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On the Love of the Poor

ORATION 14.

On the Love of the Poor.

A. Men, brothers and fellow-poor, for we are all 35.860 poor, and in need of divine grace, even if one seems to excel another, being measured by small measures, receive this discourse on the love of the poor, not poorly, but generously, so that you may be rich in the kingdom; and pray with us that we may furnish this to you richly, and nourish your souls with the word, and break the spiritual bread for the hungry; whether raining down food from heaven, like that old Moses, and bestowing the bread of angels; or with a few loaves in the wilderness feeding myriads to their fill, as Jesus did later, the true bread, and the cause of true life. Now, it is not at all easy to find the chief among the virtues, and to give to it the first prize and the award of victory; just as it is not easy in a meadow full of flowers and fragrant, to find the most beautiful and most fragrant of the flowers, as one after another draws our sense of smell and sight to itself, and persuades us to pick it first. As for me, then, I must consider how to discourse on these things.

B. Good are faith, hope, love, these three; and witness of faith is Abraham, justified by faith; of hope, Enos, who was the first who hoped to call upon the Lord, and all the righteous who suffer for the sake of hope; of love, the divine Apostle, who dared to utter something even against himself for the sake of Israel; and God himself, being called love. Good is hospitality; and a witness among the righteous is Lot the Sodomite, though not a Sodomite in manner; and among sinners, Rahab the harlot, though not a harlot in her choice, who was both praised and saved for her hospitality. Good is brotherly love, and a witness is Jesus, who not only endured to be called our brother, but also to suffer for us. Good is love of mankind; and the same Jesus is a witness, who not only made man for good works, and joined the image to the dust as a guide to the best things, and a procurer of things above, but also became man for our sake. Good is long-suffering, and the same is a witness, who not only refused the legions of angels against those who rose up and tyrannized over him, nor only rebuked Peter for drawing his sword, but even restored the ear to him who was struck. The same thing also Stephen, the disciple of Christ, did later, 35.861 praying for those who stoned him. Good is meekness, and Moses and David bear witness, having been testified of this before others, and their teacher, not striving, nor crying out, nor raising his voice in the streets, nor contending with those who led him away.

C. Good is zeal, and Phinehas bears witness, who pierced the Midianite woman along with the Israelite, that he might take away the reproach from the sons of Israel, and was named from his choice; and after him, those who say, I have been very zealous for the Lord; and, For I am zealous for you with a godly zeal; and, The zeal for your house will consume me; and not only saying this, but also suffering it. Good is the disciplining of the body; and let Paul persuade you, still training himself, and through Israel frightening those who trust in themselves and indulge the body; and Jesus himself fasting, and being tempted, and overcoming the tempter. Good are prayer and watchfulness; and let God persuade you, being watchful before his passion, and praying. Good are purity, and virginity; and

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De pauperum amore

ΛΟΓΟΣ Ι∆ʹ.

Περὶ φιλοπτωχίας.

Αʹ. Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ συμπένητες, πτωχοὶ γὰρ 35.860 ἅπαντες, καὶ τῆς θείας χάριτος ἐπιδεεῖς, κἂν ἄλλος ἄλλου προέχειν δοκῇ, μικροῖς μέτροις μετρούμενος, δέξασθε τὸν περὶ φιλοπτωχίας λόγον, μὴ πενιχρῶς, ἀλλὰ φιλοτίμως, ἵνα βασιλείαν πλουτήσητε· συνεύ ξασθε δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς πλουσίως τοῦτον ὑμῖν χορηγῆσαι, καὶ θρέψαι τῷ λόγῳ τὰς ὑμετέρας ψυχὰς, καὶ δια θρύψαι πεινῶσι τὸν πνευματικὸν ἄρτον· εἴτε ἀπ' οὐ ρανοῦ τροφὴν ὕοντας, καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ὁ πα λαιὸς ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἄρτον ἀγγέλων χαριζομένους· εἴτε ἄρτοις ὀλίγοις ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τρέφοντας μέχρι κόρου καὶ μυριάδας, καθάπερ Ἰησοῦς ὕστερον, ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἄρτος, καὶ τῆς ἀληθινῆς ζωῆς αἴτιος. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν οὐ πάνυ τι ῥᾴδιον τῶν ἀρετῶν τὴν νικῶσαν εὑρεῖν, καὶ ταύτῃ δοῦναι τὰ πρεσβεῖα καὶ τὰ νικητήρια· ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐν λειμῶνι πολυανθεῖ καὶ εὐώδει, τῶν ἀν θέων τὸ κάλλιστον καὶ εὐωδέστατον, ἄλλοτε ἄλλου τὴν ὄσφρησιν καὶ τὴν ὄψιν πρὸς ἑαυτὸ μεθέλκοντος, καὶ πρῶτον δρέπεσθαι πείθοντος. Ὡς δ' οὖν ἐμὲ, περὶ τούτων διελέσθαι σκεπτέον οὕτως.

