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in having mercy? Be like Him, therefore, also in not making a show of it. For when He healed, He would say that they should tell no one. But do you wish to be called merciful by men? and what is the gain? The gain is nothing, but the loss is infinite. For these very men, whom you call to witness, become robbers of the treasures in the heavens; or rather not they, but we, who plunder our own things, and scatter what is laid up above. O what a strange calamity and what a bizarre passion is this! Where moth does not destroy, nor thief break through, vainglory scatters. This is the moth of the treasures there; this is the thief of the abundance in the heavens; this one steals away the inviolable wealth; this ruins and corrupts everything. For since the devil saw that that place was safe from robbers and moth and all other plots, he steals away the wealth through vainglory. 4. But do you desire glory? Is then the glory from the receiver himself, from the philanthropic God, not enough for you, but do you also desire that which is from men? See that you do not suffer the opposite; lest someone condemn you as not being merciful, but as making a public display and being ambitious, as one making a tragedy of the misfortunes of others. For almsgiving is a mystery. Shut the doors, therefore, so that no one may see what is not lawful to display. For this above all is our mystery, the mercy and philanthropy of God. For according to His great mercy, He had mercy on us when we were disobedient. And the first prayer is full of mercy, when we entreat on behalf of those who are possessed by demons; and the second again, on behalf of others who are in repentance, seeking great mercy; and the third again, on behalf of ourselves, and this one puts forward the blameless children of the people, exhorting God to mercy. For since we have condemned ourselves for our sins, we ourselves cry out on behalf of those who have sinned much and ought to be accused; but on behalf of ourselves the children, for the imitators of whose simplicity the kingdom of heaven awaits. For this type indicates that those who are humble and artless like those children are most able to intercede for the guilty. But how much mercy, how much philanthropy the mystery itself contains, the initiated know. So you too, according to your ability showing mercy to a man, shut the doors; let the one who receives mercy see it alone; and if possible, not even he. But if you throw them open, you make a show of your mystery. Consider that even that very one whose glory you seek will condemn you; and if he is a friend, he will accuse you to himself; but if an enemy, he will also ridicule you before others. And you will suffer the opposite of what you desire. For you desire that he should say, "The merciful one;" but he will not say this, but "The vainglorious one, the man- 58.667 pleaser," and other things much worse than these. But if you hide it, he will say all the opposites of these things: "The philanthropist, the merciful." For God does not allow it to be hidden; but if you hide it, He will make it manifest, and the wonder will be greater, and the gain more. So that even for this very purpose of being glorified, making a show is contrary to our interest; for that toward which we hasten and press on, this very thing most resists us. For not only do we not receive the glory 58.668 of a merciful person, but also the opposite; and in addition to this we suffer great loss. For all these reasons, therefore, let us refrain from this, and let us desire the glory of God alone. For thus we shall attain to the glory here, and shall enjoy the eternal good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

58.667 HOMILY 42. Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on Moses' seat. Therefore, all that they tell you to do, do; but do not do according to their works.

