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and a stranger, and should have no one? For why does he have no one? Tell me. For this very reason he pays the penalty, that he has no such friend, so virtuous. This therefore happens, that, even if we ourselves are not virtuous, we may be eager to have virtuous companions and friends, and a wife and son, as reaping some benefit even through them; reaping a small one, but reaping one nonetheless. If you are eager, not to take a wealthy wife, but a devout one, you will enjoy this comfort. Likewise if you are eager, not to leave a wealthy son, but a devout one, and a modest daughter, so too will you enjoy this comfort. If you are eager for these things, you yourself will be such a person. And this is a part of virtue, to choose such friends, and a wife, and children. Not in vain are offerings for the departed made, not in vain are supplications, not in vain are alms; all these things the Spirit has ordained, wishing us to be benefited by one another. For see: he is benefited by you, you are benefited by him; you have despised money, being led to do something noble; and you have become to him the cause of salvation, and he to you of almsgiving. Do not doubt that he will reap some good. Not for nothing does the deacon cry out: For those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and for those who perform the memorials for them; it is not the deacon who utters this voice, but the Holy Spirit; I mean the gift of grace. What are you saying? The sacrifice is in our hands, and all things are set forth prepared; angels are present, archangels; the Son of God is present; all stand with such awe; those stand by crying out, while all are silent; and you think that what is happening is happening for nothing? Therefore are the other things also for nothing, both the offerings for the Church, and for the priests, and for the whole body? May it not be so; but all is done with faith. What do you think of the offering for the martyrs, of being called at that hour? Even if they are martyrs, and even if it is for martyrs, it is a great honor to be named, with the Lord present, with that death being accomplished, that awesome sacrifice, those ineffable mysteries. For just as when the king is seated, whatever one wishes, he accomplishes; but when he has risen, whatever he says, he will say in vain; so also then, as long as the things of the mysteries are set forth, it is the greatest honor for all to be deemed worthy of remembrance. For see: the awesome mystery is then proclaimed, that for the world God gave himself; with that wonder he opportunely reminds him of those who have sinned. For just as when victory celebrations of kings are held, then both those who shared in the victory are acclaimed, and also those who are in chains are released for the occasion; but when the occasion has passed, he who did not obtain it no longer enjoys anything; so indeed also here, this is the time of victory celebrations. For as often, it says, as you eat this bread, you proclaim the Lord’s death. Let us not then approach simply, nor think that these things happen by chance. Otherwise we remember the martyrs, and this for a testimony, that the Lord is not dead; and this is a sign that death has been put to death, that 60.171 he himself has become dead. Knowing these things, let us devise as many comforts as we can for the departed, instead of tears, instead of lamentations, instead of memorials, the alms, the prayers, the offerings, that both they and we 60.172 may obtain the promised good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of the only-begotten Son, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.171 HOMILY 22. But a certain man in Caesarea, named Cornelius, a cen

turion, of the cohort called the Italian, a devout man and one who feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people, and prayed to God always, saw in a vision clearly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to

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καὶ ξένος, καὶ μηδένα ἔχῃ; ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μηδένα ἔχει; εἰπέ μοι. Τούτῳ αὐτῷ δίδωσι δίκην, ὅτι μηδένα οὕτω φίλον, οὕτως ἐνάρετον ἔχει. Τοῦτο οὖν γίνεται, ἵνα, κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ ὦμεν ἐνάρετοι, σπουδάζωμεν ἑταίρους καὶ φίλους ἐναρέτους ἔχειν, καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ υἱὸν, ὡς καρπούμενοί τι καὶ δι' αὐτῶν· μικρὸν μὲν καρπούμενοι, καρπούμενοι δὲ ὅμως. Ἂν σπουδάσῃς, μὴ πλουτοῦσαν, ἀλλ' εὐλαβῆ γυναῖκα ἀγαγέσθαι, ταύτης ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παραμυθίας. Ὁμοίως ἂν σπουδάσῃς, μὴ πλουτοῦντα υἱὸν καταλιπεῖν, ἀλλ' εὐλαβῆ, καὶ θυγάτριον σεμνὸν, καὶ οὕτω ταύτης ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παραμυθίας. Ἂν ταῦτα σπουδάσῃς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσῃ τοιοῦτος. Καὶ τοῦτο μέρος ἀρετῆς, τὸ τοιούτους αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ φίλους, καὶ γυναῖκα, καὶ παιδία. Οὐκ εἰκῆ προσφοραὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπελθόντων γίνονται, οὐκ εἰκῆ ἱκετηρίαι, οὐκ εἰκῆ ἐλεημοσύναι· ταῦτα πάντα τὸ Πνεῦμα διέταξε, δι' ἀλλήλων ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖσθαι βουλόμενον. Ὅρα γάρ· Ὠφελεῖται ἐκεῖνος διὸ σοῦ, ὠφελῇ σὺ δι' ἐκεῖνον· κατεφρόνησας χρημάτων, προαχθεὶς ἐργάσασθαί τι γενναῖον· καὶ σὺ αὐτῷ τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ αὐτὸς σοὶ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης γέγονεν αἴτιος. Μὴ ἀμφίβαλλε, ὅτι καρπώσεταί τι χρηστόν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὁ διάκονος βοᾷ· Ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ κεκοιμημένων, καὶ τῶν τὰς μνείας ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιτελουμένων· οὐχ ὁ διάκονός ἐστιν ὁ ταύτην ἀφιεὶς τὴν φωνὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· τὸ δὲ χάρισμα λέγω. Τί λέγεις; Ἐν χερσὶν ἡ θυσία, καὶ πάντα πρόκειται ηὐτρεπισμένα· πάρεισιν ἄγγελοι, ἀρχάγγελοι· πάρεστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ· μετὰ τοσαύτης φρίκης ἑστήκασιν ἅπαντες· παρεστήκασιν ἐκεῖνοι βοῶντες, πάντων σιγώντων· καὶ ἡγῇ ἁπλῶς γίνεσθαι τὰ γινόμενα; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἁπλῶς, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἱερέων προσφερόμενα, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πληρώματος; Μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ πάντα μετὰ πίστεως γίνεται. Τί οἴει τὸ ὑπὲρ μαρτύρων προσφέρεσθαι, τὸ κληθῆναι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ; Κἂν μάρτυρες ὦσι, κἂν ὑπὲρ μαρτύρων, μεγάλη τιμὴ τὸ ὀνομασθῆναι, τοῦ ∆εσπότου παρόντος, τοῦ θανάτου ἐπιτελουμένου ἐκείνου, τῆς φρικτῆς θυσίας, τῶν ἀφάτων μυστηρίων. Καθάπερ γὰρ καθημένου τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅσα ἄν τις βούληται, ἀνύει· ἐγερθέντος δὲ, ὅσα ἂν λέγῃ, εἰκῆ ἐρεῖ· οὕτω καὶ τότε, ἕως ἂν πρόκειται τὰ τῶν μυστηρίων, πᾶσι τιμὴ μεγίστη τὸ μνήμης ἀξιοῦσθαι. Ὅρα γάρ· Καταγγέλλεται τότε τὸ μυστήριον τὸ φρικτὸν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Θεός· μετὰ τοῦ θαύματος ἐκείνου εὐκαίρως ὑπομιμνήσκει αὐτὸν τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὅταν ἐπινίκια τῶν βασιλέων ἄγηται, τότε εὐφημοῦνται μὲν καὶ ὅσοι τῆς νίκης ἐκοινώνησαν, ἀφίενται δὲ καὶ ὅσοι ἐν δεσμοῖς εἰσι διὰ τὸν καιρόν· παρελθόντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, ὁ μὴ τυχὼν οὐκ ἔτι τινὸς ἀπολαύει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, τῶν ἐπινικίων οὗτος ὁ καιρός. Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἂν, φησὶν, ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κυρίου καταγγέλλετε. Μὴ δὴ ἁπλῶς προσίωμεν, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε ταῦτα γίνεσθαι νομίζωμεν. Ἄλλως δὲ μαρτύρων μεμνήμεθα, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς πίστιν, ὅτι οὐ τέθνηκεν ὁ Κύριος· καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ τεθανατῶσθαι τὸν θάνατον σημεῖον, τοῦ 60.171 νεκρὸν αὐτὸν γεγενῆσθαι. Ταῦτα εἰδότες, ἐπινοῶμεν ὅσας δυνάμεθα παραμυθίας τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσιν, ἀντὶ δακρύων, ἀντὶ θρήνων, ἀντὶ μνημείων, τὰς ἐλεημοσύνας, τὰς εὐχὰς, τὰς προσφορὰς, ἵνα κἀκεῖνοι καὶ ἡμεῖς 60.172 τύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.171 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΒʹ. Ἀνὴρ δέ τις ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, ὀνόματι Κορνήλιος, ἑκα

τοντάρχης, ἐκ σπείρας τῆς καλουμένης Ἰταλικῆς, εὐσεβὴς καὶ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν σὺν παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, ποιῶν ἐλεημοσύνας πολλὰς τῷ λαῷ, καὶ δεόμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ παντὸς, εἶδεν ἐν ὁρά ματι φανερῶς, ὡσεὶ ὥρᾳ ἐνάτῃ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἄγγελον Θεοῦ εἰσελθόντα πρὸς