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the word. But these things were said to them; but there is a fear, lest what is said may also have a season for us, that, Where he is, we are not able to go, because of our life full of sins. For concerning the disciples He says, "I will that where I am, they also may be with me"; but concerning us I fear lest the opposite be said, that, "Where I am, you cannot come." For when we do things contrary to the commandments, how shall we be able to go there? For indeed even in the present life, if one of those serving as a soldier should do things unworthy of the king, he will not be able to see the king, but, his office having been taken away, he will undergo the utmost punishment. When therefore we plunder, are covetous; when we do wrong, strike; when we do not work almsgiving, we will not be able to go there, but we also will suffer what happened to the virgins. For where He was, they could not enter, but departed, their lamps having been extinguished; that is, the grace having left them. For that flame which we immediately received by the grace of the Spirit, if we are willing, we will make it stronger; but if we are not willing, we will quickly destroy it. And when that is extinguished, there will be nothing else but darkness in our souls. For just as when the lamp is burning, there is much light; so when it is extinguished, there will be nothing else but gloom. Therefore He says, "Quench not the Spirit." And it is quenched when it has no oil, when some stronger gust of wind occurs, when it is contained and constrained (for in this way also fire is quenched); and it is contained by worldly cares, and is quenched by evil desire. But nothing, besides what has been said, quenches it so much as inhumanity, and cruelty, and rapine. For when, to having no oil, we also throw on cold water; for this is covetousness, chilling the souls through the despondency of those who are wronged; from where will it be able to be kindled again? We shall depart therefore bearing ashes and dust, and having much smoke accusing us, that having lamps we extinguished them. For wherever there is smoke, there must have been a fire that was quenched. But may it not happen that any one hear that voice, "I know you not." And from where is it possible to hear this voice, but when seeing a poor man, we are disposed as if not seeing him? When we ignore the hungry Christ, He also will ignore us when we are in need of mercy; and justly. For he who has overlooked the one in affliction, and has not given from his own, how will he seek to receive from what is not his own? Therefore, I beseech you, let us do all things, and be diligent, so that the oil may not fail us, but that we may adorn the lamps, and enter with the bridegroom into the bridal chamber; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

59.283 HOMILY 51. In the last day, the great day of the feast,

Jesus stood, and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his

belly shall flow rivers of living water. 1. Those who approach the divine preaching, and give heed to the faith, of those who

thirst must show the love, and kindle so great a desire in themselves. For in this way they will be able to retain what is said with much guarding. For those who are thirsty, when they take a cup, drink it with much eagerness, and then they rest. So therefore also those who hear the divine oracles, if they receive them thirsting, will never grow weary until they drink them down. For that one must always thirst and hunger; "Blessed," He says, "are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness." And here

