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Homilia dicta tempore famis et siccitatis

HOMILY DELIVERED IN A TIME OF FAMINE AND DROUGHT. A lion will roar, and who will not be afraid? The Lord God has spoken, and who will not prophesy? Let us make the introduction of our discourse prophetic, and let us take the God-inspired Amos as a collaborator for the present need, who healed sufferings similar to the evils that trouble us; 31.305 setting forth counsel and judgment for what is profitable. For this prophet himself, in the course of former times, when the people had abandoned the piety of their fathers, and had trampled on the precision of the laws, and slipped into the worship of idols, became a herald of repentance; urging their conversion, and bringing forth the threat of punishments. But let it be my prayer to use the zeal of the ancient history up to a certain point. But may it no longer follow to see the outcome of what then happened. For the people, being disobedient, and like a stubborn and unruly colt biting the bridle, was not drawn towards what was profitable; but having turned from the straight path, it ran so disorderly, and snorted at its charioteer, until, falling into chasms and over cliffs, it endured utter destruction as a worthy penalty for its disobedience.

May this not happen now to us, my children, whom I have begotten through the Gospel, whom I have wrapped in swaddling clothes through the blessing of my hands. But let there be a well-disposed ear, an obedient soul, gently receiving the exhortations, yielding to the one who speaks, like wax to the one who seals, so that through this single effort I too may receive the gladdening fruit of my labors, and you, at the time of deliverance from these terrible things, may praise the exhortation that was given. What then is it that my discourse indicates, but still holds your souls in suspense with the hope of hearing, delaying to make public what is expected? We see a sky, brothers, sealed, bare, and cloudless, making this clear weather gloomy, and saddening us with the clearness which we greatly desired at first, when, having been covered for a long time by clouds, it made our days dark and sunless. And the earth, completely parched, is unpleasant to see, and sterile for farming and barren, broken into cracks, and receiving the shining ray into its depths. The springs have failed us, both rich and perennial, and the streams of great rivers have been spent, and very small children walk across them, and women cross with their loads; and drink has failed many of us, and we are at a loss for how to live. We are new Israelites, seeking a new Moses, and a rod that works wonders, so that rocks, being struck again, 31.308 may minister to the need of the thirsty people, and so that marvelous clouds may rain down for men the unusual food, the manna. Let us be careful lest we become for later generations a new tale of famine and punishment. I have seen the fields, and I wept much for their barrenness; and I poured out a lament, because no rain was poured out upon us. Some of the seeds have dried up before sprouting, remaining in the clods just as the plow concealed them; while those that peeked out a little and sprouted have withered piteously in the heat; so that now one might opportunely reverse the Gospel saying, and say: The laborers are many, but the harvest not even small. But the farmers, sitting on their fields, and clasping their hands over their knees (this indeed is the posture of those who mourn), weep for their own vain labors, looking at their infant children, and wailing; towards wives

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Homilia dicta tempore famis et siccitatis

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΡΗΘΕΙΣΑ ΕΝ ΛΙΜΩ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΧΜΩ. Λέων ἐρεύξεται, καὶ τίς οὐ φοβηθήσεται; Κύ ριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλησε, καὶ τίς οὐ προφητεύσει; Προφητικὸν ποιήσωμεν τὸ τοῦ λόγου προοίμιον, καὶ τὸν θεοφορούμενον Ἀμὼς συνεργὸν εἰς τὴν τῶν προ κειμένων χρείαν παραλάβωμεν, τὰ ὅμοια τῶν ἡμῖν διοχλούντων κακῶν θεραπεύσαντα πάθη· τὴν 31.305 ὑπὲρ τῶν συμφερόντων βουλήν τε καὶ γνώμην ἐκτιθέ μενοι. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης ἐν τῇ φορᾷ τῶν ἀνω τέρω χρόνων, τοῦ λαοῦ καταλιπόντος τὴν πατρῴαν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ πατήσαντος μὲν τὴν τῶν νόμων ἀκρί βειαν, εἰς δὲ τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων θεραπείαν ὑπολισθή σαντος, κῆρυξ ἐγένετο μετανοίας· τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν παραινῶν, καὶ τῶν τιμωριῶν προφέρων τὴν ἀπειλήν. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δι' εὐχῆς ἀγέσθω τὸ μέχρι μέν τινος τῷ ζήλῳ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἱστορίας προσχρῆσθαι. Μηκέτι μέντοι καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν τῶν τότε γενομένων ἰδεῖν ἀκόλουθον. Ἀπειθήσας γὰρ ὁ λαὸς, καὶ ὥσπερ πῶλος σκληρὸς καὶ δυσήνιος ἐνδακὼν τὸν χαλινὸν, οὐχ εἱλ κύσθη πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον· ἐκτραπεὶς δὲ τῆς εὐθείας, τοσοῦτον ἔδραμεν ἄτακτα, καὶ τοῦ ἡνιόχου κατ εφρυάξατο, μέχρις οὗ, τοῖς βαράθροις καὶ τοῖς κρη μνοῖς ἐκπεσὼν, ἀξίαν τῆς δυσπειθείας τὴν πανωλε θρίαν ὑπέμεινεν.

Ὃ μὴ γένοιτο νῦν ἐφ' ἡμῶν, παῖδες ἐμοὶ, οὓς διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγέννησα, οὓς διὰ τῆς εὐλογίας τῶν χειρῶν ἐσπαργάνωσα. Ἀλλ' ἔστω ἀκοὴ εὐγνώμων, ψυχὴ εὐπειθὴς, ἁπαλῶς δεχομένη τὰς παραινέσεις, εἴκουσα τῷ λέγοντι, ὡς κηρὸς τῷ σφρα γίζοντι, ἵνα διὰ μιᾶς ταύτης σπουδῆς κἀγὼ λάβω καρπὸν τῶν πονουμένων εὐφραίνοντα, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν καιρῷ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς τῶν δεινῶν τὴν γενομένην παραίνεσιν ἐπαινέσητε. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὅπερ ἐνδείκνυ ται μὲν ὁ λόγος, ἔτι δὲ μετεώρους κατέχει τὰς ψυ χὰς τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς ἀκοῆς, βραδύνων δημοσιεύειν τὸ προσδοκώμενον; Οὐρανὸν ὁρῶμεν, ἀδελφοὶ, στεγανὸν, γυμνὸν, καὶ ἀνέφελον, στυγνὴν ἐμποιοῦντα τὴν αἰθρίαν ταύτην, καὶ καταλυποῦντα τῇ καθαρότητι, ἣν λίαν ἐπ εθυμοῦμεν τὸ πρῶτον, ἡνίκα ἂν, ἐπὶ πολὺ σκεπασθεὶς τοῖς νέφεσι, ζοφώδεις ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀνηλίους εἰργάσατο. Γῆ δὲ καταξηρανθεῖσα εἰς ἄκρον ἀηδὴς μέν ἐστιν ὀφθῆναι, στείρα δὲ πρὸς γεωργίαν καὶ ἄγονος, εἰς σχίσματα διαῤῥαγεῖσα, καὶ εἰς τὸ βάθος δεχο μένη καταλάμπουσαν τὴν ἀκτῖνα. Πηγαὶ δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐπέλιπον πλούσιαί τε καὶ ἀένναοι, καὶ ποταμῶν με γάλων ἐδαπανήθη τὰ ῥεύματα, παῖδες δὲ αὐτὰ σμι κρότατοι καταπεζεύουσι, καὶ γυναῖκες περαιοῦνται μετὰ φορτίων· τοὺς δὲ πολλοὺς ἡμῶν καὶ τὸ ποτὸν ἐπέλειψε, καὶ ἐν ἀπορίᾳ τοῦ ζῇν καθεστήκα μεν. Ἰσραηλῖται νέοι, Μωϋσῆν ζητοῦντες νέον, καὶ ῥάβδον θαυμασίων ποιητικὴν, ἵνα πάλιν πέτραι πλη 31.308 γεῖσαι τὴν χρείαν τοῦ διψῶντος λαοῦ θεραπεύσωσι, νεφέλαι δὲ παράδοξοι τροφὴν ἀσυνήθη τὸ μάννα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καταψεκάσωσιν. Εὐλαβηθῶμεν μὴ γενώμεθα τοῖς ὀψιγόνοις καινὸν ἐπὶ λιμοῦ καὶ τιμω ρίας διήγημα. Εἶδον τὰς ἀρούρας, καὶ πολλὰ κατ εδάκρυσα τῆς ἀκαρπίας αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐξέχεα θρῆνον, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ὑετὸς ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἐξεχύθη. Τὰ μὲν τῶν σπερμάτων πρὸ τῆς ἐκβολῆς ἐξηράνθη, ταῖς βώλοις τοιαῦτα μείναντα οἷα τὸ ἄροτρον ἔκρυψε· τὰ δὲ μι κρὸν προκύψαντα καὶ βλαστήσαντα ἐλεεινῶς ἀπεμα ράνθη τῷ καύματι· ὡς νῦν εὐκαίρως τινὰ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν ἀναστρέψαι φωνὴν, λέγοντα· Οἱ μὲν ἐργάται πολλοὶ, τὸ δὲ θέρος οὐδ' ὀλίγον. Οἱ γεωργοὶ δὲ, ταῖς ἀρούραις ἐπικαθήμενοι, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας κατὰ τῶν γονάτων συμπλέκοντες (τοῦτο δὴ τῶν πενθούν των τὸ σχῆμα), τοὺς ματαίους ἑαυτῶν πόνους δα κρύουσι, πρὸς παῖδας νηπίους ἀφορῶντες, καὶ ὀδυ ρόμενοι· πρὸς γυναῖκας