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they did not yet have a worthy opinion of him, but nevertheless they paid attention to him as someone wonderful, and rendered him great reverence. And yet in many places they appear speaking with much boldness; for instance, when John falls upon his breast; when they approach him and say, Who is greater in the kingdom of heaven? when the sons of Zebedee ask that one may sit at his right hand and one at his left. For what reason then did they not ask here? Because all those things, as pertaining to themselves, they had need to inquire about; but here what was happening did not matter so much to them. And John did this after a long time, at the very end, when he enjoyed greater boldness, and was confident in the love of Christ. For this was he, it says, whom Jesus loved. What could be equal to this blessing? But let us not stop here, beloved, at blessing the Apostle, but so that we too may become among the blessed, let us do all things, and imitate the evangelist, and let us see what it was that produced such great love. What then were these things? He left father, and boat, and net, and followed Jesus. But this he had in common with his brother, and with Peter and Andrew, and with the other apostles. What then was the special thing that produced this great love? For he says nothing of the sort about himself, but only that he was loved; but the good deeds for which he was loved, he kept silent about out of modesty. For that He loved him with a special love was surely clear to all; but nevertheless he is not seen speaking to him or questioning him privately, as Peter often did, as did Philip, as did Judas and Thomas; but only when he wished to do a favor for his fellow-apostle and obey him. For when the chief of the apostles compelled him by a nod, then he asked; for 59.192 they had great love for one another. Thus, they are seen going up to the temple together and speaking publicly together. And yet Peter is in many places more fervent in action and speech; and at the end he hears Christ say, Peter, do you love me more than these? And he who loves more than these, it is clear that he was also loved. But the one was made clear from his loving Jesus, the other from his being loved by Jesus. What is it, then, that produced this special love? It seems to me that the man showed great gentleness and meekness; wherefore he is not seen speaking boldly in many places. And how great a thing this is, is also clear from Moses. For this made him so great and of such stature. For nothing is equal to humility. For this reason Christ began the beatitudes from this. For as if about to lay down a foundation and a base for a very great building, so he placed humility first. For it is not, it is not possible to be saved without it; but even if someone fasts, even if he prays, even if he gives alms with arrogance, all are abominable, if this is not present; just as, then, when it is present, all things become desirable and lovely, and are done with security. Let us be modest, therefore, beloved, let us be modest. For the good deed is very easy, if we are sober. For what is it at all that lifts you up to arrogance, O man? Do you not see the cheapness of your nature? The proneness to slip of your will? Consider your end; consider the multitude of your sins. But perhaps you are proud of accomplishing many good deeds? By this very thing, then, you will destroy them all. Therefore it is not so much for the sinner, as for the one who does right, that it is necessary to be zealous for modesty. Why indeed? Because the one has the compulsion of his conscience; but the other, if he is not very sober, is quickly, as if fanned by some wind, lifted up and disappears just like the Pharisee. But do you give to the poor? But you give not your own things, but the Master's, things common to your fellow-servants. And for this reason most of all one must be humbled, foreseeing his own state in the misfortunes of his kinsmen, and learning his own nature in them. Perhaps we too were of such ancestors. And if wealth has been transferred to us, yet it is likely that it also

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μηδέπω τὴν ἀξίαν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν εἶχον, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὡς θαυμαστῷ τινι προσεῖχον, καὶ πολλὴν αὐτῷ ἀπένεμον τὴν αἰδώ. Καίτοι γε πολλαχοῦ φαίνονται πολλὰ παῤῥησιαζόμενοι· οἷον, ὅταν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπιπίπτῃ αὐτοῦ τῷ στήθει· ὅταν αὐτῷ προσιόντες λέγωσι, Τίς μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν; ὅταν οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου παρακαλῶσιν, ἵνα εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων καθίσῃ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἠρώτησαν; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνα μὲν πάντα ὡς εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀνήκοντα ἀνάγκην εἶχον ἐξετάζειν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς τοσοῦτον διέφερε τὸ γιγνόμενον. Καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον τοῦτο ἐποίησε πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ τέλει, ὅτε πλείονος ἀπήλαυσε παῤῥησίας, καὶ ἐθάῤῥει τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· Οὗτος γὰρ ἦν, φησὶν, ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Τί τούτου τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον; Ἀλλὰ μὴ μέχρι τούτου στῶμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, τοῦ μακαρίζειν τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ἀλλ' ὥστε καὶ τῶν μακαριζομένων γενέσθαι, πάντα πράττωμεν, καὶ μιμησώμεθα τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν, καὶ ἴδωμεν τίνα ἦν ἃ τὴν ἀγάπην ἐποίησε τὴν τοσαύτην. Τίνα οὖν ἦν ταῦτα; Ἀφῆκε πατέρα, καὶ πλοῖον, καὶ δίκτυον, καὶ ἠκολούθησε τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο κοινὸν αὐτῷ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἦν, καὶ πρὸς Πέτρον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους τῶν ἀποστόλων. Τί δὴ οὖν τὸ ἐξαίρετον ἦν, ὃ πολλὴν τὴν ἀγάπην ἐποίησεν; Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν φησιν, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι ἠγαπᾶτο μόνον· τὰ δὲ κατορθώματα αὐτοῦ, δι' ἃ ἠγαπᾶτο, ἀπεσιώπησε μετριάζων. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξαίρετόν τινα ἀγάπην ἠγάπησε, παντί που δῆλον ἦν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ διαλεγόμενος, οὐδὲ ἐρωτῶν φαίνεται κατ' ἰδίαν αὐτὸν, καθὼς Πέτρος πολλάκις, καθὼς Φίλιππος, καθὼς Ἰούδας καὶ Θωμᾶς ἀλλ' ὅτε τῷ συναποστόλῳ χαρίσασθαι καὶ ὑπακοῦσαι ἠθέλησε, τότε μόνον. Ὅτε γὰρ ὁ κορυφαῖος αὐτὸν ἠνάγκασε τῶν ἀποστόλων νεύσας, τότε ἠρώτησεν· πολλὴν γὰρ 59.192 οὗτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἶχον ἀγάπην. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ὁμοῦ φαίνονται ἀναβαίνοντες καὶ κοινῇ δημηγοροῦντες. Καίτοι γε ὁ Πέτρος θερμότερον πολλαχοῦ καὶ κινεῖται καὶ φθέγγεται· καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει δὲ ἀκούει τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Πέτρε, φιλεῖς με πλέον τούτων; Ὁ δὲ πλέον τούτων ἀγαπῶν, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ἠγαπᾶτο. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ δῆλον ἐγένετο. Τί οὖν ἐστιν, ὃ τὴν ἐξαίρετον ἀγάπην ἐποίησεν; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ πολλὴν τὸν ἄνδρα ἐπιείκειαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι καὶ πραότητα· διόπερ οὐδὲ παῤῥησιαζόμενος πολλαχοῦ φαίνεται. Τοῦτο δὲ ἡλίκον ἐστὶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Μωϋσέως δῆλον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον τοσοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον τοῦτο εἰργάσατο. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἴσον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἤρξατο ὁ Χριστός. Ὥσπερ γάρ τινα θεμέλιον καὶ κρηπῖδα μεγίστης οἰκοδομῆς καταβάλλεσθαι μέλλων, οὕτω τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην πρώτην ἔθηκεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ταύτης σωθῆναι χωρίς· ἀλλὰ κἂν νηστεύῃ τις, κἂν εὔχηται, κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην ποιῇ μετὰ ἀπονοίας, βδελυκτὰ πάντα, ταύτης μὴ παρούσης· ὥσπερ οὖν ποθεινὰ καὶ ἐπέραστα, παρούσης, καὶ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας πάντα γίνεται. Μετριάζωμεν τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ, μετριάζωμεν. Καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα ῥᾴδιον τὸ κατόρθωμα, ἐὰν νήφωμεν. Τί γὰρ ὅλως ἐστὶ τὸ πρὸς ἀπόνοιάν σε ἐπαῖρον, ἄνθρωπε; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸ τῆς φύσεως εὐτελές; τῆς προαιρέσεως τὸ εὐόλισθον; Ἐννόησον σαυτοῦ τὴν τελευτήν· ἐννόησον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸ πλῆθος. Ἀλλ' ἴσως πολλὰ κατορθῶν μέγα φρονεῖς; Αὐτῷ μὲν οὖν τούτῳ πάντα ἀπολεῖς. ∆ιόπερ οὐχ οὕτω τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα, ὡς τὸν κατορθοῦντα σπουδάζειν χρὴ μετριάζειν. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἔχει τὴν ἀνάγκην τοῦ συνειδότος· ὁ δὲ ἂν μὴ σφόδρα νήφῃ, ταχέως, ὥσπερ ὑπό τινος πνεύματος ἀναῤῥιπισθεὶς, αἴρεταί τε καὶ ἀφανίζεται καθάπερ ὁ Φαρισαῖος. Ἀλλὰ πένησι παρέχεις; Ἀλλ' οὐ τὰ σὰ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, τὰ κοινὰ τῶν ὁμοδούλων. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα ταπεινοῦσθαι χρὴ, ἐν ταῖς τῶν ὁμογενῶν συμφοραῖς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ προορῶντα, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν ἐν ἐκείνοις μανθάνοντα. Ἴσως καὶ ἡμεῖς τοιούτων ἦμεν προγόνων. Εἰ δὲ μετέστη πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ πλοῦτος, ἀλλ' εἰκὸς αὐτὸν καὶ