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to shake. See, then, her wickedness. She does not mention money, she does not mention camels and flocks and herds (for she was aware of her husband’s philosophy on these things), but of what was more burdensome than all these, of the children I say, and she expands the tragedy, and adds 57.397 things from herself. If, then, women have often persuaded men who were in prosperity and suffering nothing unpleasant; consider how vigorous that soul was, which repelled her when she attacked with so many weapons, and trampled on the two most tyrannical passions, desire and pity. And yet many of those who have conquered desire have been overcome by pity. Indeed, that noble Joseph controlled the most tyrannical pleasure, and rejected that barbarian woman who brought countless devices; but he could not restrain his tears, but seeing his brothers who had wronged him, he was inflamed with emotion, and quickly casting off the mask, he revealed the drama. But when it is a woman, and she speaks piteous things, and has the timing cooperating, and the wounds, and the bruises, and the countless waves of calamities, how could one not rightly declare that the soul which suffered nothing under so great a storm was stronger than any adamant? Allow me to say with boldness, that this blessed man was, if not greater than the apostles, at least not less. For they were comforted by suffering for Christ’s sake; and this medicine was so sufficient to raise them up each day, that the Master everywhere applied it, saying, “For my sake,” and, “On account of me,” and, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul.” But he was destitute of this comfort, and of that from signs, and of that from grace. For he did not have so much power of the Spirit. And what is greater, that having been raised in much luxury, not from fishermen and tax collectors and those who had lived humbly, but having enjoyed so much honor, he suffered 57.398 all the things that he suffered. And what seemed most burdensome in the case of the apostles, this same thing he also endured, being hated by friends, by servants, by enemies, by those who had received benefits; and the sacred anchor, and the waveless harbor (this was what was said to the apostles, the, “For my sake”), this he could not see. I admire also the three youths, that they dared the furnace, that they rose up against the tyrant. But hear what they say: “We do not serve your gods, nor do we worship the image which you have set up.” This was the greatest comfort for them, to know clearly that they were suffering everything they suffered for God’s sake. But this man did not know that these were contests and a wrestling match; for if he had known, he would not have felt what was happening. When, therefore, he heard, “Do you think I have spoken to you for any other reason than that you might be shown to be righteous?” consider how he immediately breathed again from a mere word; how he humbled himself; how he did not even think he had suffered what he did suffer, saying thus: “Why am I still judged, being admonished and reproved by the Lord, hearing such things, I who am nothing?” And again: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear before; but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I have despised myself and melted away; and I have considered myself earth and ashes.” Let us then emulate this courage, this forbearance, we who are after the law and grace, of him who was before the law and grace, that we may be able to share with him in the eternal tabernacles; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

57.397 HOMILY 34. But when they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For amen I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of

Israel, till the Son of man comes.

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διασαλεῦσαι. Ὅρα γοῦν αὐτῆς τὴν κακουργίαν. Οὐ μέμνηται χρημάτων, οὐ μέμνηται καμήλων καὶ ποιμνίων καὶ βουκολίων (συνῄδει γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις φιλοσοφίαν), ἀλλὰ τοῦ πάντων τούτων φορτικωτέρου, τῶν παίδων λέγω, καὶ πλατύνει τὴν τραγῳδίαν, καὶ τὰ 57.397 παρ' ἑαυτῆς προστίθησιν Εἰ δὲ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ ὄντας καὶ μηδὲν πάσχοντας ἀηδὲς, πολλὰ πολλάκις ἔπεισαν γυναῖκες· ἐννόησον πῶς ἦν ἐκείνη νεανικὴ ἡ ψυχὴ, μετὰ τοσούτων ὅπλων αὐτὴν ἐπελθοῦσαν ἀποκρουσαμένη, καὶ δύο τὰ τυραννικώτατα πάθη καταπατήσασα, ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ ἔλεον. Καίτοι πολλοὶ τῶν κρατησάντων ἐπιθυμίας, ὑπ' ἐλέου ἐκάμφθησαν. Ὁ γοῦν γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος Ἰωσὴφ τῆς μὲν τυραννικωτάτης ἡδονῆς κατέσχε, καὶ τὴν βάρβαρον ἐκείνην γυναῖκα διεκρούσατο μυρία προσάγουσαν μηχανήματα· δακρύων δὲ οὐ κατέσχεν, ἀλλ' ἰδὼν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἠδικηκότας, ἐνεπρήσθη τῷ πάθει, καὶ τὸ προσωπεῖον ταχέως ῥίψας, τὸ δρᾶμα ἀπεκάλυψεν. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ γυνὴ ᾖ, καὶ ἐλεεινὰ λέγῃ, καὶ τὸν καιρὸν ἔχῃ συμπράττοντα, καὶ τὰ τραύματα, καὶ τοὺς μώλωπας, καὶ τὰ μυρία κύματα τῶν συμφορῶν, πῶς οὐκ ἄν τις δικαίως ἀδάμαντος παντὸς στεῤῥοτέραν τὴν οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τοσούτου χειμῶνος παθοῦσαν ψυχὴν εἶναι ἀποφήναιτο; ∆ότε μοι μετὰ παῤῥησίας εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων, εἰ μὴ μείζων, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐλάττων ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ἦν. Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ παρεμυθεῖτο τὸ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν πάσχειν· καὶ οὕτω τοῦτο ἱκανὸν ἦν τὸ φάρμακον καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν αὐτοὺς ἀναστῆσαι, ὡς πανταχοῦ αὐτὸ τιθέναι τὸν ∆εσπότην, ∆ι' ἐμὲ, καὶ, Ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, λέγοντα, καὶ, Εἰ ἐμὲ τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκάλεσαν. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ ταύτης ἔρημος ἦν τῆς παραμυθίας, καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων, καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶχε τοσαύτην Πνεύματος δύναμιν. Καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον. ὅτιπερ ἐν πολλῇ τρυφῇ τραφεὶς, οὐκ ἐξ ἁλιέων καὶ τελωνῶν καὶ τῶν εὐτελῶς βεβιωκότων, ἀλλὰ τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκὼς τιμῆς, ἔπασχεν 57.398 ἅπερ ἔπασχεν ἅπαντα. Καὶ ὅπερ φορτικώτατον ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων εἶναι ἐδόκει, τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπέμενε, παρὰ φίλων, παρὰ οἰκετῶν, παρ' ἐχθρῶν μισούμενος, παρὰ τῶν εὖ πεπονθότων· καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν ἄγκυραν, καὶ τὸν ἀκύμαντον λιμένα (τοῦτο δὲ ἦν τὸ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις εἰρημένον, τὸ, Ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ), τοῦτο ἰδεῖν οὐκ εἶχε. Θαυμάζω καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς τρεῖς, ὅτι κατετόλμησαν καμίνου, ὅτι κατεξανέστησαν τυράννου. Ἀλλ' ἄκουσον τί λέγουσι· Τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι ᾗ ἔστησας οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Ὅπερ μεγίστη παραμυθία αὐτοῖς ἦν, τὸ σαφῶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάντα πάσχουσιν, ἅπερ ἂν πάθωσιν. Οὗτος δὲ οὐκ ᾔδει, ὅτι ἀγωνίσματα ταῦτα ἦν καὶ πάλη· εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει, οὐκ ἂν ᾔσθετο τῶν γινομένων. Ὅτε γοῦν ἤκουσεν, ὅτι Ἄλλως με οἴει σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; ἐννόησον πῶς εὐθέως ἀπὸ ψιλοῦ ῥήματος ἀνέπνευσε· πῶς ἐξηυτέλισεν ἑαυτόν· πῶς οὐδὲ πεπονθέναι ἐνόμισεν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν, οὕτω λέγων· Τί ἔτι κρίνομαι νουθετούμενος καὶ ἐλεγχόμενος ὑπὸ Κυρίου, ἀκούων τοιαῦτα, οὐδὲν ὢν ἐγώ; Καὶ πάλιν· Ἕως μὲν ὠτὸς ἀκοῆς ἤκουόν σου τὸ πρότερον· νυνὶ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἑώρακέ σε· διὸ ἐφαύλισα ἐμαυτὸν καὶ ἐτάκην· ἥγημαι δὲ ἐμαυτὸν γῆν καὶ σποδόν. Ταύτην τοίνυν τὴν ἀνδρείαν, ταύτην τὴν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ ἡμεῖς ζηλώσωμεν, οἱ μετὰ νόμον καὶ χάριν, τοῦ πρὸ νόμου καὶ χάριτος γενομένου, ἵνα καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων αὐτῷ δυνηθῶμεν κοινωνῆσαι σκηνῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

57.397 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Λ∆ʹ. Ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύ γετε εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν. Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ

Ἰσραὴλ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.