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of trembling and fear, while he himself approaches yawning and scratching. Prayer is a great weapon, if it is done with the proper disposition. And that you may learn its power, consider this: Constant intercession prevailed over shamelessness and injustice and cruelty and audacity; For hear, he says, what the unjust judge says. And again it prevailed over reluctance; and what friendship did not do, this constant intercession did; And if he will not give it to him, he says, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give it to him. And constant persistence made her who was unworthy, worthy; It is not, he says, good to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs. But she says, Yes, Lord: for even the dogs eat from the table of their masters. 5. Let us attend, therefore, to prayer; it is a great weapon if it is done with earnestness, if without vainglory, if with a sincere soul. This 63.190 has turned enemies to flight, this has benefited a whole and unworthy nation. I have heard, he says, their groaning, and am come down to deliver them; this is a saving remedy, and a preventative of sins, and a cure for transgressions; to this also the solitary widow was devoted. If then we pray with humility, if we beat our breast like the publican, if we utter those things which he uttered, if we say, Be merciful to me a sinner, we shall obtain all things. For even if we are not publicans, yet we have other sins no less than his. For do not tell me that you have sinned in some small matter; for the thing has the same nature. For just as he is equally called a murderer who has killed a child and he who has killed a man; so too is a covetous man, both he who is covetous of much and he who is covetous of little. And bearing a grudge is not a small, but a great sin; For the ways of those who bear grudges, it says, lead to death; and: He who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of hell; and he who calls his brother a fool and an imbecile, and such things. And we partake of the awful mysteries unworthily, and we envy and revile; and some of us have even been drunk many times. And each of these by itself is sufficient to cast one out of the kingdom; but when they are all brought together, what defense shall we have? We need much repentance, beloved, much prayer, much patience, much persistence, that we may be able to obtain the good things promised to us. Let us therefore also say, Be merciful to me a sinner; or rather, let us not only say it, but also think it so; and if another should accuse us, let us not be angry. He heard, 'I am not as this publican,' and was not provoked, but was filled with compunction; he accepted the victory, and put away the reproach. The one pointed out the wound, the other sought the remedy. Let us say then: Be merciful to me a sinner; but if another says it, let us not be indignant. But if we say countless evil things about ourselves, but are displeased when we hear them from others, this is no longer humility nor confession, but display and vainglory. Is it display, he says, to call oneself a sinner? Yes; for we receive the reputation of humility, we are admired, we are praised; but if we say the contrary of ourselves, we are despised. So we do this also for the sake of glory. What then is humility? To bear it when another reproaches, to acknowledge the sin, to endure the accusations. And even this would not be humility, but good sense. But now we call ourselves sinners, unworthy, and countless other things; but if someone else brings one of these charges against us, we are angry, we become savage. Do you see that it is not confession, nor good sense? You said you were such a one; do not be indignant when you hear it from others and are convicted; thus your sins are lightened, when others reproach you; for they place a burden on themselves, but they lead you to philosophy. Hear what the blessed David says, when Shimei was cursing him. Let him alone, he says; the Lord has commanded him, that he might see my humiliation; and the Lord will repay me with good

