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let us then practice not this, but that; let us hold fast to that, so that we may go forth with bright lamps to the bridal chamber. For this is not promised to virgins only, but to virgin souls; since, if this were simply for virgins, the five would not have been shut out. This, then, is for all who are virgins in soul, all who are freed from worldly thoughts; for these thoughts corrupt souls. 63.202 If, then, we remain undefiled, we will go forth there and be received. For I have betrothed you, he says, to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. He did not say these things to virgins, but to the whole body of the Church. For she who is incorrupt in soul is a virgin, even if she has a husband; she is a virgin in the true virginity, the marvelous one; for this virginity of the body is a consequence and shadow of that one, but that is the true virginity. Let us practice this, and thus we will be able to see the Bridegroom with a bright countenance, to enter with bright lamps, if the oil does not fail us, if, having melted down our gold, we produce such oil as makes the lamps bright; and that oil is loving-kindness. If we give what we have to others, if we make it into oil, then it will stand by us, and we will not say at that time, ‘Give us oil, for our lamps are going out,’ nor will we need others, nor, having gone to those who sell, will we be shut out, nor will we hear that voice, fearful and terrible, as we knock at the doors: ‘I do not know you;’ but He will recognize us, and we will enter in with the Bridegroom, and having entered into the spiritual bridal chamber, we will enjoy countless good things. For if here the bridal chamber is so bright, the bridal beds so splendid, that no one who gives heed is sated; how much more so there? Heaven is the chamber, and the bridal chamber is better than heaven; there we will enter. And if the bridal chamber is so beautiful, what then will the Bridegroom be? And why do I say, having put away gold, let us give to those in need? for if we had to sell even ourselves, if we had to become slaves instead of free, so as to be able to be with that Bridegroom, to enjoy that beauty, only to look upon that face; ought we not to accept all things with eagerness? And to see a king on earth only, we often throw away even what is in our hands to see him, even things that are necessary; but for one who is both King and Bridegroom in heaven, so as not only to be deemed worthy to see, but also to go before Him with lamps, and to be near Him, and to be with Him always, what should we not do? what not perform? what not endure? Therefore, I beseech you, let us take up some longing for those good things, let us long for that Bridegroom, let us be virgins in the true virginity; for the Master seeks the virginity of the soul. With this let us enter into heaven, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, so that we may obtain the good things promised to us; of which may we all be partakers, by grace and loving-kindness.

HOMILY 29. You have not yet resisted to the point of blood, striving against sin;

and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him. For whom the Lord loves, He chastens; and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 1. There are two kinds of exhortation, which seem to be contrary to each other, but contribute much strength to each other; both of which he has placed here. For the one is, when we say that certain persons have suffered many things; for the soul is refreshed when it has many witnesses of its own sufferings; which he placed above, saying, Remember the

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τοίνυν τοῦτο ἀσκῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο· ἐκείνου ἐχώμεθα, ἵνα μετὰ λαμπάδων φαιδρῶν ἀπέλθωμεν εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα. Οὐ γὰρ ταῖς παρθένοις τοῦτο ἐπήγγελται μόνον, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ταῖς παρθένοις· ἐπεὶ, εἰ παρθένων ἦν ἁπλῶς τοῦτο, οὐκ ἂν αἱ πέντε ἀπεκλείσθησαν. Πασῶν τοίνυν ἐστὶ τοῦτο ὅσαι τὴν ψυχήν εἰσι παρθένοι, ὅσαι τῶν νοημάτων τῶν βιωτικῶν εἰσιν ἀπηλλαγμέναι· φθείρουσι γὰρ τὰς ψυχὰς 63.202 τὰ νοήματα ταῦτα. Ἐὰν τοίνυν ἀκέραιοι μένωμεν, ἀπελευσόμεθα ἐκεῖ καὶ δεχθησόμεθα. Ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ, παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ. Ταῦτα οὐ πρὸς τὰς παρθένους εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἁπάσης. Ἡ γὰρ ἄφθορος ψυχὴν παρθένος ἐστὶ, κἂν ἄνδρα ἔχῃ· παρθένος ἐστὶ τὴν ὄντως παρθενίαν, τὴν θαυμαστήν· αὕτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἐκείνης ἐστὶν ἐπακολούθημα καὶ σκιὰ, ἡ δὲ ἀληθὴς παρθενία ἐκείνη ἐστί. Ταύτην ἀσκῶμεν, καὶ οὕτω δυνησόμεθα μετὰ φαιδροῦ προσώπου τὸν νυμφίον ἰδεῖν, μετὰ φαιδρῶν εἰσελθεῖν τῶν λαμπάδων, ἐὰν τὸ ἔλαιον ἡμᾶς μὴ ἐπιλίπῃ, ἐὰν τὰ χρυσία χωνεύσασαι ἔλαιον ἐργασώμεθα τοιοῦτον, ὃ ποιεῖ φαιδρὰς τὰς λαμπάδας· τὸ δὲ ἔλαιον ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν ἡ φιλανθρωπία. Ἐὰν ἑτέροις μεταδῶμεν τὰ ὄντα, ἐὰν ἔλαιον αὐτὰ ἐργασώμεθα, τότε ἡμῶν προστήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐροῦμεν ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ, ∆ότε ἡμῖν ἔλαιον ὅτι σβέννυνται ἡμῶν αἱ λαμπάδες, οὐδὲ ἑτέρων δεηθησόμεθα, οὐδὲ ἀπελθοῦσαι πρὸς τοὺς πωλοῦντας, ἀποκλεισθησόμεθα, οὐδὲ ἀκουσόμεθα τῆς φωνῆς ἐκείνης τῆς φοβερᾶς καὶ φρικτῆς, κρούουσαι τὰς θύρας· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ' ἐπιγνώσεται ἡμᾶς, καὶ συνεισελευσόμεθα τῷ νυμφίῳ, καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα τὸν πνευματικὸν, μυρίων ἀπολαύσομεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα οὕτω φαιδρὸς ὁ νυμφὼν, οὕτω λαμπραὶ αἱ παστάδες, ὡς μηδένα κορέννυσθαι προσέχοντα· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖ; Θάλαμός ἐστιν ὁ οὐρανὸς, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ νυμφὼν βελτίων· ἐκεῖ εἰσελευσόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ ὁ νυμφὼν οὕτω καλὸς, τίς ἄρα ἔσται ὁ νυμφίος; Καὶ τί λέγω τὰ χρυσία ἀποθέμεναι μεταδῶμεν τοῖς δεομένοις; εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὰς πωλεῖν ἐχρῆν, εἰ γὰρ ἀντ' ἐλευθέρων γενέσθαι δούλας, ὥστε δυνηθῆναι μετ' ἐκείνου εἶναι τοῦ νυμφίου, τοῦ κάλλους ἀπολαύειν ἐκείνου, μόνον ὁρᾷν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐκείνου· οὐκ ἐχρῆν μετὰ προθυμίας ἅπαντα καταδέξασθαι; Καὶ βασιλέα μὲν τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς ἵνα μόνον ἴδωμεν, πολλάκις ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶ ῥίπτομεν, καὶ ἀναγκαῖα ὄντα· ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέα καὶ νυμφίον ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀμφότερα ὄντα, ὥστε μὴ μόνον καταξιωθῆναι ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προηγεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ μετὰ λαμπάδων, καὶ ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ εἶναι, καὶ διαπαντὸς εἶναι μετ' αὐτοῦ, τί οὐκ ἔδει ποιεῖν; τί δὲ οὐ πράττειν; τί δὲ οὐχ ὑπομένειν; ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, λάβωμέν τινα πόθον ἐκείνων τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ποθήσωμεν ἐκεῖνον τὸν νυμφίον, ὦμεν παρθένοι τὴν ἀληθῆ παρθενίαν· τὴν γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς παρθενίαν ἐπιζητεῖ ὁ ∆εσπότης. Μετὰ ταύτης εἰσέλθωμεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, μὴ ἔχοντες σπῖλον, ἢ ῥυτίδα, ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἵνα καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς μετασχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΘʹ. Οὔπω μέχρις αἵματος ἀντικατέστητε πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνταγωνιζόμενοι·

καὶ ἐκλέλησθε τῆς παρακλήσεως, ἥτις ὑμῖν ὡς υἱοῖς διαλέγεται· Υἱέ μου, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας Κυρίου, μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος. Ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, παιδεύει· μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν, ὃν παραδέχεται. Εἰ παιδείαν ὑπομένετε, ὡς υἱοῖς ὑμῖν προσφέρεται ὁ Θεός. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν υἱὸς ὃν οὐ παιδεύει πατήρ; αʹ. Ἔστιν εἴδη παρακλήσεως δύο, ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις εἶναι δοκοῦντα, πολλὴν δὲ ἑαυτοῖς συνεισφέροντα τὴν ἰσχύν· ἅπερ ἀμφότερα ἐνταῦθα τέθεικε. Τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν, ὅταν πολλὰ λέγωμεν πεπονθέναι τινάς· ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ διαναπαύεται, ὅταν ἔχῃ τῶν οἰκείων παθῶν μάρτυρας πολλούς· ὅπερ ἀνωτέρω ἔθηκεν εἰπὼν, Ἀναμιμνήσκεσθε τὰς