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In sanguinis fluxu laborantem

5. Of the same, on the woman with the flow of blood, from the Gospel according to Luke.

64.17 The purpose of life has divided other kinds of commerce to others, allotting to each what

seems to be needful and profitable; but to us God has assigned one commerce, that of the Spirit, which is manifold through faith, and achieves the greatest things according to what is written: *But the same Spirit divides to each one individually as he wills.* For faith alone remains with those who have it; it does not deceive the one who receives it, it does not set aside the one who has acquired it, it does not fear thieves, it is not suspicious of robbers, it does not need seals, it does not seek guards; for it has God as its guardian, who readily provides all things to all through it. Kings desire to have this, but common people possess it; rulers seek it, but it runs to the humble, and embraces the lowly; it comes to the sick, and taking hold of them, leads them by the hand, bestowing healings without a fee.

When, therefore, you see, beloved, Christ coming down from a mountain, 64.18 and again going up to a mountain, crossing a lake, sailing over a sea, visiting fields and cities and villages, with the journey below remember also the one above; do not forget the throne of the Cherubim, do not pass by divine things for human things, do not consign heaven to oblivion, do not forget that the Word became flesh, as he wished. For the flesh became the Word; as flesh he walks, as Word he makes way; as flesh he goes up a mountain, as Word he sits above the Cherubim; as flesh he endures for my sake my own things, as Word he tirelessly works the things of the Father, having made wine from water in Cana; he opens windows of light, with clay and a finger renewing sight. He said to the leper, *I will it; be cleansed*, and after the voice the affliction was no more; *Arise*, he says to the paralytic; and the word became feet, and the sufferer received the command more quickly than a step; he reached the house of Jairus, and the 64.19 grief was suddenly changed into joy. Behold, today also, being pressed by the crowd, the fringe shines forth, and with the rain of faith he washed away the flow. For what did the evangelist just now relate to us, introducing the manifold gains of faith? For there was a certain ruler of the synagogue, a minister of the laws of Moses, and a teacher of the people, and his name was Jairus. To this man nature had given one grace, an only-begotten daughter, on whom a necessary crowd was busied, as is the custom for a father who loves his child. But, as it seems, he was unaware that he was caring for her not for succession, but for a premature burial. For a certain grievous illness came upon her, making her a neighbor to death, and cutting off the father from his good hope for her.

But the affliction did not conquer faith; for immediately Jairus goes to the Savior, and begs him to reach his house. But the Lord anticipates the one who calls with eagerness; for, *getting up, he followed him*. But see, faithful one, what a just force is newly devised by a woman, what a wise theft is managed, what a harmless seizure is contrived by a female; for it is necessary for him, hastening toward his destination, to complete that journey quickly. *A woman*, it says, *who had a flow of blood for twelve years, came up behind and touched the fringe of his garment; for she said to herself, If I only touch, I will be saved.* For this physician, she says, has come from heaven; he does not prescribe a supply of expensive medicines, he does not cut with an iron, he does not inflict pains; he knows the things of a female; for from a virgin mother he came, as he wished; he is not defiled by investigating hidden afflictions; he himself is of the

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In sanguinis fluxu laborantem

Εʹ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν αἱμοῤῥοοῦσαν, ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν Εὐαγγελίου.

64.17 Ἄλλοις μὲν ἄλλας ὁ τοῦ βίου σκοπὸς ἐμπορίας ἐμέρισε, διαιρῶν ἑκάστῳ τὴν

δοκοῦσαν εἶναι χρειώδη καὶ συμφέρουσαν· ἡμῖν δὲ μίαν ἀπένειμεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἐμπορίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος, πολλαπλῆν οὖσαν διὰ πίστεως, καὶ κατορθοῦσαν τὰ μέγιστα κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται. Μόνη γὰρ πίστις παραμένει τοῖς ἔχουσιν· οὐ ψεύδεται τὸν λαμβάνοντα, οὐκ ἀθετεῖ τὸν κτησάμενον, οὐκ εὐλαβεῖται τοὺς κλέπτας, οὐχ ὑφορᾶται τοὺς ἅρπαγας, οὐ χρῄζει σφραγίδων, οὐ ζητεῖ τοὺς φυλάττοντας· Θεὸν γὰρ ἔχει φύλακα τὸν πάντα τοῖς πᾶσι διὰ ταύτης ἑτοίμως παρέχοντα. Ταύτην ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἔχειν βασιλεῖς, ἀλλ' ἰδιῶται κέκτηνται· ζητοῦσι δυνάσται, αὐτὴ δὲ ταπεινοῖς προστρέχει, καὶ τοὺς εὐτελεῖς περιπτύσσεται· ἔρχεται πρὸς τοὺς ἀῤῥώστους, καὶ τούτους παρακρατοῦσα χειραγωγεῖ, ἀμισθὶ τὰς ἰάσεις δωρουμένη.

Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, τὸν Χριστὸν ἐξ ὄρους κατερχόμενον, 64.18 καὶ πάλιν εἰς ὄρος ἀναβαίνοντα, περῶντα λίμνην, διαπλέοντα θάλασσαν, ἀγροῖς ἐπιδημοῦντα καὶ πόλεσι καὶ κώμαις, μετὰ τῆς κάτω πορείας μέμνησο καὶ τῆς ἄνω· μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τῆς τῶν Χερουβὶμ καθέδρας, μὴ παρέλθῃς τὰ θεῖα διὰ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, μὴ λήθῃ παραδῷς τὸν οὐρανὸν, μὴ ἀμνημονήσῃς ὅτι σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος γέγονεν, ὡς ἠθέλησεν. Ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος ἐγένετο· ὡς σὰρξ περιπατεῖ, ὡς λόγος παραχωρεῖ· ὡς σὰρξ εἰς ὄρος ἀναβαίνει, ὡς Λόγος ἐπάνω τῶν Χερουβὶμ καθέζεται· ὡς σὰρξ ὑπομένει δι' ἐμὲ τὰ ἐμὰ, ὡς Λόγος τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀκαμάτως ἐργάζεται, ἐξ ὕδατος ἐν Κανᾷ παραστήσας· φωτὸς ἀνοίγει θυρίδας, πηλῷ καὶ δακτύλῳ καινουργῶν τὰς ὁράσεις. Εἶπε τῷ λεπρῷ, Θέλω καθαρίσθητι, καὶ μετὰ τὴν φωνὴν τὸ πάθος οὐκ ἦν· Ἔγειρε, λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ· ὁ λόγος δὲ ἀντὶ ποδῶν ἐγίνετο, καὶ τὸ πρόσταγμα βάδισμα θᾶττον ὁ πάσχων ἐλάμβανεν· ἔφθασε τὸ Ἰαείρου δωμάτιον, καὶ τὸ 64.19 πένθος ἀθρόον εἰς χαρὰν μετεβάλλετο. Ἰδοὺ καὶ τήμερον ὄχλῳ περισφιγγόμενος ἐκλάμπει τὸ κράσπεδον, καὶ τῷ ὄμβρῳ τῆς πίστεως τὴν ῥύσιν κατέκλυσε. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀρτίως ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἰσηγήσατο, τὰ κέρδη τῆς πίστεως εἰσφέρων πολύτροπα; Ἦν γάρ τις ἀρχισυνάγωγος, τῶν Μωϋσέως νόμων θεραπευτὴς, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παιδευτὴς, τὴν δὲ κλῆσιν Ἰάειρος. Τούτῳ μίαν χάριν ἡ φύσις δέδωκε, μονογενῆ θυγατέρα, εἰς ἣν ὄχλος ἠσχόλητο ἀναγκαῖος, ὡς ἔθος ὑπάρχει γενέτῃ φιλόπαιδι. Ἀλλ', ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐλάνθανεν, οὐκ εἰς διαδοχὴν, ἀλλ' εἰς πρόωρον ταφὴν ταύτης ἐπιμελούμενος. Νόσημα γὰρ αὐτῇ τι χαλεπὸν ἐπελθὸν, γείτονα μὲν ταύτην τοῦ θανάτου ποιεῖ, τὸν δὲ πατέρα τῆς ἐπ' αὐτῇ χρηστῆς ἐξέκοψεν ἐλπίδος.

Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐνίκησε τὴν πίστιν τὸ πάθος· εὐθὺς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα χωρεῖ ὁ Ἰάειρος, καὶ παρακαλεῖ φθάσαι τὸ δωμάτιον. Προφθάνει δὲ τὸν καλοῦντα τῇ προθυμίᾳ ὁ Κύριος· Ἐγερθεὶς γὰρ, ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ. Ἀλλ'ὅρα, πιστὲ, οἵα παρὰ γυναικὸς δικαία καινοτομεῖται βία, οἵα σοφὴ οἰκονομεῖται κλοπὴ, οἵα παρὰ θήλεος ἐπινοεῖται ἀκίνδυνος ἁρπαγή· δεῖ γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν κίνησιν ἐπειγομένῳ καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐκείνην ἀνύειν συντόμως. Γυνὴ, φησὶν, αἱμοῤῥοοῦσα δέκα δύο ἔτη, προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ· ἔλεγε γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῇ, ὅτι Ἐὰν μόνον ἅψωμαι, σωθήσομαι. Οὗτος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἰατρὸς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ παραγέγονεν· οὐκ ἐπιτάττει φαρμάκων πολυδαπάνων ὕλην, οὐ κατατέμνει σιδήρῳ, οὐκ ἐπάγει τὰς ὀδύνας· οἶδε τὰ τοῦ θήλεος· ἐκ παρθένου γὰρ μητρὸς ὡς ἠθέλησεν ἐπεδήμησεν· οὐ μολύνεται τὰ λανθάνοντα διερευνώμενος πάθη· αὐτός ἐστι τῶν