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De studio praesentium

HOMILY V.

63.485 Homily of the same, delivered in the church of Saint Irene, concerning both the zeal of those present and the sloth of those who are absent, and concerning psalmody, and concerning how nature is no hindrance for women in the

paths of virtue.

1. How very sweet is the reading of the Scriptures, and sweeter than any meadow and more delightful than paradise, and especially when knowledge is added to the reading. For a meadow, and the beauties of flowers, and the foliage of trees, and the rose and ivy and myrtle delight the sight, but after a few days have passed, they wither; but knowledge of the Scriptures fortifies the mind, purifies the conscience, roots out servile passions, plants virtue, raises up the reasoning faculty, does not permit it to be overwhelmed by the unexpected circumstances of events, makes one higher than the devil's darts, transports one to heaven itself, releases the soul from the bonds of the body, fashions light wings, and whatever good thing one might name, it introduces into the mind of the hearers. Wherefore I do not cease to pity those who are absent, and to bless those who are present, because indeed you are gathering an inexhaustible treasure and unspent wealth and an abundance that has no envy, and filled with great gladness you return home. For nothing could produce pleasure so much as a clean conscience; and a conscience becomes clean, even if it is weighed down by countless sins, when it enjoys constant hearing. For it does not add to former transgressions, but even consumes those that exist, and makes the soul more hesitant to attempt the same things again. For this reason, I beseech your love to continually repeat these things to those who are absent, and to quickly lead them back to our common mother, and to make them partakers of spiritual gains; for this fellowship produces not some diminution, but an increase. But, O the tyranny of money! which beguiles the majority of our brothers; for nothing leads them away from here, but that grievous sickness and that never-extinguished furnace; this mistress, more barbarous than any barbarian, and more cruel than a wild beast, and wilder than demons, taking her own captives, now leads them about the marketplace, imposing harsh commands, and not allowing even a little respite from their deadly toils. But what will they do, when the fearful day arrives, the incorruptible verdict, and the judge who cannot be deceived? when the curtains of the heavens are drawn together, and the host of angels descends with the one judging? when all things appear naked and laid bare? For neither the skill of orators then, nor abundance of money, nor anything else will be able to corrupt justice. For when he is incorruptible and knows all things clearly, the sins themselves stand before the eyes, 63.486 as if painted in a picture; then no king, no private citizen appears, no poor man, no rich man, no wise man, no ignorant man, but all these masks are stripped away, and each one is shown by the sight of his deeds; it is not possible to see a diadem placed upon him,

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De studio praesentium

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Εʹ.

63.485 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὁμιλία, λεχθεῖσα ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς ἁγίας Εἰρήνης, ὑπέρ τε τῆς σπουδῆς τῶν παρόντων καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ψάλλειν, καὶ περὶ τοῦ μηδὲν εἶναι κώλυμα γυναιξὶ τὴν φύσιν πρὸς τοὺς τῆς

ἀρετῆς δρόμους.

αʹ. Ὡς ἡδίστη ἡ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀνάγνωσις, καὶ λειμῶνος παντὸς ἡδίων καὶ παραδείσου τερπνοτέρα, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν γνῶσις τῇ ἀναγνώσει πρόσκειται. Λειμὼν μὲν γὰρ, καὶ ἀνθῶν κάλλη, καὶ δένδρων κόμαι, καὶ ῥόδον καὶ κιττὸς καὶ μυρίνη τέρπει τὴν ὄψιν, καὶ ὀλίγων παρελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν μαραίνεται· Γραφῶν δὲ γνῶσις τειχίζει τὴν διάνοιαν, καθαίρει τὸ συνειδὸς, ἀνασπᾷ τὰ ἀνελεύθερα πάθη, φυτεύει τὴν ἀρετὴν, μετάρσιον ποιεῖ τὸν λογισμὸν, οὐκ ἀφίησι ταῖς ἀδοκήτοις τῶν πραγμάτων βαπτίζεσθαι περιστάσεσιν, ὑψηλοτέρους καθίστησι τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου βελῶν, πρὸς αὐτὸν μετοικίζει τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἀπολύει τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν συνδέσμων τοῦ σώματος, κοῦφα ἐργάζεται τὰ πτερὰ, καὶ πᾶν ὅπερ ἂν εἴπῃ τις ἀγαθὸν, εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀκροατῶν εἰσοικίζει διάνοιαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοὺς ἀπολιμπανομένους οὐ παύομαι ταλανίζων, καὶ τοὺς παραγενομένους μακαρίζων, ὅτι δὴ Θησαυρὸν συλλέγετε ἀνάλωτον καὶ πλοῦτον ἀδαπάνητον καὶ περιουσίαν φθόνον οὐκ ἔχουσαν, καὶ πολλῆς ἐμπλησθέντες τῆς εὐφροσύνης οἴκαδε ἀναχωρεῖτε. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡδονὴν ποιεῖν δύναιτ' ἂν, ὡς συνειδὸς καθαρόν· γίνεται δὲ καθαρὸν συνειδὸς, κἂν μυρίοις ἁμαρτήμασιν ᾖ βεβαρημένον, ἀκροάσεως συνεχοῦς ἀπολαῦον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῖς προτέροις προστίθησι πλημμελήμασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὄντα δαπανᾷ, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ὀκνηροτέραν καθίστησι πρὸς τὸ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάλιν ἐπιχειρεῖν πράγμασι. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην ταῦτα συνεχῶς ἐπᾴδειν τοῖς ἀπολιμπανομένοις, καὶ ταχέως αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν ἐπαναγαγεῖν μητέρα, καὶ κοινωνοὺς τῶν κερδῶν ποιεῖν τῶν πνευματικῶν· οὐ γὰρ μείωσίν τινα, ἀλλὰ πλεονασμὸν ἡ κοινωνία αὕτη κατασκευάζει. Ἀλλ', ὢ τῆς τῶν χρημάτων τυραννίδος! ἢ τοὺς πλείους ἀποβουκολεῖ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν αὐτοὺς τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπάγον, ἢ τὸ χαλεπὸν νόσημα ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἡ μηδέποτε σβεννυμένη κάμινος· αὕτη ἡ δέσποινα καὶ βαρβάρου πάσης βαρβαρικωτέρα, καὶ θηρίου χαλεπωτέρα, καὶ δαιμόνων ἀγριωτέρα, τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους λαμβάνουσα τοὺς ἑαυτῆς, περιφέρει νῦν κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν, χαλεπὰ ἐπιτάττουσα ἐπιτάγματα, καὶ οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἀναπνεῦσαι συγχωροῦσα τῶν ὀλεθρίων πόνων. Ἀλλὰ τί ποιήσουσιν, ὅταν ἡμέρα παραγένηται ἡ φοβερὰ, ἡ ψῆφος ἡ ἀδέκαστος, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς ὁ ἀπαραλόγιστος; ὅταν τὰ παραπετάσματα τῶν οὐρανῶν συνέλκηται, καὶ ὁ δῆμος τῶν ἀγγέλων μετὰ τοῦ δικάζοντος καταβαίνῃ; ὅταν πάντα γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα φαίνηται; οὔτε γὰρ ῥητόρων δεινότης τότε, οὐ χρημάτων περιουσία, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν τὸ δίκαιον διαφθεῖραι δυνήσεται. Ὅτε γὰρ ἀδέκαστος καὶ τὰ πάντα εἰδὼς σαφῶς, αὐτά τε τὰ ἁμαρτήματα πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἵσταται, 63.486 ὥσπερ ἐν εἰκόνι τινὶ ὑπογεγραμμένα· τότε οὐ βασιλεὺς, οὐκ ἰδιώτης φαίνεται, οὐ πτωχὸς, οὐ πλούσιος, οὐ σοφὸς, οὐκ ἀμαθὴς, ἀλλὰ πάντα ταῦτα περιαιρεῖται τὰ προσωπεῖα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πεπραγμένων ὄψεως ἕκαστος δείκνυται· οὐκ ἔστι διάδημα ἰδεῖν περικείμενον,