Athanasius of Alexandria, On the blind from birth

On the blind man from birth

to Jesse: Why are you dismayed, old man? You vote against the one who sent me. Is it possible for a prophet ever to be mistaken? If I had come of my o

he makes known, that he himself is the creator of natures, and that concerning himself he said: “that the works of God might be made manifest in him ”

the center of the sun, the light of the moon, the limit of the day, the measure of the night, the dance of the stars, the course of the clouds, the st

it is possible for error to escape notice here. Tell us with all accuracy How did you receive your sight? What did that man, of whom you speak, do to

condemning them, he said: “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you have taken away the key of the kingdom of heaven, and you neithe

Do you want to be of the demons? For the demons, even while being scourged by him, call him the Son of God and shall I, who was healed by him, addres

to call him a strong, rational, obedient, milk-rich sheep. For he recognized the chief shepherd, Christ, he leaped away from the Pharisaical wolves h

On the blind man from birth

HOMILY OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS ATHANASIUS ON THE MAN BORN BLIND

The sweetness of parents is greatly desired by all men, genuine, longed for, more precious than all gold. There is no possession in the present life that can be weighed against parents. Gold is often lost; but the love of parents does not fade. Silver often rusts; but the birth-pangs of those who have given birth are not diminished. Pearls are often corrupted; but the tears of parents are presented to the Lord. Wherefore also the divine Scripture, recognizing the honor of parents, exhorts children, crying out: "He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death." But it is certainly possible for someone to say: And if the sweetness of parents is greatly desired, for what reason did David, slandering his parents, say: "My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord has taken me up?" What do you say, O friend, to these things? The sweetness of parents is more precious than any creature; but not in comparison with the God who is creator of all things; a creature cannot be compared with its creator. For if David had said: "My father and my mother have forsaken me, but so-and-so took me up, my neighbor, or kinsman, or friend," he would have affirmed something contrary; but if he showed the Lord to be more compassionate even than parents, he did not insult his parents, and he glorified God. But for what reason did David utter these syllables, saying: "My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord took me up?" You all know clearly, as many as are lovers of learning, how the God of all things, wishing to replace Saul, as a wicked man, in the kingdom, and to bring David, as a friend, to the 28.1004 kingdom, sent his servant Samuel to the house of David's parents, carrying the horn of anointing, the Lord saying to Samuel: Go to the house of Jesse, and anoint for me one of his sons as king. But Samuel, being sent on a ministry, asked the Lord in reply, saying: And whom shall I appoint? Tell me the name, Master, so that I may proceed more diligently toward what seems good to you. And the Lord to Samuel: I do not wish you to know the one to be appointed, lest you be accused as one who shows partiality. You have the horn of anointing; wherever the horn shall nod, and the oil shall pool, appoint him for me as king. Holding the horn, an impartial arbiter, do not be at all displeased. Having heard these things, and having received knowledge as from God, Samuel immediately ran with unwavering foot to the house of Jesse, saying to him: The Lord has sent me to appoint one of your sons as king. And immediately Jesse and his wife brought forward the first son, as one bearing the blessing of the firstborn, and keeping the good order among the children. But Samuel, immediately raising his hand, and having formed it for the anointing, and having nodded the horn, dismissed the first one unanointed, as by a divine nod the oil did not wish to drip. And as he brought each one of his sons to him, except for David, they all returned plain and unanointed. And when these had returned plain, Jesse retorted to Samuel, saying: What have you done, man? You have erred, and you do not know it. Either you have erred, or you came by to mock me. You came in through the doors; you were sent elsewhere, and here you have unsheathed the horn; you have made us happy in vain, spreading rumors, and not fulfilling the promise. But Samuel to

In caecum a nativitate

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΕΚ ΓΕΝΕΤΗΣ ΤΥΦΛΟΝ

Πολυσπούδαστόν ἐστι πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τὸ τῶν γονέων γλύκασμα, γνήσιον, ποθητὸν, παντὸς χρυσίου τιμιώτερον. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ γονεῦσιν ἀντισταθμιζόμενον κτῆμα. Χρυσὸς πολλάκις ἀπόλλυται· γονέων δὲ φίλτρον οὐ μαραίνεται. Ἄργυρος πολλάκις ἰοῦται· τῶν δὲ γεννησάντων αἱ ὠδῖνες οὐ μειοῦνται. Μαργαρῖται πολλάκις διαφθείρον ται· γονέων δὲ δάκρυα τῷ Κυρίῳ παρίστανται. ∆ιὸ καὶ τῶν γονέων τὸ τίμιον ἡ θεία Γραφὴ γνωρίζουσα, παραινεῖ τοῖς τέκνοις βοῶσα· «Ὁ κακολογῶν πα τέρα ἢ μητέρα, θανάτῳ τελευτάτω.» Ἔστι δὲ πάν τως εἰπεῖν τινα· Καὶ εἰ περισπούδαστόν ἐστι τὸ τῶν γονέων γλύκασμα, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ τοὺς γονεῖς διαβάλλων ἔλεγεν· «Ὁ Πατήρ μου καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μου ἐγκατέλιπόν με· ὁ δὲ Κύριος προσελάβετό με;» Τί λέγεις, ὦ φίλε, πρὸς τὰ παρόντα; Παντὸς κτίσματος τιμιώτερον τὸ τῶν γονέων γλύκασμα· μὴ γὰρ ὡς πρὸς τὸν δημιουργὸν τῶν ἁπάντων Θεόν· οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα κτίστῃ συγκριθῆναι δυνάμενον. Εἰ μὲν ἦν ὁ ∆αβὶδ εἰρηκώς· «Ὁ πατήρ μου καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μου ἐγκατέλιπόν με.» ἀντελάβετο δέ μου ὁ δεῖνα, ὁ γεί των, ἢ ὁ συγγενὴς, ἢ ὁ φίλος, ὡς ὑπεναντίον διε βεβαίου· εἰ δὲ καὶ τῶν γονέων τὸν Κύριον εὐ σπλαγχνότερον ἀπεφήνατο, καὶ τοὺς γονεῖς οὐκ ἐν ύβρισε, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐδόξασεν. Τίνος δὲ χάριν ὁ ∆αβὶδ προσήκατο τὰς συλλαβὰς, λέγων· «Ὁ Πατήρ μου καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μου ἐγκατέλιπόν με· ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἀντελάβετό με;» Ἴστε πάντες σαφῶς, ὅσα τε φιλόλογοι, πῶς ὁ τῶν ἁπάν των Θεὸς βουλόμενος τὸν Σαοὺλ, ὡς φαῦλον, τῆς βα σιλείας διαδέξασθαι, καὶ τὸν ∆αβὶδ, ὡς φίλον, εἰς τὴν 28.1004 βασιλείαν προσήκασθαι, ἀποστέλλει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ διάκονον Σαμουὴλ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῶν γονέων τοῦ ∆α βὶδ, ἐπιφερόμενον τὸ κέρας τῆς χειροτονίας, λέ γων πρὸς τὸν Σαμουὴλ ὁ Κύριος· Πορευθεὶς εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ἰεσσαὶ, χρῖσόν μοι ἕνα τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς βα σιλέα. Ὁ δὲ Σαμουὴλ ὡς εἰς διακονίαν στελλόμενος ἀντερήσατο πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, λέγων· Καὶ τίνα προχειρίσομαι; Λέγε μοι τὸ ὄνομα, ∆έσποτα, ἵνα σπουδαιότερον πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν σοι διαβήσωμαι. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν Σαμουήλ· Οὐ θέλω σε γινώσκειν τὸν προχειριζόμενον, ἵνα μὴ ὡς προσωπολήπτης δια βληθῇς. Ἔχεις τὸ κέρας τῆς χειροτονίας, ὅπου δ' ἂν ἐπινεύσει τὸ κέρας, καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον λιμνάσει, ἐκεῖνόν μοι προχείρισον εἰς βασιλέα. Κατέχων τὸ κέρας, ἀπροσωπόληπτον διαιτητὴν, μηδαμῶς δυσχέραινε. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ὡς παρὰ Θεοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν δεξάμενος, εὐθέως ἀναμφιβόλῳ ποδὶ κατέδρα μεν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ, λέγων πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἀπέστειλέ με ὁ Κύριος προχειρίσασθαι ἕνα τῶν υἱῶν σου εἰς βασιλέα. Εὐθέως δὲ ὁ Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ ἡ τού του γαμετὴ τὸν πρῶτον υἱὸν προεβίβασαν, ὡς τὴν εὐλογίαν τῶν πρωτοτόκων βαστάζοντα, καὶ ἐν τοῖς τέκνοις τὴν εὐταξίαν φυλάττοντα. Ὁ δὲ Σαμουὴλ, εὐθέως τὴν χεῖρα ὑψώσας, καὶ πρὸς τὴν χειροτονίαν σχηματισθεὶς, καὶ τὸ κέρας ἐπινεύσας, ἀπέλυσε τὸν πρῶτον ἀχειροτόνητον, θείῳ νεύματι τοῦ ἐλαίου στάξαι μὴ βουληθέντος. Ὡς δὲ ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ παρήγαγεν αὐτῷ ἐκτὸς τοῦ ∆αβὶδ, ὑπέστρε ψαν οἱ πάντες λιτοὶ καὶ ἀχειροτόνητοι. Ὑποστρεψάντων δὲ τούτων λιτῶν, ἀντέβαλλεν ὁ Ἰεσσαὶ πρὸς τὸν Σαμουὴλ, λέγων· Τί πεποίηκας, ἄνθρωπε; ἐσφάλης, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας. Ἢ ἐσφάλης, ἢ παῖξαί με παρέδραμες. Παρὰ θύρας εἰσήλυθες· ἀλ λαχοῦ ἀπεστάλης, καὶ ὧδε τὸ κέρας ἐγύμνωσας· μά την ἡμᾶς ἐχαροποίησας, θρυλλήσας, καὶ τὴν ἐπαγ γελίαν μὴ πληρώσας. Ὁ δὲ Σαμουὴλ πρὸς