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Sermo 11 (sermo asceticus et exhortatio de renuntiatione mun

OF THE SAME AUTHOR, AN ASCETIC DISCOURSE, and an exhortation concerning renunciation of the world, and spiritual perfection.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” says the divine voice, alluding either to the rest there, or to that from here. Nevertheless, it calls us, on the one hand, urging us to cast off the burden of many possessions by laying them up for those in need; and on the other, having cast off through good works and confession the swarm of sins that accrues to us from this, to run to the cross-bearing life of the monks. He, therefore, who has chosen to obey Christ, and hastens to the poor and undistracted life, is truly wonderful and blessed. But, I beseech you, let him not do this without testing, nor should he imagine for himself an easy life and a victory without a fight; but rather let him train himself beforehand for the successful endurance of afflictions, both bodily 31.628 and spiritual, so that, having thrown himself into unexpected struggles, and then being unable to resist the trials that come upon him, he may not be found returning to the things from which he has departed, with shame and ridicule, returning to the world with condemnation of soul, and becoming a stumbling block to many, creating in all the impression of the impossibility of the life in Christ, the danger of which all you who read the Gospels know, in which the divine voice says: "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble."

For not only will he be liable to the condemnation for desertion, but also for the perdition of those who are subverted by him, even if he should think to persuade himself with deranged reasonings that while living in the world he can propitiate the divine with good works; which is impossible for him. For he who was not strong enough in the life where it is hard to sin, because of its freedom from distractions, to bear the struggles with the enemy, how in the life of many sins and ruled by him will he be able to achieve any of the virtues? But even if one should grant that he could correct his own life, he will not escape the charge of having forsaken Christ, just as also the disciples mentioned in the Gospel, about whom the divine evangelist says: "Many of his disciples went back, and no longer walked with Jesus," saying, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" For on this account the philanthropic God, caring for our salvation, divided the conduct of men into two lives, I mean marriage and virginity, so that he who is not able to bear the contest of virginity might come to cohabitation with a wife, knowing this, that an account will be required of him for sobriety and sanctification, and for likeness to the saints in marriage and child-rearing. Such was Abraham in the Old Testament, who, preferring God's will, sacrificed his only-begotten son without compassion, took great pride, and kept the doors of his tent wide open, preparing for the reception of those about to be his guests. For he had not heard, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." And Job displayed things greater than these, and many others, both David and Samuel. And in the New Testament, such was Peter, and the rest of the apostles. For every man will be required to give the fruits of love toward God and neighbor, and for the transgression of these and all commands he will pay the penalty. As also the Lord makes clear in the Gospels, saying: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;" and, "Whoever does not hate his father, and mother

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Sermo 11 (sermo asceticus et exhortatio de renuntiatione mun

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΑΣΚΗΤΙΚΟΣ, καὶ παραίνεσις περὶ ἀποταγῆς βίου, καὶ τελειώ-σεως πνευματικῆς.

∆εῦτε πρὸς μὲ, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω

ὑμᾶς, φησὶν ἡ θεία φωνὴ, εἴτε τὴν ἐκεῖ ἀνάπαυσιν, εἴτε τὴν ἐντεῦθεν αἰνιττομένη. Πλήν γε προσκαλεῖται ἡμᾶς, τοῦτο μὲν τὸν φόρτον τῆς πολυκτησίας διὰ τῆς εἰς τοὺς δεομέ νους ἀποθέσεως προτρέπουσα ἀποβάλλεσθαι· τοῦτο δὲ, τὸν ἐκ τούτου προσγινόμενον ἡμῖν ἐσμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων διὰ τῆς εὐποιίας καὶ ἐξαγορεύ σεως ἀποῤῥίψαντας, προσδραμεῖν τῷ σταυροφόρῳ βίῳ τῶν μοναχῶν. Ὁ τοίνυν ὑπακοῦσαι Χριστῷ προῃρημένος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπερίσπαστον βίον ἐπειγόμενος, θαυμαστὸς ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ μακαριστός. Ἀλλὰ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ ἀδοκιμάστως τοῦτο ποιείτω, μηδὲ ὑπογραφέτω ἑαυτῷ ἀνεκτότητα βίου, καὶ σωτη ρίαν ἄμαχον· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον προγυμναζέτω ἑαυτὸν πρὸς εὐδοκίμησιν ὑπομονῆς θλίψεων σωματικῶν τε 31.628 καὶ πνευματικῶν, ἵνα μὴ, ἀπροσδοκήτοις ἑαυτὸν ἐμβαλὼν παλαίσμασιν, εἶτα ἀδυνατῶν πρὸς τὴν ἀντί στασιν τῶν ἐπερχομένων αὐτῷ δοκιμιῶν, εὑρεθῇ παλινδρομῶν πρὸς τὰ ἀφ' ὧν ἐξελήλυθε, σὺν αἰσχύνῃ καὶ γέλωτι, μετὰ κατακρίσεως ψυχῆς ἐπανερχόμενος τῷ βίῳ, καὶ πολλοῖς σκάνδαλον γινόμενος, ἀδυναμίας ὑπολήψεις πᾶσιν ἐμποιῶν τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ πολιτείας, οὗ τὸν κίνδυνον ἴστε πάντες οἱ τὰ Εὐαγγέλια ἀναγινώσκοντες, ἐν οἷς λέγει ἡ θεία φωνή· Συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα μύλος ὀνικὸς περίκειται περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔῤῥιπται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἢ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων.

Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὑπεύθυνος ἔσται τῇ καταδίκῃ τοῦ λει ποταξίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνατρεπομένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀπωλείας, κἂν δόξῃ φρενοβλαβέσι λογισμοῖς πείθειν ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῷ βίῳ διάγοντα ἀγαθοεργίαις ἐξευ μενίζειν τὸ θεῖον· ὅπερ ἐστὶν αὐτῷ ἀδύνατον. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἰσχύσας ἐν τῷ δυσαμαρτήτῳ βίῳ διὰ τὸ ἀπερί σπαστον ἐνεγκεῖν τὰ παλαίσματα τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, πῶς ἐν τῷ πολυαμαρτήτῳ καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀρχομένῳ βίῳ δυνή σεται κατορθῶσαί τι τῶν ἐναρέτων; Ἵνα δὲ καὶ δοίη τις διορθοῦν ἑαυτοῦ τὸν οἰκεῖον βίον, τὸ ἔγκλημα τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγκαταλείψεως οὐκ ἐκφεύξεται, καθὰ καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ δηλούμενοι μαθηταὶ, περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ θεῖος εὐαγγελιστής· Πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ οὐκέτι περι επάτουν μετὰ Ἰησοῦ, λέγοντες· Σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ, τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς, κηδόμενος τῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας, εἰς δύο διεῖλε βίους τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαγωγὴν, συζυγίαν λέγω καὶ παρθενίαν, ἵνα ὁ μὴ δυνάμενος ὑπενεγκεῖν τὸν τῆς παρθενίας ἆθλον ἔλθοι ἐπὶ συνοίκησιν γυναικὸς, ἐκεῖνο εἰδὼς, ὡς ἀπαιτηθήσε ται λόγον σωφροσύνης καὶ ἁγιασμοῦ, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἐν συζυγίαις καὶ τεκνοτροφίαις ἁγίους ὁμοιώσεως. Οἷος ἦν ἐν μὲν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ∆ιαθήκῃ Ἀβραὰμ, ὃς, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προτιμήσει τὸν μονογενῆ θυσιάζων ἀσυμ παθῶς, ἐμεγαλαύχει, καὶ τὰς τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ θύρας διαπεπετασμένας εἶχε, πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τῶν ἐπι ξενοῦσθαι μελλόντων ἑτοιμαζόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ ἤκουσε· Πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς. Καὶ τὰ μείζονα τούτων ἐπεδείξατο Ἰὼβ, καὶ ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι, ∆αβίδ τε καὶ Σαμουήλ. Ἐν δὲ τῇ Νέᾳ ∆ια θήκῃ, οἷος Πέτρος ἦν, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων. Ἀπαιτηθήσεται γὰρ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης καὶ τὸν πλησίον, καὶ τῆς παρα τροπῆς τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων καὶ πασῶν τίσει δίκας. Κα θὼς καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐντοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις δηλοῖ λέγων· Ὁ ἀγα πῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος· καὶ, Ὃς οὐ μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μητέρα