Athanasius of Alexandria, Sermon on Patience

Sermon on patience

let us keep the inheritance of our fathers, like the noble Naboth, who was threatened by Ahab to take his vineyard for a garden of herbs but when he

they sold him for silver, and they divided his price among themselves. See the great injustice of these men. But he, the righteous one, was long-suffe

they became one-eyed. But the knowledge of God was in their heart, to whom the word of the 26.1305 Savior came, saying: Blessed are the pure in heart,

perhaps they will bring many to contrition by their tears for they are watchmen of the universe, and pursuers of mourning. And David wept over the fa

Sermon on patience

1 OF THE SAME ATHANASIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, CONCERNING PATIENCE.

Our teacher Paul commands us to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. The command is common, but rather he promises it to those who practice holiness. The virgin is in nature similar to other women, but in purpose she has surpassed nature. And having wished to approach the Holy One holily, if she succeeds here, she has borne away a great wonder; but if having set out she did not complete it, such a fall has become extraordinary; for it is more grievous to fall from higher places than to fall down from the ground. And as great as the promise is, so much worse is the fall. For the promise surpasses nature, and raises her to heaven, and prepares her to dance with angels. Henceforth already in her way of life, as the Savior also says, testifying to this dignity, that the life after the resurrection of the dead is, he says, the expectation of men. And again he says, that Those who are accounted worthy of the resurrection of the future good things neither marry nor are given in marriage. What, therefore, is laid up by promises in the kingdom of heaven, this the choice of some, anticipating, has and possesses. For the saints, who have their minds directed toward God, and eating of the heavenly food, considered this world as a prison, and have delivered up their bodies for a testimony, and have kept their own soul pure, that God might dwell in them. And they endured, just as our Lord says, that He who endures to the end will be saved; and just as the psalmist says: He labored for eternity, and will live to the end; for as many righteous as have their hope in God, have not had carnal rest, which separates them from God; but they remained in labors, not being cowardly, nor yet doubting concerning the divine promises; but receiving afflictions lightly, they remember the one who says through the Apostle: And you joyfully accepted the seizure of your possessions. And he testifies also concerning those who did not accept redemption, that they did not wish, having turned back, to be again in the heavenly places; but we must not be in the worldly things, but pass over to be with God. Now therefore, beloved brethren, do not be neglectful, nor be like the people who in the time of Moses transgressed in only forty days, while he was going up to receive the divine law; and from this they became guilty, and fell in the 26.1300 desert; but let us be like Moses who spent forty days and nights, fasting without food and drink. Not only these, but also another forty, having his heart and eyes and flesh hanging upon God. Let us not desire as they then became desirers of meat, falling in the desert, While their food was still in their mouths, as the psalm says, the wrath of God came upon them; but let us observe for the one who gave the commandments, as the sons of Jonadab, to whom God promised, saying: There shall not fail a man from the sons of Jonadab to stand before me all the days of his life; who did not build a house for themselves, nor yet plant vineyards, and they became a rebuke to the people. And the people, being a multitude, were taken captive; but these, being few, were protected by God. And you therefore, who keep the way of the fathers, are counted sons of the sons of Jonadab. And the

Sermo de patientia

1 ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝ∆ΡΕΙΑΣ, ΠΕΡΙ ΥΠΟΜΟΝΗΣ.

Ὁ ἡμέτερος διδάσκαλος Παῦλος παραγγέλλει, παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ. Κοινὸν μὲν τὸ παράγγελμα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπαγγέλλει τοῖς ἁγιωσύνην ἀσκοῦσιν. Ἡ παρθένος τὴν μὲν φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁμοία ταῖς ἄλλαις γυναιξὶ, τῇ δὲ προθέσει τὴν φύσιν ὑπερβᾶσα. Καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ ἁγίως προσελθεῖν θελήσασα, εἰ μὲν κατορθοῖ ἐνταῦθα, θαῦμα μέγα ἀπηνέγκατο· εἰ δὲ προθεμένη οὐκ ἐτελείωσεν, ἐξαίσιον τὸ τοιοῦτον πτῶμα γεγένηται· καὶ γὰρ χαλεπώτερόν ἐστιν ἀπὸ ὑψηλοτέρων πεσεῖν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαὶ καταπίπτειν. Καὶ ὅσῳ μεγάλη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπαγγελία, τοσούτῳ χείρων ἡ πτῶσις. Ἡ γὰρ ἐπαγγελία ὑπερβαίνει τὴν φύσιν, καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτὴν ἀνα φέρει, καὶ μετὰ ἀγγέλων χορεύειν αὐτὴν κατασκευάζει. Ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῇ πολιτείᾳ, ὥς φησι καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τῷ ἀξιώματι τούτῳ μαρτυρῶν, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν ὁ βίος ἐστὶ, φησὶν, ἡ προσδοκία τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει, ὅτι Οἱ καταξιωθέντες τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν οὔτε γαμοῦ σιν οὔτε γαμίσκονται. Ὃ τοίνυν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ἀπόκειται, τοῦτο προλα βοῦσα ἥ τινων προαίρεσις, ἔχει καὶ κέκτηται. Οἱ γὰρ ἅγιοι, οἵτινες τὸν λογισμὸν ἔχουσιν ἀνατεταμένον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐσθίοντες ἐκ τῆς οὐρανίου τροφῆς, ἡγήσαντο ὡς φυλακὴν τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, καὶ τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτυρίαν παραδεδώκασι, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ψυχὴν τετηρήκασιν ἁγνὴν, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς οἰκήσῃ ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὑπέμενον δὲ, ὥσπερ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν λέγει, ὅτι Ὁ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται· καὶ καθάπερ ὁ ψαλμῳδός φησιν· Ἐκοπίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶ να, καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος· ὅσοι γὰρ δίκαιοι τὴν ἐλπίδα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἔχουσιν, ἀνάπαυσιν σαρκικὴν οὐκ ἐσχήκασι, χωρίζουσαν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ἔμενον ἐν κόποις, μὴ δειλιῶντες, οὔτε μὴν διστάζοντες περὶ τῶν θείων ἐπαγγελιῶν· ἀλλ' ὑποδεχόμενοι τὰς θλίψεις ἐλαφρῶς, μνημονεύουσι τοῦ διὰ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου λέγοντος· Καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ καὶ περὶ τῶν μὴ προσδεξαμένων τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἤθελον ἀναστρέψαντες πάλιν εἶναι ἐν τοῖς οὐρανίοις· ἡμᾶς δὲ οὐ δεῖ εἶναι ἐν τοῖς κοσμικοῖς, ἀλλὰ μεταβῆναι εἰς τὸ συνεῖναι τῷ Θεῷ. Νῦν γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοὶ, μὴ ὀλιγωρήσητε, μηδὲ ὁμοιωθῆτε τῷ λαῷ τῷ κατὰ τὸν και ρὸν Μωϋσέως παραβεβηκότι ἐν ἡμέραις τεσσαράκοντα μόναις, ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν ἀναβαίνειν λαβεῖν τὸν θεῖον νόμον· καὶ ἐκ τούτου ἔνοχοι γεγόνασι, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐν τῇ 26.1300 ἐρήμῳ· ἀλλ' ὁμοιωθῶμεν Μωϋσεῖ ποιήσαντι τεσσαρά κοντα ἡμέρας καὶ νύκτας, νηστεύοντι χωρὶς βρώσεως καὶ πόσεως. Οὐ μόνον ταύτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλας τεσσα ράκοντα, ἔχων τήν τε καρδίαν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὴν σάρκα κρεμαμένην πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Μὴ ἐπιθυμήσωμεν ὡς τότε ἐπιθυμηταὶ κρεῶν γενόμενοι, πεσόν τες ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως αὐτῶν οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν, ὡς ὁ ψαλμός φησι, καὶ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ' αὐτούς· ἀλλὰ διατηρήσωμεν τῷ δόντι τὰς ἐντολὰς, ὡς οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰωναδὰβ, οἷς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπηγγείλατο λέγων· Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἀνὴρ υἱῶν Ἰω ναδὰβ παρεστηκὼς ἐνώπιόν μου πάσας τὰς ἡμέ ρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ· οἵτινες οἶκον οὐκ ᾠκοδόμησαν ἑαυτοῖς, οὔτε μὴν ἀμπελῶνας ἐφύτευσαν, καὶ γεγόνασιν εἰς ἔλεγχον τῷ λαῷ. Καὶ ὁ μὲν λαὸς πλῆθος ὢν ᾐχμαλωτεύθη· οὗτοι δὲ, ὀλίγοι ὄντες, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐφυλάχθησαν. Καὶ ὑμεῖς τοίνυν, οἵτινες τηρεῖτε τῶν πατέρων τὴν ὁδὸν, λογίζεσθε υἱοὶ υἱῶν Ἰωναδάβ. Τήν τε