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to become more perfect, and those who live according to the law to the evangelical way of life, those who knew Christ according to the flesh to the point of beholding his glory, a glory as of the only-begotten from the Father; those who know in part because they are on earth and do not comprehend the purest form of knowledge—when the perfect kind of contemplation has come to know as one ought to know, proceeding from a lesser power of understanding to a greater and more perfect power. 847 Ps 83,10b More simply, each of the saints, and rather, even priests and kings, can offer this claim, being an anointed one of God. For "Touch not my anointed ones" was said concerning all saints, and both priests and kings in Hebrew custom were called anointed ones. 848 Ps 83,11a It would be better to be in your courts even for one day than a multitude of thousands of days for one who happens to be outside your courts. for what seems little in the courts of God surpasses the perfection found among men. Such also is what was said by the Savior concerning John: "Among those born of women there is none greater than John, but he who is least in the kingdom is greater than he." And it might also be said in this way here: men, while living, are under time, which time is divided into a multitude of days, while the one who has come to be in the divine courts of the Lord has one eternal and uninterrupted day. For the Lord has become an eternal light to him, the sun of righteousness not setting upon him. This indivisible and uninterrupted day, therefore, would be better than the life here of many days. 849 Ps 83,12b-13 God gives grace to those who are saved by grace according to "By grace you have been saved," grace here having the same meaning as gift. For there is also another meaning of grace, according to which someone is found favored. For according to this, someone is said to have found grace before God. He gives this grace in place of a former grace, which we hastened to receive from what is in our power, as far as possible. And he also gives glory to those worthy of receiving it on account of having already glorified the one who says, "Those who glorify me I will glorify," clearly through good works and true doctrines. And those who move through all things without the worst habit walk in innocence. But if innocence also signifies simplicity, you yourself should pay attention. And since hope is the expectation of good things, and only the rational being is desirous of what is truly good, the virtue proper to man alone is to hope, especially when he lays claim to piety; for it is written, "Hope is for the pious man." For the faithful are born again to a living and abiding hope because the expectation of good things is pure.

850 Ps 84,2-4 As to the meaning: the Lord is well-pleased with the good and earnest

heart that happens to be his land because it receives the seed from him and bears fruit a hundredfold. and he turns back to it also the multitude of captives led by wicked powers, being thoughts of Jacob because of their standing against the passions. Having accomplished these things, he grants forgiveness of iniquities to all, taking away and loosing their iniquities. And if ever they sinned even after forgiveness, he covers over these sins too by granting virtue; for virtue covers sins, not by concealing them but by completely removing and obliterating them. For so love covers a multitude of sins. For just as knowledge covers ignorance, completely removing it from the soul wherever it may be present, so also the love of God, being the same as virtue, covers the sins of those whom it judges to benefit. And God was well-pleased with his land, having sent his son to appear on the earth and to live together with men; whence at the birth from Mary, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" was said. We learn from what has been said here that what is called his wrath is not a passion of God. for because of the

