129

Has the day been fulfilled? give thanks to Him who has graciously given us the sun for the service of the day's works, and provided fire to give light to the night, and to serve the other needs of life. When you look up to heaven, and gaze at the beauty of the stars, pray to the Master of all things seen, and worship the master craftsman of all, God, who made all things in wisdom. When you ask God for some good thing, 95.1456 and He does not hear you immediately, do not be neglectful, 95.1456 nor be fainthearted. For often the request is not expedient for you at present. For everyone who asks receives, he says. But he receives, if he seeks what is profitable for the soul. Do not seek wealth in prayer, nor health, nor defense from enemies, nor human glory, but only those things that contribute to the salvation of the soul. If you ask badly and inopportunely, just as a man with a fever asks for wine to be given him, God, looking to the future, does not do your will; He does not grant the irrational request. Let us remember the traitor Judas, and let us not leave the church. For to him the beginning of destruction came from not remaining in prayer. For having received the bread, he went out first of the rest, and immediately Satan entered into him, and he hastened to the betrayal. Therefore, if anyone goes out before the dismissal, he will pay the penalty of Judas. Let us not then for one hour be about to be condemned with Judas. Remaining will not burden us at all; there are no winters inside, no fire, no other torments. If the Lord says to man in the Gospels that, Give alms to everyone who asks you, much more will the Lord himself give rich mercies to everyone who is in need, and the forgiveness of sins, and release from sorrows, and countless good things. Christ the all-king God in no way turns away those who gape towards him, and groan from the depth of their heart, even if they happen to be burdened with many sins, but He both receives and cleanses them, He bestows the gift of adoption, and in the course of time makes them workers of virtues.

TITLE 8. -Concerning almsgiving, and kindness to the poor. The needy will not cease from the land. Therefore I command you to do this thing, saying: You shall surely open your hands to your brother, to the poor man who is in need. -You will not turn your hand away before your brother. I command you to love the stranger, to give him bread and a garment. My door was opened to everyone who came. The weak did not fail in the need they once had; and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail. And if I ate my bread alone, and did not share it with the orphan? and if I saw the naked perishing, and did not clothe him? and if the weak did not bless me, and their shoulders were not warmed from the shearing of my lambs. I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame; I was a Father to the weak. 95.1457 The righteous man has mercy, and gives. Blessed is he who considers the poor and needy. A good man is he who has mercy and lends; he has scattered, he has given, and the rest. Let not alms and faith fail you; but bind them upon your neck, and you will find grace. Do not withhold doing good to the needy, when your hand has the power to help. Do not say: Go and come back, and tomorrow I will give, when you are able to do good. For you do not know what the next day will bring forth. A blessing is upon the head of him who shares. A merciful man does good to his own soul. A man's own wealth is the ransom for his soul. The righteous have compassion and show mercy. He who has mercy on the poor is blessed. By almsgiving and faith sins are cleansed. He who is compassionate will receive mercy. He who has mercy on the poor, lends to God; and according to his gift, it will be repaid to him. As many as give to the poor will not be in need. The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory. God loves a cheerful man and giver. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.

129

Ἐπληρώθη ἡ ἡμέρα; εὐχαρίστει τῷ τὸν ἥλιον εἰς ὑπηρεσίαν τῶν ἡμερινῶν ἔργων χαρισαμένῳ ἡμῖν, πῦρ δὲ παρασχομένῳ τοῦ φωτίζειν τὴν νύκτα, καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς χρείαις ταῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον ὑπηρετεῖν. Ὅταν ἀναβλέψῃς πρὸς οὐρανὸν, καὶ πρὸς τὰ τῶν ἀστέρων ἐνατενίσῃς κάλλη, προσεύχου τῷ ∆εσπότῃ τῶν ὁρωμένων, καὶ προσκύνει τὸν ἀριστοτέχνην τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, ὃς ἐν σοφίᾳ τὰ πάντα ἐποίησεν. Ὅταν περί τινος ἀγαθοῦ παρακαλέσῃς τὸν Θεὸν, 95.1456 καὶ μὴ εἰσακούσῃ σου παραυτίκα, μὴ ὀλιγωρήσῃς, 95.1456 μηδὲ μικροψυχήσῃς. Πολλάκις γὰρ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν οὐ συμφέρει σοι τὸ αἴτημα. Πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει, φησί. Λαμβάνει δὲ, εἴπερ ζητοίη τὰ συμφέροντα τῇ ψυχῇ. Μὴ πλοῦτον ἐν προσευχῇ ζητήσῃς, μὴ ὑγείαν, μὴ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἄμυναν, μὴ δόξαν ἀνθρωπίνην, ἀλλὰ μόνον τὰ συντελοῦντα πρὸς σωτηρίαν ψυχῆς. Ἐὰν κακῶς καὶ ἀξυμφόρως αἰτεῖς, καθάπερ ὁ πυρέττων ἄνθρωπος παρακαλεῖ παρασχεῖν αὐτῷ οἶνον, προσβλέπων ὁ Θεὸς τὰ μέλλοντα, οὐ ποιεῖ τὸ θέλημά σου· οὐ παρέχει τὴν ἀλόγιστον αἴτησιν. Μνησθῶμεν τοῦ προδότου Ἰούδα, καὶ μὴ ἐξέλθωμεν τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἀρχὴ ἀπωλείας γέγονε, τὸ μὴ παραμένειν τῇ εὐχῇ. Λαβὼν γὰρ τὸν ἄρτον πρῶτος τῶν λοιπῶν ἐξῆλθε, καὶ εὐθέως ἐχώρησεν εἰς αὐτὸν ὁ Σατανᾶς, καὶ εἰς τὴν προδοσίαν ἐσπούδασεν. Ἐὰν οὖν τις πρὸ τῆς ἀπολύσεως ἐξέλθῃ, τὰς τοῦ Ἰούδα εὐθύνας ἀποτίσει. Μὴ οὖν διὰ μίαν ὥραν μέλλωμεν μετὰ Ἰούδα κατακρίνεσθαι. Οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς βαρήσει ἡ παραμονή· οὐ χειμῶνας ἔνδον ἔχει, οὐ πῦρ, οὐχ ἕτερα κολαστήρια. Εἰ λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὁ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ὅτι, Παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος παντὶ τῷ δεομένῳ δώσει πλούσια τὰ ἐλέη, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἄφεσιν, καὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν τὴν λύσιν, τὰ μυρία καλά. Χριστὸς ὁ παμβασιλεὺς Θεὸς οὐδαμῶς ἀποστρέφεται τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν κεχηνότας, καὶ ἀπὸ βάθους καρδίας στενάζοντας, κἂν πολλοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι πεφορτισμένοι τυγχάνωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσίεται, καὶ καθαρίζει τούτους, τῆς υἱοθεσίας δωρεῖται χάρισμα, καὶ ἀρετῶν ἐργάτας ἀποφαίνει προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου.

ΤΙΤΛ. Ηʹ. -Περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, καὶ εὐποιΐας τῶν πτωχῶν. Οὐ μὴ ἐκλείπῃ ἐνδεὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι ποιεῖν τὸ

ῥῆμα τοῦτο, λέγων· Ἀνοίγων ἀνοίξεις τὰς χεῖράς σου τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, τῷ πένητι τῷ ἐπιδεομένῳ. -Οὐκ ἀποστρέψεις τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ. Ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι ἀγαπᾷν τὸν προσήλυτον, δοῦναι αὐτῷ ἄρτον καὶ ἱμάτιον. Ἡ θύρα μου παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἠνέῳκτο. Ἀδύνατοι χρείαν ἥν ποτε εἶχον, οὐκ ἀπέτυχον· χήρας δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτηξα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν ἄρτον μου ἔφαγον μόνος, καὶ οὐχὶ καὶ ὀρφανῷ μετέδωκα; εἰ δὲ καὶ παρεῖδον γυμνὸν ἀπολλύμενον, καὶ οὐκ ἠμφίασα; ἀδύνατοι δὲ εἰ μὴ ηὐλόγησάν με, ἀπὸ δὲ κουρᾶς ἀμνῶν μοῦ ἐθερμάνθησαν οἱ ὦμοι αὐτῶν. Ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν, ποῦς δὲ χωλῶν· ἐγὼ ἤμην Πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων. 95.1457 Ὁ δίκαιος οἰκτείρει, καὶ δίδωσι. Μακάριος ὁ συνιὼν ἐπὶ πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα. Χρηστὸς ἀνὴρ ὁ οἰκτείρων καὶ κιχρῶν· ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκεν, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Ἐλεημοσύναι καὶ πίστις μὴ ἐκλειπετωσάν σε· ἔφαψαι δὲ αὐτὰς ἐπὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ, καὶ εὑρήσεις χάριν. Μὴ ἀπόσχῃ εὐποιεῖν ἐνδεεῖ, ἡνίκα ἂν ἔχῃ ἡ χείρ σου βοηθεῖν. Μὴ εἴπῃς· Ἀπελθὼν ἐπανῆκε, καὶ αὔριον δώσω, δυνατοῦ σου ὄντος εὐποιεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα. Εὐλογία εἰς κεφαλὴν τοῦ μεταδιδόντος. Τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθοποιεῖ ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων. Λύτρον ψυχῆς ἀνδρὸς, ὁ ἴδιος πλοῦτος. ∆ίκαιοι οἰκτείρουσι καὶ ἐλεοῦσιν. Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, μακαριστός. Ἐλεημοσύνῃ καὶ πίστεσιν ἀποκαθαίρονται ἁμαρτίαι. Ὁ σπλαγχνιζόμενος ἐλεηθήσεται. Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, δανείζει Θεῷ· κατὰ δὲ τὸ δόμα αὐτοῦ ἀνταποδώσει αὐτῷ. Ὅσοι διδοῦσι πτωχοῖς, οὐκ ἐνδεηθήσονται. Ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης εὑρήσει ζωὴν καὶ δόξαν. Ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. Πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν εὕρῃ χείρ σου τοῦ ποιῆσαι, ὅση δύναμίς σου ποίησον.