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Non esse desperandum

Concerning that none should despair of themselves, nor pray against their enemies, nor give up when they do not receive what they ask; and to men concerning

peace towards their wives.

51.363 1. I have much thanks for you, because with eagerness you received the words concerning prayer,

because you have made me blessed. 51.364 For blessed is he who speaks into the ears of those who hear. Not only from the applause and the praises, 51.365 but also from what I saw you doing, was I convinced. For when I was exhorting you not to pray against your enemies, and was saying that we provoke God by doing this, and legislate against him (for he himself said, Pray for your enemies, but we, praying against our enemies, demand that he break his own law), when therefore I was saying these and such things, I saw many among you beating their faces and breasts, groaning bitterly, raising their hands to heaven, asking forgiveness for such prayers. Then I too, raising my eyes to heaven, gave thanks to God, that so quickly the word of teaching bore us fruit. For such is the spiritual seed; it does not need years, nor times, nor days, but if it takes hold of a noble soul, it immediately shows the ear of grain flourishing and complete; which also happened yesterday on your part.

I cast down a word of compunction, and a groan of confession sprouted, a groan having the great wealth of good things. For if that publican, so that beating his breast he might say, Be merciful to me, a sinner, went away justified rather than the Pharisee, how much confidence is it likely we have gained, having shown such compunction in a short time? And yet nothing is worse than a publican; for this is the furthest limit of evil; which therefore Christ also points out, by continually bringing forth prostitutes and publicans as an example of the worst evils. For it is licensed violence, unrebuked robbery, a shameless manner of greed, a business that has no reason, an impudent trade; but nevertheless he who lived with so many evils, was able, from bare words, to cast off the reproaches, and to receive more than he asked. For he himself asked, saying, Be merciful to me, a sinner; but God not only was merciful, but also justified him more than the Pharisee. For this reason Paul says: To him who is able to do all things exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think. And yet the Pharisee prayed, and stood in the temple, and called upon the same God, and said more words, and made the introduction of his prayer from thanksgiving. Whence then did that man lose the good things he had, while this man gained the confidence he did not have? Because the manner of the prayer was not the same. For the one was full of boasting and pride and despair, while this one was full of much gratitude; for this reason this man, having a countless burden of sins, put them all away, and received righteousness; while that man, having brought up a ship full of right actions, and of almsgiving, and of fasting, dashing as if against some reef upon the mindset of vainglory and despair, suffered shipwreck in the harbor itself; for to suffer loss in prayer, is to suffer shipwreck in the harbor. But this did not happen contrary to the nature of prayer, but contrary to his own choice.

2. Do you see how prayer is not sufficient for our salvation, unless there is added praying according to

those laws which Christ has set? And what laws has he set?

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Non esse desperandum

Περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀπογινώσκειν τινὰς ἑαυτῶν, μηδὲ κατεύχεσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, μηδὲ ἀπαγορεύειν ἐν τῷ μὴ λαμβάνειν αἰτοῦντας· καὶ πρὸς ἄνδρας περὶ

τῆς πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας εἰρήνης.

51.363 αʹ. Πολλὰς ὑμῖν ἔχω χάριτας, ὅτι μετὰ προθυμίας τοὺς περὶ τῆς εὐχῆς

ἐδέξασθε λόγους, ὅτι με μακά 51.364 ριον ἐποιήσατε. Μακάριος γὰρ ὁ λέγων εἰς ὦτα ἀκουόντων. Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν κρότων καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων 51.365 μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ποιοῦντας εἶδον, ἐπείσθην. Ὅτε γὰρ ὑμῖν παρῄνουν μὴ κατεύχεσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἔλεγον ὅτι τὸν Θεὸν παροξύνομεν τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἀντινομοθετοῦμεν αὐτῷ (αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν, Εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ κατευχόμενοι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἀξιοῦμεν αὐτὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λῦσαι νόμον), ὅτε οὖν ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔλεγον, πολλοὺς ἐν ὑμῖν εἶδον πρόσωπα τύπτοντας καὶ στήθη, στενάζοντας πικρῶς, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὰς χεῖρας ἀνατείνοντας, συγγνώμην αἰτοῦντας περὶ τῶν τοιούτων εὐχῶν. Τότε δὲ καὶ ἐγὼ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνατείνας, ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι οὕτω ταχέως ὁ λόγος τῆς διδασκαλίας τὸν καρπὸν ἡμῖν ἤνεγκε. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ὁ σπόρος ὁ πνευματικός· οὐ δεῖται ἐνιαυτῶν, οὐδὲ χρόνων, οὐδὲ ἡμερῶν, ἀλλὰ ἂν ἐπιλάβηται ψυχῆς γενναίας, εὐθέως τὸν στάχυν ἀκμάζοντα καὶ ἀπηρτισμένον δείκνυσιν· ὃ δὲ καὶ χθὲς γέγονεν ὑφ' ὑμῶν.

Κατέβαλον λόγον κατανύξεως, καὶ ἐβλάστησε στεναγμὸς ἐξομολογήσεως, στεναγμὸς πολὺν ἔχων τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τελώνης ἐκεῖνος, ἵνα τὸ στῆθος τύπτων εἴπῃ, Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, ἀπῆλθε δεδικαιωμένος ὑπὲρ τὸν Φαρισαῖον, πόσην εἰκὸς ἡμᾶς κτήσασθαι παῤῥησίαν, ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ τοσαύτην κατάνυξιν ἐπιδειξαμένους; Καίτοι τελώνου χεῖρον οὐδέν· οὗτος γὰρ ἔσχατος ὅρος κακίας ἐστίν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς παραδηλῶν, εἰς παράδειγμα τῶν ἐσχάτων κακῶν τὰς πόρνας καὶ τοὺς τελώνας ἄγει συνεχῶς. Πεπαῤῥησιασμένη γάρ ἐστι βία, ἀνεπιτίμητος ἁρπαγὴ, ἀναίσχυντος πλεονεξίας τρόπος, πραγματεία λόγον οὐκ ἔχουσα, ἀναιδὴς ἐμπορία· ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ τοσούτοις συζῶν κακοῖς, ἴσχυσεν ἀπὸ ψιλῶν ῥημάτων ἀποῤῥίψασθαι τὰ ὀνείδη, καὶ πλέον ὧν ᾔτησε λαβεῖν. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἠξίου λέγων, Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐχ ἵλεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδικαίωσεν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τὸν Φαρισαῖον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπὲρ ἐκ περισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν. Καίτοι ὁ Φαρισαῖος ηὔξατο, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἔστη, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε Θεὸν, καὶ πλείονα εἶπε ῥήματα, καὶ ἀπὸ εὐχαριστίας τὸ προοίμιον ἐποιήσατο τῆς εὐχῆς. Πόθεν οὖν ἐκεῖνος μὲν καὶ ἃ εἶχεν ἀπώλεσε καλὰ, οὗτος δὲ καὶ ἣν οὐκ εἶχε προσέλαβε παῤῥησίαν; Ὅτι οὐ τῆς εὐχῆς ὁ αὐτὸς τρόπος ἦν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀλαζονείας ἔγεμε καὶ τύφου καὶ ἀπονοίας, οὗτος δὲ εὐγνωμοσύνης πολλῆς· διὰ τοῦτο οὗτος μὲν μυρία ἁμαρτημάτων φορτία ἔχων, πάντα ἀπέθετο, καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἔλαβεν· ἐκεῖνος δὲ πλήρη τὴν ναῦν κατορθωμάτων ἀναγαγὼν, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, καὶ νηστείας, καθάπερ τινὶ σκοπέλῳ προσαράξας τῷ τῆς κενοδοξίας καὶ ἀπονοίας φρονήματι, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ λιμένι τὸ ναυάγιον ὑπέμεινε· τὸ γὰρ ἐν εὐχῇ ζημιωθῆναι, ἐν λιμένι ναυάγιόν ἐστιν ὑπομεῖναι. Ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τὴν φύσιν τῆς εὐχῆς τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν τὴν αὐτοῦ.

βʹ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐκ ἀρκεῖ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν ἡ εὐχὴ, ἐὰν μὴ προσῇ τὸ κατ'

ἐκείνους εὔξασθαι τοὺς νόμους, οὓς τέθεικεν ὁ Χριστός; Τίνας δὲ τέθεικε νόμους;