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τρόμου καὶ φόβου, αὐτὸς δὲ προσίῃ χασμώμενος καὶ κνώμενος. Μέγα ὅπλον εὐχὴ, ἐὰν μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης γίνηται διανοίας. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς αὐτῆς τὴν ἰσχὺν, σκόπει ἐντεῦθεν· Ἀναισχυντίας καὶ ἀδικίας καὶ ὠμότητος καὶ ἰταμότητος ἐκράτησεν ἡ συνεχὴς ἔντευξις· Ἀκούσατε γὰρ, φησὶ, τί ὁ κριτὴς λέγει τῆς ἀδικίας. Καὶ ὄκνου πάλιν ἐκράτησε· καὶ ὅπερ οὐκ ἐποίησε φιλία, τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ἔντευξις συνεχής· Καὶ εἰ μὴ διὰ τὸ φίλον αὐτοῦ εἶναι, φησὶ, δώσει αὐτῷ, ἀλλά γε διὰ τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ ἀναστὰς δώσει αὐτῷ. Καὶ ἀναξίαν οὖσαν ἀξίαν ἐποίησεν ἡ συνεχὴς προσεδρεία· Οὐκ ἔστι, φησι, καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις. Ἡ δὲ, Ναὶ, φησὶ, Κύριε· καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυρίων αὑτῶν. εʹ. Προσέχωμεν τοίνυν τῇ εὐχῇ· μέγα ὅπλον ἐστὶν ἐὰν μετὰ ἐκτενείας γίνηται, ἐὰν χωρὶς κενοδοξίας, ἐὰν μετὰ ψυχῆς εἰλικρινοῦς. Αὕτη πολεμίους 63.190 ἐτροπώσατο, αὕτη ἔθνος ὁλόκληρον καὶ ἀνάξιον εὐηργέτησεν. Ἤκουσα, φησὶ, τοῦ στεναγμοῦ αὐτῶν, καὶ κατέβην τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς· αὕτη φάρμακόν ἐστι σωτήριον, καὶ κωλυτικὸν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ ἰατρεῖον τῶν πλημμελημάτων· ταύτῃ καὶ ἡ χήρα ἡ μεμονωμένη προσήδρευεν. Ἐὰν οὖν μετὰ ταπεινοφροσύνης εὐχώμεθα, ἐὰν τὸ στῆθος πλήττοντες ὡς ὁ τελώνης, ἐὰν ἐκεῖνα φθεγγώμεθα ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος, ἐὰν λέγωμεν, Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, πάντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ τελῶναί ἐσμεν, ἀλλ' ἕτερα ἔχομεν ἐκείνου οὐχ ἥττονα ἁμαρτήματα. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι ἐν μικρῷ τινι διήμαρτες· τὴν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα φύσιν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἀνδροφόνος λέγεται, ὅ τε παῖδα ἀνελὼν, ὅ τε ἄνδρα· οὕτω καὶ πλεονέκτης, καὶ ὁ πολλὰ καὶ ὁ μικρὰ πλεονεκτῶν. Καὶ ἡ μνησικακία δὲ οὐ μικρὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγα ἁμάρτημα· Μνησικάκων γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁδοὶ εἰς θάνατον· καί· Ὁ ὀργιζόμενος εἰκῆ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὑτοῦ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ γεέννῃ· καὶ ὁ καλῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὑτοῦ μωρὸν καὶ ἀνόητον, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Μεταλαμβάνομεν δὲ καὶ τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων ἀναξίως, καὶ φθονοῦμεν καὶ λοιδοροῦμεν· τινὲς δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ ἐμεθύσθησαν πολλάκις. Τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον καὶ αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ ἱκανὸν ἐκβαλεῖν τῆς βασιλείας· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ὁμοῦ συμφέρηται, τίνα ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν; Πολλῆς ἡμῖν δεῖ τῆς μετανοίας, ἀγαπητοὶ, πολλῆς τῆς εὐχῆς, πολλῆς τῆς καρτερίας, πολλῆς τῆς προσεδρείας, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν. Εἴπωμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς· Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ μὴ εἴπωμεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω φρονῶμεν· κἂν ἕτερός τις ἡμᾶς ἐγκαλέσῃ, μὴ ὀργιζώμεθα. Ἤκουσεν ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι Οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης, καὶ οὐ παρωξύνθη, ἀλλὰ κατενύγη· ἐδέξατο τὸ νῖκος, καὶ ἀπέθετο τὸ ὄνειδος. Εἶπεν ἐκεῖνος τὸ τραῦμα, ἐζήτησεν οὗτος τὸ φάρμακον. Λέγωμεν τοίνυν· Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ· πλὴν κἂν ἕτερος εἴπῃ, μὴ ἀγανακτῶμεν. Ἐὰν δὲ αὐτοὶ μὲν λέγωμεν μυρία ἑαυτοὺς κακὰ, παρ' ἑτέρων δὲ ἀκούοντες δυσχεραίνωμεν, οὐκέτι τοῦτο ταπεινοφροσύνη ἐστὶν οὐδὲ ἐξομολόγησις, ἀλλ' ἐπίδειξις καὶ κενοδοξία. Ἐπίδειξίς ἐστι, φησὶν, ἑαυτὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν καλεῖν; Ναί· ταπεινοφροσύνης γὰρ λαμβάνομεν δόξαν, θαυμαζόμεθα, ἐγκωμιαζόμεθα· ἐὰν δὲ τοὐναντίον εἴπωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, καταφρονούμεθα. Ὥστε καὶ τοῦτο δόξης ἕνεκεν ποιοῦμεν. Τί δέ ἐστι ταπεινοφροσύνη; Τὸ ἑτέρου ὀνειδίζοντος φέρειν, τὸ ἐπιγινώσκειν τὸ ἁμάρτημα, τὸ φέρειν τὰς κακηγορίας. Καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ταπεινοφροσύνης ἂν εἴη, ἀλλ' εὐγνωμοσύνης. Νῦν δὲ ἑαυτοὺς μὲν λέγομεν ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἀναξίους, μυρία ὅσα· ἂν δὲ ἕτερός τις ἡμῖν ἓν τούτων προσενέγκῃ, χαλεπαίνομεν, ἀγριαινόμεθα. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξομολόγησις, οὐδὲ εὐγνωμοσύνη; Εἶπες σαυτὸν εἶναι τοιοῦτον· μὴ ἀγανάκτει καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων ἀκούων, καὶ ἐλεγχόμενος· οὕτω σοι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κουφίζεται, ὅταν ἕτεροι ὀνειδίζωσιν· ἑαυτοῖς μὲν γὰρ βάρος ἐπιτιθέασι, σὲ δὲ εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ἐνάγουσιν. Ἄκουε τί φησιν ὁ μακάριος ∆αυῒδ, ἡνίκα κατηρᾶτο αὐτῷ ὁ Σεμεεί. Ἄφες αὐτὸν, φησίν· ὁ Κύριος ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ, ὅπως ἴδῃ τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου· καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι Κύριος ἀγαθὰ