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bares the head. Do you see how the outward appearance becomes a herald of the inward piety? Then also having sat down to listen, he groaned often and condemned 59.296 this present life. Let us pay attention therefore to the Scriptures, beloved; and if nothing else, at least let the gospels be very precious to us, and let us handle these. For immediately, upon unrolling the book, you will see the name of Christ lying within, and you will immediately hear him saying: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. For when his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. And he who hears these things will immediately desire virginity, will marvel at the birth, will be set free from the earth. These things are not small, when you see the virgin deemed worthy of the Spirit, and an angel conversing with her. And these things are from a superficial reading; but if you persevere going through to the end, you will immediately unfold all worldly things, you will laugh at all things here; even if you are rich, you will consider wealth as nothing, having heard that she, being of a carpenter and a humble house, became the mother of your Lord; even if you are poor, you will not be ashamed of poverty, having learned that the Creator of the world was not ashamed of the humblest home. Considering these things, you will not seize, you will not be covetous, you will not take the things of others; but you will be a lover of poverty instead, and you will despise wealth. And if this happens, you will banish all evils. Again when you see him lying in a manger, you will not be eager to put golden ornament on your child, nor to make a silver-inlaid bed for your wife. And not being eager for these things, neither will you work the acts of covetousness and robbery that come from them. There are many other things to be gained, which it is not possible now to speak of in detail; but those who have had experience will know. Therefore I urge you both to acquire books, and with the books to possess their meanings, and to inscribe them in your minds. For the Jews, since they did not pay attention, were commanded to hang the books from their hands; but we place them not in our hands, but in our house, when it is necessary to impress them on the heart. For thus by cleansing our present life, we shall obtain the good things to come; of which may we all be counted worthy to obtain, by the grace and love for mankind 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 ages of ages. Amen.

59.295 HOMILY 54. Jesus therefore said to the Jews who had believed him: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth

will make you free."

1. Our affairs require much endurance, beloved. And endurance comes, when the doctrines are rooted deep. For just as no wind falling upon an oak that sends its roots into the lower regions and is tightly bound with precision will be able to tear it up; so also no one will be able to overturn a soul that has been nailed to the fear of God; for to be nailed is more than to be rooted. The Prophet at any rate prays for this, saying: Pierce my flesh with your fear. So you too nail and fasten, as if fixed with a nail. For just as these are hard to capture, so the opposite are easily captured and are easily thrown down; which is what the Jews were then suffering. For having heard and believed, they were again turned aside. 59.296 Christ, therefore, wishing to deepen their faith, so that it might not be superficial, digs up the soul with more striking words. For it was the part of believers to also endure reproofs; but they were immediately enraged. But how does he do this? First he commands: If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and the truth will make you free;

