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he calls prayer. But even if you endure every bodily hardship without a change of mind, not even then, if you wish to speak the truth, will you call this an acceptable fast. For the true fast inflicts bodily hardship in secret, but in public makes the face cheerful, and anoints the head, according to the Savior's voice. And it provides for all to see the fruits of reverence, by loosing every bond of injustice. For he taught them as if they were ignorant of the manner of the true fast. According to: "Lead me, O Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth." And the loosing of the bond of injustice is getting rid of greed, and not binding the weaker with webs of accusations. And dissolve the contracts formed from injustice, made with a perverse mind, giving release to those crushed by these, or by the bond of injustice, whom he also calls broken. And tear up bonds unjustly made. For one must first turn away from evil, and then pursue virtue. Therefore, having said the first thing, he adds the second, which is, Break your bread for the hungry, and what follows, showing that the bread we would have 2592 eaten if not fasting, we ought to distribute. For one must not make abstinence from food a pretext for shameful gain. But we shall nourish our soul in another way, by winning over the one in need of food. And one must not call the rich into the house, who repay the favor with similar things; but men who have not even a roof for shelter. Nor should you pass by one who is naked. For the God of all made some needy and some rich, for the testing of both. So that the ones might have fruit by providing, and the others poverty as a training ground. And in a Jewish sense he calls those of Israel his own seed, but in a Christian sense those of the household of faith. For Paul also urges this. One must do these things especially at the time of fasting, and then approach and pray to God, in accordance with: "If you bring your gift, and there remember that your brother has something against you," and what follows. And to the one who observes these things, as if out of night, a light will suddenly shine upon you, bringing you good heavenly things, and a light of knowledge, like lightning, descending upon you with impulse and speed, through which the eagerness of the provider is shown. For this reason he also said "early," as if God, through love for humanity, anticipates even the time, and when the soul is rid of diseases, better things will rise. This is what Your righteousness shall go before you means. That is, Having partaken of the divine light, you will become a light to others; For your virtue through works will appear, shining forth to others, according to: "Let your light shine before men," and what follows it. And you will be crowned with the glory of God before him and men, receiving this in abundance in addition to the fruits of your works. In addition to this you will also have the divine ear compliant. For while you are still speaking he will say: Behold, I am here. And he said the cry in fasting of the unjust and merciless is in vain; but that the cry of the just will be heard, signifying intense intercession, according to, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears are open to their prayer." And fasting is effective for this cry. For the saints prayed with fasting. Thus Daniel, thus the apostles. And the Behold, I am here, was also declared to Daniel after the three weeks, to the one who had learned fasting, how from the beginning his words were heard. And these things will be yours when you have cast off the bond of sins, like a collar. For according to the Apostle who said, to say the same things is not tedious for me, but for you it is safe; the prophet also repeats himself. 2593 But take away, he says, also the unjust ordinations and promotions; that is, the stretching out of the hand for unjust gains; that is, the returning of evil for evil. According to that in the Psalms: "He stretched out his hand in repaying; which is foreign to gentleness." But some interpret it thus: Let the one who wishes to pursue the good fast be just; and as if performing a certain ordination, or a good service, let him accomplish this without grumbling, as not being lacking in necessities,

