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much more, where there is not so great a necessity, ambition is out of place. 2. But those who see will laugh, he says. In the first place, even if there is someone who laughs, one should not take much account of one who is so exceedingly foolish; but now there are many who rather admire, and accept our philosophy. For not these things are worthy of laughter, but what we do now, wailing, mourning, burying ourselves along with the departed. These things are worthy both of laughter and of punishment. But to be philosophic both in these things and in the moderation of our garments, procures for us crowns and praises, and all will applaud us, and will admire the power of Christ, 59.467 and will say: Wow, how great is the strength of the Crucified One! He has persuaded those who are perishing and corruptible that death is not death; therefore they do not do the things of those who are perishing, but the things of those who are sending someone off to a better sojourn. He has persuaded them that this corruptible and earthly body will put on a garment much more splendid than those of silk and interwoven with gold, namely incorruptibility. Therefore they do not make much ado about the burial, but consider a virtuous life a wonderful grave-garment. These things, if they see us being philosophic, they will say; but if they see us bent down, acting like women, assembling choirs of wailing women, they will laugh and mock, and will make countless accusations, reviling the vain expense, the useless toil. For we hear all accusing us of these things; and very rightly so. For what defense shall we have, when we adorn a body that is being consumed by ichor and worms, but overlook Christ thirsting, going about naked and a stranger? Let us cease, then, from this vain effort; let us care for the departed, as is profitable for us and for them, for the glory of God; let us perform great almsgiving on their behalf, let us send with them the best provisions. For if the memory of wonderful men who have died has protected the living (For I will defend, He says, this city for My own sake, and for my servant David's sake), much more will almsgiving accomplish this. For this, this has also raised the dead, when the widows stood around showing what things Dorcas had made while she was with them. Therefore, 59.468 when someone is about to die, let his kinsman prepare the grave-clothes for the dying one, and persuade the one departing to leave something for those in need. With these garments let him send him off, let him also persuade him to leave Christ as an heir. For if kings, when they enroll heirs, leave countless security for their own; consider how much good will one who leaves Christ with his children will draw to himself and to all his own. These are the beautiful grave-clothes; these benefit both those who remain and those who depart. If we are buried thus, we shall be splendid at the time of the resurrection; but if, while caring for the body, we neglect the soul, we shall suffer many terrible things there, and shall incur much ridicule. For it is no ordinary disgrace to depart naked of virtue; nor is the body thrown out unburied so shamed, as is a soul then appearing naked of virtue. Let us clothe this, let us wrap this, especially throughout all time; but if we have been negligent here, let us at least be sober at our end, and enjoin our kinsmen to cooperate with us when we are departed through almsgiving. Thus being helped by one another, let us attain much boldness, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.467.30 HOMILY 80. The disciples therefore went away again unto their own home; But Mary

stood without at the sepulchre weeping.

