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but also when we fail to give thanks to God. For sometimes he gives, and sometimes he does not give, 95.1444 both usefully. So whether you receive, or you do not receive, you have received in not receiving; and whether you succeed, or you do not succeed, you have succeeded in not succeeding. For there are times when not to receive what we ask is more profitable than to receive. For if it were often expedient for us to receive, he would have certainly given. But to fail expediently is to succeed. Prayer is a great weapon, a great adornment, a great security. For when we entreat men, we need expense and money, and servile flattery, and much running about and trouble. For it is often not possible to converse directly with the masters of the gift, but it is necessary first to entreat their deacons, and stewards, and managers, with money and words, and in every way, and then through them to be able to receive the request. But with God it is not so. For he does not need mediators for those who ask, nor is he persuaded by others as he is by us ourselves who are in need when he grants the favor. And here, it is possible to gain both by receiving and not receiving, but with men we are often harmed in either case. Since, therefore, the profit is greater, and the ease more abundant for those who approach God, let us not despise prayer. For then he gives you what you ask all the more, if you ask through yourself, if you do not ask carelessly, as many do. The tongue indeed speaks the words, but the soul wanders the paths of the house or the marketplace. And this whole thing is the devil's contrivance. For since he knows that at that time we converse with God, that we can also obtain forgiveness of sins, wishing to block up for us the harbor of prayer, he attacks at that very time, driving our mind from the words being spoken, so that we depart having suffered loss rather than gained. Knowing these things, therefore, O man, when you approach God. consider to whom you are approaching, and it is sufficient for your vigilance. Jesus went out into the region of Tyre and Sidon, and behold, a woman, the ancient weapon of the devil, she who cast me out of paradise, the mother of transgression, the beginning of sin; that very woman comes. A new and paradoxical thing! The Jews flee, and a woman pursues. And she was beseeching him, saying: Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me. The woman becomes an evangelist, and confesses his divinity, and the economy; Lord, and his dominion; Son of David, the assumption of the flesh. Have mercy on me. I have no accomplishment in my life; I have no confidence from my conduct. I take refuge in mercy, where salvation is unexamined. And what did you see, being wicked and lawless? How did you dare to approach? And behold the woman's philosophy. She does not beseech James; she does not implore John, nor does she approach Peter, but she cut through the choir. I have no need of a mediator, but taking repentance as my advocate, I approach the source itself 95.1445. For this he descended, for this he took on flesh, that I might converse with him. Above the Cherubim tremble before him, and below a prostitute converses with him. Have mercy on me; a bare word, and a vast sea of salvation. Have mercy on me; for this you came, for this you took on flesh, for this you became what I am. Above, trembling, and below, confidence. Have mercy on me; what is wrong with you? I seek mercy. What do you suffer? My daughter is grievously possessed by a demon. Sympathy is exercised, nature is tormented. The advocate for the daughter came forth; she does not bring the sick one, but she brings her faith. He is God and sees all things. My daughter is grievously possessed by a demon. A grievous sorrow, the sting of nature, tears the womb, it has wrought a surging in her bowels. What shall I do? I am perishing. And why did she not say, Have mercy on my daughter, but, Have mercy on me? for that one has the suffering in her weakness. She does not know what she suffers, and does not feel the pleasure, having as a veil for her misfortune the absence of pain, or rather, the lack of sensation. But have mercy on me, the spectator of the daily evils. I have a theater of misfortune in my house. Where shall I go? into the desert? but I do not dare to leave her alone. But into the house? but I find the war within, the waves

