263

with much fear receive the body of Christ, so that no pearl might fall from your hand, and you suffer the loss of one of your members. Likewise, approach also the holy blood, not extending your hands, saying the amen. And while the moisture is still on the lips, let us touch with our hands our eyes, and forehead; and the rest of our senses are sanctified; and give thanks to God who has deemed you worthy of so great a mystery. And how, he says, is it possible to be saved in the midst of the world? What are you saying? Do you wish me to show you concisely that it is not the place that saves, but the manner of life and the disposition toward God? Adam, being in paradise as in a harbor, suffered shipwreck; but Lot in Sodom, as on the open sea, was saved. Job was justified on the dunghill; but Saul, being in the chambers of the kingdom, fell from the glory and honor both here and there. This is not an excuse, but we suffer these things from not devoting ourselves to prayers and divine assemblies. Or do you not see those who wish to receive dignities from the earthly king, how they attend upon him, and move others to intercede, so that they may not fail to obtain what is sought? These things have been said by me to those who absent themselves from the holy assemblies, and to those who in the fearful hour of the mystery are occupied with conversation and idle talk. What are you doing, man? Did you not promise the priest when he said, 'Lift up your mind and hearts,' and you said, 'We lift them up to the Lord'? Are you not ashamed and do you not blush to be found a liar in these words and at this hour? Alas, when the royal table is prepared, the Lamb of God is sacrificed for you, the priest is struggling for you, the Seraphim are standing by, the six-winged ones are covering their faces, all the incorporeal powers with the priest are interceding for you, the spiritual fire is descending, the blood in the chalice is being poured out from the undefiled side, does not even your conscience condemn you, O man? When the week has one hundred and sixty-eight hours, God has set apart one single hour; and if you spend even this on worldly affairs and conversations and jests, with what confidence then do you approach the divine mysteries, with what conscience? If, for instance, you had dung in your hands, would you dare to approach the hem of the king's garment? Not at all. Neither see that it is bread, nor that it is wine; for it does not, like other common foods, go into the privy; away with the thought, think no such thing. Wherefore also when we approach, let us understand that we partake of the divine body not as from men, but as from the Seraphim themselves with the tongs of fire, which Isaiah saw. I beg and beseech you, let us not be absent from the churches; and when we are gathered, let us not be occupied with conversations in the church, but let us stand full of fear and trembling, casting our eyes downwards, having our soul upwards, let us groan in our heart. Or do you not see those who stand before the corruptible 63.899 and temporary king, how they are motionless, uttering nothing, not even turning their eyes here and there, but are somber and downcast, full of fear? From yourself, O man, take the reproof, and at least as you would to the earthly king, so approach also the heavenly God. These things I say often, and saying them I will not cease. And when we enter into the churches, let us enter as is fitting for God, not having malice in our soul, so that, when we say, 'Forgive us, as we also forgive,' we may not be condemned. For what is said is fearful, and he who says this almost cries out to God: 'I have forgiven, Master, forgive; I have pardoned, pardon.' Knowing these things therefore, and that fire, and the fearful judgment seat, let us turn back at last from the error of our way. For a day will come when the theater of life is dissolved, and no one then any longer strives. This is the time of repentance, that of judgment; this is for contests, that for crowns. Be aroused, I beseech you, and listen eagerly to what is said. We have lived for the flesh, let us live at last 63.900 also for the spirit; we have lived in negligence, let us live at last in repentance. Why are you puffed up, earth and ashes, O man? Why are you proud? Why

263

μετὰ πολλοῦ φόβου τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπόδεξαι, ἵνα μή τις μαργαρίτης ἐκπέσῃ ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου, καὶ ζημιωθῇς ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου. Ὁμοίως προσέρχου καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ αἵματι, μὴ ἀνατείνων τὰς χεῖρας λέγων τὸ ἀμήν. Ἔτι δὲ τῆς νοτίδος οὔσης ἐν τοῖς χείλεσι, ταῖς χερσὶν ἐπαφῶμεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ τὸ μέτωπον· καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ αἰσθητήρια ἁγιάζεται· καὶ εὐχαρίστει τῷ Θεῷ ἀξιώσαντί σε τηλικούτου μυστηρίου. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ κόσμου ἔστι σωθῆναι; Τί λέγεις; βούλῃ συντόμως δείξω μὴ τὸν τόπον εἶναι τὸν σώζοντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν προαίρεσιν; Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ὢν, ὡς ἐν λιμένι, ὑπέστη τὸ ναυάγιον· ὁ δὲ Λὼτ ἐν τοῖς Σοδόμοις, ὥσπερ ἐν πελάγει, διεσώζετο. Ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐδικαιώθη· ὁ δὲ Σαοὺλ ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις ὢν τῆς βασιλείας, τῆς ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἐξέπεσε δόξης καὶ τιμῆς. Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀπολογία, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάσχομεν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ θείαις συνάξεσι σχολάζειν ἡμᾶς. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς βουλομένους ἀξιώματα λαβεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιγείου βασιλέως, πῶς παρεδρεύουσι, καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς παράκλησιν κινοῦντες, ὅπως μὴ ἐκπέσωσι τοῦ ζητουμένου; Ταῦτά μοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀπολιμπανομένους τῶν ἁγίων συνάξεων εἴρηται, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ φοβερᾷ τῆς μυστικῆς ὥρᾳ εἰς συντυχίαν καὶ ματαιολογίας ἀσχολουμένους. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; οὐχ ὑπέσχου τῷ ἱερεῖ εἰπόντι, Ἄνω τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὰς καρδίας, καὶ εἶπες, Ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον; οὐκ αἴδεσαι καὶ ἐρυθριᾷς εἰς ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τὴν ὥραν ψεύστης εὑρισκόμενος; Βαβαὶ, τῆς βασιλικῆς τραπέζης ἐξηρτυμένης, τοῦ ἀμνοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ σοῦ σφαγιαζομένου, τοῦ ἱερέως ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἀγωνιζομένου, τῶν Σεραφεὶμ παρεστώτων, τῶν ἑξαπτερύγων τὰ πρόσωπα καλυπτόντων, πασῶν τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων μετὰ τοῦ ἱερέως πρεσβευόντων ὑπὲρ σοῦ, τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ πνευματικοῦ κατερχομένου, τοῦ αἵματος ἐν τῷ κρατῆρι τῆς ἀχράντου πλευρᾶς κενουμένου, οὐδὲ τὸ συνειδός σου κατακρίνει σε, ἄνθρωπε; Ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα ὀκτὼ ὡρῶν ἐχούσης τῆς ἑβδομάδος, μίαν καὶ μόνην ὥραν ἀφώρισεν ὁ Θεός· καὶ αὐτὴν ἐὰν εἰς πράγματα βιωτικὰ καὶ συντυχίας καὶ γελοῖα ἀναλίσκῃς, μετὰ ποίας λοιπὸν παῤῥησίας τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις προσέρχῃ, μετὰ ποίου συνειδότος; Ἆρα, εἰ κόπρον ἔσχες ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν, ἐτόλμας προσεγγίσαι τῷ κρασπέδῳ τοῦ βασιλέως; οὐδαμῶς. Μηδ' ὅτι ἄρτος ἐστὶν ἴδῃς, μηδ' ὅτι οἶνος· οὐ γὰρ ὡς αἱ λοιπαὶ κοιναὶ βρώσεις εἰς ἀφεδρῶνα χωρεῖ· ἄπαγε, μηδὲν νομίσῃς τοιοῦτον. ∆ιὸ καὶ προσερχόμενοι, μὴ ὡς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ αὐτῶν Σεραφεὶμ τῇ λαβίδι τοῦ πυρὸς, ἣν Ἡσαΐας εἶδε, μεταλαμβάνειν τοῦ θείου σώματος νοήσωμεν. ∆έομαι καὶ παρακαλῶ μὴ ἀπολειπώμεθα τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν· συναγόμενοι δὲ, μὴ εἰς συντυχίας ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀσχολώμεθα, ἀλλὰ στῶμεν ἔμφοβοι καὶ ἔντρομοι, κάτω τὸ ὄμμα νεύοντες, ἄνω τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχοντες, στενάξωμεν τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τῷ φθαρτῷ 63.899 καὶ προσκαίρῳ βασιλεῖ παρισταμένους, πῶς εἰσιν ἀμετακίνητοι, μηδὲν φθεγγόμενοι, μηδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὧδε κἀκεῖσε περιστρέφοντες, ἀλλὰ στυγνοὶ καὶ κατηφεῖς, ἔμφοβοι; Ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, ἄνθρωπε, τὸν ἔλεγχον λάβε, καὶ κἂν ὡς τῷ ἐπιγείῳ βασιλεῖ, πρόσελθε καὶ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ Θεῷ. Ταῦτα πολλάκις λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. Εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ὡς Θεῷ πρέπει, εἰσέλθωμεν, μὴ μνησικακίαν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἔχοντες, ἵνα μὴ, λέγοντες, Ἄφες ἡμῖν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν, κατακριθῶμεν. Φοβερὸν γάρ ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον, καὶ σχεδὸν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν βοᾷ ὁ τοῦτο λέγων· Ἀφῆκα, δέσποτα, ἄφες· συνεχώρησα, συγχώρησον. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο, καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν δικαστήριον, ἐπιστρέψωμεν λοιπὸν ἐκ τῆς πλάνης τῆς ὁδοῦ ἡμῶν. Ἐλεύσεται γὰρ ἡμέρα, ὅτε τὸ θέατρον τοῦ βίου διαλύεται, καὶ οὐδεὶς λοιπὸν οὐκέτι ἀγωνίζεται. Οὗτος ὁ καιρὸς τῆς μετανοίας, ἐκεῖνος τῆς κρίσεως· οὗτος τῶν ἀγώνων, ἐκεῖνος τῶν στεφάνων. ∆ιεγέρθητε, παρακαλῶ, καὶ τῶν λεγομένων προθύμως ἀκούσατε. Ἐζήσαμεν τῇ σαρκὶ, ζήσωμεν λοι 63.900 πὸν καὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ἐζήσαμεν τῇ ἀμελείᾳ, ζήσωμεν λοιπὸν τῇ μετανοίᾳ. Τί φυσᾶσαι, γῆ καὶ σποδὸς, ὦ ἄνθρωπε; τί ὑπερηφανεῖς; τί