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Homilia de gratiarum actione

ON THANKSGIVING,

A Discourse.

You have heard the words of the Apostle, by which he speaks to the Thessalonians, legislating for all of life. For the teaching was for those who happened to be with him at the time; but the benefit from it extends to the whole life of mankind. Rejoice always, he says; pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. What, then, is this rejoicing, and what is the benefit from it, and how it is possible to achieve unceasing prayer, and to render thanksgiving to God in all things, we shall, as far as we are able, narrate a little later. But what comes to us from our adversaries, who slander the impossibility of the legislation, it is necessary to address these things beforehand. For what virtue is it, he says, to live night and day in a diffusion of the soul, cheerful and serene?

And how is it possible for this to be achieved, when ten thousand involuntary evils surround us, creating a necessary dejection in the soul, from which it is more impossible to rejoice and be cheerful than for one being fried not to feel pain, or for one being stabbed not to suffer? Or perhaps someone even of those standing around us here, suffering from this weakness of reasoning 31.220, makes excuses for his sins, who, on account of his laziness in keeping the commandments, attempts to turn the blame back on the lawgiver, as one decreeing impossibilities. And he says: How is it possible for me to rejoice always, when the causes of joy do not lie with me? For the things that produce joy are external, and are not laid up within us: the presence of a friend, a long-awaited meeting with parents, finding money, honors from men, restoration to health from a severe illness, the rest of life's prosperity; a house abounding in all things, a full table, suitable companions in cheerfulness, sounds and sights that bring pleasure, the health of one's closest relations, and for them the rest of life's good flow. For not only are the painful things that befall us grievous, but also those that trouble friends and relatives. So that from all these things, the great joy and cheerfulness of the soul must be gathered. And in addition to these, when one can see the downfall of enemies, the scourges of plotters, the rewards of benefactors, and, to put it simply, if neither any present difficulty, nor any expected at all, disturbs our life; then it is possible for joy to arise in the soul. How then is a command given to us that is not achieved by choice, but exists as a consequence of other preceding things? And how shall I pray without ceasing, when the needs of the body necessarily turn the mind of the soul toward themselves, since it is impossible for the intellect to be divided at the same time between two cares? But I am also commanded to give thanks in everything. Shall I give thanks when I am being racked, tortured, stretched on the wheel, having my eyes gouged out? Shall I give thanks when I am being struck a dishonorable blow by one who hates me? when I am freezing from the cold, choked by hunger, bound to the wood, suddenly made childless, or even deprived of my wife herself? suddenly fallen from prosperity into shipwreck? encountering pirates at sea, or robbers on land? having wounds, being slandered, wandering as a beggar, living in a prison? These things and still more than these, they string together, accusing the lawgiver,

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Homilia de gratiarum actione

ΠΕΡΙ ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΙΑΣ,

Λόγος.

Ἠκούσατε τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, δι' ὧν Θεσσαλονικεῦσι διαλέγεται, παντὶ νομοθετοῦντος τῷ βίῳ. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ διδασκαλία πρὸς τοὺς ἑκάστοτε αὐτῷ παρατυγχάνοντας ἦν· τὸ δὲ ἀπ' αὐτῆς ὠφέ λιμον ἐπὶ πᾶσαν διαβαίνει τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωήν. Πάντοτε χαίρετε, φησίν· ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχε σθε, ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖτε. Τί μὲν οὖν τὸ χαίρειν αὐτὸ, καὶ τί τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὠφέλιμον, καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν τὴν ἀδιάλειπτον προσευχὴν κατορθοῦν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν εὐχαριστίαν ἀποδιδόναι τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς δυνα τὸν μικρὸν ὕστερον διηγησόμεθα. Ἅ γε μὴν παρὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἡμῖν ἀπαντᾷ, διαβαλλόντων τὸ τῆς νομοθεσίας ἀδύνατον, ταῦτα προδιαλαβεῖν ἀναγκαῖον. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἀρετὴ, φησὶ, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐν διαχύσει ψυχῆς φαιδρὸν καὶ γεγανωμένον διάγειν;

Πῶς δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν κατορθωθῆναι τοῦτο, μυρίων περιισταμένων ἡμᾶς ἀβουλήτων κακῶν, ἀναγκαίαν τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν κατήφειαν ἐμποιούντων, ἐξ ὧν χαίρειν καὶ διευθυμεῖσθαι πλέον ἀδύνατον, ἢ τὸν ἀποτηγανιζόμενον μὴ ἀλγεῖν, καὶ τὸν κατακεντούμενον μὴ ὀδυνᾶσθαι; Ἤ πού τις καὶ τῶν περιεστώτων ἡμᾶς ἐνταῦθα, τὴν ἀσθένειαν ταύτην τῶν λογισμῶν 31.220 ἀῤῥωστῶν, προφασίζεται προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρ τίαις, ὃς διὰ τὸ περὶ τὴν τήρησιν τῶν ἐντολῶν ὀκνηρὸν τῷ νομοθέτῃ περιτρέπειν τὰς μέμψεις ἐπι χειρεῖ, ὡς ἀδύνατα διορίζοντι. Καί φησι· Πῶς δυνα τόν μοι πάντοτε χαίρειν, τῶν αἰτιῶν τῆς χαρᾶς οὐκ ἐπ' ἐμοὶ κειμένων; Ἔξωθεν γάρ ἐστι τὰ ποιη τικὰ τοῦ χαίρειν, καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀποκείμενα· φίλου παρουσία, γονέων χρονία συντυχία, χρημάτων εὑρέ σεις, τιμαὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πρὸς ὑγείαν ἐκ χαλεπῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀποκατάστασις, ἡ λοιπὴ τοῦ βίου εὐημερία· οἶκος εὐθηνῶν διὰ πάντων, τράπεζα πλήθουσα, κοινωνοὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης οἱ ἐπιτήδειοι, ἀκούσματα καὶ θεάματα ἡδονὴν φέροντα, ὑγεία τῶν οἰκειοτάτων, καὶ ἡ λοιπὴ αὐτοῖς τοῦ βίου εὔροια. Λυπηρὰ γὰρ οὐ τὰ ἡμῖν προσπίπτοντα μόνον τῶν ἀλγεινῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ φίλους καὶ συγγενεῖς ἀνιῶν τα. Ὥστε ἐκ πάντων τούτων ἀνάγκη ἀθροίζεσθαι τὸ περιχαρὲς καὶ εὔθυμον τῆς ψυχῆς. Καὶ πρὸς τού τοις, ὅταν ὁρᾷν ὑπάρχῃ ἐχθρῶν καταπτώσεις, ἐπι βούλων πληγὰς, εὐεργετῶν ἀμοιβὰς, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἐὰν μήτε παρόν τι τῶν δυσκόλων, μήτε προσδοκώ μενον ὅλως τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἐπιταράσσῃ· τότε δυ νατὸν ἐγγίνεσθαι τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν χαράν. Πῶς οὖν πρόσ ταγμα ἡμῖν δέδοται τὸ μὴ ἐκ προαιρέσεως κατορθού μενον, ἀλλ' ἐπακολούθημα ἑτέρων προηγουμένων ὑπάρχον; Πῶς δὲ καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύξομαι, τῶν τοῦ σώματος χρειῶν ἀναγκαίως τὴν ἔννοιαν τῆς ψυχῆς περιστρεφουσῶν πρὸς ἑαυτὰς, ἀδυνάτου ὄντος κατὰ ταυτὸν πρὸς δύο μερίμνας τὴν διάνοιαν κατα τέμνεσθαι; Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν παντί μοι εὐχαριστεῖν διατέτακται. Εὐχαριστήσω στρεβλούμενος, αἰκιζόμενος, ἐπὶ τροχοῦ κατατεινόμενος, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκκοπτόμενος; Εὐ χαριστήσω τυπτόμενος τὴν ἄτιμον πληγὴν παρὰ τοῦ μισοῦντος; πηγνύμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ κρύους, λιμῷ καταγχόμενος, ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου δεδεμένος, ἀτεκνωθεὶς ἀθρόως, ἢ καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτῆς ἐστερημένος; ἐκ ναυαγίων ἐξαίφνης ἐκπεσὼν εὐπορίας; πειραταῖς κατὰ θάλασσαν, ἢ λῃσταῖς κατ' ἤπειρον περιτυ χών; τραύματα ἔχων, συκοφαντούμενος, ἀλη τεύων, τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν; Ταῦτα καὶ ἔτι πλείω τούτων, κατηγοροῦντες τοῦ νομοθέτου, συνείρουσιν,