Catechetical Sermons (Great Catechesis)

in his third exile for the sake of his confession of Christian truth, in the 12th year, on the island of the holy martyr Trypho, not far from Emporium—which is called Acrita—in the province of Bithynia. [This occurred] on the Calends of November, which is the eleventh month, at the 6th hour, in the 5th indiction, in the year from the creation of the world 6335. There is no need to represent here the Greek words containing these things, for fear that we be precise in vain. He adds that he entered into the monastic life at age 22, spent 13 as a novice, and was a superior for 32, so that he died at the age of 67.

Now, one must look for a patron for the monk Michael, who served as scribe under the Emperor Michael, successor to Leo the Thracian (who had sent Michael, surnamed Rangabe, into exile on the island of Prote and recalled all those proscribed by Leo from their exile). For this Michael, born in Amorium, a city of upper Phrygia (we might call him the "stammerer," changing word for word, as the Greeks use *τὸν τραυλὸν*), in all things imitated Copronymus; nor was he a stranger to the Jews, whose Sabbaths he honored. Among others, he harshly punished with lashes the Sardian prelate Euthymius, the son of Theophilus, and murdered him on account of his veneration of the holy icons; he also kept the divine Methodius in chains on the island of Acrita. I commend the authors John Zonaras and his other imitator John Curopalates, as well as the great Drungary of the Watch, all of which exist in the Vatican.

Now regarding the author himself, which we have as our prize: in Catechesis 74, regarding the impious Michael—who, without doubt, is the one of whom we speak—he inveighs against his nefarious marriage and also charges him with a corrupted faith. Therefore, that I may state it once and for all: although he was ordered into exile three times—a fact which Michael does not deny—first under Constantine the Younger (the son of the Empress Irene, whose adultery he had not approved), then under Nicephorus, and thirdly under Leo the Thracian; it was in this third exile that he exchanged life for death, a conclusion which agrees with the epigram that I said exists at the foot of our codex.

Nor am I unaware that John Zonaras seems rather hostile to our Theodore and his uncle Plato, reporting that when Nicephorus was created pontiff (he had succeeded Tarasius), they were among the rioters who accused him, on the grounds that he had suddenly escaped from the laity to the episcopacy; with many saying that they used this pretext to disguise their own ambition, as they were panting after the Constantinopolitan pontificate. But in truth, either he was quite different (for these Catecheses of ours speak otherwise), or else some popular suspicion cast this calumny upon good men.

I come now to the Catecheses. In this, I will not show off, nor, as tavern-keepers do, will I hang ivy [as a sign] for wine that is highly marketable; I call upon you, friendly reader, and your judgment, if by any chance you wish to learn by reading these things. In translating them, we have used the unique manuscript which the most ample Cardinal Sirletus displayed, once the codex of Pope Marcellus II; it is sufficiently faithful, but written by a most unlearned scribe, as those who inspect the copy which exists in the Vatican will see—although even here, a certain accumulation of errors and mistakes has occurred, to which we are safe witnesses. Finally, once the work was completed and some hopeless passages left behind, along with others which we might have corrected by conjecture, we obtained a second copy from the Vatican, of better quality, but in which the first 48 Catecheses were missing. When we added many things that were absent from our own, we saw that almost all of our conjectures were confirmed. A certain surplus homily was discovered among the Lenten ones, which we have appended to the end of the work, lest anyone maliciously accuse us of suppressing it, even though we know it pertains little to these of ours; for of the Michael—whom I have already cited several times—there are no more than the 134 "small" Catecheses, as they are called, that you see here in the work. He certainly wrote 3 other books of "great" ones, which are titled as such, which he did not issue as they were delivered, like the former, but composed accurately. We suspect that this one was number 68 among them; whether we are right or wrong, those who have the work in their possession will test, as we have not yet seen it (a). However that may be, we did not want to pass it over in silence.

Lastly, Theodore’s testament has been added, truly worthy of the most severe customs and the author’s solicitude, which we did not find in the Vatican. For the rest, I hope that the fair reader will not find lacking the faith, nor the sense, nor even a certain light and splendor of diction, as we have rendered the force of the Greek words as closely as we could, and, as they say, word for word. We desired that the Greek original be published so that this might be perceived more certainly and thoroughly, where the learned reader could test and try it more closely—as if comparing foot to foot—but circumstances dictated otherwise. Finally, in those places which are cited from all of Sacred Scripture, we have followed the Vulgate version which the Church uses, unless it did not agree with the Latin words of the author’s citation, which is not to be prejudged. In this regard, there was less trouble in those passages which are drawn from the Gospels and the New Testament, after all of that was translated from the Greek; in the Old Testament, which the Latin primarily translated from the Hebrew, the diversity of the Seventy interpreters, whom the Greeks use, which is for the most part poorly accommodated to Latin terms, sometimes resulted in our having to use something other than the Vulgate, especially when, in reading, we encountered things that were never read in our (Latin) codices. These we changed as simply as possible, word for word, without affectation. I have had these things to warn you of, friendly Reader, at the beginning of the work; now, if you please, let us listen to the author speaking.

(a) We have sent this homily, along with the Testament, to the end of the works of the blessed Theodore. EDIT.

OF THE HOLY FATHER AND CONFESSOR THEODORE, PREFECT OF THE STUDITES, CATECHESIS TO THE DISCIPLES, CONTAINING ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR SERMONS.

(Bibliotheca Patrum, Vol. XIV, p. 833.)

SERMON I. Catechesis on the Holy Pascha. On the need to spend our whole life solicitously.

^ABrethren and Fathers, having been permitted through the grace of Christ to complete the holy Pascha, let us again apply ourselves to our labors, acting accordingly and recalling the life-giving sufferings of our Savior Jesus Christ; for it is not because the Pascha is past that its memory should also pass away, but we should perpetually recall before our eyes his life-saving wounds, his cross, his burial, and his resurrection, so that by the constant exercise of these things we may remain unconquered by vices; or if, lacking attention, we are ever caught, let us immediately look upon the crucified Lord Jesus, and medicine will at once spring up in our souls: for even the Israelites of old, bitten by serpents, were healed by gazing upon the brazen serpent. For you are not ignorant that evil thoughts, like serpents, bite, having injected poison into the soul; this, as soon as it arises, must be removed with care, lest delay render the sore difficult. You see how the flesh breeds bloodshed: *The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh*; of which, if you add to one, you take from the other. Wherefore let us strive that from henceforth we use food, drink, and whatever else in moderation, lest the mind come under subjection, and the body gain the victory. He who runs in the stadium is not proclaimed victor by running two or three courses, but by completing all of them: therefore, let us not say "Lent" or "Pentecost," but let us pass our whole life in solicitude; otherwise, we shall by no means escape the snares of the devil, nor shall we receive the prize of victory. Therefore, brethren, let us still fight the noble fight, still strive for virtue, still subdue the flesh, still reduce the body to servitude, still put vices to death, always bearing about in our body the death of the Lord Jesus, always having before us the sentence of death: for we shall all indeed die, like our fathers and brethren, and departing hence we shall arrive in an unfamiliar region, to see sights we have not yet seen, and to hear horrendous voices filled with stupor ^B and having a mind truly sensible. Wherefore, fearful and ever trembling, let us withdraw ourselves from the senses, from empty hearing, from harmful sights, from effeminate scents, and from every wicked pursuit, as many of us as are consecrating ourselves to the holy God, that by pleasing him we may obtain the inheritance of eternal goods through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON II. After Pascha. That we ought to die continually by a voluntary death, and concerning trouble.

Brethren and Fathers, the Pascha has passed, and the holidays are over. But if we wish, it is not the time to stop rejoicing and keeping holiday; for it is permitted to us to rejoice always, and to keep holiday spiritually, according to that saying: *Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice.* But how will this be? If we keep the fresh memory of the sufferings of our Savior Jesus Christ perpetually, and how the glorious Master was for us nailed to the cross, and buried, and on the third day raised, restoring us and imparting life with himself, so that we, having been revived, no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died and rose for us, and may say with confidence with the Apostle: *I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of Jesus, who loved me and delivered himself for me.* This is the summary of the mystery: to die to the world, to live to God. Wherefore we ought, even after Pascha, to watch intently, to pray, to be stirred up, to weep, to be enlightened, ^C always bearing about the death of the Lord Jesus in our body, daily studying to die, assiduously becoming pilgrims from the body, and proceeding to God through the flight from carnal lusts. Do not say: "It is not Lent now": it is always Lent for the intent person. Do not say: "I have been in training for a long time, and it is necessary to rest"—there is no rest here. Do not say: "I have grown old in virtue, nor do I fear"—the conversion is always to be feared, and Satan has dragged many who grew old in virtue into the abyss of sin in a single moment of time. Therefore, one must beware of him ^D

^A regarding those—and of those of the same rank, and who are deemed friends—not a few. But there is nothing strange in this. It is written: "And a man's enemies are those of his own household." And that they themselves were the instigators, and cooperated, and ate and drank with the adulterous marriage, and dipped the pen for our exile. But the Lord who then arose for the vengeance of His law; and who broke the kingdom of the adulterer by blinding him, and put to shame the conspirators, as the priests of Baal; and who gathered our humility back into our own monastery beyond hope—He Himself is present now, He Himself, even if for a little while He permitted again the forbidden union; but again He willed the mockery of the adulterous-couplers and adulter-loving Nazirites to be rejected, through the righteous judgment of our pious emperors; having returned, after the death, the adulterer to his lawful wife; and having called the lustful one an adulteress; and having left the adulterous-born child heirless, as forbidden and most lawless; as their honorable mouth has spoken to me in my hearing, according to Roman laws.

But yet those who committed lawlessness are not ashamed; nor does he who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit in the sacred prayer concerning the matrimonial crowning, hide himself; but having leaped like a cat into the Church of God, he leaps again, and begins again to defile the holy things through the sacred ministry; and he contends to have lawlessness known as righteousness; and, as they say, to demonstrate himself to be holier than the Forerunner and Baptist. For that one, rebuking Herod’s adultery and dying for the truth—this one crowned the second Herod, marked by adultery, and kissed him until death; speaking not with words, but by deeds themselves, as if John the Forerunner was deceived, having rebuked lawlessly and untimely, and having died. And what do I say of John, the greater than all the saints? He spoke back to and fought against Christ Himself, if it is daring to say, through his profane mouth. For while Christ called him an adulterer who releases his lawful wife (adultery being a grievous sin, equivalent to murder, and to male-intercourse, and to bestiality, and to sorcery, and to idolatry, as the canon of Saint Basil says), he brought this man to the altar, in the midst of all the people, and dared to utter those profane cries against the Holy Spirit, saying thus—and observe the fearful and monstrous thing—: "O Master, ^B send forth Thy hand from Thy holy habitation, and join to Thy servant Thy servant; join them in unanimity; unite them into one flesh, whom Thou hast willed to be joined to one another. Show marriage to be honorable; preserve their bed undefiled; grant that their alliance remain unspotted in a pure heart." Did you not shudder when you understood? How much do you think the Holy Spirit was provoked by this blasphemy? And the holy angels angered? Or how did the earth, opening, not immediately swallow up, like Dathan and Abiram, the instructor of the lie, and one showing— ^C

Sermo III. After holy Pascha. That we must conduct ourselves as is worthy of the monastic profession, and of the struggle for which we have died for the Lord.

Brethren and Fathers, we are filled with immeasurable joy, who see you gathering here every year, as if we were celebrating the arrival of another Pascha. But since you bring us carnal things, and one gives this, another that, such as hands are able to provide, come let us in return offer you spiritual things according to our strength. Therefore, I exhort you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to conduct your life while in the world as is worthy of the monastic profession, as is worthy of the confession we have performed, and the struggle for which we have died for the Lord, so that those who attempt to slander our noble Christian zeal as if we were criminals may be put to shame. For there are—there are those who incessantly attack the confession of Christ, as if it were a matter of turning away and unworthy, which I shudder even to say, and they deem it better to join in society with heresy than to enter into the struggle for Christ, whose condemnation is just, and their counsel is a double counsel like that of Balaam, who prepared affliction for the Israelites. Truly, there are two kinds of fornication, one of faith, the other situated in the body: so that he who is caught by heretical custom not only commits fornication against God, but by his power at the same time designs fornication in his body as well. Wherefore those who say such things are deceivers and impostors, who catch unstable minds. ^D We indeed, brothers, for our own sake and for the sake of the enemies of the truth, let us compose our life as accurately as possible, conducting ourselves excellently and polished to precision by honest studies. "Each one," it says, "of you has a psalm, has a tongue, has a doctrine; let all things be done for edification." If necessity compels us to go out, let us go out circumspectly, so that what is done may be for the benefit of those who see, that grace may shine forth in our countenance; or if it happens that we speak with a woman, let us speak with great caution, restraining our eyes from gazing, lest we receive a stimulus and an arrow into our mind. Briefly, all things are done to the glory of God, who loved us and offered Himself for us. Whose love possesses the stunned lover, not permitting him to belong to himself, but to the beloved. And this is evident in those who love carnally; for when a man loves a woman, he offers his whole self to his beloved, breathing her, thinking of her. Whether you speak of the sun, he does not wish to see the sun, but the beloved; or if you put forth a table, he will not rejoice in enjoying it, but in the beloved. And what is more beautiful than the Lord Christ, what is sweeter than His blessed love: for He is by far the most beautiful of the race of men? Is He not sweetness, and full of delights, according to the oracles? Showing this clearly, the saints, this is His fervent love, one says: "As the hart desires the fountains of waters, so my soul desires You, O God; another: "My love, Christ, has been crucified"; another again: "For the love of Christ urges us, considering this, that if one died for all, then all died: therefore all died, and for the sake of the most terrible storm it incited…

But if he does not quickly calm the fluctuating thoughts, he will have no delay in uttering this wretched cry: 'Come into the depths of the sea, and the storm has overwhelmed me.' Therefore, let reason preside, neither let the superior be dragged down by the inferior, but rather let the governing spirit act toward what is more excellent. Do you not know what sin has wrought? Has it not brought death into the world? Has it not filled the orb of the earth with sepulchers? Whence, then, is that destruction which has existed from the beginning? For man was incorrupt before the transgression, and nothing of what we mentioned would have come into existence, if the first-born had remained constant to the unstated precept. This is the author of eternal punishment, this is the burning-up of the inextinguishable fire of Gehenna, this is the food of the worm without end; this rendered the man, who was in honor, like the brute animals. Such, therefore, and so pernicious and deadly is its small measure; ^B it must be fled from, brothers, with all one's might, and virtue must be embraced—that which makes mortals equal to angels, defeats death, conquers demons, surmounts the princes of this age and the arbiters, and finally obtains the heavenly kingdom, granted to all by the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and empire, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON IV

After holy Pascha. That circumspection must be applied, and the harmful ways of sin fled.

Brothers and Fathers, the time has returned after the feast for conversation, and to return to the solemn catechesis. We are gathered together, alert, not ignorant that you have been prepared for this, and addressing you who are far from despaired of. What, therefore, is to be said in the present circumstances? It is this: that each of you, like some merchant, having gathered spiritual wealth during Lent, as if in a port having arrived at holy Pascha, having brought with you many excellent wares of virtue—that is, fasting, vigils, prayers, industry, and whatever other studies of piety there are—should take no small care to preserve them. For it is not the case that what occurs in common use is to be thought of as existing in the harbor that is described by mind and talent; for there, once you have arrived, you might enjoy leisure, secure from the waves of the sea and from dangers, whereas here the vices of the flesh rage more fiercely, and as if certain storms of wicked spirits—unchastity, gluttony, avarice, sadness, pride—invade, and one must fear lest we be inundated in the harbor. Indeed, the holy David, having caught sight of Uriah's wife without caution, what he perpetrated, those who read know: "Jacob ate and was filled, and the beloved kicked," he says. One touched a woman against her will, and inflamed by lust, contracted sin. Attend, you who hear, flee the harmful places and ways of sin; and let your eye, hearing, smell, touch, ^C taste, food, drink, and sleep be composed to the rule, lest you be drowned in the waves of vices. For this must be known: that he who crosses the sea which is subject to the senses must undergo storms and tempests; but he who crosses the deep which is grasped by the intellect, has the Lord of the storm and the calm. For if he vigorously repels absurd thoughts, he is filled with tranquility, having the Holy Spirit as a companion, as has been reported of divine Arsenius; but he who holds his senses relaxed, and introduces lusts like rivers, he himself brings upon himself a most terrible storm. But if he does not quickly calm the fluctuating thoughts, he will have no delay in uttering this wretched cry: "Come into the depths of the sea, and the storm has overwhelmed me." Therefore, let reason preside, neither let the superior be dragged down by the inferior; let the governing spirit act toward what is more excellent. Do you not know what sin has wrought? Has it not brought death into the world? Has it not filled the orb of the earth with sepulchers? Whence, then, is that destruction which has existed from the beginning? For man was incorrupt before the transgression, and nothing of what we mentioned would have come into existence, if the first-born had remained constant to the unstated precept. This is the author of eternal punishment, this is the burning-up of the inextinguishable fire of Gehenna, this is the food of the worm without end; this rendered the man, who was in honor, like the brute animals. Such, therefore, and so pernicious and deadly is its small measure; it must be fled from, brothers, with all one's might, and virtue must be embraced—that which makes mortals equal to angels, defeats death, conquers demons, surmounts the princes of this age and the arbiters, and finally obtains the heavenly kingdom, granted to all by the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and empire, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON V

On the Octave of Pascha. Concerning the dreadful tribunal, and concerning passing the days of our present life with circumspection.

Brothers and Fathers, let the delay of the present life not beget in us sloth, or dissolution, and contempt, but rather care, and a more keen study of pleasing God, as if death were imminent. For no servant approaching to render an account to his master, or an envoy to him who sent him, lives securely, but is so solicitous that he seems to be out of his mind. What, therefore? Do we also stand over our master, or rather, does the master stand over us, and the terrible tribunal for rendering accounts, at which we shall all stand naked and exposed, about to give an account of the life we have led, and about to receive either the heavenly kingdom or eternal punishment? Who, then, is instructed for this, or who could sleep, and not hasten to perform the master's will, more pernicious than fire, lest he be caught like the servant, bound hand and foot, and cast out? If such examples do not terrify us, let us speculate about the future from the present. Do we not see royal enemies, so that some are afflicted with guards, others are punished with lashes; others are deported into exile, others lose their eyes, others approach the danger of life? Yet they have not even committed an offense, so that they too stand timidly, serve fearfully, sent here and there, to wars and difficult business: and no one contradicts, or obeys less. If it is so with a fading king, how much more so with the eternal and only King, and Lord of lords, timidly and

are you contemptuous of the riches of his goodness, and patience, and forbearance, as the holy Scriptures say, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and impenitent heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath and revelation and the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works. Let these things frighten us, and let us pass every day cautiously and circumspectly—rising at the first light, eager, and having cast off sleep with washing, praying while the hours are not yet chanted for the resurrection—that we may return to our tasks, whether the cellarer in the cellar, or the cook in the kitchen, or the minister in his ministry, or the one exhorting in his exhortation; in short, all in all, obediently performing them. Let there be nowhere murmuring, detraction, clamor, contradiction, or retained malice, so that while you appear peaceful on the outside, you do not harbor malice within, biting in your own time like a serpent, or, mindful of injury, like a camel. Has someone offered an insult? It passes. Has he repented? Forgive him sincerely, by no means rekindling the heart, nor, according to Scripture, rendering evil for evil, or injury for injury; but on the contrary, blessing, being certain that you are called to an inherited blessing. For whoever wishes to love life and see good days, as the Scriptures affirm, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. Let him turn from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. ^B These are the lesser things; but what of the greater? We struggle against principalities and powers, and the powerful of this world of the present age—against the assault that threatens this or that; and as we hear, we are less prepared for the lesser, so how shall we hope for praise in the greater? He who is faithful in a little is faithful also in much, as the Lord says. Therefore, you who have been seen to be faithful both in the greater and the lesser benefit of Christ, you must be obedient both in your subjection and in your confession; do not limp in either direction, but be perfect in both, fulfilled in every excellent function, providing no obstacle in any matter, lest the ministry be discredited; but by pleasing God in all things, that you may enter into the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and dominion with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON VI

Before Mid-Pentecost. That we ought to prepare ourselves, fragrant with virtue.

Brothers and Fathers, with Christ risen, this whole universe, as if by a kind of death, having laid aside its winter filth, flowers again and as it were comes back to life. We truly see the earth turning green, the shoots blooming, ^C the cattle leaping, the sea calm, and everything restored to a better state.

But why have I discussed these things? It must be said: if inanimate and brute things flourish and shine so greatly in the glorious resurrection, how much more ought we, who are adorned with reason and the divine image, ^D to reveal ourselves refined in character and fragrant in spirit? For indeed it is the fragrance of Christ that renders one virtuous. The Apostle testifies to this in these words: We are the good odor of Christ to God in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing, to the one an odor of death unto death, to the other an odor of life unto life. Now, it must also be said in addition to this that Adam, before the transgression, was a fragrance to God, having obtained incorruption and immortality, free from earthly spectacles, who would inhabit a flowering meadow as if it were a garden, breathing forth virtues. Moreover, the patriarch Isaac, having sensed the fragrance in his son Jacob, said: Behold, the odor of my son is as the odor of a full field which the Lord has blessed—a scent perceived, of course, spiritually. Wherefore, brothers, let us also exhale a spiritual fragrance, which each one should fashion for himself through the composition of virtues, like a truly excellent perfumer. This is the happy ointment, this is pleasing to God, this attracts the angels, this drives away the demons; with this ointment the women became so attached to Christ, according to the song of the Canticles. And we, too, must sincerely pursue this, observing the holy Mid-Pentecost which is at the doors, since it is written: Now at the midweek feast Jesus went up into the temple and was teaching, and the Jews were amazed, saying: How does this man know letters, having never learned? But this was before the suffering; now, after the resurrection, he is visible, and living with the holy apostles, initiates them into hidden things.

And, O ineffable kindness! that he, being risen, used food, although his sacred flesh did not in the least require it. Yet for the sake of proving the resurrection, he both ate and drank, and offered his side to be touched, and ordered those who thought he was a spirit to look at his hands and feet, that they might know it was he himself. They were to handle and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, that they might see that he indeed possessed them. What do you say to these things, Christ-fighter? If he does not have flesh and bones, then he has nothing by which he can be depicted: therefore, if he does not have them later, he did not have them before. Although even he who is to be depicted silently testifies of himself that he has them, for the one proves and suggests the other.

But the Iconoclasts, holding opinions equal to the Manichaeans, will suffer equal punishment—eternal destruction—just as it is written: but we, brothers, following the orthodox opinion, believe in contemplating and adoring our Lord Jesus Christ in his image, and let us prove our life worthy of this religion, pure, blameless, and innocent, that by not limping in either direction, but praised on both sides, we may obtain the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and im

empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON VII.

Before the Ascension. On the Ascension of our Savior Christ, and that life should be conducted among us according to the will of God.

Brothers and Fathers, the feast of feasts is at hand, and the Ascension of our Savior Jesus Christ is before our doors, and a great and incredible mystery is being fulfilled: for our nature is being raised above the heavens, just as it is written: “You are saved by grace, and He raised us up together, and made us sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” who is at the right hand of God, “above all principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the future; and He has put all things under His feet, and gave Him as head over all the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things in all.” ^A Do you see to what summit of dignity humanity has been raised? Is it not from the earth to the heavens? Is it not from corruption to immortality? How greatly ought one to labor in order to become a friend of an earthly and fleeting king! Yet we, who, by committing sins, were both turned away and by nature enemies, have not only returned into favor with God, and Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, but have even attained to adoption. And now our nature is in the heavens, which every creature, visible and invisible, worships: so great is the amplitude of the immensely benign goodness of God. And reflecting on this, the blessed Apostle exclaims: “What is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the supereminent magnitude of His power toward us who believe, according to the operation of the power of His virtue, which He wrought in Christ?” For what happened? He came to us, who was born of a Virgin, subject to the customary laws of nature, climbed the cross, having nailed with Himself the handwriting that was against us, and having descended to the depths of the earth, with the pains of death dissolved, and the human race restored to life at the same time, He was finally raised up in glory, presenting Himself to the Father for our sake.

This, therefore, to speak briefly, is the holy festival. ^B Which we, brothers, having contemplated, and regarding how we are the body of Christ, should honor this benefit, maintain our nobility, and neither betray the grace nor offer the members of Christ as members of a harlot, but rather keep ourselves chaste both in words and in deed, and guard ourselves from the lusts of the flesh, which conflict with the soul. A life must be led among us that is honest, peaceful, obedient, compliant, submissive, and composed—a life, in short, that is blessed—having dismissed delights, mockeries, laughter, and intemperance, and whatever is insolent, to those who are in love with the flesh and this life. For those who see, yet do not see, nor do they hear who have ears, with a mind grown callous, and ears buried in vice, do not distinguish the base from the noble, light from darkness, life from death, and they rush into the fire that is prepared. For the lust of the flesh is fire, and yet the unbridled run toward it; the ditch is avarice, and yet they do not cease to rush headlong into the ditch, dragging a voluntary demon upon themselves, worthy to be called wretched rather than blessed, who truly, having rejected good things, embrace ruined corruptions. But as for us, brothers, let us hold the confession in which we stand and triumph in the hope of divine glory; let us maintain the exercise which the saints have followed, and1 especially he whom we are celebrating now, the blessed Pachomius; ^C let us truly see, truly hear, truly touch, using all our members truly, and applying ourselves to the word, and we shall obtain the promised eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON VIII.

That one ought to partake of the holy mysteries with a pure conscience, delivered at the Ascension.

Brothers and Fathers, the Ascension is at hand, the festival of the end and completion of the dispensation of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by the will of the Father, with all things covered, He was gloriously raised, and He has established us together in the heavens, redivivus through His holy flesh. For what is the opulence of His glory! What a great magnitude of power that He raised our vile and worthless nature to the royal throne, which is worshipped by all the heavenly hosts. Thinking of this, let us tremble, brothers, and revere the amplitude of the benefit, and lead a life worthy of the Head, so that as members of Christ, as fellow-bodies, and associates, and co-heirs, we may be endowed with chastity, knowledge, gentleness, kindness, the Holy Spirit, love that is not feigned, truthful prayer, and divine virtue, applying all obedience, and submission, and care, and caution, having contracted no insolence, doing nothing outside of the commandment. ^D Truly, he who defiles the flesh should by no means be a member of Christ, nor is he even worthy to partake of the sacred things. For truly the Apostle says: “But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; for he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore among you many are infirm and weak, and many sleep: for if we would judge ourselves, we should not indeed be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we should not be judged with this world.” Wherefore let us show ourselves holy and pure, that we may be rightly called members of Christ, and partake of the sacred things. But if it should happen to the unwary to lapse into evil lust, or anger, or envy, or hatred, or anything else hateful to God, it is no wonder, so long as we are quickly restored to our former state and healed, and do not persist in the wickedness: for to persist holds an inexorable condemnation. For is death not creeping up suddenly? Behold, yesterday we visited the bishop who was ill, and we found him given up, entirely exhausted by fevers, entirely powerless with pain, here,

^A looking toward that place, discovering help nowhere, unless by knowledge—whether good or evil. What then, shall we not also suffer the same? What, indeed, are these things but a dream and a shadow compared to future punishments? The fire is not quenched, the worm does not die, darkness is not dissipated, bonds are not loosened, Tartarus does not gape, the gnashing of teeth does not cease; all else is unending torment. Since I know you, brothers, are reflecting on this, let us not be led by the desire for pleasure, nor by envy, nor by malice, nor by anger; let us not engage in slander or lies, nor design anything contrary, but rather maintain peace and a certain equanimity of soul. Let us be spurred on, let us earn merit, let us love one another divinely, and let us fulfill all the commandments, so that we may both escape punishment and attain eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON IX.

Before Holy Pentecost. Concerning the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the death of the unhappy Euprepianus.

Fratres Patresque, we have arrived at Pentecost, at the descent of the Holy Spirit; for the Lord says: *It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Paraclete will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you, and when he is come, he will guide you into all truth* (John xvi, 7, 8). O promise and benefit! He promised to send not an angel, not a man, but the Spirit itself, of one essence. Therefore, the only-begotten Son having completed the Father’s work and ascending into the heavens, the Holy Spirit descended—not another God (far be it!), but another Paraclete, as it is written (John xiv, 16), being for us a future consolation (O incredible kindness!). He truly consoles the afflicted and vexed mind so that it does not succumb in dangers; the Apostle testifies to this sentiment: *Without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus* (II Cor. vii, 5, 6). He consoles the mind struck by the terrors of demons, restoring it to an unensnared fortitude by his boldness; the author, holy David, says in these words: *For thou, Lord, hast helped me, and comforted me* (Psal. lxxxv, 17). He exhorts the inimical mind to pursue peace and quiet; the Apostle’s saying is testimony to this: *We are ambassadors for Christ, [we pray you] as though God did beseech you by us: be ye reconciled to God* (II Cor. v, 20). Do you see the peerless companionship? Do you see the incomparable gift? Above, the only-begotten Son intercedes for us with the Father, just as it is written: *Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us* (Rom. viii, 34); below, the Holy Spirit consoles us in manifold ways. What, then, shall we render to God for these things? Perhaps it is for us to usurp this and say: *All my bones shall say: Lord, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?* (Psal. xxxiv, 10). And again: ^B *My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth* (Psal. cxxxiii, 8); and: *Unless the Lord had helped me, my soul had almost dwelt in hell* (Psal. xciv, 17); and again: *The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me* (Psal. cxvii, 6).

Therefore, having obtained such a Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, an invincible force, a great defender, and God and ally, let us not be terrified, Fratres Patresque, at the enemy’s frightfulness, nor be dismayed by the malignant hostile forces. But having Him as a fellow soldier and companion in enduring both monastic and confessional struggles, let us press on, moreover, with spirit and with steady step, making progress daily, not being ensnared by the dragon’s frauds, not broken by perpetual insults, with every desire of the flesh extinguished, so that He might kindle our souls as if they were a house. Believe me, it is not pleasure, but vehement pain; it is not delight, but a certain consternation [

Ἔκστασις φρενῶν

profession of virginity, and that man, like Giezi, 41 buying fields and vineyards, etc.

Wherefore, he not only contracted his leprosy, but, as I believe, something even sadder. See what avarice has brought about, brothers: let us flee the vice, I beseech you, as a factory of betrayal. See what obstinacy has demanded: let us flee the darkness that tears us away from the Lord’s assembly; let us flee all the other vices that harass our miserable soul—fury, envy, rage, zeal, obstinacy, success; flee being alone, so that you may avoid the curse foretold by God: for, Woe to him who is alone, it is said, for when he falls he has no one to lift him up 43; which is what happened to the person of whom we are speaking. If he had had a companion, however much he fell, he could have risen again by the help of a companion, and lamented his sin again; but he who had no one, perished miserably, having departed to his own place. It is a tragedy, brothers, worthy of sorrow and lamentation. Let him who stands, it says, take heed lest he fall 43; let him who runs well beware lest he be cast down, seeing he who formerly ran well cast down. Who, I think, would have judged that an angel would fall more easily than a brother, and yet he fell, slumbering, and the cause is avarice. I would not have spoken about avarice, had I not feared that now, as you flee from one place to another, and with the care for life’s provision pressing upon you, if you do not guard yourselves diligently, you might fall into the snare of avarice. Hence, many do not suffer to have a companion, being beguiled by gold; hence, they cannot embrace spiritual love, with domestic vices contracted; hence, their feet cannot rest, but they run here and there, like little dogs, if only they might turn silver away from the pious; hence, some have purchased slaves, being slaves of vices, having lost their lordly dignity; others hurry to get other least necessary things, and store them up for use, becoming sellers and purchasers, engaging in huckstering gain. Respect God’s judgment, brothers; whom will it escape, who designates anything in the hiddenness of the mind, much less according to the exterior man? Look at the sentence of death upon the two brothers who have now died, Milites and Barnaba, and before them others, and we in turn will follow. I ask that death does not catch anyone unprepared and less than ready. The destruction is not small—the loss of God and the celestial kingdom, and torture and perennial punishments, which deformed mortality cannot bear, much less having departed into the fire, which will come to pass, unless one performs what is pleasing to God. Therefore, that we may be able to escape the threats of wrath that hang over the obstinate, let us do, I entreat, what is commanded, to God now ^B serving, in what part each person feels he lacks, as a purifier, and the mind is an innovator toward God’s will: He is near to all who call upon Him, and daily, while He admits repentance, He also destroys sins, and earnestly exhorts us to embrace perennial life. Which may we deserve to attain through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and into all eternity. Amen.

SERMON X

On all the saints. That not only those who shed their blood are martyrs, but also those who pursue a divine life.

Brothers and Fathers, the supreme feast of feasts is the holy Pentecost, which we have celebrated; but the solemnity of all the saints, which we now reach, is also a feast. And since it is proper to a feast to prepare something excellent in our reflection, call to mind, if you please, how many and how great are the saints who are commemorated. And who can count the stars of heaven or the sand diffused to the shore of the sea? So many are the martyrs throughout the world, who have conquered the adversarial power by faith, and, girded for tyrannical battle-lines, have reached out into fire, sword, wild beasts, and all terrors—they who considered punishments as delights, and decapitation as pleasure. Indeed, with this confidence they have trampled on glowing coals, they have extinguished burning pyres, having the tyrants and kings astonished ^C at nature-defying deeds, matters greater than nature. What did they testify? That Jesus is both Christ and the Son of God, in whose name dwelled eternal life, with the Scriptures as authors. Are, then, only those martyrs who shed their blood? By no means, but also those who pursue a divine life; for the Apostle says: They wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, distressed, afflicted; of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts, in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth 44. And a little after: Having such a cloud of martyrs, laying aside every weight, and the sin that surrounds us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to the author and finisher of faith, Jesus 45. Do you see how he called all the lovers of piety martyrs, and those who drag out an afflicted life through endurance? Wherefore, brothers, we are numbered in this martyrdom; for we who, enduring the hardships of life, embrace the cross-bearing, who protect the virginal vow, and in the duty not to be held back, in which there is something of the contest, we testify that Jesus is Christ and the Son of God, we testify to the future judgment and remuneration, we testify that we are to render an account of a precise life at the terrible tribunal of Christ, resisting the devil, the enemy of Christ, who tortures, and by the constant objection of thoughts and lethal pleasures, like lashes, urges us to deny that God exists. For whose studies are corrupt, ^D

^A and who obey the rebel in the very things they do, denying that God exists, according to the sentiment of holy David: *The fool has said in his heart: There is no God* (Ps. LI, 1). For unless it generates in the minds of men forgetfulness of God and, as it were, distrust, reason would not be persuaded to pursue the licenses of sin, drunkenness, intemperance, carnal lusts, banquets, drinking bouts, avarice, idolatry, and all other insolences—driving the mind, once seized by these and abstracted from God, to follow after them, and at the same time forging for itself the punishment of unquenchable fire. What a miserable deception, and how sad an end and falling away from it! But let us, brethren, as martyrs of Christ, still perform an illustrious martyrdom, still undergo a glorious confession, rejoicing with all the saints that we have been deemed worthy of martyrdom for Christ, with the knee not bent to Baal, which is the lust of the flesh and the other pleasures of life. Let us not believe the phantoms it suggests, whereby we might draw back from obedience; but rather let us struggle daily against it as in a stadium, struck indeed, but not broken in spirit; courageous, not overwhelmed. Now truly, what a compendium of martyrdom! You know how those who have completed their life in martyrdom become partakers of their joy, and are shown to be fellow-sharers in those things for which they were affected by martyrdom. Therefore, it is a consequence of this that the martyrs of Christ also, as those who have testified to him in all things by martyrdom and have endured intolerable pains for the sake of true testimony, are to be declared heirs with him in the world to come; for the sentiment of the Apostle is this: *When Christ, our life, shall appear, then you also shall appear with him in glory* (Col. III, 4). With whom may we also, by our own bloodless martyrdom (though it be long, lasting throughout our whole life), be deemed worthy to enjoy eternal goods and to triumph forever with Christ: to whom glory, honor, and worship are fitting, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XI. Sunday I. Doctrine concerning peace.

^B Brethren and Fathers, the day of the Lord is a day of peace: for the Lord, having despoiled the enemy on this day, says to his disciples: *Peace be to you* (John XX, 21). And having said this, he not only prescribed peace to them for one day, but he bestows the same peace perpetually upon all, just as it is given freely to us. Let us, therefore, hold to peace and exercise it among ourselves; this regarding the outer man, that we may not harbor any enmities with any of the brethren, but rather pursue all with love (for *in this*, he says, *all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another*; John XIII, 35); and that regarding the inner man, that we may enjoy peace and quiet from lethal vices; for thus we can say with the Apostle: *We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and glory in the hope of the glory of God* (Rom. V, 1). But if, because we are of a mutable nature, ^C it should happen that a sorrowful agitation is stirred up within us (for it happens entirely), then let us quickly return to our former state, having peace with God: *For he himself is our peace, who has made both one, and breaking down the middle wall of the partition, the enmities, in his flesh abolishing the law of commandments in decrees, that he might create in himself the two into one new man, making peace, and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, killing the enmities in himself* (Eph. II, 14–16). Thus far the Apostle. And this is the work that the Lord performed, as he addresses the Father: *I have finished the work which you gave me to do* (John XVII, 4); that is, he linked heaven and earth with peace, having made us also sons of peace and love. But if you object: "How can we not be in perpetual war, since the Apostle says: *Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places?* (Eph. VI, 12)," it is permitted to answer, to show him how great and of what kind such a war is, and that we are not provoked by war: for elsewhere he writes: *Destroying counsels and every height that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ; and having in readiness to revenge all disobedience* (2 Cor. X, 5). Moreover, since he is thus affected, there is no doubt but that he has extinguished the war and is pursuing peace. And I ought not to seem troublesome to you, brethren, who discuss these things, and am occupied in them, and investigate and examine this and that; for this is not useless, but primarily fruitful, with prayer paving the way for action. And let others speak of worldly things, as many as are worldly, concerning agriculture, trade, gain, loss, and whatever other vain pursuits there are: but what is it more suitable for us to speak, or what is it fitting to speak, save of the soul, of the flight from vices, of the acquiring of virtues, of the separation of the body from the soul, and of the comparison to the tribunal of Christ, of judgment, of reward, and of the heavenly kingdom? of which may we also be counted worthy to be made heirs by the benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom glory and empire are fitting, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XII. Sunday II. That our life ought to be passed in the reverence and love of God, and concerning the passing of Brother Eudocimus.

^A victory? Thou art overcome by Him who said: *Have confidence, I have overcome the world*. But let us speak in the manner of the Apostle: *He has raised us up and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that He might show in the ages to come the abundant riches of His grace, in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus*. Now, [oh ineffable gift], from what [state] to what has He brought us? From death to life, from darkness to light, from servitude to freedom, from enmities to genuine friendship, even to the point of making us conformable to the image of the Son. What is this ineffable kindness? What is this magnitude of incomparable love toward us, that He should give the only-begotten Son as the price for us all? For it is not without reason to say: *Who shall declare the powers of the Lord, [and] make all his praises heard?* Wherefore, let us return love to Him who loved us, let us die for Him who died for us, having turned away from flesh and blood, neither snared by the deceits of the serpent, nor wallowing in the pleasures of life, nor having tasted the fruit of sin, from whence death proceeded; for it is written: *For if we sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrible expectation of judgment, and the indignation of fire ^B which shall consume the adversaries*. Therefore, let us serve God with reverence and attentiveness, let us pass our life cautiously and composedly, let us maintain our ministries with discreet patience, drawing care not only in spiritual matters, but even in carnal ones—such as the burning of wood and the pouring of water, which, as you see, are in short supply on this island—and finally, let us keep in mind the sentence of death: for even now Brother Eudocimus has departed to God. If the death of a brother does not restrain us, what indeed will recall us? If the mystery of death instructs us not, what will hold us back from harmful passions? While we are speaking of this and advising concerning that, suddenly the dreadful day will come upon us. But surely it is dreadful and unhappy to those who are usurped by wickedness, who are bound by sins which they have not confessed, to those who are irreverent, immodest, stubborn; but it is joyful, gentle, and kindly to those who love God and are studious of virtues: the modest, the obedient, the submissive. Wherefore I exhort and admonish you, brothers, that having taken these thoughts to heart, we may with every effort abstain from flagrant sins, that we may carry the love of Christ in our breast, having performed our duties through virtues, so that our life being thus spent, we may hold the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

HOMILY XIII.

Sunday III. On the remembrance of death, and on the defense of a life spent toward the terrible tribunal.

Brothers and Fathers, the day is truly one of those which are reckoned in the Resurrection, ^C but I have to speak to you of death. For you know that brothers and Fathers are departing from life one after another: a thing which is nothing else but a monument that we too shall depart from here as soon as possible. We depart, indeed, not into earthly and mortal places and regions, but into perennial and immaterial mansions, from whence it is forbidden for him to return who has once arrived there. Indeed, while death is terrible when heard of, it is more terrible when kept before the eyes: which we learned six days ago in the case of the prefect of Chalcitis, whom we found breathing his last; we were struck by the deed, that in one moment of time he was with us, and [then] departed from us, committed to the tomb. And truly it is a terrible report and an unusual spectacle. Therefore, while still breathing, the blessed man uttered this voice: *I have come before Paul*, moving his head and hand simultaneously at that saying: he did not reveal the manner, but we felt whence this trembling was. And I have said these things, not disparaging him (in the least, truly), but rather frightening myself and confirming you, that we be not caught unprepared to utter such a voice at the moment of our emigration, but [that we be] ready and unterrified, since it is written: *I am prepared, and I am not troubled*: which we shall by no means attain, unless we are always intent, and unless we diligently guard what has been entrusted and correct what has been admitted, repenting, being thus prepared as if about to set out for heaven.

For whom, I ask, are we to stand? Not before the Judge of all, and to God before whom all will bow, heavenly, ^D earthly, subterranean, and [to whom] all tongues confess? What account shall we render? Not of all things done in life, whether in deeds, or in words, or in thoughts? By my faith, these things, as often as I contemplate them in my mind, cause horror, and they are almost present before you—though you are [permitted to be] unterrified, you, I say, who render yourselves obedient to what is said and place all your study in obedience: for this is the life of true obedience. And truly, what defense will those prepare for themselves before the terrible tribunal of Christ who, having cast off obedience, live as solitaries, who wander hither and thither as vagabonds, having no stability in their feet, who drag about their bought service? Alas for my sufferings! how greedily is vice sought! How they have gone back, having entered upon the straight path of the monastic life! "It was better," he says, "for them not to know the way of justice, than after receiving the knowledge to turn back from what was delivered to them by the holy commandment." But that holds true for them: *The dog has returned to his own vomit, and the sow, after washing, to her wallowing in the mire*. What do you say, good man? To drag the servant, bound to the world, an exile, and loosed from all carnal commerce? Therefore, take for yourself a wife also: for these two things are tributes to the world and to worldly men; but those who seriously enter upon a life of the cross are alienated from both. But as it seems, the cause is sin: for being given to pleasures and gold (I add also, to the love of women), lest anyone be an inspector, and

^A point out the things performed in secret, we desire not to have a brother, but rather solitude—or rather, a market of slaves, as we are indeed sold to sin and are bondmen of flesh and blood. Hence come discords, hence offenses, hence cruel and manifest injuries. Hence I am sorrowful and dejected, and being one who may rebuke and testify, I am nowhere heard. But what is His judgment? "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloke for their sin"; I am innocent of the blood of such wretched men. And indeed, I could have brought the battle line to bear, according to the command of the precept, but since persecution presses, I still delay, if perhaps now at last they may recover from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive at his will. But as for you, blessed of God, who are together in one place—two or three, or as is and is greater, even reaching to an encomium, who lead a coenobitic life, remaining at home, and not going out importunately unless there is need, especially into the forum and public celebrations, serving one another, and in this, masters of the world, pure from the sordid market of slaves, performing all things according to God’s intent and in an orderly manner. To you indeed grace and peace are increased, being destined to see the goods of the heavenly Jerusalem, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon 14

Brothers and Fathers, we must speak, and not be silent for long; for silence induces sleep in the soul, and sleep is the architect of death, concerning which David prayed, saying: "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death." But the word stirred up in the soul is a fountain of water springing up into eternal life; than which what is more useful? And knowing this, the blessed Apostle says: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another." Do you see how he commands us to teach and admonish one another, and not be content merely to warn ourselves? And indeed, whenever I discourse to you, I confess that I profit, as I recall and chide myself from the confusion of this life, and become more attentive to my own failings: for truly this life is a confusion, into which vicious words and vain rumors daily press, while the devil also rages through contrary thoughts. Which we must always dispel by the word, and render the conscience pure and blameless, and seriously reflect on what we are prepared for. But for what are we prepared? Namely, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come, as the Letters testify. Now, no servant awaiting his master, nor defendant awaiting his judge, sleeps and indulges in rest and luxuries, but rather is watchful and awake. He fears the encounter, as the Apostle again ^C demonstrating, says: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." But who are they? The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the pure in heart, the meek, the peaceful, the merciful, those who have finished their course under the yoke of obedience, who have kept their confession constant—these are the ones who will be with Him; but those who commit vile deeds, the unbridled, those who reject confession, who refuse obedience, who design other evils, they will neither be caught up into the clouds, nor be with Him, but rather (most miserable) will pay the penalty, eternal destruction, banished from the face and glorious majesty of the Lord, which God forbid that you should even think or speak of. Therefore, we must sound a retreat, and keep in mind our salvation, for we know that dangers are before our eyes: for behold, besides others, the steward of brother Gregory has also been apprehended, and we do not know what will happen, and temptations are impending, as it appears. But let us not fear, nor tremble at the incoming temptations. For if God is for us, who is against us? He who was with us in former perils, how will He not also be with us in the present ones, to establish and strengthen us against all things, as He has promised? Now what more will the enemies attempt? Will they persecute us again? "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." Will they shut us in prison again? But nothing is more pleasant than prison for Christ's sake. Will they scourge us again? But they will be the authors of many crowns for us. But if they kill us, "the Lord our God was also killed." "If we be dead with him," he says, "we shall also live with him." Such was the blessed and supreme martyr of Christ, Theodore, whose memory we keep, having suffered all things for Christ with joy. With this confidence, let us also continue to serve God, and with this hope let us endure all afflictions and straitness of circumstances, so that with obedience, and by confession, we may seek the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon 15

Brothers and Fathers, since the memory of the Forerunner fell yesterday, the recollection of the life in the monastery came to mind—how we were all in the house of God, living in harmony, as now we are dispersed one from another into different places and regions. Although we ought to rejoice because we are dispersed for the sake of Christ's word, from this command of the precept, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven"; then also because we have something like the Lord, whose words these are: "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if my word

all will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know him who sent me." In truth, just as the Jews ignore the Father, having fled from the Son, so the Iconoclasts, by denouncing his image, ignore Christ.

Indeed, when the truth is manifest, so too is the intelligent man, one out of a thousand. And behold, you fools, the twofold nature of their sacrilegious opinion: at one time maintaining that Christ's image should not be depicted, and at another that it should, provided that it is treated like the memorials of wars and hunting. Thus, they declare it unworthy of adoration; yet, if there were no image of a horse, or an ox, or a lion, or a leopard, or a serpent, or a bird, or a fish, would it be adored? What man (alas!) is so devoid of sense as not to groan at this? Who could restrain his tears? Is it not an act of audacity to fail to revere the image of Christ, which the angels venerate and the demons fear, by comparing and decorating it with wild quadrupeds, serpents, birds, and aquatic creatures? Oh, horrible deformity of mind, and even more horrible audacity! ^B And what then? They call the image of a man that of a man, an ox that of an ox, an ass that of an ass, a camel that of a camel, a partridge that of a partridge; and the same logic holds for other things, whether living beings or plants. But as for Christ, or the Theotokos, or any of the saints, they do not allow them to be named after their prototype or their representation; they only call them by this name, "image"—without adding anything further, lest they be bound by it—so teeming are they with impiety and ignorance.

But grant me your attention here, brothers, and consider this additionally, alongside what the holy Fathers and I myself have said about such nonsense. If the places where Christ was born are both considered and called adorable and holy, and if one obtains dust or a stone from there and embraces it as a sacred treasure, how much more venerable and adorable is the image of Christ, in which there exists, as in a mirror, the one who shines forth and is adored? For such is the nature of an image, that it bears the face of the one it represents. Since I understand the keys at Rome to be those of the prince of the apostles, Peter, although the Lord ^C did not grant him keys that are subject to the senses, but rather those that are held by intelligence—the power to bind and to loose. Yet they propose for adoration those made of silver; such is their religion. And there, in a sense, is an unbreakable rock of religion founded on the Lord's pronouncement; here, as it appears, it is accumulated irreligion and wickedness. Wherefore I speak here, troubled in spirit and fearing the penalty of silence, strictly out of necessity, matters that are brief and few. Clearly, when they move their impious tongue against Christ—secretly, openly, in writing, and without writing—should we, residing at home, not treat these matters seriously among ourselves? And we who are to bear the Lord's wrath? In what way shall we imitate the Fathers, who, in similar times, deemed that to be silent and to be struck down was a betrayal of the truth? One must, therefore, speak and listen, and devote oneself to discourse and to deeds alike; for the blessed apostles were not only to be praised by divine proclamation, but by an irreproachable life ^D that conquered the world, illuminating those who have been blinded, while they carried only a pouch and a staff. While we, brothers, emulating them, seek praise on both sides, content with present things, not addicted to money, without estates (I say this not for your sake, but for the sake of the erring), not proceeding unseasonably, and not keeping women as companions, from whom death has been brought forth. If we follow this manner of life, then glory will be prepared for God through us, and repute for the confession that is at hand, and our enemies will soon return to sanity and fruitfulness; but if we do not follow it, there is a danger that, instead of blessedness, we shall reap eternal punishment. Moreover, may the God of peace, who changes all things and fashions them for the better, both compose the Church and imbue you with prudence, and preserve you all for the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XVI. At the beginning of summer. On the slaughter of vices and the spiritual harvest.

Brothers and fathers, it is summer, a time of labor and sweat; for mortals go forth to their work and their task until evening, bent and upright, just as is expedient; nor do they grant themselves rest as long as the harvest is here and the threshing is complete, and the seeds that are at hand have been gathered into the barn. What then is to be said here? Undoubtedly, if things stand thus in carnal matters, it is much more necessary to have a theory in spiritual matters, for a summer is proposed to us as well. To which the Apostle's saying pertains: "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows in blessings will also reap in blessings." The Lord's pronouncement to the disciples is also this: "Do you not say that there are still four months, and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the regions, for they are white already to harvest, and he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit into life eternal, that both he who sows may rejoice together, and he who reaps." Behold the harvest set before us.

Wherefore let us also go forth eagerly to reap, and let us gather fruits—not carnal, but spiritual, and those that endure eternally; holiness, peace, charity, joy, gentleness, tolerance, kindness, meekness, and all other virtues. These are the fruits of the Spirit, which it is necessary to winnow through the habit by which we discern, that is, to prepare a virtue untainted by vices (for example, to love, but not with lust; to emulate the excellent, but not with envy; to speak of a brother, but not in a hostile way), and rather to sincerely carry out the will of God, good, well-pleasing, and perfect, as it is written. But if it is necessary to gather them into the barn too, this is the very thing that is sought, namely, humble protection, since the Lord commands: "When you have done all, say: We are useless servants."

^A servants," we have done what we ought to have done. And again the Apostle says: "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" This is that harvest, and the struggle set before us is so great—a struggle not viewed as lasting two or three months, but extending to the very end of life; although, compared to the age to come, it is considered like a single day. There, moreover, there is no end; there every man shall eat of the labors of his hands; there we shall dwell under the mighty arbiter and Lord of the age: provided that we still mortify these earthly members—fornication, lust, impurity, evil desire, avarice; provided that we still bear the yoke of obedience, benevolently enduring one another and bearing one another's burdens, and thus fulfilling the law of Christ, as it is written. Blessed indeed is he who fears all things with caution; blessed is he who struggles most: for where there is a greater struggle, there is also a greater reward. And he who seeks the lowest ministry, he shall carry off the first prizes, since the Lord says: "Whoever wishes to be the greatest among you, let him be the last of all and the servant of all." Thus the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a redemption for all. Let us, brothers, contemplate these things, and let us hasten to act, so that we may hear this voice: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your Lord": to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XVII. In Summer. On the spiritual harvest and the struggle of Christ's servants.

Brothers and Fathers, the time of the year is summer, as you see, and everywhere the farmers arise to gather the grain; nor does the toil content them, nor does the scorching sun break the laborer, but he struggles from morning until evening, now bent, now upright, as he performs his work, applying himself. What of us, then, who are called servants of Christ? Do we have a summer? Most certainly, and one of such a kind as our Lord Jesus Christ showed to his disciples in these words: "Do you not say that there are still four months, and then the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and see the fields, for they are already white for the harvest; and he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit into eternal life, so that both he who sows may rejoice together with him who reaps." ^B Therefore it appears from what has been said, and the time described, that they are constant and perpetual. Let us therefore reap from this moment, brothers, with alacrity; that is, the teacher at his teaching, the superior at his zeal, the minister at his service, the subordinate at his obedience, the quiet soul at his quietude, the supplicant at his struggle; everyone in all things, as far as it is possible for it to be done. It is a crime for carnal laborers to be prompt in managing their works, while we ^C are sluggish and lax in approaching spiritual studies; for them not to abstain from labors, flowing with sweat, while we are led by the fastidiousness of monastic struggle. Is not the heavenly kingdom the goal? Is it not life everlasting? Is it not ineffable joy? Is it right for the slothful to prepare for the highest and most desirable rewards? Not at all. Therefore, we must keep watch with all our might, and we must reap, not that which is perishable and mortal, but that which is eternal and immortal, so that this may be applied to us also: "You shall eat the labors of your hands; blessed are you, and it shall be well with you." Let no one say: "I am ill, and I cannot reap." You are ill in body, but in spirit, if you indeed will it, you are able to perform good works. You have tears, you have compunction, you have the vigils of the mind, you have peace, and you have holiness, which are primarily dear to God. Let no one say: "I am afflicted, and I cannot rise to my feet." Only be willing, and He who raises the needy from the earth and lifts the poor out of the mire will raise you up. Is it possible that he who falls will not rise again, or he who is turned away will not return? "As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live." What apology therefore remains, what plausible defense, that we do not obey with all zeal what we are commanded, and take possession of the goods that are promised? Behold, our holy Fathers have labored, they have sown, they have reaped, they have gathered a life of perennial fruit into the barns, and now ^D rejoicing they await the supreme representation of light, in which they will shine like the sun. Therefore, brothers, I exhort you not to commit ourselves to be separated from those blessed ones, nor to lose our salvation for the sake of brief and meager days and pleasures, about to suffer immortal punishment: but as much as is possible, let us strive to follow them, bearing all things, enduring all things, so that we may behold the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XVIII. In Summer. On turning away from the things that are pleasant in this life, and towards the perennial goods.

Brothers and Fathers, the summer season of the year breaks the body, and with the addition of the vigil, perhaps we grow sluggish regarding the hearing of the Catechesis. But indeed, ordered to prepare for life according to the edict of the Apostle as if we were to die daily, and with the funeral director speaking to the dying, and rendering listeners attentive, come, let us also strive to listen, and let us kindle our souls as if reading a testament to those things which are being said. For a testament is of things which are placed in the flesh, being carnal and pertaining to what is commanded regarding carnal things; that is, the inheritance is left to a wife, children, brothers, relations, and whatever else custom prescribes: but this testament of ours declares nothing of the kind; but what then? That we are guests and pilgrims in this world, and that we have brought into this world...

nothing, and ^A undoubtedly can take nothing away, passing from things that perish to things that are incorruptible, from things inglorious to glorious, and from mortal to immortal.

So that he does not err who calls this testament a good message: since the Apostle also considers it better by many parts to “depart, and be with Christ”; and elsewhere again: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Do you see how he declares his departure as a good message? Therefore, since this testament of ours is a good message, let us gladly listen to what is said, and let us eagerly maintain our exercise, with a soul turned away from any carnal affinity, not to parents, not to brothers, not to kinsmen. And why do I mention these or those? The mind must not even be turned towards the very nature of things. Indeed, one of the holy Fathers, whenever he stepped out of his cell, would cover his head, so as not to fix his gaze upon the rays of the sun, and when asked the reason, he replied: "What is there to see, that I should wish to look upon the temporal light?" In the same way, let the seeker of God, having dismissed all things, strive only for divine love and contemplation; and when with his eyes he encompasses this whole universe, which pertains to them, he admires and praises God, the All-Powerful Creator, and then quickly passes by things subject to the senses, remaining in those things that escape the gaze, so that ^B he may sweetly banquet thereon and pluck a certain spiritual joy and gladness. Such was the patriarch Abraham: for it is written: “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Such also was that great Moses: for by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Such were all the saints, in no way looking at things that are seen, nor led by the desire of temporal things, but of eternal ones, being transformed in these, as much as possible, into the divine likeness. This, then, let us also make our study, and neither let us covet what is beautiful in this life, nor, living carnally, let us admire what is such, but rather let us groan deeply at those who gamble away the legacy of promised goods on gold, silver, and pestiferous pleasures, voluntarily clothing themselves in the blindness of things that are clearly transitory. But let us, brethren, to speak apostolically, with open face beholding the glory of the Lord, seek things above, set our minds on things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God, so that it may be allowed to us also to claim: "You are not of this world," and "Your conversation is in heaven." In which may we stand blameless until the day of recompense and the just judgment of God, hearing the desirable voice, and being called to the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XIX. After the Quadragesima of the holy Apostles. On tolerance, and on those who come to renounce the world.

Brethren and Fathers, time passes and runs on. ^C Since the Quadragesima of the holy Apostles has passed, together with the labors provided, because of the thirst contracted by the heat, and at the same time the consolation because of the hope: for that thirst procures for us the draught of immortality, and the bitterness which is sought for the mouth will prepare the sweetness of paradise. And knowing this, brethren, let us joyfully bear all the bitter things that happen according to God in the hope of the reward. But that hope which is seen, as the Apostle’s saying goes, is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Thus, tolerance is the highest perfection of virtues. Tolerance joined the martyrs to celestial crowns; through tolerance the saints received the reward of justice. Wherefore let us also use tolerance for obedience, humility, gentleness, for exercise in ministries, and all the pursuits of obedience, and we shall receive an equal reward for them. Indeed, the yoke of obedience does not escape me, nor the labor of breaking the will; but I also grasp the sweetness of life: for to him who breaks his will, the way is most easy, and salvation is sought without any trouble. Therefore, we must strive to break the will, and life will follow, happy and unencumbered. Are there labors in the cenobium? There is rest as well. Do you labor more than another? You will have a greater reward: since "Every man," he says, "shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." Do you yield ^D kindly to another? You hold the first place: for "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." Are you weaker, so that you cannot handle heavier tasks? Yet do not neglect these, so that in all things God may be praised. Let no one be slothful toward the common good. Although these things are very often remembered: yet now also they are necessarily called to memory: for the struggle that lies upon us is not small. "Behold," he says, "I have set before thee life and death." Therefore, the sermon is prepared for those who are about to seize life and flee eternal death, and it is an exhortation, and I have no doubt that these things are neither for nothing to us, nor to you who hear them in vain, and without profit. Indeed, you must be admonished, brethren, however much we live in exile for the word of God, nevertheless, as if we were living in a monastery, let us not fail to admit those coming to renounce the world, which we shall ensure through the brethren dispersed everywhere, admitting those who are ordered as such, as much as possible,

and to co-opt them into our community. Indeed, as many have departed, so have many also been added, and our congregation, both the departed and the living, continues to be frequented, and God is honored through us—He who will also honor us, as the promise holds. And since I am your leader, and you are the subordinates, I exhort you: be, as it were, a model to the others, a rule established that we may live our lives holily, justly, and piously, so that we may direct others through ourselves toward health, both by our teaching and our way of life. Thus, let there be no clamor or unseemly shouting, no contentious conversation, no putrid speech exiting the mouth; but let it be honest, profitable for edification, and useful, so that no crime is forged against our work through these things, but rather that we may please God our Lord in all things: to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XX. ON THE TRANSFIGURATION. That we must guard the beauty and grace of the soul without stain; and of repentance.

Fratres and Fathers, today, as we celebrate the pre-feast of the divine Transfiguration, come, let us construct from it a Catechesis, executing what is owed in a few words. Therefore, all the feasts of the Lord’s corporal departure of our Savior Jesus Christ suggest mysteries—for example, that He was brought into the light, that He was baptized, that He was crucified, that He was buried, that He rose on the third day, that He was taken up gloriously; but the feast of the Transfiguration depicts the state of the future age. For just as His face shone like the sun, with garments radiant like light, no differently shall He come from heaven like lightning, all-powerful and illustrious, to judge everyone; and just as Peter, John, and James were His companions on the holy mountain, so too are those chosen for the future heavenly kingdom to be associates, enjoying divine apparition and ineffable joy. Now, who is prepared for these things? Who is worthy to attain to that joy? Who else, do you suppose, than he who has a life that is pure and without stain? Indeed, our God, since He is pure, or rather the supreme light, also chooses the pure; and having bestowed upon us a pure spirit, He will demand that it also be pure from us: for, having been created according to the divine image and likeness, there is no doubt that he who is an image of divine beauty must himself be endowed with beauty. And understanding this, the Melodist says: *Lord, in Thy will Thou hast established strength for my beauty* (Ps. XXIX, 8): that is, for the beauty of my soul, lest, prone to the foul lusts of sin and rendered deformed, it should fall away from God and divine rewards. Therefore, I exhort and admonish you to examine whether we possess such a soul—beautiful and fair, to be returned to God as if it were a deposit on the supreme day of the resurrection—so that we may truly love beauty, and guard this fairness, not turning at all toward the wars and the graces of the flesh and of blood in this world: for these are not graces, but shadows of graces. And the outcome of things will teach us this; for he who is today pleasant and elegant will be cast into the tomb tomorrow, foul-smelling and horrible to all: so much so that there is nothing beautiful and lovable except virtue, which alone is venerable. Which is to be pursued above all, brethren; if it should happen that the soul, stumbling continually, is polluted by foul thoughts, which cannot be denied (for who can boast of having a chaste mind?), it must be cleansed as soon as possible and restored to its original state, lest, by lingering in wickedness, it contract death. And let no one say that he cannot be cleansed, being stung by many crimes, lest he hear Him who says: *If your sins be as scarlet, I shall make them white as snow; and if they be as crimson, I shall make them white as wool* (Isa. I, 18). See the immense benefit of God, that He promises not only to cleanse the penitent, but also to lead him to the blossom of beauty. Nor are the examples obscure. The prophet David was such a man, and, having fallen into the crime of adultery and homicide, he did not lose heart, but, employing repentance quickly, he received the prophetic office again. Manasseh, having been removed from Israel for fifty-two years, having returned to fruitfulness, obtained salvation. The leader of the Apostles, after his denial, by the medicine of tears carried again the burden of the apostleship. Mary of Egypt, to pass over others without number, who had descended to the extreme of softness, after she had worthily humbled herself, you see how she ascended to the highest summit of virtue. Therefore, for one who wishes to be saved, there is no pretext of powerlessness unless one, being lost, clothes oneself in death of one's own accord. But why do you persist in being lost, O race of Israel? we hear: why, when eternal life is proposed, do we prefer eternal death? Our kind Master cries out daily: *Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you* (Matth. XI, 28), and we do not wish to cast off the burden of our sins. The same proclaims: *I am the light of the world: he that followeth me walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life* (Joan. VIII, 12), and we go in the opposite direction, testifying by our very deeds: we do not wish to know Your way. It remains, therefore, for us to hear: *Walk in the light of your fire and in the flame which you have kindled* (Isa. L, 11): but those who do these things, He says, *shall not obtain the kingdom of God* (Galat. V, 21); but let it be far from us that this be said. *For you are my friends,* says the Lord, *if you do the things that I command you* (Joan. XV, 14). Therefore, let us do all that we are ordered, so that we may be named friends, and so that we may attain the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

ON THE REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH: in which also regarding the passing of Michael, the most holy Metropolitan of Synada.

Fratres and Fathers, while many celebrations are held in this age, both divine and human, there is one... the nature of which, to speak more truly, is corruption and mutability.

long and laborious is the course of every man’s life: from which having set out, you must then finish your term, of necessity awaiting the final day and the supreme fire, which shall judge and purify all our works. Having completed this, our spiritual father Michael, the most holy metropolitan of Synada, has departed to God: whose life is praised and whose discourse is illustrious, and we believe that he, together with the rest of the Fathers and confessors, has God as his helper in the present confession. Wherefore let the impious Iconoclasts by no means triumph in their minds, boasting of those who have defected from the confessors of Christ; let them know instead that the departure of these men is held to be a sign of the stability of God’s Church, and a confirmation of the truth for us who remain, while they reject their own blind error. And while faith, working through love, seeks salvation for man, I now exhort you also, as always, to carry out the commandments of God, and to be ready for the journey, on account of the uncertainty of death: for you know that the aforementioned Father was suddenly seized with sharp pains and a burning fever, and on the following day, being unable to speak, on the third day he rendered up his spirit. Before him, Athanasius, the notable prefect of Paulopetrium, did not even last a day in his illness, but was snatched from the midst of men at once. We even hear of some overtaken by lightning and consumed, and many other wholly unexpected cases. Therefore, one must fear, and the soul must be braced, while the devil is daily enticing us, lest he lead us to that anxious final hour, in which the pursuit of repentance will be in vain and sluggish. Therefore, let not the aforementioned examples terrify you, nor fill you with horror, dwelling on the thought: when the tongue can no longer speak and the soul is pulled out of the body, does it go forth? When perhaps many stand by, and weep, what help is there, if not for a good conscience?

Therefore, I warn and beseech you: let us forestall that hour with confession, tears, prayer, obedience, submission, the fulfillment of our ministry, and every honest practice, lest, preempted by sloth and negligence, we be lulled into eternal death, which the holy David prays against. ^A But perhaps someone might say that he wishes to do so, but cannot. And what (dreadful) madness is this? For if things that surpass nature were required, then indeed it would not be permitted to fly into the air or to walk upon the water, nor even to speak with our nostrils or smell with our tongue, which things are strange and foreign to nature. But if it is in those things which are conjoined with nature and placed within our own will, the plea is mendacious. For just as we can spread out and laugh, so we can also be restrained and weep; as we can be defiled by wicked lusts and the traffic of foul thoughts, so we can be cleansed and purged of vices; as we can grow callous and persist in sins, so we can return to fruitfulness and feel compunction. But wicked lust, having established a habit in us, has rendered us weak toward virtue, yet strong toward vice. Nevertheless, one must not despair (not at all), but must begin the work ^B of not letting any day or hour pass by thoughtlessly; but, attentive and vigilant, examined and purified, let us be joined to God, so that it may be permitted for us too to claim: *My soul hath stuck close to thee, thy right hand hath upheld me* 95. And thus, having excellently finished the course here, and having departed with good hope, may we obtain the celestial kingdom through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory and power, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXII.

On the passing of John, the most holy metropolitan of Chalcedon, and how we shall recognize one another when risen.

Brethren and Fathers, having been away for the past few days and having returned, and finding you living in peace and composed, we give thanks to God that we might rejoice in your modesty, which is the mark of good, obedient men who are steadfast in what is honest: in which you are being confirmed more and more by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, just as in our presence, so also in our absence you may keep yourselves unharmed and without injury. The cause of our departure, as you know, was the passing of John, the metropolitan of Chalcedon, who, having fought the excellent fight, having finished his course, and having kept the faith, has departed to God, having gained the illustrious crown of confession, along with our predecessors, the holy Fathers and brethren. But since he passed away with teeming pustules, some doubt whether he died in a proper state. Why should he not have died properly? And indeed, those people seem to me to labor under ignorance: for the question is not whether he died properly or improperly, nor does it hinge on this—whether you die in this way or that—but whether you hold the orthodox faith and lead an unblemished life. Let a man possess this, and no matter how much he may be teeming with pustules, no matter how much he may be vexed by some other disease, whether he expires on land or at sea, he contracts no infamy from this: for these things are not in our control, but are placed in the searched-out judgments of God, who knows in what way to administer the life and the manner of death for each person, as is for his own account. Now, some argue in a different vein to deceive their hearers, saying they will by no means recognize men when they are risen, when the Son of God arrives to judge all; they say, namely, that when all are changed from corruptible to incorruptible and immortal, whether Greek, Jew, Barbarian, Scythian, servant, free, male, or female, there will be no such distinction, and all will be like the angels, shall we recognize one another? But first, we must respond that what is forbidden to men is allowed to God; for in that way we would not even confess the resurrection, relying on human reasonings. For how can the body that has dissolved, and perhaps been devoured by wild beasts, or birds, or fish, and indeed in multifold ways and in succession, be gathered together all at once on the supreme day? And yet it will be gathered by the secret power of God and will rise, and then the soul will recognize its own body, which it had when it lived.

But the future judgment is nullified by this opinion; for judgment is conducted upon known persons. For no one who does not know himself is brought to judgment, but those whom he knows, just as it is written: ^A *I will reprove thee, and set thy sins before thy face* (Ps. XLIX, 21). Therefore, if we do not recognize one another, neither shall we be judged, nor, not being judged, shall we bear what we have deserved in this life. Furthermore, who will fulfill this dictum of the Lord to the apostles: *Ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel* (Matth. XIX, 28), if they do not recognize those whom they are judging? And in what way, moreover, is blessed Job to receive his children twice over if he does not recognize them in the heavenly kingdom? Seeing that he received part of it here, and in part it was promised that he would receive it in the age to come. And elsewhere holy David shows with these words: *Brother doth not redeem, shall man redeem?* (Ps. XLVIII, 8) ^B that a brother will recognize his brother. Therefore, it is gathered and established from every side that this problem is foolish, and equal in impiety to the fables of Origen. But let us, brothers, believe again and again that both the resurrected and the incorrupt will be, and that we shall recognize one another—not in the idioms with which we are endowed in corruption, but affected by incorruptible beauty, according to the secret will of God, as were our ancestors in paradise, who both before the transgression recognized themselves as incorrupt, and after the transgression were equally subject to corruption. But these are otherwise, and those are otherwise. Whence, it is to be believed that brother will recognize brother, father his children, wife her husband, friend his friend; I would add, monk his monk, confessor his confessor, the soldier his fellow-soldier, apostle his fellow-apostle, and all will recognize all, so that there may be a joyful dwelling for all in God, among other benefits ^C having bestowed knowledge among us. Therefore I exhort you, brothers, while we maintain the constant faith (for you see how many bypaths there are, and how much thanks is owed to God that, bound by no error, we hold to the orthodox faith), so also maintain a life without stain; for you know how the devil breathes upon us by night and by day. But he will avail nothing, finding us fortified by faith and by love for God. Wherefore, let us still stand, and the dragon will flee from us; let us weep, and quench his fiery darts of pleasures; let us surrender ourselves under the all-powerful hand of God and He will raise us; let us persevere to the very end, and the devil will depart, and we shall escape into the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXIII. Concerning the longing for the passing of the most holy Mother of God. Concerning the spiritual celebration that is held here and the heavenly kingdom to be acquired.

Brothers and Fathers, celebrations are held here and there for a time, as they are now at Nicomedia, to which mortals flock buying and selling; but that which is set in the soul is one, nor is it dissolvable, which extends itself with each person’s life, by which we do not merchandise gold, nor silver, nor garments, nor other flowing and perishable things, but the salvation of the soul, eternal life, the heavenly kingdom. In which, although all effort ought to be put forward by men, many are little concerned about it, and consume all their ^D study and industry on things that perish and are empty. Truly, let us, brothers, not stray from the goal and from the illustrious merchandise, but hearing the Lord saying: *The kingdom of God is within you* (Luc. XVII, 21), let us diligently prepare it daily, not paying out gold or silver, but genuine faith, a purified life, good behavior, tolerance, submission, gentleness, and that which is a bond of perfection, namely, charity (Coloss. III, 14). This indeed the Lord teaches in the Gospels in these words: *The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it* (Matth. XIII, 45, 46). But you are noble merchants who, having dismissed all things, and before all things, have redeemed the beautiful and precious pearl, that is, Christ, by taking up the cross and following behind Him, entering into holiness and probity. Now truly, since a celebration is a time that is cheerful, and watchful, and excited, let us also be cheerful and excited in this celebration, brothers, we who merchandise salvation. Therefore, an excellent trader is he who fears all things with caution, nowhere impulsive; an excellent buyer is he who exchanges infamy for good words; an excellent craftsman is he who is contracted, who rejects blood and dictates the spirit, containing himself in the ministry. And since we have come to the mention of ministry, let us embrace those who prepare the daily ration in the kitchen, as if laboring more and bearing mutual burdens, and thus fulfilling the law of charity; likewise those who procure for the community things that use and necessity require, as preeminent and upright stewards in the Lord. Nor let us look away from those who sing out in psalms dearly and excitedly, as if worthy of a greater reward. And see what kind of life is ours, what kind of institution? A happy merchandise, which the holy Fathers followed with great eagerness, and having duly followed and completed it, we shall return joyfully home, according to this saying of blessed David: *Turn again unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee* (Ps. CXIV, 7). Which same, at our passing, let us all cry out as our final and as it were foreign voice, and enter into everlasting life through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXIV. In the first indiction. Concerning the insurmountable benefit of God, and love towards Him and hatred of the devil, and concerning submission.

^A Brothers and Fathers, the first year has now begun, in which the joyful message is read in these words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Since, therefore, the only-begotten Son of God has been sent by the Father into the world as a propitiation, let us see, let us be liberated from captivity, and let us be released—being broken. But who is this blind man? He who is blinded by the pursuit of pleasures. Who is the captive? He who is enslaved by foul thoughts. Who is the broken one? He who is crushed by sins. Whom, indeed, the Lord cares for: for he is not only the physician of bodies, but also of souls, and he was not only present in the flesh then; but he is present even now, fleeing the blindness of our eyes, providing the same joyful messages, removing the harms of the world, and healing every sickness from our languor. Therefore, let no one be empty of light and healing, but let him approach trustfully, about to experience the benefit of God and the liberality of the Savior.

^B Therefore, He brought us (O unheard-of humanity!) into the light; He raised us up again when we had collapsed; He has bestowed a third gift: the monastic perfection. He does not even then turn away from us when we continue to sin, but He calls us; He strengthens the afflicted, consoles the grieving, soothes those who are running, restores the broken, heals the joyful, and kindly snatches from dangers those who are about to fall into the depths of the underworld, so that it is rightly said: "Unless the Lord had helped me, my soul had almost dwelt in hell"; and: "I was pushed so that I might fall, but the Lord upheld me." But may each one know into what temptations they have fallen, and may they find in their straits a God who stands by them as a helper. Moreover, as concerns the body, He feeds the hungry with the annual fruits of the earth; and as concerns the soul, He nourishes them with sacred mysteries, following them with the care of a mother and nurse, and embracing them like a friend; for a mother feeds an infant with milk for a time, but this one, our true Lord, parent, and master, imparts His own body and blood as food and drink, and that perpetually. O unsearchable goodness! O insurmountable gift! Therefore, can we not love Him, honor Him, and cling to Him inseparably? Truly, if we were so affected, heaven would cry out against us, the earth would groan, and even the stones, in their astonishment, would accuse us.

Because this is not the case, let us hold fast to our love for Him, and rightly detest and oppose the devil; for as a benefactor is fittingly loved and cherished for his benefit, so the malignant one is to be hated for his wickedness. Indeed, this one is the destruction of our life, and "a murderer from the beginning," as the saying of the Lord goes; he is the one who has distracted the human race into a thousand opinions, wounded it with many weapons of vice, and desires to swallow up the world; against whom, if we do not bear hatred, we shall not find any ^C punishment that can chasten us as we deserve, who are joined to such an assassin. But let us flee from him, brothers, let us flee as far as possible. And what is this flight? It is abstinence from evil thoughts and actions, so that we may have fellowship with God and fulfill good works. Therefore, let us choose the good, serving God with all submission, meekness, and modesty, not unaware that whatever is done excellently is empty if it lacks the protection of submission. Therefore, let us who have a puffed-up mind succumb beneath the mighty hand of God, lest we have run in vain, but rather, all eager, let us hasten, let us pursue, let us rush to attain that heavenly kingdom, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXV

Brothers and Fathers, what shall I say in my diligence, or what new thing shall I bring forth beyond what we have already received from the holy Fathers? To hold fast to nothing but those very things, and to discourse on the same things to you, is a better guide and forerunner. Therefore, since you are acting, let us today also embrace a few things, and if it seems good, let us derive our sermon from those things at hand. Therefore, the vintage is present, and the vines are heavy with fruit, joyful and auspicious; rarely, and yet evilly, some are sad and ungrateful. But what is this to us, someone among the listeners might say? Truly, it quadrants very well, since we are also called, figuratively, the vineyard of God. Does the song that was sung at the performance escape you? Do we not all sing this? "Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine, and make it perfect, which thy right hand has planted." The words of the Lord also in the Gospels are these: "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." Therefore, let us remain, brothers, in our kind Master, as if grafted into Him like certain vines, and let us bring forth for Him virtue like clusters, whereby we may be made happy and not be held by eating the thorns and thistles of vices, being bound by this sentence: "Every tree therefore that does not make good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire"; it is cut down, I say, through death, and it is cast into the fire, ^D namely, the eternal one, into which those who have done foul deeds will be cast, who have cast off their covenant, who have surrendered their bodies to corruption—"clouds without water," he says, "which are carried about by winds, autumn trees whose fruit withers, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shames, wandering stars, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever." Wherefore the Apostle cries: "Flee fornication: every sin that a man does is without the body; but he who commits fornication sins against his own body. Do you not know that

your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price." ^A Shall we not therefore revere heaven and earth, we who, having been purchased with the precious blood of Christ, turn our backs and retreat? Are we not ashamed and grieved, we who appear holy on the outside, but are full of foulness within? How long shall we limp on both legs? How long shall we not insist upon one path? "Woe," it says, "to him who enters by two paths," that is to say, of vices and virtues; for these are held together by no mutual association. No one, as a bound slave, should serve partly his master and partly his enemy. We ought to consecrate ourselves wholly to God, O sons; for thus may we be made partakers of the divine life. Wherefore let us not linger in things sensible, like brute beasts, but with the faculties of the soul let us guard the heavenly things, turning our senses from things falling and fleeting to things incorrupt and imperishable; nor let us allow ourselves to be fascinated again by the deceits of thought by the craftsman of wickedness, but wherever he sows pleasure or some other flagitious act, the veteran deceiver must be immediately cast out. By what means? By prayers, by penance, by tears, and by compunction. And this is that invisible struggle, and so great an implacable war is it. Wherefore, like those fighting in the flesh, let us be fervent in spirit and overthrow our unwilling foes; and just as they do not withdraw for the hope of a prize, so let us too not return for a thousand wounds received, but stand firm, and, strengthened by the protection of God, renew the battle. Grant this to me, brothers: for I strive for this, speaking these few things. Indeed, I rejoice in those who run successfully, yet I groan when anyone falls. Let us all be swift, devoted to right deeds, patient in the psalms, the ministries, obedience, and humility, and the God of peace will be with us through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXVI

On the Exaltation: that we should not cast ourselves into foul vices, nor think pleasure to be pleasant.

Brothers and Fathers, we celebrate joy on the advent of some Sunday festival, and not without cause, we who are ^B then purified, contemplating the mystery that is in it, as now too in the Exaltation of the precious and life-giving cross; for how great and how extraordinary is the triumph, to not only behold the wood on which the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ stood, on which, having been affixed, He poured out His life-giving blood, but even to embrace it? What labor would you not endure to collect gold that is destined to perish? Yet the benefit is ready for us: for at the same time we obtain it, and at the same time purification, holiness, and liberty. So evident is the kindness, so ready is the gift to those who approach religiously. And yet it is to be hoped that we guard the uncorrupted liberality; for that which is easily given is wont to be seen as something to be cast aside. ^C For us, indeed, these things must be preserved, brothers, with grace. Wherefore, let us not pollute our holy lips with deceitful words, nor with unfruitful speech, nor let us blind our eyes, brightened by a harlot’s gaze, nor let us stain a mind shining with vicious thoughts, nor, as the Apostle cries, let sin reign in our mortal body, that we may obey it in the lusts [that is, of the body] of it, nor let us present our members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin, but let us present ourselves to God as if living from the dead, and our members as weapons of justice to God; for sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. Do you see how sin rules in the law, whereas justice reigning in grace frees and absolves from all injury? To use the expression, "But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the spirit of our God." Therefore, revering purification, let us guard holiness. Why do we cast ourselves into infamy, we of a glorious profession? Why do we embrace the body more than is fitting, when it must be let go into the grave a little later? Why do we deem pleasure pleasant, when it is truly a deadly pain? For indeed, pleasure is the hook of the devil, the kindling of unquenchable fire; and yet we mortals are snatched by it like some surrendering slaves. Indeed, I have heard someone saying, while possessed by vice, that it is more desirable to seek death by hanging than to serve sin; for as an acerbic master commands his slave: "Go," and he goes; "Come," and he comes; "Do this," and he does it in the same manner, and much more powerlessly, ^D sin commands its subject, "Speak foul things," and he speaks; "Design the nefarious," and he designs. He seems to groan and tremble like Cain, fearing shipwreck when sailing upon the sea, fearing robbery when traveling through deserts; it thunders, and he believes the thunder happened because of him; it lightnings, and he dreads being scorched; seeing he does not see, hearing he does not hear, bearing distorted senses. What is more wretched than this life? Truly, I judge it better to be handed over to beasts than to pestiferous vices, for in the former the body perishes, in the latter the soul perishes with the body. Is not he also equally upright, who is truly free from sin (and I do not mean only pleasure, but from all other vices), who rejoices, is glad, and reigns through probity, terrified neither by sea nor by land: since he has God as his companion, to whom he cries in adversities, "I will not fear evils, for You are with me," "I will not fear thousands of the people surrounding me." "I will not fear when the earth will be troubled, and the mountains will be transferred into the heart of the sea." Behold a pleasant life, behold a happy one: which having followed, brothers, let us, by the mercy of God, also urge onward, and pursue more and more, fearing everything with caution, performing obedience of every kind: adorned with humility of every kind, contracting purity of mind of every kind, we who indeed discern death before our eyes. For now also our spiritual Father has left us, Peter, the most holy metropolitan of Nicaea: whose also blessed

^A end is one of being destroyed in persecution, and together with it having been rescued from temptations and miseries, may we in turn obtain the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXVII. Concerning the sowing, and concerning spiritual sowing, and vigil in divine meditations.

Brothers and Fathers, the time of sowing is upon us—not that sowing of seeds which cohere with material things, such as grain and other things at whose season men are seen going from night to night to their labors, and striving earnestly to sow as well and as abundantly as they can, from which they seek provision for the body. Should we then, farmers of the spiritual sowing, sleep and not sow what is appropriate? And we who suffer eternal hunger, what account shall we find to render for our sloth? Wherefore, as we rise more keenly for those who sow carnally, so let us sow more liberally; for, *He who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly; and he who sows in blessings, will also reap in blessings*. And what shall we sow? Prayers, supplications, intercessions, thanksgiving, faith, hope, charity: these are the seeds of piety, these are the food of the soul. Now, in carnal sowing, the farmer waits for the rain, expecting the early and the latter; but in this sowing of ours, let us be the ones to decree the rain and the watering—this is to be pricked with compunction and to weep, whenever we will, and as much as we like. Since this is placed within our own power, I exhort you, brothers, let us sow more abundantly, and irrigate most copiously, to bring to growth the stalks of justice, so that when the harvest is craving, we may fill our hands with spiritual sheaves, that we may deserve to hear: *The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord*. *You shall eat the labors of your hands; blessed are you, and it shall be well with you*. ^B And so much for this. Now I would wish you to be warned, brothers, that the days are growing shorter and the nights are increasing; and just as the body wastes away from staying awake, so let it be cured of sleepiness—but while the flesh is taken care of, let the vices also be destroyed. What then is there to say? Does each one of us have a psalm, does he have meditation, does he have prayers? Let all things be performed with moderation; let all things be done toward the building of the soul and the fulfillment of the spirit, lest Satan tempt us through lust. And I do not mean this in sleep alone, but also in food, in drink, and in all other things; for moderation is very present, which keeps us immune from a deviation to either side, and protects us unharmed. Furthermore, with the emperor having returned from his expedition, thoughts perhaps creep into our minds, anxious as to what will become of the affairs of the Church—that is, of our affairs. But it is written: *Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you*; and, *If God is for us, who is against us?* He who provided life for us in former years, will also procure it in various ways. Only let us live worthily of the Gospel, fulfilling the heavenly institute, being guests and strangers in earthly things: for here we have no portion and no inheritance. For who in all history has entered into life and remained, so as to gain anything? Were they not all, having entered, obliged to depart again as if from foreign soil? Therefore, exile is spent here, and the true home, the inheritance and the acquisition, is in the world to come: in which, being established with all the saints, let us enter into the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXVIII. Concerning the sowing. Concerning faith; let us not spend our life rashly and without fruit; and that things present are a shadow and a dream in comparison to future things.

Brothers and Fathers, the earth, when it is sown once annually, provides the farmer with yearly fruits. Let the soul, daily receiving the sowing of doctrine, render cultivation of virtue in the whole of one's life, and the cause of this is that from childhood man’s temperament is carried away by desire toward evil things. Hence, virtue is less accessible to human nature, and no one can master the vices who has not struggled and been afflicted by long and day-to-day labor. The saints show this by their deeds, as if they were certain trainers and athletes, finished with the fight against sin. What were they desiring, and what were they seeking? *Good things promised, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of any man*. What pledge of their expectation did they have? Faith: for He who has bestowed the right to believe, has also granted the hope of not doubting, by which hope they performed wonders and signs. Hence, as the holy Apostle says: *They conquered kingdoms, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, grew strong from infirmity, became valiant in war, turned to flight the camps of the aliens, women received their dead raised to life; and others were stretched out, not having accepted redemption, that they might obtain a better resurrection*. ^C Do you see what and how great are the deeds of faith? For *faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen*. Firmly established by this too, brothers, let us contend with the devil, and let us put to flight the plagues of the vices. The fire of carnal lust is now also kindled, which, if we extinguish with tears and prayers, we shall engage in choirs with the children. The vices are wild beasts, cruel, foul, and untamable: which, if we restrain them with the flesh brought into subjection and an obedient life, we shall triumph with Daniel. And why in these meager labors do we shrink from the eternal promises? Are things present not a shadow and a dream, if they are compared with those that are future? Although even these beneath the truth ^D

^A of the Son made flesh—as John cries out—to be circumscribed in the flesh, and to possess an image, and to be venerated in an image. For how many people live destitute of the Gospel in irreligious error? Others, affected by the Gospel, are shipwrecked and wanderers in religion: such as the Iconoclasts, who deny that Christ is to be depicted, or to be held in an image, or to be venerated in an image, and hence, as far as lies in them, they demolish the salutary divine dispensation. Considering these things, brothers, let us promptly give thanks to God; let us be stirred to give thanks, and being stirred let us weep, and having wept let us be cleansed, and being cleansed let us lay hold of salvation, as the discourse has promised. For we should not think faith is uniform; for while it is indeed one, it is nevertheless increased and diminished, whether understood or not understood, since it is said: *O you of little faith, why did you doubt?* and elsewhere: *Great is your faith; let it be done for you as you have believed*; and again: *I have not found such great faith in Israel*. See how it is increased and diminished. Nor let anyone say: "I am an ignorant person, and how can I understand the faith?" Truly, the merciful God unfolds the rays of His goodness to all. Now what is the Apostle’s sentiment? *Consider your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many noble, but God chose what is foolish in the world to confound the wise; and God chose what is weak in the world to confound the strong; and God chose what is ignoble in the world and contemptible, and the things that are not, so that He might destroy the things that are*. Do you not see in yourselves what I have discussed? Do you not recall brother Thaddeus—let me pass over others—was he not a Scythian, and did he not serve in servitude, and having been emancipated, did he give himself to the monastery, and has he not performed his duty ^B by this confession, as recent as it is present? Therefore, he who understood his faith, became increased by it, as is fitting, and was bound with the crown as well of martyrdom, having departed after three days to the contest of this place. In the same way, let us also live, brothers, not alleging ignorance, but seeking, and having been taught, and increased in the faith: which will happen if life follows a righteous faith. For faith acting through love completes and absolves our salvation; for the soul coheres with the body as if of two things, and neither can faith save us by itself, nor life by itself, but each is preserved and bound to the other. So that we too, being preserved, may attain to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, about to possess the promised goods with the saints through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXIX. On thanksgiving, and on the doctrine of the venerable image of Christ, and the confession of brother Thaddeus.

Brothers and Fathers, while God has granted many ways for our salvation to be laboriously pursued, one and the first is thanksgiving; for the Apostle says: *First I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is announced in the whole world*, and nowhere is he shown not giving thanks. Furthermore, it stands in the Ladder that thanksgiving must precede prayers. Therefore, let us give thanks to God, first because He brought us from nothing into the light, created for excellent deeds, which are ^C set before us to be practiced; then, because He gifted us with adoption through the holy washing. For, *As many as received him*, he says, *he gave them power to become the children of God: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God*. And also because He led us to this confession after the superior one: in which let us by no means fall, and err; let us rather know with certainty that the only-begotten Son of God was made flesh...

SERMO XXX. On Saint Paul the Confessor. On the immense love of Christ for us yesterday, and on the accuracy of a divine and blameless life.

Brothers and Fathers, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ for us is great and immense, who is not...

llbracketA only departed, having gone near and far, as it is written, to preach peace, but also having been taken up into the heavens, he left behind the holy apostles, performing the same commission and embassy. llbracketB The apostles indeed speak these words: *For Christ, therefore, we are ambassadors, as though God were exhorting by us; we beseech you for Christ, be reconciled to God; for Him who knew no sin, he hath made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in him.* O immense stewardship, O ineffable liberality! Him who knew no sin, he made sin for us. Who, and in what manner? He by no means feels harmful sin (not at all, since he did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth), but because he put on our nature, corrupted by sin, with its infirmities cast upon himself, and by diseases, having been wounded for our sake, and having been punished by a most foul death: this is what it means "he made sin." Wherefore: *that we might be made the justice of God in him.* How? That we, having been liberated from harmful sin, might live in him and have our being. Therefore, he also adds to this sense: *And helping, we exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain.* See how he fortifies his exhortation: what does it mean "that you receive not the grace of God in vain"? This is: that we do not retreat again; nor that we become bound by the same vices to which we have said farewell; nor that we violate our covenant, with God and the angels as witnesses; but what then? Let us undertake a new life, a heavenly and pious institution. For I wish indeed, by speaking to you, to set forth here a certain more recondite power of the proposition, and it is of this kind. Our soul consists of three parts: the rational, the irascible, and the concupiscible. The rational, that we may rightly believe in the holy Trinity; the irascible, that we may be incensed against the serpent, not admitting him at all; the concupiscible, that we may love and hold dear God, who has fashioned us. Having turned and distorted these faculties of the soul, the devil began to fabricate destruction against us from the extreme. In what way? Through the concupiscible, when Adam, our predecessor, was deceived by eating; through the irascible, when Cain was incited to kill his brother Abel; through the rational, when the human race was cast down to the worship of the stars. And this is the way by which the enemy has plotted slaughter against us. But let us remain in that in which we were created, brothers, we who gather protection from the three faculties of the soul, and let us adorn our spirit, and not lose the brightness by which the Master has ennobled us, having been adopted by God and the Father; for: *As many as received him,* he says, *he gave them power to be made the sons of God.* llbracketC Wherefore, let us who are called sons of God not enter into the inheritance of unquenchable fire, nor let us who are named members of Christ become members of a harlot. Let us not look down upon the world and the things that are in the world, nor in this life admire with our eyes things that are vain and perishable. For if you satisfy yourself through the concession of all the lust of the flesh and blood: What profit is there in my blood, when I descend into corruption? llbracketD Look down into the sepulchers, and behold what is the end of pleasures. Be it so, let us gather estates and money: what then afterwards? Clearly, as we entered into the world, we shall undoubtedly go out naked also, carrying nothing except our actions, whether right or left. Therefore, holy David cries out: *One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the will of the Lord, and visit his holy temple.* This life is blessed, this is the better part which the holy Fathers have taught, and in the first place, he who is now praised, the holy confessor Paul, whose labors and contests, how many and how great, we have heard of not a little. Imitating whom, and we also, brothers, may we hold fast to this our exercise, the warfare by which we are affected, and our entire manner of life, running strenuously; if we fall, rising the more quickly, having overcome the enemy the devil, so that with all the saints we too may bear the palm of probity through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXXI

Brothers and Fathers, I have been ill, and again by your prayers I have recovered. But how long are we to come back to this "again"? The day of death will certainly come, when this "again" will have no place, separating me from you and sending me hence from among you. Nor yet, however, is that to be considered widowhood, since he is not a liar who denied that he would leave us orphans, but that he would be with us all the days, even to the consummation of the world. Then, however, because we shall see one another at that time, and so much so that it may be lawful to say, with ineffable joy, and endowed with life without end. Now you know what I have suffered in my illness, how, seized by cold, I endured foul shivering, then attacked by the burning fever for a whole day. Therefore, placed in evils, I pondered with myself, shall we in the future judgment be revolved from the punishments of Tartarus to the hell of fire, and is a miserable man to be subject to double punishments, or even to more? Certainly, whether to one or two,

those who are overtaken [by such things] will be recompensed with the rewards they deserve? ^A For if they are compared to their contraries, they will be affected by constant punishments. But as for you, carry out your duties properly, brethren, I exhort you, so that the message of virtue proclaimed by you may lead even the wicked to a knowledge of the truth, being content with all things, believing all things, enduring all things, so that all of us, pleasing God in all things, may both flee from punishment and attain the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXXII. Before the birth of Christ: Concerning the birth of the Savior, and that the monastic life must be maintained.

Brethren and fathers, the coming of God is now imminent, and the joyful day is at the door: for the joy is great, such as has never occurred in all history, with the Son of God having descended to us: who is to be seen not through apparitions and signs, ^B as in former times to our ancestors, but appearing in the light through his birth from the Virgin, than which there is nothing more joyful from all eternity, nor more wonderful among all the miracles that God has performed since the age began. Therefore the angels announce the mystery, and a star indicates the one born on earth—who is of heaven—and shepherds run ahead to contemplate the salvation that has been announced, and the Magi bring royal gifts, and a song—unheard of in an unheard-of matter—is sung, that God, venerable in the highest, has been brought forth as peace. The Apostle testifies to this in these words: *He ^C is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, in his flesh, abolishing the law of commandments in his ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new man instead of two, making peace, and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in himself.* When all the prophets and religious men of old desired to see these things, they could by no means see them, except by faith; but we have both seen and handled with our hands: as it is written concerning the life-giving Word, "and the life appeared," and we have received adoption. But what sacrifice shall we give to God ^D for all his benefits? The prince, David, has declared: *I will take the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Wherefore let us rejoice, brethren, that we have also been accounted worthy to render a sacrifice to God for all his benefits. And what is this sacrifice? It is the cross-bearing life that we have assumed, and the confession in which we stand, and in which we triumph in the hope of divine glory: which is undoubtedly martyrdom. This is by no means a holiday for the day, but for the whole of life; for those who are ruled by the flesh and are caught by shameful acts cannot have a holiday, however much they may seem to be on holiday, nor are they free; since they are slaves of their vices, sold under sin; for indeed it is written: *Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin; and the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever.* Therefore we also, who are called sons of God by grace, will abide in the house for-

-^A ever, if we were to retain the origin we have obtained, keeping firm ^B to the end. Therefore, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, let us guard our monastic institution, and mutually exhort one another to the stimulation of love and good works, to obedience, humility, gentleness, and all other noble pursuits, by no means turning away from our purpose, but rather being excited more and more, especially because we see the approaching day: for the day of the Lord, huge and illustrious, is coming, when the judge will be revealed, and will be seen with the glory with which He was seen by the Apostles in the divine transfiguration; and He will judge every structure that has been built, and will render to each one according to his deeds. May it be our lot also, with all the saints, to behold Him with a gentle countenance, receiving us into the celestial kingdom, into which it is our duty to look, with benevolence, mercy, and goodness, with praise and honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXXIII. On the recollection of death and compunction, delivered on the day after the memory of the blessed Father Platon.

Brothers and Fathers, yesterday we celebrated the memory of the blessed Father Platon ^C and not without cause; for it is right for spiritual sons to render to their Father what is owed. Nor is it indeed enough to bring him to mind if we only sing psalms and enjoy bodily consolation; rather, we must also rejoice spiritually, as this utterance demands: "The peoples will rejoice in the praise of the just," that is, with spiritual and lasting joy: for that which is bodily, having flattered the senses for a little while, flies away; but this [spiritual joy] is insatiable and imperishable. If any of you has wept, if any has felt compunction, if any has been contrite in heart, if any has drawn in the Spirit and retreated from vices, he holds the force of the sentence and knows how to perform the memory of a father and brother. For do you recall, brothers, the days of the past, in which we had him present, and he was departing and speaking to us; but now let us contemplate where he is, whom he is with, and with whom he is associating, both he and each of the brothers? Does not amazement seize the mind of one considering and speaking of this? And if it seems right, let us look down upon ourselves: shall we not also depart from here shortly, and be remembered by others, just as we now remember our predecessors? Truly, brothers, this life is fragile for us, and we are mortal men, who know not what the morrow will bring. For what is our life? A vapor, as it is written, which is seen for a little while and perishes; a spring flower, which blooming in the morning, withers in an instant. Man, his days are like hay; as a flower of the field, so shall he flourish. Man has become like vanity, his days pass away like a shadow. All flesh is as hay, and all the glory of man as the flower of hay: the sun has risen with heat, and the hay has withered, and its flower has fallen, and the beauty of its countenance has perished. Thus shall we, too, withered, depart from here, in accordance with the opinion of the saints: for theirs are the examples we have recorded.

But blessed is he who is wise and seeks God, blessed is he who presses himself daily in the struggles of obedience, by no means refractory, or murmuring, but rather listening to what is told, prompt to works, diligent in duty, reachable, kind, affable, courteous, and prepared for the end. For the end will come, brothers, the end will come, and it will not tarry; the terrible day of death will come, like some royal officer, coming not from below, but from the heavens, and calling the soul: "Come forth, the King and God of all seeks you." May it be our lot indeed, instructed for that hour by the prayers of the blessed Father, to be found, and having departed from here fearlessly, to migrate into eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XXXIV. On the middle of the Feasts. On the departure from this life and the rest of the celestial kingdom.

Brothers and Fathers, behold, we are turned from year to year, from ^D storm to storm, from feast to feast, nor is there stability in this life, which must be left behind by us all, and we must enter into God's rest. For he who has entered into His rest, himself also has rested from his works, as God did from His, as it is written. And what is that rest? Truly the celestial kingdom: to which the Apostle, inciting us, says: Let us hasten therefore to enter into that rest, that no one may fall into the same example of unbelief. What does he mean by this? Just as God received the Israelites in order to introduce them into the promised land, but it did not happen that the recalcitrant and those averse to Him could enter, so neither shall we, being less obedient to the precepts, enter into the celestial kingdom.

"Forty years was I near to this generation, and I said always, They err in heart; and they have not known My ways; I swore in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest": this does not refer to the delay of forty years, but as long as the space of each one's life is; wherefore if we do not take pains to execute all the precepts of God, He will address us too, saying, "You shall not enter My kingdom." Since they did not enter, their members fell in the desert, but if we do not enter, both body and soul will be thrust into the fire of Gehenna: which is a heavier punishment than theirs. Since it is written: "Anyone who has made void the law of Moses, without any mercy, dies before two or three witnesses; how much more do you think he deserves worse punishments who has trampled upon the Son of God, and has deemed the blood of the covenant, in which he was sanctified, to be polluted, and has done outrage to the Spirit of grace?" But what are the causes that precluded their entrance?

