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friendship accomplishes, so much has persistence accomplished. Therefore, do not say, “God is my enemy, and he will not listen.” He immediately answers you who persistently bother him: even if not for being a friend, then for your persistence; and neither enmity, nor the inopportune time, nor anything else becomes an obstacle. Do not say, “I am not worthy, and I do not pray”; for the Syrophoenician woman was such a one. Do not say, “I have sinned much, and I cannot beseech the one who is angered”; for God does not look at worthiness, but at disposition. For if the widow swayed the judge who did not fear God, nor was ashamed before men, much more will constant intercession draw the good one. So even if you are not a friend, even if you do not ask for what is owed, even if you have devoured your father's property, and have been out of sight for a long time, even if you are dishonored, even if you are the least of all, even if you approach one who is angry, even if one who is indignant; only be willing to pray and to return, and you will receive all things, and you will immediately extinguish the anger and the condemnation. But behold, he says, I pray, and nothing more happens. For you do not pray like them; I mean, like the Syrophoenician woman, and the friend who came at an untimely hour, and the widow who constantly bothered the judge, and the son who consumed his father's property. For if you prayed thus, you would have quickly succeeded. For even if he was insulted, he is a father; and if he is angry, he loves his children; and he seeks one thing only, not to take vengeance for the insults, but to see you repenting and beseeching. 2. Would that we too were so inflamed, as those bowels are stirred up for love of us. But this fire seeks only an occasion; and if you provide it a small spark, you kindle a whole flame of beneficence. For he is not indignant because he is insulted, but because you are the one who insults, and by this become insolent. For if we, being evil, when our children insult us, grieve for them, much more does God, who cannot even be insulted, feel indignation for you the insulter. If we who love by nature, much more He who is affectionate beyond nature. For even if a woman should forget, he says, the children of her womb, yet I will not forget you. Let us therefore approach 57.307 him and say: Yes, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Let us approach in season, out of season; or rather, it is never out of season to approach; for it is out of season not to approach continually. For to ask of one who desires to give is always in season. For just as breathing is never out of season, so neither is asking, but not to ask is out of season. For just as we need this breath, so also do we need help from him; and if we wish, we will easily draw him to us. And the prophet, declaring this, and showing the ever-readiness of his beneficence, said: We shall find him ready as the morning. For as often as we approach, we shall see him awaiting what is from us. But if we draw nothing from his gushing virtue, the fault is entirely ours. This, indeed, he also said when accusing the Jews: But my mercy is as a morning cloud, and as a morning dew that passes away. And what he says is this: I, for my part, have provided all things; but you, just as the hot sun coming on strikes and hides the cloud and the dew, so through your great wickedness you have restrained the ineffable generosity. Which is itself again a matter of providence. For when he sees even the unworthy to receive good, he withholds his benefactions, 57.308 that he may not make us slothful. But if we change a little, and so much as to know that we have sinned, he gushes forth beyond the springs, he is poured out beyond the sea; and the more you receive, the more he rejoices; and by this he is stirred up again to give more. For indeed he considers our salvation his own wealth, and to give lavishly to those who ask; which is what Paul also declared, saying: Rich unto all and upon all that call upon him. For when we do not ask, then he is angry; when we do not ask, then he turns away. For this reason he became poor, that we might be made rich

