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well, why do you strike me? And mocking, they put a cloak on him, and spat in his face and always brought temptations, tempting him. Do you wish to see the accusations also, those in secret, those openly, those from his disciples? For, "Do you also wish to go away?" and, "You have a demon," was said by those who had already believed. But tell me, did he not always flee, sometimes into Galilee, sometimes into Judea? Was not the temptation great for him from his swaddling clothes? Did not his mother, taking him when he was a child, go down into Egypt? For all these reasons, therefore, he says: "Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Let us look therefore to this one and to the things of his disciples, reading the writings of Paul, and hearing him say: "in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in fastings, in labors, in purity, in knowledge;" and again: "To the present hour we hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place, and labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat." Can any one of us say that he has suffered the smallest part of these things? "As deceivers," he says, "as dishonored, as having nothing;" and again: "Five times I received from the Jews forty stripes save one; three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, a night and a day I have been in the deep, in journeys often, in afflictions, in distress, in hunger." And that these things seemed good to God, hear him say: "Concerning this thing I besought the Lord three times, and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my power is made perfect in weakness." "Therefore," he says, "I take pleasure in weaknesses, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." And hear Christ himself saying: "In the world you will have tribulation." "For consider," he says, "him who endured such contradiction against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary, fainting in your souls." Rightly did he add these things; for if the sufferings of our neighbors arouse us, how much zeal will the sufferings of the Master not provide us? What will they not work in us? And see how, omitting to say everything, 63.196 through the word "contradiction" he declared the whole, and by adding "such"; for the blows on the cheek, the laughter, the insults, the reproaches, the mockings, all these he indicated through "contradiction"; and not only those things, but also all the things throughout his life of teaching. These things therefore, beloved, let us always consider, and turn them over in our minds night and day, knowing that from this we shall reap great benefits, and will have much profit. For great, truly great is the comfort, both the sufferings of Christ and those of the apostles. For so he knew this way to be better than virtue, that even he who had no need of it came by this way; so he knows that affliction is profitable for us, and becomes a cause of rest rather. For hear Christ himself saying: "If anyone does not take up his cross and follow after me, he is not worthy of me." For he all but says this through such teaching: "If you are a disciple, imitate the teacher; for this is the part of a disciple." But if he came through affliction, and you through ease, you are no longer walking the same road which he walked, but another. How then do you follow, not following? How are you a disciple, not attending the teacher? This Paul also says: "We are weak, but you are strong; we are dishonored, but you are honored." Or how does it make sense, he says, for us to emulate the opposite, and for you to be disciples, and us teachers? Great, then, is affliction, beloved; for it accomplishes two very great things, it both wipes out sins, and makes men steadfast. 4. What then, he says, if it should overturn and destroy? Not affliction does this, but our own sluggishness. How, he says? For if we are sober, if God

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καλῶς, τί με δέρεις; Καὶ χλευάζοντες δὲ, χλαμύδα περιέθηκαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐνέπτυον εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς πείρας ἀεὶ προσῆγον, πειράζοντες αὐτόν. Βούλει καὶ τὰς κατηγορίας ἰδεῖν, τὰς λάθρα, τὰς φανερῶς, τὰς παρὰ τῶν μαθητῶν; τὸ γὰρ, Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε ὑπάγειν; καὶ τὸ, ∆αιμόνιον ἔχεις, παρὰ τῶν πιστευσάντων ἤδη ἐλέγετο Εἰπὲ δέ μοι, οὐκ ἀεὶ ἔφευγε καὶ αὐτὸς, ποτὲ μὲν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, ποτὲ δὲ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν; οὐχὶ ἐκ σπαργάνων αὐτῷ πολὺς ὁ πειρασμός; οὐχὶ παιδίον ὄντα αὐτὸν ἡ μήτηρ λαβοῦσα κατῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον; ∆ιὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν πάντα φησίν· Ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν, αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ κεκάθικεν. Εἰς τοῦτον τοίνυν ἀφορῶμεν καὶ εἰς τὰ τῶν μαθητῶν τῶν τούτου, ἀναγινώσκοντες τὰ Παύλου, καὶ ἀκούοντες αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν διωγμοῖς, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις, ἐν νηστείαις ἐν κόποις, ἐν ἁγνότητι, ἐν γνώσει· καὶ πάλιν· Μέχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν, καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα, καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν, καὶ κοπιῶμεν, ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσί· λοιδορούμενοι, εὐλογοῦμεν· διωκόμενοι, ἀνεχόμεθα· βλασφημούμενοι, παρακαλοῦμεν. Ἆρα ἐξ ἡμῶν ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τὸ πολλοστὸν τούτων μέρος ἔπαθεν; Ὡς πλάνοι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὡς ἄτιμοι, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες· καὶ πάλιν· Πεντάκις τεσσαράκοντα παρὰ μίαν ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔλαβον· τρὶς ἐῤῥαβδίσθην, ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθην, νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα, ὁδοιπορίαις, πολλάκις, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ, ἐν λιμῷ. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα τῷ Θεῷ ἐδόκει, ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ὑπὲρ τούτου τρὶς τὸν Κύριον παρεκάλεσα, καὶ εἴρηκέ μοι, Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται. ∆ιὸ καὶ, φησὶν, εὐδοκῶ ἐν ἀσθενείαις, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἕξετε. Ἀναλογίσασθε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν τοιαύτην ὑπομεμενηκότα ὑπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμητε, ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι. Εἰκότως ταῦτα ἐπήγαγεν· εἰ γὰρ τὰ τῶν πλησίον πάθη διανίστησιν ἡμᾶς, τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου πόσην ἡμῖν οὐ παρέξει προθυμίαν; τί ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἐργάσεται; Καὶ σκόπει πῶς παρεὶς πάντα εἰπεῖν, 63.196 διὰ τῆς ἀντιλογίας τὸ πᾶν ἐδήλωσε, καὶ τῷ τοιαύτην προσθεῖναι· τὰς γὰρ ἐπὶ κόῤῥης πληγὰς, τὸν γέλωτα, τὰς ὕβρεις, τοὺς ὀνειδισμοὺς, τὰς χλευασίας, ταῦτα πάντα διὰ τῆς ἀντιλογίας ἐνέφηνε· καὶ οὐκ ἐκεῖνα μόνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τὸν βίον ἅπαντα τὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας. Ταῦτα τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀεὶ ἀναλογιζώμεθα, καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ἐν ταῖς διανοίαις ἡμῶν στρέφωμεν, εἰδότες ὅτι μεγάλα ἐκ τούτου καρπωσόμεθα ἀγαθὰ, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἕξομεν. Μέγα γὰρ, ὄντως μέγα παραμύθιον, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάθη καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων. Οὕτω γὰρ ᾔδει ταύτην βελτίω τῆς ἀρετῆς οὖσαν τὴν ὁδὸν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ μὴ δεόμενος αὐτῆς ταύτην ἐλθεῖν· οὕτως οἶδε τὴν θλῖψιν συμφέρουσαν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἀνέσεως ὑπόθεσιν μᾶλλον γινομένην· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐὰν μή τις ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθήσῃ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. Μόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης λέγει διδασκαλίας· Εἰ μαθητὴς εἶ, τὸν διδάσκαλον μιμοῦ· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι μαθητοῦ. Εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς μὲν διὰ θλίψεως ἦλθε, σὺ δὲ δι' ἀνέσεως, οὐκέτι τὴν αὐτὴν βαδίζεις ὁδὸν, ἣν ἐκεῖνος ἐβάδισεν, ἀλλ' ἑτέραν. Πῶς οὖν ἀκολουθεῖς, μὴ ἀκολουθῶν; πῶς εἶ μαθητὴς, μὴ τῷ διδασκάλῳ ἑπόμενος; Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ἡμεῖς ἄτιμοι, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔντιμοι. Ἢ πῶς ἔχει λόγον, φησὶ, τἀναντία ἡμᾶς ζηλοῦν, καὶ ὑμᾶς μὲν εἶναι μαθητὰς, ἡμᾶς δὲ διδασκάλους; Μέγα ἄρα θλῖψις, ἀγαπητοί· δύο γὰρ τὰ μέγιστα κατορθοῖ, καὶ ἁμαρτίας ἐξαλείφει, καὶ στεῤῥοὺς ποιεῖ. δʹ. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἂν περιτρέψῃ καὶ ἀπολέσῃ; Οὐχ ἡ θλῖψις τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἡ ἡμετέρα νωθεία. Πῶς, φησίν; Ἐὰν γὰρ νήφωμεν, ἐὰν τὸν Θεὸν