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to fall into, and to endure sickness, that even so He may call you out. For if you do not requite me, He says, as one who has suffered for you, have mercy because of my poverty. And if you do not wish to have mercy because of poverty, be moved by sickness, be broken by imprisonment. But if not even these things make you benevolent, assent because of the smallness of the request. For I ask for nothing costly, but for bread and shelter and the comfort of words. And if after these things you still remain savage, at least for the sake of the kingdom become better, at least for the sake of the prizes I have promised. But do you take no account of those either? At least be broken by nature itself, seeing me naked, and remember that nakedness with which I was stripped on the cross for your sake. And if you do not wish for that one, at least for this one, with which I am stripped through the poor. I had need then for your sake, but also now for your sake, so that being moved either from this or from that, you might wish to do some act of mercy; I fasted for you, again I hunger for you; I thirsted hanging upon the 60.548 cross, I thirst also through the poor, so that from those things and from these I might draw you to Myself, and make you benevolent for your salvation. For this reason, though you owe me repayment for countless benefits, I do not demand it as from a debtor, but I crown you as one who shows grace, and I grant a kingdom in return for these small things. For I do not say, Relieve my poverty, nor, Grant me wealth, though indeed I became poor for your sake; but still I ask for bread and a garment and a small comfort from hunger. And if I fall into prison, I do not compel you to loose my bonds and cast me out, but I seek one thing only, that you might see me bound for your sake, and I have received sufficient grace, and for this alone I grant you heaven. And yet I loosed you from the most grievous bonds, but it is enough for me alone, if you would wish to see me bound. For I am able to crown you without these things, but I wish to be a debtor to you also, so that the crown may bring you some boldness. And for this reason, though I am able to feed Myself, I go about begging, and standing at your doors I stretch out my hand. For I desire to be fed by you; for I love you exceedingly; for which reason I also desire your table, which is the custom for those who love, and I glory in this, and when the theater of the world is present, I then proclaim you, and with all hearing, I point out my nourisher. And yet when we are fed by someone, we are ashamed of this and conceal it; but He, since He loves us exceedingly, even if we are silent, then proclaims what has happened with many praises, and is not ashamed to say that we clothed him when he was naked, and fed him when he was hungry. Therefore, considering all these things, let us not stop at praises alone, but let us also accomplish what has been said. For what is the benefit of this applause and shouting? I seek one thing from you only, the demonstration through works, the obedience through deeds; this is my praise, this is your gain, this is more brilliant to me than a diadem. Therefore, going forth, you will fashion this crown for yourselves and for me through the hand of the poor, so that both in this present life we may be nourished with a good hope, and having departed to the future life, we may obtain the myriad good things; of which may it be that we all obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 16.

I speak the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my bearing me witness

conscience in the Holy Spirit. 1. Did I not seem to you to have spoken great and extraordinary things the day before about the love of Paul for Christ? For they were by nature great, and surpassing all reason; but nevertheless the things of today

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ἐμπεσεῖν, καὶ ἀῤῥωστίαν ὑπομεῖναι, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω σε ἐκκαλέσηται. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀμείβῃ με, φησὶν, ὡς ὑπὲρ σοῦ τι παθόντα, διὰ τὴν πενίαν ἐλέησον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλει διὰ τὴν πενίαν ἐλεῆσαι, διὰ τὴν νόσον ἐπικάμφθητι, διὰ δὲ τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐπικλάσθητι· εἰ δὲ μηδὲ ταῦτά σε ποιεῖ φιλάνθρωπον, διὰ τὸ κοῦφον τῆς αἰτήσεως ἐπίνευσον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ αἰτῶ πολυτελὲς, ἀλλὰ ἄρτον καὶ στέγην καὶ ῥημάτων παράκλησιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἔτι μένεις ἄγριος ὢν, κἂν διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν γενοῦ βελτίων, κἂν διὰ τὰ ἔπαθλα ἃ ὑπεσχόμην. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκείνων ἐστί τίς σοι λόγος; Κἂν πρὸς τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν ἐπικλάσθητι, γυμνὸν ὁρῶν, καὶ τῆς γυμνότητος ἀναμνήσθητι ἐκείνης, ἣν ἐγυμνώθην ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ διὰ σέ. Εἰ δὲ ἐκείνης οὐ βούλει, κἂν ταύτης, ἢν διὰ τῶν πενήτων γυμνοῦμαι. Ἐδεήθην τότε διὰ σὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν διὰ σὲ, ἵνα εἴτε ἐντεῦθεν, εἴτε ἐκεῖθεν προαχθεὶς, βουληθῇς ποιῆσαί τινα ἔλεον· ἐνήστευσα διὰ σὲ, πάλιν πεινῶ διὰ σέ· ἐδίψησα κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ 60.548 σταυροῦ, διψῶ καὶ διὰ τῶν πενήτων, ἵνα καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνων καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἐπισπάσωμαί σε πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν, καὶ ποιήσω φιλάνθρωπον ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῇ σῇ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ μυρίων ὀφείλοντά σε εὐεργετημάτων ἀμοιβὴν ἐμοὶ, οὐχ ὡς ὀφείλοντα ἀπαιτῶ, ἀλλ' ὡς χαριζόμενον στεφανῶ, καὶ βασιλείαν δωροῦμαι ἀντὶ τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ λέγω, Λῦσόν μοι τὴν πενίαν, οὐδὲ, Χάρισαί μοι πλοῦτον, καίτοι γε ἐπτώχευσα διὰ σέ· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἄρτον αἰτῶ καὶ ἱμάτιον καὶ λιμοῦ παραμυθίαν μικράν. Κἂν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμπέσω, οὐκ ἀναγκάζω τὰ δεσμὰ λῦσαι καὶ ἐκβαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἓν ἐπιζητῶ μόνον, ἵνα ἴδῃς δεδεμένον διὰ σὲ, καὶ ἀρκοῦσαν ἔλαβον χάριν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου μόνου τὸν οὐρανόν σοι χαρίζομαι. Καίτοι γε ἐγὼ χαλεπωτάτων σε ἔλυσα δεσμῶν, ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ μόνον ἀρκεῖ, ἂν βουληθῇς ἰδεῖν με δεδεμένον. ∆ύναμαι μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς τούτων σε στεφανοῦν, βούλομαι δέ σοι καὶ ὀφειλέτης εἶναι, ἵνα φέρῃ σοί τινα καὶ παῤῥησίαν ὁ στέφανος. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δυνάμενος ἐμαυτὸν θρέψαι, περιέρχομαι προσαιτῶν, καὶ ταῖς θύραις σου παριστάμενος προτείνω χεῖρα. Παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ τραφῆναι ἐπιθυμῶ· φιλῶ γάρ σε σφόδρα· διὸ καὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἐρῶ τῆς σῆς, ὃ τοῖς φιλοῦσιν ἔθος ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζομαι τούτῳ, καὶ τοῦ θεάτρου παρόντος τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἀνακηρύττω σε τότε, καὶ πάντων ἀκουόντων, ἐνδείκνυμαι τὸν τροφέα τὸν ἐμόν. Καίτοι γε ἡμεῖς ὅταν παρά τινος τραφῶμεν, αἰσχυνόμεθα τοῦτο καὶ συσκιάζομεν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἡμᾶς φιλεῖ, κἂν ἡμεῖς σιγῶμεν, ἀναγορεύει τότε τὸ γεγενημένον μετὰ πολλῶν τῶν ἐγκωμίων, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ γυμνὸν ὄντα αὐτὸν περιεβάλομεν, καὶ πεινῶντα ἐθρέψαμεν. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, μὴ μέχρι τῶν ἐπαίνων στῶμεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτελέσωμεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος τῶν κρότων καὶ τῶν θορύβων τούτων; Ἓν ζητῶ παρ' ὑμῶν μόνον, τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξιν, τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ὑπακοήν· τοῦτο ἔπαινος ἐμὸς, τοῦτο κέρδος ὑμέτερον, τοῦτο διαδήματός μοι λαμπρότερον. Τοῦτον τοίνυν ἀπελθόντες καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ ἐμοὶ κατασκευάσετε τὸν στέφανον διὰ τῆς τῶν πενήτων χειρὸς, ἵνα καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον χρηστῇ συντραφῶμεν ἐλπίδι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἀπελθόντες ζωὴν, τῶν μυρίων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΣΤʹ.

Ἀλήθειαν λέγω ἐν Χριστῷ, οὐ ψεύδομαι, συμ μαρτυρούσης μοι τῆς

συνειδήσεώς μου ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. αʹ. Ἆρα οὐ μεγάλα τινὰ καὶ ὑπερφυῆ τῇ προτεραίᾳ περὶ τῆς τοῦ Παύλου περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπης ἐδόκουν ὑμῖν εἰρηκέναι; Καὶ γὰρ ἦν φύσει μεγάλα, καὶ πάντα ὑπερβαίνοντα λόγον· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὰ σήμερον