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was at a loss, knowing that this was his work? But are we not in a strange land? But if we are willing, we shall be able to imitate him. How many strangers are there among the brethren? There is a common dwelling, the church, which we call a guest-house; you too be busy about it, sit by the doors, receive those who come in; even if you do not wish to into your houses, but in some other way providing for their needs. What then? Does not the Church have? he says. It does; but what is that to you? Can their being fed from the common funds of the Church profit you? For if another prays, ought you not to pray? why do you not say: What then? Do not the priests pray? Why do I pray? But I, he says, give to him who is not able to be lodged there. Give even to that man; for this is what we are earnest for, that you give at all. Hear what Paul says: That it may relieve them that are widows indeed, and that the Church be not burdened. Do it as you wish, only do it. But I do not say, That the Church be not burdened, but,That you be not burdened; for with this reasoning you will do nothing, entrusting everything to it. For this reason a common dwelling has been set apart by the Church, so that you may not say these things. But the Church has expenses, he says, it has money and revenues. Tell me, does it not have outlays? Does it not have daily expense? Yes, he says. Why then do you not help with what is moderate? I am ashamed to say these things; however, I compel no one. If anyone thinks what is said is for money-making, let him make for himself a guest-house at his own house; set up a bed there, set up a table there and a lamp. For how is it not strange, if when soldiers come, you have assigned rooms, and take great care, and provide them with everything, since they ward off this visible war for you; but that strangers have nowhere to stay? Outdo the Church. Do you wish to put us to shame? Do this; surpass us in generosity; have a dwelling where Christ comes; say: This is the cell of Christ; this house is set apart for him. And if it be a lodging and humble, He does not disdain it. Christ goes about naked and a stranger, needing only shelter; provide for Him even in this; be not cruel nor inhuman, nor so vehement in worldly things, but cold in spiritual things. Let the most faithful of the servants be entrusted with this, and let him bring in the maimed, the poor, the homeless. I say these things to your shame. For you ought to have received them in the upper part of the house; but if you are not willing, receive Christ even below, even where the mules are, even where the servants are. Perhaps you shudder hearing this. What then, when you do not even do these things? Behold I exhort, behold I say: Let this be your special care. But you do not wish it so? Then 60.320 do it in another way. There are many poor men and women; set apart someone to stay there permanently; let the poor man be even a guard of the house; let him be to you a little wall and a fence, a shield and a spear. Where there is almsgiving, the devil does not dare to approach, nor any other of the terrible things. Let us not then overlook so great a gain. But now a place is set apart for a carriage, and another for litters; but for Christ wandering about, not one. Abraham received strangers where he himself stayed; and his wife stood in the rank of a handmaid, but they in the rank of masters. He did not know that he was receiving Christ; he did not know that they were angels; for if he had known, he would have emptied out everything. But we, although knowing that we receive Christ, do not show so much zeal as he who thought he was receiving men. But there are many impostors, he says, and ungrateful people. And for this your reward is greater, when you receive them for Christ's name. For if you know they are impostors, do not receive them into the house; but if you do not know, why do you simply accuse them? For this reason I say to go to the guest-house. But what defense is there, when we do not receive even those whom we know, but shut our doors to all? Let our house be the inn of Christ; let us ask of them the reward, not silver, but that they make our house a reception-place for Christ; let us run about everywhere, let us draw, let us snatch the

