John Chrysostom, On John

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a time of death. For, he says, put to death your members which are upon the earth. Let us then extinguish desire, slay anger, destroy envy. This is a living sacrifice. This sacrifice does not end in ashes, nor is it dispersed into smoke, nor does it need wood, and fire, and a knife. For it has fire and a knife, the Holy Spirit. Using this knife, cut away what is superfluous and alien from the heart, open the closed hearing. For diseases and evil desires are accustomed to block the entrance of the word. For when the desire for money is set before it, it does not permit it to hear the word concerning almsgiving, and when envy comes, it walls off the teaching concerning love, and another disease falling upon it again makes it more sluggish toward everything. Let us therefore destroy evil desires. For 59.403 it is enough to will it, and all is extinguished. For let us not see this, that the love of money is tyrannical, but that the tyranny is of our indolence. Indeed, many say they do not even know what silver is. For this desire is not natural. For the natural ones were implanted from above and from the beginning; but gold and silver, for a long time, it was not even known what they are. Whence then did this desire grow? From vainglory and extreme indolence. For of desires, some are necessary, some are natural, and some are neither of these. I mean, for example: those which, if not satisfied, destroy the living being, these happen to be natural and necessary; such as the desire for food and drink, and the desire for sleep; but the love of bodies, while natural, is not necessary. For many have overcome it, and have not perished. But the desire for money is neither natural nor necessary, but superfluous; and if we wish, we do not receive its principle. Certainly Christ, when discoursing on virginity, says: He who is able to receive it, let him receive it; but concerning money, not so, but what? Unless a man renounces 59.404 all that he has, he is not worthy of me. For what was easy, he advised; but what surpasses the many, he commits to their choice. Why then do we deprive ourselves of all defense? For he who is caught by the more tyrannical passion will not pay a great penalty; but he who is overcome by the weak one is deprived of all defense. For what shall we say, when he says, You saw me hungry, and did not feed me? what defense shall we have? Shall we plead poverty, forsooth? But we are not poorer than that widow, who, having cast in two mites, surpassed them all. For God does not require a quantity of contribution, but a measure of intention; and this too is from His care. Therefore, admiring His love for mankind, let us contribute what we can; so that both in this present life and in the one to come, having obtained much of God's love for mankind, we may be able to enjoy the good things promised to us, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

59.403 HOMILY 75. If you love me, keep my commandments; and I

will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.

1. We need works and actions everywhere, not a display through words.

For to speak and to promise is easy for anyone, but to act is no longer similarly easy. Why then did I say these things? Because many now say that they fear and love God, but in their works they show the opposite; but God seeks the love that is through works. For this reason he also said to his disciples: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. For since he had said, Whatever you ask, I will do, so that they might not

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θανάτου καιρός. Νεκρώσατε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Σβέσωμεν οὖν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἀποκτείνωμεν θυμὸν, ἀνέλωμεν φθόνον. Τοῦτό ἐστι θυσία ζῶσα. Οὐκ εἰς τέφραν αὕτη ἡ θυσία τελευτᾷ, οὐδὲ εἰς καπνὸν διαχεῖται, οὐδὲ ξύλων δεῖται, καὶ πυρὸς, καὶ μαχαίρας. Ἔχει γὰρ πῦρ καὶ μάχαιραν, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ταύτῃ χρησάμενος τῇ μαχαίρᾳ, περίτεμε τῆς καρδίας τὸ περιττὸν καὶ ἀλλότριον, ἄνοιξον τὸ μεμυκὸς τῆς ἀκοῆς. Τὰ γὰρ νοσήματα καὶ αἱ πονηραὶ ἐπιθυμίαι ἐμφράττειν εἰώθασι τοῦ λόγου τὴν εἴσοδον. Καὶ γὰρ χρημάτων ἐπιθυμία προτεθεῖσα οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀκοῦσαι τὸν περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης λόγον, καὶ βασκανία παραγενομένη διατειχίζει τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης διδασκαλίαν, καὶ ἕτερον νόσημα ἐμπεσὸν πάλιν νωθροτέραν αὐτὴν κατασκευάζει πρὸς πάντα. Ἀνέλωμεν τοίνυν τὰς πονηρὰς ἐπιθυμίας. Καὶ 59.403 γὰρ ἀρκεῖ θελῆσαι, καὶ πάντα ἔσβεσται. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ἴδωμεν, ὅτι τυραννικὸν ὁ τῶν χρημάτων ἔρως, ἀλλ' ὅτι τῆς ἡμετέρας ῥᾳθυμίας ἡ τυραννίς. Πολλοὶ γοῦν οὐδ' ὅτι ἔστιν ἀργύριον εἰδέναι λέγουσιν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι φυσικὴ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὕτη. Αἱ γὰρ φυσικαὶ ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατεβλήθησαν· χρυσὸς δὲ καὶ ἄργυρος καὶ μέχρι πολλοῦ χρόνου οὐδ' ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστι γνώριμον ἦν. Πόθεν οὖν ηὐξήθη ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὕτη; Ἀπὸ κενοδοξίας καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας ἐσχάτης. Τῶν γὰρ ἐπιθυμιῶν αἱ μέν εἰσιν ἀναγκαῖαι, αἱ δὲ φυσικαὶ, αἱ δὲ οὐδέτερον τούτων. Οἷόν τι λέγω· ὅσαι μὴ πληρούμεναι φθείρουσι τὸ ζῶον, αὗται φυσικαὶ καὶ ἀναγκαῖαι τυγχάνουσιν· οἷον ἡ τῶν σιτίων καὶ ποτῶν, καὶ ἡ τοῦ καθεύδειν ἐπιθυμία· ὁ δὲ τῶν σωμάτων ἔρως, φυσικὸς μὲν ἔστιν, οὐκ ἀναγκαῖος δέ. Πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ περιγεγόνασι, καὶ οὐκ ἀπώλοντο. Ἡ δὲ τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμία οὔτε φυσικὴ, οὔτε ἀναγκαία, ἀλλὰ περιττή· κἂν βουλώμεθα, οὐ δεχόμεθα αὐτῆς τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς περὶ παρθενίας διαλεγόμενός φησιν· Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν, χωρείτω· περὶ δὲ χρημάτων οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐὰν μή τις ἀποτάξηται 59.404 αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἦν εὔκολον παρῄνει· ὃ δὲ ὑπερβαίνει τοὺς πολλοὺς, ἐπιτρέπει τῇ προαιρέσει. Τί τοίνυν πάσης ἀποστεροῦμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπολογίας; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ τυραννικωτέρου πάθους ἁλοὺς, οὐ πολλὴν δώσει δίκην· ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀσθενοῦς χειρωθεὶς, πάσης ἀπεστέρηται ἀπολογίας. Τί γὰρ ἐροῦμεν, ὅταν λέγῃ, Πεινῶντά με εἴδετε, καὶ οὐκ ἐθρέψατε; ποίαν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν; τὴν πενίαν προβαλούμεθα πάντως; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐσμὲν τῆς χήρας ἐκείνης πενέστεροι, ἥτις δύο ὀβολοὺς βαλοῦσα, πάντας ὑπερηκόντισεν. Οὐ γὰρ ποσότητα εἰσφορᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ μέτρα γνώμης· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίας. Θαυμάσαντες τοίνυν αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, τὰ δυνατὰ συνεισενέγκωμεν· ἵνα καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον καὶ κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα πολλῆς τυχόντες τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας, δυνηθῶμεν ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.403 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΟΕʹ. Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσα τε· καὶ ἐγὼ

ἐρωτήσω τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον Παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα μένῃ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς αἰῶνα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὐ θεωρεῖ αὐτὸ, οὐδὲ γινώσκει αὐτό.

αʹ. Ἔργων ἡμῖν δεῖ καὶ πράξεων πανταχοῦ, οὐ τῆς διὰ ῥημάτων ἐπιδείξεως.

Εἰπεῖν γὰρ καὶ ὑποσχέσθαι παντί που ῥᾴδιον, πρᾶξαι δὲ οὐκέτι ὁμοίως εὔκολον. Τί δήποτε δὲ ταῦτα εἶπον; Ὅτι πολλοὶ νῦν εἰσι λέγοντες φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἀγαπᾷν, τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις τὰ ἐναντία ἐπιδείκνυνται· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἀγάπην ἐπιζητεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἔλεγεν· Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσετε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσητε, ἐγὼ ποιήσω, ἵνα μὴ