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ὁ λόγος. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἴρητο πρὸς ἐκείνους· δέος δὲ, μὴ καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς καιρὸν ἔχῃ τὰ λεγόμενα, ὅτι Ὅπου ἐστὶν, οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀπελθεῖν, διὰ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν τὸν ἁμαρτημάτων γέμοντα. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν μαθητῶν φησι, Θέλω ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, κἀκεῖνοι ὦσι μετ' ἐμοῦ· περὶ δὲ ἡμῶν δέδοικα μὴ τοὐναντίον λεχθῇ, ὅτι Ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐναντία τῶν προσταγμάτων πράττωμεν, πῶς δυνησόμεθα ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, εἴ τις τῶν στρατευομένων ἀνάξια πράττοι τοῦ βασιλέως, οὐ δυνήσεται τὸν βασιλέα ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ, τῆς ἀρχῆς παραλυθείσης, τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποστήσεται κόλασιν. Ὅταν οὖν ἁρπάζωμεν, πλεονεκτῶμεν· ὅταν ἀδικῶμεν, πλήττωμεν· ὅταν μὴ ἐλεημοσύνην ἐργασώμεθα, οὐ δυνησόμεθα ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖσε, ἀλλὰ καὶ πεισόμεθα ὃ γέγονε ταῖς παρθένοις. Ὅπου γὰρ ἦν, οὐκ ἐδυνήθησαν εἰσελθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀνεχώρησαν, σβεσθεισῶν αὐτῶν τῶν λαμπάδων· τουτέστι, τοῦ χαρίσματος αὐτὰς καταλιπόντος. Τὴν γὰρ φλόγα ἐκείνην ἣν εὐθέως ἐδεξάμεθα τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτι, ἂν μὲν βουλώμεθα, σφοδροτέραν ἐργασόμεθα αὐτήν· ἂν δὲ μὴ βουλώμεθα, ταχέως αὐτὴν ἀπολέσομεν. Σβεσθείσης δὲ ἐκείνης, οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ σκότος ἐν ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἔσται ψυχαῖς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ καιομένης τῆς λαμπάδος πολὺ τὸ φῶς· οὕτω διαλυθείσης οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ γνόφος ἔσται. ∆ιό φησι, Τὸ πνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτε. Σβέννυται δὲ, ὅταν ἔλαιον μὴ ἔχῃ, ὅταν ἀνέμου σφοδροτέρα τις ἐμβολὴ γένηται, ὅταν συνέχηται καὶ στενοχωρῆται (καὶ γὰρ οὕτω σβέννυται πῦρ)· συνέχεται δὲ ὑπὸ φροντίδων βιωτικῶν, καὶ σβέννυται ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς. Οὐδὲν δὲ αὐτὴν πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις οὕτω σβέννυσιν, ὡς ἀπανθρωπία, καὶ ὠμότης, καὶ ἁρπαγή. Ὅταν γὰρ τῷ ἔλαιον μὴ ἔχειν, καὶ ὕδωρ ἐπεμβάλωμεν ψυχρόν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἡ πλεονεξία, ἀποψύχουσα διὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας τῶν ἀδικουμένων τὰς ψυχάς· πόθεν δυνήσεται ἀναφθῆναι λοιπόν; Ἀπελευσόμεθα τοίνυν τέφραν τε καὶ κόνιν φέροντες, καὶ πολὺν ἔχοντες τὸν καπνὸν κατηγοροῦντα ἡμῶν, ὅτι λαμπάδας ἔχοντες ἀπεσβέσαμεν. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν ᾖ καπνὸς, ἀνάγκη πῦρ εἶναι τὸ σβεσθέν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό τινα ταύτην ἀκοῦσαι τὴν φωνὴν τὴν, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Πόθεν δὲ ταύτην ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι τὴν φωνὴν, ἢ ὅταν πένητα ἰδόντες, ὡς οὐκ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν διακεώμεθα; Ὅταν ἡμεῖς ἀγνοῶμεν τὸν πεινῶντα Χριστὸν, ἀγνοήσει ἡμᾶς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλέου δεομένους· καὶ δικαίως. Ὁ γὰρ περιιδὼν τὸν θλιβόμενον, καὶ μὴ δοὺς ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ, πῶς ζητήσει λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν οὐκ αὐτοῦ; ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, πάντα ποιῶμεν, καὶ πραγματευώμεθα, ὥστε μὴ ἐκλιπεῖν ἡμᾶς τὸ ἔλαιον, ἀλλὰ κοσμῆσαι τὰς λαμπάδας, καὶ συνεισελθεῖν τῷ νυμφίῳ εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα· οὗ γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, 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.

59.283 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΑʹ. Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, τῇ μεγάλῃ τῆς ἑορτῆς,

εἱστήκει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἔκραζε λέγων· Ἐάν τις διψᾷ, ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω. Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ Γραφὴ, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς

κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. αʹ. Τοὺς προσιόντας τῷ θείῳ κηρύγματι, καὶ τῇ πίστει προσέχοντας, τὸν τῶν

διψώντων ἔρωτα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρὴ, καὶ τοσαύτην ἀνάπτειν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνήσονται καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα μετὰ πολλῆς κατασχεῖν τῆς φυλακῆς. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ διψῶντες, ἐπειδὰν κύλικα λάβωσι, μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὴν ἕλκουσι τῆς προθυμίας, καὶ τότε διαναπαύονται. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ οἱ τῶν θείων ἀκούοντες λογίων, εἰ διψῶντες προσλάβοιεν, οὐδέποτε καμοῦνται ἕως ἂν ἐκπίωσιν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἀεὶ χρὴ διψᾷν καὶ πεινῇν· Μακάριοι, φησὶν, οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Καὶ ἐνταῦθά