312

fitting for them to reach. For those who do not live so, it is not good even to reach old age; but for those who are aged even in youth, I pray that they may reach a very hoary old age, and become fathers of approved children, and to gladden those who begot them, and above all God who made them, and to drive out every disease, not only that in the shoes, nor that in the clothes alone, but also every other one. For just as uncultivated land, so is neglected youth, bringing forth many thorns from every side. Let us therefore apply the fire of the Spirit, and burn up these wicked desires, and let us renew the fields, and prepare them for the reception of the seed, and let us show the young men among us to be more temperate than the old men elsewhere. For this is the wonderful thing, when temperance shines in youth, whereas he who is temperate in old age would not have much reward, having a sure security from his age. But the paradox is to enjoy calm amidst the waves, and not to be burned in the furnace, and not to be licentious in youth. Considering these things, therefore, let us emulate that blessed Joseph, who shone through all these things, so that we may also obtain the same crowns as he; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

58.503 HOMILY 50. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart 58.504 will be able to instill seemliness. Do not therefore say, "This matters nothing," and "That matters nothing;" for this, this has ruined everything.

For it was necessary to instruct them from this also, and from things that seem to be

small to make them grave, magnanimous, superior to outward appearances; thus we shall find them approved also in great things. For what is meaner than the learning of the letters? But yet from these come orators, and sophists, and philosophers; and if they are ignorant of these, they will never know those other things either. And these things have been said by us not to young men only, but also to women and maidens. For they too are subject to such faults, and much more so, inasmuch as modesty is fitting for a virgin. Consider therefore that what was said to them has also been said to you, so that we may not take up the same things again. For it is now time to conclude the discourse with a prayer. Pray with us, therefore, all of you, that the young men of the Church may especially be able to live modestly, and to reach an old age fitting for them. For those who do not live so, it is not good even to reach old age; but for those who are aged even in youth, I pray that they may reach a very hoary old age, and become fathers of approved children, and to gladden those who begot them, and above all God who made them, and to drive out every disease, not only that in the shoes, nor that in the clothes alone, but also every other one. For just as uncultivated land, so is neglected youth, bringing forth many thorns from every side. Let us therefore apply the fire of the Spirit, and burn up these wicked desires, and let us renew the fields, and prepare them for the reception of the seed, and let us show the young men among us to be more temperate than the old men elsewhere. For this is the wonderful thing, when temperance shines in youth, whereas he who is temperate in old age would not have much reward, having a sure security from his age. But the paradox is to enjoy calm amidst the waves, and not to be burned in the furnace, and not to be licentious in youth. Considering these things, therefore, let us emulate that blessed Joseph, who shone through all these things, so that we may also obtain the same

312

ἐλθεῖν αὐτοῖς πρέπον. Ὡς τούς γε οὐχ οὕτω ζῶντας, οὐδὲ εἰς γῆρας ἐλθεῖν καλόν· τοὺς δὲ καὶ ἐν νεότητι γεγηρακότας εὔχομαι καὶ εἰς πολιὰν βαθυτάτην ἐλθεῖν, καὶ πατέρας γενέσθαι παίδων δοκίμων, καὶ τοὺς γεγεννηκότας εὐφρᾶναι, καὶ πρό γε πάντων τὸν πεποιηκότα αὐτοὺς Θεὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξελάσαι νόσον, οὐ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑποδήμασιν, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἱματίοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν. Καὶ γὰρ οἷον γῆ χερσουμένη, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ νεότης ἀμελουμένη, πολλὰς πολλαχόθεν ἐκφέρουσα τὰς ἀκάνθας. Ἐπαφῶμεν τοίνυν τὸ πῦρ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ κατακαύσωμεν τὰς πονηρὰς ταύτας ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ νεώσωμεν τὰς ἀρούρας, καὶ ἑτοίμους πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σπόρου ποιήσωμεν ὑποδοχὴν, καὶ τοὺς νέους τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν τῶν ἀλλαχοῦ γερόντων ἀποδείξωμεν σωφρονεστέρους. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅταν ἐν νεότητι σωφροσύνη λάμπῃ, ὡς ὅγε ἐν γήρᾳ σωφρονῶν οὐδὲ μισθὸν ἂν ἔχοι πολὺν, ἀκριβῆ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀσφάλειαν ἔχων. Τὸ δὲ παράδοξον, ἐν κύμασι γαλήνης ἀπολαύειν, καὶ ἐν καμίνῳ μὴ κατακαίεσθαι, καὶ ἐν νεότητι μὴ ἀσελγαίνειν. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, ζηλώσωμεν τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον Ἰωσὴφ, τὸν διὰ πάντων λάμψαντα τούτων, ἵνα καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν στεφάνων αὐτῷ· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

58.503 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Νʹ. Καὶ ἀπολύσας τοὺς ὄχλους, ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος κατ' 58.504 εὐσχημοσύνην ἐμβιβάσαι δυνήσονται. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε, Οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦτο, καὶ οὐδὲν παρ' ἐκεῖνο· τοῦτο γὰρ, τοῦτο πάντα ἀπώλεσεν.

Ἔδει γὰρ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς παιδεύειν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι

μικρῶν σεμνοὺς ποιεῖν, μεγαλοψύχους, κρείττους σχημάτων· οὕτως αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐν τοῖς μεγάλοις εὑρήσομεν δοκίμους. Τί γὰρ τῆς τῶν στοιχείων μαθήσεως εὐτελέστερον; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπὸ τούτων καὶ ῥήτορες, καὶ σοφισταὶ, καὶ φιλόσοφοι γίνονται· κἂν ταῦτα ἀγνοήσωσιν, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνά ποτε εἴσονται. Ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν οὐ πρὸς νέους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς γυναῖκας καὶ κόρας εἴρηται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὗται τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπόκεινται, καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳ παρθένῳ κοσμιότης ἐπιτήδειον. Τὰ τοίνυν πρὸς ἐκείνους εἰρημένα καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰρῆσθαι νομίζετε, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ ἀναλάβωμεν. Καὶ γὰρ ὥρα λοιπὸν εὐχῇ κατακλεῖσαι τὸν λόγον. Ἅπαντες τοίνυν ἡμῖν συνεύξασθε, ὥστε τοὺς νέους τοὺς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μάλιστα δυνηθῆναι κοσμίως ζῇν, καὶ εἰς γῆρας ἐλθεῖν αὐτοῖς πρέπον. Ὡς τούς γε οὐχ οὕτω ζῶντας, οὐδὲ εἰς γῆρας ἐλθεῖν καλόν· τοὺς δὲ καὶ ἐν νεότητι γεγηρακότας εὔχομαι καὶ εἰς πολιὰν βαθυτάτην ἐλθεῖν, καὶ πατέρας γενέσθαι παίδων δοκίμων, καὶ τοὺς γεγεννηκότας εὐφρᾶναι, καὶ πρό γε πάντων τὸν πεποιηκότα αὐτοὺς Θεὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξελάσαι νόσον, οὐ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑποδήμασιν, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἱματίοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν. Καὶ γὰρ οἷον γῆ χερσουμένη, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ νεότης ἀμελουμένη, πολλὰς πολλαχόθεν ἐκφέρουσα τὰς ἀκάνθας. Ἐπαφῶμεν τοίνυν τὸ πῦρ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ κατακαύσωμεν τὰς πονηρὰς ταύτας ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ νεώσωμεν τὰς ἀρούρας, καὶ ἑτοίμους πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σπόρου ποιήσωμεν ὑποδοχὴν, καὶ τοὺς νέους τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν τῶν ἀλλαχοῦ γερόντων ἀποδείξωμεν σωφρονεστέρους. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅταν ἐν νεότητι σωφροσύνη λάμπῃ, ὡς ὅγε ἐν γήρᾳ σωφρονῶν οὐδὲ μισθὸν ἂν ἔχοι πολὺν, ἀκριβῆ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀσφάλειαν ἔχων. Τὸ δὲ παράδοξον, ἐν κύμασι γαλήνης ἀπολαύειν, καὶ ἐν καμίνῳ μὴ κατακαίεσθαι, καὶ ἐν νεότητι μὴ ἀσελγαίνειν. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, ζηλώσωμεν τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον Ἰωσὴφ, τὸν διὰ πάντων λάμψαντα τούτων, ἵνα καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν