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it is necessary for the one who wishes to make his own fasts pleasing to God. Break your own bread, which you certainly would have eaten if you were not fasting, for the hungry; for indeed there is no lack of people in need of food. And so your fasting will not be for gain, but in another way you will nourish your soul by winning over with your bread the one who is in need and requires food. But it is not right to stop at this, but also into your own house do not call any rich people nor those who are able to give you a reward on the same day, but the poor who are truly found in life's destitution, the outcasts because they lack even a roof over their heads. To these, you yourself become a roof, receiving them into your own house for the fulfillment of this good and God-pleasing fast. When you see a naked person, do not pass by on the other side nor overlook him as a stranger; for the God of all things established some to have plenty of food and money, and others to be needy and poor, for the testing of both, so that the one group might have the fruit of their own wealth through their provision for the needy, and the others, being exercised by poverty, might make the provision from the wealthy their own instead of a fruitful land, in addition to the things said before; and you will not overlook those of your own seed. For it will be necessary first to share abundantly with all, but to give special things "to those of the household of faith"; for the apostolic command also urged this, saying to be kind "to all, but especially to those of the household of faith." Having kept these things that have been said like certain laws by your works, do not humble your soul nor bend your neck like a ring nor spread sackcloth and ashes under you; but cheerful and looking up to God, receive the rewards from him. Learn now what these are: just as after a change from night and darkness, the light that shines after daybreak suddenly shows the far-shining rays of the sun. In the same way also for you the early light will break forth, something heavenly and divine suddenly coming upon you and driving far away the darkness that previously prevailed in the soul, so that you live in the day of God and in the light of knowledge and truth. And so also the healings of your soul will rise up with the light itself, so that it may be rendered free from every sickness and infirmity and every defilement. And then, having been perfected as such, you will also become a light to others; for your righteousness of virtue through works will go before you, shining out to the many who see. And these fruits will bring these things about for you, and out of abundance the glory from God, as with a crown, will adorn your soul from above with all kinds of things, so as to be glorified "both among men and before God himself." In addition to these things, you will also have these special things, for as soon as you cry out to God, you will have him listening; for he will almost utter a voice, while you are still speaking, and say, "Behold, I am here." And all these things will be yours, if you keep the things said before and take away from yourself the collars of sins; for it does no harm to make mention of the same things a second time, if then you take away from yourself the bond from sin and unjust appointments and the reproaches of your words, and the grumblings against God. Moreover, if, as has been said before, you give your bread to the hungry, know that you have granted great things to yourself. Likewise, if you should fill the soul that is humbled by want with the things you have in abundance, again the Word will make the same promises to you; your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will shine as the noonday. And your God will be with you always; and he will fill you as your soul desires; and he promises you nourishment for the soul and enjoyment of the good things with him, and he says your bones, that is, the powers of the soul, will be made fat by the spiritual and divine food. And there will be in you both "a spring of living water" and an ever-flourishing garden with the things from the holy

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ἀναγκαῖον τὸν βουλόμενον εὐαρεστοὺς τῷ θεῷ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ νηστείας ποιεῖσθαι. Τὸν ἄρτον τὸν σαυτοῦ, ὃν εἰ μὴ τὴν νηστείαν εἶχες πάντως ἂν ἤσθιες, διάθρυπτε τοῖς πεινῶσιν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ λείπουσιν ἐν ἀνθρώποις οἱ τροφῆς ἐνδεεῖς. καὶ οὕτως γάρ σοι γένηται οὐ πρὸς κέρδους ἡ ἀσιτία, ἀλλ' ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ τραφήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν τῷ σαυτοῦ ἄρτῳ τὸν ἐνδεῆ καὶ τροφῆς δεόμενον ἀνακτώμενος. οὐ χρὴ δὲ μέχρι τούτου ἵστασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οἶκον τὸν σεαυτοῦ μὴ πλουσίους τινὰς εἰσκάλει μηδὲ τοὺς δυναμένους μεθ' ἡμέραν τὴν αὐτήν σοι παρέχειν ἀμοιβήν, πτωχοὺς δὲ τοὺς ἀληθῶς ἐν ἀπορίᾳ βίου ἐξεταζομένους τοὺς ἀπερριμμένους διὰ τὸ μηδὲ στέγης εὐπορεῖν. τούτοις αὐτὸς γένου στέγη ὑποδεξάμενος εἰς τὸν σαυτοῦ οἶκον πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν δὲ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης καὶ θεῷ ἀρεστῆς νηστείας. γυμνὸν θεασάμενος μὴ ἀντιπαρέλθοις μηδὲ ὡς ἀλλότριον παρίδοις· ὁ γὰρ τῶν ὅλων θεὸς τοὺς μὲν εὐπορεῖν τροφῆς καὶ χρημάτων, τοὺς δὲ ἐνδεεῖς καὶ πένητας ὑπεστήσατο εἰς δοκιμὴν ἑκατέρων, ἵν' οἱ μὲν ἔχοιεν καρπὸν τῆς ἑαυτῶν εὐπορίας διὰ τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἐνδεεῖς παροχῆς, οἱ δὲ ἐγγυμναζόμενοι τῇ πενίᾳ ἀντὶ πολυκάρπου χώρας τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν εὐπόρων διεποιοῦντο χορηγίαν ἔτι πρὸς τοῖς προειρημένοις· καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ σπέρματός σου οὐχ ὑπερόψει. μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ τὰ πρῶτα τοῖς πᾶσι δεήσει κοινωνεῖν ἀφθόνως, τὰ δὲ ἐξαίρετα «τοῖς οἰκείοις τῆς πίστεως» ἀπονέμειν· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἀποστολικὴ διάταξις παρεκελεύσατο φήσασα δεξιοὺς εἶναι «πρὸς πάντας, μάλιστα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως». ταῦτα δὴ τὰ λελεγμένα ὥσπερ τινὰς νόμους ἔργοις φυλάξας μὴ ταπεινοῦ τὴν σαυτοῦ ψυχὴν μηδὲ κάμπτε ὡς κρίκον τὸν τράχηλόν σου μηδὲ σάκκον καὶ σποδὸν ὑποστρώννυσο· φαιδρὸς δὲ καὶ ἄνω πρὸς τὸν θεὸν βλέπων δέχου τὰς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀμοιβάς. Ποίας ταύτας ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη μάνθανε ὥσπερ ἀπὸ νυκτὸς καὶ σκότους μεταβολῆς γενομένης ἀθρόως τὸ μεθ' ἡμέραν φῶς ἐκλάμψαν δείκνυσι τηλαυγεῖς τὰς ἡλιακὰς μαρμαρυγάς. τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ σοὶ ῥαγήσεται πρώϊμον τὸ φῶς οὐράνιόν τι καὶ θεῖον ἀθρόως ἐπελθὸν καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἐπιπολάζον τῇ ψυχῇ σκότος μακρὰν αὐτῆς ἐλαῦνον ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θεοῦ καὶ φωτὶ γνώσεως καὶ ἀληθείας διάγειν. οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὰ ἰάματα τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς σὺν αὐτῷ τῷ φωτὶ ἀνατελεῖ, ὡς πάσης νόσου καὶ μαλακίας καὶ παντὸς ἄγους ἐλευθέραν αὐτὴν καταστῆναι. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἑτέροις γενήσῃ φῶς τοιοῦτος ἀποτελεσθείς· προπορεύσεται γάρ σου ἡ δι' ἔργων ἀρετῆς δικαιοσύνη εἰς πολλοὺς τοὺς ὁρῶντας ἐκλάμπουσα. καὶ οἱ μέν σοι καρποὶ ταῦτα προξενήσουσί σοι, ἐκ περιουσίας δὲ ἡ ἐκ θεοῦ δόξα ὥσπερ στεφάνῳ τὴν σὴν ψυχὴν παντοίοις ἄνωθεν κατακοσμήσει ὡς «καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις καὶ παρ' αὐτῷ τῷ θεῷ» δοξάζεσθαι. Πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ταῦτα ἕξεις ἐξαίρετα, ἅμα γὰρ τῷ βοῆσαί σε πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἕξεις αὐτὸν ἐπήκοον· μόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς ἔτι σοὶ φθεγγομένῳ ἐρεῖ Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα περὶ σὲ ἔσται, ἐὰν τὰ προλελεγμένα φυλάττοις καὶ ἀφέλοις μὲν ἀπὸ σαυτοῦ τοὺς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κλοιούς· οὐδὲν γὰρ λυπεῖ καὶ δεύτερον τῶν αὐτῶν μνείαν ποιήσασθαι, εἰ τοίνυν ἀφέλοις ἀπὸ σαυτοῦ σύνδεσμον ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τὰς ἀδίκους χειροτονίας καὶ ῥημάτων σου τὰς μομφάς, τούς τε κατὰ θεοῦ γογγυσμούς. Ἔτι μὴν εἰ καθὼς προείρηται δῷς πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου, σαυτῷ τὰ μεγάλα ἴσθι κεχαρισμένος. ὁμοίως εἰ τὴν δι' ἔνδειαν τεταπεινωμένην ψυχὴν ἐμπλήσειας τῶν παρὰ σοὶ εὐπορουμένων, πάλιν ὁ λόγος τὰς αὐτὰς ποιήσεταί σοι ἐπαγγελίας· ἀνατελεῖ ἐν τῷ σκότει τὸ φῶς σου, καὶ τὸ σκότος σου ὡς μεσημβρίαν ἐκλάμψει. καὶ ἔσται ὁ θεός σου μετὰ σοῦ διὰ παντός· καὶ ἐμπλήσει σε καθάπερ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή σου· ἐπαγγέλλεται δέ σοι ψυχῆς τροφὴν καὶ ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν παρ' αὐτῷ ἀγαθῶν καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ δέ σού φησι, δηλαδὴ τῆς ψυχῆς αἱ δυνάμεις, πιανθήσονται ὑπὸ τῆς πνευματικῆς καὶ ἐνθέου τροφῆς. ἔσται δὲ ἐν σοὶ καὶ «πηγὴ ὕδατος ζῶντος» καὶ κῆπος ἀειθαλὴς ταῖς ἐξ ἁγίου