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In publicanum et pharisaeum

A discourse on the publican and the Pharisee.

59.595 1. Those who behold meadows from afar see the varied delightfulness of the flowers; but they know their comeliness then, when coming near, they handle the flowers with their own hands. Consider such, beloved, to be the condition of the Church, since just like unfading flowers the readings of the God-inspired Scriptures are set before those who wish. For one may see in the spiritual paradises prophets dancing, apostles leading the ranks, martyrs interceding, angels fighting alongside, teachers contending in the contest of piety, the abundant grace of the Spirit, rational flocks being sealed by the Master's blood, and what is greater than what has been said, the summit of good things, the confirmation of hopes, the capital of delight, the perfection of joy; I mean the Gospels of Christ, in which the consummation of our life is laid up.

Come then, let us behold the Master Christ granting all enjoyment to his own servants; in which we see passions put to flight, the sea shuddering, winds growing calm, death being rebuked, Hades being despoiled, demons being banished, sinners returning to their own Master. For Christ has set forth these gifts in the divine Gospels, in which he shows the righteous shining more than the sun, the paralyzed limbs of men being strengthened, bed-ridden paralytics running, tax collectors receiving the dignity of evangelists, leprosy being shaken off like dust by his will, fever fleeing at the voice of the Master, the dead easily receiving life, tombs releasing to life those whom they held, the height of a Pharisee being humbled, the humility of a publican being exalted. For to those who have been satisfied with so many good things, the reception of the crumbs is easy henceforth. 59.596 But I am persuaded that with your usual indulgence you will listen again to our words, having filled the storehouses of your souls with the abundance of the good things proclaimed beforehand.

Therefore, since you also, with the goodwill of God, tolerate my poor table, and I again, taking courage in the manner of your love, have placed the neck of my soul under the teacher's yoke; come then, I will set before you what was just now read; for I, a poor host, have come to all of you who are rich, mixing the banquet of the word. Two men, he says, went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee, the boastful worker of righteousness, the Pharisee who reaped the harvest of his achievements unseasonably, who was richer in arrogance than in money; who with an empty puff of wind shook off the fruit of his virtues, the possessor of pride, the accuser of all nature, the unphilanthropic reproof, the unforgiving reviler, the tempest of the publican's prayer.

And let no one receive my discourse as fond of reviling; but having heard the words of the Pharisee himself, let him recognize that what is said is true. O God, he says, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men. Do you judge yourself more righteous than all? I am not like the rest of men. What are you doing, Pharisee? Pay no heed to the common name of our nature; the philanthropic one, though unchangeable, also became a man; and having considered him, come down from your arrogant words. Say at least, "Like some men," and not, "Like the rest of men," extortioners, unjust,

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In publicanum et pharisaeum

Εἰς τὸν τελώνην καὶ τὸν Φαρισαῖον λόγος.

59.595 αʹ. Οἱ πόῤῥωθεν τοὺς λειμῶνας θεασάμενοι, ποικίλην μὲν βλέπουσι τῶν ἀνθέων τὴν τερπνότητα· τότε δὲ αὐτῶν τὸ εὐειδὲς γινώσκουσιν, ὅταν πλησίον γενόμενοι, τὰ ἄνθη ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν ψηλαφήσωσι. Τοιαύτην μοι νόει, ἀγα πητὲ, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὴν κατάστασιν, ἐπειδὴ καθάπερ ἄνθη ἀμάραντα πρόκειται τοῖς βουλομένοις τὰ τῶν θεο πνεύστων Γραφῶν ἀναγνώσματα. Ἴδοι γὰρ ἄν τις ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς παραδείσοις προφήτας χορεύοντας, ταξιαρ χοῦντας ἀποστόλους, πρεσβεύοντας μάρτυρας, συμμα χοῦντας ἀγγέλους, διδασκάλους ἀγωνιζομένους τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγῶνα, ἄφθονον τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν, αἵ ματι ∆εσποτικῷ λογικὰ σφραγιζόμενα ποίμνια, καὶ τὸ μεῖζον τῶν εἰρημένων, τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν κορυφὴν, τὴν τῶν ἐλπίδων βεβαίωσιν, τῆς τρυφῆς τὸ κεφάλαιον, τὴν τῆς χαρᾶς τελειότητα· λέγω δὴ τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Εὐαγγέλια, ἐν οἷς ἀπόκειται τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς ἡ τελείωσις.

