On Fasting

[GREEK COLUMN] 757 ^A of Mary, yet by the power of his divinity he was shown to be greater than all; equal in human appearance, but not equal in super-celestial glory. Those others, having used negligence and cruelty, passed by the wounded man ruthlessly; but the Samaritan appeared more compassionate, more pious, and more merciful. So too did Christ, whereas the patriarchs and prophets had overlooked the man who had fallen through disobedience, appear alone as compassionate and merciful, according to the prophet who says: *The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and rich in mercy* (Ps. CII, 8); and again, *For you, O Lord, are compassionate* (Ps. LXXXV, 15). And just as the Samaritan was not of the nation of the Jews, but came from another country, so too was Christ not of this world, but from heaven. He came upon the earth; being God, he became man for our sake; ^B being Master, he put on the form of a slave. He was moved with compassion for us, he came down from heaven to earth, he saw man thrown down, maltreated, wounded in fornications, idolatries, adulteries, murders; he saw, and was moved with compassion for his own handiwork, and he applied wine with oil; that is, having mixed both, he made a salve/application, and placed it upon the man. What is it, *mixing wine with oil*? It means, having mixed the divinity with the humanity, having mixed compassion with salvation, he saved mankind. Mixing wine with oil means, having mixed the Holy Spirit with his own blood, he gave life to man. For the blood of the Lord having dropped from his side upon the earth washed away our handwriting from our sins. And what is it, *He bound up his wounds*? It means, he bound the devil, and released man; he bound the foe, and gave life to the shipwrecked vessel; he bound and enslaved the powers of the evil one, and liberated man. But if you wish to understand it in another way, listen. *Mixing wine with oil*; oil brings in the consolatory word, ^C and wine the astringent, watering down the teaching that gathers the scattered mind, according to that which was said by the Apostle: *Reprove, rebuke, exhort* (2 Tim. IV, 2). He set him on his own beast; that is, Christ, having taken flesh upon the very shoulders of his divinity, bore it to the Father into the heavens. For he did not bear up gold, or silver, or precious stones, but he brought up the man made according to the image from the earth into heaven, into that great and wonderful and spacious inn, into this catholic Church. And he delivered him to the innkeeper, the blessed Paul, the pillar of Christians, the genuine innkeeper, giving him two denarii; and through Paul, to the archpriests and teachers and ministers of each Church; two denarii, the Old and the New Testament, saying: *Take care of this man, and whatever you spend extra, I, when I return, will repay you* (Luke X, 35). What he says is this: Take care, he says, of the people ^D of the Gentiles, whom I have delivered to you in the Church. Since men are sick, wounded by sins, heal them, 758 applying to them the plaster of stone—the prophetic words and evangelical teachings—making them healthy through the admonitions and consolations of the Old and New Testament, persuading them to depart from sin and leave behind the error of the devil. And if even so they remain uncorrected, persuade them by your own upright deeds, turn/bend them through your stern words; become a type of them and a good pattern in word, in deed, in conduct, in faith, in love, in holiness, so that they may follow your pattern and become imitators of your good lifestyle. And if you do this, and provide some individual addition of words to your deeds, *whatever you spend extra, I, upon returning, will repay you*; that is, at my second coming I will repay you the reward worthy of your labors. For this reason Paul, confident in these promises, says: *But I most gladly will spend and be spent for your souls* (2 Cor. XII, 15), speaking of the teaching to the Gentiles and the ministry of the word. For he himself is the one building up and establishing the Churches of God, and healing all men through spiritual admonitions, offering to each what is fitting, guiding our souls to eternal life. For *to all*, he says, *I have become all, that I might save all* (1 Cor. IX, 22). This is the good innkeeper of the Church, he receives everyone and takes care of everyone; he does not cast away a fornicator, he does not turn away a drunkard, a reviler, an extortioner, he does not despise an idolater, he does not drive away any other impious or unclean person, but receives them all. Just as a physician washes away wounds, and through the laver of regeneration scrubs and cleanses, and offers the astringent remedies, as it were wine, so as not to be led into sins wrought by ignorance, or evils. And again he heals through consolation, anointing our souls like oil; for he says: *I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service* (Rom. XII, 1). As many, therefore, of you who are disciples of Paul's words, let us keep the commandments of Christ, that we may not fall from the heavenly Jerusalem and the city of the living God. May it be that we, having been healed of the wounds of both soul and body, in health and perfection of faith may stand before Christ whole and unblemished, not lacking in any good work, and enjoy the good promise in the heavens, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the all-holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On Fasting

SPURIA. ^A If you intend to stand before God within the sense of your soul, be like an immovable column in prayer, unencumbered by any worldly care. If anyone wishes to stand before Christ with a chaste body and a pure heart, let him practice gentleness and temperance. But whoever wishes to present himself to God without these—either body or mind purified—while agitated by the anxieties of this life, is like one who, with feet firmly bound, attempts to walk quickly, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

CONCERNING FASTING, CONCERNING DAVID AND CONCERNING PRIESTS, CONCERNING JOSEPH AND CONCERNING NOVATUS

^B The blessed David sang for us not a private, but a universal song: *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonders* (Ps. IX, 2). Oh, the piety of the blessed David, who fell, and did not despise himself! For although he fell as a man, yet as a man he made confession: *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart.* For unless I confess to you, I shall not be freed from sins. *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart.* For unless I confess to you, I shall not be whitened as snow. *I will confess to you, O Lord.* For unless I confess to you, the devil will not cease to mock me regarding murder and adultery. *I will confess to you, O Lord.* For unless I confess to you, I shall not be restored to my former honor. *I will confess to you, O Lord.* For unless I confess to you, I cannot hear you as your father according to the flesh. *I will confess to you, O Lord.* For unless I confess to you, the Holy Spirit will dictate nothing to me, and no one will be able to learn the fiftieth psalm by heart. To everyone who approaches baptism, the words of the blessed David befit: *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart.* For unless I confess to you, I shall not put off the old man. *I will confess to you, O Lord.* For unless I confess to you, I shall not put on the new man. *I will confess to you, O Lord.* For unless I confess to you, I shall not be numbered among the flock of the faithful. *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart.* For I obeyed you when you said, "Let it not shame you to confess your sins." *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart.* For I heard you saying: *I came not to call the just, but sinners to repentance* (Matt. IX, 13). ^C The words of the blessed Paul are also opportunely said. Which are those? *Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation* (2 Cor. VI, 2). What time? The illumination of those who love poverty. What time? The business of repentance. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. The same Ecclesiastes says: a time to weep for sin, and a time to laugh regarding salvation (Eccl. III, 4). For there is a laughing that is insolent, and a laughing that is useful. That I do not lie in saying this, receive proof from the divine Scriptures themselves. For concerning him who laughs insolently, hear Wisdom saying: *A fool will do evil in his laughter* (Prov. X, 23); but concerning him who laughs prudently and with profit, hear Job saying: *Every gift of the impious shall not be accepted; but a truthful mouth shall be filled with laughter* (Job VIII, 21). There is a time of weeping and a time of laughing. A time to laugh at sin, and a time to rejoice in justice: for, *The Lord is just, and has loved justice* (Ps. X, 8). A time to break off enmity, and a time to join in charity, bearing the custom of the blessed Paul, who says, *Let not the sun go down upon your anger* (Eph. IV, 26). A time for rooting out impiety and a time for planting piety. Furthermore, revealing all these things, our Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the region of the Jews, which was sprouting thorns: *Behold, I have appointed you this day, that you may root up and plant, destroy and build* (Jer. I, 10): that you may root up the multitude of gods, and plant the monarchy; that you may destroy and build; destroy the worship of the gentiles, and build the houses of testimony. That phrase, *I appointed you today*, should not be understood as a specific day, but you should believe it to be done always and everywhere, as the blessed Paul says: *Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the provocation* (Heb. III, 7-8); that is, On whatever day you hear the Lord saying, "Do penance; for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near" (Matt. IV, 17); *Do not harden your hearts*, like those who are called Cathari. ^D These things apply not only before baptism and in the time of the law, but even after baptism and in grace. Indeed, the Lord Christ himself said these very things to his disciples in other words: *Amen, amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven* (Matt. XVIII, 18). And not by words only, but by works also, he gave his disciples the power of loosing and binding. Look above all at the blessed Peter, how through his death he bound those who conspired regarding the lie, Ananias and Sapphira; how, through his misfortune, he loosed him who was lame from birth, providing him with the use of his feet. What will the Cathari say to these things, who are more impure than the impure and all impurity? For *No one is clean from filth, even if his life be but one day upon the earth* (Job XIV, 4-5). What then will the multitude say to these things, who, endowed with a vain mind, dare to say with a vain mouth: "Am I to approach this priest, to confess my sins to him, who has fallen more often than I? How can this one, being a man and a sinner, blot out my sins?" These are the pretexts of those who exalt themselves in sin and pride. But, O man, you who prepare snares for yourself with arrogant and deceitful words, who provoke God through your foolishness and pride; do you approach a man, or does a man forgive your sins? You approach the Lord and the God of the universe, who forgives you your sins through the priest. For the priest is a mediator, not acting by his own authority. Why then do you judge and abominate him whom God does not condemn? He divides his venerable body, and offers the sacrifice of the immaculate blood. As long as he is a priest and God gives him the power of sacrificing, do not refuse to receive the gift from him: for it is not he who gives you the remission of sins, but the great priest Christ, who entrusted the priesthood to him. But that God worked the salvation of men through man not only in the time of grace, but also before (for this reason our Lord was incarnate as mediator of God and men): you know well the history of the blessed David, who was just now saying, *I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart*, how he himself, having fallen into murder and adultery, remained in evil slumbers without confession. What then does God do to incite him toward repentance, and lead those who come after to embrace repentance? He sent the prophet Nathan to him, who would announce to him his own sin in the person of another. For, it says, the mentioned prophet coming to David, said: "King, I have something to say to you." David answered, "Speak." Then the prophet Nathan: "A certain man was rich, having many flocks and herds: but a certain man was poor, having one lamb, which ate from his table, and drank from his cup, and slept in his bosom"; calling David the rich man, and Uriah the poor man. What then? "There came," he says, "a traveler to the rich man." Who is that traveler? The thought of concupiscence, which casts us into punishment. "The traveler came to the rich man: and the rich man, sparing his own sheep, sent men who would seize the lamb of the poor man, and feed it to the traveler." Having heard this, King David, although he had fallen into sin, yet he was clothed with justice: for it was a sin of the body, but a good work of the soul: wherefore, angered, he answered: "As the Lord lives, he who has done this is worthy of death, and he will restore the lamb sevenfold." David surpasses the law: for the law commands a fourfold restoration, but he, sevenfold. Then Nathan...