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τὴν τελειοτέραν γενέσθαι καὶ οἱ κατὰ νόμον πολιτευόμενοι ἐπὶ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν πολιτείαν, οἱ γνόντες κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν εἰς τὸ θεάσασθαι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, ∆όξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός· οἱ ἐκ μέρους γινώσκοντες τῷ ἐπὶ γῆς ειναι καὶ μὴ χωρεῖν τὸ ἀκραιφνέστατον τῆς γνώσεως-ἐλθόντος τοῦ τελείου ειδους τῆς θεωρίας εἰς τὸ γνῶναι καθὸ δεῖ γνῶναι, ἐξ ὑποδεεστέρας δυνάμεως τῆς νοήσεως ἐπὶ μείζονα καὶ τελειοτέραν δύναμιν πορευόμενοι. 847 Ps 83,10b ̔Απλούστερον δὲ καὶ εκαστος τῶν ἁγίων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἱερέων καὶ βασιλέων δύναται ταύτην τὴν ἀξίωσιν προσάγειν, χριστὸς ων θεοῦ. Μὴ απτεσθε γὰρ τῶν χριστῶν μου περὶ πάντων ἁγίων ειρηται, καὶ ἱερεῖς δὲ καὶ βασιλεῖς ̔Εβραϊκῷ εθει χριστοὶ προσηγορεύοντο. 848 Ps 83,11a Κρεῖσσον ειη ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου γενέσθαι καν ἐπὶ ἡμέραν μίαν ὑπὲρ πλῆθος χιλιάδων ἡμερῶν ἐκτὸς τῶν αὐλῶν σου τυγχάνοντι. τῆς γὰρ παρ' ἀνθρώποις τελειώσεως ὑπερέχει τὸ δοκοῦν ὀλίγον ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ περὶ ̓Ιωάννου πρὸς τοῦ σωτῆρος ῥηθὲν ̓Εν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐδεὶς μείζων ̓Ιωάννου ἀλλ' ὁ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστι. Λεχθείη δ' αν καὶ ουτως ἐνταῦθα· βιοῦντες οἱ ανθρωποι ὑπὸ χρόνον εἰσίν, οστις χρόνος εἰς πλῆθος ἡμερῶν μερίζεται, μίαν ἡμέραν εχοντος αἰώνιον καὶ ἀδιάκοπον τοῦ ἐν ταῖς θείαις αὐλαῖς τοῦ κυρίου γεγενημένου. γέγονε γὰρ αὐτῷ κύριος φῶς αἰώνιον τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης οὐ δύνοντος ἐπ' αὐτῷ. αυτη ουν ἡ ἀδιάστατος καὶ ἀδιάκοπος ἡμέρα κρείσσων ειη τῆς πολυημέρου ἐνταῦθα γινομένης ζωῆς. 849 Ps 83,12b-13 ∆ίδωσιν ὁ θεὸς χάριν τοῖς σῳζομένοις χάριτι κατὰ τὸ Χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι, ισον δωρεᾶς δυναμένης ἐνταῦθα τῆς χάριτος. εστι γὰρ καὶ ετερον τῆς χάριτος σημαινόμενον καθὸ κεχαριτωμένος τις εὑρίσκεται. κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ λέγεταί τις εὑρηκέναι χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. ταύτην τὴν χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος προτέρας δίδωσιν, ης ἐκ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀναλαβεῖν ἐσπεύσαμεν. ∆ίδωσι δὲ καὶ δόξαν τοῖς ἀξίοις τοῦ τυχεῖν ταύτης διὰ τὸ προδεδοξακέναι τὸν λέγοντα Τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, δηλονότι δι' ἀγαθῶν εργων καὶ ἀληθινῶν δογμάτων. Πορεύονται δ' ἐν ἀκακίᾳ οἱ ανευ χειρίστης εξεως διὰ πάντων κινούμενοι. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἁπλότητα σημαίνει ἡ ἀκακία, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίστησον. Καὶ ἐπεὶ προσδοκία ἐστὶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ἐλπίς, μόνον δὲ τὸ λογικὸν ὀρεκτικὸν τῶν κυρίως ἀγαθῶν, μόνου ἀνθρώπου οἰκεία ἀρετὴ τὸ ἐλπίζειν, μάλιστα οταν εὐσεβείας ἀντιποιῆται· γέγραπται γὰρ ̓Ελπὶς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ. ἀναγεννῶνται γὰρ οἱ πιστοὶ εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν καὶ μένουσαν διὰ τὸ ἀκήρατον ειναι τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσδοκίαν.

850 Ps 84,2-4 Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· εὐδοκεῖ κύριος τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ σπουδαίαν

καρδίαν γῆν αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσαν διὰ τὸ δέχεσθαι τὸν σπόρον τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρποφορεῖν. ἀποστρέφει δ' εἰς αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀχθέντων ὑπὸ πονηρῶν δυνάμεων, λογισμῶν ̓Ιακὼβ οντας διὰ τὸ ιστασθαι κατὰ τῶν παθῶν. Ταῦτα δ' ἐνέργησας αφεσιν ἀνομημάτων χαρίζεται πᾶσιν, ἐξαίρων καὶ λύων τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν. ει ποτε δὲ καὶ μετὰ αφεσιν ημαρτον, καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἐπικαλύπτει ἐνδοὺς τὴν ἀρετήν· καλύπτει γὰρ ἡ ἀρετὴ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, οὐκ ἐγκρύπτουσα αὐτὰς ἀλλ' ἐξ ολων ἀναιροῦσα καὶ ἀφανίζουσα. ουτω γὰρ ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. ὡς γὰρ ἡ ἐπιστήμη καλύπτει τὴν αγνοιαν ἐξ ολων ἀναιροῦσα αὐτὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ῃ αν παραγένηται, ουτω καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ αὐτὴ ουσα τῇ ἀρετῇ καλύπτει τὰς ἁμαρτίας ων αν εὐεργετεῖν κρίνῃ. Εὐδόκησεν δὲ τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ ὁ θεός, ἀποστείλας τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ὀφθῆναι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συναναστραφῆναι· οθεν ἐπὶ τῷ τοκετῷ τῆς Μαρίας ∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία ειρηται. Μανθάνομεν δὲ ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐντεῦθεν μὴ πάθος ειναι θεοῦ τὴν λεγομένην αὐτοῦ ὀργήν. διὰ γὰρ τὰ