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of his brotherhood, a man mighty in deed and word, a worker of God's commandments, a pillar and foundation of his own cenobium, having shown many characteristics of virtue and now this very thing during the present persecution, going through cities and lands, being in want, being afflicted in serving the word of truth until he breathed his last, going home to the Lord. Such a servant of the Lord, then, as the truth holds, you have received as a guest, and it was arranged for so great a holy relic to be treasured up among you. Therefore we were added the more to your love according to God and we pray for you the good things of the heavenly Jerusalem, in return for which you received with a true heart the holy Dionysius, whose memorial is with the like-ranked saints. 457 {1A Catechetical Oration to his own Disciples}1 Brothers and fathers, others announce the deaths of their own with sorrow, but I with exceeding joy; why? Because our departed brothers are saints, partakers of the heavenly calling, Anthos who, as his name suggests, blossomed with virtues, and Dionysius, who shone forth dionysiacally in holiness. And it is right to say what kind of death both had; the one, having just come from his own guest-house and having bid us farewell for the very last time, on his return journey, having been taken ill on the way, has fallen asleep in a holy manner in the monastery of Muele; the other, having fallen into sickness, endured, if it is not presumptuous to say, the sufferings of the renowned Job; for he saw his flesh wasting away and his bones cleaving to his flesh; unbearable pains, the strokes of wounds, an immeasurable flux of the stomach, only his breath remaining; in which things, having endured them with thanksgiving and patience, he too went home to the Lord. Behold, the blessed are themselves also martyrs, Dionysius the approved worker of God and Anthos the lamb of Christ, Dionysius, who from youth until old age completed the contest of submission, and Anthos, who was consecrated from childhood until middle age in submission, both useful vessels for the master God, not only in those things for which they were praised before and after, but they also put on diadems of imprisonment for the sake of righteousness; what could be more glorious than this? And the one has another boast, that he served the lord brother and archbishop, and a long service, and not only long, but also greatly praised. Therefore the brother is admirable on both accounts. What then shall we say to these things, brothers? that all of us humans pass from here and the passage is from sojourning to true rest, from darkness to light, from turmoil to calm, from war to peace, where there is no biting serpent, where there is no fear of change, where each will receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore let us hasten, my brothers, to die in a holy manner ourselves, so that we may flee eternal judgment and be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; our God is a consuming fire. Let us fear, beloved children, let us shudder, let us rise up against the dragon, the devil, both those who seem to stand and those who have been tripped up, because for some a brief slackness brings about a fall unto death, while for others a small recovery brings about a healing of the soul's wounds; Does not he who falls rise again, or he who turns away not return? Yes, my brothers, the door is not yet closed, the festival is not yet dissolved. Let us spare ourselves, let us consider, how we are living in the city, where we sit, with what kind of persons we converse, how great our food, our quiet, our sleep, our conversation, our hymn-singing, may all be pleasing to God, all beneficial to our neighbor. Have mercy, help; let no one do anything contrary to what is fitting. What profit is it, if I gain the whole world and lose my wretched soul? What will the end of the pleasures here add to me on the day of death, and what will I suffer, when I see my comrades being received into the kingdom of God, but myself being taken into the outer darkness? Truly, my brothers, the comfort of the flesh is nothing, an earthly kingdom is nothing,

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ἀδελφότητος αὐτοῦ ἀνὴρ δυνατὸς ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ, ἐργάτης ἐντολῶν θεοῦ, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τοῦ οἰκείου κοινοβίου, πολλὰ ἐνδειξάμενος ἀρετῆς ἰδιώματα καὶ νῦν αὐτὸ τοῦτο κατὰ τὸν παρόντα διωγμὸν περιερχόμενος πόλεις τε καὶ χώρας, ὑστερούμενος, θλιβόμενος ἐν τῷ διακονεῖν τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον μέχρις ἀπέπνει ἐνδημήσας πρὸς Κύριον. Τοιοῦτον οὖν, ὡς ἡ ἀλήθεια ἔχει, ἐξεναγήσατε δοῦλον Κυρίου καὶ τηλικοῦτον λείψανον ἅγιον παρ' ὑμῖν ᾠκονομήθη ἀποθησαυρισθῆναι. διὸ καὶ μᾶλλον προσετέθημεν τῇ κατὰ θεὸν ἀγάπῃ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπευχόμεθα ὑμῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἀνθ' ὧν μετὰ ἀληθινῆς καρδίας ὑπεδέξασθε τὸν ὅσιον ∆ιονύσιον, οὗ τὸ μνημόσυνον μετὰ τῶν ὁμοταγῶν ἁγίων. 457 {1Κατηχητικὴ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητάσ}1 Ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἄλλοι μὲν λυπηρῶς ἀναγγέλουσιν τὰς τῶν οἰκείων ἀποβιώσεις, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ λίαν περιχαρῶς· διατί; ὅτι οἱ ἀποβεβιωκότες ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἅγιοι κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, Ἄνθος ὁ φερωνύμως ἠνθηκὼς τὰς ἀρετάς, καὶ ∆ιονύσιος, ὁ διαπρέψας διονυσιακῶς καθ' ὁσιότητα. οἷος δὲ καὶ ὁ θάνατος ἀμφοτέρων δίκαιον εἰπεῖν· ὁ μέν, ἐληλυθὼς ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας ξενίας ἄρτι καί γε συνταξάμενος ἡμῖν αὐτὰ δὴ τὰ τελευταῖα, ἐν τῇ ὑποστροφῇ καθ' ὁδὸν νοσηλευθεὶς κεκοίμηται ἱερῶς ἐν μοναστηρίῳ τῆς Μυέλης· ὁ δέ, ἀσθενείᾳ περιπεσών, ὑπέστη, εἰ μὴ προπετὲς εἰπεῖν, τὰ τοῦ ἀοιδίμου Ἰὼβ παθήματα· καὶ γὰρ τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ εἶδεν ῥυϊσκομένας καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ κεκολλημένα τῇ σαρκί· πόνοι ἀνύποιστοι, πληγαὶ τραυμάτων, ῥύσις τῆς γαστρὸς ἄμετρος, μόνη ἡ πνοὴ παραμένουσα· ἐν οἷς εὐχαρίστως καὶ ὑπομονητικῶς ἐνεγκὼν ἐνεδήμησε καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς Κύριον. ἴδε οἱ μακάριοι ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ μάρτυρες, ∆ιονύσιος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐργάτης δόκιμος καὶ Ἄνθος τὸ ἀρνίον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ∆ιονύσιος, ὁ μέχρι γήρους τὸν τῆς ὑποταγῆς ἄεθλον ἀπὸ νεότητος τετελεκώς, καὶ Ἄνθος, ὁ ἐκ παιδὸς ὁσιωθεὶς μέχρι μεσηλικιότητος καθ' ὑποταγήν, ἀμφότεροι σκεύη εὔχρηστα τῷ δεσπότῃ θεῷ, οὐ μόνον ἐν οἷς ὑμνήθησαν πρότερον καὶ ὕστερον, πρὸς δὲ καὶ φυλακῶν διαδήματα ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης περιεβάλοντο· οὗ τί ἂν γένοιτο ἐνδοξότερον; ἔχει δὲ θάτερος ἄλλο καύχημα, τὸ ἐξυπηρετῆσαι αὐτὸν τῷ κυρίῳ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ, καὶ ἐξυπηρέτησιν μακράν, καὶ οὐ μόνον μακράν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινουμένην λίαν. ἀμφοτέρωθεν οὖν ἀξιάγαστος ὁ ἀδελφός. Τί οὖν εἴπωμεν πρὸς ταῦτα, ἀδελφοί; ὅτι μεταβαίνομεν πάντως πάντες ἄνθρωποι ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἡ μετάβασις ἀπὸ παροικίας εἰς ἀληθινὴν κατάπαυσιν, ἐκ σκότους εἰς φῶς, ἀπὸ ταραχῆς εἰς γαλήνην, ἐκ πολέμου εἰς εἰρήνην, ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι δάκνων ὄφις, ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι τροπῆς φόβος, ὅπου κομίσεται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπαρξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε κακόν. διὸ σπεύσωμεν, ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁσίως ἀποβιῶσαι, ὡς ἂν φύγοιμεν αἰωνίας κρίσεως καὶ ἀξιωθείημεν βασιλείας οὐρανῶν. φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος· ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον. φοβηθῶμεν, τέκνα ἀγαπητά, φρίξωμεν, διαναστῶμεν κατὰ τοῦ δράκοντος διαβόλου καὶ οἱ δοκοῦντες ἑστάναι καὶ οἱ ὑποσκελισθέντες, ὅτι τοῖς μὲν βραχεῖα χαύνωσις πτῶσιν ἀπεργάζεται θανάτου, τοῖς δὲ μικρὰ ἀνάνευσις ἴασιν ἀνατελεῖ ψυχικῶν τραυμάτων· μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται ἢ ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐκ ἐπιστρέφει; Ναί, ἀδελφοί μου, οὔπω ἡ θύρα κέκλεισται, οὔπω ἡ πανήγυρις διαλέλυται. φεισώμεθα ἑαυτῶν, σκοπῶμεν, πῶς ἐν ἄστει διατρίβομεν, ποῦ καθεζόμεθα, μεθ' οἵων προσώπων διαλεγόμεθα, πηλίκη ἡ τροφὴ ἡμῶν, ἡ ἡσυχία, ἡ ὕπνωσις, ἡ ὁμιλία, ἡ ὕμνησις, ὅλη ἀρεστὴ θεῷ, ὅλη ἐπωφελὴς τῷ πέλας. ἐλεεῖτε, βοηθεῖτε· μή τίς τι πράττοι παρὰ τὸ εἰκός. τί ὄφελος, ἐὰν ὅλον τὸν κόσμον κερδήσω καὶ ζημιωθῶ τὴν ἐλεεινήν μου ψυχήν; τί μοι προσθήσεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θανάτου τῶν τῇδε ἡδυπαθειῶν τὸ τέλος, τί δὲ πείσομαι, ὅταν τοὺς ὁμοταγεῖς μου ἴδω προσλαμβανομένους εἰς βασιλείαν θεοῦ, ἐμαυτὸν δὲ αἰρόμενον εἰς τὸ ἐξώτερον σκότος; ὄντως, ἀδελφοί μου, οὐδὲν ἡ εὐπάθεια τῆς σαρκός, οὐδὲν βασιλεία ἐπίγειος,