Βʹ. Καλὸν πίστις, ἐλπὶς, ἀγάπη, τὰ τρία ταῦτα· καὶ μάρτυς τῆς πίστεως Ἀβραὰμ, δικαιωθεὶς ἐκ πίστεως· τῆς ἐλπίδος, Ἐνὼς, ὃς πρῶτος ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ πάντες οἱ δίκαιοι διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα κακοπαθοῦντες· τῆς ἀγάπης, ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, τολμήσας τι καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ φθέγξασθαι· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸς, ἀγάπη καλούμενος. Καλὸν ἡ φιλοξενία· καὶ μάρτυς ἐν μὲν δικαίοις, Λὼτ ὁ Σοδομίτης, καὶ οὐ Σοδομίτης τὸν τρόπον· ἐν δὲ ἁμαρτωλοῖς, Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη, καὶ οὐ πόρνη τὴν προαί ρεσιν, διὰ φιλοξενίαν ἐπαινεθεῖσά τε καὶ σωθεῖσα. Καλὸν ἡ φιλαδελφία, καὶ μάρτυς Ἰησοῦς, οὐκ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν κληθῆναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνασχόμενος. Καλὸν ἡ φιλανθρωπία· καὶ μάρτυς ὁ αὐτὸς Ἰησοῦς, οὐ ποιήσας μόνον τὸν ἄνθρω πον ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τῷ χοῒ συζεύξας ὁδηγὸν τῶν καλλίστων, καὶ τῶν ἄνω πρόξενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος. Καλὸν ἡ μακροθυμία, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς μάρτυς, οὐ τὰς λεγεῶνας μόνον τῶν ἀγγέλων παραιτησάμενος κατὰ τῶν ἐπανισταμένων καὶ τυραννούντων, οὐδὲ τῷ Πέτρῳ μόνον ἐπιτιμήσας αἰρομένῳ τὴν μάχαιραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὠτίον ἀποκαταστήσας τῷ πεπληγότι. Τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ Στέφανος ὕστερον ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς, 35.861 ὑπὲρ τῶν λιθαζόντων αὐτὸν προσευχόμενος. Καλὸν ἡ πραότης, καὶ μαρτυροῦσι Μωϋσῆς καὶ ∆αβὶδ, τοῦ το πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων μαρτυρηθέντες, καὶ ὁ τούτων δι δάσκαλος, οὐκ ἐρίζων, οὐδὲ κραυγάζων, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις φωνὴν προϊέμενος, οὐδὲ ζυγομαχῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἄγοντας.

Γʹ. Καλὸν ὁ ζῆλος, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ Φινεὲς, τὴν Μα διανῖτιν τῷ Ἰσραηλίτῃ συνεκκεντήσας, ἵνα ἐξέλῃ ὄνειδος ἐξ υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ὀνομασθεὶς ἐκ τῆς προαιρέσεως· καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον, οἱ λέγοντες· Ζηλῶν ἐζήλωκα τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ, Ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ ζήλῳ· καὶ, Ὁ ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκου σου καταφάγεταί με· καὶ οὐ λέγοντες τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσχοντες. Καλὸν ὑποπιασμὸς σώματος· καὶ πειθέτω σε Παῦλος, ἑαυτὸν ἔτι παιδαγωγῶν, καὶ φοβῶν διὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς ἑαυτοῖς θαῤῥοῦντας καὶ ἐφιέντας τῷ σώματι· καὶ Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς νη στεύων, καὶ πειραζόμενος, καὶ νικῶν τὸν πειρά ζοντα. Καλὸν προσευχὴ καὶ ἀγρυπνία· καὶ πειθέτω σε Θεὸς ἀγρυπνῶν πρὸ τοῦ πάθους, καὶ προσευχόμε νος. Καλὸν ἁγνεία, καὶ παρθενία· καὶ