^A Incredulity, murmuring, evil speaking, contradiction, hardness of heart, pride, unchastity: these are what destroyed them. Therefore, let us too flee these lethal vices, by no means distrusting the promises of God, but believing that He is able even to fulfill what He has promised. And let us not murmur, nor speak evil, nor contradict, nor grow hardened, nor be proud, but rather show ourselves kind and well-disposed toward one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven us through Christ, always carrying about in our bodies the death of the Lord Jesus, and, prepared for death for Christ's sake, constantly restored by prayers, supplication, tears, and the spectacles of heavenly contemplations. For having departed from this life—not like them—we shall not invade a land flowing with milk and honey, but the region of the meek, where the fountain of life and immortality is, where the beauty of the heavenly Jerusalem is, where there is triumph and joy, where there is the illumination of the blessed and almighty Trinity, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXXV.

In memory of Saint Basil. On virginity, and on the return to repentance of brother Memnon.

SERMON XXXVI.

After the lights. On constancy in fulfilling confession, and on the passing of brother Theodulus, spoken in the midst of the festivals.

^A of the jar of oil. For the rest, consider, brothers, how the feast days pass away, the celebrations come to an end, the days go by, and from here we all depart: ^B already Brother Theodolus has died, and he was among the first, both respected for his obedience and constant in his confession, having been scourged for Christ, weighed down by prison, and having finished his life in persecution: what is more illustrious than this? For all our brothers (since the number is growing to a hundred and more), shining like stars, in whatever places they are cast down, have left behind their holy bodies, both for their contemporaries and for posterity, as a testimony of orthodoxy. Nor do I speak only of this republic of ours, but also of those who, having been sought out for slaughter from other brotherhoods, have departed: for indeed I would not count as such those who returned to the monasteries before the attack was quelled, like certain deserting soldiers: for it is written: "Peace, and there was no peace"; and "Where I shall find you, there will I judge you." Therefore, here is a great pillar of the Church of God, to have had such a "cloud of martyrs" for our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, and the worshipful image of all the saints. Wherefore, since no other pledge is available, this one is sufficient for sound minds to prove the truth.

Wherefore, let the enemies be ashamed, who have followed a different opinion: for who (alas!) would endure such hardships, who would stand up for their religion? Truly none, but like night-wandering creatures they fly in the night of heresy, and lie in wait, but at the dawning of the day, when the Lucifer of orthodoxy has risen, they hide themselves in the caverns of their sacrilegious mind and intellect. But indeed, with the light of their own fire, and with flames which they kindle, they rage: but let us, dearest brothers, being built by God upon the foundation of the apostles, the prophets, and the divine Fathers, stand firm, and remain unbroken by future human threats.

Furthermore, let us be steadfast, if by the Apostle’s command we build up gold, silver, precious stones, not wood, hay, straw, fuel for the fire: for thus nothing is established that can move one's hope in God. And let us revere, brothers, the mystery of the feast that we have celebrated. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us, as it is written: therefore, let us not be beyond the curse; Christ washed us in his blood through the laver of regeneration and the renewal of the Spirit, so that we might not return, abhorring them, to foul crimes. If not, on the day of his appearing (I would believe) he will speak to us in these words: "Indeed I made you fellow-members and conformed to me, and you have made my members the members of a harlot; I washed you from sins, endowed with no spot, or wrinkle, or anything similar, and you have embraced the filth of vices, and are defiled with the soot of crimes; I have refilled your soul with blessed light, having bestowed the holy Spirit, and you have returned your mind to be a seat for predatory harms; I have designated you heirs to eternal ^C goods, and my co-heir, and you have begun to be my enemy." What remains, depart, you detestable ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his satellites. But by no means, brothers, let us experience that dire voice and atrocious stomach, but rather let us strive with all our might to lead a life consistent with our past, embracing purity, shedding tears, teeming with the goads of the soul, performing the duties that are in our hands, keeping watch solicitously in divine work by night and day, lest the enemy creeping in should slay the negligent soul: for would that we might flee the dragon even while waking, let alone while dozing a little! Nature is sluggish and liable to slip, someone will say. I confess indeed that I also am enrolled in the same; but as often as this happens, so often is there a swifter confession, penitence, contrition of heart, return to fruitfulness, and speed to return to the former state. And enjoying these daily, when we become masters of our desire, then, having heard the desirable voice, we may enter the divine kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the holy Spirit, now and always, and into all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXXVII

Brothers and Fathers, the feast days are already passed, both Christmas and Epiphany, which we have deserved to spend in this hour, which is not troublesome, but primarily most joyful, because by his grace, who emptied himself and took the form of a servant for our sake, we are attacked, exiled and deprived of our fortunes. For what else is to keep the feast than to adhere to God? But one adheres to God most of all by the flight from things that are held by matter, and by the renunciation of this world. Now what shall we say of those who live in deserts and caves, and on mountains and in the caverns of the earth? Should they not keep the feast? Or do they keep the feast more than others, placed in quiet and indeed more sublimely ^D and divinely, since those who think they are keeping the feast in delights, gluttony, carousing, and cups, do not know that they are plotting fraud against themselves? Whom sacred Scripture also deplores in these words: "You have feasted upon the earth, and in luxuries you have nourished your hearts, as in the day of slaughter": for they are similar to pigs prepared for the slaughter, whose god is gluttony, and whose triumph is in infamy. Wherefore it is more true that the keeping of the feast is with us, if we pay heed, and lead a life worthy of our vow and of the confession of Christ. Indeed we seem, brothers, as the days pass by, and time, turned like a wheel, brings these through birth, and leads those away through death, not of one and equal age; but old men before the young, and the young before the old, parents before children, and children before parents, every head indiscriminately, God so providing, so that by the uncertainty of death we might all be schooled for the journey. Therefore let us keep watch, and lift up our soul, lest death, rushing in suddenly, should find us less prepared, and in vain...

we be led into repentance. You do not know how, in days past, I suddenly fell into sickness, and it was not far off that this very soul should dwell in Hades. Although for the present I have indeed recovered, yet it is not altogether guaranteed for the future, but it is necessary that I, as an old man, should depart from you and set out to the fathers and brothers: pray only that I may be truly conscious and that my past life may have been blameless. Therefore, still weighed down by pains, I spoke to myself in thought: If this trial is so great, how much greater will that of the impending judgment be? And if we do not endure through three or four days of suffering, how shall we bear eternal punishment? I advise you to meditate and ponder these things, and then to live circumspectly, as regards the external man, with all probity, humility, contention in labors, and tolerance; and as regards the internal, to keep the soul most strictly, and not to let that ancient serpent, that great dragon, whisper and leap upon us, nor to let a famine of God make a seat for vices, but rather to offer ourselves pure to God, and hence to live a blessed life even before the life to come. For what is more blessed than to pass one's time in peace with God by offering an innocent and pure soul? This can in no way come to pass unless labor, prayers, tears, compunction, alacrity, and fervor of spirit lead the way: since the enemy never ceases to hunt those equipped with these, and to kindle an implacable war. And he, who sees those tending toward the heavens, will do so. But surely the sufferings of this time are not equal to the glory that shall be revealed in us. Wherefore, with all our forces and powers gathered—those which are placed in hope and faith—let us strive to rout the war and dissolve the guile of the demon, imitating those who run in the stadium, who do not contend with such great struggle that they pant in the final stretch, and barely draw breath. And while their race and the proposed mortal crown is temporary, ours, as long as we live, is for that reason the quest for an immortal crown and a perpetual reward, which may it befall all of us to attain after the race has been bravely run, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXXVIII

On imitating the lives of the Fathers, and remaining in that state to which we have been divinely called.

^A Brothers and Fathers, while meditating on the lives of the Fathers through reading, we are amazed, and not without cause: for they are amazing, who, endowed with this flesh, lived a certain angelic life, were fulfillable, and being freed from every vice, pleased God. Although it is not fitting only to be amazed, we must also duly imitate them; that is, the subject should imitate the subject, the quiet the quiet, the solitary the solitary, the prelate the prelate: for what fruit is there in not being of one’s own rank, but in following and mimicking another’s? Hence, besides the fact that you produce no fruit, you hasten toward certain ruin; hence many, having left their own company to wander, if it pleases God, have fallen from their rank, and have not attained those things they were seeking. ^B And to leave aside the histories of old, let us examine our own time. Did the profession of the Psalter, as it was called, profit anyone towards stability? Or was he not led away from it, being of deranged mind, and now is neither a subject nor a stylite? What benefit did that same profession bring to Sapritas? Or did he not depart from it on account of orthodoxy, having fallen into heresy, having become a traitor to the truth, and is he not now a very bitter opponent? But let us look at our own state as well. Did not Peter, who had long ago quite properly performed the duties of a subject, depart into the wilderness for the sake of piety? You who have experienced it know what kind he returned, and what end he brought about. And did not Amphilochius, who is still alive, who was a stylite first, and then became a Clusian, now wander here and there unseemingly? For this is the devil's mischief: to subject those who are another’s, so that he may deprive and despoil them of their own. Wherefore the Apostle cries out, "Each one in the state in which he was called, brothers, in this remain before God [1 Cor. VII, 24]." ^C Were you called as one who gives yourself to quiet? Do not desire to be a subject. Were you called as one who should play the subject? Do not desire the quiet. In whatever class each one is enrolled, let him please God: each state has its own examples, according to which it is necessary for one to compose one's life. Therefore do you follow those illustrious in obedience: whom, I say? Not only the ancient saints, but in fact those of our own group: imitate the blessed Domitian, whose faith was fervent; imitate the blessed Zosimus, compliant without affectation; imitate the blessed Marcus, who, being led by reproaches and insults as a good omen, remained constant in his habit: imitate the blessed Terentius, who, broken by exhaustion, went limping, yet even when invited to remove himself from there, he did not bend his mind, preferring to be harassed in his ministry; imitate the other brothers, many and distinguished in obedience, whose names are in the book of life: imitate these, not the solitaries. ^D Therefore let Father Joannicius hold to the wilderness and the mountains with his subjects, but do you hold to yourself, content with obedience and another’s soil. He is not currently being attacked, while you are attacked for the sake of justice: he is not cast into prison, while you are imprisoned for the Lord; he is not beaten, while you are beaten for Christ: how much do these things stand above theirs? And I will say something of myself, however inglorious, after I have been unworthily placed at your head. Shall I abandon the prefecture and concede to the wilderness, or any other life that might offer itself? But that does not belong to the head, nor to a pastor, who is expected to lay down his life for the sheep. Wherefore it is not fitting for you to meditate or strive for anything other than what you are: for from this flows sterility and a life discordant with its goal, while from the other flows the fruitfulness of obedience, which we seek. Therefore, as God has bestowed upon each one, and as He has called each one, so perform, so institute your life, and so please God, that you may deserve to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I shall set you over many [...]"

to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XXXIX

On the Lives of the Fathers. That the lives of the holy Fathers are to be imitated by us.

^A Brothers and Fathers, there is nothing more blessed than our life, nor any institute more sublime, if we live as we are named, and do not lead a life contrary to our name. For a monk is one who looks toward the one God, longing for the One, intent upon the One, striving to provide the One, seeking peace for himself with God, and acting as an author of it for others; but he who in no way holds to these things, and is rather led by emulation, quarrels, and dissension, he is truly blind, and "groping with his hand," as it is written, receiving oblivion of the cleansing of his old sins. You know why I have said this, you who are struggling. And I do not say this to cause distress again, but to hold communion for the future, so that you do not fall into the same crimes. In the era of the Fathers, detraction was in exile, and one who heard those who spoke evil either closed his ears or changed the subject to a good one; now we readily offer our ears to calumnies, and hear them as avidly as we would avoid having a reading used. In the Fathers' time, nothing was said that was unfitting, but all was spoken kindly and modestly; now it is done clamorously, angrily, with a distorted face: what is more dishonorable than this? In the age of the Fathers, no murmuring was stirred up, but each received what was given with thanksgiving, so that from this, bitter things would become sweet and unpleasant things would become agreeable; now we murmur, blaming this and that, and not just among ourselves, but in public, so that we may gather more who might murmur with us, and provoke God more gravely. ^B If you have received food or drink other than you desired, be grateful for what is present; for what you often turn away from, holding it to be bad, others might desire even to taste. And if these things are not present, for what do we judge obedience? Or why do we boast of this? For neither by abstinence, nor by vigil, nor by lack of sleep, nor by any other labor is commendation sought, as much as by the restraint of the will, and what is as it were a representation of a certain cenobitic struggle of martyrdom: "Laying aside, therefore, all malice, and all guile, and simulations and envies and all detractions," as the coryphaeus of the Apostles commands, "as newborn infants, let us desire the rational, guileless milk, that by it we may grow," if indeed we have tasted that the Lord is sweet, and be held by the desire for eternal life; and let us not shrink from being admonished, nor grow weary in assiduously recalling ourselves from a fall. With this glorious reward, we shall be endowed with immortality through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XL

On the Lives of the Fathers. On undertaking the new life, so that we may profess it by our sacred habit.

^C Brothers and Fathers, just as we are eager to take food when hungry and to drink when thirsty, so we ought to be held by the desire of hearing the divine word: for we shall make maximum gain by hearing, that whether we be slothful, we may put away sloth, or if we be prompt, we may be rendered yet more prompt: that it may be proven that he has both. What then is the present sermon to be? "God so loved the world," he says, "that he gave his only-begotten Son, that everyone who believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." This is not how it is meant to be done, brothers, nor are these the hallmarks of the monastic life. It is no small crime to speak evil. For, "The maledictive," he says, "shall not possess the kingdom of God." Nor is it a light sin to murmur: for, "Neither murmur," he says, "as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer." Furthermore, not even the smallest idle word is to be uttered; for indeed this maxim stands: "Let every evil word not proceed from your mouth, but if any is good, it is useful for edification, that it may give grace to the hearers, ^D and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption." Do you not perceive the threat, that we are fleeing from provoking the spirit of God? Do we not fear that we are to render an account even for an idle word in judgment, as the Lord threatens? Why then do we not rouse our soul hereafter? Why do we not prepare ourselves, that we might not be offended by impending things? Have you felt an injury? Bear the slight with an equal mind, stifling the reproach within yourself; for, "I was troubled," he says, "and I did not speak." So neither did He do this, but He gave Himself even unto death, and that the death of the cross. By what means? We were held by the devil because of the sin of Adam; we were reigned over by death, sold under sin, liable to corruption, and as if prisoners of war. Therefore came the only-begotten Son of God, bestowing Himself for all, who not only loosened [us] from the obligation of death, but also washed [us] from sins in His own blood, and made us a kingdom and priests to God and His Father, as it is written. Do you see the sharp, prevailing love? Do you see the greater mercy in His humanity? How unsearchable His kindness! How unfathomable the goodness which He has poured out upon us so copiously through Jesus Christ the Savior? What, finally, are we to say or think of these things? Shall we again of our own accord be borne into vices, covet servitude, infamy, corruption, and invite punishment? Far be it, says the Apostle, for we who have died to sin, how shall we still live in...

^A it? Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into his death? We are buried therefore with him by baptism into death, that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. It is therefore a new life, brothers, that we should lead, as we have professed in our habit, that we may live righteously and piously, as befits the saints, endowed with peace and concord, grave, circumspect, innocent, without vices, who are not led, as in times past, into error and fraud, while we flee from presumption as if it were fire, fixed upon the rock of our faith: for this is novelty. And what is the antiquity? Pleasure, by which the predecessor Adam was captured, driven from the orchard, and underwent a mournful life; envy, by which Cain, seething, slew his brother Abel on account of the prerogative of the offerings: from which he lived trembling and groaning. From these twin crimes a thousand evils have clung to the world; hence the flood, which destroyed the stock of the world by wholesale slaughter; hence Sodom and Gomorrah, ash-heaps from fire and sulphur. ^B

SERMON XLI. On contemplating the life of the Fathers, and on emulating their righteous deeds.

^C Brothers and Fathers! In these days, because we are reading the lives of our holy Fathers, one cannot say what fruit we reap, and of what joy we partake; for what is sweeter, tell me, than to contemplate their immortal deeds, their miracles, and their victories against the demons? It seems to me that even stones would feel the benefit, not to speak of man, who possesses reason and intellect. From this, therefore, the mind of man is illuminated, laying aside the dark mind of the flesh; from this the soul is pricked, taking wing toward divine love. ^D And if one must speak more truthfully, these are the Paradise of God in Eden, adorned and beautified not with material plants, but with the fruits of the Spirit, where the breath of life gives off fragrance, and where the serpent did not inflict a wound, but received one; neither did he cast anyone out, but was himself cast out, as was deserved. And if, according to the word of the Lord, "The kingdom of heaven is within you," one would not be wrong to call them also the kingdom of heaven, in whom the good God of ours, having found rest, distributes gifts to his servants like some generous king. What, therefore, do I have to do with these lower kingdoms, with empty glory, and the belly that is destroyed? What of gold and silver, and diaphanous garments, and whatever other things are food for the moth? What of applause, of murmurs, and the vain toil of being carried up and down? Are they not unworthy of comparison, or rather, as light is to darkness, and life to death, and truth to dreams? Since, therefore, things are so, brothers, let us celebrate with great and illustrious joy, we who have obtained the better part, who are considered chosen of such a lineage, and radiant with divine nobility. Furthermore, let us also be emulators...

so far as possible, of their achievements, so that we may not bear the name in vain, having the form of piety while denying its power. Therefore, just as in an infirmary each one chooses the medicine for their own ailment, so in the same way, let us also, looking toward those who are of the same rank, each gird ourselves with what is profitable from that source. I, therefore, the unworthy one, look to those who have shepherded in a manner worthy of God; the steward, to those who have managed faithfully and prudently; the cellarer, to those who have served as cellarers with discernment and good conscience; likewise the canonarch and the guest-master; likewise the cook and the steward of the refectory; likewise each one according to the ministry in which they are placed. For we have ^B examples, if we wish. Let there be no refusal of any obedience, but let the response be from the first call; for saying "I am coming in a little while," and this especially for the steward, is of those who are under obligation and are subject to condemnation. Let there be no one who declines a ministry, but let obedience be maintained until death; for this is monastic perfection. Let there be no one who is a murmurer, complaining about their place here as not having this or that. For such a one is liable to the judgment of those who murmured in the wilderness, whose destruction was extraordinary. But some are like this—the uninstructed, the impatient, the childish in mind, to whom it is not worthy that they even breathe the air, much less enjoy such comforts. But may our good God bring the foolish to their senses, grant understanding to those who are instructed, and save all into His heavenly kingdom; in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMO XLII. On the memory of Chrysostom and St. Ephrem. Nothing is blessed among human things except virtue, which alone is worthy of blessedness.

Gather, brethren and fathers, the wealth of men—most boast of power, most of delights, most of pleasures—as a blessed life. Yet a blessed life is nothing of these: for they are not eternal, but perish with the age. Indeed, for many they do not even suffice while here, and they seem to vanish upon being seen, like a dream that escapes its possessor. Virtue alone is worthy of blessedness, which is considered immortal and renders those who possess it blessed. ^C But let us consider in our minds how many have been powerful and delicate throughout the ages, of whom not one preserves a memory with praise; but the glory of those endowed with virtue is inextinguishable. This is evident from those things which we perform: yesterday we celebrated the blessed Chrysostom; today the illustrious Ephrem; tomorrow another of the saints. And thus, rising like luminaries throughout the year at the festivals, they loosen the tongues of all in praise, and shine upon our steps toward God. This, therefore, is the true sacred maxim: *Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified*. ^D What then shall we say to these things? Are we excluded from His calling and honor? By no means; rather, there is the reward of the Cross-bearing life, and also of blessedness: for we face danger at this hour for Christ, beyond the triumphs of the outstanding confession of those who came before. Oh, to be admired, virtue! What does it bestow upon its cultivators? And these are from the same source. But what of the future age? What speech could follow that blessedness and glory? Of which the Lord says: *Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun*; for because He is the Sun of righteousness, He promised that the righteous, as being conformed to Him, would shine like the sun. *If so be that we suffer with him*, He says, *that we may be also glorified together*. And the same elsewhere: *Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world*. Do you see where we shall go? Where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God, where there is joy and exultation, where there is the dancing of angels, and the assembly of those who are enrolled as princes in the heavens, where our kin, our brothers, and fathers are, thither we must soon depart, re-

- ^A suris in him who dominates in his virtue for eternity, as the blessed David sings, not for hundreds or thousands of years, but for endless ages, and having no end. To these things who is sufficient? Who? He who watches intent for every day and hour, lest his soul sleep: for vices, like wild beasts, beset and seize upon the soul of the drowsy. But as long as we keep watch at our station, the thief does not prey, nor does the ravisher snatch away. Therefore we must keep watch, and contemplate what I have said, and also consider the punishments agreed upon in contrast to the contrary course: the unquenchable fire, the outer darkness, the immortal worm, and other things—so that by being entangled and distracted by these thoughts, we may escape hostile snares, and, having incurred no crime, depart from here and attain the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and imperium with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XLIII.

On Saint Anthony and the Martyr Thaddaeus. On the divine liberality, and the soul-alluring and beautiful life to be entered upon.

Brothers and Fathers, always enjoying the liberality of God, we must also always give Him thanks with a fervent mind, and with such ardor as is fitting, that we may merit His greater benevolence. For see, I pray you, what this present benefit is: has He not fed us—exiles from our homes through fear of the Hagarenes, in this place to which we have been cast as in a wilderness—for several days? And here, has He not opened a window for restoration, where a majestic house, beautiful dwellings, and a brother who supports us have received us? So that the great providence of the merciful God is upon us: for what ought to have been done that has not been done? Beneath our flight, He poured out bread, wine, fish, and other necessities, and even more than what is necessary, so that we were a marvel to those who looked on. For which things each of us is not only condemned if he does not give thanks, but should also surrender his soul to death: therefore, I exhort you, let us inflame a keener love for Him, let us hold fast to Him entirely, let us render a most grateful return. What return? ^B By making our way of life here also glorious and illustrious to His venerable name, demonstrating this by the saying: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" [Matt. v, 16]. And indeed, is there not this sentiment of the Apostle somewhere: "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests the ^C odor of His knowledge through us in every place, because we are the good odor of Christ to God among those who are saved, and among those who perish" [II Cor. II, 14]? Do you see how the fragrance of God is endowed with virtue, wherever in the world it may dwell? For it is not permitted that virtue be hidden, but rather that, having been pursued, it may be known everywhere, and it is written: "A city set on a hill cannot be hid" [Matt. v, 14]. Therefore the city is the mind, the mountain is the summit of virtues: to which he who ascends, shines like lights into the world, having a life like mine, in the day of Christ, for glory. Let us also, brothers, ascend this sacred mountain: which we cannot surpass unless we first abandon these lower things—that is, the lusts of the flesh and the mind, and the pleasures of this life, which are the abandonment of virtue. Wherefore, let the mind be cleansed of sordid thoughts, let the eye be trained to gaze rightly, let the ear be closed to shameful audition, let the tongue be restrained from prattling, let the hand be withdrawn from handling what is not seemly, let the foot be directed into the way of concord and peace, and let all our members be instituted and consecrated to Christian ambition: for Christ is most especially ambitious for souls purged of vices. Indeed, He, the King of Heaven and God, esteems and embraces this man, who is lowly in body but eminent in spirit, however much he may be pallid in face, blind, frail, lame, and endowed with all other things that appear foul to men. Hence the ignoble become noble, the inglorious become glorious, the needy become opulent; hence the blessed apostles became from fishermen the princes of the world; hence Saint Anthony, who was illiterate, became more learned than the learned; hence, to use a more related example, our Thaddaeus, from Scythian birth and the yoke of servitude, as you know, ascended to the height of Christian confession, and has become conspicuous to the world. Oh, the unspeakable humanity of the merciful God! How easy an entrance He has provided for us to Himself! Since there is no need for a guide, no need for money, no human rashness, but only the will is to be applied, and the whole matter is accomplished; for it is in the power of anyone, if indeed he wills it, whether he be small, or great, or learned, or unlearned, just as it is in the power of one wishing to see to enjoy the sun. Therefore, do you wish to excel in the heavens? Seize the lowest place here. Do you wish to be called a son of God? Quiet your mind from vices. Do you wish to be illuminated by the eyes of God? Keep justice. But for these things who is sufficient? Who? To be quick to grasp discipline, to execute justice, to amass divine riches. But may it be permitted to us also, with equal zeal for the precepts observed in our life, to enter the heavenly kingdom with all the saints through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and imperium with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

^D

SERMON XLIV.

Brothers and Fathers, perhaps the previous catechesis has saddened you, in which I scolded you frequently. Although that is also expedient, for sorrow according to God works joy, and a benevolent rod recalls one to duty, and this is finally proved by the saying of the Apostle: "By the armor of justice on the right and

on the left, by glory and dishonor, by infamy and good report. For we are governed by both, and it is necessary to endure both, neither to be broken by praises, nor to collapse through reprimand. Indeed, I turn myself again to the same subject. What is this, precisely? That he who ministers, just as he to whom he ministers, must be solicitous in his ministry (the steward, I say, the deputy, the cellarer, the purveyor, the structural supervisor, and they who are placed in other ministries), lest he fall under the condemnation of that sentence: *Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord negligently*, but rather that he may earn this dominical commendation: *Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has set over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom, when his master comes, he shall find so doing, amen I say to you that he will set him over all his goods*. Do you see whom, and how great an honor he bestows upon one who ministers properly? Therefore, he will also inflict the opposite judgment upon one who ministers wickedly. For this reason, I exhort you, brothers, that whatever office is entrusted to each one, he guard it with integrity, whence he may both celebrate God and seek his own salvation. Let the steward distribute what the body requires, imparting to each his own, doing nothing out of selection and favor, but kindly and amicably. Let the cellarer see to it that he prepares food for the common good of the brothers with a sincere desire for their restoration, and that he has nothing neglected or spoiled in the cellar. Let the purveyor keep his conscience in rightness and condiments, and refer his office to God. Let the structural supervisor clean the table and the serving jugs, ministering to the brothers as to God. In the same manner, may others be toward others in the ministries to be performed. Nor do I say these things to incite those who are being ministered to against the ministers: but so that each one, in the office to which he is called, may give satisfaction, looking to God, from whom he awaits his reward. For have I not myself also undertaken the stewardship, and indeed a most great one? And as it befits me to be solicitous for your souls and to exhort each one privately and publicly, and to proclaim the law and justice of God, and the approaching sword, so too let it be your duty to perform your ministries indefatigably. But let us become, brothers, more and more one body and one mind, so that, called and invited to one hope, loving one another as mutually dependent members, supporting one another, embracing one another, bearing one another’s burdens, we may not allow ourselves to call back the time already spent in sloth at the end by changing our resolve; rather, let us be perpetually ready and prepared, caught up in hope, sincere, and blameless, so that having departed from here with a good conscience, we may attain the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto every eternity. Amen.

SERMO XLV. Reprehension of tumultuous brothers, and a cautionary teaching on modesty.

Brothers and Fathers, having traveled away from you for a while, and having returned again, we have encountered tumults (for it is necessary that these things also be made public), and such insolence, that some have stretched out their hands, and have cruelly seized one another, nor without anger and clamor. Indeed, regarding one of them, it is less novel, since he is a layman and not yet registered in this city; but regarding the other, it is exceedingly strange—a monk, crucified to the world, endued with flesh as if fixed with certain nails—that he has committed such a crime. Have you, brother, climbed down from the cross? Have you, loosened from the nails, laid hands upon Christ in the manner of the Jews? For, *Whoever*, he says, *did it to one of these my least brothers, did it to me*. Would not the fact that these things are testified have frightened you? Would you not have recoiled from the brothers and guests as witnesses? *So let your light shine*, he says, *before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven*. You, on the contrary, have cast darkness upon him by your crime, so that through you the name of God might be mangled with insults.

Woe to me, a sinner! To what height of life were we called, to what have we descended, with equal indignity having been accepted by the faulty laity! For as he started the fight, he says. Did you not hear the Master saying to the minister, who had struck him on the face, *If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil: but if well, why do you strike me?* And again upon the cross: *Father, forgive them their sin: for they do not know what they are doing*. By which example you ought, when attacked by insults, to praise, and when struck, to pray, and when vexed, to coax with kindness: but since you have not in the least imitated the good, you see of whom you are the likeness in your actions. Is this the premonition of the catecheses? This the signal and edict of the Apostles: *Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamor, and blasphemy be removed from you, with all malice*, that you should join hands, and tear hair, and throttle one another by the throat? The law of God is indeed trampled, and the silversmith, to use the words of the prophets, has refined the silver in vain, and the wretched man labours without fruit.

But yet, I will not desist from performing my duty, especially since I have not a few who are listening in earnest. Whence, therefore, is the cause of his immodesty? For it is necessary not only to attack the crime, but also to show the medicine. Indeed, this conscience, having been worked upon by evil, is a pride of soul, a small meditation: "If he says this to me," one says, "I will answer this; if he does that, I will do likewise." Then, through some incidental pretext of irritation, we produce into the open what were the counsels stirred up within: for this is his proven settled opinion: *Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks: a good man from a good treasure brings forth good things, and an evil*

man from an evil treasure brings forth evil things* 2. Therefore, may our soul be a treasury of good counsels, and not only shall we not bring forth evil, but we shall even struggle against it, not to mention that we shall offer the right cheek to one who strikes it, and the left as well, and endure all other things according to the evangelical precept.

But why, O race of Israel, do you bring yourself to destruction? It is not out of place to say here as well, we who drag out a sluggish life from day to day, and without fruit—knowing only, and indeed being highly praised for, gluttony and idleness? ^A Are we not, then, fortified against being embittered, raging, getting angry, and crying out—from which insults as if from missiles are brought forth, and things even graver than these? Behold, I declare it to you indeed, under God, the restorer of all things, and Jesus Christ, who performed the testimony of a noble confession before Pontius Pilate: *Keep the commandment*, as the Apostle loudly proclaims, *without spot, blameless* 5, lest you compel me to decree harsh punishments against you. Rather, being endowed with gravity and modesty, both gladden me—guilty as I am—and provide for yourselves, so as to enjoy eternal goods through the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Truly, are there not wounds arising from injuries, and deaths as the attendants of wounds? Therefore, having accepted so wicked a deed, let them be subjected to the punishments that befit them, lest they be urged on toward something worse. But you, dearest brothers, as gentle disciples and dispensers of peace to your neighbor, live peacefully and gently, having embraced peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one shall behold God, having most of all venerated the Lord's body and blood, of which we have partaken. Wherefore, let not a soul that has been imbued with gifts without spot be imbued with tumults, insanity, and foul desires; nor let the mouth, having drained the immortal fountain, utter filthy words ^B and empty sewers; nor let the eyes, purified by the august blood, behold savage things and feign wanton looks; nor let the hands, having handled sacred wealth, touch what is forbidden: rather, let all limbs be kept and guarded just as Christ’s own members. Truly, while all virtue is arduous and of the highest desire, there is nothing like virginity: for this is that which once shone in the orchard, before the deception was offered by the serpent to our predecessors, and it became the Mother of Christ, and it fashioned angels out of human beings: for the origin of marriage, for its part, is the end, which is corruption; and virginity rises up toward the immortality of the world.

SERMON XLVI

On adversaries. On peace and gentleness, kindness and virginity.

Brothers and Fathers, it is not necessary that a satiety of healthy discourse should seize me, nor one of fruitful listening seize you; but both of us should be so animated toward one another, as those who know how to draw water. And this is the proof of progress, this the occasion of salvation; for sermons pave the way for things, honest ones for honest things, and the contrary for the contrary. Therefore, let those of us who desire to do honest things make use of honest discourse and upright company, lest we wander from our duty: which the Apostle, teaching, writes in these words: *Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but if any is good, it is for fruitful and useful edification, that it may give grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption* 6. And again: *Let all bitterness, and wrath, and indignation, and clamor, and blasphemy be put away from you, with all malice: and be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven us* 7. ^C Do you see what he decrees? What precision of precept? And whom is he addressing? Not monks, but all worldly people generally. These things are appropriate for monks indeed: *But those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires* 8, as being incapable of wicked crime. Since things are thus, let those combatants now consider what punishment they are worthy of, who not only have not struggled, but have even laid hands upon one another. Has a layman dared to fly into a rage against a monk? Has one who is a monk dared, if I may say so, to strike a blow against a candidate for obedience? Therefore, you are not a monk, but a monomach [a solitary fighter]; you are not exercising, but playing the brigand; you are a son not of peace, but of wrath.

But how are we to prepare for this? someone might say. For who think otherwise than through a thousand labors and sweats? For where there is great achievement, there is also the need for the highest zeal. Therefore, just as a sharp sword cuts those who rush upon it, in the same way let a soul, forged as it were by the fire of the fear of God and tempered by the water of tears, cut down diabolical thoughts and take them as booty; if it happens to be blunted, let it be tempered again, for the slaughtering not only of a thousand, but also of ten thousand, as it is cast in David: for there are many who attack us from on high, and a thousand arranged in battle array against us are the spirits of wickedness: to oppose whom at the last, proves one to be a soldier of Christ and a truly brilliant victor. But may divine mercy obtain both pardon for the wicked and, for us, who rightly run to fulfill all the precepts of God, an overabundant alacrity, about to attain the celestial kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon XLVII

That it should not be allowed for evil thoughts to remain within us, and on not knocking.