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καλεῖ προσευχήν. Κἂν πάντα δὲ πόνον ὑπομείνης σωματικὸν ἄνευ τῆς κατὰ γνώμην μεταβολῆς, οὐδ' οὕτω τἀληθῆ λέγειν ἐθέλων, νηστείαν ταῦτα καλέσεις δεκτήν. Ἡ γὰρ ἀληθὴς νηστεία τὸν μὲν σωματικὸν πόνον ἐν κρυπτῷ ποιεῖ, κατὰ δὲ τὸ φανερὸν φαιδρὸν ποιοῦσα τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑπαλείφουσα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνήν. Καρποὺς δὲ εὐλαβείας ὁρᾷν τοῖς πᾶσι παρέχεται, διὰ τοῦ λύειν πάντα σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας. Ὡς ἀγνοοῦντας γὰρ καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἀληθοῦς νηστείας ἐδίδαξε. Κατὰ τό· "Ὁδήγησόν με, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου, καὶ πορεύσομαι, ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου." Συνδέσμου δὲ ἀδικίας λύσις πλεονεξίας ἀπαλλαγῇ, καὶ τὸ μὴ τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους πλοκαῖς αἰτιαμάτων καταδεσμεῖν. Καὶ τὰ ἐξ ἀδικίας δὲ συστάντα διάλυε συναλλάγματα διεστραμμένῃ γνώμῃ γενόμενα, ἄφεσιν διδοὺς τοῖς ἐκ τούτων, ἢ τοῦ συνδέσμου τῆς ἀδικίας συντετριμμένοις, οὓς καὶ τεθραυσμένους καλεῖ. Καὶ γραμματεῖα δὲ διάῤῥηξον μὴ δικαίως γενόμενα. ∆εῖ δὲ πρῶτον ἀποστῆναι κακῶν, καὶ τότε μετιέναι τὴν ἀρετήν. Εἰπὼν οὖν τὸ πρῶτον, ἐπιφέρει τὸ δεύτερον τὸ δὲ, Θρύψον πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου, καὶ τὰ μετὰ τοῦτο, δηλῶν ὡς ὃν ἂν 2592 ἐφάγομεν μὴ νηστεύσαντες ἄρτον, διανέμειν ὀφείλομεν. Οὐ γὰρ δεῖ πρόφασιν αἰσχροκερδείας τὴν ἀσιτίαν ποιήσασθαι. Τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἑτέρῳ τραφησόμεθα τρόπῳ τὸν ἐνδεᾶ τροφῆς ἀνακτώμενοι. Καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον δὲ χρὴ μὴ πλουσίους καλεῖν διὰ τῶν ὁμοίων ἀποδιδόντας τὴν ἀμοιβήν· ἀλλ' ἄνδρας μηδὲ στέγης ἐσχηκότας ὑποδρομήν. Μηδὲ γυμνὸν δὲ παραδράμῃς. Ὁ τῶν ὅλων γὰρ Θεὸς τοὺς μὲν ἐνδεεῖς, τοὺς δὲ πλουσίους ἐποίησεν, εἰς δοκιμὴν ἑκατέρων. Ἵν' οἱ μὲν ἔχοιεν καρπὸν χορηγοῦντες, οἱ δὲ τὴν πενίαν γυμνάσιον. Οἰκείους δὲ σπέρματος Ἰουδαϊκῶς μὲν τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ καλεῖ, Χριστιανικῶς δὲ τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Παῦλος, παρακελεύεται. Ταῦτα δεῖ μάλιστα τῷ καιρῷ τῆς νηστείας ποιοῦντα τότε προσιέναι, καὶ δεῖσθαι Θεοῦ, συμφώνως τῷ· "Ἐὰν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου, κακεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ταῦτα δὲ φυλάξαντι, καθάπερ ἐκ νυκτὸς ἀθρόον ἡμέρας ἐπιλάμψει σοι φῶς ἀγαθά σοι φέρον οὐράνια, καὶ φῶς γνώσεως ὑπάρχον ἀστραπῆς δίκην σὺν ὁρμῇ καὶ δρόμῳ σοι καθιέμενον, δι' οὗ δείκνυται τοῦ χορηγοῦντος ἡ προθυμία. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρώϊμον εἶπεν, ὡσανεὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ τὸν καιρὸν προλαμβάνοντος, καὶ τῶν ἐν ψυχῇ νοσημάτων ἀπηλλαγμένων, ἀνατελεῖ τὰ χρηστότερα. Ὃ δηλοῖ τὸ Προπορεύσεται ἔμπροσθέν σου ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου. Τοῦτ' ἔστι, Μεταλαβὼν τοῦ θείου φωτὸς, γενήσῃ φῶς ἑτέροις· Φανεῖται γὰρ ἡ δι' ἔργων ἀρετή σου τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐκλάμπουσα, κατὰ τό· "Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτῳ. Καὶ στεφανωθήσῃ δόξῃ Θεοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, πρὸς τοῖς τῶν ἔργων καρποῖς ἐκ περιουσίας τοῦτο λαβών. Ἕξεις πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ τὸ θεῖον οὖς εὐπειθές. Ἔτι σου γὰρ λαλοῦντος ἐρεῖ· Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἀδίκου καὶ ἀνηλεοῦς μάταιον εἶπε τὴν ἐν νηστείᾳ κραυγήν· τοῦ δὲ δικαίου τὴν βοὴν ἀκουσθήσεσθαι, τὴν ἐκτενῆ δηλῶν ἔντευξιν, κατὰ τὸ, "Ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους, καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς δέησιν αὐτῶν." ἧς βοῆς ἐνεργὸς καὶ ἡ νηστεία. Προσηύχοντο γὰρ μετὰ νηστείας οἱ ἅγιοι. Οὕτω ∆ανιὴλ, οὕτως οἱ ἀπόστολοι. Τὸ δὲ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι, καὶ τῷ ∆ανιὴλ ἐδηλώθη μετὰ τὰς τρεῖς ἑβδομάδας τῷ νηστείαν μαθόντι, ὡς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἠκούσθησαν οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα δέ σοι ἔσται σύνδεσμον ἁμαρτιῶν, ὥσπερ κλοιὸν, ἀποῤῥίψαντι. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν Ἀπόστολον εἰπόντα, τὰ αὐτὰ λέγειν ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὀκνηρὸν, ὑμῖν δὲ τὸ ἀσφαλές· καὶ ὁ προφήτης ταυτολογεῖ. 2593 Ἀφέλῃς δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ τὰς ἀδίκους χειροτονίας καὶ προβολάς· ἤγουν τὸ τείνειν τὴν χεῖρα πρὸς ἄδικα λήμματα· ἤγουν τὸ ἀνταποδιδόναι κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ. Κατὰ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· "Ἐξέτεινε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδόναι· ὅπερ πραότητός ἐστιν ἀλλότριον." Τινὲς δὲ οὕτως· Ὁ βουλόμενος τὴν ἀγαθὴν μετιέναι νηστείαν, δίκαιος ἔστω· καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ, χειροτονίαν, ἢ λειτουργίαν ἀγαθὴν ἐκτελῶν ἀγογγύστως ταύτην διανυέτω, ὡς μὴ λειπόμενος τῶν ἀναγκαίων,