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In Heliam et viduam

ON ELIJAH And on the widow, and concerning almsgiving.

51.337 1. In the days when we were all fasting, having often chosen to begin a discourse on almsgiving, I was driven off, with evening overtaking us and interrupting the course of our sermon. And this happened, perhaps, because God was providentially and profitably arranging it, and postponing the exhortation on these matters until the present day; so that the table of almsgiving would not be set out today while you were divided in the church; not because we have anything great and noble to say, but because the power of almsgiving is great and noble. For great is the confidence this practice has before God; and just as some reigning queen of our commonwealth, so she is accustomed to mount the arches of heaven with great freedom; and the powers entrusted with the gates of heaven, if they see almsgiving approaching, with great honor they open those gates for her and for the other virtues because of her; but if they see them arriving without almsgiving, they shut the doors to them. And this is clear from those 51.338.30 virgins, who for this reason were shut out from the sacred bridal chamber, because they did not have a continuous supply of oil in their lamps.

And consider with me the difference. Almsgiving without virginity brought its disciples into heaven; but virginity without almsgiving was not strong enough. Since, therefore, the power of this practice is so great, let us receive the words concerning it with all diligence. And the best and most concise exhortation on this matter would be, if we were to lead you to the widow in Zarephath of Sidon. For those who instruct through deeds are more trustworthy teachers than those who advise with words; which is why the widow would be the best teacher for us in this matter. For we exhort with words; but she will be able to instruct you through her deeds, having one of like character joined with her. For there are these two widows: one in the New [Testament], who put in the two mites, and one in the Old [Testament], who was deemed worthy to receive the prophet; and both attained to the same 51.339 virtue of philosophy, and they displayed the same generosity, showing us the kinship of the Testaments by the similarity of their righteous deeds. For just as certain high cliffs encompassing harbors, which they are accustomed to call lighthouses, having an unquenchable fire throughout the entire night, guide those who are lost at sea to the safety of the harbor by the brightness of the light; so also these women, being encompassed by generosity as if by harbors, with the light of their own magnanimity, those in the deepest night; for our life is in no better state than night, just as Paul also says, that *The night is far spent, and the day is at hand*; so those who are wandering in the deepest night on the sea of avarice, and are about to be submerged, they call to the safety they themselves provide, having the ever-burning fire of philanthropy, and preserving the unquenchable light of almsgiving.

2. But concerning that one at another time; but today concerning the one in the Old

we shall speak to you. For in praising this one, the crowns of praise for that one are certainly also woven; for whose accomplishments are equal, the words of their encomia also

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In Heliam et viduam

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΗΛΙΑΝ Καὶ εἰς τὴν χήραν, καὶ περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης.

51.337 αʹ. Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αἷς ἐνηστεύομεν ἅπαντες, τοὺς περὶ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης πολλάκις ἑλόμενος κινῆσαι λόγους, ἐξεκρουόμην, τῆς ἑσπέρας καταλαμβανούσης καὶ τοῦ λόγου διακοπτούσης ἡμῖν τὸν δρόμον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο, τοῦ Θεοῦ τάχα συμφερόντως οἰκονομοῦντος, καὶ πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμέραν τὴν περὶ τούτων ὑπερτιθέντος παραίνεσιν· ἵνα μὴ κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν διῃρημένων ὑμῶν, οὕτως ἡ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης παρατέθῃ τράπεζα σήμερον· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ μέγα τι καὶ γενναῖον ἡμεῖς ἔχομεν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μεγάλη καὶ γενναία τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἡ δύναμις. Πολλὴ γὰρ τοῦ πράγματος ἡ παῤῥησία πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· καὶ καθάπερ τις βασιλεύουσα τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς πολιτείας, οὕτω μετὰ ἀδείας πολλῆς τῶν οὐρανίων ἁψίδων ἐπιβαίνειν εἴωθε· καὶ αἱ τὰς πύλας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐγκεχειρισμέναι δυνάμεις, ἂν μὲν ἴδωσι τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐπιβαίνουσαν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς τιμῆς καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις δι' αὐτὴν τὰς πύλας ἐκείνας ἀνοίγουσιν ἀρεταῖς· ἂν δὲ χωρὶς τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἴδωσι παραγενομένας, ἀποκλείουσι τὰς θύρας αὐταῖς. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῶν 51.338.30 παρθένων δῆλον ἐκείνων, αἳ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς ἱερᾶς παστάδος ἀπεκλείσθησαν, ἐπειδὴ διηνεκὲς ἔλαιον ἐν ταῖς λαμπάσιν οὐκ εἶχον.

Καὶ σκόπει μοι τὴν διαφοράν. Ἐλεημοσύνη μὲν χωρὶς παρθενίας τοὺς αὐτῆς τροφίμους εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰσήγαγε· παρθενία δὲ χωρὶς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐκ ἴσχυσεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοσαύτη τοῦ πράγματος ἡ δύναμις, μετὰ πάσης σπουδῆς καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτῆς δεχώμεθα λόγους. Γένοιτο δ' ἂν ἀρίστη καὶ σύντομος τοῦ πράγματος ἡ παραίνεσις, εἰ πρὸς τὴν χήραν ὑμᾶς ἀπαγάγοιμεν τὴν ἐν Σαρεφθοῖς τῆς Σιδῶνος. Τῶν γὰρ λόγοις συμβουλευόντων οἱ διὰ τῶν ἔργων παιδεύοντες ἀξιοπιστότεροι διδάσκαλοι γίνονται· διὸ καὶ ἡ χήρα ἀρίστη τοῦ πράγματος τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἡμῖν διδάσκαλος. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ λόγῳ παραινοῦμεν· ἐκείνη δὲ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὑμᾶς παιδεῦσαι δυνήσεται, τὴν ὁμότροπον ἔχουσα μεθ' αὑτῆς συνεζευγμένην. ∆ύο γάρ εἰσιν αὗται αἱ χῆραι· μία μὲν ἐν τῇ Καινῇ, ἡ τὰ δύο λεπτὰ καταβαλοῦσα, μία δὲ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, ἡ τὸν προφήτην ὑποδέξασθαι καταξιωθεῖσα· καὶ ἀμφότεραι πρὸς τὴν αὐ 51.339 τὴν ἔφθασαν τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἀρετὴν, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπεδείξαντο φιλοφροσύνην, τῇ τῶν κατορθωμάτων ὁμοιότητι τὴν συγγένειαν ἡμῖν τῶν ∆ιαθηκῶν ἐνδεικνύμεναι. Καθάπερ γὰρ σκόπελοί τινες ὑψηλοὶ περιβεβλημένοι λιμένας, οὓς δὴ φάρους καλεῖν εἰώθασι, διὰ πάσης τῆς νυκτὸς ἄσβεστον ἔχοντες πῦρ, τοὺς πεπλανημένους κατὰ τὸ πέλαγος τῇ λαμπηδόνι τοῦ φωτὸς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ λιμένος χειραγωγοῦσιν ἀσφάλειαν· οὕτω καὶ αὗται καθάπερ τινὰς λιμένας τὴν φιλοφροσύνην περιβεβλημέναι, τῷ φωτὶ τῆς οἰκείας μεγαλοψυχίας τοὺς ἐν τῇ βαθυτάτῃ νυκτί· νυκτὸς γὰρ οὐδὲν ἄμεινον ἡμῶν ἡ ζωὴ διάκειται, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, ὅτι Ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικε· τοὺς οὖν ἐν τῇ βαθυτάτῃ νυκτὶ κατὰ τὸ πέλαγος τῆς φιλαργυρίας πλανωμένους, καὶ γίνεσθαι μέλλοντας ὑποβρυχίους, πρὸς τὴν παρ' ἑαυτῶν καλοῦσιν ἀσφάλειαν, τὸ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας διαπαντὸς καιόμενον ἔχουσαι πῦρ, καὶ διασώζουσαι τὸ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἄσβεστον φῶς.

βʹ. Ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐκείνης μὲν ἐν ἑτέρῳ καιρῷ· τήμερον δὲ περὶ τῆς ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ

πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐροῦμεν. Πάντως γὰρ καὶ ταύτης ἐπαινουμένης, ἐκείνης τῶν ἐγκωμίων οἱ στέφανοι πλέκονται· ὧν γὰρ τὰ κατορθώματα ἴσα, καὶ οἱ λόγοι τῶν ἐγκωμίων