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ἠπορήθη, εἰδὼς ὅτι τοῦτο ἔργον αὐτῷ ἦν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ ξένης ἐσμὲν ἡμεῖς; Ἀλλ' ἐὰν θέλωμεν, δυνησόμεθα αὐτὸν μιμήσασθαι. Πόσοι ξένοι εἰσὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν; Ἔστιν οἴκημα κοινὸν ἡ ἐκκλησία, ὃν ξενῶνα καλοῦμεν· περιεργάζεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς, καθέζεσθε παρὰ τὰς θύρας, τοὺς ἐρχομένους ὑποδέχεσθε· κἂν μὴ εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ὑμῶν βούλησθε, ἀλλ' ἑτέρως τὰ πρὸς τὰς χρείας αὐτοῖς χορηγοῦντες. Τί γάρ; ἡ Ἐκκλησία οὐκ ἔχει; φησίν. Ἔχει· ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτο πρὸς ὑμᾶς; μὴ τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τρέφεσθαι χρημάτων αὐτοὺς, τοῦτο ὑμᾶς ὠφελῆσαι δύναται; μὴ γὰρ, ἂν ἕτερος εὔχηται, σὺ οὐκ ὀφείλεις εὔχεσθαι; διὰ τί μὴ λέγεις· τί γάρ; οὐκ εὔχονται οἱ ἱερεῖς; ἐγὼ τί εὔχομαι; Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ, φησὶ, δίδωμι τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ καταχθῆναι ἐκεῖ. ∆ὸς κἂν ἐκείνῳ· τὸ γὰρ σπουδαζόμενον ἡμῖν τοῦτό ἐστι, τὸ ὅλως δοῦναι. Ἄκουσον, τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Ἵνα ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκέσῃ, καὶ μὴ βαρῆται ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Ὅπως βούλει ποίησον, μόνον ποίησον. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ λέγω, Ἵνα μὴ βαρῆται ἡ Ἐκκλησία, ἀλλ',Ἵνα μὴ σὺ βαρῇ· τῷ γὰρ λογισμῷ τούτῳ οὐδὲν ἐργάσῃ, πάντα ἐπιτρέπων αὐτῇ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κοινὸν οἴκημά ἐστιν ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀφωρισμένον, ἵνα μὴ ταῦτα λέγῃς. Ἀλλ' ἔχει δαπανήματα ἡ Ἐκκλησία, φησὶ, χρήματα ἔχει καὶ προσόδους. Εἰπέ μοι, ἀναλώματα δὲ οὐκ ἔχει; δαπάνην δὲ οὐκ ἔχει καθημερινήν; Ναὶ, φησί. Τί οὖν οὐ βοηθεῖς τῇ μετρίᾳ; Αἰσχύνομαι μὲν ταῦτα λέγων· πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀναγκάζω. Εἴ τις νομίζει χρηματισμὸν εἶναι τὰ λεγόμενα, ποιήσει ἑαυτῷ ξενοδοχεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας· στῆσον ἐκεῖ κλίνην, στῆσον ἐκεῖ τράπεζαν καὶ λυχνίαν. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ μὲν στρατιῶται ἔλθοιεν, ἔχειν ὑμᾶς ἀποτεταγμένα οἰκήματα, καὶ πολλὴν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ πάντα παρέχειν αὐτοῖς, ἐπειδὴ τὸν πόλεμον ὑμῖν ἀμύνουσι τοῦτον τὸν αἰσθητόν· τοὺς δὲ ξένους μὴ ἔχειν ὅπου καταμείνειεν; Νίκησον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Βούλει ἐντρέψαι ἡμᾶς; Τοῦτο ποίησον· ὑπερβαλοῦ τῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ· ἔχε οἴκημα, ἔνθα Χριστὸς παραγίνεται· εἰπέ· Τοῦτο τὸ κελλίον τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἡ οἰκία αὕτη αὐτῷ ἀφώρισται. Κἂν καταγώγιον ᾖ καὶ εὐτελὲς, οὐκ ἀπαξιοῖ Γυμνὸς καὶ ξένος ὁ Χριστὸς περίεισι, μόνον σκέπης δεόμενος· κἂν τούτῳ πάρεχε· μὴ ὠμὸς ἔσο μηδὲ ἀπάνθρωπος, μηδὲ ἐν μὲν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς οὕτω σφοδρὸς ἔσο, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ψυχρός. Ἔστω καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ὁ πιστότερος τοῦτο ἐγκεχειρισμένος, καὶ τοὺς ἀναπήρους, τοὺς πτωχοὺς, τοὺς ἀστέγους εἰσαγέτω. Ταῦτα λέγω πρὸς ἐντροπήν. Ἔδει μὲν γὰρ ἄνω ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοὺς δέχεσθαι· εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλει, κἂν κάτω, κἂν ἔνθα αἱ ἡμίονοι, κἂν ἔνθα οἱ οἰκέται, δέξαι τὸν Χριστόν. Τάχα φρίττετε ἀκούοντες. Τί οὖν, ὅταν μηδὲ ταῦτα ποιῆτε; Ἰδοὺ παραινῶ, ἰδοὺ λέγω· Ἔστω ὑμῖν τοῦτο περισπούδαστον. Ἀλλ' οὐ βούλεσθε οὕτως; Οὐκοῦν 60.320 ἑτέρως ποιήσατε. Εἰσὶ πολλοὶ πένητες καὶ πενιχραί· ἀφορίσατε δι' ὅλου μένειν ἐκεῖ τινα· ἔστω κἂν φύλαξ τῆς οἰκίας ὁ πένης· ἔστω σοι τειχίον καὶ περίφραγμα, ἀσπὶς καὶ δόρυ. Ἔνθα ἐλεημοσύνη, οὐ τολμᾷ προσελθεῖν ὁ διάβολος, οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν δεινῶν. Μὴ δὴ περιίδωμεν τοσοῦτον κέρδος. Νῦν δὲ ὀχήματος μὲν τόπος ἐστὶν ἀφωρισμένος, καὶ βαστερνίοις ἕτερος· τῷ δὲ Χριστῷ πλανωμένῳ οὐδὲ εἷς. Ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἔνθα αὐτὸς ἔμενε τοὺς ξένους ὑπεδέχετο· καὶ ἡ μὲν γυνὴ ἐν τάξει θεραπαινίδος εἱστήκει, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐν τάξει δεσποτῶν. Οὐκ ᾔδει, ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐδέχετο· οὐκ ᾔδει, ὅτι ἀγγέλους· ὡς εἴ γε ᾔδει, πάντα ἂν ἐκένωσεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ καίπερ εἰδότες, ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν δεχόμεθα, οὐδὲ τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμεθα τὴν σπουδὴν, ὅσην ἐκεῖνος ὁ νομίζων ἀνθρώπους δέχεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἐπιθέται εἰσὶ, φησὶ, πολλοὶ καὶ ἀγνώμονες. Καὶ τούτου σοι μείζων ὁ μισθὸς, ὅταν διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ δέχῃ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ οἶδας ὄντας ἐπιθέτας, μὴ δέχου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν· εἰ δὲ οὐκ οἶδας, τί ἁπλῶς κατηγορεῖς; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λέγω εἰς τὸ ξενοδοχεῖον ἀπιέναι. Ποία δὲ ἀπολογία, ὅταν μηδὲ οὓς ἴσμεν, μηδὲ τούτους δεχώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀποκλείωμεν πᾶσι τὰς θύρας; Ἔστω τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πανδοχεῖον ἡμῶν ἡ οἰκία· ἀπαιτῶμεν αὐτοὺς τὸν μισθὸν, μὴ ἀργύριον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ποιῆσαι ἡμῖν δοχεῖον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν· περιτρέχωμεν πανταχοῦ, ἕλκωμεν, ἁρπάζωμεν τὴν