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Again, at the ascension, having heard, It is not for you to know times or seasons, he is again silent and does not contradict. After these things, on the housetop and concerning the sheet, having heard a voice saying to him, What God has made clean, do not call common, and not yet clearly knowing what was being said, he is quiet and does not contend. 4. And all these things that fall produced. And before this, he attributes everything to himself, saying, Though all shall be offended, yet I will never be offended; Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you; when he ought to have said, If I may enjoy help from you. But after these things, the complete opposite: Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? From this we learn a great doctrine, that human eagerness is not sufficient, unless one enjoys help from above; and that again, we gain nothing from the help from above, if eagerness is not present. And both these things Judas and Peter show; for the one, having enjoyed much assistance, was not benefited at all, since he was not willing, nor contributed his own part; but the other, though he was eager, since he enjoyed no assistance, fell. For from these two things virtue is woven. Therefore I entreat you, neither to cast everything upon God 58.743 and sleep yourselves, nor, when you are striving, to think that you accomplish everything by your own labors. For God wishes us neither to be supine; for this reason He does not do everything Himself; nor arrogant; for this reason He did not give everything to us; but having taken away what is harmful from each, He has left us what is useful. For this reason also He allowed the chief of the Apostles to fall, both making him humbled, and anointing him for greater love in the future. For to whom more, He says, is forgiven, he will love more. Let us therefore obey God in all things, and not contradict Him, even if what is said seems to be contrary to our reasonings and our sight; but let His word be of more authority than both reasoning and sight. Let us do this also with the mysteries, not looking only at the things that lie before us. but holding fast to His words. For His word is beyond dispute; but our sense is easily deceived. The one has never failed; the other is for the most part mistaken. Since, therefore, the Word says, This is my Body, let us both be persuaded and believe, and let us look at it with the eyes of the mind. For Christ has delivered to us nothing sensible; but in sensible things. all things are spiritual. So also in baptism, the gift is given through a sensible thing, water; but that which is accomplished is spiritual, the birth and the renewal. For if you were incorporeal, He would have delivered the incorporeal gifts to you naked; but since the soul is interwoven with the body, He delivers to you the spiritual things in sensible things. How many now say, I wished to see His form, His appearance, His garments, His sandals! Behold, you see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him. And you indeed desire to see His garments; but He gives Himself to you, not only to see, but also to touch, and to eat, and to receive within. Let no one therefore approach with disgust, no one faint-hearted; let all be on fire, all fervent and aroused. For if the Jews, standing and having their sandals and their staves in their hands, ate with haste, much more ought you to be watchful. For they were about to depart for Palestine, for which reason they also had the appearance of travelers; but you are about to journey to heaven. 5. Therefore it is necessary to be vigilant in every way; for no small punishment is laid up for those who partake unworthily. Consider how indignant you are against the traitor, against those who crucified Him. Beware, therefore, lest you also become guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. They slew the all-holy Body, but you receive it with a defiled soul after so many benefits. For it was not enough for Him to become man, to be struck and to be slain, but He also mingles Himself with us; and not by faith only, but in very deed He makes us His Body. Than what then should he not be purer who enjoys this sacrifice? than what sunbeam the hand that divides this flesh, the mouth that is filled

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Πάλιν πρὸς τῇ ἀναλήψει ἀκούσας, Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστι γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς, πάλιν σιγᾷ καὶ οὐκ ἀντιλέγει. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος καὶ τῆς σινδόνος, ἀκούσας φωνῆς λεγούσης αὐτῷ, Ἃ ὁ Θεὸς ἐκαθάρισε, σὺ μὴ κοίνου, καὶ οὐδὲ σαφῶς εἰδὼς τέως τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον, ἡσυχάζει καὶ οὐ φιλονεικεῖ. δʹ. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τὸ πτῶμα ἐκεῖνο εἰργάσατο. Καὶ πρὸ μὲν τούτου τὸ πᾶν ἑαυτῷ ἀνατίθησι λέγων· Κἂν πάντες σκανδαλισθήσονται, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐ σκανδαλισθήσομαι· κἂν δέῃ με ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ μή σε ἀπαρνήσομαι· δέον εἰπεῖν, Ἂν ἀπολαύσω τῆς παρὰ σοῦ ῥοπῆς. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοὐναντίον ἅπαν· Τί ἡμῖν προσέχετε, ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ εὐσεβείᾳ πεποιηκόσι τοῦ περιπατεῖν αὐτόν; Ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν δόγμα μέγα, ὡς οὐκ ἀρκεῖ προθυμία ἀνθρώπου, ἂν μὴ τῆς ἄνωθέν τις ἀπολαύσῃ ῥοπῆς· καὶ ὅτι πάλιν οὐδὲν κερδανοῦμεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς, προθυμίας οὐκ οὔσης. Καὶ ταῦτα ἀμφότερα δείκνυσιν Ἰούδας καὶ Πέτρος· ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσας βοηθείας, οὐδὲν ὠφελήθη, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἠθέλησε, μηδὲ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ συνεισήνεγκεν· οὗτος δὲ καὶ προθυμηθεὶς, ἐπειδὴ μηδεμιᾶς ἀπήλαυσε βοηθείας, κατέπεσε. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ δυοῖν τούτων ἡ ἀρετὴ ὑφαίνεται. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, μήτε τὸ πᾶν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ῥίψαν 58.743 τας, αὐτοὺς καθεύδειν, μήτε σπουδάζοντας, νομίζειν οἰκείοις πόνοις τὸ πᾶν κατορθοῦν. Οὔτε γὰρ ὑπτίους ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς εἶναι βούλεται ὁ Θεός· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ τὸ πᾶν αὐτὸς ἐργάζεται· οὔτε ἀλαζόνας· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ τὸ πᾶν ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν· ἀλλ' ἑκατέρου τὸ βλαβερὸν ἀνελὼν, τὸ χρήσιμον ἡμῖν εἴασε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν κορυφαῖον ἀφῆκε πεσεῖν, συνεσταλμένον τε αὐτὸν κατασκευάζων, καὶ εἰς πλείονα λοιπὸν ἀγάπην ἀλείφων. Ὧ γὰρ πλέον, φησὶν, ἀφείθη, μειζόνως ἀγαπήσει. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν πανταχοῦ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μηδὲν ἀντιλέγωμεν, κἂν ἐναντίον εἶναι δοκῇ τοῖς ἡμετέροις λογισμοῖς καὶ ταῖς ὄψεσι τὸ λεγόμενον· ἀλλ' ἔστω καὶ λογισμῶν καὶ ὄψεως κυριώτερος αὐτοῦ ὁ λόγος. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μυστηρίων ποιῶμεν, οὐ τοῖς κειμένοις μόνον ἐμβλέποντες. ἀλλὰ τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ κατέχοντες. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λόγος αὐτοῦ ἀπαραλόγιστος· ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις ἡμῶν εὐεξαπάτητος. Οὗτος οὐδέποτε διέπεσεν· αὕτη δὲ τὰ πλείονα σφάλλεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ λόγος φησὶ, Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου, καὶ πειθώμεθα καὶ πιστεύωμεν, καὶ νοητοῖς αὐτὸ βλέπωμεν ὀφθαλμοῖς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ αἰσθητὸν παρέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ Χριστός· ἀλλ' ἐν αἰσθητοῖς μὲν πράγμασι. πάντα δὲ νοητά. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, δι' αἰσθητοῦ μὲν πράγματος γίνεται τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ δῶρον, νοητὸν δὲ τὸ ἀποτελούμενον, ἡ γέννησις καὶ ἡ ἀνακαίνισις. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀσώματος ἦς, γυμνὰ ἂν αὐτά σοι τὰ ἀσώματα παρέδωκε δῶρα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ σώματι συμπέπλεκται ἡ ψυχὴ, ἐν αἰσθητοῖς τὰ νοητά σοι παραδίδωσι. Πόσοι νῦν λέγουσιν, Ἐβουλόμην αὐτοῦ τὴν μορφὴν ἰδεῖν, τὸν τύπον, τὰ ἱμάτια, τὰ ὑποδήματα! Ἰδοὺ αὐτὸν ὁρᾷς, αὐτοῦ ἅπτῃ, αὐτὸν ἐσθίεις. Καὶ σὺ μὲν ἱμάτια ἐπιθυμεῖς ἰδεῖν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἑαυτόν σοι δίδωσιν, οὐκ ἰδεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅψασθαι, καὶ φαγεῖν, καὶ λαβεῖν ἔνδον. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ναυτιῶν προσίτω, μηδεὶς ἐκλελυμένος· ἅπαντες πεπυρωμένοι, ἅπαντες ζέοντες καὶ διεγηγερμένοι. Εἰ γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι ἑστῶτες, καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα καὶ τὰς βακτηρίας ἔχοντες ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν, ἤσθιον μετὰ σπουδῆς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σὲ νήφειν δεῖ. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ εἰς Παλαιστίνην ἔμελλον ἐξιέναι, διὸ καὶ ὁδοιπόρων σχῆμα εἶχον· σὺ δὲ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν μέλλεις ἀποδημεῖν. εʹ. ∆ιὸ χρὴ πάντοθεν ἐγρηγορέναι· καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὰ κεῖται κόλασις τοῖς ἀναξίως μετέχουσιν. Ἐννόησον πῶς ἀγανακτεῖς κατὰ τοῦ προδότου, κατὰ τῶν σταυρωσάντων. Σκόπει τοίνυν, μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔνοχος γένῃ τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἐκεῖνοι κατέσφαξαν τὸ πανάγιον σῶμα, σὺ δὲ ῥυπαρᾷ ὑποδέχῃ ψυχῇ μετὰ τοσαύτας εὐεργεσίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἤρκεσεν αὐτῷ τὸ γενέσθαι ἄνθρωπον, τὸ ῥαπισθῆναι καὶ σφαγῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀναφύρει ἑαυτὸν ἡμῖν· καὶ οὐ τῇ πίστει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ πράγματι σῶμα ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ κατασκευάζει. Τίνος οὖν οὐκ ἔδει καθαρώτερον εἶναι τὸν ταύτης ἀπολαύοντα τῆς θυσίας; ποίας ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος τὴν χεῖρα τὴν ταύτην διατέμνουσαν τὴν σάρκα, τὸ στόμα τὸ πληρούμενον