∆εῦρο οὖν θεωρήσωμεν τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν πᾶσαν ἀπόλαυσιν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ χαριζόμενον δούλοις· ἐν οἷς βλέ πομεν φυγαδευόμενα πάθη, ὑποφρίττουσαν θάλασσαν, ἀνέμους ἡσυχάζοντας, ἐπιτιμώμενον θάνατον, σκυλευό μενον ᾅδην, ἐξοριζομένους τοὺς δαίμονας, ἐπιστρέφοντας ἁμαρτωλοὺς πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον ∆εσπότην. Ταῦτα γὰρ ὁ Χρι στὸς ἐν τοῖς θείοις Εὐαγγελίοις προτέθεικε τὰ χαρίσματα, ἐν οἷς τοὺς δικαίους δείκνυσιν ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον λάμποντας, μέλη παρειμένων νευρούμενα, κλινηφόρους παραλύτους τρέχοντας, τελώνας λαμβάνοντας εὐαγγελιστῶν ἀξιώμα τα, λέπραν ὡς κόνιν τινασσομένην θελήματι, πυρετὸν ὑποφεύγοντα τῇ φωνῇ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, νεκροὺς ζωὴν εὐ κόλως λαμβάνοντας, τάφους ἀπολύοντας πρὸς ζωὴν, οὓς ἐκράτουν, Φαρισαίου ταπεινούμενον ὕψος, τελώνου ὑψου μένην ταπείνωσιν. Τοῖς γὰρ τοσούτοις κορεσθεῖσι καλοῖς εὔκολος λοιπὸν καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν ψιχίων δεξίωσις. 59.596 Πέπεισμαι δὲ, ὡς μετὰ συγγνώμης συνήθως καὶ αὖθις τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπακούσετε λόγων, τῇ πλησμονῇ τῶν προκεκηρυγμένων ἀγαθῶν τὰ τῶν ψυχῶν ταμεῖα πλη ρώσαντες.

Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν εὐμενείᾳ Θεοῦ τῆς πενιχρᾶς τραπέζης ἀνέχεσθε, κἀγὼ πάλιν τῷ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης τρόπῳ καταθαῤῥήσας, τῷ διδασκαλικῷ ζυγῷ τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐχένα ὑποτέθεικα· φέρε τοίνυν τὸ ἔναγχος ἀνεγνωσμένον προθήσω ὑμῖν· πᾶσι γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῖς πλουσίοις ὁ πτωχὸς ἑστιάτωρ ἐλήλυθα, τὸ τοῦ λόγου συμπόσιον συγκιρνῶν. Ἄνθρωποι, φησὶ, δύο ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι, ὁ εἷς Φαρισαῖος, καὶ ὁ ἕτερος τελώνης. Φαρισαῖος ὁ κομπώδης τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐργάτης, Φαρισαῖος ὁ θερίσας ἄωρον τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ λήϊον, ὁ πλέον ἀλαζονείᾳ πλουτῶν, ἢ τοῖς χρήμασιν· ὁ διακένῳ φυσήματι τινάξας τῶν ἀρετῶν τὸν καρπὸν, τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ὁ κτήτωρ, ὁ τῆς φύσεως ἁπάσης κατ ήγορος, ὁ ἀφιλάνθρωπος ἔλεγχος, ὁ ἀσυγγνώμων ὀνει διστὴς, ἡ τρικυμία τῆς τοῦ τελώνου εὐχῆς.

Καί μοι μη δεὶς τὸν λόγον ὡς φιλολοίδορον δεχέσθω· ἀλλ' αὐτῶν ἐπ ακούσας τῶν τοῦ Φαρισαίου ῥημάτων, γνωριζέτω ἀληθῆ τὰ λεγόμενα. Ὁ Θεὸς, φησὶν, εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Πάντων ἑαυτὸν κρί νεις δικαιότερον; Οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων. Τί ποιεῖς, Φαρισαῖε; Μὴ τῷ κοινῷ τῆς φύσεως ὀνόματι πρόσεχε· ἄτρεπτος γέγονε καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, ἅνθρωπος· κἂν ἐκεῖνον ἐννοήσας, τῶν ἀλαζονικῶν ῥη μάτων κατάβηθι. Εἰπὲ κἂν, Ὥς τινες τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ μὴ, Ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, ἄδι κοι,