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and receives and honors him, and shows all kindness with generosity, and this, not to be released from the loan, but wishing to make us gentle about the demand for payment; but you, owing so much to God, and being commanded to forgive, so that you in turn may receive, do you not forgive? Why ever, I beseech you? Alas, what great love for mankind do we enjoy? But what great wickedness do we display? How much toil? How much sloth? How easy is virtue? Here there is no need of bodily strength, nor of wealth of money, nor of power, nor of friendship, nor of anything else; but it is enough only to be willing, and the whole matter is accomplished, having great benefit. Has so-and-so grieved you, and insulted and mocked you? consider that you also do many such things to others, and to the Master Himself; let it go and forgive; consider that you say: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive; consider that if you do not forgive, you will not be able to say this with confidence; but if you forgive, you demand the matter as a debt, not because of the 63.864 nature of the thing, but because of the love for mankind of the one who gave it. And where is the equality, in forgiving things against fellow-servants to receive forgiveness for sins against the Master? But nevertheless we obtain such great love for mankind, because He is rich in mercy and compassions. But that I may show you, that even apart from these things and apart from forgiveness, from forgiving alone you reap the profit; consider how many friends such a person has, how everywhere all people recount praises of such a one. A good man, easily reconciled, does not know how to bear a grudge; as soon as he was struck, he was healed. Who would not pity such a one who has fallen into some adversity? Who will not pardon him when he sins? Who will not grant a favor to one who asks on behalf of others? Who will not wish to be a friend and a servant of so good a soul? Yes, I beseech you, let us do all things for this, not only towards friends, not only towards relatives, but also towards servants. For, it says, forbearing threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven. If we forgive our neighbors' sins, if we give alms, if we are humble (for this too takes away sins; for if the tax-collector, for only saying, Be merciful to me a sinner, went down justified, much more we also, if we are humble and contrite, will be able to obtain much love for mankind); if we confess our own sins and condemn ourselves, we will wipe away most of the filth. For many are the ways that cleanse. From all sides, therefore, let us make war on the devil. I have said nothing difficult, nothing hard. Forgive the one who has grieved you, have mercy on the one in need, humble your soul; and even if you are a great sinner, you will be able to attain the kingdom, by these means cleansing away the sins themselves, and wiping off the stain. May it be that we all, having been cleansed here of all the filth of our sins through confession, may there obtain the promised good things, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ; with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 41. Concerning that we ought to imitate even our servants, in whatever things they do through fear of us, that we also may do the same things through fear of God; and concerning the ineffable

good things prepared for the saints. If Paul, beloved, commanded servants to use great obedience to their

masters, writing to Timothy; consider how we ought to be disposed toward the Master, who brought us from non-being into being, who feeds us, who clothes us. If then in no other way, let us at least serve Him as our servants serve us. Have they not dedicated their whole life to this, to

