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which is about to fall? So this I say now also, let us not build in this world; it will fall a little later, and all things will be destroyed. But why do I say, it will fall? before its fall we will be destroyed and suffer terrible things, we will be beside ourselves. Why do we build upon the sand? Let us build upon the rock; for whatever comes upon it, that building remains indestructible, nothing will be able to take it, and reasonably so; for that place is inaccessible to all such plots, just as the place here is accessible; for both earthquakes and fires and the attack of enemies take it from us while we are alive, and often destroy us along with it. And when it itself stands, then either sickness has carried us away sooner, or it does not allow us who remain to enjoy it properly; for what pleasure is there, where there are sicknesses, and slanders, and envy, and plots? Or if none of these things is the trouble, often not having children, we are distressed, we are impatient, not having ones to whom we might hand over our houses and all other things; and we are worn out then as if toiling for others; and often the inheritance has even gone to enemies, not only when we have departed, but even while we are living. What then is more wretched than to labor for enemies, and for oneself to collect sins so that they may have rest? and many examples of this are seen in the cities; and I am silent, so as not to grieve those who have been deprived; since I would have mentioned some of them by name, and I had many stories to tell, and many houses to show you, which received as masters the enemies of those who toiled for them; and not houses only, but also slaves and the entire inheritance often passed over to enemies. For such are human affairs. But in the heavens there is no fear of these things, lest an enemy of the deceased should come and receive the inheritance; for neither is there death there, nor enmity; the tents of the saints are alone; and in those saints there is exultation, joy, gladness; For the voice, it says, of rejoicing is in the tents of the righteous. They are eternal, having no end. These do not fall with time, they do not change owners, but they stand in a perpetual prime, and reasonably so; 63.223 for there is nothing perishable or subject to fate there, but all things are immortal and incorruptible. Therefore let us empty our wealth into this building; we have no need of carpenters, nor of laborers; the hands of the poor build such houses, the lame, the blind, the maimed; these build those houses. And do not be surprised, where these indeed procure a kingdom for us, and give us boldness towards God. For almsgiving is a certain most excellent art, and a protectress of those who practice it; for she is a friend to God, and stands near him, easily asking for grace for whomsoever she wishes, only if she is not wronged by us; and she is wronged, when we practice her out of extortion; as if it is pure, it gives much boldness to those who send it up. So great is its strength, that it intercedes even for those who have given offense, and for those who have sinned. This one breaks the bonds, dispels the darkness, extinguishes the fire, kills the worm, drives away the gnashing of teeth; by this one the gates of the heavens are opened with great fearlessness. And just as when a queen enters, none of the guards stationed at the doors will dare to examine who she is and from where, but all immediately receive her; so indeed also almsgiving; for she is truly a queen, making men like God. For you shall be, he says, merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful. She is winged and light, having golden wings, having a flight that greatly delights the angels. There, it says, are the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her pinions with the pale green of gold. For just as some golden and living dove, she flies, having a gentle eye, a tame eye. Nothing is better than that eye. The peacock also is beautiful, but compared to her it is a jackdaw; so this bird is some beautiful and wondrous thing. She always looks upward, she is surrounded by the great glory of God; she is a virgin having golden wings, well-robed, white

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τῇ μελλούσῃ καταπίπτειν; Ὥστε τοῦτο καὶ νῦν λέγω, μὴ οἰκοδομῶμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ· πεσεῖται μικρὸν ὕστερον, καὶ πάντα ἀπολεῖται. Τί δὲ λέγω, πεσεῖται; πρὸ τῆς πτώσεως ἡμεῖς ἀπολούμεθα καὶ δεινὰ πεισόμεθα, ἡμεῖς αὐτῶν ἐκστησόμεθα. Τί οἰκοδομοῦμεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον; Οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν· ὅπερ γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπέλθῃ, ἀνάλωτος ἐκείνη μένει ἡ οἰκοδομὴ, οὐδὲν αὐτὴν δυνήσεται ἑλεῖν, εἰκότως· πάσαις γὰρ ἐπιβουλαῖς τοιαύταις ἄβατος ὁ χῶρος ἐκεῖνος, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ ἐνταῦθα βατός· καὶ γὰρ σεισμοὶ καὶ ἐμπρησμοὶ καὶ πολεμίων ἔφοδος καὶ ζῶντας ἡμᾶς ἀφαιρεῖται αὐτὴν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ μετ' αὐτῆς ἀπόλλυσιν. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ ἑστήκῃ, τότε ἡμᾶς ἢ νόσος ἀπήγαγε θᾶττον, ἢ μένοντας οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτῆς ἀπολαῦσαι καλῶς· ποία γὰρ ἡδονὴ, ἔνθα νόσοι, καὶ συκοφαντίαι, καὶ φθόνος, καὶ ἐπιβουλαί; Ἢ εἰ μηδὲν τούτων ᾖ τὸ ἐνοχλοῦν, παιδία πολλάκις μὴ ἔχοντες, ἀλύομεν, δυσανασχετοῦμεν, οὐκ ἔχοντες οἷς παραδῶμεν τὰς οἰκίας καὶ τἄλλα πάντα· καὶ κατατρυχόμεθα λοιπὸν ὡς ἑτέροις πονοῦντες· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἦλθεν ὁ κλῆρος, οὐκ ἀπελθόντων μόνον ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζώντων. Τί τοίνυν ἀθλιώτερον τοῦ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς κάμνειν, καὶ ἵνα ἐκεῖνοι ἀναπαύσωνται, αὐτοὺς ἁμαρτίας συλλέγειν; καὶ τούτου τὰ ὑποδείγματα πολλὰ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ὁρᾶται· καὶ σιγῶ, ἵνα μὴ λυπήσω τοὺς ἀπεστερημένους· ἐπεὶ εἶπον ἂν ὀνομαστὶ καί τινας ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ πολλὰ εἶχον διηγήματα εἰπεῖν, καὶ πολλὰς ὑποδεῖξαι οἰκίας ὑμῖν, αἳ κυρίους ἔλαβον τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τῶν περὶ αὐτὰς πονησάντων· οὐκ οἰκίαι δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ ἅπας ὁ κλῆρος πολλάκις εἰς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς περιῆλθε. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα. Ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δὲ οὐδὲν ἔστι δεῖσαι τούτων, μὴ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ἕτερος ἔλθῃ ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ τὸν κλῆρον διαδέξηται· οὔτε γὰρ θάνατός ἐστιν ἐκεῖ. οὔτε ἀπέχθεια· αἱ σκηναὶ τῶν ἁγίων εἰσὶ μόναι· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐκείνοις ἀγαλλίασις, χαρὰ, εὐφροσύνη· Φωνὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀγαλλιάσεως ἐν σκηναῖς δικαίων. Αἰώνιοί εἰσι, τέλος οὐκ ἔχουσαι. Οὐχ αὗται τῷ χρόνῳ καταπίπτουσιν, οὐ τοὺς κεκτημένους ἀμείβουσιν, ἀλλ' ἑστήκασιν ἐν ἀκμῇ διηνεκεῖ, εἰκότως· 63.223 οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τι φθαρτὸν οὐδὲ ἐπίκηρον ἐκεῖ, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀθάνατα καὶ ἀκήρατα. Οὐκοῦν κενώσωμεν εἰς ταύτην τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τὰ χρήματα· οὐ δεῖ τεκτόνων ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ ἐργατῶν· αἱ τῶν πενήτων χεῖρες τὰς τοιαύτας οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἰκίας, οἱ χωλοὶ, οἱ τυφλοὶ, οἱ ἀνάπηροι· οὗτοι ἐκείνας τὰς οἰκίας οἰκοδομοῦσι. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, ὅπου γε καὶ βασιλείαν ἡμῖν οὗτοι προξενοῦσι, καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἡμῖν διδόασι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ἡ γὰρ ἐλεημοσύνη τέχνη τίς ἐστιν ἀρίστη, καὶ προστάτις τῶν ἐργαζομένων αὐτήν· φίλη γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστι, καὶ πλησίον ἕστηκεν αὐτοῦ, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἂν βούληται, εὐκόλως αἰτοῦσα χάριν, μόνον ἂν μὴ ἀδικῆται παρ' ἡμῶν· ἀδικεῖται δὲ, ὅταν ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς αὐτὴν ἐργαζώμεθα· ὡς ἐὰν ᾖ καθαρὰ, πολλὴν τοῖς ἀναπέμπουσιν αὐτὴν δίδωσι τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Τοσαύτη αὐτῆς ἡ ἰσχὺς, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ προσκεκρουκότων δεῖται, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμαρτηκότων. Αὕτη διαῤῥήγνυσι τὰ δεσμὰ, λύει τὸ σκότος, σβέννυσι τὸ πῦρ, θανατοῖ τὸν σκώληκα, ἀπελαύνει τὸν τῶν ὀδόντων βρυγμόν· ταύτῃ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀδείας ἀνοίγονται τῶν οὐρανῶν αἱ πύλαι. Καὶ ὥσπερ βασιλίδος εἰσιούσης οὐδεὶς τολμήσει τῶν φυλάκων τῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις τεταγμένων ἐξετάσαι τίς εἴη καὶ πόθεν, ἀλλὰ πάντες εὐθέως ὑποδέχονται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην· βασιλὶς γάρ ἐστιν ὄντως, ὁμοίους ἀνθρώπους ποιοῦσα Θεῷ. Ἔσεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος οἰκτίρμων ἐστίν. Ὑπόπτερός ἐστι καὶ κούφη, πτέρυγας ἔχουσα χρυσᾶς, πτῆσιν ἔχουσα πάνυ τέρπουσαν τοὺς ἀγγέλους. Ἐκεῖ, φησὶ, Πτέρυγες περιστερᾶς περιηργυρωμέναι, καὶ τὰ μετάφρενα αὐτῆς ἐν χλωρότητι χρυσίου. Καθάπερ γὰρ περιστερά τις χρυσῆ καὶ ζῶσα, πέταται, ὄμμα προσηνὲς ἔχουσα, ὀφθαλμὸν ἥμερον. Οὐδὲν τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ ἐκείνου βέλτιον. Καλός ἐστι καὶ ὁ ταὼς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἐκείνην κολοιός ἐστιν· οὕτως ἡ ὄρνις αὕτη καλή τίς ἐστι καὶ θαυμαστή. Ἄνω διὰ παντὸς ὁρᾷ, πολλῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ δόξῃ περιστοιχίζεται· παρθένος ἐστὶ πτέρυγας ἔχουσα χρυσᾶς, περιεσταλμένη, λευκὸν