Brothers and Fathers, we do nothing great by addressing you twice or thrice on the day after the Sabbath, whereas if it were lawful to do this even daily, it would provide no small advantage: for we all slip daily, and among ourselves we require mutual exhortation and help, whereby we are raised up and return to our former state: for in truth, the state is virtue, and a turning away from it is what is called vice. Now, the most serious and most abandoned...

^A life he may deem, put an end by his actions; such as whoredom, adultery, lust, filthiness, and whatever other flagrant sins there are, for which the law is also very burdensome. But he who is diligent and careful, and neither seeks the shameful deformations of the soul, nor the titillation of the body sought thereby, holds the innocent captive, and strives to abolish them, and to lead his soul away from harmful affections: which is to have peace with God through Christ Jesus our Lord, as the Apostle speaks.

In which state the soul, being placed, enjoys vehement joy and insatiable pleasure, wandering not from the notions of God, and being deeply immersed in the contemplation of unspeakable majesty, so that it even forgets itself; but if it is removed from that state, and is dragged by brute desires, it is beaten and tossed, like a ship agitated by a fluctuating sea, and if God the helper is not near, it suffers shipwreck.

Therefore, we must make an effort, brothers, not to allow evil thoughts to reside in us, but to pluck them out by the roots; for the serpent, having found a place to inspect and gradually to enter, surely will not desist until it has brought about death. Therefore Scripture says: *He will watch thy heel against thee*, that is, the end and extremity of action; *thou shalt watch his head*, this is the onset of thought. Therefore, let us henceforth bravely resist the incursions, and let us hunt down the wandering thoughts, and divide, as it were, the salt sea of sin; for which with David we also may be able to say, *We went through fire and water, and thou broughtest us out into a refreshing place.* Furthermore, it is not only this vice that disturbs and overturns the soul, but even more so, furor: for, *Mine eye is troubled by furor*, he says; and: *Furor is among them after the likeness of a serpent*, and: *Furor is stabled in the heart of fools*, and, *The onset of his furor is ruin to him.* ^B Who—unless it is born from an arrogant and contemptuous mind, which deems itself someone, and which behaves savagely toward a subordinate—who, indeed, who imitates the humble mind, is gentle and sedate, not contending nor crying out? And if anything happens, he bears injury rather than inflicts it, is struck, and does not strike back. Those who act this way not only contend furiously, but also dare to strike, and even strike joined brothers; then, when accused of rashness, they reply that they are not by any means held by the Canon, because, they say, we did not strike through ourselves, but through others, invoking the maxim in defense of their crime, not seeing that he was forced and devoid of justice. Does not the Father himself demonstrate this most clearly, suggesting the words of the Apostle, and writing these things: *Argue, rebuke, exhort*, but do not strike? Wherefore if he did not command to strike, who would dare to add to or take away from the apostolic edition? Besides, if not striking through oneself, but through another, frees one from guilt, all tyrants are absolved of the crime of murder, who did not kill through themselves, but through their own lictors, agents, and executioners, and no one would now say, "This man and that one ^C afflicted this or that person," but would blame the lictors—which is utterly foolish. Now, who would neglect the edict of the apostolic canon, and order the excommunication of those striking a bishop, or priest, or deacon, or those beating the faithful wickedly, or hurting infidels? Does he flee from remembering the Holy Spirit through the lashing of another? But away with these trifles from those who are, as it were, created by money—let the speech receive an example. Does he who, not through himself, but through the hands of others, either receives or gives money, escape the canonical excommunication? By no means in the world. The same must be held and judged here also concerning the offspring of furor, which it is necessary to remove from the soul, equally as with depraved lust, neither to the right nor the left, but by the royal road, that is, by evangelical and apostolic laws, must one proceed; for thus, following in the footsteps of the saints, we shall meet with them in eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and into all eternity. Amen.

Sermon XLVIII.

Concerning obedience, and concord, and peace.

Brothers and Fathers, I am preparing myself again for a sermon, especially since I hear the Apostle saying, *Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee*, and therefore it is necessary for me to speak, and for you to lend your ears, and to bring into action what you have been taught.

What, therefore, are we to say now? Concerning our bodily life, who, although we are in exile, yet live in community, not one or another, but many together. And although we do not have the comforts and resources of the monastery, we yet earn our labors; for brothers, and fathers, and guest friends, and the poor are constantly passing through, to all of whom to attend and be sufficient is neither a matter of scant spirit, nor of least annoyance. A prudent and vigilant steward, therefore, there must be, as a steward of God, although it will profit nothing if he does not also have a vicar who is a colleague and in accord, here a cellarer following the path, a cellarer assisting the cook, and others the others in agreement. For in one body there are many members, which provide for all things in turn, whether one labors, with all condoling, or whether one is honored, with all rejoicing: not otherwise in this commonwealth, if the same order is not preserved, there is no monastery, no peace and concord, but tumult and dissension. Since these things are so, who among you dares to be moved by his own lust, or while the day is shining to be vacant for private study or craft, and does not produce for the common good? He who induces his mind to refuse the assigned work, and does not provide himself even in those things to which his strength may be sufficient, certainly does not behave himself as a subordinate, nor as a brother, but

^A acts as he pleases, following the madness which has turned into law. But let us, brethren, flee intemperance, even in those things which are now permitted to be eaten, knowing that it is the mother of sin. For our predecessor Adam, as long as he abstained from the forbidden food in the garden, rejoiced and exulted, filled with divine visions and revelations; but when he was overcome and the forbidden fruit of the tree was taken, intemperance immediately became the progenitor of death, to the great loss of the delights of the garden. The Sodomites, too, destroyed by the abundance of their lusts and luxury, drew upon themselves the wrath of God, and were overwhelmed by fire and brimstone. Nor was that Esau different, who, ensnared by greedy eyes, sold the prerogative of his age for a small morsel of food. Indeed, the people of God “sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor are the things which are habitually done during these days any different: carousings, drunkenness, clamors, and diabolical dances, which are practiced not only during the day, but consume also a great part of the night. So great an evil ^B is intemperance, through which death invaded the world, that we ought to give thanks to God who has delivered us from that vain institution and brought us into this happy life, in which intemperance is not practiced, but moderation; nor drunkenness, but sobriety; nor turmoil, but peace; nor tumult, but quiet; nor disgraceful speech, but thanksgiving; nor shameful conduct, but chastity, holiness, and integrity. From this source have our divine Fathers proceeded, who, with God as their guide, trampled underfoot vices, put demons to flight, struggled alongside the angels, performed wonders, sought after heavenly glory, and were a source of admiration to the world; of whom one is the blessed Antonius, whose life we read, and whom we have seen caught up by God to the height of heaven in this embrace, such that even the kings of the earth considered it a great thing to write to him and to come to his written voice. We, too, value the lives of these blessed men, ^C and monastic perfection approves that we should follow them and imitate them: the despising of the world, the rejection of country, race, friends, and patrimony, subjection, conformity, and present confession, for which we are attacked in person and in our property. Therefore, let us rejoice and congratulate one another, because God has bestowed these things upon us, and let us lead a spiritual life, in which it is permitted, if we so wish, to feast daily and to possess joy without end. Therefore, I exhort you, let us firmly maintain this our monastic zeal and our confession: for the rumor has spread abroad that the emperor is threatening our affairs, and it would be no wonder if the royal officer were to arrive suddenly. But let us not be dismayed by the rumor, for if God is for us, who is against us? Truly, will He who helped us before not help us hereafter? Let us only stand ^D courageously, let us only watch circumspectly, and He Himself will provide the strength; so that, having finished our life according to His will even unto the end, we may attain the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

You see, then, the cruelty of the devil, for when he is repulsed, and since he is darkness, he transforms himself into a bright angel, wishing to lay a snare for us. But let the dragon depart from us, and let us say: We do not deny Thee, Christ; we do not lie about our blessed confession; we do not betray our virginity; we do not cast away our nobility; for you are not unaware, brothers, from what state we have fallen and into what we have returned. Have we not passed from filth to majesty, from ignorance to knowledge, from ignominy to glory, and is there not added to this reason, understanding, praise, and the dexterity of hand and mouth? Indeed, you are truly more precious than gold because of your golden obedience, my children. What need is there, therefore, for anything further? Patience; "for patience is necessary for you," it is said, "so that having done the will of God, you may receive the promises." What promises? The Lord Himself says: "I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And whither I go you know, and the way you know, and your joy no one shall take from you." Therefore, thinking on these things, and looking forward to the supreme and ineffable glory to be shown to the saints, let us bear all things gently: whether it is necessary to go hungry, let us hunger; whether to be scourged, let us be scourged; whether to die, let us die, that we may enter into the inheritance of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

On the Sixth Day of the Meatfare Week. On abstinence and the confession which is incumbent upon us.

Brothers and Fathers, most people call these present days a holiday, during which they gorge themselves and run riot with wine, ignorant that they are professing abstinence from meats, not from gluttony and the function of drunkenness; for that is the property of the Greek holidays, but for Christians, it is proper to use frugality, and not to care for the body for the sake of lusts.

SERMO L.

Brothers and Fathers, the law is universal on this day for the worldly to cease from the eating of meat, and you see the great contest of gluttony and drunkenness being waged, and even foul spectacles of games, which it is shameful even to mention; and those who it was fitting should use frugality, and give thanks to God for the present, and prepare themselves as is deserved for the impending feast, are driven by diabolical deceits to do all other things, showing themselves to be one thing while expecting another. But why do I say these things? So that we, being impoverished monks, might not let our minds go astray in the same way, nor be led by their desires, which are not at all worthy of desire, but of lamentation; rather, with our eyes fixed on the Gospel, which is to be heard today, and about which the Canon has been sung, let us contemplate the great and illustrious day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, on which the Judge, having placed the sheep on the right and the goats on the left, will address the former with this happy and most desired voice: *Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world*; but to the latter He will speak that dire and most sorrowful sentence: *Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels*. These things, I swear, are full of horror, dread, and consternation: which it behooves us, just as much as them, to consider and to weep over. For what then? Is it that after that one is again struck, and again one is crowned? And the greater the tribulations are, by so much greater is the consolation of the Holy Spirit. For the words of the Apostle are these: *As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our consolation abounds through Christ. Whether we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which operates in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer (and our hope is firm concerning you), or whether we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so will you be also of the consolation*. In these words he shows that we are partakers of one another in solaces and in tribulations, as one body and one mind, so that we are called and invited to one and the same hope. Wherefore, let us not be cast down or saddened in the future, brothers, but rather let us all rise together, like ^B excellent soldiers of Christ, bearing weapons not carnal, but God-powerful, which level strongholds—that is, prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice—following the decree of Christ even in this: *When they persecute you in this city, flee into another*. So that, as exiles, we might not have to care what we shall eat, or drink, or wear; for He Himself said: *I will not fail you, nor will I forsake you*, such that He will even open a window from there, and will be a help to us in all things. Shall we not rejoice, being supported by these promises? Shall we not be glad, who are the disciples of the Lord? Thus were the holy apostles also persecuted, whom the Lord addresses in these words: *Blessed are you when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all that is evil against you, lying, for my sake: rejoice in that day, and be glad*. Thus there are present joy and exultation, which bring about ineffable gladness, life eternal, and an endless kingdom. *Do not go into the way of the Gentiles*, He says, *and do not enter into the cities of the Samaritans*, which is to be understood as applying to heretics. Therefore, let us not enter into their churches, nor their houses; rather, wherever there is a son of peace and a seed of piety, let us turn aside there and dwell there, just as in recent times; let us beware of those who feign the truth, who call themselves pastors but are not, but rather deceivers who wander and drive into error, deceiving and being deceived, whose condemnation is just; let us hold fast to the consolidated faith, and then to an integral life, not harming one another, but being on both sides sound and perfect. Which proposed confession is deduced from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that he who denies that He can be represented in a painting, denies also that He was seen in the flesh—for it is the same thing to be seen in the ^C flesh as it is to be represented in a painting. He who does not adore His sacred image, does not adore the Lord; for the prototype prince is in the image, and in the model prince the image of each one who is represented shines forth and is adored.

SERMO LI.

Brothers and Fathers, I had intended to discourse today on abstinence, since the Holy Quadragesima is at the door, but the things that are being bandied about by rumors do not allow me to do so, having turned my mind and discourse elsewhere; for I have already proclaimed to you in the previous Catechesis that the Emperor is looming over our affairs, and now they say he is threatening ^D through Nicomedia. If we confront these things excellently, he will not sustain it at all. But he will indeed accomplish what he has set his mind to, if we are not found properly prepared, and if we do not appease God before things come to the experience of those things which are heard. And when they thus face their end, let us, I exhort you, listen eagerly to the evangelical proclamations, striving to serve God timidly and fearfully, having removed all viciousness from our mind; and let us strive for knowledge of every excellent function induced in one another, for profound mercy, kindness, submission, mildness, gentleness, or whatever else is excellent and praiseworthy, by which, having lived a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ, we may attain the heavenly kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LII. On Continence and Prayer, habit for the sixth day of Cheesefare Week.

^A Brothers and fathers, I often declare this life of ours to be happy, not out of adulation, but indeed with truth, nor because I wish to lament worldly things, but because I desire to render you more eager; for even today you know what happens in the world: gluttony, drunkenness, feasts, drinking, clamor, dancing, and other such fanatical things. These are the evil deeds of the wicked, whose condemnation is as it is written. But our life is not of this kind. And what is it? We praise God night and day according to the rule prescribed by the holy Fathers; psalmody succeeds psalmody, reading succeeds reading, prayer succeeds prayer; the mind is the guide of thoughts, the soul is devoted to meditating on the divine oracles, timely silence is practiced, becoming conversation, we serve one another, we defend one another, and all things are governed by measure and as if by rationing. If there is corporal work as a solace during the feast, it is not discordant: for you hear what the Lord of Judas commanded: "What you do, do quickly." But no one of those reclining knew for what he had said this to him; for some thought, because Judas had the money bag, that Jesus had said to him, "Buy those things we need for the feast day," or that he should give something to the poor. ^B Do you see how they were governed by care for the feast and the poor? That we, as you see, are moved to do likewise. Truly, thanks are to be rendered to God who has deemed us worthy to be enrolled in this life, not for the merits of the works we have done; for we have done nothing good on earth, but the calling is by his gratuitous mercy. So that each of us may always be under obligation, contrite in soul: "Who am I, O Lord my God, and what is my father's house, that thou shouldst embrace me with such zeal?" And these things are with us, which you would find more rarely in the world; for night succeeds day in the anxieties of this age, with frauds concerning riches, and other cares, so that one cannot even breathe; one causes poverty for another, one fights with another; they are poured out upon the earth, as if I speak in vain: [B—C] thefts, lies, curses, and other things which I could not easily recount. And the blessed Chrysostom, having grasped all these things in his memory, judged it a source of grief how small a portion of the world is being saved; an utterance which is indeed terrible, yet true. So that, in that sentiment, he who has a serious sense of things must mourn and lament. Indeed, are we not all brothers among ourselves? Not from one blood, and the same earth? If anyone seeing even a beast of burden being driven into a precipice is moved by mercy, how much more for brothers and fellow believers? Hence the Apostle wept for the enemies of the cross of Christ, praying with constant anguish of soul; hence Jeremiah left behind the lamenting of the stock of Israel and various written laments; hence that great Moses cried out to God: "If thou wilt forgive, forgive them this sin; but if not, blot me also out of thy book." And all the saints, having followed the same affection, prayed for others. ^C So that for us also, if we love to follow them, we should not only behold our own things, but we should also pray for the world, moved by compassion for those who lead a perverse life, who are held by heresy, who are led astray into error, who languish in the darkness of the Gentiles; in short, for all mortals, since the Apostle commands supplications and prayers to be made for all men: for thus, apart from others, we seek profit for ourselves, being pricked in heart, and having departed from a vicious habit: so that, being released, we may merit to enter into eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LIII. On Fasting, and how through serious and obedient subjection, true fasting is the destruction of one's own will.

Brothers and fathers, benevolent God, who leads us year by year, has kindly brought us to this time of fasting also, in which each of the pious strives to make use of it; one devoted to continence, demanding double or triple, another in privilege, watching so much or so little, another giving more time to genuflection, another to some other function, and you may see an immense study and diligence through these holy days: however, he who conducts himself seriously, placed under obedience, does not hold to any defined time, but perpetually obtains the same struggle. ^D What is it? In no way to conduct oneself according to one’s own libido, but according to the deformation of the leader: which, since it is sublimer than all other studies, also holds the diadem of martyrdom. Although there is for us also a change of foods, the struggle of genuflection, and the increase of psalmody, according to the tradition described from the beginning. Therefore I exhort, let us receive the ministry of fasting joyfully, not to be preferred with sadness, as we are taught, but with the hilarity of soul, and not with depravity, detraction, anger, evil-

- ^A malignity, self-will, and license for a private standard of living, nor on top of these, with harmful desire; for the veteran serpent also lies in wait for those who are fasting. Indeed, he was beautiful to look upon and pleasant to eat of, he who destroyed me; we hear the one saying, "And see how he names it good," not by nature, but by appearance. For just as one holding a pomegranate, flowering with a red rind, might discover mere rottenness within; in the same way, pleasure also, finding a reputation for unheard-of sweetness, is immediately found to be bitterer than gall, and piercing the captured soul with every sort of two-edged blade. Our predecessor Adam suffered this, ensnared by the serpent, who, as soon as he touched the forbidden food, found death instead of life; and everyone since then who has been driven into deception by the dragon has experienced the same. Clearly, just as he himself is dark, he disguises himself as a bright angel; so, indeed, he knows how to exchange and convert evil into good, bitter into sweet, blindness into splendor, foulness into beauty, and the deadly into the vital, and because of this, the wicked one does not cease to deceive the world incessantly. However, we, brothers, should by no means be carried off in other directions by these various frauds, nor should we suffer the same as birds, which, rushing greedily at the food set before them, become entangled in the fowler's snare; but rather, with the wrappings of vices drawn back, let us sagaciously discern ^B the pure wickedness and flee from it in earnest. Let us not be unprepared for psalmodies at the proper time, but be prompt for praises, assiduous in readings, kneeling together for hours as far as we are able, and performing acts of generosity (since it is an honorable thing to work, and one who does not work is not worthy to take food), bearing one another's burdens, since one is weak and another is strong in food, drink, and other necessary preparations, so that we may not emulate them in wicked things, but in honest ones; and, in the end, let us be mutually benevolent, generous, amiable, compliant, and full of the fruits of mercy and good things. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, ^C fortify your minds and souls, so that when you have forestalled the day of the Resurrection as innocent princes, you may then attain the heavenly kingdom in the future age through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LIV

On fasting, and the emptiness of lusts, spoken during the first fasts.

Fratres Patresque, the season of Quadragesima, compared with the whole year, is like a harbor free from storms, where all mortals converging may enjoy spiritual tranquility: for this season of the year is salutary not only for monks, but also for the laity, for small and great alike, for priests, subjects, kings, and for all stations and ages. Indeed, cities and territories desist more from strifes and tumults: and in their place succeed psalms, praises, supplications, and prayers; by which the merciful God, being appeased, imbues minds with peace and forgives offenses, if we approach Him with a sincere soul, timidly and tremblingly, and weep, with promises of amendment for the future. But since worldly ecclesiastical censors act by duty (for they need to be coached by the voices of those competing in the stadium, in the same way that those who are fasting need the consolation of their masters), I, raised as head over you, will speak with you, and do so briefly. For fasting is a kind of renewal of the soul; for the holy ^D Apostle says: "Though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." And if it is renewed, it is undoubtedly adorned for its pristine beauty, and being adorned, it entices toward it the charity defined in these words: "I and the Father will come, and will make our abode with him." Wherefore, if the benefit of fasting is that it makes us a dwelling place of God, we, brothers, ought to receive it, not offended by the thinness of our diet, knowing the Lord, who, though He could provide splendidly, accepted a few thousand with bread and water: so that I might not speak of the insolence tempered by alacrity without burden, or those drawing the harvest of quiet, nor of those becoming companions [index: entries preserved]

to daily food, but let it rather be reckoned as an imperfection, and let it be held wholly in the mode and standard prescribed for the perfect. And oh, a deed well done, that our affairs have been established according to the paternal and royal statutes. May health of body and strength of soul be granted to you again and again, you who serve the immortal and true God, and await the supreme day, on which you shall shine like the sun with the saints, enriched with the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LVI.

On the first Sunday of the fast. That we should not strive beyond our strength in divine studies, and that we should feed our soul with spiritual spectacles.

Brothers and fathers, since every beginning is arduous, the entry into the fast—a change of foods and studies—produces a certain difficulty and harshness. Yet it is softened and eased by persistent application, to which this sentiment pertains: "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. XII, 11). Wherefore, let us also, one week of the fast having been passed, become more alacritous for the time to come through experience, knowing that alacrity strengthens both body and soul, making light that which is heavy, and easy that which is arduous, just as sloth makes light things heavy, and easy things arduous. Nor let us strive in our studies beyond our strength, but rather let us preserve the health of the body along with a certain spiritual well-being; for what does it profit to hasten in the beginning, and soon to collapse? Instead, one must proceed circumspectly, keeping watch for the distance of the inn. But since a day that has contention often produces sloth, let us feed our soul with honorable occupations and spiritual spectacles, not with these worldly things in which there is vanity, distress, confusion, and bitterness, but with those which are mixed with sweetness and joy. "I remembered God," says the Psalmist, "and was glad" (Ps. XLI, 5). Therefore, let the mind be fixed in God, in heavenly visions, in the beauty of paradise, in the eternal mansions, in the rejoicings of the angels, in the supernal life; where are the souls of the pious and the wicked, and of what kind shall be the pre-illustrious advent of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: under whom, according to the divine oracle, the heavens shall pass away with a great sound, and the elements shall be dissolved with heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up (II Pet. III, 7-10), and then each soul shall assume its own spouse, the body; how numerous shall be the crown of men, reaching from Adam and the course of the ages; how terrible shall be the countenance of Christ, shining forth with solar rays; how we shall hear his voice at the last, which shall be the future restoration, for those summoned as just to the heavenly kingdom, and for the guilty dismissed into everlasting punishments: these things, brothers, it is fitting for us to care for, and to meditate upon, and to be occupied with them, as those who...

^A are placed outside the world, and are citizens of heaven, having no fellowship with wicked deeds, nor with the base thoughts that might disturb those who live carnally. From this let us be stirred, let us weep, let us glow, and having finished this life in peace, let us be raised into the hope of enjoying future eternal good things through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LVII.

On keeping the soul from harmful affections.

Brothers and Fathers, in the fasting of the first week we appear to one another as we have been, thin and pale. Yet even if the outward man is corrupted, to use the words of the Apostle, the inner man is renewed day by day 50; for we see the body, as it were, fat with delicacies, and shining, while it is to be believed that the soul consecrates itself through continence. That by afflicting the body we have brought forth beauty for the soul, namely that which holy David desiring, prayed: "Lord, in your will you have set strength for my comeliness" 51; and this same thing blessed Paul confirms, that we are betrothed to Christ: "For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtlety, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" 52. Do you see the greatness of the benefit, that we have Christ as a bridegroom? Do you see the groomsman, ^B so that he is solicitous for our safety? Therefore, our soul is like a young girl hidden in a chamber, who abstains from the sight of men, keeping herself within the chamber, and applying all industry to keep herself incorrupt, until the time of marriage comes. In the same way, the soul also, with every effort, must keep itself pure from the harmful affections of sin until its departure, after which, departing from the body as if from a chamber, if it is indeed beautiful, shining with excellent actions, it may delight the holy angels; and let it not, by injury or without shame, be deformed, and a pleasure to demons, to the disgrace of Christ, which then, both to speak of and to think of, is miserable.

Truly, for this reason is the repression and austerity of the body, which, as a bridle, blunts the appetites of the flesh, lest it cast off the charioteer, the mind—not in this storm alone, but it is agitated through the whole of life; for what else is the monastic life than the continence of vices, the mastery of thoughts, and a perpetual struggle with invisible enemies? These things are bitter (I confess) to the flesh, but this which is for the present, the momentaneous and light burden of our tribulation, as it is written, works for us above measure an exceeding eternal weight of glory, while we do not contemplate the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen 53. Therefore, for the sake of the invisible good things, which even through a lattice the angels desire to see, because of the bridegroom to whom we have been joined, Christ, I exhort and beseech you, brothers, let us keep our souls pure from harmful things, ^C not even thinking of evil with the Lord as author, since by thinking it is kindled, like fire, which is desire; but, being far from vices, and repelling the tempter at the first onset, adorning the soul with excellent actions, and more greedily undertaking the continence which is at hand, so that, having departed from here pure, we may migrate into heaven with incredible joy, about to enjoy the gladness of the celestial bridal chamber, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LVIII.

On concord, and love, and bearing the labors of virtue generously, so as to acquire the celestial kingdom.

Brothers and Fathers, indeed I rejoice in you, who fulfill concord and perform peace, who patiently endure the time of fasting, which surely pertains to your salvation and our hope; for how great a good is peace and concord in a brotherhood, with evils being removed from the midst, such as immodesty, restlessness, arguing, disobedience, detraction, pride, and whatever other flagrant sins there are? Clearly, when these seek first their own advantage, then they also make a maximum gain for others as an example of proposed virtue; for just as those who compare faults are heirs of detestation, so those who sharpen virtue are heirs of praise. Nor, indeed, brothers, let us fall away from an excellent state and a praised life, nor let us rest from divine love, since it is written: "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength" 54. Indeed, he who loves thus is not satisfied, does not falter, does not grow sluggish from sloth, but adds fire to fire, and provokes eagerness with eagerness, with virtues placed in the soul as if they were steps, and he progresses from strength to spiritual strength, and this incessantly. Do you not see carnal workers, how they labor in futile and perishable things? Do you not see shipbuilders toiling all day, nor granting themselves even a little rest? For what reason? So that they might carry away a little money and bring home what domestic use demands. Shall we not, for the sake of acquiring divine wealth, of acquiring the celestial kingdom, of enjoying perennial goods, of fleeing eternal punishments, endure all things with every eagerness and vigilance, and if it is even necessary to shed blood, be ready to spend it for the Lord? Truly, I beseech you, brothers, let us stand courageously, rejoicing in hope, enduring hardships, instant in prayers, intent on manual labor, in psalms, in verses, in readings; by which occupation let us hold the soul, and withdraw it from empty studies, since sloth is the mother of sin, and labor the guard of the soul. Not, however, that we should be cast down from our state on account of these things, but rather preferring compliance, modesty, the adjuration of a neighbor, and all other things which pertain to the soul's

^A salvation; and finally, to pray, not only for the brethren scattered here and there—for I am indeed troubled for them—lest anyone be wanting when I stand directly before the face of the Lord. And also to pray for me, that when I must open my mouth to speak, the word may be granted to me, and my life may be blameless, so that both I, standing alongside you, and you yourselves, may be preserved through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LIX. On the second Sunday of Lent. On passing through the fast joyfully and expeditiously, with the hope of eternal life.

Brethren and Fathers, the fast is an excellent thing, endowed with its own marks of distinction: these are peace, gentleness, serenity, humility, obedience, mutual zeal, and whatever other types of virtue there may be. But the devil strives to thrust contraries upon those who are fasting, and to make them arrogant, irascible, peevish, and puffed up, so that he may bring a greater injury with that benefit. We, indeed, ought not to act as if we were ignorant of the schemes of the unclean one, but rather we ought to behave in a peaceful, gentle, mild, and orderly manner, bearing with one another in kindness, knowing that this is acceptable to God; for not even if you bow your neck like a handle and make a bed of sackcloth and ashes will you please Him without these things. Indeed, when by fasting the body is repressed and withers, the soul is then dilated and blossoms again: for as he says, "Though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day," and again, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Therefore, looking to the prize, let us endure the labors of virtue with an equal mind, giving thanks to God and the Father, who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. We receive His immaculate body and blood daily; what is sweeter than this? What is more delightful? For to those who eat with a pure conscience, eternal life is sought. Do we not commune daily with David and other holy Fathers by dwelling upon their writings? What greater consolation is there for the soul than this? Have we not broken off the worldly zeal of human kindred? What is more blessed and sublime than this? Our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change the body of our lowliness, that it may be fashioned like unto the body of His glory, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. Wherefore let us rejoice, brethren, and let us pray, casting off all pleasure. "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The sun has risen with its heat, and it has withered the grass, and its flower has fallen, and the beauty of its countenance has perished." But the function of virtue remains into the ages. Is any one of you sad? Let him pray. Is he of good spirits? Let him sing psalms. If he is tempted by any harmful sin, as the tempter assiduously urges, let him endure, hearing Him who says: "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him." If you know these things, blessed shall you be if you do them, says the Lord: to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen. ^B

SERMON LX. On the third Sunday of Lent. On the sudden departure from this place; and on the careful restraint of the senses and the soul from foul desires.

Brethren and Fathers, we ought not to have made a speech while the holy Father and master is present, yet upon custom, let us say a few words. Therefore our life, as you perceive, is being consumed day by day, and we are drawing near to death, and it is necessary to depart from here and be joined to the Brethren and Fathers; it is necessary that our attention be vigilant and our mind instructed. We have heard the reading of the history of the flood and this sentence of the Lord in the Gospels: "As it was in the days of Noah, they were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, and suddenly the flood came and destroyed them all; so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of man." And perhaps we wonder how, at that time, they acted securely, without anxiety or fear; therefore, let us see to it that we ourselves are not ensnared in the same ignorance, walking along as we do. Truly, the ark is no longer being prepared, which was to be completed in one hundred years, but it is seen to be refilled daily, into which one must enter; death is encountered daily, with each brother departing, and our situation is even more terrible than theirs, so that the utmost caution must be applied. Nor, indeed, do I forbid that we should eat, drink, and be clothed with garments (I do not think that), but whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, let us do all to the glory of God, and let us not provide any offense to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God, as the Apostle commands. I truly exhort, I truly beseech, brethren: "Fulfil my joy," that I may use his words, "that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, doing nothing through strife or vainglory, but in humility, let each esteem other better than themselves." And, first of all, let the senses be restrained—sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste—through which death may break in; let the soul be bridled, so that it may not be carried off to wicked things, nor cling to foul things in vain, nor fashion vicious images, nor conceive criminal desires, from which neither profit nor pleasure is gathered, but rather pain and calamity, so that we may yield them no use. Therefore, there is one pleasure in which we may find repose: a pure soul and a void looking...

^A away from passions. And to say it once, let us do all things honestly, decently, and as we are commanded, without tumult and the insolence of words. Now a measure is to be applied to the kneeling, and a solemn recitation is to be performed according to the strength of each, while also safeguarding the health of the body. And may the God of peace, who has brought us to the beginning of the days of Christ’s resurrection, increase us for His heavenly kingdom, where there is no food and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy, as it is written, in the Holy Spirit, that we may be abundantly imbued through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXI.

Sermon for the third preparatory week. That we must not expose ourselves to danger, and concerning fasting.

^B Brothers and Fathers, yesterday was a storm, today is tranquillity; yesterday was tumult, today is quiet. Truly we have thanks to God, who both warded off the danger and strengthened you, who remained unbroken in the expectation of threats; this is the mark of true Christians, this is the mark of genuine monks, to be perpetually prepared for the crisis on behalf of virtue, and to consider nothing greater than the divine precept. Therefore, the enemies, having attacked and spoken what they spoke, have retreated, not so much because you were dismayed as because they themselves were in awe. May God indeed grant you a brilliant reward, since you have induced your mind to be troubled for His sake; for, as He is abundant in mercy, He rewards the virtue that reaches out even for the sake of the intention. Although the danger is not yet dispelled—indeed, it persists yet again, especially because edicts are issued everywhere by the princes that no one be allowed to be bereft of the heretical custom. Therefore, let us hear the Apostle saying: *Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one* [Col. iv, 5, 6]. By which sentence he teaches us neither to expose ourselves rashly to dangers, nor, on the other hand, to suppress the word of God; for, *if anyone draws back*, he says, *my soul has no pleasure in him* [Heb. x, 38]. And thus far regarding this; now the fast is advanced, and it urges us more and more to strive cheerfully for the future, so that to everyone it may seem that we are not sorrowful or compelled. For God loves a cheerful faster. Although the cenobitic rule permits not that each one be governed by his own caprice—for this norm of continence is common to the subjects, a coercion of one’s own will—the fast is therefore excellent, which tames the vices and brings the flesh into subjection to the spirit; ^C excellent are the tears which wash the soul and cleanse it from sins, and make it appear less unworthy to God; excellent is the prayer which makes the mind winged and renders it a companion to God; excellent is the love which everywhere neglects its own benefit for the sake of one's neighbor; excellent is the alacrity which softens labors and, as it were, imbues life with youth. Wherefore let us be joyful and cheerful; it is time for the psalmody; let us go forth diligently, let us work earnestly, let us be silent honestly, let us speak circumspectly, and let us do all things as we are commanded, without tumult and the insolence of words. Now a measure is to be applied to the kneeling, and a solemn recitation is to be performed according to the strength of each, while also safeguarding the health of the body. And may the God of peace, who has brought us to the beginning of the days of Christ’s resurrection, increase us for His heavenly kingdom, where there is no food and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy, as it is written, in the Holy Spirit [Rom. xiv, 17], that we may be abundantly imbued through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXII.

On the holy Forty Martyrs, concerning imitating the sufferings of the Lord.

Brothers and Fathers, how honorable is this secession that has befallen us from this monastery; for why should our liberty be judged by the conscience of another? Why, besides the fact that we produce no fruit, do we furthermore punish ourselves seriously? Therefore, as much as was permitted and as time allowed, we have indulged; now when the time calls and they have refused to oppose [the enemy] for Christ, just as many others have done, this prophetic sentence must be heard: *Go out from their midst, and be separate, says the Lord* [Isa. lii, 11; II Cor. vi, 17]. If others act differently in these matters, they will render an account to God on the day of judgment; to me, indeed, it seems a disgrace to concede to these, or to tolerate the heretics. But you see how this discord has compelled those who have been abstracted from the world to miseries, tribulations, famine, vexation, imprisonment, and death. Although we must strive to overcome in all these things, in order that God may follow us, who, having seen ^D a soul thirsting for Him, strengthens it so that it may endure torments for His sake. Of this, others are a testimony, as are the holy Forty Martyrs, whose memory we recall at present: for indeed, it is sacrilege to say that they were endowed with a nature different from ours, but by embracing God from the heart, they gathered strength from calamity, so that they might conquer the invisible enemy, and accomplish such and so great a battle, which all Christians celebrate. Truly, happy is he who communicates even in the slightest with the sufferings of Christ, who is sought for death, just as that one was sought; who is apprehended as he was, who is lacerated with contumelies as he was, who is whipped as he was, who is cast into prison as he was. Now you see why it was written: *For if we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we do not believe, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself* [II Tim. ii, 11, 12]. To Him be the promises! And what sort of threats! For the rest, let us take care, brothers, let us strive not to disgrace what have already been done by the benefit of Christ: the exiles, the chains, the scourges. And if we are not all in chains, and not all punished with scourges, yet this life is indeed a certain society of miseries; for if one member suffers, all

suffer; or if one is honored, all rejoice. Since we are henceforth one body and one mind, so that, having been called and invited into one hope, and having Christ as our head, we may through Christ Jesus our Lord enter into the heavenly kingdom—to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the age of ages. Amen.

SERMON LXIII. An historical account of the Christians in Bulgaria who were put to death during the holy Quadragesima on account of the eating of flesh.

Brothers and Fathers, in this Catechesis it pleases me to exhort you to joy by means of a certain narrative, and it is as follows. In Bulgaria, as those clearly in the know have reported, a wicked edict was issued by the prince, for the Christians who had been captured by hand to eat flesh during the Quadragesima, and to have their very lives dependent upon their obedience, while those who were disobedient were to be put to death. When this impious proclamation was confirmed, they began to hold assemblies, and with weeping and frequent lamentations in the company of their wives and children, on the one hand for the sake of the Christian law, and on the other hand in terror of the death of the body, they were finally (alas, miserable news!) overcome and succumbed to the infamous command. From these, however, fourteen were snatched, and standing over against them, exhorted them not to yield nor to obey, and not to eat flesh, contrary to the Christian law. The crowd met their words and conjured them to yield to necessity and not to run rashly to their own destruction, and to repent again by means of penance; but they would not believe them or be softened, looking toward God and the promised blessedness. The Scythian, having perceived this implacable resistance of theirs, took counsel to overcome the others through one, and having slain his children and wife, he handed them over as a prize to the Scythians, so that the others, being softened, might be drawn away; but they remained even more unmoved, proclaiming themselves Christians, and partakers of the brother’s death; and thus, through that confession, they too were tortured and departed in the Lord. Do you see how even now the Gospel of the divine kingdom is being brought to pass? He who loves father or mother, he says, more than me, is not worthy of me; and he who does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me; and again: Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Therefore, these men, paying heed to the fulfillment of the evangelical precepts in obedience to God, bound themselves with the crown of martyrdom, having imitated the holy Maccabees, doubling the number: for those were seven, these were fourteen, and they did not taste swine’s flesh contrary to the law, nor did they partake of any flesh at all against the Christian rule; which seems in some way more absolute; for whereas to those it was entirely forbidden to eat swine’s flesh, it was permissible for them to use it in necessity; although, as the divine Basil says, it is not to be condemned, but because their advancement was the Scythian’s edict, looking toward the prejudice of religion, they did not lead their mind to it: nay rather, for the love of Christ they counted all things as secondary. O most blessed men! O most happy trade, in one moment of time to barter for eternal rest! But come, what will those respond to these things who deny that heretical custom is a prejudice? For if the prejudice of Christianity is the matter of meats, how much more so is a custom governed by impious rites? And where are they who deny the martyrdom that is placed in the image of Christ? For if they be martyrs who refused flesh, how much more illustrious is this martyrdom, that we should not deny Him at all? But shrouded in darkness, of course, they speak gloomily, and in their own vices they hasten to hinder others also: but we, brothers, let us honor the gentle Lord, that He who honors those who honor Him, may show us also to be martyrs in our memory, and let us seriously ponder this with our minds. For if the sight of vile, unlearned little men, uxorious, burdened with children, cast everything aside for the love of Christ, how much more ought we, strangers to the world, where time calls, to compete in the imitation of the saints? But this is to be achieved in one day, and at the same time Christ will call: now let us persevere in the martyrdom that is situated in the mind, and is eternal. Let us not lapse with Baal, brothers, nor let us obey those who are beset by the arrows of the evil one, but rather let us extinguish the fiery darts of the malignant with tears, with prayers, with certain stings of the soul, and with other bodily afflictions, being about to say with the Apostle: I die daily for your boasting, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord; and with David: Because of you we are killed all the day long, we are considered as sheep for the slaughter; with whom we may attain the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the age of ages. Amen.

SERMON LXIV. On the Annunciation, the first. On the economy of our Lord Jesus Christ becoming incarnate, and on the proper way to spend spiritual feast days, delivered on the day of the Annunciation.

Brothers and Fathers: the Annunciation is present, and it is the first of the Lord’s feasts; and it is necessary that we should celebrate it, not merely as the common people do, but—

^A with understanding and reverence for the mystery. What is the mystery? That the Son of God becomes the son of man, having used the holy Virgin as a mediatress, having dwelt in her, and having fashioned for himself a temple out of her, and having become a perfect man. Wherefore? That he might redeem those who were under the law, as it is written, that we might receive the adoption of sons; that we might no longer be slaves, but free; no longer stirred by passions, but passionless; no longer lovers of the world, but lovers of God; no longer walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For they who walk according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they who walk according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. Because the mind of the flesh is enmity toward God; for it is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can it be. But they who are in the flesh cannot please God.

This is, briefly speaking, the power of the mystery; and for these reasons we are bound to keep the feast, and to behave ourselves spiritually, with piety, integrity, love, meekness, peace, gentleness, benevolence, and purity of soul, that we may not, as far as in us lies, render the dispensation of our Lord Jesus Christ toward us empty and ineffective.

Moreover, we ought to pray and grieve for the world. Why? Because the Son of God came that he might save the world, and the world rejects him. Tribes and tongues reject him; the barbarian nations reject him; they who are called by his holy name reject him, some through corrupt faith, and others through a wicked life. What was needed to be done, which he did not do? Being God, he became man; he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto ^B death, even the death of the cross; he gave us his body to eat, and his blood to drink; he deigned to be called our father, brother, head, teacher, bridegroom, fellow-heir, and all other things which it is not convenient here to mention. And yet they reject him, and yet he bears it. For, he says, I came not to judge the world, but that I might save the world.

What then is to be said in these things, brethren? That genuine disciples grieve at the rejections of their fellow-disciples, showing love both toward the teacher and toward the disciples; and in the same way, genuine servants suffer the same in the treacheries of their fellow-servants. For this cause the great Apostle commands us to offer supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all men, for kings, and for all who are in high places. He himself ^C says this elsewhere concerning himself: "I tell the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart; for I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." Do you see the strength of love? Do you see the height of friendship? So too also Moses appears before God saying: "If thou wilt forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, blot me also out of the book which thou hast written." Thus, therefore, we too, as genuine disciples, not spurious ones, are bound not only to look to our own selves, but also to grieve and to pray for our brethren and for all the world. For thus, by doing the things that are pleasing to the Lord, we shall become heirs of eternal life, in Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory and power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sermon LXV. A second discourse on the Annunciation. On virginity.

Brethren and Fathers, since the Annunciation is present, I shall try to speak to you a few words about the Annunciation, showing from this how great is the profession of virginity, which we have been deemed worthy to embrace. For to whom did the angel Gabriel say: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee"? Was it not to the holy Virgin Mary? And from whom did God the Word himself, having been incarnate, become man? Was it not from the blessed Virgin herself? Virginity, therefore, is that which brought forth the life of all. Virginity is the queen of the virtues. Virginity is the bride and the bridemaid of Christ; and, if you will, let us hear the blessed Paul saying: "The unmarried man is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he who is married is anxious for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. And the woman and the virgin are divided; the unmarried woman is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she who is married is anxious for the things of the world, how she may please her husband." Behold the power of the word; how marriage has no leisure to be anxious for the things of the Lord, but for the things of the world? To virginity, therefore, has the good portion been allotted. But indeed, even in the kingdom of heaven, virginity carries off the first prizes; and surely it is written in the Revelation of the holy John these things: "These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they who follow ^D

^A the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Behold the close fellowship of which those who have chosen virginity have been deemed worthy! By which they obtain the first fruits, according to the words of the Apostle, if indeed one considers it well; for just as in the present life they are superior, so too in that which is to come they are distinguished, as having offered to the Lord a heart undivided and a life free from the cares of the world. Therefore, my brethren, let us cherish this great gift, keeping it unstained by any desire of the flesh, that we may be found worthy of the crown prepared for them who remain holy unto the end. For this is the glory of the Church, this is the ornament of the faithful, this is the conduct worthy of the heavenly calling. But let us also remember to pray for those who are in the world, that they too might find mercy, for God desireth all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory and power, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMON LXVI

Today, my brethren, we commemorate the glorious departure of the all-holy Theotokos. A day of joy, yet combined with the solemnity of mourning, for the departure of the Mother of our Lord is an event of great mystery. Let us then consider her holy life, how she was adorned with every virtue, and how she became the temple of the living God. For if the saints are to be imitated ^C in their earthly struggle, how much more should we look to her, who is above all saints and higher than the heavens? She who carried the Word in her womb is the model for all who seek the path of salvation; let us therefore strive, as much as lies in our power, to walk in her footsteps, through humility, through obedience, through purity of heart, and through constant prayer. For so we shall be made heirs of the kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. ^D Amen.

^A What prerogative they are endowed with, who have chosen virginity, who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes! Marvelous is the privilege that they have been counted worthy of, who follow Christ and rejoice with Him. But let us consider, brethren, that by as much as this achievement is great and supernatural, by so much does the destroyer of our life, the devil, exert himself to cast us down in this matter more than in all other passions. And as for how many he has cast down from the beginning of time, who could even count them? As I have heard from one who knows well, even now in Asia, the dragon has succeeded in tripping up a man who for many years had lived in asceticism and was admirable in his life, in such a way that he not only renounced the holy habit, but also kept a woman in adultery. What could be more pitiable than this? Such are the crafts and the resultant deeds of the devil. But we, I exhort you, brethren, let us guard them as the apple of our eye, revering our Bridegroom, Christ; let us not betray the treasure of virginity entrusted to us; nor let us suffer the same fate as the fish, which, by swallowing the hook along with the flesh used as bait, find death. For pleasure is a hook that corrupts, not one that brings sweetness; it brings death, not life. From this may we be delivered, being strengthened by the power of God, and for the future let us appear sincere and blameless as long as we breathe, so that, departing victoriously from this life, we may attain the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages ^B of ages. Amen.

SERMON LXVI

Wednesday of the fourth week. That this Pascha is a likeness of the future and eternal, and regarding patience and fortitude.

Brethren and Fathers, Quadragesima is already passing, and the soul rejoices at the approach of Pascha, as if finding rest in it, and as if being sent to get well-earned rest from many labors. To what end is this sermon initiated for me? Because our whole life is a sort of Quadragesima, looking toward the eternal Pascha. This of ours, indeed, although it is to be venerated and is a great likeness, yet it is a likeness of that other; as the Fathers proclaim, since this is but for a few days and passes away, while that is for an eternal journey. Hence, sadness, pain, and lamentations shall flee away; where there is joy, gladness, and everlasting triumph; where there is the murmur of those who celebrate, the crown of those who hold the assembly, and the constant spectacle of light; where there is the happy Christian banquet, a table filled with perennial goods, and new drink, of which Christ says: *I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.* ^C About this kingdom, He was about to depart into the heavens and speak to His disciples in these words: *I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And whither I go you know, and the way you know.* And again: *At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.* And elsewhere: *Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world.* This sentiment of His does not pertain to the apostles alone, but also to us: *Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us.* What is more consoling than these words? What more worthy of reverence? What could they not soften of the mind? What soul could they not prick? One might say that even a stone by nature would be moved, let alone a human heart. And thinking on these things, the saints endured what they endured, counting hardships for joy, narrow things for ample things, struggles for delights, exercises for rest, and death for life. Therefore, we too, who are bent on the same ^D

goal, and likewise seek the Pascha, let us bear the present things courageously and stoutly, not wavering, nor sluggish through sloth, but rather excited more fervently; ^A watching the wicked serpent who practices the variety of vices against us, disguising himself as a radiant angel, insolently turning things around, displaying darkness as light, bitterness as sweetness. Thus he ensnared our predecessor Adam with blinded eyes, having molded as beautiful what was not beautiful, and hence banished him from the garden through eating. We, indeed, having been taught who the user is—namely, the impostor—let us not depart from the garden of God's commandments, nor, by offering the beautiful fruit, let us cast down the gaze of our mind or body, lest we be ensnared; but let us flee the bait with all our might. What is the fruit that appears beautiful? The pursuit of the flesh, the perverse desire of any harmful vice—the danger of which, by refusing, we will escape unscathed, and celebrate the Pascha forever with the saints, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon 67

Wednesday of the Mid-week. To die to vices, and to revive to virtues, that this is at last to keep feast daily and to keep the Pascha of the Lord God.

Brothers and Fathers, the Pascha is imminent, now that, with God as our leader, we have passed the mid-point of the fast. But why do we hasten so to capture the Pascha, only for it to arrive and depart? Have we not done this over the many courses of the years? The present, therefore, will also pass; for nothing in this age is constant, but days glide by like shadows, and our life runs its course like a swift horse, while we are urged toward the goal. What? Is it not, he says, a lovely Pascha? Certainly, I confess it is lovely, even above all, but only in that it is observed daily. Which one? The purging of crimes, contrition of heart, tears flowing from compunction, purity of conscience, the slaughter of terrestrial limbs—adultery, impurity, lust, harmful desire, and whatever other ^B frantic evils there are. Whoever has prepared these, not once a year, but, as I might say, daily, celebrates a Pascha most desirable to the Lord; but one who does not have what I have said, and is ruled by vices, he is incapable of keeping the feast: for who will feast, he for whom gluttony is a god, who is inflamed by carnal lusts, who wastes away with envy, who is immersed in avarice, who is possessed by ambition, who is involved in other crimes? Unless someone should say that a feverish man is healthy, and a shipwrecked man is sailing successfully. But reason and divine law do not allow this, for he who is occupied in darkness cannot be illuminated, nor can he who rages in crimes keep the feast. For you, however, we promise better things, and things joined to salvation. Indeed, our life is naught else than preparation for the feast: for you see what is being performed—psalmody succeeds psalmody, reading succeeds reading, meditation succeeds meditation, prayer succeeds prayer, as if something urging us and ^C of the serene world. How truly splendid and excellent this life is! how blessed and most happy! Therefore, having demonstrated the Pascha we seek, let us earnestly pursue it, venerable brothers, and let us perform it assiduously as best we can, dead to vices, and alive again to virtues, like the Lord; for He paid the penalty for us, leaving behind a certain example, that we might follow His footsteps. Nor do I argue these things so that we may be judges of others (for each will carry his own burden), but that, having perceived the benefit we have from God, we may give thanks to the Provider, honor the Benefactor, and render a return to our Lord, who not only has granted us present things, but sincerely promises to give to those who worship Him to the end even greater things, that eternal and heavenly Pascha: which may it be granted to all to attain by the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon 68

On Spring. That we must be renewed into the ancient state through the endurance of incoming temptations, both visible and invisible.

Brothers and Fathers, winter being finished, and spring approaching, we see this whole universe reflourishing, that is, flowering plants, the green earth, birds chirping; all other new things, and in them we rejoice, and we praise God the Creator, the Greatest and Best, who repairs and turns this nature of things throughout the year, and not without reason. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, His eternal power and divinity (Rom. 1, 20). ^D Although we must not stop here, but must go further, and contemplate within ourselves the reason for the highest things. Which is it? That this renewal has winter as its cause: for it would not have tended toward beauty, had it not first undergone snows, rains, and winds. In the same way, the soul also, unless it is first sprinkled as if with a certain snow of hardships, miseries, and trials, by no means puts on its bloom or bears fruit; but having suffered, it bears fruit, and enjoys the divine happiness, as it is written: For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God (Heb. vi, 7). Therefore let us also, brothers, suffer every hardship; every misery, every incoming visible and invisible temptation, this very fast we are leading, as we are hungry and thirsty, enduring other afflictions, so that we may bear fruit and enjoy the divine happiness. Nor merely that, but we also invite Jesus to the banquet; for just as we are delighted by the spectacle of the world, so is He by the beauty of our soul. Now what are the fruits? Love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, beneficence, faith, meekness, temperance: this is the banquet, this is the invitation. And happy is he whom He feeds, by whom he is in turn fed with perennial goods; happy is he who invites, by whom in the heavenly kingdom he...

^A is received. Alas, truly he who receives the King under his roof rejoices and triumphs; how much more he who receives the King of kings, the Lord of lords? This is indeed the proof of His promise: "I and the Father will come, and will make Our abode with him." And again: "He who has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me, will be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." With these promises set forth, let us not merely bear, but gladly bear all things, as much the present trials as those which are tossed about by rumors and are feared, hearing the Apostle who says: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church"; and divine James: "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing." Do you see how ^B tribulations are for joy and pleasure? For such are those things which are exchanged by a certain divine commerce, and which the saints have entered upon as the rule of life. Wherefore, let us also, by meeting and pushing back, and by walking in their footsteps, obtain the heavenly kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LXIX. In memory of holy Plato. That those who have passed their life in hardships and miseries enjoy a pleasure beyond and alien to pain.

Brethren and Fathers, when every man enters upon the word or upon the end of his life, hardships and difficulties are expected first, but at the final struggle, joy and gladness follow. For indeed, weeping according to the flesh, the farmer sows, but he reaps with exultation; and the soldier, having set out for battle, is accustomed to mourn, but returns rejoicing. Therefore, ^C we too, having been raised to the goal of temperance, let us not even remember our former afflictions, but rejoice in the present and praise Him who is to come. Why, indeed, let the path shine even for the future with excellent studies; for I truly bear witness that you have passed the time of the fast excellently, without strife, without tumult, well-compunctious for the obedient, and having performed each one’s duty more than sufficiently. And thanks be to the almighty God, who grants the strength to fulfill this. And likewise, brethren, let us take this as an example at the end of this life, when we shall cease from our daily duties; and our life will be revealed as Christ, who shall deliver the kingdom to God and the Father, the authors of Scripture ^D having been extinguished of all power, rule, and authority; since then the saints shall not perceive punishments and struggles on account of virtue, for they shall enjoy pleasure beyond and alien to pain forever. Who are these? Those illustrious before the law, and the Fathers in the law, and the prophets like Abraham and Moses; and in grace, the blessed Apostles, the laureled martyrs? The whole chorus of the saints, and, above these, the excellent Precursor, whom in the reproof of the adulterous king, Plato imitated, whose memory we have celebrated today, and for which we are deemed worthy to feast today.

Since the necessity of the teacher demands that the disciples be excellent, knowing the fruit from the tree, I exhort and beseech you, let us also walk by the same rule and in the same footsteps as he and the other Fathers and brethren of monastic zeal and confession that lies upon us, relaxing nothing. For you have already heard without doubt what the unhappy Alexander has committed, that he has abjured both obedience and confession. Whence did he contract this, if not from the fact that he lived as a solitary (which I indeed frequently object to for those who live as solitaries) and burnt with Jewish love of money? Therefore, he shows that the master of both is glorious—the one to the Jews, and the other to the gregarious Iconoclasts of the Jews.

So that the Apostle may rightly cry out, "The root of all evils is avarice, which some having coveted, have strayed from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows." Nor can I here but touch upon many of you, not without reason. Why? Because you were caught by ambition and the desire for primacy, a vain man, and you set up a serious injury for him as a game, as if by creating him a sort of Pope. This game, full of the devil, he carried out into action: and thence what misfortune did he contract? He made shipwreck of the faith, lost the reward of virtue, and sadly brought fraud upon us all, and the Church of God, as far as lay in him. But may the benign God who draws the mind overwhelmed in the deep of destruction, at length, someday, call him back from his fall, regretting his deed, and may He grant you grace for your rashness and futility, and preserve us all in His heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LXX. At the end of the Forty Days. On the endurance of all tribulations, and the imitation of the Lord and the saints.

Brethren and Fathers, perhaps the previous catechesis has saddened you, the dangers having been announced to be stirred up against us. But because I have spoken these things to you, says the Lord—

^Anus, tristitia implevit cor vestrum; sed ego veritatem dico. The Apostle again: To me it is not grievous, but for you it is a safeguard; therefore, I exhort you, let us be strengthened by every spiritual protection. And if news of work should go forth, with God as our leader, let us encounter it as courageously as possible; but if not, not even then will it be alien to [our] profit, if the kindly God proves the preparation for it and rewards the intent without wounds and labors. Furthermore, it is already the end of Lent, and it has brought an outstanding culmination, which is the remembrance of the life-giving wounds of the Savior, from which we may derive the greatest consolation. For if the Lord and God was apprehended for our sins, what is it of great account if we too, useless servants, be apprehended for his sake? If that Lord and Bound One was led into custody, what is new if we too suffer the same as our Master? Indeed, it is by no means grievous that these things happen. Nay, if it is necessary even to be beaten, let us be beaten; if to be struck with fists, the fists; if to be spat upon, the spittle; if finally to meet death, let us endure a glorious death. And blessed is he who, even in part, shares in Christ's sufferings; this is happiness, this is immortality. Do we not hear what the Apostle says: From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus? As if he were to say: Let no man despise me, for indeed I bear in my body the insignia of the King, Most High and Great. Such was the blessed Ignatius, who called himself "God-bearer" because he bore Christ's sufferings in himself, and then divine Eustratius, who in his torments cried out that he said: Now I know that Christ lives in me.

O most blessed voices! O thrice-most-happy souls! Of whom, indeed, do we keep the memory? Whose nativities do we celebrate? For whom do we build august shrines; whose relics do we venerate? Not those of martyrs? Not those of confessors? Not those of saints? Who, increased with such glory here, cannot be described or contemplated, as to what and what kind of splendor they will enjoy in the age to come. This is that excellent business; this is that happy contract, to obtain eternal and immortal things through meager labors and contests. Whom let us imitate, brothers, and let us also mingle our blood with that august blood; for indeed it is possible; for the nature is not unequal, nor has he changed who says: Behold, behold that I am, and I have not changed. He loves all equally, having died for all, an inexhaustible delight proposed to all, lover of the salvation of all, and his riches are equally for all. Since the Scripture says: He is rich unto all that call upon him. Therefore, let us call upon him in our present circumstances, and he will bestow strength and vigor upon our souls; let us embrace him, and he will render our enemies, visible and invisible, as of no account; let us wait, and he will crown us on the day of the resurrection of the dead and of his advent, whom may we, being innocent, anticipate, and stand blameless before his tribunal, our defense having been successfully completed through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom belongs glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto every perpetuity. Amen.

SERMON LXXI Lazari Praeparatoria. Cavendum nobis esse a diaboli vafritie, neu secessiones agitemus.

Fratres Patresque, these are the words of the Lord in the Gospels: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and it lacked little but that it should have happened to us as well. But the Good Lord did not permit us to be afflicted beyond [our] strength, but with the danger provided also an exit, so that we might be able to bear it. Nor, indeed, are you unaware of what I feel: for I approve of your fraternal bond in tribulations, and [your] conspiracy, as acceptable to God, and profitable, and praiseworthy, according to this utterance of the Apostle: For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Such, indeed, is the affection of true brothers, which logic also desires: for it says: Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. And observe, I pray, the diligence and industry of the devil, how he goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, whom he may intercept, whether in part or in whole: for once having attained a part, he by no means rests, but always accelerates toward the worse, until he exacts the death of sin. For instance, he tempts first those of us who suffer access, then, however, so that we may speak vitiously in our mind, thus he removes the polluted and infected mind from the habit of nature, having fashioned it as senseless, brutish, blind, which might desire wicked things, darkness instead of light, bitterness instead of sweetness, death instead of life. And such is the pestilence of temptation brought against us. But we, brothers, let us guard our souls with all our might, by no means giving place to the devil, by which, if we deny his immediate access, if we be overcome, we ensure we are not polluted. But if we suffer even that, let us not linger, and be dragged down into the perpetration of sin; which is accustomed to happen from presumption, and from the memory of old things. But let us flee from presumption, and the novelty of things, and a kind of regressive usurpation: for what else is it to be occupied with such thinking than to return in mind to Egypt? And is that to be guarded against according to the outward man? According to the inward, what the Apostle commands: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And ^Dgrieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Furthermore, let us flee also from secessions, so that

^A you may not be authors of falls. Lo, are there brothers within the fold, and are you outside? In silence, brothers, do you grumble? The brothers are sleeping; do you wander hither and thither in condemned places? Hence those harms, hence ruins. What becomes of a sheep that is separated? Is it not a prey to wild beasts? In the same manner also does he who departs from the fraternity of the brothers. But not so, my brothers, not so; but let all things be done elegantly, decently, accurately, and seriously, as if in the sight of the divine eyes, which watches equally over hidden and open things, and by day and by night, and is not ignorant of any motions of the body or the soul; so that we may not therein afford any pretext, whether to Jews, Greeks, or to the Church of God. And thus far on these matters. Now, since Lent has reached its end, let us praise God who has granted us to persevere in its toils; the trouble has passed away, the reward remains. The body has been thinned, the soul has been fattened. Indeed, as you grow fat in soul, so may you be consecrated more and more, and may the solid mind, and the soul, and the body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXII

A teaching concerning the life-giving passion, and concerning submission and patience, during the Great Week.

^B Brothers and Fathers, today is a holy and venerable day; for hence the Master begins to endure for our sake the torments of the Cross, as this Davidic saying sets forth: "Why did the nations rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes assembled together, against the Lord, and against his Christ" (Ps. II, 1, 2). For they indeed gathered together, devising a wicked counsel against the Lord, and the old wretch Judas, the disciple, betrayed him with a deceitful kiss. Therefore the Judge is dragged in chains, is brought to the judgment of all, is interrogated, and answers; and upon answering (O horrific history!), he gently reproves the servant who dealt him a blow: "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" (John XVIII, 23). He is sought by the insolence of words, is mocked, is insulted, is torn by reproaches, is spat upon, is struck with blows, is scourged, he ascends the cross, and though suffering, prays for his executioners: "Father, forgive them the sin, for they know not what they do" (Luke XXIII, 34); he is given drink with gall tempered with vinegar, is pierced by the lance, and finally the Immortal dies. These are, to speak summarily, the Master's torments; and whoever of the faithful hears them, he does not rage, is not provoked, is not stirred to fury, does not swell with pride, does not trample on his brother, does not envy, is not led by ambition, but rather, submissive and contrite, deems himself earth and ashes, desires a fellowship with the torments of Christ, and strives to be conformed to the Dead One, so that in the resurrection he may become a partaker of glory. You indeed have certainly both partaken in part, and it is a matter of confidence to partake in the Master's torments, for see where you are. Is it not on account of his word and testimony that you are in exile and persecution? Have you not long since ^C endured lashes? Have not some brothers died like athletes? Therefore this presents to us the Master's triumph and gift. But since secure happiness is for no one at the end, both because conversion is easy and because it is uncertain what tomorrow may bring, I exhort you, stand firm and invincible in the Lord, as if in one soul and one mind, fighting together for the evangelical faith, in no way terrified by adversaries, nor providing any occasion of stumbling, but rather in all things approving ourselves as ministers of God, in obedience, submission, meekness, gentleness, and much patience; for, "Patience," he saith, "you have need of, that, doing the will of God, you may receive the promise; for yet a little while, and he that is to come will come, and will not tarry" (Hebr. X, 37). And why, moreover, are we distressed by troubles, and do not rather set our mind to die daily for the Master? Since it is written: "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we believe not, he continueth faithful, he cannot deny himself" (II Tim. II, 12, 13). Now, what joy the saints will feel when they shall see the Master coming magnificently from heaven, surrounded by angels, who shall call those who have been crowned with him in an incredible triumph, and who shall be his fellows for all eternity? What pain will they have who have rejected the Gospel, and spurned the commands, who indeed shall suffer penalties, as the Scriptures are the authors: "Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be made wonderful in all them who have believed" (II Thess. I, 9, 10). Contemplating and pondering these things, brothers, let us more and more purge ourselves from all pollutions of body and soul, performing holiness in the fear of God, eager for the better, striving for the more perfect, hating vices, clinging to virtue, benevolent toward one another for brotherly love, preferring one another in honor, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulations, instant in prayers, endowed with such sincerity, that we may both worthily observe the approaching Pascha, and deserve to enjoy eternal goods through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXIII

For the Great Week. Concerning the passion of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

Brothers and Fathers, when at other times the torments of our Master Jesus Christ, ^D being called to mind, sting and stimulate the soul, they do so especially in these days, when each one approached its end. But what indeed was this bloodthirsty counsel against him, the Jewish seizure, the leading to death, the pleadings before the tribunal of Pilate, the interrogation, the scourging, the blows, the spittings, the insults, the mockeries, the climbing of the cross, the fixing of hands and feet, the tasting of gall, the blow to the side, and what other things besides these shone forth, which the world could not contain—

at this the sun failed and darkened; then the earth felt it, and was shaken; and the rocks were rent; and the entire machinery of the world was horrified at the injuries of the Lord. Now, if inanimate and senseless elements, and brute beasts endowed with feeling, were astonished at the terror of such a spectacle and changed, shall we, who are graced with reason, for whom Christ died, remain unmoved and without tears? Are we really duller than the dull, harder than stones? By no means, brothers, by no means! But, placed in a kind of divine awe, and converted in an extraordinary way, let us invoke weeping, let us slaughter our vices, returning injury with injury, changing wound for wound, partly by obedience, and partly by firm confession. Do we not see how many incentives to divine zeal there are? Who has endured prison for a friend? Who has accepted death for a lover? Yet our Clement Lord endured not one or two, but a thousand torments for those who were condemned, so that the Apostle, rightly reflecting on these things and enjoying the vehement divine sense of love, wrote in these words: "I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." For with such zeal God embraced us that he gave His only-begotten Son, that all who believe in Him should not perish, as it is written, but have eternal life. Let us, then, not be sluggish in this zeal, but, offering our bodies and blood to the Lord like the saints, let us athletically carry out this Davidic song: "What shall we return to the Lord for all that He has returned to us?" Let us, brothers, also continually employ our voice in this, serving Him with inexhaustible desire of soul, and striving more and more so that we may have our portion with the saints, and be heirs of eternal goods, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LXXIV. On Michael, the one who reigns in an impious kingdom, as much for the corrupted faith as for the wickedly introduced marriage, and that we should not be dismayed in dangers.

^A Brothers and fathers, this is not, I think, a difficult charge for you, ^B says the Apostle, because I am indeed destitute, even for a manly man, desiring to do nothing, now exhorting, now moving, now warning you, if I might escape with you the future destruction of the disobedient. As for the rest, it is indeed already disobedient, and since there are many examples, and one capital one in the emperor, not only of corrupted faith, but also of a wickedly introduced marriage—at which who would not groan and grieve, seeing it brought back into the Church, and plague added to plague and persecution to persecution? Does it escape you, brothers, what happened under Constantine, his parent, who now has put off the monastic life to assume the imperial dignity? Not having taken a wife legitimately, and having instead another substitute, it was done in adultery against the judgment of the Lord, and thence the attacks, and the calamities of God’s Church were fanned; not from one sin, but one flowing into many, it infected our world. Let him who is endowed with mind see that the same is happening now, and let him bring his soul to be afflicted for the truth; for the rest neither care one bit, being stupid regarding fortune, or, to speak more closely, being slaves of the empire, as Proteus, they conduct themselves according to their lusts. But we indeed, brothers, let us guard the stability of an unshaken faith, and constancy in the true judgment of the commandments, not being deluded by the plausible inventions of some. ^C And if it seems right, let us first embrace silence; since the scripture says: "The prudent man will be silent in that time, for it is an evil time;" but we shall appear later, lest perhaps by this attack they might cast away those who are weak and not far from dangers. What, in truth, is our preparation? It is, of course, to bear all things with height of soul, and to consider nothing more ancient than love for a Christian, and to say with David: "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man can do to me;" and this apostolic saying: "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Woe to the world because of scandals, He says; for it is necessary that scandals come, that those who are proved may be made manifest. ^D See how in these scandals the chosen are revealed to God, and the mind tested by the fire of trials is shown like gold. Now, if we, insolent in evils, were to be anxious as if inexperienced, were we not to endure this praise not once or twice, but often, and having obtained this divine benefit of suffering for Christ, let us by no means be dismayed, saying, "A trial again?" Indeed, a trial again. For I ask you, has the struggle against the enemies who flee from our bodily eyes, with flesh and blood, come to an end? Has the stadium of those seeking God been closed? It will indeed be closed when we have departed from here; but as long as we are held in the body, wars and dangers are always at hand. Indeed, concerning the delay of the trials of the saints

^A regarding the obedience, the confession which lies upon them, namely, how illustrious your profession is, how illustrious the reward—do you not see that mundane men are worn down and afflicted, pressing on with agriculture, burdened by public tribute and exactions, so that they may barely procure drink and food for themselves? Others, performing military service by land and sea, provoking and being provoked in war, striking and being struck? ^B Being immune to all of this, we serve the living and true God. Is there not enough in this for delight, for thanksgiving, for triumph? Truly, I entreat you, brothers. Furthermore, let us live circumspectly, that we may perform all things in an orderly and decent manner, abstaining from the lusts of the body, which conflict with the soul, casting them off at the first assault and preparing the purity of the mind, that having departed hence sincerely, we may enter into eternal goods through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXVI.

