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Jacob says: The angel who feeds me, and who delivers me from my youth. If, therefore, we have angels, let us be sober, as though certain tutors were present with us. For a demon is also present; for this reason we pray and say, asking for the angel of peace, and everywhere we ask for peace (for nothing is equal to it), peace in the churches, in the prayers, in the litanies, in the salutations; and once and twice and three times and many times the president of the Church gives it, Peace be with you. Why? Because this is the mother of all good things, this is the foundation of joy. For this reason Christ also commanded the apostles, when they entered into houses, to say this immediately, as a certain symbol of good things. For when you enter into the houses, he says, say, Peace be with you. For if this is not present, all things are superfluous. And Christ said to his disciples: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. This prepares the way for love. And the president of the Church does not say, Peace be with you, simply, but, Peace be with all. For what if we have peace with this man, but with another, war and battle? What is the gain? For not even in the body, if some of the elements are at rest, but others are in discord, is it possible for health ever to exist, but through the good order and harmony and peace of all. and if all are not at rest, and remain within their own boundaries, all will be overthrown. And in our mind too, if all our thoughts are not at rest, there will be no peace. So great a good is peace, that its makers and creators are called sons of God. Rightly; since the Son of God also came to the earth for this purpose, to make peace between the things on earth and the things in heaven. But if peacemakers are sons of God, innovators are sons of the devil. What do you say? Do you inject strife and battles? And who is so wretched, he says? For there are many who rejoice in evil things, and they tear apart the body of Christ more than the soldiers cut it with the lance, or the Jews pierced it with the nails. That evil was less than this one; those members, having been cut, were joined together again; but these, having been torn away, if they are not joined together here, will no longer be joined together, but will remain outside the fullness. When you wish to make war with your brother, 63.895 consider that you are making war with the members of Christ, and cease from your madness. For what if he is cast off? What if he is of no account? What if he is contemptible? So it is not the will, he says, before my Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish; and again, Their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. God for his sake and yours also became a servant, and was slain; but do you consider him to be nothing? Therefore, do you fight against God in this matter also, casting votes contrary to Him? When the president of the Church enters, he immediately says, Peace be with you; when he preaches, Peace be with all; when the sacrifice is completed, Peace be with all; and in between again, Grace to you and peace. How then is it not absurd, if, hearing "to have peace" so many times, we are at war with one another? Receiving and giving in return, do we make war on the one giving peace? You say, And with your spirit. and do you slander him outside? Woe is me, that the venerable customs of the Church have become matters of form only, not any truth; woe is me, that the symbols of this camp remain only in words; which is why you are ignorant of why it is said, Peace be with all. But hear what follows. What does Christ say? Into whatever city or town you enter, when you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. For this reason we do not know, because we consider these to be a type of words, and we do not apply our minds. For do I give the peace? It is Christ who deigns to speak through us. Even if at all other times we are empty of grace, yet not now, for your sake. For if the grace of God worked upon a donkey and upon a prophet for a dispensation, and for the benefit of the Israelites; it is very clear that neither will he refuse to work in us, but he will endure also

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φησιν ὁ Ἰακώβ· Ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ τρέφων με, καὶ ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἐκ νεότητός μου. Εἰ τοίνυν ἀγγέλους ἔχομεν, νήφωμεν, καθάπερ παιδαγωγῶν τινων ἡμῖν παρόντων. Πάρεστι γὰρ καὶ δαίμων· διὰ τοῦτο εὐχόμεθα καὶ λέγομεν, τὸν ἄγγελον αἰτοῦντες τῆς εἰρήνης, καὶ πανταχοῦ εἰρήνην αἰτοῦμεν (οὐδὲν γὰρ ταύτης ἴσον), ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις εἰρήνην, ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς, ἐν ταῖς λιταῖς, ἐν ταῖς προῤῥήσεσι· καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς καὶ πολλάκις αὐτὴν δίδωσιν ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. ∆ιὰ τί; ὅτι αὕτη μήτηρ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐστιν, αὕτη τῆς χαρᾶς ὑπόθεσις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς εἰσιοῦσιν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τοῦτο λέγειν προσέταξεν εὐθέως, καθάπερ τι σύμβολον τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Εἰσερχόμενοι γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὰς οἰκίας λέγετε, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Ταύτης γὰρ οὐκ οὔσης, πάντα περιττά. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔλεγεν· Εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν· εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν. Αὕτη τῇ ἀγάπῃ προοδοποιεῖ. Καὶ οὐ λέγει ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ', Εἰρήνη πᾶσι. Τί γὰρ, ἂν μετὰ τοῦδε μὲν εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν, μεθ' ἑτέρου δὲ πόλεμον καὶ μάχην; τί τὸ κέρδος; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῷ σώματι, ἂν τὰ μὲν ἡσυχάζῃ τῶν στοιχείων, τὰ δὲ διαστασιάζῃ, δυνατὸν ὑγίειαν συνεστάναι ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἁπάντων εὐταξίας καὶ συμφωνίας καὶ εἰρήνης· κἂν μὴ πάντα ἡσυχάζῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων μένῃ, πάντα ἀνατραπήσεται. Καὶ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ δὲ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, ἂν μὴ πάντες ἡσυχάζωσιν οἱ λογισμοὶ, εἰρήνη οὐκ ἔσται. Τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν ἡ εἰρήνη, ὡς υἱοὺς Θεοῦ καλεῖσθαι τοὺς αὐτῆς ποιητὰς καὶ δημιουργούς. Εἰκότως· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν, εἰρηνοποιήσων τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰ δὲ οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, οἱ νεωτεροποιοὶ υἱοὶ διαβόλου. Τί λέγεις; ἔρεις καὶ μάχας ἐμβάλλεις; Καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος, φησίν; Εἰσὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ χαίροντες ἐπὶ τοῖς κακοῖς, καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ διασπῶντες μᾶλλον, ἢ οἱ στρατιῶται τῇ λόγχῃ διέτεμνον, ἢ Ἰουδαῖοι τοῖς ἥλοις διέκοψαν. Ἐκεῖνο τούτου ἔλαττον τὸ κακόν· ἐκεῖνα διατμηθέντα τὰ μέλη πάλιν συνήφθη· ταῦτα δὲ ἀποσπασθέντα, ἂν ἐνθάδε μὴ συναφθῇ, οὐκέτι συναφθήσεται, ἀλλὰ μένει τοῦ πληρώματος ἔξω. Ὅταν βούλῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ πολεμῆσαι, 63.895 ἐννόησον ὅτι τοῖς μέλεσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ πολεμεῖς, καὶ παῦσαι τῆς μανίας. Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος ἐστί; τί γὰρ, εἰ εὐτελής; τί γὰρ, εἰ εὐκαταφρόνητος; Οὕτως οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα, φησὶν, ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· καὶ πάλιν, Οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν διαπαντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὁ Θεὸς δι' αὐτὸν καὶ σὲ καὶ δοῦλος ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσφάγη· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲν αὐτὸν εἶναι νομίζεις; Οὐκοῦν μάχῃ καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τῷ Θεῷ, τὰς ἐναντίας αὐτῷ φέρων ψήφους; Ὅταν εἰσέλθῃ ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς, εὐθέως λέγει, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν· ὅταν ὁμιλῇ, Εἰρήνη πᾶσιν· ὅταν ἡ θυσία τελεσθῇ, Εἰρήνη πᾶσι· καὶ μεταξὺ πάλιν, Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ τοσαυτάκις ἀκούοντες εἰρήνην ἔχειν, ἐκπεπολεμώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους; λαμβάνοντες καὶ ἀντιδιδόντες, τῷ διδόντι τὴν εἰρήνην πολεμοῦμεν; Λέγεις, Καὶ τῷ πνεύματί σου. καὶ διαβάλλεις αὐτὸν ἔξω; Οἴμοι, ὅτι τὰ σεμνὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σχήματα γέγονε πραγμάτων μόνον, οὐκ ἀλήθειά τις· οἴμοι, ὅτι μέχρι ῥημάτων τὰ σύμβολα μένει τοῦ στρατοπέδου τούτου· ὅθεν καὶ ἀγνοεῖτε διὰ τί λέγεται, Εἰρήνη πᾶσιν. Ἀλλ' ἀκούετε τὰ ἑξῆς. Τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός; Εἰς ἣν δ' ἂν πόλιν ἢ κώμην εἰσέλθητε, εἰσερχόμενοι εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν· καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία, ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ' αὐτήν· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἀξία, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀποστραφήτω. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἴσμεν, ὅτι τύπον ῥημάτων νομίζομεν ταῦτα εἶναι, καὶ οὐ συντιθέμεθα τῷ νῷ. Μὴ γὰρ ἐγὼ δίδωμι τὴν εἰρήνην; ὁ Χριστὸς δι' ἡμῶν φθέγγεσθαι καταξιῶν. Εἰ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον ἅπαντα χρόνον κενοὶ τῆς χάριτός ἐσμεν, ἀλλ' οὐ νῦν δι' ὑμᾶς. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς ὄνον ἐνήργησε καὶ εἰς μάντιν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις δι' οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ὠφέλειαν· εὔδηλον ὅτι οὐδὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς παραιτήσεται ἐνεργεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀνέξεται καὶ