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having thrown them on their backs, since they remained senseless, He willingly gave Himself up again, and He endured seeing them place bonds on His holy hands, being able to shake all things at once and cast them down. But you, even after this, are savage towards the poor man. And yet, even if he is guilty of ten thousand evils, want and famine are enough to soften a soul that is not completely hardened. But you stand there like a wild beast, and imitate the rage of lions; and yet they would never taste of dead bodies; but you, seeing him wasted by so many evils, trample upon him as he lies, and tear his body with insults, and you gather storm upon storm, and cause one who has fled to a harbor to dash against a rock, and you work a shipwreck more grievous than those at sea. And how will you say to God, "Have mercy on me?" and ask for forgiveness of sins, while insulting one who has done no wrong, and demanding satisfaction for such famine and need, and surpassing all wild beasts in cruelty? For they, when their belly compels them, take their accustomed food; but you, with no one pushing or compelling you, devour your brother, biting, tearing, if not with your teeth, yet with words more grievous than bites. How then will you receive the holy offering, having reddened your tongue with human blood? how do you give peace, with a mouth full of war? how indeed will you enjoy sensible food, gathering so much venom? You do not correct his poverty; why do you also wear him down? You do not raise him up as he lies; why do you also cast him down? You do not take away his despondency; why do you also increase it? You do not give money; why do you also insult him with words? Have you not heard what judgment they pay who do not feed the poor? to what punishments are they condemned? "For depart," He says, "into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels." If, then, those who do not feed are so condemned, what judgment will they pay who, besides not feeding, also insult? how much punishment will they endure, how much hell? In order, then, that we may not kindle so many evils against ourselves, while we are masters of ourselves, let us correct this evil disease, and put a bridle on the tongue; and not only let us not insult, but let us also comfort both through words and through deeds, 60.609 so that having stored up for ourselves much mercy beforehand, we may obtain the good things promised to us; of which may it be granted 60.610 to us all to partake, by grace and loving-kindness, and the rest.

HOMILY 22.

Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. 1. Having taught

them how they ought to be disposed toward one another, and having joined the members together with exactness, he thus leads them out from now on to the external battle array, making it easier from this point. For just as one who has not set things right with his own household, will manage matters with outsiders with more difficulty; so one who has trained himself well in these things, will more easily overcome those from without. For this very reason Paul, proceeding in order, places these things after those, and says: Bless them that persecute you. He did not say, "Do not bear a grudge, nor take revenge," but he sought what is much more than these things; for the one belongs to a philosopher, but this belongs to an angel henceforth. And having said, "Bless," he added, "And curse not," so that we may not do both this and that, but that only. For persecutors are agents of reward for us. And if you are sober, you will also prepare for yourself another reward after that one; for he will provide you the one from the persecution, but you for yourself the one from the blessing upon him, bringing forth the greatest sign of your love for Christ. For just as one who curses his persecutor shows that he does not greatly rejoice in suffering these things for Christ's sake; so one who blesses displays great love. Do not, therefore, revile him, so that you yourself may reap a greater reward, and you may teach him, that the matter is one of zeal, not of compulsion; of festival and

