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of these earthly and passing things? Are we not taught by experience their worthlessness? Let us consider those who were rich before us. Were not all those things a dream? a shadow and a flower, a passing stream? a tale and a fable? So-and-so was rich; and where is the wealth now? It has perished and been destroyed; but the sins on account of it remain, and the punishment for the sins. But rather, if there were no punishment, nor a kingdom set before us, we ought to revere what is of the same tribe and race, we should be moved by what is of like suffering. But now we feed dogs; and many feed even wild asses and bears, and various wild beasts; but a human being we overlook, wasting away with hunger, and what is foreign is more honored by us than our own kin, and what is our own is less honored by us than what is not and does not belong to us. But is it good to build splendid houses and have many servants, and to recline and look at a golden roof? It is indeed superfluous and unprofitable. There are other buildings, much more splendid and majestic 59.269 than these; it is necessary to delight the eyes with such things; for there is no one who will forbid it. Do you wish to see a most beautiful roof? When evening comes, look at the star-studded heaven. But it is not my roof, he says. And yet this one is more yours than that one. For it was made for you, and it is common to you with your brothers; but that other one is not yours, but belongs to those who inherit after your death. And the one will be able to benefit you in the greatest things, by its beauty sending you on to the Creator; but this other one will harm you in the greatest things, becoming your greatest accuser on the day of judgment, when it is itself clothed with gold, but Christ does not even have a necessary garment. Let us not then endure such folly; nor pursue the things that flee, and flee the things that remain; nor betray our 59.270 salvation, but let us hold fast to the hope to come; those of us who are old, since we know clearly that little time of life is left for us; and those of us who are young, since we are clearly convinced that what remains is not much. For as a thief in the night, so that day comes. Knowing these things, then, let wives exhort their husbands, and husbands admonish their wives, and let us teach the younger and the virgins, and let us all instruct one another to despise present things and desire the things to come, so that we may be able to attain them, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.269 HOMILY 48. After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not

walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.

1. Nothing is worse than envy and malice; in this way death into the world

entered. For when the devil saw man being honored, not bearing his prosperity, he did everything to destroy him. And everywhere from this root one may see this fruit being produced. Thus Abel was slain, thus David was about to be, thus also many other of the righteous; from this also the Jews have become Christ-killers. And showing this, the evangelist said: After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he had not power to walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. What do you say, O blessed John? He who was able to do all that He willed had not power? He who said, Whom do you seek, and cast them backward? He who was present and not seen, this one had not power? And how, later, did He come into their midst, in the middle of the temple, in the middle of the feast, when a council was being held, and when those who would murder him were present, and say these things, which provoked them the more? This at least they also marveled at

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τῶν γηΐνων τούτων καὶ παραῤῥεόντων; οὐ παιδευόμεθα διὰ τῆς πείρας αὐτῶν τὴν εὐτέλειαν; Ἐννοήσωμεν τοὺς πρὸ ἡμῶν πλουτήσαντας. Οὐχὶ ὄναρ πάντα ἐκεῖνα; οὐχὶ σκιὰ καὶ ἄνθος, οὐ ῥεῦμα παραῤῥέον; οὐχὶ διήγημα καὶ μῦθος; Ὁ δεῖνα πεπλούτηκε· καὶ ποῦ νῦν ὁ πλοῦτος; Ἀπώλετο καὶ διέφθαρται· ἀλλὰ τὰ δι' αὐτὸν ἁμαρτήματα διαμένει, καὶ ἡ διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κόλασις. Μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ μὴ κόλασις ἦν, μηδὲ βασιλεία προὔκειτο, τὸ ὁμόφυλον καὶ τὸ ὁμογενὲς αἰδεσθῆναι ἐχρῆν, τὸ ὁμοιοπαθὲς δυσωπηθῆναι. Νῦν δὲ κύνας μὲν τρέφομεν· πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ὀνάγρους καὶ ἄρκτους, καὶ διάφορα θηρία· ἄνθρωπον δὲ περιορῶμεν λιμῷ τηκόμενον, καὶ τιμιώτερον ἡμῖν τὸ ἀλλότριον τοῦ συγγενοῦς, καὶ ἀτιμότερον ἡμῖν τὸ οἰκεῖον τοῦ μὴ ὄντος οὐδὲ προσήκοντος. Ἀλλ' οἰκοδομεῖσθαι λαμπρὰς οἰκίας καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχειν οἰκέτας, καὶ εἰς χρυσοῦν ὄροφον κατακειμένους ὁρᾷν καλόν; Περιττὸν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἀνόνητον. Ἔστιν ἄλλα οἰκοδομήματα, λαμπρότερα πολλῷ καὶ σεμνότερα 59.269 τούτων· ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις εὐφραίνειν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀναγκαῖον· ὁ γὰρ κωλύσων οὐδείς. Βούλει κάλλιστον ὄροφον ἰδεῖν; Ἑσπέρας καταλαβούσης, ἴδε κατηστερισμένον τὸν οὐρανόν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἔμος ὄροφος, φησί. Καὶ μὴν οὗτος μᾶλλον σὸς, ἢ ἐκεῖνος. Καὶ γὰρ διὰ σὲ γέγονε, καὶ κοινός σοι μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐστιν· οὗτος δὲ οὐ σὸς, ἀλλὰ τῶν μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν κληρονομούντων. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελῆσαι δυνήσεται, διὰ τοῦ κάλλους πρὸς τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν παραπέμπων· οὗτος δὲ τὰ μέγιστά σε καταβλάψει, κατήγορός σου μέγιστος ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως γινόμενος, ὅταν αὐτὸς μὲν χρυσῷ περιβεβλημένος ᾖ, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς μηδὲ ἀναγκαῖον ἔχων ἱμάτιον. Μὴ δὴ τοσαύτην ἄνοιαν ὑπομένωμεν· μηδὲ διώκωμεν τὰ φεύγοντα, καὶ φεύγωμεν τὰ μένοντα· μηδὲ προδῶμεν ἡμῶν τὴν 59.270 σωτηρίαν, ἀλλ' ἀντεχώμεθα τῆς μελλούσης ἐλπίδος· οἱ μὲν γεγηρακότες, ἅτε εἰδότες φανερῶς, ὅτι ὀλίγος ἡμῖν ὑπολείπεται τῆς ζωῆς χρόνος· οἱ δὲ νέοι, ἅτε πεπεισμένοι σαφῶς, ὅτι οὐ πολὺ τὸ λειπόμενον. Ὡς γὰρ κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ, οὕτως ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη ἔρχεται. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, καὶ γυναῖκες ἄνδρας παρακαλῶμεν, καὶ ἄνδρες γυναῖκας νουθετῶμεν, καὶ νεωτέρους καὶ παρθένους διδάσκωμεν, καὶ πάντες ἀλλήλους παιδεύωμεν, τῶν μὲν παρόντων ὑπερορᾷν, τῶν δὲ μελλόντων ἐφίεσθαι, ἵνα καὶ τυχεῖν αὐτῶν δυνηθῶμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.269 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΜΗʹ. Καὶ περιεπάτει ὁ Ἰησοῦς μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῇ Γαλι λαίᾳ· οὐ

γὰρ ἤθελεν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ περιπατεῖν, ὅτι ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτεῖναι. Ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἡ Σκηνοπηγία.

αʹ. Οὐδὲν φθόνου χεῖρον καὶ βασκανίας· οὕτως ὁ θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον

εἰσῆλθεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν ὁ διάβολος τὸν ἄνθρωπον τιμώμενον, οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν τὴν εὐημερίαν, πάντα ἔπραττεν ὥστε αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν. Καὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς ῥίζης ταύτης τοῦτον ἴδοι τις ἂν τὸν καρπὸν γινόμενον. Οὕτω καὶ Ἄβελ ἐσφάγη, οὕτω καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἔμελλεν, οὕτω καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν δικαίων· ἐντεῦθεν καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι χριστοκτόνοι γεγόνασι. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἔλεγε· Μετὰ ταῦτα περιεπάτει ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ· οὐ γὰρ εἶχεν ἐξουσίαν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ περιπατεῖν, ὅτι ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτεῖναι. Τί λέγεις, ὦ μακάριε Ἰωάννη; Οὐκ εἶχεν ἐξουσίαν ὁ δυνηθεὶς πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν; ὁ εἰπὼν, Τίνα ζητεῖτε, καὶ ῥίψας αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω; ὁ παρὼν καὶ μὴ ὁρώμενος, οὗτος οὐκ εἶχεν ἐξουσίαν; Πῶς δὲ καὶ ὕστερον εἰς μέσον αὐτῶν παρελθὼν, ἐν μέσῳ τῷ ἱερῷ, ἐν μέσῃ τῇ ἑορτῇ, συνόδου οὔσης, καὶ τῶν φονώντων παρόντων, διελέγετο ταῦτα, ἃ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς παρώξυνε; Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἐθαύμαζον