of mourning, of mourning, and of tears, and of lamentations, and of great wailing and beating of the breast. We have fallen from our hope, we have been brought low from our height, we have appeared unworthy of the honor of God, ungrateful, and after the benefactions we have appeared useless, the devil has stripped us of all good things; we who were counted worthy to be sons, brothers and fellow heirs, have differed in nothing from His enemies, from those who insult him. What comfort will there be for us then? He called us to heaven, but we have thrust ourselves toward Gehenna. Cursing and falsehood, and theft and adultery are poured out upon the earth; some mingle blood with blood, while others do things worse than bloodshed. Many of those who are wronged, many of those who are defrauded, pray for ten thousand deaths rather than to suffer these things; and if they did not fear the fear of God, they would have killed themselves, thus committing murder against themselves Are not these things therefore worse than bloodshed? Woe is me, my soul, said the prophet in despair, for the godly man has perished from the earth, and he that deals uprightly among men is no more. But now we also will cry this out, that he infinitely desires and is eager to obtain our friendship; but we are not eager for even the smallest part of his, beloved; what am I saying, we are not eager? we do not wish to obtain his good things as he himself wishes. And that he wishes more, he has shown through what he did. For we on behalf of ourselves with difficulty despise a little gold; but he for our sake also gave his own Son. Let us use rightly the love of God, beloved, let us enjoy his friendship; For you are my friends, he says, if you do what I say to you. Alas, those who were his enemies, infinitely distant from him, from whom he differed in all things by an incomparable excess, these he made friends and calls friends? What then should we not choose to suffer for the sake of this friendship? But we often even face danger for the sake of human friendships, but for God's we do not even give up money. Truly our affairs are worthy of mourning, of mourning, and of tears, and of lamentations, and of great wailing and beating of the breast. We have fallen from our hope, we have been brought low from our height, we have appeared unworthy of the honor of God, ungrateful, and after the benefactions we have appeared useless, the devil has stripped us of all good things; we who were counted worthy to be sons, brothers and fellow heirs, have differed in nothing from His enemies, from those who insult him. What comfort will there be for us then? He called us to heaven, but we have thrust ourselves toward Gehenna. Cursing and falsehood, and theft and adultery are poured out upon the earth; some mingle blood with blood, while others do things worse than bloodshed. Many of those who are wronged, many of those who are defrauded, pray for ten thousand deaths rather than to suffer these things; and if they did not fear the fear of God, they would have killed themselves, thus committing murder against themselves Are not these things therefore worse than bloodshed? Woe is me, my soul, said the prophet in despair, for the godly man has perished from the earth, and he that deals uprightly among men is no more. But now we also will cry this out first concerning ourselves. But join with me in this lament. Perhaps some even take it as an omen and laugh; but even for this reason it is necessary to intensify the lament, that we are so mad and delirious, that we do not even know if we are mad, but at things for which we should groan, we laugh. Is revealed, O man, wrath from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. God manifestly

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ὀλίγου καταφρονοῦμεν χρυσίου· αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔδωκε τὸν αὑτοῦ. Χρησώμεθα εἰς δέον τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀπολαύσωμεν αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλίας· Ὑμεῖς γὰρ φίλοι μού ἐστε, φησὶν, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἃ λέγω ὑμῖν. Βαβαὶ, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς ἀπείρως αὐτοῦ διεστηκότας, ὧν ἀσυγκρίτῳ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ κατὰ πάντα διενήνοχε, τούτους φίλους ἐποίησε καὶ καλεῖ φίλους; Τί οὖν οὐχ αἱρετὸν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς φιλίας; Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων μὲν φιλίας πολλάκις καὶ κινδυνεύομεν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδὲ χρήματα προϊέμεθα. Πένθους ὄντως ἄξια τὰ ἡμέτερα, πένθους, καὶ δακρύων, καὶ ὀδυρμῶν, καὶ ὀλοφυρμοῦ μεγάλου καὶ κοπετοῦ. Τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν ἐξεπέσομεν, ἐταπεινώθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους ἡμῶν, ἀνάξιοι τῆς τιμῆς ἐφάνημεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγνώμονες, καὶ μετὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ἐφάνημεν ἄχρηστοι, ἐγύμνωσεν ἡμᾶς πάντων ὁ διάβολος τῶν ἀγαθῶν· οἱ καταξιωθέντες εἶναι υἱοὶ, οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ συγκληρονόμοι, τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν διενηνόχαμεν, τῶν ὑβριζόντων αὐτόν. Τίς ἡμῖν ἔσται παραμυθία λοιπόν; Αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσε πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὴν γέενναν ὠθήσαμεν. Ἀρὰ καὶ ψεῦδος, καὶ κλοπὴ καὶ μοιχεία κέχυται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· οἱ μὲν αἵματα ἐφ' αἵμασι μιγνύουσιν, οἱ δὲ πράγματα πράττουσιν αἱμάτων χείρονα. Πολλοὶ τῶν ἀδικουμένων, πολλοὶ τῶν πλεονεκτουμένων, μυρίους εὔχονται θανάτους ἢ ταῦτα παθεῖν· καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐδεδοίκεσαν, καὶ διεχειρίσαντο ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτω φονῶντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν Ταῦτ' οὖν οὐχ αἱμάτων χείρω; Οἴμοι, ψυχὴ, ἔλεγεν ἀποδυσπετῶν ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν εὐλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ κατορθῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὑπάρχει. Νῦν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο βοήσομεν περὶ ἀπείρως ἐπιθυμεῖ καὶ σπουδάζει τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλίας τυχεῖν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν ἐκείνου σπουδάζομεν, ἀγαπητοί· τί λέγω, οὐ σπουδάζομεν; οὐ θέλομεν οὕτω τυχεῖν αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὡς αὐτὸς θέλει. Καὶ ὅτι πλέον ἐκεῖνος θέλει, δι' οὗ ἐποίησεν, ἔδειξεν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν μόλις ὀλίγου καταφρονοῦμεν χρυσίου· αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔδωκε τὸν αὑτοῦ. Χρησώμεθα εἰς δέον τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀπολαύσωμεν αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλίας· Ὑμεῖς γὰρ φίλοι μού ἐστε, φησὶν, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἃ λέγω ὑμῖν. Βαβαὶ, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς ἀπείρως αὐτοῦ διεστηκότας, ὧν ἀσυγκρίτῳ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ κατὰ πάντα διενήνοχε, τούτους φίλους ἐποίησε καὶ καλεῖ φίλους; Τί οὖν οὐχ αἱρετὸν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς φιλίας; Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων μὲν φιλίας πολλάκις καὶ κινδυνεύομεν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδὲ χρήματα προϊέμεθα. Πένθους ὄντως ἄξια τὰ ἡμέτερα, πένθους, καὶ δακρύων, καὶ ὀδυρμῶν, καὶ ὀλοφυρμοῦ μεγάλου καὶ κοπετοῦ. Τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν ἐξεπέσομεν, ἐταπεινώθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους ἡμῶν, ἀνάξιοι τῆς τιμῆς ἐφάνημεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγνώμονες, καὶ μετὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ἐφάνημεν ἄχρηστοι, ἐγύμνωσεν ἡμᾶς πάντων ὁ διάβολος τῶν ἀγαθῶν· οἱ καταξιωθέντες εἶναι υἱοὶ, οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ συγκληρονόμοι, τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν διενηνόχαμεν, τῶν ὑβριζόντων αὐτόν. Τίς ἡμῖν ἔσται παραμυθία λοιπόν; Αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσε πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὴν γέενναν ὠθήσαμεν. Ἀρὰ καὶ ψεῦδος, καὶ κλοπὴ καὶ μοιχεία κέχυται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· οἱ μὲν αἵματα ἐφ' αἵμασι μιγνύουσιν, οἱ δὲ πράγματα πράττουσιν αἱμάτων χείρονα. Πολλοὶ τῶν ἀδικουμένων, πολλοὶ τῶν πλεονεκτουμένων, μυρίους εὔχονται θανάτους ἢ ταῦτα παθεῖν· καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐδεδοίκεσαν, καὶ διεχειρίσαντο ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτω φονῶντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν Ταῦτ' οὖν οὐχ αἱμάτων χείρω; Οἴμοι, ψυχὴ, ἔλεγεν ἀποδυσπετῶν ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν εὐλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ κατορθῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὑπάρχει. Νῦν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο βοήσομεν περὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν πρῶτον. Ἀλλά μοι τοῦ θρήνου συλλάβεσθε. Τάχα τινὲς καὶ οἰωνίζονται καὶ γελῶσι· πλὴν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπιτείνειν μᾶλλον χρὴ τὸν θρῆνον, ὅτι οὕτω μαινόμεθα καὶ παραπαίομεν, ὅτι οὐδὲ εἰ μαινόμεθα ἴσμεν, ἀλλ' ἐφ' οἷς ἐχρῆν στένειν, γελῶμεν. Ἀποκαλύπτεται, ἄνθρωπε, ὀργὴ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ, ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς