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eternal food, according to "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied," and according to the prophetic word that says "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry." But if anyone wishes to understand these things in a sensory way: he has given food to the hungry in the desert, having rained down the manna, and he fed five thousand hungry men, and he has also given it to Elijah and Daniel, to the one by means of ravens, and to the other by means of Habakkuk the prophet. And he executed judgment for the wronged, Joseph and Susanna, the one by the Egyptian woman, the other by the Judges of Israel, and for David, wronged by Saul, and for many others with whom Scripture is replete. 1267 Ps 145,7c-8b "The broken down" are the same as "the fettered," differing only in concept; for either they are hindered from both acting and running to the truth by wickedness, being fettered unwillingly, or they fall from the height of virtue and happen to be broken down. It must be said that "the fettered" and "the broken down" are those who sin in practice, "the blind" being those who lose the sight of the mind, so that they do not see the beauties of the dogmas of truth. Therefore, as he loosed the fettered and set upright the broken down by offering forgiveness of sins, so he made wise the blind by illuminating the eyes of their heart, being himself the light concerning which Paul writes, "The God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts for the illumination of the knowledge of Christ." 1268 Ps 145,8c.9 Since the present text mentions the proselytes together with the righteous, it must be said that "the righteous" loved by the Lord are those who pleased him according to the old scripture, and "the proselytes" are those from the Gentiles called to the teaching of the gospel. And that this thought is sound, one must hear the Savior saying, "Many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and to hear what you hear." Of these righteous men was also Abraham, about whom it is written, "And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." And concerning the Gentiles as being proselytes, one must hear Paul saying, "Therefore remember that at one time you were Gentiles," and after other things, "That you were at that time without God, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel," and after a little, "But now you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;" "for he himself is our peace," and the rest; and after other things, "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets," and the rest. Concerning these proselytes Moses also prophesied to Israel, saying, "If you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord our God, the proselyte who is below and under you shall be above, and you shall be below," as their positions are reversed. Indeed, before the advent of the Savior, as many of the Gentiles as were zealous to worship God, would come to Israel to be taught and to obey them; but now those of the Israelites who wish to come to the faith of Christ approach those from the Gentiles who have believed, in order to receive the evangelical way of life. In addition to these things, consider whether those who have recently come to piety are called proselytes, while those who have advanced and been perfected in it are called righteous; whence he loves the righteous, but he protects the proselytes. For those who have just come to the word of truth, as they are not yet strong and steadfast, need the Lord to protect them so that they may remain unharmed, while the righteous, through perfection, are made his own and are loved by him. "He will take up the orphan and the widow," not of ordinary widows, but of those who continue in purity and dignity. Such was Anna the daughter of Phanuel, whom the Gospel mentions. Such a widow, for her extreme continence, along with one who has borne orphanhood well, the Lord will take up, raising and lifting them up by virtue,

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τροφὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, κατὰ τὸ Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην οτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται, καὶ κατὰ τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον τὸν φάσκοντα ̓Ιδοὺ οἱ δουλεύοντές μοι φάγονται, ὑμεῖς δὲ πεινάσετε. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αἰσθητῶς τις ταῦτα ἐκλαμβάνειν βούλεται· δέδωκε τροφὴν τοῖς πεινῶσιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ υσας τὸ μάννα καὶ πεντακισχιλίους πεινῶντας ανδρας εθρεψε, δέδωκε δὲ καὶ ̓Ηλίᾳ καὶ ∆ανιήλ, τῷ μὲν διὰ κοράκων, τῷ δὲ δι' ̓Αμβακοὺμ τοῦ προφήτου. ἐποίησε δὲ κρίμα τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ̓Ιωσὴφ καὶ Σουσάννᾳ, τῷ μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς Αἰγυπτίας, τῇ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Κριτῶν τοῦ ̓Ισραήλ, καὶ τῷ ∆αυὶδ ἀδικουμένῳ ὑπὸ Σαοὺλ καὶ αλλοις πλείοσιν ων πληρεστάτη ἡ γραφή. 1267 Ps 145,7c-8b Οἱ κατερραγμένοι οἱ αὐτοί εἰσι τοῖς πεπεδημένοις ἐπινοίᾳ μόνῃ διαφέροντες· η γὰρ κωλύονται καὶ ἐνεργεῖν καὶ τρέχειν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας ακοντες πεπεδημένοι, η ἐκπίπτουσι τοῦ υψους τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τυγχάνουσι κατερραγμένοι. ̔Ρητέον πεπεδημένους καὶ κατερραγμένους ειναι τοὺς πρακτικῶς ἁμαρτάνοντας, τυφλῶν οντων τῶν τὸ βλέπειν τῆς διανοίας ἀποβαλλόντων, οπως μὴ ὁρῶσι τὰ κάλλη τῶν δογμάτων τῆς ἀληθείας. ὡς ουν ελυσε τοὺς πεπεδημένους καὶ ἀνώρθωσε τοὺς κατερραγμένους αφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων ὀρέξας, ουτως ἐσόφισε τοὺς τυφλοὺς φωτίσας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, αὐτὸς ων τὸ φῶς περὶ ου γράφει Παῦλος ̔Ο θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ̓Εκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι ελαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 1268 Ps 145,8c.9 ̓Επεὶ αμα τῶν δικαίων μνημονεύει τῶν προσηλύτων ἡ προκειμένη λέξις, τοὺς μὲν ἀγαπωμένους ὑπὸ κυρίου δικαίους λεκτέον τοὺς κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν γραφὴν εὐαρεστήσαντας αὐτῷ, προσηλύτους δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κληθέντας ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου διδασκαλίαν· καὶ οτι ερρωται ἡ διάνοια αυτη, ἀκουστέον τοῦ σωτῆρος λέγοντος Πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν α βλέπετε καὶ ἀκοῦσαι α ἀκούετε. τούτων τῶν δικαίων καὶ ὁ ̓Αβραὰμ ην περὶ ου γέγραπται ̓Επίστευσε δὲ ̓Αβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην. περὶ δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὡς οντων προσηλύτων ἀκουστέον Παύλου λέγοντος ∆ιὸ μνημονεύετε οτι ποτὲ ὑμεῖς τὰ εθνη, καὶ μεθ' ετερα Οτι ητέ ποτε χωρὶς θεοῦ ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ ̓Ισραήλ, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα Νῦν δὲ ὑμεῖς οι ποτε οντες μακρὰν ἐγενήθητε ἐγγὺς ἐν τῷ αιματι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ μεθ' ετερα Αρ' ουν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. περὶ τούτων τῶν προσηλύτων καὶ ὁ Μωυσῆς προεῖπε τῷ ̓Ισραήλ, λέγων ̓Εὰν μὴ ἀκούσητε τῶν ἐντολῶν κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ὁ προσήλυτος ὁ ων κάτω καὶ ὑφ' ὑμᾶς εσται ανω, σὺ δὲ κάτω, ἀντιμεταβαλλόντων τῶν πραγμάτων. ἀμέλει γοῦν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ σωτῆρος, οσοι τῶν ἐθνῶν θεῷ εσπευδον λατρεύειν, προσήρχοντο τῷ ̓Ισραὴλ παιδευθησόμενοι καὶ ὑπακούοντες αὐτοῖς· νῦν δὲ οἱ βουλόμενοι τῶν ̓Ισραηλιτῶν προσελθεῖν τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστει τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πεπιστευκόσι προσίασι τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν πολιτείαν παραληψόμενοι. Πρὸς τούτοις ἐπίστησον μήποτε οἱ αρτι τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ προσερχόμενοι προσήλυτοι, οἱ δὲ διαβεβηκότες καὶ τελειωθέντες ἐν αὐτῇ, δίκαιοι ειρηνται· οθεν τοὺς μὲν δικαίους ἀγαπᾷ, φυλάττει δὲ τοὺς προσηλύτους. οἱ γὰρ εὐθέως προσεληλυθότες τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας ὡς μήπω ἰσχυροὶ καὶ βέβαιοι δέονται τοῦ φυλάττοντος κυρίου ἐπὶ τῷ ἀβλαβεῖς διαμεῖναι, τῶν δικαίων διὰ τελειότητος οἰκειουμένων αὐτῷ καὶ ἀγαπωμένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. ̓Ορφανὸν καὶ χήραν ἀναλήψεται, χηρῶν οὐ τῶν τυχουσῶν ἀλλὰ τῶν σὺν ἁγνείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι διατελουσῶν. τοιαύτη ην Αννα ἡ θυγάτηρ Φανουὴλ ης μνημονεύει τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. τὴν τοιαύτην χήραν δι' ακραν σωφροσύνην μετὰ καὶ τοῦ καλῶς ἐνεγκόντος ὀρφανίαν ἀναλήψεται κύριος, ὑψῶν καὶ μετεωρίζων αὐτοὺς τῇ ἀρετῇ,