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γυμνοῖ τὴν κεφαλήν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς κήρυξ γίνεται τῆς ἔνδον εὐλαβείας τὸ ἔξωθεν σχῆμα; Εἶτα καὶ εἰς ἀκρόασιν καθίσας, ἐστέναξε πολλάκις καὶ κατέγνω 59.296 τοῦ βίου τοῦ παρόντος. Προσέχωμεν τοίνυν ταῖς Γραφαῖς, ἀγαπητοί· καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον, τὰ γοῦν εὐαγγέλια περισπούδαστα ἡμῖν γινέσθω, καὶ ταῦτα μεταχειριζώμεθα. Εὐθέως γὰρ, ἀναπτύξας τὸ βιβλίον, τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ ὄνομα ὄψει ἐγκείμενον, καὶ ἀκούσῃ εὐθέως λέγοντος· Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ γέννησις ἦν οὕτω. Μνηστευθείσης γὰρ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Μαρίας τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Ὁ δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούων, ἐπιθυμήσει παρθενίας εὐθέως, θαυμάζεται τὸν τόκον, ἀπαλλαγήσεται τῆς γῆς. Οὐ μικρὰ καὶ ταῦτα, ὅταν ἴδῃς καὶ Πνεύματος καταξιουμένην τὴν παρθένον, καὶ ἄγγελον αὐτῇ διαλεγόμενον. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς· εἰ δὲ ἐπιμείνῃς μέχρι τέλους ἐπιὼν, πάντα εὐθέως διαπτύσεις τὰ βιωτικὰ, πάντων καταγελάσῃ τῶν ἐνταῦθα· κἂν πλούσιος ᾖς, οὐδὲν ἡγήσῃ τὸν πλοῦτον, ἀκούσας ὅτι τέκτονος οὖσα ἐκείνη καὶ ταπεινῆς οἰκίας, μήτηρ τοῦ ∆εσπότου σου γέγονε· κἂν πένης ᾖς, οὐκ ἐπαισχυνθήσῃ τὴν πενίαν, μαθὼν ὅτι τὴν εὐτελεστάτην οἰκίαν οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ∆ημιουργός. Ταῦτα ἐννοῶν, οὐχ ἁρπάσεις, οὐ πλεονεκτήσεις, οὐ λήψῃ τὰ τῶν ἑτέρων σύ· ἀλλ' ἐραστὴς ἔσῃ μᾶλλον πενίας, καὶ ὑπερόψει τὸν πλοῦτον. Ἂν δὲ τοῦτο γένηται, πάντα ἐξοριεῖς τὰ κακά. Πάλιν ὅταν ἴδῃς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ φάτνης κείμενον, οὐ σπουδάσεις τῷ παιδίῳ σου περιθεῖναι κόσμον χρυσοῦν, οὐδὲ τῇ γυναικὶ ἀργυρένδετον ποιῆσαι κλίνην. Ταῦτα δὲ μὴ σπουδάζων, οὐδὲ τὰς ἐκ τούτων ἐργάσῃ πλεονεξίας καὶ ἁρπαγάς. Πολλὰ καὶ ἕτερα ἔστι κερδᾶναι, ἅπερ οὐκ ἔνεστι νῦν κατὰ μέρος λέγειν· εἴσονται δὲ οἱ πεῖραν εἰληφότες. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ καὶ κτᾶσθαι βιβλία, καὶ μετὰ τῶν βιβλίων τὰ νοήματα κατέχειν, καὶ ταῖς διανοίαις ἐγγράφειν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἐπειδὴ οὐ προσεῖχον, τῶν χειρῶν ἐκελεύοντο τὰ βιβλία ἐξαρτᾷν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔτε ἐν χερσὶν, ἀλλ' ἐν οἰκίᾳ τίθεμεν, δέον ἐντυποῦν τῇ καρδίᾳ. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸν παρόντα ἐκκαθαίροντες βίον, τευξόμεθα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν· ὧν 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.

59.295 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ν∆ʹ. Ἔλεγεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους· «Ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε, καὶ γνώσεσθε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια

ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς.»

αʹ. Πολλῆς ὑπομονῆς δεῖται τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἀγαπητοί. Ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ γίνεται, ὅταν κατὰ βάθους ἐῤῥιζωμένα τὰ δόγματα ᾖ. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὴν δρῦν τὴν εἰς τοὺς κάτω κόλπους ἀφιεῖσαν τὰς ῥίζας καὶ περισφιγγομένην μετὰ ἀκριβείας, οὐδεὶς ἄνεμος προσπεσὼν ἀνασπάσαι δυνήσεται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν καθηλωμένην τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβῳ, οὐδεὶς περιτρέψαι δυνήσεται· τοῦ γὰρ ἐῤῥιζῶσθαι, τὸ καθηλῶσθαι πλέον ἐστί. Τοῦτο γοῦν ὁ Προφήτης εὔχεται, λέγων· Καθήλωσον ἐκ τοῦ φόβου σου τὰς σάρκας μου. Οὕτω καὶ σὺ καθήλωσον καὶ σύναψον, ὡσανεὶ ἥλῳ προσπεπερονημένῳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὗτοι δυσάλωτοι, οὕτως οἱ ἐναντίοι εὐάλωτοι γίνονται καὶ καταῤῥιπτοῦνται ῥᾳδίως· ὅπερ καὶ τότε ἔπασχον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι. Ἀκούσαντες γὰρ καὶ πιστεύσαντες, πάλιν ἐξετράπησαν. 59.296 Βουλόμενος οὖν ἐμβαθῦναι τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὥστε μὴ ἐπιπολαίαν εἶναι, διασκάπτει τὴν ψυχὴν πληκτικωτέροις λόγοις. Τῶν γὰρ πιστευόντων ἦν καὶ ἐλέγχων ἀνέχεσθαι· οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἠγρίαινον. Πῶς δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Πρῶτον παραγγέλλει· Ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ὄντως μαθηταί μού ἐστε, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς·