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is gracious and wonderful. Paul had much to say about this mercy; for hear him saying: “Only that we should remember the poor;” and at another time, “If it be meet that I go also.” And everywhere 63.856 up and down you see him concerned about this. And again: “And let our people also learn to maintain good works;” and again, “For these things are good and profitable unto men.” Hear also another one saying: “Almsgiving delivers from death.” But if you, Lord, should take away mercy, who shall stand? and if you, he says, should enter into judgment with your servant. A great thing is man, and a precious thing a merciful man. For this is a merciful man; rather, this is God, to be merciful. Do you see how great is the power of the mercy of God? this has done all things, this has made the world through goodness alone; for this reason He has also threatened Gehenna, that we might obtain the kingdom; and we obtain the kingdom through mercy. For why, being alone, did He make so many? Was it not through goodness? Was it not through love for mankind? If you ask, “Why this and that?” you will find goodness everywhere. Let us have mercy on our neighbors, that we ourselves may receive mercy; it is not for them so much as for ourselves that we store up this mercy against that day, when the flame of the fire is vehement; this mercy is an extinguisher of the fire, and for us a cause of light; thus through this we will be delivered from the fire of Gehenna. Since whence will He be compassionate and have mercy? Mercy comes from love. Nothing so provokes God as being unmerciful. And just as we have five senses, and must use them all as is fitting, so too with all the virtues. But if someone is chaste, but is unmerciful; or is merciful, but is covetous; or abstains from what belongs to others, but does not share his own; all has become in vain. For one virtue alone is not sufficient to present us with boldness at the judgment seat of Christ, but there is need of much, and varied, and of every kind, and all of it. For hear Him saying to His disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you;” and again, “Whoever shall break one of these least commandments shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven;” that is, in the resurrection. For he will certainly not enter into the kingdom; for he knows to call even the time of the resurrection a kingdom. If he breaks one, he says, he will be called least; so that we need all of them. And see how it is not possible to enter without almsgiving, but even if this alone is lacking, we will go away into the fire; “For depart,” He says, “you cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” For what reason and why? “Because I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink.” Do you see how, being accused of nothing else, they perished for this alone? And the virgins were cast out of the bridechamber for this reason alone; and yet they had chastity. “Follow peace with all men,” he says, “and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Consider, therefore, that without chastity it is not possible to see the Lord; but it is not in every case possible to see Him with chastity; for often something else has stood in the way. Again, if we should accomplish all things, but profit our neighbor in nothing, not even so shall we enter into the kingdom. From where is this clear? 63.857 From the servants who were entrusted with the talents; for there every virtue was intact, and nothing was lacking, but since he became slothful in his work, he was rightly cast out. It is possible even from reviling alone to fall into Gehenna; “For he who says to his brother, ‘Fool,’” He says, “shall be in danger of the hell of fire.” Even if someone accomplishes all things, but is insolent, he will not enter. And let no one condemn God for cruelty, if He casts out of the kingdom of heaven those who have transgressed in this. For if among men, should someone commit any unlawful act, he is cast out from the king's sight, even if he transgresses one of the established laws; if he slanders by accusing, he has lost his position; if he commits adultery and is caught, he has become unworthy; even if he has accomplished countless things, he is ruined; if he commits murder and

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χαρίζεται καὶ θαυμάσιον. Πολὺς τοῦ ἐλέου τούτου ὁ λόγος τῷ Παύλῳ ἦν· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Μόνον τῶν πτωχῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν· ἄλλοτε δὲ, Ἐὰν ᾖ ἄξιον τοῦ κἀμὲ πορεύεσθαι. Καὶ πανταχοῦ 63.856 ἄνω καὶ κάτω περὶ τούτου ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν μεριμνῶντα. Καὶ πάλιν· Μανθανέτωσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι· καὶ πάλιν, Ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι καλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἄκουε δὲ καὶ ἄλλου τινὸς λέγοντος· Ἐλεημοσύνη ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται. Ἐὰν δὲ τὸν ἔλεον ἀνέλῃς, Κύριε, τίς στήσεται; καὶ ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃς, φησὶν, εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου. Μέγα τι ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἐλεήμων· μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ ἐλεεῖν. Ὁρᾷς ὅση τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ἰσχύς; τοῦτο πάντα ἐποίησε, τοῦτο τὸν κόσμον εἰργάσατο δι' ἀγαθότητα μόνον· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ γέενναν ἠπείλησεν, ἵνα βασιλείας τύχωμεν· βασιλείας δὲ τυγχάνομεν δι' ἔλεον. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μόνος ὢν τοσούτους ἐποίησεν; οὐ δι' ἀγαθότητα; οὐ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν; Ἂν ἐρωτήσῃς, ∆ιὰ τί τόδε καὶ τόδε; πανταχοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα εὑρήσεις. Ἐλεήσωμεν τοὺς πλησίον, ἵνα ἐλεηθῶμεν αὐτοί· οὐκ ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον, ἢ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς συνάγομεν τὸν ἔλεον τοῦτον ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὅταν σφοδρὰ ᾖ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ φλόξ· τὸ ἔλεον τοῦτο τοῦ πυρός ἐστι σβεστικὸν, ἡμῖν δὲ φωτὸς αἴτιον· οὕτω τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς γεέννης διὰ τούτου ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα· ἐπεὶ πόθεν σπλαγχνισθήσεται καὶ ἐλεήσει; Ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ὁ ἔλεος γίνεται. Οὐδὲν οὕτω παροξύνει τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς τὸ ἀνελεήμονα εἶναι. Ὥσπερ δὲ αἰσθήσεις ἡμῖν πέντε εἰσὶ, καὶ πάσαις εἰς δέον κεχρῆσθαι δεῖ, οὕτω καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἀρεταῖς. Εἰ δέ τις σωφρονοίη μὲν, ἀνελεήμων δὲ εἴη· ἢ ἐλεήμων μὲν ᾖ, πλεονεκτοίη δέ· ἢ ἀπέχοιτο μὲν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, τῶν δὲ αὑτοῦ μὴ μεταδοίη· πάντα εἰκῆ γέγονεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μία μόνον ἀρετὴ παραστῆσαι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς δεῖ καὶ ποικίλης καὶ παντοδαπῆς καὶ πάσης αὐτῆς. Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς· Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ πάλιν, Ὃς ἐὰν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσελεύσεται· οἶδε γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως βασιλείαν καλεῖν. Μίαν ἐὰν λύσῃ, φησὶν, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται· ὥστε πασῶν ἡμῖν δεῖ. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς οὐκ ἔνι χωρὶς ἐλεημοσύνης εἰσελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ κἂν αὕτη μόνη ἐλλείπῃ, εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἀπελευσόμεθα· Ἀπέλθετε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον, τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. Τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί; Ὅτι ἐπείνασα, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ με. Εἶδες πῶς οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐγκληθέντες, διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἀπώλοντο; Καὶ αἱ παρθένοι διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἐξεβλήθησαν τοῦ νυμφῶνος· καίτοι γε σωφροσύνην εἶχον. Εἰρήνην, φησὶ, μετὰ πάντων διώκετε, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν, ὅτι χωρὶς μὲν σωφροσύνης οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸν Κύριον· οὐ πάντως δὲ μετὰ σωφροσύνης δυνατὸν ἰδεῖν· πολλάκις γὰρ ἕτερον ἐνεπόδισε. Πάλιν, ἂν πάντα κατορθώσωμεν, τὸν δὲ πλησίον οὐδὲν ὠφελήσωμεν, οὐδὲ οὕτως εἰσελευσόμεθα εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν. Πόθεν δῆλον· 63.857 Ἀπὸ τῶν τὰ τάλαντα πιστευθέντων οἰκετῶν· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἡ ἀρετὴ πᾶσα ἀκέραιος ἦν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλέλειπτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ περὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν ὀκνηρὸς γέγονεν, εἰκότως ἐξεβάλλετο. Ἔστι καὶ ἀπὸ λοιδορίας μόνης εἰς γέενναν ἐμπεσεῖν· Ὁ γὰρ λέγων, φησὶ, τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Μωρὲ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. Κἂν ἅπαντά τις κατορθώσῃ, ὑβριστὴς δὲ ᾖ, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται. Καὶ μή τις ὠμότητα καταγινωσκέτω τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ τοὺς τοῦτο ἐπταικότας ἐκβάλλει τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, κἂν ὁτιοῦν τῶν παρανόμων ἐργάσηταί τις, ἐξέπεσε τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ὄψεως, κἂν ἕνα νόμον τῶν κειμένων παραβῇ· κἂν συκοφαντήσῃ κατηγορῶν, ἀπώλεσε τὴν ἀρχήν· κἂν μοιχεύσῃ καὶ ἁλῷ, ἀνάξιος γέγονε· κἂν μυρία ᾖ κατορθωκὼς, ἀπόλλυται· κἂν φόνον ἐργάσηται καὶ