Exhortatory Sermon

For God requires three things from every Christian: right faith, truth from the tongue and purity from the body. And likewise guard the other things, first do not speak, but when you hear someone slandering, flee, depart, so that you do not become like the slanderer, and go away into eternal punishment, to fiery serpents that eat the tongue. 10 For God said through the prophet that the eyes of those who wink are gouged out by merciless angels. Then those who laugh will weep bitterly, then the babblers will groan piteously, being condemned to the river of fire, to dread Hades, to the sleepless worm, to the bitter weeping, to the gnashing of teeth. 11 Fast on Wednesday and Friday, but on the other days you have authority, if you wish, fast, and if you wish, do not fast. Just as God made man to breathe by nature, so he made it fitting for women also to fast always. 12 When you rise in the morning, make the sign of the precious cross on all your members. And while walking and sleeping and always say: Lord Jesus Christ, help us. In the evening and in the morning go to the church, and confess to God your sins which you have committed, and see, man, that you do not swear either by heaven or by earth, for heaven is the Master's throne, and the earth is the footstool of his feet, but if you are forced by someone to swear, say to him: I speak the truth and I do not lie. Never sit down with babbling men and women. 13 And see, man, that you do not become angered, because the devil brings sharp anger, so that you may be angered and lose your soul, but may God grant meekness, so that through meekness and almsgiving you may be saved. And see, man, that you do not love the adornment of garments, nor desire indolence, but rather wear humble and simple things for God’s sake, so that from there our God may clothe you with a robe of glory, a garment of incorruptibility, a crown of beauty, a diadem of royalty, so that then your soul may have confidence before God, saying: Lord, in this vain world I have been deprived of much so that I may enjoy your kingdom, O Master, and then our Master Christ, the lover of mankind and merciful, will say: you have labored for a few things, but I have prepared the first things for you, but come, enter into the bridal chamber of my glory, and enjoy what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man, the things which I have prepared for those who love my name. 14 For the time of man is completed in eighty years, even if we live in luxury and wealth for fifty years and a hundred, and after these things what lies ahead? Blessed are those who strive to attain the unending kingdom. Blessed is that man who through his own wealth redeems his own soul from punishment, for a man’s own wealth redeems him, and again: Blessed is he who considers the poor and needy, in an evil day the Lord will deliver him. What evil day does the prophet speak of? He was telling us about the day of judgment, for what is worse than punishment? Truly nothing. For what prevents God from bringing down showers of gold upon the earth so that we may all have wealth? With God all things are possible. So that the poor man may become the remission of the sins of the rich, and the rich man of the poor, because to God belong honor and glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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Sermo exhortatorius

Τρία γὰρ ἀπαιτεῖ ὁ θεὸς παρὰ παντὸς Χριστιανοῦ· πίστιν ὀρθὴν, ἀλήθειαν ἀπὸ γλώσσης καὶ ἁγνείαν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος. Καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁμοίως φύλαττε, πρῶτον μὲν μὴ λαλήσῃς, ἄλλ' ὅτε ἀκούσῃς τινὸς καταλαλοῦντος, φύγε ἀναχώρησον ἵνα μὴ καὶ σὺ ὅμοιος γένῃς τοῦ καταλαλοῦντος, καὶ ἀπέλθῃς εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, εἰς δράκοντας πυρίνους τρώγοντας τὴν γλῶσσαν. 10 Εἶπεν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ὅτι τῶν διανευόντων οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὑπὸ ἀνελεημόνων ἀγγέλων ἐξορύσσονται. Τότε οἱ γελῶντες πικρῶς κλαύσουσιν, τότε οἱ φλυαροῦντες ἐλεεινὰ στενάξουσιν, καταδικαζόμενοι εἰς τὸν πύρινον ποταμὸν, εἰς τὸν δυνὸν Ἅδην, εἰς τὸν σκώληκα τὸν ἀκοίμητον, εἰς τὸν πικρὸν κλαυθμὸν, εἰς τὸν βρυγμὸν τῶν ὀδόντων. 11 Τετράδην καὶ παρασκευὴν νήστευε, τὰς δὲ ἄλλας ἡμέρας ἐξουσίαν ἔχεις, κἂν θέλῃς νήστευε, κἂν θέλῃς μὴ νήστευε. Ὥσπερ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατὰ φύσιν τὸ ἀναπνέειν, οὕτως ἐποίησεν ἁρμόζειν καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἵνα πάντοτε νηστεύωσι. 12 Ἀνισταμένου σου τὸ πρωῒ τὸν τύπον τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ ποίει εἰς πάντα τὰ μέλη σου. Καὶ περιπατῶν καὶ κοιμώμενος καὶ πάντοτε λέγε· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ βοήθησον ἡμῖν. Ἑσπέρας καὶ πρωῒ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀπέρχου, καὶ ἐξομολογοῦ τῷ θεῷ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἅσπερ ἔπραξας, καὶ βλέπε, ἄνθρωπε, μὴ ὀμόσῃς μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ μήτε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὁ γὰρ οὐρανὸς θρόνος τοῦ δεσπότου ἐστὶν, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἐὰν βία σοι γένηται παρὰ τινὸς τοῦ ὀμόσαι, εἶπε αὐτῷ· Ἀλήθειαν λέγω καὶ οὐ ψεύδομαι. Μετὰ ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν φλυάρων, μὴ συνκαθίσῃς ποτέ. 13 Καὶ βλέπε, ἄνθρωπε, μὴ ὀξυνθῇς, ὅτι ὁ διάβολος ἐπιφέρει τὴν ὀξυχολίαν, ἵνα ὀξυνθῇς, καὶ ἀπολέσῃς τὴν ψυχήν σου, τὴν δὲ πραΰτητα ὁ θεὸς διδοίη, ἵνα διὰ τῆς πραΰτητος καὶ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης σωθῇς. Καὶ βλέπε, ἄνθρωπε, τὸν καλλωπισμὸν τῶν ἱματίων μὴ ἀγαπήσῃς, μηδὲ τὴν βλακείαν ποθῇς, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ταπεινὰ φόρει καὶ εὐτελῆ διὰ τὸν θεὸν, ἵνα ἐκεῖθεν ἐνδύσῃ σε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν στολὴν δόξης, ἔνδυμα ἀφθαρσίας, στέφανον κάλλους, διάδημα βασιλείας, ἵνα τότε ἔχῃ ἡ ψυχή σου παῤῥησίαν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν λέγουσα· Κύριε ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ τῷ ματαίῳ πολλὰ ὑστερήθην ἵνα τὴν βασιλείαν σου ἀπολαύω δέσποτα, καὶ τότε ἐρεῖ ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῶν Χριστὸς φιλάνθρωπος καὶ ἐλεήμων· οὗ μὲν ὀλίγα ἐκοπίασας, πρῶτα ἡτοίμασά σοι ἐγὼ, ἀλλὰ δεῦρο εἴσελθε εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα τῆς δόξης μου, καὶ ἀπόλαυσον ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη ὅσα ἡτοίμασα τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν τὸ ὄνομά μου. 14 Ἐν ὀγδοήκοντα γὰρ ἔτη πληροῦται ὁ χρόνος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ καὶ τρυφῶμεν καὶ πλουτῶμεν πεντήκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τί πρόκειται; Μακάριοι οἱ σπουδάζοντες ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς ἀτελευτήτου βασιλείας. Μακάριος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου πλούτου λυτρώσηται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἐκ τῆς κολάσεως, λυτροῦται γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα ὁ ἴδιος πλοῦτος, καὶ πάλιν· Μακάριος ὁ συνιὼν ἐπὶ πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πονηρᾷ ῥύσηται αὐτὸν ὁ Κύριος. Ποίαν ἡμέραν πονηρὰν λέγει ὁ προφήτης; ἐδιηγεῖτο μὲν ἡμῖν περὶ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως, τί γὰρ χειρότερον κολάσεως; ὄντως οὐδέν. Τί γὰρ ἀδυνατεῖ τῷ θεῷ ὄμβρους χρυσοῦ κατενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἵνα πάντες πλοῦτον ἔχωμεν; παρὰ τῷ θεῷ πάντα δυνατά εἰσι. Ἵνα ὁ πένης ἄφεσις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τοῦ πλουσίου γένηται, καὶ ὁ πλούσιος τοῦ πένητος, ὅτι τῷ θεῷ πρέπει τιμὴ καὶ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

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