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ῥίψας αὐτοὺς ὑπτίους, ἐπειδὴ ἔμενον ἀναισθητοῦντες, ἑκὼν πάλιν ἑαυτὸν ἐξεδίδου, καὶ ἠνείχετο δεσμὰ περιβάλλοντας ὁρῶν ταῖς ἁγίαις χερσὶ, δυνάμενος ὁμοῦ πάντα κλονῆσαι καὶ ῥῖψαι κάτω. Ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀγριαίνεις πρὸς τὸν πένητα. Καίτοι γε εἰ καὶ μυρίων ἐστὶν ἔνοχος κακῶν, ἡ ἔνδεια καὶ ὁ λιμὸς ἱκανὰ τὴν μὴ σφόδρα πεπωρωμένην καταμαλάξαι ψυχήν. Σὺ δὲ ἕστηκας ἐκτεθηριωμένος, καὶ λεόντων μιμούμενος θυμούς· καίτοι γε ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἄν ποτε νεκρῶν ἀπογεύσαιντο σωμάτων· σὺ δὲ τοσούτοις ὁρῶν τεταριχευμένον κακοῖς, ἐπεμβαίνεις κειμένῳ, καὶ σπαράττεις τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ὕβρεων, καὶ χειμῶνα ἐπὶ χειμῶνι συνάγεις, καὶ τὸν εἰς λιμένα καταφυγόντα σκοπέλῳ προσράξαι ποιεῖς, καὶ ναυάγιον ἐργάζῃ τῶν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ χαλεπώτερον. Καὶ πῶς ἐρεῖς τῷ Θεῷ, Ἐλέησόν με; καὶ ἁμαρτημάτων αἰτεῖς συγχώρησιν, τὸν οὐδὲν ἁμαρτόντα ὑβρίζων, καὶ δίκην ὑπὲρ λιμοῦ καὶ ἀνάγκης τοσαύτης ἀπαιτῶν, καὶ τὰ θηρία ἅπαντα ἀποκρύπτων τῇ ὠμότητι; Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ, τῆς γαστρὸς καταναγκαζούσης, ἅπτεται τῆς αὐτοῖς νενομισμένης τροφῆς· σὺ δὲ, οὐδενὸς ὠθοῦντος οὐδὲ καταναγκάζοντος, κατεσθίεις τὸν ἀδελφὸν, δάκνων, σπαράττων, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ ῥήμασι δηγμάτων χαλεπωτέροις. Πῶς οὖν δέξῃ τὴν ἱερὰν προσφορὰν, αἵμασιν ἀνθρωπίνοις φοινίξας τὴν γλῶτταν; πῶς δίδως εἰρήνην, πολέμου γέμοντι στόματι; πῶς δὲ γοῦν αἰσθητῆς ἀπολαύσεις τροφῆς, ἰὸν τοσοῦτον συνάγων; Οὐ διορθοῦσαι τὴν πενίαν· τί καὶ ἐπιτρίβεις; οὐκ ἀνιστᾷς κείμενον· τί καὶ καταβάλλεις; οὐκ ἀναιρεῖς τὴν ἀθυμίαν· τί καὶ ἐπιτείνεις; οὐ δίδως χρήματα· τί καὶ ὑβρίζεις ῥήμασιν; Οὐκ ἤκουσας ὅσην διδόασι δίκην οἱ μὴ τρέφοντες τοὺς πένητας; ποίαις τιμωρίαις καταδικάζονται; Πορεύεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. Εἰ οὖν οἱ μὴ τρέφοντες οὕτω καταδικάζονται, τίνα δώσουσι δίκην οἱ μετὰ τοῦ μὴ τρέφειν καὶ ὑβρίζοντες; πόσην ὑποστήσονται κόλασιν, πόσην γέενναν; Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοσαῦτα ἐξάψωμεν καθ' ἑαυτῶν κακὰ, ἕως ἐσμὲν κύριοι, καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν τοῦτο νόσημα διορθώσωμεν, καὶ τῇ γλώττῃ χαλινὸν ἐπιθῶμεν· καὶ μὴ μόνον μὴ ὑβρίζωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρακαλῶμεν καὶ διὰ ῥημάτων καὶ διὰ πραγμά 60.609 των, ἵνα πολὺν ἑαυτοῖς προαποθέμενοι τὸν ἔλεον, τύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο 60.610 πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΒʹ.

Εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς διώκοντας ὑμᾶς· εὐλογεῖτε, καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε. αʹ. ∆ιδάξας

αὐτοὺς πῶς πρὸς ἀλλήλους διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, καὶ συγκολλήσας τὰ μέλη μετὰ ἀκριβείας, οὕτως ἐξάγει λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν ἔξω παράταξιν, εὐκολωτέραν αὐτὴν ἐντεῦθεν ποιῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους οὐ κατωρθωκὼς, δυσκολώτερον τὰ πρὸς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους οἰκονομήσει· οὕτως ὁ καλῶς ἀσκήσας ἑαυτὸν ἐν τούτοις, ῥᾷον καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν περιέσται. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ὁδῷ προβαίνων, μετ' ἐκεῖνα ταῦτα τίθησι, καί φησιν· Εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς διώκοντας ὑμᾶς. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ μνησικακεῖτε, μηδὲ ἀμύνεσθε, ἀλλὰ τὸ πολλῷ πλέον τούτων ἐζήτησεν· ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ἀνδρὸς φιλοσόφου, τοῦτο δὲ ἀγγέλου λοιπόν. Καὶ εἰπὼν, Εὐλογεῖτε, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μόνον. Καὶ γὰρ μισθῶν εἰσιν ἡμῖν πρόξενοι οἱ διώκοντες. Ἂν δὲ νήφῃς, καὶ ἕτερον σὺ σαυτῷ μετ' ἐκεῖνον κατασκευάσεις μισθόν· ἐκεῖνος μὲν γάρ σοι τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ διωγμοῦ παρέξει, σὺ δὲ σεαυτῷ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλογίας τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον, σημεῖον μέγιστον ἐκφέρων τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ καταρώμενος τῷ διώκοντι, δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐ σφόδρα χαίρει ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ταῦτα πάσχων· οὕτως ὁ εὐλογῶν πολὺν ἐμφαίνει τὸν ἔρωτα. Μὴ τοίνυν αὐτὸν λοιδορήσῃς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς μείζονα καρπώσῃ μισθὸν, κἀκεῖνον διδάξῃς, ὅτι τὸ πρᾶγμα προθυμίας ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἀνάγκης· πανηγύρεως καὶ