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nor did he reason with himself, What ever is this? Was it necessary to put on clay? This is more likely to blind; who ever regained sight this way? But he reasoned none of these things. Do you see his firm faith and eagerness? The night is coming. He shows from this that even after the cross He will provide for the ungodly, and bring many to Himself. For it is still day. But after this He completely cuts them off. And indicating this He said: When I am in the world, I am the light of the world; which He also said to others: Believe, while the light is with you. 3. Why indeed did Paul call the present life night, and that life day? Not in opposition to Christ, but saying the same things, if not in words, but in thoughts. For, he says, The night is far spent, the day is at hand. For he calls the present time night, because of those who sit in darkness, or because of comparing it with that day; but Christ calls the future night, because of the inactivity of sins. And Paul calls the present life night, because those who live in wickedness and unbelief are in darkness. Therefore, speaking to the faithful he said: The night is far spent, the day is at hand, as they are about to enjoy that light; and he calls the old life night. For let us cast off, he says, the works of darkness. Do you see that he says it is night for them? Therefore he says: Let us walk honestly, as in the day, that we may enjoy that light. For if this light is so beautiful, consider how great that one will be. For as much as the light of the sun is better than the light of a lamp, so much, and much more, is that better than this. And indicating this He said, that The sun shall be darkened, that is, because of the abundance of that brightness, not even this will appear. If then now for the sake of having bright and well-aired houses, we spend countless sums of money, building, toiling; consider how we must also spend our very bodies, so that splendid houses may be built for us in the heavens, where that ineffable light is. For here there are both fights and contentions about boundaries and walls; but there there is nothing of the kind; no envy, no malice; nor will anyone contend with us about boundaries. And this one we must certainly leave behind, but that one 59.310 remains with us forever; and this one must decay with time, and be subject to countless harms, but that one remains ageless forever; and this one the poor man cannot build, but that one it is possible to build even for two obols, just like the widow. For these things I am choked, that, when so many good things are set before us, we are indolent, we are negligent, and that we do everything to have splendid houses here; but that we might acquire even a small lodging in the heavens, we do not care, we do not take thought. For tell me, where would you want to have a house here? In the desert, or in one of the small cities? I do not think so; but in the most royal and great ones, where there is more commerce, where the distinction is greater. But I lead you to such a city, whose architect and builder is God. There I urge you to build and construct, for less money, with less labor. The hands of the poor build that house, and this is building in the truest sense; whereas the things being done now are of the utmost folly. For if someone brought you to the land of Persia, to see the things there and then to return; and then ordered you to build houses; would you not have condemned his utmost folly, for ordering you to spend unseasonably? How then do you do this very thing on earth, which a little later you will leave behind? But I will leave it to my children, he says. But they too a little later will leave it behind after you; and often even before you; and those after them in turn. And the matter becomes for you here also a cause of despondency, when you do not see your heirs possessing it. But there one can suspect nothing of the kind; but the possession remains immovable, for you, and for your children and grandchildren, if they imitate the same virtue. Christ undertakes that building; when building that, there is no need to set up overseers, nor to take thought, nor to be anxious. For when God

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οὐδὲ ἐλογίσατο πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστι; πηλὸν ἐχρῆν ἐπιθεῖναι; τοῦτο πηρῶσαι μᾶλλόν ἐστι· τίς οὕτως ἀνέβλεψέ ποτε; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ἐλογίσατο. Εἶδες πίστιν στεῤῥὰν καὶ προθυμίαν; Ἔρχεται νύξ. ∆είκνυσιν ἐκ τούτου, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τὸν σταυρὸν μέλλει προνοεῖν τῶν ἀσεβῶν, καὶ ἐπάγεσθαι πολλούς. Ἔτι γὰρ ἡμέρα ἐστί. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο τέλεον αὐτοὺς ἀποσχίζει. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ὅταν ὦ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, φῶς εἰμι τοῦ κόσμου· ὃ καὶ ἑτέροις ἔλεγε· Πιστεύετε, ἕως τὸ φῶς μεθ' ὑμῶν ἐστι. γʹ. Τί δήποτε ὁ Παῦλος νύκτα μὲν τὸν παρόντα βίον ἐκάλεσεν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ ἡμέραν; Οὐκ ἐναντιούμενος τῷ Χριστῷ, ἀλλὰ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγων, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς ῥήμασιν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐννοίαις. Καὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικε. Νύκτα γὰρ τὸν παρόντα καλεῖ καιρὸν, διὰ τοὺς ἐν σκότῳ καθημένους, ἢ διὰ τὸ παραλαβεῖν αὐτὴν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς νύκτα τὸ μέλλον καλεῖ, διὰ τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀνενέργητον. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος νύκτα τὸν παρόντα βίον καλεῖ, διὰ τὸ ἐν σκότῳ εἶναι τοὺς ἐν κακίᾳ διατρίβοντας καὶ ἀπιστίᾳ. Πιστοῖς τοίνυν διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν, ὡς μελλόντων ἀπολαύσεσθαι τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου· καὶ νύκτα τὸν παλαιὸν βίον καλεῖ. Ἀποθώμεθα γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐκείνοις εἶναι νύκτα φησί; ∆ιὸ λέγει· Ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν, ἵνα τοῦ φωτὸς ἀπολαύσωμεν ἐκείνου. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὕτω καλὸν τὸ φῶς, ἐννόησον ἡλίκον ἔσται ἐκεῖνο. Ὅσον γὰρ τοῦ λυχνιαίου φωτὸς τὸ ἡλιακὸν κρεῖττον, τοσοῦτον, καὶ πολλῷ πλέον ἐκεῖνο βέλτιον τούτου. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, τουτέστι, διὰ τὴν περιουσίαν ἐκείνης τῆς μαρμαρυγῆς, οὔτε οὗτος φανεῖται. Εἰ δὲ νῦν ὑπὲρ τοῦ φωτεινὰς ἔχειν οἰκίας, καὶ εὐαερεῖς, μυρία δαπανῶμεν χρήματα, οἰκοδομοῦντες, ταλαιπωρούμενοι· ἐννόησον πῶς χρὴ καὶ τὰ σώματα αὐτὰ δαπανᾷν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαμπρὰς ἡμῖν οἰκίας ἐν οὐρανοῖς οἰκοδομηθῆναι, ἔνθα τὸ φῶς ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἀπόῤῥητον. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ καὶ μάχαι καὶ φιλονεικίαι περὶ ὅρων καὶ τοίχων· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· οὐ φθόνος, οὐ βασκανία· οὐδὲ φιλονεικήσει τις ἡμῖν περὶ ὁροθεσίων. Καὶ ταύτην μὲν ἀπολιπεῖν ἀνάγκη πάντως, ἐκείνη δὲ 59.310 συμπαραμένει διηνεκῶς· καὶ ταύτην μὲν ἀνάγκη σαθροῦσθαι τῷ χρόνῳ, καὶ μυρίαις ὑποκεῖσθαι βλάβαις, ἐκείνην δὲ μένειν ἀγήρω διηνεκῶς· καὶ ταύτην μὲν ὁ πένης οὐ δύναται οἰκοδομεῖν, ἐκείνην δὲ ἔστι καὶ διὰ δύο ὀβολῶν οἰκοδομῆσαι, καθάπερ ἡ χήρα. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἀποπνίγομαι, ὅτι, τοσούτων ἡμῖν προκειμένων ἀγαθῶν, ῥᾳθυμοῦμεν, ὀλιγωροῦμεν, καὶ ὅπως μὲν ἐνταῦθα λαμπρὰς σχοίημεν οἰκίας, ἅπαντα πράττομεν· ὅπως δὲ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς κἂν μικρὸν κτησώμεθα καταγώγιον, οὐ μεριμνῶμεν, οὐ φροντίζομεν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι· ποῦ ἐβούλου οἰκίαν ἔχειν ἐνταῦθα; ἆρα ἢ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ, ἢ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων τῶν μικρῶν; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι· ἀλλ' ἐν ταῖς βασιλικωτάταις καὶ μεγάλαις, ἔνθα πλείων ἡ ἐμπορία, ἔνθα μείζων ἡ περιφάνεια. Ἐγὼ δέ σε εἰς πόλιν ἄγω τοιαύτην, ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός. Ἐκεῖ παρακαλῶ κτίζειν τε καὶ οἰκοδομεῖν, δι' ἐλαττόνων χρημάτων, δι' ἐλάττονος πόνου. Ἐκείνην τὴν οἰκίαν τῶν πενήτων οἰκοδομοῦσιν αἱ χεῖρες, καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστιν οἰκοδομή· ὡς τά γε νῦν γινόμενα, ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας. Καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις σε εἰς Περσικὴν ἤγαγε γῆν, ὀψόμενον τὰ ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐπανήξοντα· εἶτα ἐκέλευσεν οἰκίας δείμασθαι· ἆρα οὐκ ἂν αὐτοῦ κατέγνως ἄνοιαν τὴν ἐσχάτην, ὡς ἀκαίρως δαπανᾷν κελεύοντος; Πῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ἣν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀπολείψῃ; Ἀλλὰ τοῖς παιδίοις καταλείψω, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μικρὸν ὕστερον καταλείψουσι μετὰ σέ· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πρὸ σοῦ· καὶ οἱ μετ' ἐκείνους πάλιν. Καὶ γίνεταί σοι καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀθυμίας ὑπόθεσις, ὅταν τοὺς κληρονόμους κατέχοντας μὴ ἴδῃς. Ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ὑποπτεῦσαι· ἀλλ' ἀκίνητος ἡ κτῆσις μένει, καὶ σοὶ, καὶ τοῖς παιδίοις καὶ τοῖς ἐγγόνοις, ἂν τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν μιμήσωνται. Ἐκείνης τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐφάπτεται· ἐκείνην οἰκοδομοῦντα, οὐκ ἀνάγκη ἐπιμελητὰς ἐφιστᾷν, οὐδὲ φροντίζειν, οὐδὲ μεριμνᾷν. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς