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Daily deaths. Have you seen a small part of him? Understand that the rest is also like this. Just as with the heaven, whatever you see of it, such is the rest also; for if you see one part of heaven, wherever you may go, you will see the rest to be such; or just as, if you see even a part of the sun's rays, you can guess from these what the sun is like, so too with Paul. You have seen a part of his deeds; all of them happen to be of this sort, full of dangers. He was a heaven, having the sun of righteousness, not such a one, so that the man is better even than heaven. Do you think this is a small thing? I do not think so. When you say "apostle," everyone immediately thinks of him; when "Baptist," immediately John. To what can one compare his words? To the sea, or even to the ocean? But nothing is equal. His streams are much more abundant than this, purer and deeper, so that one would not be wrong to call Paul's heart both sea and heaven, the one because of its purity, the other because of its depth. It is a sea, leading those who sail on it not from city to city, but from earth to heaven; if one were to sail this sea, he will sail with a fair wind. In this sea there are no winds, but instead of winds a divine Holy Spirit escorts the souls that sail upon it; here there are no waves, there is no reef, there are no sea monsters; all is calm. It is a sea calmer and safer than a harbor, having nothing salty, but a spring [pure and] flowing with the sweetest streams, more brilliant and transparent than the sun; it is a sea, having not precious stones, nor such purple dye, but possessions much better than these. He who wishes to lower himself into this deep 60.384 needs no divers, no oil, but much philosophy; he will find in it all the good things that are in the kingdom of heaven. Such a one will be able to become a king, and to receive the whole world, and to be in the greatest honor; he who sails this sea will never suffer shipwreck, but will know all things well. But just as those inexperienced with this sea are drowned, so indeed also here; which is what heretics also suffer when they attempt things beyond their power. One must therefore know the depth, or not dare to descend. If we are going to sail this deep, let us be well-girded. "I was not able," he says, "to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to carnal." Let no one sail this deep who is not steadfast. Let us prepare for ourselves ships, that is, diligence, eagerness, prayers, so as to cross the deep in tranquility; for this water is living. Just as if one were to take a mouth of fire, so he who knows Paul is tempered; just as if one were to have a sharp sword, so such a one again becomes irresistible. And to understand the things of Paul requires a pure life. For this reason he also said: "You have come to be in need of milk, because you have become dull of hearing." For there is, there is a weakness of hearing. For just as a weak stomach would not accept wholesome and hard-to-digest foods, so also a soul that is puffed up, inflamed, having become weak and languid, would not be able to receive the spiritual word. Hear the disciples saying: "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" But if it is strong and healthy, everything is very easy, everything is simple, it becomes higher and lighter, it is raised up more and lifted on high. Knowing these things, therefore, let us make our soul healthy, and let us emulate Paul, and imitate that noble and adamantine soul; so that, walking in the footsteps of the life he lived, we may be able to sail through the sea of the present life, and arrive at the waveless harbor, and obtain the promised good things for those who live worthily of Christ, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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θάνατοι καθημερινοί. Εἶδες αὐτοῦ μικρὸν μέρος; Τοιοῦτον νόει καὶ τὸ λοιπόν. Ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅσον ἂν ἴδῃς αὐτοῦ, τοσοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ ἄλλο· οὐρανοῦ γὰρ ἂν μέρος θεάσῃ ἓν, ὅπου ἂν ἀπέλθῃς, τοιοῦτον ὄψει καὶ τὸ λοιπόν· ἢ καθάπερ ἡλίου τὰς ἀκτῖνας κἂν ἐκ μέρους ἴδῃς, στοχάζῃ ἐκ τούτων οἷος ὁ ἥλιος, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ Παύλου. Τὰς πράξεις εἶδες ἐκ μέρους αὐτοῦ, πᾶσαι τοιαῦται τυγχάνουσι, κινδύνων γέμουσαι. Οὐρανὸς ἦν ἐκεῖνος ἥλιον δικαιοσύνης ἔχων, οὐ τοιοῦτον, ὥστε καὶ οὐρανοῦ βελτίων ὁ ἀνήρ. Μικρὸν οἴει τοῦτο εἶναι; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι. Ὅταν ἀπόστολον εἴπῃς, εὐθέως πάντες αὐτὸν ἐννοοῦσιν· ὅταν Βαπτιστὴν, εὐθέως τὸν Ἰωάννην. Τίνι ἄν τις παραβάλῃ τὰ ἐκείνου ῥήματα; θαλάσσῃ, ἢ καὶ ὠκεανῷ; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἴσον. Πολλῷ ταύτης δαψιλέστερα τὰ ῥεύματα τὰ τούτου, καθαρώτερα καὶ βαθύτερα, ὥστε καὶ θάλασσαν καὶ οὐρανὸν οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τὴν Παύλου καρδίαν εἰπὼν, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὸ καθαρὸν, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὸ βαθύ. Θάλασσά ἐστιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ πόλεως εἰς πόλιν ἄγουσα τοὺς ἐμπλέοντας, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανόν· εἴ τις ταύτην πλέοι τὴν θάλασσαν, ἐξ οὐρίας πλεύσεται. Ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ θαλάσσῃ οὐκ ἄνεμοι, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ ἀνέμων Πνεῦμα θεῖον ἅγιον τὰς ἐμπλεούσας παραπέμπει ψυχάς· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα κύματα, οὐκ ἔστι σκόπελος, οὐκ ἔστι θηρία· πάντα γαληνά. Θάλασσά ἐστι λιμένος γαληνοτέρα καὶ ἀσφαλεστέρα, οὐδὲν ἁλμυρὸν ἔχουσα, ἀλλὰ πηγὴν [καθαρὰν καὶ] ἥδιστα ῥέουσαν νάματα, ἡλίου λαμπροτέραν καὶ διειδεστέραν· θάλασσά ἐστι, οὐ λίθους ἔχουσα τιμίους, οὐδὲ ἁλουργίδα τοιαύτην, ἀλλὰ κτήματα πολλῷ τούτων βελτίω. Ὁ βουλόμενος εἰς τοῦτο καθεῖναι τὸ πέλαγος 60.384 ἑαυτὸν, οὐ κολυμβητῶν δεῖται, οὐκ ἐλαίου, ἀλλὰ φιλοσοφίας πολλῆς· εὑρήσει ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὰ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ δυνήσεται γενέσθαι βασιλεὺς, καὶ πάντα τὸν κόσμον λαβεῖν, καὶ ἐν τιμῇ εἶναι μεγίστῃ· ὁ ταύτην πλέων τὴν θάλασσαν οὐδέποτε ναυάγιον ὑποστήσεται, ἀλλὰ πάντα εἴσεται καλῶς. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ ταύτης ἄπειροι τῆς θαλάσσης ἀποπνίγονται, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα· ὅπερ δὴ πάσχουσι καὶ αἱρετικοὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐγχειροῦντες. ∆εῖ δὴ τὸ βάθος τοίνυν εἰδέναι, ἢ μὴ κατατολμᾷν. Ἂν μέλλωμεν πλεῖν τὸ πέλαγος τοῦτο, εὔζωνοι γενώμεθα. Οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν, φησὶ, λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ' ὡς σαρκικοῖς. Μηδεὶς ἀκαρτέρητος τοῦτο πλείτω τὸ πέλαγος. Κατασκευάσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πλοῖα, τουτέστιν σπουδὴν, προθυμίαν, εὐχὰς, ὥστε διανύσαι τὸ πέλαγος ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ· καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦτο ζῶν ἐστι. Καθάπερ εἴ τις πυρὸς λάβοι στόμα, οὕτως ὁ Παῦλον εἰδὼς στομοῦται· καθάπερ εἴ τις μάχαιραν ὀξεῖαν ἔχοι, οὕτως ὁ τοιοῦτος πάλιν ἀκάθεκτος γίνεται. Καὶ πρὸς τὸ νοῆσαι δὲ τὰ Παύλου βίου καθαροῦ δεῖται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔλεγε· Γάλακτος ἐν χρείᾳ κατέστητε, ἐπεὶ νωθροὶ γεγόνατε ταῖς ἀκοαῖς. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστιν ἀσθένεια τῆς ἀκοῆς. Καθάπερ γὰρ στόμαχος οὐκ ἂν δέξαιτο ὑγιεινὰ σιτία καὶ δυσκατέργαστα, ἀσθενὴς ὢν, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ ὀγκωθεῖσα, φλεγμαίνουσα, ἄτονος γενομένη καὶ ἔκλυτος, οὐκ ἂν δυνηθείη δέξασθαι τὸν πνευματικὸν λόγον. Ἄκουε τῶν μαθητῶν λεγόντων· Σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος· τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν; Ἂν δὲ ἰσχυρὰ ᾖ καὶ ὑγιεινὴ, πάντα ῥᾷστα, πάντα εὔκολα, ὑψηλοτέρα γίνεται καὶ κουφοτέρα, μᾶλλον μετεωρίζεται καὶ εἰς ὕψος αἴρεται. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες ὑγιεινὴν ἡμῶν κατασκευάσωμεν τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ ζηλώσωμεν τὸν Παῦλον, καὶ μιμησώμεθα τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην καὶ ἀδαμαντίνην ψυχήν· ἵνα κατ' ἴχνος τῶν ἐκείνῳ βεβιωμένων πορευόμενοι, δυνηθῶμεν τὸ πέλαγος τοῦ παρόντος βίου διαπλεῦσαι, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀκύμαντον λιμένα καταντῆσαι, καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἀξίως τοῦ Χριστοῦ βιοῦσιν ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.