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one silver coin and one gold coin to the coin already piled up; which is a passion of avarice and a Judaic result. I ask and answer me; do you have bread and wine and oil in a small quantity along with the other necessities and nourishment for the body for up to one or two months? If you nod yes, thanks be to the Lord, but if not, buy from the coin which I just gave you, and there is no distraction, and no disturbance; for I know that it will suffice for your needs even for a period of four months. And when you are in need again, either from here or from elsewhere, and I might add also from your handiwork, he who feeds all things will also feed you. This life is best, thus you would have Christ in your midst, at one time working, at another praying, and at one time being still, at another reading. and a sweet light will rise for you and you will be beloved to those who see you; and God will be glorified in you and may he glorify you in return both now and in the age to come, and you will be a boast for us sinners and a glory for the whole brotherhood. I have said these things as if you do not have gold stored up, and may you not have it, so that you might not hear: where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. But it is hoarding for a monk, if someone should acquire for himself above three coins, according to what is written among the fathers, and this applies to the poor in spirit, since the precise monk and ruler of the world through poverty possesses not even one silver coin and cries out with Saint Paul: as poor, yet making many rich; and as possessing all things and having nothing. For God opens a door from every side to such a one, both to one living in stillness and to one being persecuted and to one being imprisoned and to one suffering anything else. And such a one is a Christ-bearer and a true Christian and an angel on earth and a God-imitating man and an heir of God, and a co-heir with Christ. Consider then, O brothers, the word and, if you both possess three coins, you are not rejected among monks according to the patristic example; but if you possess more than ten coins, as I hear, or even more, know that you have fallen away from the monastic state and are servants not of Christ, but of the adversary, and children not of me, the humble one, but of the lover of gold. you might seem to be saying that "4you have, yes; since Christ also did, through the money-box which was carried, and every abbot and head of the churches"5. But it is for the administration of the brotherhood; for in the Gospel the Lord says to Judas: What you are doing, do quickly. But none of those reclining at table knew for what reason he said this to him. For some thought, since Judas had the money-box, that he was saying to him, buy what we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. Thus in imitation of Christ, among all true superiors there is always the money-box and not for any other reason, perish the thought; for it is most hateful to God. If therefore you are also superiors and some give to you, as the women who followed him gave to Christ himself from their own possessions, as it is written, and in like manner other men and women to the saints, it would be well, and you may have not ten coins, but even ten thousand; for nothing is yours, but Christ's, and you are stewards of the things of Christ, just as Paul, possessing all things, had nothing, and everyone else up to the present day holding leadership in the fear of God. But if you are not leaders and stewards of souls, I exhort and I beseech, distribute quickly what is beyond the appointed measure, lest, being caught by the devil in the passion of avarice, you should fall away from the discipleship of Christ. These things I have said not to you alone, but also through you to all the brothers; and not out of hatred (perish the thought), but out of very great love, and not choosing to confine you, but rather to broaden you. for in narrowness there is breadth and in affliction according to Christ there is the exultation of the spirit. And listen to me, children, a sinner, giving good counsel, lawfully commanding, so that, pleasing Christ according to all things and in all things, heirs

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ἓν ἀργύριον καὶ ἓν χρυσίον τῷ ἤδη προστοιβασθέντι κέρματι· ὅπερ ἐστὶ φιλαργυρίας πάθος καὶ Ἰουδαϊκὸν ἀποτέλεσμα. ἐρωτῶ καὶ ἀποκρίθητέ μοι· ἔχετε ἄρτον καὶ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον κατ' ὀλιγότητα σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιτηδείοις καὶ τροφευτικοῖς τοῦ σώματος μέχρι μηνὸς ἑνὸς ἢ δυοῖν; ἐὰν κατανεύσητε, χάρις Κυρίῳ, εἰ δὲ μή, πριᾶσθε ἐξ οὗ δέδωκα ὑμῖν νομίσματος ἄρτι, καὶ οὐδεὶς περισπασμός, καὶ οὐδεμία ταραχή· ἱκανήσει γὰρ οἶδ' ὅτι καὶ τετραμηνιαίου χρόνου εἰς χρείαν. καὶ ὅτε ἀπορήσητε πάλιν ἢ ἐντεῦθεν ἢ ἄλλοθεν, προσθείην δ' ἂν καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐργοχείρου ὑμῶν, ὁ τρέφων τὰ πάντα θρέψειεν καὶ ὑμᾶς. Οὗτος ὁ βίος ἄριστος, οὕτως τὸν Χριστὸν μέσον ὑμῶν σχοίητε, πῇ μὲν ἐργαζόμενοι, πῇ δὲ προσευχόμενοι, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἡσυχάζοντες, ποτὲ δὲ ἀναγινώσκοντες. καὶ ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν φῶς γλυκὺ καὶ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἔσεσθε ἐραστοί· καὶ θεὸς δοξασθήσεται ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ ἀντιδοξάσειεν ὑμᾶς καὶ νῦν καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, ἡμῶν τε αὐτῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἔσεσθε καύχημα καὶ ὅλης τῆς ἀδελφότητος κλέος. ταῦτα εἴρηκα ὡς οὐκ ἐχόντων ὑμῶν χρυσίον τεθησαυρισμένον, μηδὲ εἴη ἔχειν ὑμᾶς, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀκούσοιτε· ὅπου ὁ θησαυρὸς ὑμῶν, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν ἔσται. θησαυρισμὸς δέ ἐστι μοναχῷ, ἐὰν ἐπάνω τῶν τριῶν νομισμάτων κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐν τοῖς πατράσι περιποιήσηταί τις ἑαυτῷ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν πτωχῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐπεὶ ὅ γε ἀκριβὴς μοναχὸς καὶ δεσπόζων κόσμου δι' ἀκτημοσύνης οὐδὲ ἓν ἀργύριον κέκτηται καὶ κράζει μετὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Παύλου· ὡς πτωχὸς ἐγώ, πολλοὺς δὲ πλουτίζων· καὶ ὡς τὰ πάντα κατέχων καὶ μηδὲν ἔχων. καὶ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῷ τοιούτῳ πάντοθεν ἀνοίγει θύραν, καὶ ἡσυχάζοντι καὶ διωκομένῳ καὶ φυλακιζομένῳ καὶ ὁτιοῦν πάσχοντι ἕτερον. καὶ χριστοφόρος ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ χριστιανὸς ἀληθινὸς καὶ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ θεομίμητος ἀνὴρ καὶ κληρονόμος θεοῦ, συγκληρονόμος δὲ Χριστοῦ. Σκέψασθε οὖν λοιπόν, ὦ ἀδελφοί, τὸν λόγον καί, εἰ μὲν τρινομεῖτε ἀμφότεροι, οὐκ ἀπόβλητοι ἐν μοναχοῖς κατὰ τὸ ὑπόδειγμα τὸ πατρικόν· εἰ δὲ ἐπάνω δεκανομοῦντες, καθὼς ἀκούω, ἢ καὶ πρός, γινώσκετε ἔκπτωτοι εἶναι τῆς μοναχικῆς καταστάσεως καὶ θεραπευταὶ οὐ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου, καὶ τέκνα οὐκ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ φιλοχρυσοῦντος. δόξειεν ὑμᾶς λέγειν ὅτι "4ἔχεις, ναί· ἐπεὶ καὶ Χριστὸς διὰ τοῦ γλωσσοκόμου, οὗ ἐπεφέρετο, καὶ πᾶς καθηγούμενος καὶ προεστὼς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν"5. ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς ἀδελφότητος· φησὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν Ἰούδαν· ὃ ποιεῖς, ποίησον τάχιον. τοῦτο δὲ οὐδεὶς ἔγνω τῶν ἀνακειμένων πρὸς τί εἶπεν αὐτῷ. τινὲς γὰρ ἐδόκουν, ἐπεὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον εἶχεν Ἰούδας, ὅτι λέγει αὐτῷ, ἀγόρασον ὧν χρείαν ἔχομεν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν ἢ τοῖς πτωχοῖς ἵνα δῷ τι. οὕτως κατὰ μίμησιν Χριστοῦ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀληθινοῖς προεστῶσιν ἔστι πάντως τὸ γλωσσόκομον καὶ οὐ δι' ἄλλο τι, ἄπαγε· ἔχθιστον γὰρ θεῷ. εἰ οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐστε προεστῶτες καὶ ἐπιδιδοῦσιν ὑμῖν τινες, ὡς καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῶν, καθὰ γέγραπται, αἱ συνακολουθοῦσαι αὐτῷ γυναῖκες καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις ὁμοιοτρόπως ἄλλοι καὶ ἄλλαι, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι, καὶ σχοίητε μὴ ἀπὸ δέκα νομισμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ μυρίων· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑμέτερον, ἀλλὰ Χριστοῦ, καὶ οἰκονόμοι ὑμεῖς τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθὸ καὶ Παῦλος τὰ πάντα κατέχων οὐδὲν εἶχεν καὶ πᾶς τις ἄλλος μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο θεοφόβως ἔχων τὴν προστασίαν. εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ προστάται καὶ οἰκονόμοι ψυχῶν, παρακαλῶ καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, διανείματε τὸ παρὰ τὸ ὡρισμένον μέτρον τάχει, ἵνα μή, τῷ τῆς φιλαργυρίας πάθει ἁλόντες ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἐκπέσοιτε ἀπὸ τῆς μαθητείας Χριστοῦ. Ταῦτα οὐχ ὑμῖν μόνοις εἴρηκα, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ὑμῶν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· καὶ οὐ μισῶν (ἄπαγε), ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ φιλῶν, καὶ οὐ στενοχωρῆσαι ὑμᾶς αἱρούμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ εὐρυχωρῆσαι. ἐν γὰρ τῇ στενότητι ἡ πλατύτης καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ Χριστὸν θλίψει ἡ ἀγαλλίασις τοῦ πνεύματος. καὶ ἀκούσατέ μου, τέκνα, τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, καλῶς συμβουλεύοντος, ἐννόμως προστάσσοντος, ἵνα, κατὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν εὐαρεστοῦντες Χριστῷ, κληρονόμοι