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He gives ways to be saved, only let us not be negligent. What then, he says, if he is poor? Again I will say, the greatness of almsgiving is not judged in the amount given only, but also in the intention; only do not give less than your means, and you have paid the whole debt. What then, he says, if he is desolate and a stranger, and has no one? For why does he have no one, tell me? For this very reason you are paying a penalty, because you have no friend for yourself who is so virtuous. This happens, therefore, that, even if we ourselves are not virtuous, we may be zealous to have virtuous companions and friends, and a wife, and a son, and a friend, as reaping some benefit even through them, a small benefit, but reaping it nevertheless. If you are zealous to take a wife not wealthy, but devout, you will enjoy this consolation; if you are zealous to leave a son not wealthy, but devout, and a respectable daughter, 63.892 you will enjoy this consolation too. If you are zealous for these things, you yourself will also be such a one. And this is a part of virtue, to choose such friends and wife and children. Not in vain are offerings made for the departed, not in vain are supplications, not in vain are alms; all these things the Spirit ordained, wishing us to be benefited through one another. See: he is benefited through you, and you are benefited through him. Have you despised money, being moved to do something noble? You are the cause of his salvation, and he is the cause of your almsgiving. Do not doubt that he will reap some good; not without purpose does the deacon cry out, for those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and for those who make memorials for them. It is not the deacon who utters this voice, but the Holy Spirit, I mean the gift of grace. What are you saying? The sacrifice is in hand, and all things are laid out well-prepared, angels are present, archangels, the Son of God is present, all stand with so much awe, those stand by crying out while all are silent, and do you think that what is said happens simply? Then are the other things also simple, both the things offered for the Church, and for the priests, and for the whole congregation? May it not be, but all things are done with faith. What do you think of the offering for martyrs? of being named at that hour? Even if they are martyrs, even if it is for martyrs, it is a great honor to be named, with the Lord present, while that remembrance is being celebrated, that awful sacrifice, those ineffable mysteries. For just as, when the king is seated, whatever one wishes, he accomplishes, but when he has risen, whatever he may say, he will speak in vain; so too then, as long as the things of the mysteries are set forth, it is the greatest honor for all, to be deemed worthy of remembrance. For see: the awful mystery is then proclaimed, that for the sake of the world God gave himself; with that wonder he seasonably reminds him of those who have sinned. For just as when victories of kings are celebrated, then both those who shared in the victory are praised, and also those who are in bonds are released for the occasion; but when the time has passed, he who has not obtained, no longer enjoys anything; so indeed here also; this is the time of victories. For as often as, he says, you eat this bread, you proclaim the Lord's death. Let us not approach simply, nor think that these things happen by chance. Otherwise, we remember martyrs, and this is for faith, that the Lord has died; and this is a sign of death having been put to death, of his having become a corpse. Knowing these things, let us devise as many consolations as we can for the departed, instead of tears, instead of lamentations, instead of tombs, the alms, the prayers, the offerings; so that both they and we may obtain the promised good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of the only-begotten Son, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

DISCOURSE 46. That, even if we are liable for all sins, we are able

to be saved also through confession; and that each of us the faithful has a guardian angel; and concerning priests.