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κατὰ τὸ ἐλεεῖν; γενοῦ οὖν αὐτῷ ὅμοιος, καὶ κατὰ τὸ μὴ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ ἔλεγε θεραπεύων, ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν. Ἀλλὰ βούλει ἐλεήμων κληθῆναι παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις; καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος; Τὸ κέρδος μὲν οὐδὲν, ἡ δὲ ζημία ἄπειρος. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὗτοι, οὓς εἰς μαρτυρίαν καλεῖς, λῃσταὶ γίνονται τῶν θησαυρῶν τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ οὗτοι, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς, οἱ τὰ ἡμέτερα συλῶντες, καὶ σκορπίζοντες τὰ ἄνω κείμενα. Ὢ τῆς καινῆς συμφορᾶς καὶ τοῦ ἀλλοκότου τούτου πάθους! Ὅπου σὴς οὐκ ἀφανίζει, οὐδὲ κλέπτης διορύττει, κενοδοξία σκορπίζει. Οὗτος ὁ σὴς τῶν ἐκεῖ θησαυρῶν· οὗτος ὁ κλέπτης τῆς εὐπορίας τῆς ἐν οὐρανοῖς· οὗτος τὸν ἄσυλον ὑποσύρει πλοῦτον· τοῦτο πάντα λυμαίνεται καὶ διαφθείρει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν ὁ διάβολος, ὅτι καὶ λῃσταῖς καὶ σκώληκι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐπιβουλαῖς ἀνάλωτον τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο, διὰ κενοδοξίας ὑποσύρει τὸν πλοῦτον. δʹ. Ἀλλὰ δόξης ἐπιθυμεῖς; Εἶτα οὐκ ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ λαμβάνοντος, ἡ παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐρᾷς; Ὅρα μὴ τοὐναντίον ὑπομείνῃς· μή τίς σου καταγνῷ ὡς οὐκ ἐλεοῦντος, ἀλλ' ἐκπομπεύοντος καὶ φιλοτιμουμένου, ὡς ἐκτραγωδοῦντος τὰς ἀλλοτρίας συμφοράς. Καὶ γὰρ μυστήριόν ἐστιν ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη. Κλεῖσον τοίνυν τὰς θύρας, ἵνα μή τις ἴδῃ ἅπερ ἐπιδεῖξαι οὐ θέμις. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ μυστήρια τὰ ἡμέτερα τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστιν, ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ φιλανθρωπία Θεοῦ. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸ πολὺ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ὄντας ἡμᾶς ἀπειθεῖς ἠλέησε. Καὶ ἡ πρώτη δὲ δέησις ἐλέους γέμει, ὅταν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεργουμένων παρακαλῶμεν· καὶ ἡ δευτέρα πάλιν, ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων τῶν ἐν μετανοίᾳ, πολὺ τὸ ἔλεος ἐπιζητοῦσα· καὶ ἡ τρίτη δὲ πάλιν, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ αὕτη τὰ παιδία τὰ ἄμωμα τοῦ δήμου προβάλλεται, τὸν Θεὸν ἐπὶ ἔλεον παρακαλοῦντα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτοὶ κατεγνώκαμεν ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτήματα, ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν πολλὰ ἡμαρτηκότων καὶ ἐγκληθῆναι ὀφειλόντων αὐτοὶ βοῶμεν· ὑπὲρ δὲ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν οἱ παῖδες, ὧν τῆς ἁπλότητος τοὺς ζηλωτὰς ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν μένει. Ὁ γὰρ τύπος οὗτος τοῦτο ἐνδείκνυται, ὅτι οἱ κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς παῖδας ταπεινοὶ καὶ ἄπλαστοι, οὗτοι μάλιστα δύνανται ἐξαιτεῖσθαι τοὺς ὑπευθύνους. Αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ μυστήριον πόσου ἐλέου, πόσης φιλανθρωπίας, ἴσασιν οἱ μεμνημένοι. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν σὴν ἐλεῶν ἄνθρωπον, ἀπόκλεισον τὰς θύρας· αὐτὸς ὁ ἐλεούμενος ἰδέτω μόνος· εἰ δὲ οἷόν τε, μηδὲ οὗτος. Ἂν δὲ ἀναπετάσῃς, ἐκπομπεύεις σου τὸ μυστήριον. Ἐννόησον ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος, οὗ τὴν δόξαν ἐπιζητεῖς, καὶ αὐτός σου καταγνώσεται· κἂν μὲν φίλος ᾖ, παρ' ἑαυτῷ σου κατηγορήσει· ἂν δὲ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ παρ' ἑτέροις σε κωμῳδήσει. Καὶ τἀναντία ὑπομενεῖς ὧν ἐπιθυμεῖς. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιθυμεῖς, ἵνα εἴπῃ; ὅτι Ὁ ἐλεήμων· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ ἐρεῖ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ὁ κενόδοξος, ὁ ἀνθρωπ 58.667 άρεσκος, καὶ ἕτερα πολὺ τούτων χαλεπώτερα. Ἂν δὲ κρύψῃς, πάντα ἐρεῖ τἀναντία τούτοις, Ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, ὁ ἐλεήμων. Οὐ γὰρ ἀφίησιν ὁ Θεὸς κρυβῆναι· ἀλλ' ἐὰν σὺ κρύψῃς, ἐκεῖνος κατάδηλον ποιήσει, καὶ μεῖζον τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ πλέον τὸ κέρδος. Ὥστε καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο αὐτὸ τὸ δοξάζεσθαι ἐναντίον ἡμῖν τὸ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι· πρὸς γὰρ ὃ σπεύδομεν καὶ ἐπειγόμεθα, πρὸς τοῦτο μάλιστα ἡμῖν αὑτὸ τοῦτο ἀνθίσταται. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐλεήμονος 58.668 δόξαν οὐ λαμβάνομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν· καὶ πρὸς ταύτῃ πολλὴν καὶ τὴν ζημίαν ὑπομένομεν. Πάντων οὖν ἕνεκεν ἀπεχώμεθα ταύτης, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης ἐρῶμεν μόνης. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἐπιτευξόμεθα δόξης, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀπολαύσομεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

58.667 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ∆Βʹ. Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησε τοῖς ὄχλοις καὶ τοῖς μαθη ταῖς αὐτοῦ, λέγων· Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ Γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε· κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε.