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58.661 Whence then is this gathered? From countless tears, from defrauded widows, from orphans who are plundered; but the other from righteous labors. And this table is like a beautiful and well-formed woman, needing nothing from without, but having a natural beauty; but that one, to some ugly and ill-favored harlot, having many cosmetics, but not being able to conceal her deformity, but the nearer one gets, the more she is exposed. For this one too, when she gets nearer to the one associating with her, then she shows her shame the more. For do not look at the guests as they are going up, but also as they are coming down, and then you will see her ugliness. For that one, being free, does not allow those who associate with her to say anything shameful; but this one, being a harlot and dishonored, allows nothing respectable. This one seeks the usefulness of her companion; but that one seeks what is harmful. And the one does not allow one to offend God; but the other does not allow one not to offend. Let us go away, therefore, to those. From there we will know with how many bonds we are encompassed; from there we will know a table to be set, full of countless good things, most pleasant, inexpensive, free from care, 58.662 free from envy and malice and every sickness, and full of good hope, and having many trophies. There is no disturbance of soul there, there is no grief, there is no anger; all is calm, all is peace. For do not tell me of the silence of the servants in the houses of the rich, but of the outcry of those dining; I do not mean that towards one another (for this is ridiculous), but that within, in the soul, which brings on much captivity, the disturbances of the thoughts, the dizziness, the gloom, the storm; through which all things are mingled and confounded, and it resembles a kind of night-battle. But not so in the tents of the monks, but there is much calm, much tranquility. And that table is succeeded by a sleep resembling death, but this one by soberness and watchfulness; that one by punishment, this one by the kingdom of heaven and the immortal prizes. Let us therefore pursue this, that we may also enjoy its fruits, which may it be granted to all of us to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

58.661 HOMILY 71. But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they were gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

1. Again the evangelist states the reason why they ought to have been silent, and the

he shows their audacity even from this. How and in what way? Because when those were silenced, these again attack. For though they ought to have been quiet from this, they strive against the former, and put forward the lawyer, not wishing to learn, but making a test; and they ask, Which is the first commandment? For since this was the first, You shall love the Lord your God; expecting that he would give them some hold, as if he were going to correct it, because he also showed himself to be God, they put forward the question. What then does Christ do? Showing whence they came to these things, from having no love, from being consumed with envy, from being captured by jealousy, he says: You shall love the Lord your God; this is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And why, Like it? Because this one prepares the way for that one, and by it is in turn established. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light; and again, The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. And what comes from this? They are corrupt, they have done abominable works. And again, The love of money is a root of all evils

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58.661 θεν οὖν αὕτη συλλέγεται; Ἀπὸ μυρίων δακρύων, ἀπὸ χηρῶν πλεονεκτουμένων, ἀπὸ ὀρφανῶν ἁρπαζομένων· ἡ δὲ ἀπὸ πόνων δικαίων. Καὶ ἔοικεν αὕτη μὲν ἡ τράπεζα γυναικὶ καλῇ καὶ εὐειδεῖ, οὐδενὸς τῶν ἔξωθεν δεομένῃ, ἀλλὰ φυσικὸν ἐχούσῃ τὸ κάλλος· ἐκείνη δὲ, πόρνῃ τινὶ αἰσχρᾷ καὶ δυσειδεῖ, πολλὰ μὲν ἐπιτρίμματα ἐχούσῃ, οὐκ ἰσχυούσῃ δὲ συσκιάσαι τὴν ἀμορφίαν, ἀλλ' ὅσῳ ἂν ἐγγὺς γίνηται, μᾶλλον ἐλεγχομένη. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὕτη ὅταν ἐγγυτέρω γένηται τοῦ συγγινομένου, τότε δείκνυσι τὸ αἶσχος μᾶλλον. Μὴ γάρ μοι ἀνιόντας ἴδῃς τοὺς δαιτυμόνας, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατιόντας, καὶ τότε αὐτῆς ὄψει τὴν αἰσχρότητα. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ τοὺς συγγινομένους, ἅτε ἐλευθέρα οὖσα, οὐδὲν ἀφίησιν αἰσχρὸν εἰπεῖν· αὕτη δὲ οὐδὲν σεμνὸν, ἅτε πόρνη οὖσα καὶ ἠτιμωμένη. Αὕτη τὸ χρήσιμον ζητεῖ τοῦ συνόντος αὐτῇ· ἐκείνη δὲ τὸ ἐπιβλαβές. Καὶ ἡ μὲν οὐκ ἀφίησι προσκροῦσαι Θεῷ· ἡ δὲ οὐκ ἀφίησι μὴ προσκροῦσαι. Ἀπίωμεν τοίνυν πρὸς ἐκείνους. Ἐκεῖθεν εἰσόμεθα πόσοις δεσμοῖς ἐσμεν περιβεβλημένοι· ἐκεῖθεν εἰσόμεθα τράπεζαν παρατίθεσθαι μυρίων γέμουσαν ἀγαθῶν, ἡδίστην, ἀδάπανον, φροντίδος ἀπηλλαγμένην, 58.662 φθόνου καὶ βασκανίας καὶ νόσου πάσης ἐλευθέραν, καὶ χρηστῆς γέμουσαν ἐλπίδος, καὶ πολλὰ τὰ τρόπαια ἔχουσαν. Οὐκ ἔστι θόρυβος ψυχῆς ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἔστι λύπη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὀργή· πάντα γαλήνη, πάντα εἰρήνη. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὴν σιγὴν τῶν διακονούντων εἴπῃς ἐν ταῖς τῶν πλουσίων οἰκίαις, ἀλλὰ τὴν κραυγὴν τῶν ἀριστοποιουμένων· οὐ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγω (καὶ αὕτη μὲν γὰρ καταγέλαστος), ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔνδον, τὴν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, τὴν πολλὴν ἐπάγουσαν αἰχμαλωσίαν, τοὺς θορύβους τῶν λογισμῶν, τὴν ζάλην, τὸν ζόφον, τὸν χειμῶνα· δι' ὧν ἅπαντα μίγνυται καὶ συγχεῖται, καὶ νυκτομαχίᾳ τινὶ προσέοικεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς τῶν μοναχῶν τοιαῦτα ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ γαλήνη, πολλὴ ἡ ἡσυχία. Κἀκείνην μὲν ὕπνος θανάτῳ προσεοικὼς διαδέχεται τὴν τράπεζαν, ταύτην δὲ νῆψις καὶ ἀγρυπνία· ἐκείνην κόλασις, ταύτην οὐρανῶν βασιλεία καὶ τὰ ἀθάνατα βραβεῖα. Ταύτην τοίνυν διώκωμεν, ἵνα καὶ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῆς ἀπολαύσωμεν ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

58.661 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΟΑʹ. Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἀκούσαντες, ὅτι ἐφίμωσε τοὺς Σαδ δουκαίους, συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· καὶ ἐπηρώ τησεν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν νομικὸς, πειράζων αὐτὸν, καὶ λέγων· ∆ιδάσκαλε, ποία ἐντολὴ μεγάλη ἐν τῷ νόμῳ;

αʹ. Πάλιν τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, δι' ἢν ἔδει σιγῆσαι, καὶ τὴν

θρασύτητα τὴν ἐκείνων κἀντεῦθεν ἐνδείκνυται. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ὅτι ἐπιστομισθέντων ἐκείνων οὗτοι πάλιν ἐπιτίθενται. ∆έον γὰρ κἀντεῦθεν ἡσυχάζειν, οἱ δὲ ἐπαγωνίζονται τοῖς προτέροις, καὶ προβάλλονται τὸν νομικὸν, οὐ μαθεῖν βουλόμενοι, ἀλλὰ ἀπόπειραν ποιούμενοι· καὶ ἐρωτῶσι, Ποία ἐντολὴ πρώτη; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ πρώτη αὕτη ἦν, τὸ, Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου· προσδοκῶντές τινα λαβὴν παρέξειν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἐπιδιορθωσόμενον αὐτὴν, διὰ τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν δεικνύναι ἑαυτὸν Θεὸν, προβάλλονται τὴν ἐρώτησιν. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; ∆εικνὺς ὅθεν ἦλθον ἐπὶ ταῦτα, ἀπὸ τοῦ μηδεμίαν ἔχειν ἀγάπην, ἀπὸ τοῦ φθόνῳ τήκεσθαι, ἀπὸ τοῦ ζηλοτυπίᾳ ἁλίσκεσθαι, φησίν· Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου· αὕτη πρώτη καὶ μεγάλη ἐντολή. ∆ευτέρα δὲ ὁμοία ταύτῃ· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτόν. ∆ιατί δὲ, Ὁμοία ταύτης; Ὅτι αὕτη ἐκείνην προοδοποιεῖ, καὶ παρ' αὐτῆς συγκροτεῖται πάλιν. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων, μισεῖ τὸ φῶς, καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς· καὶ πάλιν· Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι Θεός. Καὶ τί ἀπὸ τούτου; ∆ιεφθάρησαν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασι. Καὶ πάλιν· Ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἡ φιλαργυρία