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σώζεσθαι δίδωσιν ὁδοὺς, μόνον μὴ ἀμελῶμεν. Τί οὖν, ἂν πένης ᾖ, φησί; Πάλιν ἐρῶ, τὸ πολὺ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐκ ἐν τῷ διδομένῳ κρίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει· μόνον μὴ δῷς ἐλάττω τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἐξέτισας. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἂν ἕρημος ᾖ καὶ ξένος, καὶ μηδένα ἔχῃ; ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μηδένα ἔχει, εἰπέ μοι; τούτῳ αὐτῷ δίδως δίκην, ὅτι μηδένα ἔχεις σαυτῷ φίλον οὕτως ἐνάρετον. Τοῦτο οὖν γίνεται, ἵνα, κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ ὦμεν ἐνάρετοι, σπουδάζωμεν ἑταίρους καὶ φίλους ἐναρέτους ἔχειν, καὶ γυναῖκα, καὶ υἱὸν, καὶ φίλον, ὡς καρπούμενοί τι καὶ δι' αὐτῶν, μικρὸν μὲν, καρπούμενοι δὲ ὅμως. Ἂν σπουδάσῃς μὴ πλουτοῦσαν, ἀλλ' εὐλαβῆ γυναῖκα ἀγαγέσθαι, ταύτης ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παραμυθίας· ἂν σπουδάσῃς μὴ πλουτοῦντα υἱὸν καταλιπεῖν, ἀλλ' εὐλαβῆ, καὶ θυγάτριον 63.892 σεμνὸν, καὶ ταύτης ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παραμυθίας. Ἂν ταῦτα σπουδάσῃς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσῃ τοιοῦτος. Καὶ τοῦτο μέρος ἀρετῆς, τοιούτους αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ φίλους καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ παιδία. Οὐκ εἰκῆ προσφοραὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπελθόντων γίνονται, οὐκ εἰκῆ ἱκετηρίαι, οὐκ εἰκῆ ἐλεημοσύναι· ταῦτα πάντα τὸ Πνεῦμα διέταξε, δι' ἀλλήλων ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖσθαι βουλόμενον. Ὅρα· ὠφελεῖται ἐκεῖνος διὰ σοῦ, ὠφελῇ σὺ δι' ἐκεῖνον. Κατεφρόνησας χρημάτων προαχθεὶς ἐργάσασθαί τι γενναῖον; καὶ σὺ αὐτῷ τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ αὐτός σοι τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης γέγονεν αἴτιος. Μὴ ἀμφίβαλλε, ὅτι καρπώσεταί τι χρηστόν· οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὁ διάκονος βοᾷ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ κεκοιμημένων, καὶ τῶν τὰς μνείας ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιτελούντων. Οὐχ ὁ διάκονός ἐστιν ὁ ταύτην ἀφιεὶς τὴν φωνὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ χάρισμα λέγω. Τί λέγεις; ἐν χερσὶν ἡ θυσία, καὶ πάντα πρόκειται ηὐτρεπισμένα, πάρεισιν ἄγγελοι, ἀρχάγγελοι, πάρεστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, μετὰ τοσαύτης φρίκης ἑστήκασιν ἅπαντες, παρεστήκασιν ἐκεῖνοι βοῶντες πάντων σιγώντων, καὶ ἡγῇ ἁπλῶς γίνεσθαι τὰ λεγόμενα; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἁπλῶς, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἱερέων προσφερόμενα, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πληρώματος; Μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ πάντα μετὰ πίστεως γίνεται. Τί οἴει τὸ ὑπὲρ μαρτύρων προσφέρεσθαι; τὸ κληθῆναι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ; Κἂν μάρτυρες ὦσι, κἂν ὑπὲρ μαρτύρων, μεγάλη τιμὴ τὸ ὀνομασθῆναι, τοῦ ∆εσπότου παρόντος, τῆς μνείας ἐπιτελουμένης ἐκείνης, τῆς φρικτῆς θυσίας, τῶν ἀφάτων μυστηρίων. Καθάπερ γὰρ, καθημένου τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅσα ἄν τις βούληται, ἀνύει, ἐγερθέντος δὲ, ὅσα ἂν λέγῃ, εἰκῆ ἐρεῖ· οὕτω καὶ τότε, ἕως ἂν προκέηται τὰ τῶν μυστηρίων, πᾶσι τιμὴ μεγίστη, τὸ μνήμης ἀξιοῦσθαι. Ὅρα γάρ· καταγγέλλεται τότε τὸ μυστήριον τὸ φρικτὸν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Θεός· μετὰ τοῦ θαύματος ἐκείνου εὐκαίρως ὑπομιμνήσκει αὐτὸν τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὅταν ἐπινίκια τῶν βασιλέων ἄγηται, τότε εὐφημοῦνται μὲν καὶ ὅσοι τῆς νίκης ἐκοινώνησαν, ἀφίενται δὲ καὶ ὅσοι ἐν δεσμοῖς εἰσι διὰ τὸν καιρόν· παρελθόντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, ὁ μὴ τυχὼν, οὐκέτι τινὸς ἀπολαύει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα· τῶν ἐπινικίων οὗτος ὁ καιρός. Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἂν, φησὶν, ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κυρίου καταγγέλλετε. Μηδὲ ἁπλῶς προσίωμεν, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε ταῦτα γίνεσθαι νομίζωμεν. Ἄλλως δὲ, μαρτύρων μεμνήμεθα, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς πίστιν, ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ Κύριος· καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ τεθανατῶσθαι τὸν θάνατον σημεῖον, τοῦ νεκρὸν αὐτὸν γεγενῆσθαι. Ταῦτα εἰδότες, ἐπινοῶμεν ὅσας δυνάμεθα παραμυθίας τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσιν, ἀντὶ δακρύων, ἀντὶ θρήνων, ἀντὶ μνημείων τὰς ἐλεημοσύνας, τὰς εὐχὰς, τὰς προσφοράς· ἵνα κἀκεῖνοι καὶ ἡμεῖς τύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Μςʹ. Ὅτι, εἰ καὶ πάντων ἁμαρτημάτων ἐσμὲν ὑπεύθυνοι, δυνάμεθα

καὶ δι' ἐξαγορεύσεως σωθῆναι· καὶ ὅτι ἕκαστος ἡμῶν τῶν πιστῶν ἄγγελον ἔχει φύλακα· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἱερέων.