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In poenitentiam Ninivitarum

HOMILY II. Of our Father among the saints, John, archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom, on the repentance of the

Ninevites.

64.424 Bless, Father. Seeing that the preceding days required teaching,

and myself forced to be silent on account of illness, I was vexed and distressed, just like a zealous athlete prevented from entering the stadium for his contests. I saw you desiring spiritual food, and myself not strong enough to provide it. I saw the time for commerce, and myself unable to make any contract with you. I beheld the hunt was plentiful, and the hunter faint for the chase. But even while being very pained at this, I thought it better for me to measure out my labors, so that I might be able to come to church daily and share in the rest of the liturgy with you, than, after struggling for only two or three days more, to be nailed to my bed again, and again be left behind by you. For this reason, having omitted the daily discourses, I have come today through the Master's grace to pay my debt to you. Come, therefore, let us draw the ship into the sea of the Ninevites' repentance. For some words are useful to some people, and others to others, but the medicines of repentance I believe are beneficial to all; for since no one is free from sin, it is clear that no one is not in need of repentance. And for those who need it, the example of those saved through repentance is necessary, leading them too to health in the same way.

Let us see, then, those who had lived in wickedness become renowned for virtue. Let us see those who were like wild beasts take on the rank of angels. Let us see those who had overthrown the city by their deeds, restore the city by a way of philosophy. Let us see the enemies of God become friends of God, and those who formerly had the Master as their accuser, later acquire him as their advocate. Let us see the condemned, after the sentence, striving with the judge and annulling the sentence. Let us see God, through love for mankind, proving false. We heard before how the prophet preached, and the city was in an uproar, and how, just as a harsh wind troubles the sea, so the voice of Jonah falling upon the people of the Ninevites filled everything with squall and storm. We heard how the city, believing the preaching to be true, did not fall into 64.425 despair, but ran to repentance; and that, not being confident of its salvation, it attempted to appease and reconcile with God. And what were the things done for the reconciliations? It has been said in part; but it is necessary to give you the whole account; for they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the least of them even to the greatest of them. O strange wonder, fearful indeed to men, but longed for by angels! Consider for me those many myriads of men, together with women and children, wearing sackcloth, and gathered together in the same place; all human occupations and actions idle, and no work anywhere being done by anyone, but a wailing of all together and an uproar, and a cry being sent up to heaven.

Consider the inequality of masters and slaves cast out, of rulers and ruled, the king with the same attire present among the multitudes, and arranging the service of God like some civic battle-array. For the word, it says, reached the king, and he rose from his throne, and took off his robe

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In poenitentiam Ninivitarum

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Βʹ. Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου εἰς τὴν μετάνοιαν τῶν

Νινευϊτῶν.

64.424 Εὐλόγησον, Πάτερ. Καὶ τὰς προλαβούσας ἡμέρας διδασκαλίας ἀπαιτούσας

ὁρῶν, καὶ ἐμαυτὸν διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἠναγκασμένον σιγᾷν, ἠνιώμην, καὶ ἐδυσχέραινον, καθάπερ τις πρόθυμος ἀθλητὴς κεκωλυμένος παρὰ τοὺς ἀγῶνας αὑτοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ στάδιον. Ἑώρων ὑμᾶς τῆς λογικῆς ἐφιεμένους τροφῆς, καὶ ἐμαυτὸν χορηγεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύοντα. Ἑώρων τὸν χρόνον ἐμπορίας, καὶ ἐμαυτὸν οὐδὲν συμβόλαιον θέσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς δυνάμενον. Ἔβλεπον τὴν θήραν πολλὴν, καὶ τὸν θηρευτὴν ἀτονοῦντα πρὸς τὴν ἄγραν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ὀδυνωμένῳ ἐπὶ τούτῳ κάλλιον ἡγούμην ἐμαυτῷ τοὺς πόνους ἐπιμετρεῖν, ὥστε καὶ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἔχειν καθ' ἡμέραν ἐπιφοιτᾷν, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης κοινωνεῖν ὑμῖν λειτουργίας, ἣ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας πλέον μόνον μοχθήσας προσηλῶσθαι πάλιν τῇ κλίνῃ, καὶ πάλιν ὑμῶν ἀπολελεῖφθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὰς καθημερινὰς ἐκλείπων διαλέξεις ἥκω σήμερον διὰ τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς χάριτος τὸ χρέως ὑμῖν καθήσων. ∆εῦρο δὴ οὖν τὸ σκάφος εἰς τὸ πέλαγος τῆς Νινευϊτῶν μετανοίας ἑλκύσωμεν. Ἄλλοι μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοις εἰσὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων χρήσιμοι λόγοι, τὰ δὲ τῆς μετανοίας φάρμακα πᾶσιν οἶμαι ὠφέλιμα· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἁμαρτίας ἐλεύθερος, εὔδηλον ὡς οὔτε μετανοίας ἀνενδεής. Τοῖς δὲ χρῄζουσι ταύτης ἀναγκαῖον τὸ παράδειγμα τῶν ἐκ μετανοίας σωθέντων τῷ ἴσῳ τρόπῳ κἀκείνους πρὸς τὴν ὑγιείαν εἰσάγον.

Ἴδομεν τοίνυν τοὺς ἐπὶ πονηρίᾳ βεβιωμένους ὀνομαστοὺς ἐπ' ἀρετῇ γινομένους. Ἴδομεν τοὺς θηρίοις ἐοικότας ἀγγέλων τάξιν μεταλαμβάνοντας. Ἴδομεν τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν πόλιν στρέφοντας τρόπῳ φιλοσοφίας τὴν πόλιν ἀνορθοῦντας. Ἴδομεν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ, φίλους τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγονότας, καὶ τὸν πάλαι κατήγορον ∆εσπότην, συνήγορον ὕστερον κτησαμένους. Ἴδομεν κατακρίτους μετὰ τὴν ἀπόφασιν πρὸς τὸν δικαστὴν ἀγωνιζομένους, καὶ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἀκυροῦντας. Ἴδομεν τὸν Θεὸν διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ψευδόμενον. Ἠκούσαμεν πρώην, ὅπως ὁ μὲν προφήτης ἐκήρυσσεν, ἡ δὲ πόλις ἐθορυβεῖτο, καὶ ὅτι καθάπερ εἰς πέλαγος πνεῦμα χαλεπὸν ταράττει, οὕτως εἰς τὸν δῆμον τῶν Νινευϊτῶν ἡ φωνὴ πεσοῦσα τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ πάντα ζάλης καὶ χειμῶνος ἔπλησεν. Ἠκούσαμεν, ὅπως πιστὸν ἡγουμένη ἡ πόλις τὸ κήρυγμα οὐκ εἰς 64.425 ἀπόγνωσιν ἔπεσεν, ἀλλ' εἰς μετάνοιαν ἔδρασεν· καὶ ὅτι θαῤῥεῖν περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας οὐκ ἔχουσα, θεραπεύειν καὶ καταλλάττειν τὸν Θεὸν ἐπεχείρει. Τίνα δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν καταλλαγῶν τὰ πραττόμενα ἦν; εἴρηται μὲν ἐν μέρει· δεῖ δὲ τὸν πάντα λόγον ὑμῖν ἀποδοῦναι· ἐκήρυξαν γὰρ νηστείαν, καὶ ἐνέδυσαν τὸν σάκκον ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν. Ὢ ξένου θαύματος, φοβεροῦ μὲν ἀνθρώποις, ἀγγέλοις δὲ ποθεινοῦ! Ἐννόησόν μοι τὰς πολλὰς μυριάδας ἐκείνας ἀνδρῶν ὁμοῦ καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων σακκοφορούσας, καὶ εἰς ταὐτὸ συνηθροισμένας· ἐπιτηδεύματα πάντα καὶ πράξεις πάσας ἀνθρωπίνας ἀργούσας, καὶ ἔργον μὲν οὐδὲν παρ' οὐδενὸς οὐδαμοῦ τελούμενον, οἰμωγὴν δὲ ὁμοῦ πάντων καὶ θόρυβον, καὶ βοὴν εἰς οὐρανὸν πεμπομένην.

Ἐννόησον δεσποτῶν καὶ δούλων ἀνωμαλίαν ἐκβεβλημένην, ἀρχόντων καὶ ἀρχομένων, βασιλέα μετὰ τοῦ ἴσου σχήματος παρόντα τοῖς πλήθεσι, καὶ καθάπερ πολιτικήν τινα παράταξιν τὴν λειτουργίαν τάττοντα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἤγγισε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ λόγος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἐξανέστη τοῦ θρόνου αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐξεδύσατο τὴν στολὴν