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when one was crowned you beat yourself and lamented, I would have said you were a friend of the one crowned, but an enemy and a foe. But I do not know where he has gone, he says. For why do you not know, tell me? For whether he lived rightly, or otherwise, it is clear where he will go. For this I grieve, he says, that he departed a sinner. For this very reason, then, one should rejoice, that his sins were cut off, and he did not add to his wickedness, and to help him as much as possible, not with tears, but with prayers and supplications and alms and offerings. For this was not devised without reason, nor in vain does he who stands by the altar when the awful mysteries are being celebrated cry out, For all who have fallen asleep in Christ, and for those who perform their memorials, but by the ordinance of the Holy Spirit these things are done. For if the sacrifice of the father purified the children of Job, why do you doubt, if we too, offering on behalf of the departed, there comes to them some comfort? Let us not then weep simply for those who die, but for those who have died in wealth, and devised no comfort from their wealth for their own souls; those who received the power to wash away their sins, and did not wish it; for these let us weep, both privately and all in common, not for one day nor a second, but for our entire life, and let us help them according to our ability; let us devise some help for them, small though it be, yet let us help. How and in what manner? By praying and exhorting others to make prayers for them, by giving continually to the poor on their behalf. The matter has some comfort; for hear God saying, I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake. And if the memory alone of a righteous man had such power, when works are also done on his behalf, how much power will it not have? Not in vain were these things ordained by the apostles, that a remembrance of the departed should be made at the awful mysteries; they know that great gain comes to them, much benefit. For when the whole people stands, raising their hands, a priestly body, and the awful sacrifice is set forth, how shall we not prevail upon God, interceding for them? But this is concerning those who have passed on in faith; but catechumens are not deemed worthy even of this comfort, but are deprived of all such help, except for one thing. What is this? It is possible to give continually to the poor on their behalf, and this brings them some refreshment. So it is not dying that is evil, but dying badly. Do you wish that I say to your love, why we fear death? The love of the kingdom has not wounded us, nor has the longing for the things to come inflamed us; for then we would have despised all present things. For he who constantly fears hell will never fear death. Allow me to speak opportunely to you now, brothers, Do not become children in your minds, but be infants in evil. For small children fear masks, but do not fear fire, but if they happen to be carried near a lamp that has a light, they heedlessly put their hand to the lamp and to the flame; and they shudder at the contemptible mask, but do not truly fear the terrible fire. Do you wish that I also state another reason for which we fear death? We do not live with exactness, nor do we have a good conscience; 63.809 since, if this were so, nothing would have frightened us, not death, not loss of money, nor anything else of that sort. Grant me then to be confident about the kingdom of heaven, and, if you wish, slaughter me today, and I will be grateful to you for the slaughter, because you quickly send me to those good things. But I fear to die unjustly, he says. What are you saying, tell me? You fear to die unjustly? But did you wish to die justly? and who is so wretched and miserable, that when it is possible to die unjustly, he would rather choose to die justly? For if one must fear death, one must fear the death that comes upon us justly; for he who has died unjustly, by this very fact shares with all the saints. For the majority of those who have pleased God, have undergone an unjust end; and first Abel. For he did not sin against his brother,

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στεφανωθέντος ἔκοπτες σαυτὸν καὶ ἐθρήνεις, φίλον ἄν σε τοῦ στεφανωθέντος ἔφην εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ κεχώρηκε, φησί. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ οὐκ οἶδας, εἰπέ μοι; εἴτε γὰρ ὀρθῶς ἐβίου, εἴτε ἑτέρως, δῆλον ποῦ χωρήσει. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο κόπτομαι, φησὶν, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθε. ∆ι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο δεῖ χαίρειν, ὅτι ἐνεκόπη τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ οὐ προσέθηκε τῇ κακίᾳ, καὶ βοηθεῖν ὡς ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, οὐ δάκρυσιν, ἀλλ' εὐχαῖς καὶ ἱκετηρίαις καὶ ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ προσφοραῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τοῦτο ἐπινενόηται, οὐδὲ μάτην ὁ παρεστὼς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τῶν φρικτῶν τελουμένων μυστηρίων βοᾷ, Ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ κεκοιμημένων, καὶ τῶν τὰς μνείας αὐτῶν ἐπιτελούντων, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου διατάξει ταῦτα γίνεται. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐκάθαιρεν ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς θυσία, τί ἀμφιβάλλεις, εἰ καὶ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπελθόντων προσφερόντων, γίνεταί τις αὐτοῖς παραμυθία; Μὴ τοίνυν τοὺς ἀποθνήσκοντας κλαίωμεν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐν πλούτῳ τετελευτηκότας, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου παραμυθίαν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς ἐπινοήσαντας· τοὺς λαβόντας ἐξουσίαν ἀπολούσασθαι αὐτῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ μὴ βουληθέντας· τούτους κλαίωμεν, καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ πάντες, μὴ μίαν ἡμέραν μηδὲ δευτέραν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἡμῶν, καὶ βοηθῶμεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν· ἐπινοήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τινα βοήθειαν, μικρὰν μὲν, βοηθῶμεν δὲ ὅμως. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Εὐχόμενοι καὶ ἑτέρους παρακαλοῦντες εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι, πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόντες συνεχῶς. Ἔχει τινὰ τὸ πρᾶγμα παραμυθίαν· ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος, Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ ∆αυῒδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου. Εἰ δὲ μνήμη μόνον δικαίου τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσεν, ὅταν καὶ ἔργα γένηται ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, πόσον οὐκ ἰσχύσει; Οὐκ εἰκῆ ταῦτα ἐνομοθετήθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων μνήμην γίνεσθαι τῶν ἀπελθόντων· ἴσασιν αὐτοῖς κέρδος πολὺ γινόμενον, πολλὴν τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁλόκληρος ἑστήκῃ λαὸς, χεῖρας ἀνατείνοντες, πλήρωμα ἱερατικὸν, καὶ προκέηται ἡ φρικτὴ θυσία, πῶς οὐ δυσωπήσομεν τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ τούτων παρακαλοῦντες; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν περὶ τῶν ἐν πίστει παρελθόντων· οἱ δὲ κατηχούμενοι οὐδὲ ταύτης καταξιοῦνται τῆς παραμυθίας, ἀλλ' ἀπεστέρηνται πάσης τοιαύτης βοηθείας, πλὴν μιᾶς τινος. Ποίας δὴ ταύτης; Ἔνεστι πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόναι συνεχῶς, καὶ ποιεῖ τινα αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα παραψυχήν. Ὥστε οὐ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κακὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κακῶς. Βούλεσθε δὲ εἴπω πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, πόθεν δεδοίκαμεν θάνατον; Οὐκ ἔτρωσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ τῆς βασιλείας ἔρως, οὐδὲ ἀνῆψεν ἡμᾶς ὁ τῶν μελλόντων πόθος· ἐπεὶ πάντων ἂν ὑπερείδομεν τῶν παρόντων. Ὁ γὰρ διαπαντὸς γέενναν δεδοικὼς, οὐδέποτε θάνατον φοβηθήσεται. ∆ότε μοι πρὸς ὑμᾶς εὐκαίρως εἰπεῖν νῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, Μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσὶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ παιδία τὰ μικρὰ προσωπεῖα μὲν δέδοικε, πῦρ δὲ οὐ δέδοικεν, ἀλλ' ἐὰν βασταζόμενα τύχῃ παρὰ λυχνίαν λύχνον ἔχουσαν, ἀπερισκέπτως τὴν χεῖρα ἐπαφίησι τῇ λυχνίᾳ καὶ τῇ φλογί· καὶ τὸ μὲν εὐκαταφρόνητον προσωπεῖον φρίττει, τὸ δὲ ἀληθῶς οὐ δέδοικε φοβερὸν πῦρ. Βούλει εἴπω καὶ ἑτέραν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν τὸν θάνατον δεδοίκαμεν; Οὐ ζῶμεν μετὰ ἀκριβείας, οὐδὲ ἔχομεν συνειδὸς ἀγαθόν· 63.809 ὡς, εἰ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ἂν ἐφόβησεν, οὐ θάνατος, οὐ ζημία χρημάτων, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν. ∆ός μοι τοίνυν θαῤῥῆσαι περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ, εἰ βούλει, σήμερόν με κατάσφαξον, καὶ χάριν εἴσομαί σοι τῆς σφαγῆς, ὅτι με ταχέως πρὸς ἐκεῖνα πέμπεις τὰ ἀγαθά. Ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν δέδοικα, φησί. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; τὸ ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν δέδοικας; ἀλλὰ δικαίως ἐβούλου; καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος καὶ ταλαίπωρος, ὡς παρὸν ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν, δικαίως ἂν μᾶλλον ἕλοιτο; Εἰ γὰρ δεδοικέναι χρὴ θάνατον, τὸν δικαίως ἡμῖν ἐπιόντα δεδοικέναι χρή· ὡς ὅ γε ἀδίκως ἀποθανὼν, κατ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἅπασιν. Οἱ γὰρ πλείους τῶν εὐαρεστησάντων τῷ Θεῷ, ἄδικον ὑπέστησαν τελευτήν· καὶ πρῶτος Ἄβελ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ πλημμελήσας εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν,