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De caritate

On love.

62.769 Well did the Lord say, that My burden is light. For what burden, or

what labor is it to forgive the light and trivial trespasses of a brother, 62.770 and to be forgiven one's own, and to be justified quickly? He did not say, Bring me money, or calves, or goats, or fasting, or vigils, so that you might not say, 62.771 I do not have, I cannot, but what is light and easy and quick, this he commanded, saying: Forgive your brother his trespasses, and I will forgive yours.

You forgive small offenses, perhaps a few obols, or even a hundred denarii; but I forgive ten thousand talents; and you indeed only forgive, granting nothing at all; but I provide both forgiveness and healing, and I grant the kingdom. And I accept your gift then, when you are reconciled to your enemy, when you have no enmity against anyone, when the sun does not set on your anger, when you have peace and love toward all; then your prayer is acceptable, and your house is blessed, and you are blessed. But if you are not reconciled to your brother, how do you seek forgiveness from me? You trample upon my words, and demand forgiveness? I, the Master, command, and you do not pay attention? and you, the servant, how do you dare to offer prayer to God, or a sacrifice, or firstfruits, having enmity against someone? For just as you turn your face away from your brother, so also God turns His eyes away from your prayer and your gift; since God is love, and He is not pleased with things done without love. How then will God accept a murderer's prayer, or gift, or firstfruits, or offerings, if he does not first repent according to reason? But you will surely say to me, I am not a murderer.

But I will prove that you are a murderer, or rather, John the theologian convicts you, saying: He who hates his brother is a murderer. Therefore, my beloved brethren, let us prefer nothing, nor hasten to acquire anything except love; let no one have anything against anyone, let no one repay evil for evil; Let not the sun go down on your anger; but let us forgive our debtors all their trespasses. For what is the profit, children, if one has all things, but does not have saving love? Just as if someone prepares a great feast to invite a king and rulers, and prepares all things lavishly, so that he lacks nothing, but he has no salt, can that feast be eaten? Certainly not; but he has also lost the expense, and has wasted his labors; but he has also brought insult upon himself from those invited by him. So therefore also here: what is the profit in laboring for the winds? Without love every work and every deed is unclean, even if one possesses virginity, even if one fasts, even if one keeps vigil, whether one prays, or gives a reception for the poor, even if one seems to offer gifts, or firstfruits, or offerings, even if one builds a church, or does anything else, without love all those things will be counted as nothing before God. For the Lord is not pleased with them. Hear the Apostle saying: For he who has enmity against his brother, thinks he offers to God, as one who sacrifices a dog, and they will be reckoned as the wages of a prostitute.

Do not then wish to do anything at all without love, because love covers a multitude of sins. Oh, what a good thing we despise! oh, of how many good things are we deprived

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De caritate

Περὶ ἀγάπης.

62.769 Καλῶς εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος, ὅτι Τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστι. Ποῖον γὰρ βάρος, ἢ

ποῖος κόπος ἐστὶ τοῦ ἀφιέναι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τὰ παραπτώματα ἐλαφρὰ καὶ μηδαμινὰ, 62.770 καὶ συγχωρηθῆναι τὰ ἴδια, καὶ δικαιωθῆναι συντόμως; Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Προσάγαγέ μοι χρήματα, ἢ μόσχους, ἢ χιμάρους, ἢ νηστείαν, ἢ ἀγρυπνίαν, ἵνα μὴ εἴπῃς, ὅτι 62.771 Οὐκ ἔχω, οὐ δύναμαι, ἀλλ' ὅ ἐστιν ἐλαφρὸν καὶ εὔκολον καὶ σύντομον, τοῦτο προσέταξε λέγων· Συγχώρησον τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου τὰ παραπτώματα, κἀγὼ συγχωρῶ τὰ σά.

Σὺ μικρὰ συγχωρεῖς πταίσματα, ἴσως ὀβολοὺς ὀλίγους, ἢ καὶ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια· ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ μυρία τάλαντα συγχαρίζομαι· καὶ σὺ μὲν μόνον συγχωρεῖς, τί ποτε μὴ χαριζόμενος· ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἄφεσιν παρέχω καὶ τὴν ἴασιν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν χαρίζομαι. Καὶ τὸ δῶρόν σου τότε προσδέχομαι, ὅταν διαλλαγῇς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου, ὅταν μὴ ἔχῃς ἔχθραν κατά τινος, ὅταν ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδύῃ ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ σου, ὅταν πρὸς πάντας εἰρήνην καὶ ἀγάπην ἔχῃς· τότε καὶ ἡ προσευχή σου εὐπρόσδεκτος, καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου εὐλογημένος, καὶ σὺ μακάριος. Ἐὰν δὲ σὺ τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου οὐ διαλλάσσῃ, πῶς παρ' ἐμοῦ συγχώρησιν ζητεῖς; τοὺς λόγους μου καταπατεῖς, καὶ συγχώρησιν προστάσσεις; ἐγὼ ὁ ∆εσπότης προστάσσω, καὶ οὐ προσέχεις; καὶ σὺ ὁ δοῦλος πῶς τολμᾷς προσφέρειν προσευχὴν τῷ Θεῷ, ἢ θυσίαν, ἢ ἀπαρχὰς, ἔχων ἔχθραν κατά τινος; Ὥσπερ γὰρ σὺ ἀποστρέφῃ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς σου καὶ τοῦ δώρου σου ἀποστρέφει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ· ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστὶ, καὶ τὰ χωρὶς ἀγάπης γενόμενα οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἐν αὐτῷ. Πῶς ἄρα προσδέξεται ὁ Θεὸς φονέως προσευχὴν, ἢ δῶρον, ἢ ἀπαρχὰς, ἢ καρποφορίας, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον μετανοήσῃ κατὰ λόγον; Ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐρεῖς μοι, ὅτι Ἐγὼ φονεὺς οὐκ εἰμί.

Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀποδείξω, ὅτι φονεὺς εἶ, μᾶλλον δὲ Ἰωάννης ὁ θεολόγος ἐλέγχει σε λέγων· Ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὑτοῦ, ἀδελφοκτόνος ἐστί. Λοιπὸν οὖν, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοὶ, μηδὲν προτιμήσωμεν, ἢ σπουδάσωμεν κτήσασθαι πλὴν τῆς ἀγάπης· μηδεὶς ἐχέτω τι κατά τινος, μή τις κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδώσῃ· Ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τὸν παροργισμὸν ὑμῶν· ἀλλὰ ἀφῶμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν πάντα τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν. Τί γὰρ τὸ ὄφελος, τέκνα, ἐάν τις πάντα ἔχῃ, τὴν δὲ σώζουσαν ἀγάπην μὴ ἔχων; Ὥσπερ τις ἄριστον ποιήσει μέγα, ἵνα καλέσῃ βασιλέα καὶ ἄρχοντας, καὶ πάντα ἑτοιμάσει πλούσια, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτῷ λείπῃ, ἅλας δὲ οὐκ ἔχει, μὴ δύναται βρωθῆναι τὸ ἄριστον ἐκεῖνο; Οὐ πάντως ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον ἐζημιώθη, καὶ τοὺς κόπους ἀπώλεσεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὕβριν ἑαυτῷ προσήγαγε παρὰ τῶν κεκλημένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα· τί τὸ ὄφελος εἰς ἀνέμους κοπιᾷν; Χωρὶς τῆς ἀγάπης πᾶν ἔργον καὶ πᾶσα πρᾶξις ἀκάθαρτος, κἂν παρθενίαν κτήσαιτό τις, κἂν νηστεύῃ, κἂν ἀγρυπνῇ, εἴτε προσεύχεται, εἴτε δοχὴν ποιεῖ πτωχοῖς, κἂν δῶρα προσφέρειν δοκῇ, ἢ ἀπαρχὰς, ἢ καρποφορίας, κἂν ἐκκλησίαν κτίζῃ, εἴτε ἄλλο τι πράττῃ, χωρὶς τῆς ἀγάπης πάντα ἐκεῖνα εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσονται παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐ γὰρ εὐδοκεῖ Κύριος ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ἄκουε τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Ὁ γὰρ ἔχων ἔχθραν κατὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, δοκεῖ προσφέρειν τε τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς ὁ θύων κύνα, καὶ ὡς μίσθωμα πόρνης λογισθήσονται.

Μὴ οὖν βουληθῇς χωρὶς τῆς ἀγάπης ποιεῖν τί ποτε, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. Ὢ ποίου ἀγαθοῦ καταφρονοῦμεν! ὢ πόσων ἀγαθῶν στερούμεθα