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he flees; but those to whom he owes, to these he also runs. Why then do you give your deposits to men? Christ stands ready to receive and to keep, not only to keep, but also to increase, and to return it to you with much addition. From his hand no one snatches. And he not only keeps these things, but for this very reason he also frees you from your dangers. For in the case of men, those who have received deposits think they have done us a favor by guarding what they received; but in the case of Christ, it is the opposite; for he confesses not to have done a favor, but to have received one, when he accepts these things from you. And the one who has taken the deposits also demands wages from you; but Christ rather also gives you a reward for this. For this reason God commanded you to give your money to another, so that you might have it; for as long as you alone possess it, not even you have it; but when you give it to another, then you yourself have also received it. For just as if someone should give a little money to a small child and command him to hold it tightly, or should give it to a servant to guard it securely, so that it is not possible for anyone who wishes to snatch it, so also God does. Give to the needy, he says, so that someone may not snatch it from you, such as an informer, or the devil, or a thief, or after everyone, death. For as long as you yourself hold these things, you do not hold them securely; but if you give these things to me through the poor, I will guard them all for you with precision. For I do not take them to take them away, but to make them more, to guard them more precisely; so that I may keep them for you for that time, at which there is no one who lends, nor anyone who has mercy. Why do you labor in vain, O rich man, hiding the things of the poor in your treasures? why when asked by them are you indignant, as if spending from your own home? they want their paternal inheritance, not yours; the things entrusted to you for their sake, not born with you. Give what you have received, and gain the use of it; it is enough for you that you were appointed to give, not to receive. Why do you entrust the treasure to the earth? Give it to my hand, he says. Does it not seem to you that the Lord of the earth is more trustworthy than the earth? 63.724 I have given, he says. But one must not cease from doing these things; for only then will you have a defense, when you do not have, when you possess nothing; but as long as you have, even if you have given to ten thousand, and there are others who are hungry, there is no defense for you. Therefore let not the rich man be proud for giving much, nor let the poor man be downcast, as giving little; for often this one has given more than that one. For the much and the little is not judged by the measure of the things given, but by the means of the substance of those who provide. But you, while feeding parasites and flatterers, spending as if from springs, thus rejoice; but if you should see a poor man, then the fear of poverty comes upon you. Give to the one in need and do not give to the one who is dancing, so that you do not destroy his soul along with your money; for you are the cause of his destruction through ill-timed ambition. For if those in the orchestra knew that their pursuit was going to be unprofitable, they would have long ago ceased pursuing these things. A blind man, being shown mercy, knows how to lead by the hand into the kingdom of heaven; and though stumbling against walls and slipping into pits, this man becomes a road-maker of the ascent into heaven. For when you do not do it for the display of men, even if the whole world knows, no one knows, because you did not do it in that way. For he did not say, "Do not do it, simply, before men," but he added, "in order to be seen by them." Oh, how great is the dignity of poverty! It becomes the mask of God. God is hidden in poverty, and the one extending his hand is a poor man, but the one receiving is God. Whenever something grievous happens to you, give alms immediately; give thanks that it happened, and you will see how much joy enters in. For the spiritual gain, even if it is small, is so great as to hide every bodily loss. And if you disbelieve, make trial, and you will see the glory of God. But oh, the sloth! Oh, the ingratitude! that we live continually in sins and wickedness; but if we ever do some small good, like the ungrateful servants, with much haggling we examine and are meticulous about the recompense, if indeed it has any reward, the

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ἀποφεύγει· οἷς δὲ ὀφείλει, τούτοις καὶ ἐπιτρέχει. Τί τοίνυν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰς παρακαταθήκας παρέχεις; ἕστηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἕτοιμος ὑποδέξασθαι καὶ τηρῆσαι, οὐχὶ τηρῆσαι δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλεονάσαι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀποδοῦναί σοι τῆς προσθήκης. Ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνου χειρὸς οὐδεὶς ἁρπάζει. Οὐ τηρεῖ δὲ ταύτας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τούτου λύει σου τοὺς κινδύνους. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ δεξάμενοι τὰς παρακαταθήκας, χάριν ἡμῖν δεδωκέναι νομίζουσι, φυλάττοντες ἅπερ ἔλαβον· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοὐναντίον· οὐ γὰρ δεδωκέναι χάριν, ἀλλ' εἰληφέναι ὁμολογεῖ, ὅταν παρὰ σοῦ ταύτας δέξηται. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τὰς παρακαταθήκας λαβὼν, καὶ μισθοὺς ἀπαιτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς μᾶλλον καὶ μισθὸν ὑπὲρ τούτου σοι δίδωσι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτό σοι τὰ χρήματα ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεὸς δοῦναι ἑτέρῳ, ἵνα σὺ αὐτὰ ἔχῃς· ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν μόνος κατέχῃς, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἔχεις· ὅταν δὲ ἑτέρῳ δῷς, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλαβες. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ παιδίῳ τις ἀργύριον μικρῷ δῴη καὶ κελεύει κατέχειν σφοδρῶς, ἢ καὶ τῷ οἰκέτῃ δῴη φυλάττειν σφοδρῶς, ὥστε μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἁρπάσαι τῷ βουλομένῳ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ποιεῖ· ∆ὸς τῷ δεομένῳ, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ ἁρπάσῃ τις αὐτὰ ἀπὸ σοῦ, οἷον ἢ συκοφάντης, ἢ διάβολος, ἢ κλέπτης, ἢ μετὰ πάντας ὁ θάνατος. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ταῦτα κατέχεις, οὐκ ἀσφαλῶς κατέχεις· ἐὰν δὲ ἐμοὶ ταῦτα δῷς διὰ τῶν πενήτων, ἐγώ σοι φυλάττω μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἅπαντα. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἀφέλωμαι, λαμβάνω, ἀλλ' ἵνα πλείονα ποιήσω, ἵνα ἀκριβέστερον φυλάξω· ἵνα κατ' ἐκεῖνόν σοι αὐτὰ τηρήσω τὸν χρόνον, καθ' ὃν οὐδεὶς ὁ δανείζων, οὐδὲ ὁ ἐλεῶν ἐστι. Τί ματαιοπονεῖς, ὦ πλούσιε, τὰ τῶν πενήτων ἐν τοῖς σοῖς θησαυροῖς ἀποκρύπτων; τί αἰτούμενος παρ' αὐτῶν ἀγανακτεῖς, ὡς οἴκοθεν ἀναλίσκων; τὰ πατρῷα θέλουσιν, οὐ τὰ σά· τὰ ἐγχειρισθέντα σοι δι' αὐτοὺς, οὐ μετὰ σοῦ γεννηθέντα. Ἃ ἔλαβες δὸς, καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν κέρδανον· ἀρκεῖ σοι ὅτι διδόναι, οὐ λαμβάνειν ἐτάχθης. Τί τῇ γῇ παραδίδως τὸν θησαυρόν; δὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ, φησί. Οὐ δοκεῖ σοι τῆς γῆς ἀξιοπιστότερος εἶναι ὁ τῆς γῆς ∆εσπότης; 63.724 Ἔδωκα, φησίν. Ἀλλ' οὐ χρὴ διαλιμπάνειν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα· τότε γὰρ μόνον ἀπολογήσῃ, ὅταν μὴ ἔχῃς, ὅταν μηδὲν κεκτημένος ᾖς· ἕως δ' ἂν ἔχῃς, κἂν μυρίοις ᾖς δεδωκὼς, ὦσι δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι πεινῶντες, οὐδεμία σοι ἀπολογία ἐστί. Μήτε γοῦν ὁ πλούσιος μέγα φρονείτω πολλὰ διδοὺς, μήτε ὁ πένης καταπιπτέτω, ὡς ὀλίγα παρέχων· πολλάκις γὰρ οὗτος ἐκείνου πλείονα δέδωκε. Τὸ γὰρ πολὺ καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν διδομένων κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τῆς οὐσίας τῶν παρεχόντων. Σὺ δὲ παρασίτους μὲν τρέφων καὶ κόλακας ὡς ἀπὸ πηγῶν δαπανῶν, οὕτω χαίρεις· εἰ δὲ πτωχὸν ἴδοις, τότε σοι ὁ τῆς πενίας ἐπιτίθεται φόβος. ∆ὸς τῷ δεομένῳ καὶ μὴ δὸς τῷ ὀρχουμένῳ, ἵνα μὴ μετὰ τῶν σῶν χρημάτων καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολέσῃς τὴν ἐκείνου· σὺ γὰρ αἴτιος εἶ τῆς ἐκείνου ἀπωλείας διὰ τῆς ἀκαίρου φιλοτιμίας. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς ὀρχήστρας ᾔδεσαν, ὅτι τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα αὐτοῖς ἀκερδὲς ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι, πάλαι ἂν ἐπαύσαντο ταῦτα ἐπιτηδεύοντες. Τυφλὸς οἶδεν ἐλεούμενος εἰς οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν χειραγωγεῖν, καὶ τοίχοις προσκρούων καὶ βόθροις ἐνολισθαίνων, οὗτος ὁδοποιὸς γίνεται τῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναβάσεως. Ὅταν γὰρ μὴ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἀνθρώπων ποιῇς, κἂν ἡ οἰκουμένη οἶδεν, οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, ἐπειδὴ οὐχ οὕτως ἐποίησας. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Μὴ ποιεῖτε, ἁπλῶς, ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε, Πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς. Ὢ πηλίκον ἀξίωμα τῆς πενίας! τοῦ Θεοῦ γίνεται προσωπεῖον· κρύπτεται ἐν πενίᾳ Θεὸς, καὶ πένης μὲν ὁ τὴν χεῖρα προτείνων, Θεὸς δὲ ὁ δεχόμενος. Ὅταν σοι λυπηρόν τι συμβῇ, δὸς ἐλεημοσύνην εὐθέως· εὐχαρίστησον ὅτι συνέβη, καὶ ὄψει πόση χαρὰ ἐπεισέρχεται. Τὸ γὰρ κέρδος τὸ πνευματικὸν κἂν ὀλίγον ᾖ, τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὡς πᾶσαν ἀποκρύψαι ζημίαν σωματικήν. Καὶ εἰ ἀπιστεῖτε, πειράσατε, καὶ ὄψεσθε τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας! ὢ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης! ὅτι διαπαντὸς μὲν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις καὶ πονηρίαις ζῶμεν· ἂν δέ ποτέ τι καὶ ποιήσωμεν μικρὸν ἀγαθὸν, κατὰ τοὺς ἀγνώμονας τῶν οἰκετῶν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς καπηλείας ἐξετάζομεν καὶ ἀκριβολογούμεθα περὶ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως, εἴ γε ἔχει μισθόν τινα τὸ