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we labor? Because you did not bear not laboring moderately; or rather, if one were to examine it with accuracy, idleness is otherwise accustomed to corrupt us, and to cause much labor. And if you wish, let us shut up a man, feeding him only, and filling his belly, neither allowing him to walk, nor sending him out to work; but let him enjoy his table and bed, and live in luxury continually; and what could be more wretched than this life? But to work, he says, is one thing, and to labor is another. But then it was possible to work without labors. And is this possible, he says? Yes, it is possible; God also willed this, but you did not endure it. For this reason, then, He placed you to work in paradise, appointing work, but not mixing in labor. For if man had labored from the beginning, He would not have imposed this as part of a punishment afterwards. For it is possible both to work and not to be distressed, just as the angels do. For that they work, hear what he says: Mighty in strength, doing His word. For now the lack of strength causes much labor; but then this was not so. For he who has entered into His rest, He rested, he says, from his works, as God from His own; not speaking of idleness here, but of not laboring. For God is still working even now, as Christ says: My Father is working until now, and I am working. For this reason I exhort you, having put aside all things of negligence, to be zealous for virtue. For of vice the pleasure is brief, but the sorrow perpetual; but of virtue, on the contrary, the joy is ageless, and the labor temporary. And the former, even before the crowns, relaxes her own worker, feeding him with hopes; but the latter, even before the punishment, chastises her own worker, choking and terrifying the conscience, and causing him to suspect all things. And yet, worse than how many labors, how many sweats are these things! But if these things were not so, and there was pleasure, what is more worthless than that pleasure? For it no sooner appears than it flies away, withering and fleeing before it can be grasped, whether you speak of the pleasures of the body, or of luxury, or of 59.207 wealth; for they do not cease to grow old day by day. But when there is also chastisement and punishment, what could be more wretched than those who pursue this? Knowing these things, therefore, let us endure all things for the sake of virtue. For thus we shall also 59.208 enjoy true pleasure, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen. 59.207 HOMILY 37. Jesus says to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Yes, Lord; but I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled." 1. Great is the gain of the divine Scriptures, and lasting the benefit from them. And showing this, Paul said: For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come; that through the patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. For the divine oracles are a treasury of all kinds of medicines; so that whether one must quench despair, or put desire to sleep, or trample on the love of money, or despise pain, or implant cheerfulness, and furnish patience, one might find abundant opportunity from hence. For who, whether of those wrestling with long poverty, or of those held by a grievous disease, having read the passage before us, will not receive much comfort? For this man, remaining paralyzed for thirty-eight years, and each year seeing others being released, but himself held by the disease, did not even so fall back and despair; and yet not only the despondency from the past, but also the hopelessness of the future was sufficient to prostrate him. Hear then what he says, and learn the magnitude of the tragedy. For when Christ said, Do you want to be made well? Yes, Lord, he answered; but I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled. What could be more pitiful than these words? what more pathetic than the circumstances? Have you seen a heart crushed by the

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πονοῦμεν; Ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὴ πονεῖν οὐκ ἤνεγκας μετρίως· μᾶλλον δὲ εἴ τις μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξετάσειε, καὶ ἄλλως ἡ ἀργία διαφθείρειν ἡμᾶς εἴωθε, καὶ πολὺν παρέχειν τὸν πόνον. Καὶ εἰ βούλει, συγκλείσωμεν ἄνδρα, τρέφοντες αὐτὸν μόνον, καὶ γαστρίζοντες, μήτε βαδίζειν αὐτὸν ἐῶντες, μηδὲ εἰς ἔργον ἐξάγοντες· ἀλλ' ἀπολαυέτω τραπέζης καὶ κλίνης, καὶ τρυφάτω διηνεκῶς· καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς ζωῆς ἀθλιώτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ἀλλ' ἕτερον τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι, φησὶ, καὶ ἕτερον τὸ πονεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἦν τότε ἐργάζεσθαι χωρὶς πόνων. Καὶ ἔνι, φησὶ, τοῦτο; Ναὶ, ἔνι· τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἠθέλησεν, ἀλλὰ σὺ οὐκ ἠνέσχου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔθηκε γοῦν σε ἐργάζεσθαι τὸν παράδεισον, ἐργασίαν μὲν ὁρίσας, πόνον δὲ οὐκ ἀναμίξας. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἴπερ ἐπόνει παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο ἐν ἐπιτιμίου μέρει μετὰ ταῦτα ἔθηκεν. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι, ὥσπερ οἱ ἄγγελοι. Ὅτι γὰρ ἐργάζονται, ἄκουσον τί φησι· ∆υνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἰσχύος ἔνδεια πολὺν τὸν πόνον ποιεῖ· τότε δὲ οὐκέτι τοῦτο ἦν. Ὁ γὰρ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ, Κατέπαυσε, φησὶ, ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ὁ Θεός· οὐκ ἀργίαν λέγων ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ πονεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐργάζεται, καθὼς ὁ Χριστός φησιν· Ὁ Πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται, κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παραινῶ, πάντα ἀποθεμένους τὰ τῆς ὀλιγωρίας, ζηλοῦν τὴν ἀρετήν. Τῆς μὲν γὰρ κακίας ἡ ἡδονὴ βραχεῖα, ἡ δὲ λύπη διηνεκής· τῆς δὲ ἀρετῆς τοὐναντίον ἀγήρως ἡ χαρὰ, καὶ πρόσκαιρος ὁ πόνος. Κἀκείνη μὲν καὶ πρὸ τῶν στεφάνων τὸν ἐργάτην ἀνίησι τὸν ἑαυτῆς, ταῖς ἐλπίσι τρέφουσα· αὕτη δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κολάσεως τιμωρεῖται τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἐργάτην, τὸ συνειδὸς ἄγχουσα καὶ ἐκδειματοῦσα, καὶ πάντα ὑποπτεύειν παρασκευάζουσα. Καίτοι πόσων ταῦτα πόνων, πόσων ἱδρώτων χείρονα! Εἰ δὲ μὴ ταῦτα ἦν, ἡδονὴ δὲ ἦν· τί τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐκείνης εὐτελέστερον; Ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ φαίνεται, καὶ ἀφίπταται μαραινομένη, καὶ φεύγουσα πρὸ τοῦ κατασχεθῆναι, κἂν τὴν τῶν σωμάτων εἴπῃς, κἂν τὴν τῆς τρυφῆς, κἂν τὴν τῶν 59.207 χρημάτων· οὐ παύονται γὰρ καθ' ἡμέραν γηρῶσαι. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ κόλασις ᾖ καὶ τιμωρία, τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀθλιώτερον τῶν ταύτην μετιόντων; Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, ἅπαντα ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὑπομένωμεν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ 59.208 τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἡδονῆς ἀπολαύσομεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.207 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΖʹ. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· «Θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι·» Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἀσθενῶν· «Ναὶ, Κύριε· ἄν θρωπον δὲ οὐκ ἔχω, ἵνα, ὅταν ταραχθῇ τὸ ὕδωρ, βάλῃ με εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν.» αʹ. Μέγα τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τὸ κέρδος, καὶ διαρκὴς ἡ ἐξ αὐτῶν ὠφέλεια. Καὶ τοῦτο δεικνὺς ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη, εἰς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν προεγράφη, εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησεν· ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωμεν. Παντοδαπῶν γάρ ἐστι φαρμάκων θησαυρὸς τὰ θεῖα λόγια· ὥστε κἂν ἀπόνοιαν σβέσαι δέῃ, κἂν ἐπιθυμίαν κοιμίσαι, κἂν τὸν τῶν χρημάτων καταπατῆσαι ἔρωτα, κἂν ὀδύνην ὑπεριδεῖν, κἂν εὐθυμίαν ἐνθεῖναι, καὶ ὑπομονὴν κατασκευάσαι, πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἄν τις εὕροι τὴν ἀφορμήν. Τίς γὰρ ἢ τῶν πενίᾳ μακρᾷ παλαιόντων, ἢ τῶν νόσῳ χαλεπῇ κεκρατημένων, ἀναγνοὺς τὸ προκείμενον χωρίον, οὐ πολλὴν δέξεται τὴν παράκλησιν; Τριάκοντα γὰρ καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη παράλυτος μένων οὗτος, καὶ καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος ἑτέρους μὲν ἀπαλλαττομένους ὁρῶν, ἑαυτὸν δὲ κατεχόμενον τῷ νοσήματι, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀνέπεσε καὶ ἀπέγνω· καίτοι γε οὐ μόνον ἡ τῶν παρελθόντων ἀθυμία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τῶν μελλόντων ἀνελπιστία ἱκανὴ ἦν αὐτὸν κατατεῖναι. Ἄκουσον γοῦν οἷά φησι, καὶ μάθε τῆς τραγῳδίας τὸ μέγεθος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς, Θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι; Ναὶ, Κύριε, ἀπεκρίθη· ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω, ἵνα, ὅταν ταραχθῇ τὸ ὕδωρ, βάλῃ με εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν. Τί τούτων τῶν ῥημάτων ἐλεεινότερον γένοιτ' ἄν; τί τῶν πραγμάτων περιπαθέστερον; Εἶδες καρδίαν συντετριμμένην ὑπὸ τῆς