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πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ἔνθα οὐ τοσαύτη ἡ ἀνάγκη, ἄκαιρος ἡ φιλοτιμία. ʹ. Ἀλλ' οἱ ὁρῶντες γελάσονται, φησίν. Μάλιστα μὲν κἂν ᾖ τις ὁ γελῶν, οὐ πολὺν δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι λόγον τοῦ οὕτω σφόδρα ἀνοηταίνοντος· νυνὶ δὲ πολλοὶ οἱ θαυμάζοντες μᾶλλον, καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν δεχόμενοι τὴν ἡμετέραν. Γέλωτος γὰρ ἄξια οὐ ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ἃ ποιοῦμεν νῦν, ὀδυρόμενοι, πενθοῦντες, συγκατορύττοντες ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσι. Ταῦτα καὶ γέλωτος καὶ κολάσεως ἄξια. Τὸ δὲ φιλοσοφεῖν καὶ ἐν τούτοις καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἱματίων συμμετρίᾳ, στεφάνους καὶ ἐπαίνους ἡμῖν προξενεῖ, καὶ πάντες ἡμᾶς κροτήσουσι, καὶ θαυμάσονται τοῦ Χριστοῦ 59.467 τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ἐροῦσι· Βαβαὶ, πόση ἡ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἰσχύς! ἔπεισε τοὺς ἀπολλυμένους καὶ φθειρομένους, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θάνατος ὁ θάνατος· οὐ τοίνυν τὰ τῶν ἀπολλυμένων ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν προπεμπόντων εἰς ἀποδημίαν ἀμείνω. Ἔπεισεν αὐτοὺς, ὅτι τὸ σῶμα τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο καὶ γήϊνον, ἱμάτιον ἐνδύσεται τῶν σηρικῶν καὶ χρυσοπάστων πολὺ λαμπρότερον, τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν. ∆ιόπερ οὐδὲ πολλὴν περὶ τὴν ταφὴν ποιοῦνται σπουδὴν, ἀλλ' ἐντάφιον ἡγοῦνται θαυμαστὸν, βίον ἐνάρετον. Ταῦτα, ἂν φιλοσοφοῦντας ἴδωσιν, ἐροῦσιν· ἂν δὲ κατακαμπτομένους, γυναικιζομένους, χοροὺς περιιστῶντας θρηνουσῶν γυναικῶν, γελάσονται καὶ κωμῳδήσουσι, καὶ μυρία κατηγορήσουσι, διασύροντες τὴν εἰκῆ δαπάνην, τὴν ματαιοπονίαν. Καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἀκούομεν κατηγορούντων πάντων· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ποίαν γὰρ ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, ὅταν τὸ μὲν σῶμα εἰς ἰχῶρας καὶ σκώληκας δαπανώμενον καλλωπίζωμεν, τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν περιορῶμεν διψῶντα, γυμνὸν περιιόντα καὶ ξένον; Παυσώμεθα τοίνυν τῆς ματαίας ταύτης σπουδῆς· κηδεύσωμεν τοὺς ἀπελθόντας, ὡς καὶ ἡμῖν καὶ ἐκείνοις συμφέρει πρὸς δόξαν Θεοῦ· πολλὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιτελέσωμεν ἐλεημοσύνην, συμπέμψωμεν αὐτοῖς ἐφόδια κάλλιστα. Εἰ γὰρ μνήμη θαυμαστῶν ἀνδρῶν τετελευτηκότων προέστη τῶν ζώντων (Ὑπερασπιῶ γὰρ, φησὶ, τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ ∆αυῒδ τὸν παῖδά μου), πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐλεημοσύνη τοῦτο ἐργάσεται. Αὕτη γὰρ, αὕτη καὶ νεκροὺς ἀνέστησεν, ἡνίκα περιέστησαν αἱ χῆραι ἐπιδεικνύμεναι ὅσα ἐποίει μετ' αὐτῶν οὖσα ἡ ∆ορκάς. Ὅταν οὖν 59.468 τις μέλλῃ τελευτᾷν, ὁ οἰκεῖος τῷ τελευτῶντι κατασκευαζέτω τὰ ἐντάφια, καὶ πειθέτω τὸν ἀπιόντα τοῖς δεομένοις τι καταλιμπάνειν. Μετὰ τούτων αὐτὸν ἀποπεμπέτω τῶν ἱματίων, πειθέτω καὶ κληρονόμον ἀφιέναι τὸν Χριστόν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἐγγράφοντες κληρονόμους, τοῖς οἰκείοις μυρίαν καταλιμπάνουσιν ἀσφάλειαν· ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀφιεὶς μετὰ τῶν παίδων, ἐννόησον ὅσην ἐπισπάσεται εὔνοιαν καὶ ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ πᾶσι. Ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ ἐντάφια καλά· ταῦτα ὀνίνησι καὶ τοὺς μένοντας καὶ τοὺς ἀπερχομένους. Ἂν οὕτως ἐνταφιασθῶμεν, λαμπροὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα καιρόν· ἂν δὲ τὸ σῶμα θεραπεύοντες, τῆς ψυχῆς ἀμελῶμεν, πολλὰ ἐκεῖ πεισόμεθα δεινὰ, καὶ πολὺν ὀφλήσομεν γέλωτα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ τυχοῦσα ἀσχημοσύνη, γυμνὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀπελθεῖν· οὐδὲ οὕτω τὸ σῶμα ἄταφον ἐῤῥιμμένον καταισχύνεται, ὡς ψυχὴ τότε γυμνὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς φαινομένη. Ταύτην ἀμφιάσωμεν, ταύτην περιστείλωμεν, μάλιστα μὲν παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον· εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα ἠμελήσαμεν, κἂν τελευτῶντες νήψωμεν, καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἐπισκήψωμεν συμπράττειν ἀπελθοῦσι δι' ἐλεημοσύνης ἡμῖν. Οὕτω ὑπ' ἀλλήλων βοηθούμενοι παῤῥησίας πολλῆς ἐπιτύχωμεν, 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.

59.467.30 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Πʹ. Ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί· Μαρία δὲ

εἱστήκει πρὸς τὸ μνημεῖον κλαίουσα ἔξω.