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ἀνύει ἡ φιλία, τοσαῦτα ἤνυσεν ἡ προσεδρεία. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε, ὅτι Ἐχθρός μού ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούσεται. Εὐθέως σοι ἀποκρίνεται συνεχῶς ἐνοχλοῦντι· εἰ καὶ μὴ διὰ τὸ εἶναι φίλον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ προσεδρεύειν· καὶ οὔτε ἡ ἔχθρα, οὔτε ἡ ἀκαιρία, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν γίνεται κώλυμα. Μὴ εἴπῃς, Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος, καὶ οὐκ εὔχομαι· καὶ γὰρ ἡ Συροφοινίκισσα τοιαύτη ἦν. Μὴ εἴπῃς, ὅτι Πολλὰ ἥμαρτον, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν ὠργισμένον· οὐ γὰρ τὴν ἀξίαν ὁ Θεὸς σκοπεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν γνώμην. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ἄρχοντα τὸν τὸν Θεὸν μὴ φοβούμενον, μηδὲ ἀνθρώπους αἰσχυνόμενον ἔκαμψεν ἡ χήρα· πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐπισπάσεται ἡ συνεχὴς ἔντευξις. Ὥστε κἂν μὴ φίλος ᾖς, κἂν μὴ τὰ ὀφειλόμενα ἀπαιτῇς, κἂν τὰ πατρῷα κατεδηδοκὼς ᾖς, καὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἐξ ὄψεως γενόμενος, κἂν ἄτιμος, κἂν πάντων ἔσχατος, κἂν ὀργιζομένῳ, κἂν ἀγανακτοῦντι προσέλθῃς· θέλησον μόνον εὔξασθαι καὶ ἐπανελθεῖν, καὶ πάντα ἀπολήψῃ, καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὴν καταδίκην σβέσεις εὐθέως. Ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ εὔχομαι, φησὶ, καὶ οὐδὲν γίνεται πλέον. Οὐ γὰρ εὔχῃ κατ' ἐκείνους· οἷον τὴν Συροφοινίκισσαν λέγω, καὶ τὸν φίλον τὸν ἀωρὶ παραγενόμενον, καὶ τὴν χήραν τὴν συνεχῶς ἐνοχλοῦσαν τὸν δικαστὴν, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τὸν τὰ πατρῷα καταναλώσαντα. Εἰ γὰρ οὕτως ηὔχου, ταχέως ἐπετύγχανες. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ ὑβρίσθη, πατήρ ἐστι· καὶ εἰ ὤργισται, φιλόπαις ἐστί· καὶ ἓν ζητεῖ μόνον, οὐ δίκην λαβεῖν τῶν ὕβρεων, ἀλλ' ἰδεῖν σε μεταμελόμενον καὶ παρακαλοῦντα. ʹ. Ὄφελον καὶ ἡμεῖς οὕτω διεθερμάνθημεν, ὡς ἐκεῖνα τὰ σπλάγχνα πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην διανίσταται τὴν ἡμετέραν. Ἀλλ' ἀφορμὴν ἐπιζητεῖ μόνον τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ· κἂν μικρὸν αὐτῷ παράσχῃς σπινθῆρα, ὁλόκληρον ἀνάπτεις φλόγα εὐεργεσίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ὕβρισται, ἀγανακτεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σὺ ὁ ὑβρίζων εἶ, καὶ ταύτῃ γινόμενος πάροινος. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες, τῶν παίδων ὑβριζόντων, ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ἀλγοῦμεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ μηδὲ ὑβρισθῆναι δυνάμενος, ὑπὲρ σοῦ τοῦ ὑβρικότος ἀγανακτεῖ. Εἰ ἡμεῖς οἱ φύσει ἀγαπῶντες, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ ὑπὲρ φύσιν φιλόστοργος. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτο, φησὶ, γυνὴ τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαί σου. Προσέλθωμεν τοίνυν 57.307 αὐτῷ καὶ εἴπωμεν· Ναὶ, Κύριε· καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυρίων αὐτῶν. Προσέλθωμεν εὐκαίρως, ἀκαίρως· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδέποτε ἔστιν ἀκαίρως προσελθεῖν· ἄκαιρον γὰρ τὸ μὴ διηνεκῶς προσιέναι. Τὸν γὰρ ἐπιθυμοῦντα διδόναι διαπαντὸς εὔκαιρον αἰτεῖν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ ἀναπνεῖν οὐδέποτε ἄκαιρον, οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸ αἰτεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ αἰτεῖν ἄκαιρον. Καὶ γὰρ καθάπερ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς δεόμεθα ταύτης, οὕτω καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ βοηθείας· κἂν θέλωμεν, ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν ἐπισπασόμεθα. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ὁ προφήτης, καὶ δεικνὺς τῆς εὐεργεσίας τὸ ἀεὶ παρεσκευασμένον, ἔλεγεν· Ὡς ὄρθρον ἕτοιμον εὑρήσομεν αὐτόν. Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἂν προσέλθωμεν, ἀναμένοντα τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ὀψόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς πηγαζούσης αὐτοῦ ἀρετῆς ἀρυόμεθα, ἡμέτερον τὸ ἔγκλημα ἅπαν. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ Ἰουδαίοις ἐγκαλῶν ἔλεγε· Τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου ὡς νεφέλη πρωϊνὴ, καὶ ὡς δρόσος ὀρθρινὴ παραπορευομένη. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐγὼ μὲν τὰ παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ ἅπαντα παρέσχον· ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὥσπερ ἥλιος θερμὸς ἐπιὼν καὶ τὴν νεφέλην καὶ τὴν δρόσον διακρούεται καὶ ἀποκρύπτει, οὕτω διὰ τῆς πολλῆς πονηρίας τὴν ἄφατον ἀνεστείλατε φιλοτιμίαν. Ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν προνοίας ἐστίν. Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ ἀναξίους ἴδῃ τοῦ παθεῖν εὖ, ἐπέχει τὰς εὐεργε 57.308 σίας, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳθύμους ἡμᾶς ἐργάσηται. Ἂν δὲ μεταβαλώμεθα μικρὸν, καὶ τοσοῦτον ὅσον γνῶναι ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν, ὑπὲρ τὰς πηγὰς ἀναβλύζει, ὑπὲρ τὸ πέλαγος χεῖται· καὶ ὅσῳ ἂν πλείονα λάβῃς, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον χαίρει· καὶ ταύτῃ πρὸς τὸ πλείονα δοῦναι διανίσταται πάλιν. Καὶ γὰρ πλοῦτον οἰκεῖον τὴν ἡμετέραν ἡγεῖται σωτηρίαν, καὶ τὸ δοῦναι δαψιλῶς τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Πλουτῶν εἰς πάντας καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν. Ὅταν γὰρ μὴ αἰτήσωμεν, τότε ὀργίζεται· ὅταν μὴ αἰτήσωμεν. τότε ἀποστρέφεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπτώχευσεν, ἵνα ἡμᾶς πλουσίους