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καὶ ὑποδέχεται καὶ τιμᾷ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυται φιλοφροσύνην μετὰ δαψιλείας, καὶ ταῦτα, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ δανείσματος διαλυόμενος, ἀλλ' ἡμέρους ἡμᾶς θέλων καταστῆσαι περὶ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν· σὺ δὲ τῷ Θεῷ ὀφείλων τοσαῦτα, καὶ κελευόμενος ἀφεῖναι, πάλιν ἵνα σὺ λάβῃς, οὐκ ἀφίης; τί δήποτε, παρακαλῶ; Οἴμοι, πόσης μὲν ἀπολαύομεν φιλανθρῳπίας; πόσην δὲ ἐπιδεικνύμεθα κακίαν; πόσον πόνον; πόσην νωθείαν; πῶς εὔκολον ἡ ἀρετή; Ἐνταῦθα οὐ σώματος ἰσχύος χρεία, οὐ πλούτου χρημάτων, οὐ δυναστείας, οὐ φιλίας, οὐκ ἄλλου οὐδενός· ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ θελῆσαι μόνον, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσται πρᾶγμα, πολλὴν ἔχον ὠφέλειαν. Ἐλύπησεν ὁ δεῖνα, καὶ ὕβρισε καὶ ἔσκωψεν; ἐννόησον, ὅτι καὶ σὺ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα εἰς ἑτέρους ποιεῖς, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν ∆εσπότην· ἄνες καὶ συγχώρησον· ἐννόησον, ὅτι λέγεις· Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν· ἐννόησον, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἀφῇς, οὐ δυνήσῃ μετὰ παῤῥησίας τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· ἂν δὲ ἀφῇς, ὀφειλὴν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀπαιτεῖς, οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ 63.864 πράγματος φύσιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ δεδωκότος φιλανθρωπίαν. Καὶ ποῦ ἴσον, τὰ εἰς τοὺς ὁμοδούλους ἀφιέντα τῶν εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην ἡμαρτηκότων τὴν ἄφεσιν λαβεῖν, ἀλλ' ὅμως τυγχάνομεν τῆς τοσαύτης φιλανθρωπίας, ἐπειδὴ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐν ἐλέει καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς. Ἵνα δέ σοι δείξω, ὅτι καὶ χωρὶς τούτων καὶ χωρὶς τῆς ἀφέσεως, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀφεῖναι μόνον σὺ καρποῦσαι τὸ κέρδος· ἐννόησον πόσους ὁ τοιοῦτος ἔχει φίλους, πῶς πανταχοῦ ἐγκώμια τοῦ τοιούτου ἅπαντες διεξέρχονται. Ἀγαθὸς ἀνὴρ εὐμετάλλακτος, οὐκ οἶδε μνησικακῆσαι, ἅμα ἐπλήγη καὶ ἅμα ἰάθη. Τὸν τοιοῦτον περιστάσει τινὶ περιπεσόντα τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐλεήσῃ; τίς οὐ συγγνώσεται ἁμαρτάνοντι; τίς οὐ δώσει χάριν ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων ἀξιοῦντι; τίς οὐ θελήσει φίλος εἶναι καὶ δοῦλος ψυχῆς οὕτως ἀγαθῆς; Ναὶ, παρακαλῶ, πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου πράττωμεν, μὴ πρὸς φίλους, μὴ πρὸς συγγενεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκέτας. Ἀνιέντες γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν ἀπειλὴν, εἰδότες, ὅτι καὶ ὁ Κύριος ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ἂν ἀφίωμεν τοῖς πλησίον τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἂν ἐλεημοσύνας παρέχωμεν, ἂν ταπεινοὶ ὦμεν (καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἀφαιρεῖ ἁμαρτίας· εἰ γὰρ ὁ τελώνης, ἵνα μόνον εἴπῃ, Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, κατῆλθε δεδικαιωμένος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐὰν ταπεινοὶ ὦμεν καὶ συντετριμμένοι, δυνησόμεθα πολλῆς φιλανθρωπίας τυχεῖν)· ἂν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτήματα καὶ καταγινώσκωμεν ἑαυτῶν, τὸ πλέον ἀποσμηξόμεθα τοῦ ῥύπου. Πολλαὶ γὰρ αἱ ὁδοὶ αἱ καθαρεύουσαι. Πάντοθεν τοίνυν πολεμῶμεν τῷ διαβόλῳ. Οὐδὲν εἶπον δύσκολον, οὐδὲν δυσχερές. Ἄφες τῷ λελυπηκότι, ἐλέησον τὸν δεόμενον, ταπείνωσόν σου τὴν ψυχήν· κἂν σφόδρα ᾖς ἁμαρτωλὸς, δυνήσῃ καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιτυχεῖν, διὰ τούτων αὐτὰ ἐκκαθαίρων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ ἀποσμήχων τὴν κηλῖδα. Γένοιτο δὲ πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐνταῦθα ἀποκαθηραμένους ἅπαντα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸν ῥύπον διὰ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως, ἐκεῖ τυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΑʹ. Περὶ τοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ μιμεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς κἂν τοὺς οἰκέτας ἡμῶν, ὁπόσα ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον φόβον πράττουσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον τὰ αὐτὰ πράττωμεν· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀνεκδιηγήτων

ἀγαθῶν τῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις ηὐτρεπισμένων. Εἰ τοῖς οἰκέταις ὁ Παῦλος, ἀγαπητοὶ, πολλῇ κεχρῆσθαι τῇ ὑπακοῇ τοῖς

κυρίοις, Τιμοθέῳ γράφων, ἐπέταττεν· ἐννοήσατε πῶς ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγόντα ἡμᾶς, τὸν τρέφοντα, τὸν ἐνδιδύσκοντα. Εἰ καὶ μηδαμῶς οὖν ἑτέρως, κἂν ὡς οἱ οἰκέται οἱ ἡμέτεροι, δουλεύσωμεν αὐτῷ. Οὐχὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ζωὴν εἰς τοῦτο κατεστήσαντο ἐκεῖνοι, εἰς τὸ