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ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποτυγχάνοντας εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν δίδωσι, ποτὲ δὲ οὐ δίδωσιν, 95.1444 ἀμφότερα χρησίμως. Ὥστε κἂν λάβῃς, κἂν μὴ λάβῃς, ἔλαβες ἐν τῷ μὴ ἀπολαβεῖν· κἂν μὴ ἐπιτύχῃς, ἐπέτυχες ἐν τῷ μὴ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν ὅπερ αἰτοῦμεν, τοῦ λαβεῖν λυσιτελέστερον. Εἰ γὰρ συμφέρον ἡμῖν πολλάκις τὸ λαβεῖν, πάντως ἔδωκεν ἄν. Τὸ δὲ συμφερόντως ἀποτυχεῖν, ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐστι. Μέγα ὅπλον εὐχὴ, μέγας κόσμος, μεγάλη ἀσφάλεια. Ἀνθρώπων μὲν γὰρ δεόμενοι, καὶ δαπάνης καὶ χρημάτων δεόμεθα, καὶ κολακείας δουλοπρεποῦς, καὶ πολλῆς περιόδου καὶ πραγματείας. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ εὐθείας αὐτοῖς τοῖς κύριοις τοῦ δοῦναι τὴν χάριν ἔνι διαλεχθῆναι πολλάκις, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη πρότερον διακόνους, καὶ οἰκονόμους αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπιτρόπους, χρήμασι καὶ ῥήμασι, καὶ παντὶ θεραπεῦσαι τρόπῳ, καὶ τότε δι' ἐκείνων τὴν αἴτησιν δυνηθῆναι λαβεῖν. Ἐπὶ δὲ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως. Οὐ γὰρ δεῖται μεσιτῶν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀξιούντων, οὐδὲ οὕτως δι' ἑτέρων παρακαλούμενος, ὡς δι' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τῶν δεομένων ἐπινεύει τῇ χάριτι. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν, καὶ λαμβάνοντας, καὶ μὴ λαμβάνοντας ἔστι κερδαίνειν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν ἑκατέρῳ πολλάκις ἐβλάβημεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν μεῖζον τὸ κέρδος, καὶ πλείων ἡ εὐκολία τοῖς τῷ Θεῷ προσιοῦσι, μὴ καταφρονῶμεν εὐχῆς. Τότε γάρ σοι μᾶλλον δίδωσιν ἃ αἰτεῖς, ἂν σὺ διὰ σεαυτοῦ αἰτῇς, ἐὰν μὴ παρέργως αἰτῇς, ὅπερ ποιοῦσιν οἱ πολλοί. Ἡ γλῶσσα μὲν λέγει τὰ ῥήματα, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ τῆς οἰκίας ἢ ἀγορᾶς τὰς ὁδοὺς περιέρχεται. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ κατασκεύασμα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἶδεν ἡμᾶς κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν διαλεχθῆναι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι δυνάμεθα καὶ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων τυχεῖν, βουλόμενος ἡμῖν τὸν τῆς εὐχῆς προσχῶσαι λιμένα, κατ' αὐτὸν ἐνίσταται τὸν καιρὸν, ἐκκρούων ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν λεγομένων, ὥστε ζημιωθέντας ἡμᾶς μᾶλλον ἢ κερδαίνοντας, ἀπελθεῖν. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδὼς, ἄνθρωπε, ὅταν προσίῃς Θεῷ. ἐννόησον τίνι προσέρχῃ, καὶ ἀρκεῖ σοι εἰς νῆψιν. Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ μέρη Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος, καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ, τὸ παλαιὸν ὅπλον τοῦ διαβόλου, ἡ τοῦ παραδείσου με ἐκβαλοῦσα, ἡ μήτηρ τῆς παρανομίας, ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· αὐτὴ ἐκείνη ἡ γυνὴ ἔρχεται. Καινὸν πρᾶγμα καὶ παράδοξον! Ἰουδαῖοι φεύγουσι, καὶ γυνὴ καταδιώκει. Καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν λέγουσα· Κύριε, Υἱὲ ∆αβὶδ, ἐλέησόν με. Εὐαγγελίστρια γίνεται ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ τὴν θεότητα, καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὁμολογεῖ· Κύριε, καὶ τὴν δεσποτείαν· Υἱὲ ∆αβὶδ, τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν ἀνάληψιν. Ἐλέησόν με. Οὐκ ἔχω κατόρθωμα βίου· οὐκ ἔχω παῤῥησίαν πολιτείας. Ἐπὶ ἔλεον καταφύγω, ὅπου ἀνεξέταστος σωτηρία. Καὶ τί εἶδες οὕτω, πονηρὰ οὖσα καὶ παράνομος; Πῶς ἐτόλμησας προσελθεῖν; Καὶ ὅρα γυναικὸς φιλοσοφίαν. Οὐ παρακαλεῖ Ἰάκωβον· οὐ δέεται Ἰωάννου, οὐδὲ προσέρχεται Πέτρον, ἀλλὰ διέτεμε τὸν χορόν. Οὐκ ἔχω μεσίτου χρείαν, ἀλλὰ λαβοῦσα τὴν μετάνοιαν συνήγορον, αὐτῇ τῇ πηγῇ 95.1445 προσέρχομαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κατέβη, διὰ τοῦτο σάρκα ἀνέλαβεν, ἵνα ἐγὼ αὐτῷ διαλεχθῶ. Ἄνω τὰ Χερουβὶμ αὐτὸν τρέμουσι, καὶ κάτω αὐτῷ πόρνη διαλέγεται. Ἐλέησόν με· ψιλὸν ῥῆμα, καὶ πέλαγος ἀχανὲς σωτηρίας. Ἐλέησόν με· διὰ τοῦτο παρεγένου, διὰ τοῦτο σάρκα ἀνέλαβες, διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένου ὅπερ εἰμί. Ἄνω τρόμος, καὶ κάτω παῤῥησία. Ἐλέησόν με· τί ἔχεις; Ἔλεον ζητῶ. Τί πάσχεις; Ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Ἡ συμπαθεία γυμνάζεται, ἡ φύσις βασανίζεται. Ἐξῆλθε συνήγορος τοῦ θυγατρίου· οὐ φέρει τὴν νοσοῦσαν, ἀλλὰ φέρει τὴν πίστιν. Θεός ἐστι καὶ τὰ πάντα βλέπει. Ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Πένθος χαλεπὸν, τὸ κέντρον τῆς φύσεως, τὴν μήτραν διεσχίζει, κλυδώνιον τοῖς σπλάγχνοις εἰργάσατο. Τί ποιήσω; Ἀπόλλυμαι. Καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐλέησον τὴν θυγατέρα μου, ἀλλὰ, Ἐλέησόν με; ἐκείνη γὰρ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ ἔχει τὸ πάθος. Οὐκ οἶδε τί πάσχει, καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνεται τῆς ἡδονῆς, παραπέτασμα τῆς συμφορᾶς ἔχουσα τὸ ἀνόδυνον, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ἀναίσθητον. Ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλέησον, τὴν θεωρὸν τῶν καθημερινῶν κακῶν. Θέατρον ἔχω συμφορᾶς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. Ποῦ ἀπέλθω; εἰς τὴν ἔρημον; ἀλλ' οὐ τολμῶ αὐτὴν καταλιπεῖν μόνην. Ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν; ἀλλ' εὑρίσκω τὸν πόλεμον ἔνδον, τὰ κύματα