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they gained, He wept for their hardness of heart. This the prophets also do; this let us also do now. For now is the time for lamentation, and tears, and wailing. It is fitting for us to say now, Call for the mourning women, and send for the skillful women, and let them utter a lament. Perhaps thus we shall be able to cast out the disease of those who build splendid houses, of those who encompass fields by plunder. It is a fitting time to mourn; but join with me in the lamentation, you who have been stripped and wronged; with your lamentations draw down my tears. But in lamenting, let us not lament for ourselves, but for them; they did not wrong you, but they destroyed themselves. For you have the kingdom of heaven in return for the injustice; but they have hell in return for their gain. For this reason it is better to be wronged than to do wrong. Let us lament for them with a lamentation, not the human kind, but that from the divine Scriptures, which the prophets also lamented. Let us lament bitterly with Isaiah, and say: Woe to those who join house to house, and who add field to field, that they might take something from their neighbor; will you dwell alone upon the earth? Great and beautiful houses, and there will be no one dwelling in them. Let us lament with Nahum, and say with him: Woe to him who builds his house to a height! Or rather let us lament for them, just as Christ did for those then, saying: Woe to you who are rich! For you have received your reward, and your consolation. Thus, I beseech you, let us also not cease lamenting; and if it is not unseemly, let us even beat our breasts for the indolence of our brethren. Let us not weep for the one already dead, but let us weep for the plunderer, the covetous, the avaricious, the insatiable. Why do we weep for the dead, for whom nothing can be done anymore? Let us lament for these, for whom a change is possible. But while we are lamenting, perhaps they are laughing. But this too is worthy of lament, that they laugh at things for which they ought to grieve. For if they were affected at all by our lamentations, we would have had to cease lamenting, as they were about to be corrected; but since they are in an insensible state, let us continue weeping, not for the rich simply, but for the avaricious, the covetous, the plunderers. Wealth is not evil (for it is possible to use it for a good purpose, when we spend it on those in need); but covetousness is evil, procuring immortal punishments. Let us lament, therefore. For perhaps there will be some correction; or even if those who have fallen into it are not delivered, at least others will not fall into the terrible thing, but will be on their guard. And may they be freed from the disease, and may none of us ever fall into it, so that all together we may obtain the promised goods, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

HOMILY 65. But one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that

same year, said to them, You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the

people, and so forth. 1. The nations are sunk down in the destruction which they have made; in the net which they hid,

their foot is taken. This happened to the Jews. For they said to kill Jesus, so that the Romans would not come and take away both their nation and their city. But since they did kill him, they suffered these things; and the very things they did in order to 59.361 escape, these things they did not escape after doing them. But He who was killed is in the heavens; but those who killed Him inherit hell; and yet they did not consider these things; but what? They wished, it says, to kill him from that day. For they said, The Romans will come and take away our nation. But one of them, Caiaphas,

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ἐκέρδανον ἐκεῖνοι, ἐδάκρυσεν αὐτῶν τὴν πώρωσιν. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ προφῆται ποιοῦσι· τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς πράττωμεν νῦν. Θρήνου λοιπὸν ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ δακρύων, καὶ οἰμωγῆς. Εὔκαιρον εἰπεῖν καὶ ἡμᾶς νῦν, Καλέσατε τὰς θρηνούσας, καὶ πρὸς τὰς σοφὰς ἀποστείλατε, καὶ φθεγξάσθωσαν. Τάχα οὕτω δυνησόμεθα ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ νόσημα τῶν τὰς οἰκίας οἰκοδομούντων τὰς λαμπρὰς, τῶν ἀγροὺς περιβαλλομένων ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς. Θρηνεῖν εὔκαιρον· ἀλλὰ συλλάβεσθέ μοι καὶ ὑμεῖς τῶν θρήνων, οἱ γεγυμνωμένοι τε καὶ ἠδικημένοι· τοῖς ὑμῶν θρήνοις καταγάγετέ μου τὰ δάκρυα. Ἀλλὰ θρηνοῦντες, μὴ ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους θρηνήσωμεν· οὐχ ὑμᾶς ἠδίκησαν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀπώλεσαν. Ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἔχετε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀντὶ τῆς ἀδικίας· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ, τὴν γέενναν ἀντὶ κέρδους. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο βέλτιον ἀδικεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ ἀδικεῖν. Θρηνήσωμεν αὐτοὺς θρῆνον, μὴ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, ὃν καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἐθρήνησαν. Θρηνήσωμεν μετὰ Ἡσαΐου πικρὸν, καὶ εἴπωμεν· Οὐαὶ οἱ συνάπτοντες οἰκίαν πρὸς οἰκίαν, καὶ ἀγρὸν ἐγγίζοντες, ἵνα τοῦ πλησίον ἀφέλωνταί τι· μὴ οἰκήσετε μόνοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Οἰκίαι μεγάλαι καὶ καλαὶ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσονται οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν αὐταῖς. Θρηνήσωμεν μετὰ τοῦ Ναοὺμ, καὶ εἴπωμεν μετ' ἐκείνου· Οὐαὶ ὁ οἰκοδομῶν εἰς ὕψος τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ! μᾶλλον δὲ θρηνήσωμεν αὐτοὺς, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς τότε, λέγων· Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς πλουσίοις! ὅτι ἀπέχετε τὸν μισθὸν ὑμῶν, καὶ τὴν παράκλησιν ὑμῶν. Οὕτω, παρακαλῶ, θρηνοῦντες καὶ ἡμεῖς μὴ παυσώμεθα· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἄσχημον, καὶ κοψώμεθα ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ῥᾳθυμίας. Μὴ κλαίωμεν τὸν ἤδη τεθνηκότα, ἀλλὰ κλαίωμεν τὸν ἅρπαγα, τὸν πλεονέκτην, τὸν φιλάργυρον, τὸν ἄπληστον. ∆ιατί νεκροὺς θρηνοῦμεν, ἐφ' ὧν οὐδὲν ἔστιν ἀνύσαι λοιπόν; Θρηνήσωμεν τούτους, ἐφ' ὧν ἐστι καὶ μεταβολή. Ἀλλ' ἡμῶν θρηνούντων, τάχα αὐτοὶ γελῶσιν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο θρήνων ἄξιον, ὅτι γελῶσιν, ἐφ' οἷς ἔδει πενθεῖν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἔπασχόν τι ἀπὸ τῶν ὀδυρμῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἐχρῆν παύσασθαι ὀδυρομένους ὡς μέλλοντας διορθοῦσθαι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀναισθήτως διάκεινται, μένωμεν ἡμεῖς κλαίοντες, μὴ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς φιλαργύρους, τοὺς πλεονέκτας, τοὺς ἅρπαγας. Οὐ κακὸν ὁ πλοῦτος (ἔστι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ εἰς δέον χρήσασθαι, ὅταν εἰς τοὺς δεομένους ἀναλίσκωμεν)· ἀλλὰ κακὸν ἡ πλεονεξία, τὰς ἀθανάτους προξενοῦσα κολάσεις. Θρηνήσωμεν τοίνυν. Ἴσως γάρ τις ἔσται διόρθωσις· ἢ κἂν οἱ ἐμπεσόντες μὴ ἀπαλλαγῶσιν, ἕτεροι γοῦν οὐ περιπεσοῦνται τῷ δεινῷ, ἀλλὰ φυλάξονται. Γένοιτο δὲ κἀκείνους ἐλευθερωθῆναι τοῦ νοσήματος, καὶ ἡμῶν μηδένα περιπεσεῖν ποτε, ἵνα κοινῇ πάντες τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΞΕʹ. Εἷς δέ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν Καϊάφας, ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ

ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ διαλογίζεσθε ὅτι συμφέρει ὑμῖν, ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ

λαοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. αʹ. Ἐνεπάγησαν ἔθνη ἐν διαφθορᾷ ᾗ ἐποίησαν· ἐν παγίδι ταύτῃ ᾗ ἔκρυψαν,

συνελήφθη ὁ ποῦς αὐτῶν. Τοῦτο ἐπὶ Ἰουδαίων γέγονεν. Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγον ἀνελεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἵνα μὴ ἔλθωσιν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ ἄρωσιν αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ ἔθνος καὶ τὴν πόλιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνεῖλον, ταῦτα ἔπαθον· καὶ ἅπερ ὡς δια 59.361 φευξόμενοι ἔπραξαν, ταῦτα ἐπειδὴ ἔπραξαν, οὐ διέφυγον. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἀναιρεθεὶς, ἔστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς· οἱ δὲ ἀνελόντες, τὴν γέενναν κληρονομοῦσι· καίτοι οὐ ταῦτα ἐσκέψαντο· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐβούλοντο, φησὶν, ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης. Εἶπον γὰρ, ὅτι Ἐλεύσονται οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ ἀροῦσιν ἡμῶν τὸ ἔθνος. Εἷς δέ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν Καϊάφας,