On the remembrance of death, and hatred of the world and worldly things.

Brothers and Fathers, what an excellent Catechesis, what a profitable admonition this is! It makes us intent upon the performance of our duty and vigilant. Let us never neglect to do this, nor cease from the thought and divine love and separation from the body; for ^C a little later we shall be separated and shall die just as all our forebears have, to depart into another world, another age, another life, immense and infinite. This life of ours is truly like a dream and a shadow, which is finished in a few years. Nor can the eyes of time grasp any space—however long it stretches from the framing of the world to the end of the ages—but that the life of each one, just as it has reached the Davidic limits, and that in brief, extends no further. For the saints all believed this when they passed on, and they departed in this hope, as the Apostle testifies: *Not having received the promises, but seeing them from afar, and saluting them, and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers upon the earth; for they that say these things, signify that they seek a country. And if indeed they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they had doubtless time to return; but now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.* ^D This is our city, this is our country, here are our fathers and brothers, both spiritual and carnal. Now, why do we continue to embrace this temporal life? Why are we, as it were, fastened to its pursuit with nails? Why do we struggle, unwilling to be torn away at the end? It is madness not to wish to return home from exile, or to be restored to peace from war. We, most dear brothers, as prudent men, having made our withdrawal for this very reason, leaving behind the world and worldly things, or rather, the life of meditation which

we might display, by which meditation we may strip away all lust, sloth, torpor, ignorance, and depravity, and doing things acceptable to God, we may obtain eternal blessings, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXVII. On true and genuine obedience, and confession, and zeal for the commandments of God.

^A Fratres and Fathers, there is one ration I owe you that is carnal; another that is spiritual. The former is furnished by the steward in food, drink, and clothing, and I count this as nothing, for it is established in speech and doctrine. And just as the former is necessarily provided, so too is the latter necessarily owed. And that I might do nothing of great importance, I, who relate these portions and trifles of words to you, surely tremble and fear, as if I were about to render an account of your souls, not to a king or the presiding emperor, but to the judge of all, and to God, to whom every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess—in which thought the illustrious of life and speech tremble, let alone a wretch like me. But help me, I beseech you, according to your ability and mine, so that as lovers of the brethren, you may act by duty and I by prayer—even if mine is your duty—and conversely, since we are one body and members one of another, and, as he says, ^B if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member rejoices, all the members rejoice together. And this is right, indeed; that as I concern myself with your affairs, so you should concern yourselves with mine; for I am in you and you are in me, by zeal and love, and by that norm the true society of a fraternal republic is described. Therefore, preserve for me your outstanding and genuine obedience (not that of a mercenary faith), in which you were born, reared, and grown, and by the benefit of God reached the summit of divine confession, having finished the first and other dangers; you did not fear kings, you did not dread magistrates when faced with struggles, blows, exiles, chains, and punishments; you were ready, you brought forth fame, as is evident to all. Wherefore do not commit yourselves, brothers, to betray this your virtue, nor seek the infamy of glory, nor turn an excellent name into a foul character; but rather, upon what has gone before, excellently superimpose what follows, fortified on all sides; covered within and without by divine precepts, conquering and overcoming every temptation and hardship, ^C certain that we still remain in the battle line and in dangers, ignorant of what tomorrow will bring forth. Although if God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not also graciously give us all things with Him? So hope, so trust. And having walked in that hope and confidence, I do not doubt that you will be co-heirs of the saints in the heavenly kingdom, and participants of the future [reward] through Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXVIII. On hearing the Holy Scriptures seriously.

Fratres and Fathers, and all men; while we have ears and eyes, we do not all hear and see in the same way, nor unless we are attentive and discerning. Therefore the Lord says in the Gospel: He who has ears to hear, let him hear; and the prophet says concerning the disobedient: God gave them a spirit of compunction, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear. ^D Wherefore it is necessary to hear what is read seriously, not lightly and in passing, lest we fall into threats, but let us use this scripture: The discipline of the Lord opens my ears. Indeed, he who hears thus, perceives, is pricked, is cleansed, is illuminated, is glad, and exults, as the Davidic song says: Exult, you just, in the Lord; he considers all these things a fleeting shadow, and counts all things as refuse, so that he may gain Christ. For example, he hears Him addressing the disciples: I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you in a little while, and the world no longer sees me; but you see me because I live and you will live; and again: I am the true vine, you are the branches. And again: You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. And elsewhere: You are they who have continued with me in my temptations, and I dispose to you an eternal testament, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; the studious hearer of God, hearing these and similar things, does not only rejoice, but also brings his mind to die for Christ daily. Indeed, all the saints have undertaken this resolve and by these studies have shown, as it were, a certain celebrated triumph of desire for God, for Jeremiah says: I am not weary of following Thee, and I have not desired the day of man. David also: What shall I render to the Lord for all that He has repaid me? I will take the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. But the apostles’ sentiment is this: It has been granted to us by God, for Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him. And the Apostles no differently: They were beaten, he says, and they rejoiced, because they were held worthy to suffer contumely for the name of Christ. Briefly, with these words, all demonstrate their own zeal for Christ. Therefore, let us also, brothers, hear what is said acutely, and let us pursue the lovable God with zeal and love, unceasingly giving thanks for all the good things He has bestowed upon us, whom He has chosen first for salvation in the sanctity of the monastic vow, and then endowed with the orthodox faith, and has allowed no stragglers to worship and venerate Him; for how many have been driven into error by the fraud and cunning of mortals, and deceived by the plausibility of deceivers?

^A Who suffer from hunger—not for bread, nor from thirst for water, but for hearing the word of God, as it is written? To us, indeed, the doctrine of the saints has been offered as some rich banquet, with one seasoning the discourse like some delicacies, another refining the divine words like gold, and others seriously applying themselves to it, and some providing the delights of acclamation, so that we have not spoken in vain with the Apostle: "If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also give us all things? Who shall lay any charge to God's elect? It is God who justifies; who is it that condemns? It is Christ who died, yes, rather who also rose again from the dead, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us," namely ^B to God and the Father, who is about to grant His eternal kingdom: to whom belong glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LXXIX. That we should by no means be sad, but perform with fortitude the work to which we have been divinely called.

Brothers and Fathers, the Apostle, stirring up our sloth, writes in these words: "Rejoice in the Lord; again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand; be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Therefore, let us not be sluggish; rather, let us eagerly and ^C bravely perform the work to which we have divinely been called: for indeed it is God who has called us from the common life to the monastic profession, who has clothed us in a whole garment and a cheerful robe, who has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us. Therefore, let us stand fast in the liberty with which we have been set free by Christ, and let us not again be held by the yoke of servitude, nor enter into a covenant with vices. A manumitted servant very readily does not bring his mind to serve slavery anew, and, fleeing very far from it, he rejoices that he has been excluded from servile tyranny, although slavery is by no means an evil; for this is the opinion of the Apostle: "Were you called while a slave? Do not let it bother you; but if you can be made free, rather use it; for he who is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord’s; ^D likewise he who is called while free is a servant of Christ"; and meanwhile, being manumitted, one denies coming under the yoke of servitude, from which we should rather be set apart, being freed from sin. Do we not know what He has marked upon us? Has He not proscribed the tempter? Has He not made mortals out of immortals? Has He not introduced us into this sad life? Has He not been, and is He now, the author of all evil? So that it must be fled from by us as the worst thing, to be pursued with hatred as worthy of hatred; and rather virtue is to be loved, which makes mortals equal to angels, and even gods, according to that saying: "I have said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High." But what is the power of virtue, that scorn of the world and divine love? For "no one," He says, "can serve two masters; you cannot serve God and mammon." You cannot cling to virtue and vice, for there is no communion between light and darkness. Now, the commandments of God are easy; it is heavy, or rather an impiety, to contend foolishly when we are in possession of opposites; and to think that we are partaking of virtue, while at the same time being empty of vice, that is, of carnal desires and spiritual crimes. Truly, if we have reached the measure of perfection, thank God, from whom is every benefit and every perfect gift, let us stand firm, safe through the fear of God, immovable and inflexible in that excellent habit; but if anything is lacking, let us urge ourselves and strive to attain perfection until the time of departure draws near, steadfast in faith, winged by hope, bound by love, supported by submission, adorned with obedience, tested by patience, shining in confession, and polished in all other good deeds as if by a plumb line, as true monks, as least-deceptive subjects or upright Christians, as servants of the Lord, so that we may both complete our life here expeditiously and attain to the supreme goods through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and power with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LXXX. Doctrine concerning faith.

Brothers and Fathers, we now offer you our due measure of discourse, thin indeed it is and poor, yet one that must necessarily be offered, lest we be condemned for silence, and you might receive some little comfort: for as you are most sensible of this from the reading of the holy Fathers, nevertheless you require this instruction of ours, and in preference to that—I would venture to say—since that is recited historically, this is dictated to your face, and instituted by reproof; for it says: "I will reprove you, and set your sins before your face." "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin." Which may it be far from me to say to you; for we do not discourse to the disobedient and those constrained by shameful deeds (by no means!), but as to obedient sons, as to dearest children, to those who are of one mind, and who are of one body and comrades-in-arms, so that you may rejoice, that you may progress, that you may be sincere and blameless in the day of Christ, full of the fruits of righteousness of Christians, to the glory and praise of God. May this discourse be compared for you; for if He who once provided the spring of water from the rugged rock for the Israelites, what wonder if He strike out a brief little discourse from this rocky mind? Drinking from which, let us give thanks to God, who provides sustenance and drink, and instructs our life as if in the wilderness, here de-

- ^A -scending. But since we remember the history of old, let us contemplate, if you please, what happened then to the disobedient, of whom the Apostle says these words: “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand; neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents; neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Having contemplated these things, brethren, let us flee the causes of divine wrath: evil desire, murmuring, and tempting Christ. But who is tempted by these things? Let us speak forth, as the thoughts of the unbelieving occur to us. Shall He therefore provide the necessities? Shall we endure hostile war? Shall we suffer this or that? By no means, brethren (these things belong to the unbelieving and those who doubt), but rather believe that we shall suffer all things. Thus Noah, being a believer, escaped the destruction of the flood by building the ark; thus Abraham, being a believer, became the father of many nations; thus Moses, being a believer, traversed the sea as if it were land; thus the three youths, being believers, passed through the fire as if it were a cooling breeze, and were not burned; thus Daniel, being a believer, came out of the lions' den unharmed; and, to speak briefly, thus all the saints were made holy by holiness, the righteous by righteousness, and the martyrs departed by martyrdom. So let us also, being believers, ^B suffer all things, and with Christ as our leader, let us conquer, about to obtain the crowns of righteousness, and to hear this, His triumphant voice: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXXI. On love towards progress; and that we should not be occupied with the futility of life, but be improved for the better.

Brethren and Fathers, I address you out of zeal, not out of necessity, although the necessity is laid upon me for the sake of speaking; for I pursue this with divine zeal, acknowledging how harmful it is, and how much I rejoice in your progress. Even if it happens frequently that I sadden you, as I did yesterday, do not suppose that even that by which you are saddened signifies anything other than my exceeding love for you (for he chastises seriously whom he dearly loves, and what son is there whom his father does not chastise?), so that you may be perfect and whole, lacking in nothing; for otherwise I embrace you, and I testify that you are obedient and attentive—observing the precepts of our father with such diligence as I hardly know anyone else in our memory to have done. Nor, indeed, do I flatter, but I preach the truth; for who is so like-minded to his father, or so obedient in the Lord’s commandments, as you are illustrious in every way? ^C But your troubles—distresses, and even struggles unto blood, entering into the conflict with sin—are, although not for your own benefit, the benefit of God, from whom praise is also supplied. Therefore, let others possess for themselves money, estates, monasteries, and endowments; it is enough for me to have you alone, in whom I may boast—that is, you are my joy, my crown, my life, my cheerfulness, and whatever else is distinguished. I greatly exhort you by no means to desist from this excellent study, nor to keep any measure of goodness; but as those who crave earthly money draw to themselves an insatiable desire for having more, so you, in spiritual matters, should make no end to being improved unto the last breath, since the afflictions of this time are not to be compared with that glory which shall be revealed in us. Do you not behold the lives of the saints, that they were finished in labors and sweat? Do you not see the martyrdoms of the saints, how many were finished in blood and tortures? Wherefore? That they might gain Christ, that they might prepare for themselves goods which surpass the mind and intellect, since the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. Is not the sun excellent? Yet it too shall soon pass into darkness. Is not the moon excellent? Yet it too shall give no light. Are not the stars excellent? Yet they too shall fall away. Is not the heaven excellent? Yet it too shall wax old like a garment, and all things shall be changed, with new heavens and a new earth to be prepared, as it is written, and a happy and ineffable life to follow, which remains a companion and joined to Christ. ^D And these are the promises; and from these thoughts let us draw fortress, overcoming those things that are apprehended by the senses with those things that escape the senses, restraining the fleshly study by the divine, and as the Apostle teaches: “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth,” as most men do, who wallow like swine in the mud of thoughts, buried in the pits of vices, whose end is destruction, and whose glory is in their shame. But our life is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom may we be worthy also to behold, as He brings us kindly into His kingdom, adorned with glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXXII. That we must strive to be purged from every defilement through penance, which we have by God’s gift.

Brethren and Fathers, the wound in my foot has saddened you, and not without reason; for you sympathize equally in joy and sorrow, as devoted brothers, as loving fathers. I, however, prepare a catechesis from this. In what way? Truly, I, wounded by my own sins, immediately asked for help and medicine, by which it came to pass that for these whole three days I could not be with you; but now, cured by God's mercy, I am with you again, and I wander no more. The same happens in the diseases of the soul: one receives from...

a glance or a word a wound in the mind. Is someone seized by a chaotic deformation of the soul, or burns with wicked lust, anger, fury, hatred, envy, strife, stubbornness, or any other deadly crime? Immediately there is need of medicine (and this is penance, that is, compunction, weeping, lamentation, contrition of heart, and the other remedies of penance); from which one must be cured and return to a previous state. If this is not done, we are found adding sin to sin, wound to wound, in an incurable disease, a lethal sickness of sin. But it is not to be this way, brothers; rather, we must first of all take care not to sin, for what is more pleasant to a pure soul and a mind unshaken by vices? If it happens that we do sin, as our nature is prone to fall, it must be corrected immediately, and nothing must be allowed to go uncured even for an hour; for death is like a thief, and we do not know at what hour it will come, whether in the dead of night or at cockcrow. It is already full of danger to depart from the body unprepared, and it is terrible to stand before the tribunal of Christ. For the word of God, he says, is living and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and reaching even unto the division of soul and spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; and there is no creature invisible in his sight, but all things are naked and open to his eyes, to whom we must give account. And if the just man is with difficulty saved, where, I ask, will the impious and the wicked appear when things are like this? If the prophet Daniel was stunned and fell down when he saw the judgment in a vision, what are we to suffer when the time comes? A fiery stream, he says, was drawn before him; thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him; the judgment sat, and the books were opened. When these things happen, who will stand, who will hold their ground, unless he is filled with right faith and noble action, and is buckled with fortitude, justice, and temperance, and has performed his obedience? Therefore, we must take care with all diligence, brothers, for the hour of death is to be feared, and from here one must prepare for the departure, and not allow the homicidal enemy to deceive us in our carelessness, he who always lets the present go by in sloth and subjects the execution of commandments to the future; for he is a serpent, a deceiver, and one who suggests various modes of wrongdoing. We must not be ignorant of him, but rather consistently drive him away, repelled by divine aid. Indeed, I have frequently gathered you here at this hour so that you might hear three words from this mouth and receive consolation among yourselves through mutual admonition; for excellent is admonition, which makes the spirit always new. Doing this in the manner of the Fathers, I ask you to explore it, and I trust that you will seek salvation and make God propitious, for attaining the heavenly kingdom, through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forevermore. Amen.

SERMON LXXXIII.

A congratulatory address, that we may receive the brothers arriving at the house not unworthily.

^A be negligent, destroying counsels, as it is written, and every loftiness exalting itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ, and having in readiness the avenging of disobedience, and that continually. And this is an inexpugnable war, this is a manifold and long-enduring martyrdom; for if one who is attacked by constant thoughts does not falter, but fights back, and passes over the vices—desire, fury, anger, timidity—is he not martyred daily, and may he not say with Paul, I die daily, by your boasting which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord? Nay, might he not even dare to say at the end of the conflict, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: as for the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall render me at that day, which we too all may speak, and being adorned with the crown of righteousness enter into the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Doctrine on the necessity of fleeing from harmful pleasure

^B Fratres and Fathers, how great a conflict the Apostle shows the teacher to have for his disciples, in these words to Timothy: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine. For there will be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine. Truly, far be it from me to converse with you in such an affected manner, but because our nature is sluggish, and prone [to evil], having forgotten the spurs of the commandments, it requires the goad of prayer and, as it were, constant lashes, that it may awaken and discern the joy set before it; for what indeed is it, if not the promised heavenly kingdom? If not immortal life? If not ineffable joy? If not the delights of the orchard? If not honors equal to the angels? If not eternal rest? Why, therefore, are bonds, captivity, exile, ^C tribulations, tortures, and slaughters sought after? Is it not that we may obtain the promised goods, and flee the threatened punishments? You see the martyrs shedding their blood joyfully, and going forward eagerly to the sword, to fire, to beasts, and every other sort of punishment; you see also the saints afflicting their bodies with the pleasure of the spirit, and reducing them to servitude, and considering nothing more precious than their virtue. Therefore, why do we continue to slumber? Why are we cast down? Why do we perish through pernicious and pestiferous vices, which wound the heart more sharply? Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and let us not ^D use this word in vain; wherefore let us withdraw from them, as from Sodom and Gomorrah, burned with fire and brimstone; and, having put aside the feelings of the flesh which resist and fight against the spirit, let us be delivered from servitude, that we may find rest for our souls,

for what is more restful to the mind than to have peace with God when it is not commanded by vices? This is joy and triumph; this is happy sweetness and sacred pleasure. Therefore, if we wish to enjoy this, let us flee the lost pleasure of the flesh, from which corruption and death are born; since, *He who sows in his flesh, from the flesh will reap corruption; but he who sows in the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.* But if we wish to appear glorious, let us despise this vain little glory, being adorned with humility and having finished all fine tasks; for so we shall both pass through the present life calmly and obtain future goods by the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXXVI. On thanksgiving, and that we should not waver in temptations.

^B Brothers and Fathers, for three years now we have been leading this life of hardship, neither entirely attacked nor remaining without attack, since we have seen one another and go to and fro, which is a work of divine humanity; for he who saw us wavering at the interval of the previous attack, both drew back his guards and still defers orthodoxy according to the unsearchable judgment of His justice. And so it is, indeed. But I, who was lightly despising, and believed that few were vexed for the sake of the Lord, now seeing daily, if I may say so, how many brothers arrive, I almost grow young again, after there are so many who have not bowed the knee to Baal, but have kept themselves like bright stars for the Lord, wherever His dominion extends, so that this age may have something to boast of to posterity, that God truly dwells in us. Nor has the Church lost its strength, as the true promise of the Lord bears witness, but those who have dashed against her from every age have been dissolved like the foam of the sea; while she, like an unbroken rock, remains in the same faith and confession. Therefore, we ought to rejoice in this and exult, and to watch meanwhile, and be on guard, lest temptation suddenly attack again. Assuredly, the point is not that we should face danger once, twice, or often; but the confession must be maintained to the end, nor should we fear those reports that are spread, or the feared whips that seem to tear the body, or the fetters that constrain the flesh, or any other human harm; rather, only the terrible God is to be feared, by whose will all things are shaken, and the only things to be dreaded are the immortal punishments, of which the indescribable experience is known. But those things that are at hand, whether adverse or favorable, are most like dreams, and perish most quickly, since it is written, *The arrows of the little ones have become their wounds.* Furthermore, we must also fight against the persecutor, who, fleeing the gaze of our eyes, attacks us daily, and not with sensible lashes. ^C He does not cease to strike and inflame, not with fire mixed with matter, but with perverse desires and other vices he tempts and attacks the soul. Therefore, "stand, having your loins girt in truth," as it is in the Scriptures, "and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod in the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in all things taking the shield of faith, with which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Having spoken these apostolic precepts also to us, we likewise exhort you not to be weary in troubles, or to waver in temptations, knowing that he who is tempted more has the opportunity for a greater crown. God indeed provides strength; for He is surely able to fulfill what He has promised, and to strengthen us, who suffer not only whips, but fire, the sword, beasts, and all other things, which the Apostle, being confident, writes in these words: "But in all these things we overcome because of him who loved us," and, "I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Indeed, let us thus disposed undergo martyrdom daily or before martyrdom, and a continual contest or before the contest, that we might have a part with the martyrs through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXXVII. That we should not provide possessions, nor live in solitude.

Brothers and Fathers, God has bestowed upon us the highest benefit through this attack, just as He says in the Gospels, "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," although we must ensure that we do not, while undergoing a life unworthy of beatitude, take the attack as a punishment. Therefore, it is necessary, in the first place, that he who is being attacked should by no means live in solitude, but live with another brother, since "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them," says the Lord. Then, that we should not go out unless it is necessary, but remain in the place where one dwells, and therein apply ourselves to prayers, supplication, reading, psalmody, labor, and other noble studies, avoid female company, abstain from every brother who acts immodestly, maintain joy and thanksgiving, with spirits lifted in hope, and content with the present, prepared for the torments to be undergone for Christ; for where there is an attack, torments also follow. When things are thus, where are those who live in solitude and pine away? For "Woe to him who is alone," he says, "because when he falls, he has no one to lift him up." And where are those who keep servants and lose the freedom of monks; who trade in fields, vineyards, oxen, and mules, and contract the leprosy of Gehazi? Hence the desire for silver, hence the desire for gain.

^A Hence stability is rejected, and the fraternal life, and the individual life, and the life according to each one’s own lusts; hence, because of you, the name of God is reviled among foreign nations, as the Scriptures say; hence arise the falls of the soul, for who can avoid falling while living a reckless life? "Do you not know," says the Apostle, "that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man violates the temple of God, God will destroy him"; and again: "Do not be deceived; neither the fornicators, nor the idolaters, nor the adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor those who lie with mankind, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." And these things have been said to those who are held by the common life; but not the same to us; but what? "Those who are Christ’s have crucified their flesh with its vices," and: "You are not of this world," and: "Your citizenship is in heaven." Therefore, why do we throw away our blessedness? Why do we stain the generosity of our confession? Why do we not imitate the brothers who live uprightly, whose life is illustrious, and who receive praise from God and men? Shall we not finally awake? Shall we not repent? Shall we not take care for our salvation? Shall we not keep the day of our departure before our eyes? How shall we be made to stand before the tribunal of Christ? What account shall we render, we who are about to give an account for idle words, if we are overcome in greater and more grievous matters? But let us awake, even if it is late, brothers; let us repent; let us root out our vices; let us put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, guarding our minds with all care, pleasing God in every way, that being thus safe we may enter into the inheritance of eternal goods, through Christ our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON LXXXVIII. ON THE REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH.

^B Brothers and Fathers, why is the remembrance of death such a useful good for the soul? I am invited to discourse on this by the late Bishop of Claia, whom you did not see at his death, but we, who did see him, truly felt both the fruit and a certain stimulus, contemplating in ourselves what was taking place in him. Therefore he departed and left, as one who, having built a tabernacle, destroys it, never again to return to this life; hereafter the heaven is of no use to him, nor the earth, nor the sea, nor the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars; he will no longer breathe this air, nor will he cry out with his throat, nor will he see with his eyes, nor will he hear with his ears, nor will he smell with his nostrils, nor will he touch with his hands, nor will he walk with his feet, nor will he follow any other thing, small or great, connected with this life, which is indeed closed to him, and the judgment of remuneration awaits him; for indeed the reward is laid up for us ^C as it is written: "And all these, having been approved by the testimony of faith, did not receive the promise, God providing something better for us, that they should not be made perfect without us." What then of us, brothers? What else, but that we shall undergo the same? Shall we not die likewise? Shall we not return to the earth, from whence we were taken? Shall we not likewise become dust and ashes? Let us look at the monuments; let us see in what the state of life ends. Why do we embrace this miserable body, which in a little while will be handed over to the earth and to worms? Why are we entangled in the vices which we shall encounter at our passing? Indeed, this man, while still breathing here, said that two appeared to him, a man and a woman, the one sublime in stature, the other short and hunchbacked, who would reproach him and receive him with cruel words; for which reason he also groaned, weeping and dreading his departure, and being very fearful. Do you not see what kind of sentence death is? Do you not see that even before death we have demons as actors and accusers? For it is so: the thoughts which we embrace here as we depart, them we shall also behold at our passing. Therefore, if we keep the Lord always before our eyes, as the Scriptures say, if we keep the angel of our life in view, if we contemplate the saints, we shall also see the same ones as we breathe our last; but if not, but we think of vicious characters and diabolical deformations of the mind, we shall encounter the same, which is a miserable and capital thing. Wherefore let us strive not to be caught in those phantoms, but rather to be found pure in soul at our passing, that we may say with confidence, "I will lie down in peace and sleep," for sleep is death to the righteous, just as the Lord also says, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to wake him from his sleep." If it is sleep, then surely it is a cause of rest, and an occasion for the beginning of eternal life, as the holy Apostle says: "But now Christ has risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep"; and again: "Death is swallowed up in victory; O death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Behold, death is swallowed up, behold, the victory is given, since He confirms: "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Behold, the heavenly stadium of the kingdom is open, behold the thrice-happy contest set before us, the crown for the victor, and the delight of life; therefore let us also overcome, brothers, the devil, let us trample underfoot our vices, let us be utterly purged from sins; let us acquire virtues, that we may become dwellers of paradise, and enjoy the vital tree, through Christ our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO LXXXIX. That salvation must be sought with all diligence and readiness.

^A Fratres and Fathers, there is a proper time for each thing, as the Scripture demands; but for the working out of salvation, it must be constant and assiduous; for this is the sentiment of the Apostle: *Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks*. By these three functions, indeed, our salvation is defined: since rejoicing always procures integrity; praying without ceasing does not permit the devil to have a place in us; and giving thanks in all things is an evident sign of divine love. Therefore, being exact on both sides, let us please God, in no wise desponding in our souls, nor becoming dissolute through sloth in our ministries, labors, and psalmodies, but fulfilling all things with every gentleness, as excellent stewards of the manifold divine grace. Do we not see soldiers, how they follow their king with readiness? And to what end? To war, homicide, and slaughter. And yet, for the sake of present glory and fleeting wealth, they are ready for everything; but we, who are called to a heavenly kingdom, eternal life, and ineffable joy, do we not show ourselves to God ready and awakened, like excellent soldiers of Christ, rather than sluggish and stubborn? Read the book I hold in my hand; see, I say, and recognize in it the virtues of the Fathers, what readiness was in them, what fervor of spirit, what struggles; and then, too, how they were honored by the clement God, being made as it were almost gods, on account of the miracles and wonders they performed. There, those shone forth not only who from the beginning in their innocence knew not vice, but even those who, having been cast into foul offenses, made use of most beautiful repentance, so that no pretext for sloth or neglect remains for anyone, unless he is truly leaden and devoid of sense, whom the Apostle addresses in these words: *Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten you*. *Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness, and impenitent heart, you treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation, and the just judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his works?* You see, O scorner, and fear the threats, and arise from the sleep of contempt, since death also suddenly hangs over us. Behold, brother Candidus has also piously departed and gone before, and another and another shall follow, and no one remains in the same state, and we shall all die. Indeed, happy is he who has lived uprightly, for he has purchased immortal rewards and made an eternal gain, having prepared with readiness and diligence that which is of supreme and primary importance. And since the celebration is still being held, and the market of the heavenly kingdom is open, come, I exhort you, brethren and Fathers, let us all watch and keep vigil ^D and trade for immortal things, that we may share in the heavenly kingdom with all our brethren through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMO XC. That we must not open the door to the devil by admitting evil thoughts.

Fratres and Fathers, I speak these few words to you not without labor, nor about nothing; but because, as the saying of the Apostle has it, the duty of a leader is to labor in word and doctrine, necessary for the common good, I gladly undertake this small labor, since a pastor, when he labors in feeding the flock, also rejoices in the hope of reward—that is, the merit of the supreme Pastor. Nor is this discourse unprofitable, however much some perhaps believe that speaking avails nothing; for who can fail to bring forth fruit, both he who listens readily, who is indeed to be crowned for his pursuit of virtue, and the negligent one, to whom neglect brings the shame of what is good? Truly, I exhort, let us contend with added readiness, and let the negligent arise; for the time is accepted, and this is the time of salvation, which if we lose, we shall never find again. Therefore, let no day henceforth pass sluggishly or negligently, but let us collect perennial riches—supplications, prayers, pleadings, thanksgiving, tears, goads, reflections, and honest contemplations—nor let us judge another's soul by our own, thinking that each one is working out his salvation in secret, however much he may appear otherwise outwardly. For have not very many of the Fathers, who seemed to be nothing, shone more illustriously than those who seemed to be something? Since it is proven by examples, both in our own age and in this our republic, that many from among the ignoble and despised have shone brightly, especially in the Christian confession. Whence is this, I pray? In my judgment, not so much from outward work and industry as from a certain inward state. For where there is a peaceful constitution, and purity of mind, and gentleness, and tranquility, there is the perfection of virtue, and from thence God looks, as it is written: *To whom shall I have respect, if not to the humble and the tranquil, and the one who trembles at my words?* Thus, effort must be made by each to present himself clean in conscience to God, and not to open the door to the devil by admitting evil thoughts; for as soon as we admit them, you know what we suffer, how we are carried away, and changed, and cull bitterness, not pleasure; conversely, when we come to our senses, we who are peaceful and serene live more sweetly than honey, as if placed in a harbor. And it is truly a wonder that, with sweet virtue provided and lovable and desirable, we should be captured by bitter and lethal and dire vice, and not rather be fashioned into the habit of perfection. And although we are for the most part overcome on account of our weak nature, and because from childhood we have applied ourselves intensely to evil inclinations, yet let it not weary us to return to the fruit of good; and God, seeing our labors, will fight for us; and those harassed in the battle He will endow with eternal rewards,

and with the crown of uprightness shall He bind those who have finished their toils, set ablaze with holiness, and affected by His own kingdom. To Whom glory is fitting, and honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

On struggling cheerfully in the conflict against the wicked demons

^A Brothers and Fathers, we are still speaking about whence and whither the things that are reported will turn out—nor is it a wonder, for the mind is accustomed to speak on such rumors. But, if it seems good, let us dismiss frequent conversation and attend to ourselves, in the conflict which is being waged against us invisibly by night and by day; let us be intent, lest, looking to the body, we be wounded in the soul. For who are the adversaries? The wicked demons, the spirits of evil, the world-rulers of this darkness, whose forces are immense and whose ferocity against us is implacable. Yet let us not fear, nor be dismayed; we have also a companion and defender, the Holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, having taken upon Himself and removed our miseries and diseases, and having suffered temptations, is able to succor those who are tempted. Him, too, let us call upon with confidence: "Judge, O Lord, those who wrong me; fight against those who fight me; take hold of armor and shield, and rise up for my help. Draw out the sword and close the way against those who persecute me." ^B For indeed, enemies persecute us and thirst for our slaughter, having instructed their malice according to the path, and by all deceits trying to drive us into the pit of sin. Indeed, let us too, like soldiers, stand in turn with the breastplate of faith and love, and, like a helmet, clothed in the hope of salvation, for it is with these arms that the war is finished. Now, this is a wonder: the crowns are set right in the battle; in a bodily one, surely, unless you struggle and overthrow the adversary, you do not obtain a crown at all; here, if you do not allow yourself to be overthrown by the adversary, you have obtained the crown. This is evident from what was revealed to one of the holy Fathers concerning a disciple, who, having been attacked seven times, if he departed without yielding, would have sought as many crowns through his patience; wherefore, if crowns are set in battles, I gently exhort you, let us undergo the war, not broken by the length of the struggle. Was not blessed Sarah severely attacked for forty years by an adulterous demon, yet did she not become sluggish? ^C Did not one who was attacked in the same way, among those under his charge, and asked by the prefect whether he would like to pray to God that the war be removed from him, refuse to adopt such a mind? For he saw the victories set in the battle. For the extinguishing of such a battle, there is nothing so powerful as prayers, tears, and contrition of heart: therefore, as soon as the enemy has invaded, or even has given a wound through negligence, by castling a dart of lust into the soul, let us immediately make use of prayers, and it will flee from us; let us weep, and let the coal of error be extinguished; let us act humbly, and God will lift us up. And blessed indeed is he who urges himself daily in the divine work, who endures the hardships of obedience; for he keeps his virginity incorrupt, lest, coming to the end of the battle with all alacrity and ineffable pleasure, he will depart hence, not at all anxious about an evil report, as holy David sings. ^D Do we not see the victors returning home cheerfully, and those who have been appointed, showing signs of victory? Let us think the same thing of him who, having performed [his duty] in the invisible war, has fought the excellent contest, so that he will appear conspicuous in the great city, whose Maker and Architect is God, received with the applause of angels, and divinely endowed with a crown, having attained eternal rest, to which may we too merit to arrive by the benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ: to Whom be glory and power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

That one must not waver in the length of trials, but must refer the reason to God

Brothers and Fathers, indeed our endeavor and our prayers to God pertain to the peace of the Christian Church: for what is more useful than peace for leading a quiet and tranquil life in our monasteries? Although it is not easy to believe that it is expedient for this to continue, it must be known that the longer this trial lasts, the greater the cause for testing that is provided. Therefore, the Apostle says: "I take pleasure in infirmities, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong," wherefore, how long and for how long-a-time is this permitted, let us refer the reason to God, Who clearly and helpfully distributes the intervals of time. Hear the Scriptures saying: "God tested Abraham." Was this lightly, pray? By no means; but even after many years, and many trials, and finally with absolute faith, He addresses him in these words: "Now I know that you fear God, and you have not spared your most beloved son for my sake." He also tested Job, both with greater struggles and over very many years; and perceiving his patience complete at last, he compels him to this sentiment. Do not think that I have set these examples before you for any other reason than that you might appear approved. [...]

^A nor shall I recount those among whom is the divine David, who after adultery and slaughter received his pardon through a prophecy. Mary of Egypt, too, certainly fled from insatiable wickedness to an angelic manner of life, and she merited foreknowledge, so that by no means could anyone have a pretext for remaining, but rather that by repentance one should run back again to salvation. By these examples, let us also be the more eager; let us hope for what is best, and let us believe that if God has, with incredible mercy, recalled and restored those who fell into the depths of vices, He will certainly preserve us who urge ourselves on day and night. And let no one here, hearing of the fruit of the penitent, say, "Shall he who has lived enjoyably in these things now enjoy them likewise?" Believe me, neither these nor those who are bound by sin enjoy sweetness; for what (alas!) is the sweetness in committing adultery, in being intemperate, in coveting wealth, in peculation, and in being held captive by other vices? Do they not harbor a mind burning with foul lusts, as if they were suffering from fevers? ^B So that this statement may be more true: that they are punished here, and in the future age they are to be punished eternally; and that they must lament for the lost and pestilential pleasures they have embraced; and that the wicked are to be judged not as having enjoyed themselves comfortably, but as having been unchaste; whereas he who prefers virtue and lives in it, does not let both slip away, but enjoys the secret pleasure of a continuous innocence, just as the saints, constantly rejoicing in God and setting all things behind divine zeal. Imitating them, let us also, brothers, rejoice and mutually congratulate one another, clinging to salvation, exercise, endurance, obedience, and the breaking of the will (which is martyrdom), and to other studies and struggles, so that, having finished these, we may attain eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XCIII.

Concerning those who, ensnared by bodily pleasures, have returned to a virtuous life through repentance.

Brothers and Fathers, there is no impediment for one who strives to be saved, nor any pretext that can restrain him from repenting, even if he has advanced to the very goal of wickedness. And that this is a true sentiment is shown by many examples, but in particular by David, the leader of robbers, which we read in the preparations; ^C for the discourse shows both who he was before—a cutthroat and full of crimes—and how, having been converted and joined to God through the monastic habit, he became so upright that he could even heal those occupied by the devil; for the Spirit says to him: "David, David, God has forgiven your crimes, and henceforth you shall be a father of wonders." In this is the immense humanity of God, not only in that his slaughters were pardoned, but that he was also established as a standard-bearer for that institution. Do you wish to see another? Behold Manasseh, who, after Israel had been seduced by him into worshipping idols for fifty-two years, became sincerely penitent, and when he was granted salvation, he attuned his flesh to God, which the Church of God sings even today. For as regards those who have been ensnared by bodily love and have returned to a virtuous life, who they are, and how numerous they are, I will not recount; nor shall I pass over those among whom is the divine David, who after adultery and slaughter received his pardon through a prophecy. ^D Mary of Egypt, too, certainly fled from insatiable wickedness to an angelic manner of life, and she merited foreknowledge, so that by no means could anyone have a pretext for remaining, but rather that by repentance one should run back again to salvation. By these examples, let us also be the more eager; let us hope for what is best, and let us believe that if God has, with incredible mercy, recalled and restored those who fell into the depths of vices, He will certainly preserve us who urge ourselves on day and night. And let no one here, hearing of the fruit of the penitent, say, "Shall he who has lived enjoyably in these things now enjoy them likewise?" Believe me, neither these nor those who are bound by sin enjoy sweetness; for what (alas!) is the sweetness in committing adultery, in being intemperate, in coveting wealth, in peculation, and in being held captive by other vices? Do they not harbor a mind burning with foul lusts, as if they were suffering from fevers? So that this statement may be more true: that they are punished here, and in the future age they are to be punished eternally; and that they must lament for the lost and pestilential pleasures they have embraced; and that the wicked are to be judged not as having enjoyed themselves comfortably, but as having been unchaste; whereas he who prefers virtue and lives in it, does not let both slip away, but enjoys the secret pleasure of a continuous innocence, just as the saints, constantly rejoicing in God and setting all things behind divine zeal. Imitating them, let us also, brothers, rejoice and mutually congratulate one another, clinging to salvation, exercise, endurance, obedience, and the breaking of the will (which is martyrdom), and to other studies and struggles, so that, having finished these, we may attain eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XCIV.

Concerning those things which are believed to be troublesome in the cenobitic life, and are preferred, on account of the hope laid up in heaven.

Brothers and Fathers, indeed it is clear from this sentence of the Lord that the monastic life is narrow and afflicted: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Now, the spectacles of worldly men also cry out that it is extremely bitter. And I am not speaking of all (for who could amplify what is happening by recounting each case?), but rather let us contemplate those who have slipped away from the war, if you will—not those who have lost everything they possessed, but those who even now are practically naked, fleeing from the hand of the barbarians; are they not partly considered dishonorable, and sent into exile, and some, moved by their rank, scattered here and there, trembling and shuddering at what they are about to suffer? And it is held as a crime that they did not remain in the battle line and perish; for such study and obedience is demanded of them that they would even neglect body and soul, if it were necessary, for the sake of the prince. But our struggle is united with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that what seems bitter—on account of the hope laid up in heaven—is regarded as a training.

Therefore, we are not overcome with shame, we who for the sake of these small and fleeting prizes submit to so many and such great things, but who, when commanded to be silent, murmur—should we not patiently bear such a trivial hardship for such great and heavenly ones? And what is this hardship? Perhaps that a task is commanded against one’s own will—food, drink, clothing, footwear, place, and the mode of obedience, or something else of this sort that disturbs the mind. For these things, indeed, although they are troublesome, are not so much so that they should turn us away from our duty, since they are not equal to the misery of this time in comparison to the glory that is to be revealed in us. For these things, even if we were to be burned daily, it is necessary to endure them, let alone that we be vexed by such light and bearable causes. Nor have I discoursed thus that we might be saddened, but rather that we might see the love with which God has pursued us, who has enrolled us from the common life into this holy and heavenly profession. He does not even demand what He requires of us for His own use, since He is full and thrice-excellent and in need of nothing, but rather for our own sake, that we might receive a benefit and be saved. Therefore, brothers, with every doubt removed, let us keep our minds unharmed through endurance, overcoming every temptation that befalls us, unvanquished by any thoughts, however much they may storm us to test and examine us and to make our life miserable, so that, trusting in the Apostle, we too may have it to say: *In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we do not perish; always carrying about in our body the death of Jesus* [. ^A By applying this zeal, and with our life in readiness, let us enter into the heavenly kingdom, pleasing God, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon XCV. On the narrow and strait way, and the joyous resting-place of eternal life.

Brothers and Fathers, those who set out on a long and rugged journey, while they labor and suffer under the hardships of the road, nevertheless, by the good hope of their hostel, endure their pains and cast off their toils, always pressing onward with joy and eagerness. ^B To what end do I set this example for myself? Namely, that we too in this life set out on a certain journey, and indeed a narrow and afflicted one, and long and very laborious (who would deny it?), since it is necessary to preserve virginity and continence while we live, to keep moral conduct and obedience vivid, to destroy counsels and every height exalting itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ ^C, and things... ^D other things follow for the monastic life. What, then, is the goal proposed here? Who, my comrades? Immortality, which the most certain God pledges to provide to those who wait upon Him. Wherefore, let us bear every bitterness here for the sake of immortality, brothers, gratefully and patiently, glorifying God in our body and spirit. But that God is glorified, I shall state in one way. Two days ago, some laymen came here to look on, and as they sat and watched, cleaning other things with their hands, and reciting Davidic hymns with their mouths, they praised God, having rejoiced, and perceived the fruit; and this is proved by the Lord’s sentence: *So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven* 2. Indeed, you glorify God in your body and spirit in this regard. But, moreover, glorify Him assiduously in every way, you who obey God worthily. And since as mortals we are greatly induced to act by emulation: *Neither be thou emulous of evildoers; for they shall shortly wither as the grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall* 3, but rather pursue and reach for what is upright and honest. Indeed, those who are devoted to any art here do not labor to seek an exemplar of their work from the worse, but from the excellent—for example, the smith from an artful maker, the painter from an erudite painter—and no one, being ignorant and less instructed, does not strive to imitate the experts and the initiated. If this is the law and rule in material and perishing things, how much more in this art and science, which is the sum of arts and sciences, ought we to compose our life to the examples of the upright, and not follow the contrary ones. Therefore, let us imitate those who conducted themselves from childhood to old age in subjection—I do not say the saints of antiquity, but let us imitate those illustrious in our own fellowship; who, by simplicity, dissolved the wiles of the devil, and by rendering eager obedience, properly ran a certain monastic course; and, if you will, let us imitate Him who commands us, as He himself imitated Christ, and again as He bids: *Be ye followers of God, as most dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness* 4. Now, for our sake Christ delivered Himself to God as an oblation and sacrifice, and shall we not bear even a tiny hardship while giving thanks? Christ was assailed with reproaches, according to this saying: *The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me* 5, and shall we refuse to be assailed and slandered by anyone even in the slightest? Namely, are we to be companions of the saints, whose footsteps we do not follow? Namely, shall we reign with Christ, whose death we do not conform to, nor partake in the fellowship of His sufferings? *And if the just man shall scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?* [*] Behold the accuracy, how the just man is scarcely saved, so that I may say nothing of it being impossible for a man to be upright who...

is impatient, a stranger to labor, mindful of old offenses, and thereby inflamed and agitated, and not at peace with God. Therefore, it is necessary that those who signal such things be removed from the coenobitic union, and having been led away from here, fall into eternal judgment. I say, by Pollux, I am a madman for what I am about to say—but did I not act as a subordinate? Did I not have a superior? Did I not have an oeconomos? Did I not have a father in spirit as well as in flesh? Did I not have brothers equally in spirit and in flesh? Among whom I lived as if in fire, besieged from all sides, and struggling against two opposing ways of life. But I could not have been saved without patience, and unless I confessed properly and always ascribed the faults to myself; for in no other way can a soul find peace in the midst of tribulations. Truly, you are who you are—for even that statement suffices—and you attempt to teach and correct me as one who is ignorant and unaware of what is being said, when it is evident even to children that you are stirred by diabolical suggestion. Do you not succumb beneath the powerful hand of God, in which there is sweetness, pleasure, and security? You seem to make a confession, but it is not a confession one should perform; you open a public assembly for quarrels, as if it were a praetor's tribunal, to the destruction of your souls, the misery of my dignity, and anyone who hears. I suspect that what I have related causes you grief. By Pollux, you are grieved, I am well aware; but I speak with anxiety myself, and as one who will give an account for each of you on the day of judgment. But since it is written, *Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation* (II Cor. vi, 2), let us cast malice from our souls and learn to do good, and present ourselves pure of deed before the terrible and illustrious day of the Lord arrives, in which even those who are idle will give an account of every word, so that, having departed from here with the best possible conscience, we may possess eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermo XCVI. On the secession of brother Carterius, and on peace and concordant doctrine.

Brothers and Fathers, I verily seemed to speak to you frequently when it was not necessary, as if you were already perfect in your duty and had no need to be warned; but now, as I see it, it is necessary above all else, since even with me speaking thus, restlessness does not cease in most of you, and sedition is stirred up—at which I marvel, considering how those who ought to act as teachers for the time being are still like children, foolish and utterly mindless. Indeed, the cause is a lack of charity: for if, according to the Apostle’s sentiment: *Charity is patient, is kind, does not envy, does not act perversely, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things* (I Cor. xiii, 7), then, in its absence, the opposites arise in turn—incredulity, secession, stubbornness, ^A and a lack of tolerance. Placed in these circumstances, how can we be called the disciples of the Lord? He Himself cries out and says: *In this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another* (John xiii, 35); and elsewhere again, *If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free* (John viii, 32). Therefore, not having charity and truth, but rather enmities, fights, and dissensions, we are not instructed by Christ, but by the enemy of Christ, however bitter that utterance may be. For as long as we live miserably, for as long as we draw breath, not fulfilling things that are pleasing and acceptable to God? What fruit has Carterius produced, having departed from us and moved into another fellowship? Truly, since it is harmful and altogether wicked to migrate from one fellowship to another, and yet to commit such an act without the permission of the superior—of what suspicion is he not worthy? Especially since he has been accused, condemned, and reproved. For which reasons, it seems—since he could not bring himself to accept this assistance from us, nor the secret of his own conscience—he asked for his release, and indeed, ^B led by the weakness of a man, lest he be overwhelmed by greater sadness, he slipped into a graver evil and obtained the privilege of departure. Finally, he was discovered, in vain and to no purpose, and having made excuses about this one and that one, he compelled the reason for his departure, and thereby caused trouble among you, indeed: *He that troubles you shall bear the judgment, whoever he is* (Gal. v, 10), just as it is written. Furthermore, when someone begins to talk back, know this: that ruin is being enacted. If he talks back to his equals, perhaps he has some motive to satisfy; but if to his superiors, it is a judgment of dissension and the destruction of him who talks back. Wherefore, brothers, if he acted thoughtlessly and harmfully, you must certainly act thoughtfully and rightly, embracing peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one shall see God, being anxious lest any soul be destitute of divine grace, lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, by which many are defiled. What is this word? That you show a certain upright zeal, being innocent, having abhorred and turned away from malice; and do not consider them as enemies, but as brothers, ^C warn them, worthy of the Apostle’s recommendation, whose words are found elsewhere: *In all things you have shown yourselves to be uncontaminated in the matter* (II Cor. vii, 11). Truly, brothers, I do not speak these things insulting you or provoking you, but as a friend and fearing for you; and fearing the example concerning the sons of Eli, both for my sake and for your own. If you think otherwise, the day is now appearing when this tongue will be taken away from you, and then you will know that what I said to be of little worth was true. Moreover, may the God of peace, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, not permit him who has been torn from us like a sheep to fall into the mouth of the soul-devouring Dragon; and may He protect you, His own excellent lambs, in the fold of His teachers, so that you may do what is acceptable to Him through Christ Jesus our Lord. ^D To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XCVII

^ABrethren and Fathers, again a war has been stirred up, as they say, and indeed an internal one—and what could be more bitter than that Christians should butcher one another? Therefore, we must pray to God assiduously that those in subjection may remain quiet, as much regarding the worldly kingdom as regarding the faith for which we stand here. But for those of us who stand here, it is not proper to remain indifferent or rashly; rather, we must be cautious first, and circumspect, lest, while preaching to others, we ourselves become wicked—as I have said concerning those who, having been punished with torments, have again approached the sectaries. We have recently refused to accept their missiles, as being harmful and bound up with danger to the soul; regarding which matter some of our Fathers were indignant, as if by this means disturbances were being kindled. ^B But we indeed pray that disturbances be not kindled, yet we cannot, however much some may be troubled, yield anything of the truth or pollute the Christian confession out of fear of the crime of conspiracy, when the prophet says: *They did not distinguish between the sacred and the profane, but all things were polluted for them?* Nor the Apostle: *What participation has justice with iniquity? Or what society of light with darkness? And what concord of Christ with Belial? Or what part has the faithful with the unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?* And again: *Withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they received from us*; and again: *If any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or a server of idols, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such a one, not so much as to eat.* ^C Therefore, all these things disturb and occupy the mind, and I have moved my soul to endure grace—or rather misery and hardship—than to betray protection and salvation. Indeed, since it is written: *If one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it; or if one member glories, all the members rejoice with it*, and you are brothers by nature and our own inward parts, I could not but declare these present things, so that you might know, and knowing might sympathize, and might see what things are about to happen therefrom; for it says: *Being made virtuous, look for temptations.* Now judge for yourselves, I beseech you, whether what I have said be equitable—on account of truth—to regard as equals and companions those who have been driven from their monasteries and those who retain the monasteries surrendered for the same cause. I have not been driven away in vain, nor have we championed in vain for these in the past, and we are found to be such imposters, speaking one thing to others and another, and rightly will those who carefully observe the confession groan at us if they see that we have approached those who have brought harm into the Church of God. ^D But far be it that we should approach, and heap destruction upon ourselves in addition. Verily, we have long since yielded as the time required, and not without reason; but now the building must be urged on, and there must be no retracting; for: *If he shall draw back, he says, my soul shall have no pleasure in him*, and: *You are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of faith, to the saving of the soul.* Do you see how he names retraction as unto perdition? Therefore, this is the sentiment of the same Apostle: *I am clean from the blood of all men, for I have not spared to declare unto you all the counsel of God.* Wherefore we also, supported by apostolic doctrine and the holy Fathers who themselves speak the same things as the Apostle, abstaining from heretical custom and from those who have approached them with changed purpose, let us preserve the accurate confession in which we stand, and boast in the hope of divine glory, and let us be diligent in all other functions just as if by the plumb line, so that we may be perfect and whole, lacking in nothing. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our minds and senses through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XCVIII

On obeying the superior, and joyfully bearing the struggle of obedience.

Brethren and Fathers, I rejoice in you, for you obey in all things and heed my words for naught, whether you are afflicted, or gladdened, or reproved, or commended—though this is not at all from you, but it is a gift of God and an argument of true and unfeigned obedience, which has a great reward and the wage of the struggle, just as the holy Fathers have declared. But if there is a struggle, it certainly has fights and conflicts, since there is no martyr without torment, nor is there any crowned who has not fought a lawful struggle. Therefore, let us not grow weary of performing a certain kind of martyrdom of the conscience, joyfully bearing all rebukes as scourges, the coercion of our wills as if a beheading, and the impulses of our thoughts as pyres ignited by the devil. The fire is not extinguished unless water is poured upon it, nor the flame of foul lust unless tears are poured upon it; labor is not cured unless by the restoration of rest, nor is a mind burdened by thoughts [cured] except by the unloading which confession provides. And the remedies of salvation are clear, and thus far you are strong in the Lord, but if any of you lacks wisdom, as the brother of God cries out, let him ask of God, who gives to all abundantly and does not reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, wavering nothing; for he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, which is moved by the wind and carried about. Therefore, let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord, for a double-minded man is inconstant in all his ways; therefore let us not waver, nor let us hesitate in offering prayers; but having given thanks, and with sincere confidence, let us implore God with our vows, and we shall obtain what we have asked without doubt, and the insolent fire will be extinguished, and the things that are hostile will flee, and with God as our leader the purpose of obedience.

^A martyrdom shall be accomplished. But I would have you know, brothers, that our purses do not abound too much in funds, rather they are to be spent, not gathered, especially now when even the wine has failed—a matter, I sense, by which you are weakened. But take courage: God quickly brings aid, for the abundance of grain and wine, and whatever other necessity requires, He shall bring; and furthermore, if we devote ourselves entirely to Him, doing what pleases Him, and not moved from the confidence which He provides, who indeed has said: I will not desert you, nor forsake you; and again: Seek first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. And if these things fail for the most part, it is no wonder, since it is a test and a danger to virtue. ^B Was not the patriarch Jacob upright? Yet, pressed by famine, he sent our ancestors into Egypt to buy grain. Was not the prophet Elias upright? Who nevertheless went to Sarepta in Sidon, calling to the widow: Give me, I pray, a little water in a vessel, for me to drink, and a morsel of bread to eat, asking for nothing other than bearable and necessary food. And who indeed was he? Elias, who locked up heaven with his tongue lest it should grant rain, and prayed again and dissolved the punishment, and refixed it—he, and us, vile on the inside and the out. And even if we bear something of this sort, it should not be considered strange, nor should it be borne with annoyance, but rather we should give thanks in poverty just as in abundance; for this is the mark of Christ’s disciples, not to murmur hopelessly. With this zeal and purpose undertaken, we may easily pass through these adverse things and attain the good things to come, through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON XCIX.

That we must hold fast to the fear of God, that we may flee the pestiferous incursions of demons, and concerning Psalmody.

SERMO C.

That the mind ought to be directed aright toward the immense beauty of the divine creation.

^A you have given virtue to my beauty; but if to the left, the following verse: You have turned your face from me, and I became troubled. For indeed, a turning away from God is an empty pursuit, and the perturbation of the soul is a lethal feast for the guilty. Wherefore, let us strive that it may be perpetually directed towards the right, that it may discern excellent spectacles. Which ones? The angelic and heavenly hosts, a vast and incomparable beauty to me, the splendid seats of the apostles, prophets, martyrs, and all the righteous, the vault of heaven, the rays of the sun, the radiance of the moon, the dances of the stars, and whatever other things are subject to the senses—not that it should linger in them, but rather, having contemplated God, the maker of the whole universe through them, it may behold the incorrupt beauty He possesses. Truly, God adorned us, first in paradise, with the dignity of His likeness and image, which we marred and confused through disobedience; then in grace, through the laver of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He poured out upon us ^B abundantly through Christ Jesus our Savior, although we have degenerated here; and thirdly, in the profession of virginity, with all offenses forgiven, and the hand-writing against us wiped away by a cross-bearing life and by baptism. Therefore, let the mind remain in its beauty, that it may deserve to hear: You are all fair, my beloved, and there is no spot in you. But if it should contract a spot—since we are changeable, nor is anyone pure from defilements, nor can one boast of having a chaste soul—then truly let us be cleansed by tears, for He says: You shall wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow; and again: Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the wickedness from your souls. And ^C happy is the mind that thus continually cleanses itself, and being free and released from every worldly concern, holds fast only to zeal, love, and desire, awaiting God and death joyfully day by day: for it will surely come, and we too shall pay our debt. And would that we might do so piously and holily, both for the sake of the remains of each of us that remain, and as we sing the sacred future hymns, as a useful vessel, as a good instrument, and as our soul being carried off by the holy angels into eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CI

SERMON CII

with all piety and probity, like obedient children; not as those who once conformed to the lusts of our ignorance, ^A nor let us remit any portion of our monastic zeal; for you see, brothers, how the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But now, perceiving that we are separated by persecution, he presses on more vehemently, eager to plunder the soul. But let us always be intent and vigilant everywhere, protected by divine precepts, so that he, finding no place, may withdraw in shame; for if he finds an opening, he forces his way in thoroughly, and he does not desist until he has slaughtered and destroyed. Do we not know how many he has destroyed since the world was founded? Did he not proscribe the first-born mortal, overcome by pleasure in the garden? Did he not arm Cain for fraternal slaughter? Did he not cut off Judas from the apostolic assembly, having labored as the traitor of everyone’s life? Did he not deliver countless others to death? And it is the same one who now also urges, lies in wait, deceives, and almost swallows the world, which it is difficult and extremely laborious to escape. Nor does he attempt only to overthrow us through dissolute and licentious living, but also through an accurate way of life, and to drive us into the opposite, varying himself and disguising himself with many wiles and frauds, and spreading many snares for us on the earth, according to the revelation of the blessed Anthony, which, it is said, only humility escapes.

Wherefore, let us also escape his side-paths and devious errors, following the royal road that turns neither here nor there, but walking according to the norm of the precepts handed down, and following the footprints of the predecessor Fathers, whose life is in heaven. Therefore, let the mind be retracted from vicious thoughts, let the spirit be a meditator of divine oracles, let the mouth be unsealed for the praise of God, let the eye look aright, let the ear admit no empty fables, let the hands be moved toward labors, let the feet walk modestly, let food and drink be used with moderation, let sleep be composed to the plumb-line, let there be no going out beyond necessity, nor let any other insolent thing be agitated that might bring about death and license, but let all things be done ^C holily and prudently. And indeed the time is not long, and the end of the struggles is imminent. And what is the reward of the labors? The kingdom of heaven. For which, brothers, let us contend and struggle more and more; if we fall, let us rise again; if we slumber, let us again wake up; let us do violence to nature, let us mortify these earthly members, let us acquire virtues (which indeed I also declare to myself, being myself riddled with weakness, yet endowed with the same nature as you), so that, departing from hence sincere and innocent, we may obtain eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CIII. On fulfilling divine precepts, and on just threats against the negligent.

Brothers and Fathers, God the creator, who brought us into the light out of nothing, as if into a school, has placed us in this life, to be learners of the Gospel of His kingdom. Therefore, when sending out His disciples, He commanded them in these words: "Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all things whatsoever I have commanded you." What, then, are the things He commanded? In the old covenant, to speak in part: "You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness." In the new, things greater and more accurate; for it is said: "It was said to those of old: You shall not kill; but whoever kills will be liable to judgment; but I say to you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without cause, will be liable to judgment." Again it is said to those of old: "You shall not commit adultery; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Again it is said: "You shall not perjure yourself; but I say to you, not to swear at all." Again it is said: "You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy; but I say to you: Love your enemies, pray well for those who curse you, do good to those who hate you." Do you see the difference of both covenants? The one forbidding actions, this one forbidding the very occasions from which actions arise, so that sin may not take root. If, therefore, we conduct ourselves neither according to the law, nor according to the Gospel, but—if I may say so—according to the ethnic ways, what will happen to us at that time? "Do not err," he says, "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will possess the kingdom of God." And for that reason, as I often do, I now also warn and announce: let no one live as a solitary, nor be carried along sluggishly, nor think of gold, nor hold a servant, nor keep a horse, nor feed an ox, nor treat of anything else outside the norm of persecution, from which heavier and more atrocious crimes remain. Even though there are some among you who contend stubbornly against the truth, of whose blood I am innocent; for I have not avoided declaring the divine law, nor have I kept silent about the sword that will come upon the disobedient. Do we provoke God? Are we stronger than He? For now, the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Do you not fear the example? Do you not shudder at the threats? Do you not fear the death which must soon be undergone?

Are we to behold the horrible angels, coming to us out of the body; we who traverse that long and immense journey, unequipped with provisions? Are we to be set before the tribunal of Christ, to whom everyone shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall offer praises, while harboring a foul conscience? So that it is necessary to be sent away where the fire is not extinguished and the worm does not die; where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. That this may not happen, brothers, come, let us weep with reverence before the merciful God, and let us anticipate Him with confession, prayers, compunction, tears, supplication, fasting, chastity, and every excellent function. For indeed, he is...

^A coming—the terrible Judge who cannot be defrauded, who will aggregate the subject to the subject, the prefect to the prefect, the bishop to the bishop, the magistrate to the magistrate, and king to king; who will correct and refute one through the other, and render to each according to his works: to those indeed who by patience in well-doing seek glory, honor, and incorruption, eternal life; but to those who are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, ^B as it is sung. We must fear this, and with every effort take care that we are not found empty of good works at our passing, but rather that we may be seen full of honest functions. If the enemy opposes us so that we cannot perform virtue—which must not be denied, as he is a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, as the Lord says—let us use fortitude against him, and magnanimity; let us employ labors, study, prayers, supplications, and tears, and he will succumb, since God enters into the struggle, and grants everlasting victory by strengthening our weakness, through Christ our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermo CIV. Of sincere and true love, and obedience toward the prefect, and of the terrible examination of the just Judge.

Brethren and Fathers, what I spoke about in the previous Catechesis, I spoke of with pain and grief; but what I have to say to you now is indeed better, and joined with salvation, since by the benefit of ^C God the Almighty and Best you fulfill the custom according to our weakness, doing nothing without a set standard. This is not only a joy and a triumph for me, but it is clear for you who have already begun in virtue; for what is sweeter, more joyful, or more pleasant than to live according to a rule, and not to do anything subject to one’s own whim? This is true obedience; this is the blessed life; this is—if I may say so—a struggle, both burdensome and unburdening. It is burdensome to him who is still held by his own desires; it is unburdening to him who has suppressed his own desires, so that he may dare to say apostolically: "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Truly, he who in no way lives by his own desire lives for God through the prefect, as if through a certain kind of mediator, looking with unveiled face upon the glory of the Lord, and being transformed into the same image ^D from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, as it is written. Indeed, such a man is secure from the death of destruction, passing a joyful and quiet life as one wholly consecrated to God; whereas he who, by his own will, having cast off the laws of obedience, strives toward his own desires and seeks to please himself, truly leads an afflicted life, held captive by the devil to be used at his whim. Such a one, even if he seems to fast, or to keep vigil, or to perform some other virtue, the function is unpraised, since "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," and otherwise, what is not done according to the common rule belongs both to the actor and is foreign to piety. Therefore, I have rightly reproved those of you; I praise you, and I exhort you to cling to this most beautiful obedience, endurance, the breaking of the will, faith, hope, charity, and the other studies of obedience, by which you seek salvation and are a truly excellent example to the whole community. I beseech you, brethren, since the time is very short before He comes, and He will not delay; as the supreme day draws near, let what has been done in darkness be brought to light, and the designs of the heart be revealed,

Sermo CV. Of purging the soul from sins, and setting upon the labors of virtue.

Brethren and Fathers, perhaps someone might be led to say that no fruit is gained from these Catecheses, but truly, as it seems to me, it is gained above all else. For indeed, the catechetical discourse is to the diligently listening soul what the plow is to the earth, and water to the thirsty. For whence is the mind corrupted? Whence come wars, quarrels, and dissensions in the public life of the brethren? Is it not from the fact that doctrine and discipline are not applied? Where these exist, there is serenity and peace; where there is peace and serenity, there the Holy Spirit rests. For this reason, I am anxious both timidly and eagerly to discourse, to discipline, to exhort, and to admonish, if by any means I might save you and myself from the all-embracing temptations of the devil, although I confess that you too contribute no small labor, especially the elders, and all who have assisted me toward the good. "I planted," says he, "Apollos watered, but God gave the increase," so that the function is not mine alone, but yours of all—or rather, it is God's, from whom all things rightly done flow to men. Therefore, I exhort you: urge on the task that has befallen each one for the public fruit, and build up the dwelling of the soul for God, for this is the sentiment of the Apostle: "If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, (because it is revealed by fire) and the fire shall test every man's work of what sort it is."

^A Observe what he says: how he compares virtue to gold, silver, and precious stones, and vice to wood, hay, and stubble, which, when tested by the fire of the Judge, shall burn up, while the solid materials will remain. And comparing to a more terrible discourse, he adds these words: *Know you not that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man violate the temple of God, God will destroy him: for the temple of God is holy, which you are*. Oh, the benefit, that we should be named the temple of God! Oh, the threats, that we who corrupt the temple of God shall be destroyed by God! Wherefore, brothers, let us not corrupt the temple of God, nor, having the Spirit, become a home for the domicile of wickedness, nor, having been set free from vices, serve the devil again in slavery; but let us stand sincere and without offense, filled with the fruits of righteousness through Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God, as it is written. Therefore, let our soul be ever vigilant and composed, imbued with divine fear and the constant meditation on death; for where that labor is practiced, sin has no place to enter. But if the mind is slothful and dull, then indeed lust begins to sprout, which stirs us up and troubles us, and does not let us go until we return to our former state. So the soul must be prompted to labor for virtue, to strive for the good so that we may enter into a happy life, to attain to everlasting rest; let us weep that we may rejoice in the Lord; let us walk the narrow and afflicted path, that we may attain the life that flows from thence, alien to sorrow. Truly, this is the most excellent gain, this is the highest happiness: to acquire for slight struggles and labors for the sake of virtue, immense and immortal goods, which may it be granted to all to attain by the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO CVI. On the necessity of steering our life's navigation with care and vigilance.

Brothers and Fathers, human life is like the sea, in which we all, like a ship, have entered this [our] body and cross over as in an image; nor is it defined at what time, but those who cross the sea subject to the senses, now sailing, now having reached the harbor, for we are always sailing, day and night, ^B and not without waves and tempests—not to say the terrible open ocean, nor is it merely terrible, but exceedingly vast, and marked out for our life’s course. It cannot be expressed with what storms it bristles on account of malicious spirits, and how many pirate demons attack, so that they may sink us. Knowing this full well, the holy David, as a suppliant, says: *Deliver me from those who hate me, and from the depths of the waters. Let not the tempest of the water drown me, nor the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me*. But if David, such and so great a man, was afraid and prayed that he might not be sunk—which he indeed suffered at one time, when he was drowsy—what, then, shall we say, and how much does it behoove us to fear and pray that we do not suffer the same? Therefore, our soul is like a certain helmsman who, when he is watchful and intent, wards off the storms of vices, lest he be lashed by the least of the thoughts that intrude, lest he fall into heresies, or let in wickedness, like a ship cleaning its bilge-water; for when it is burdened by the bilge, it makes a great shipwreck of sin, which is sad to hear and still sadder to contemplate. Then, the navigation of our life is ^C anxious and dangerous, so that the helm must be held with intense vigilance, and vices must be driven away from afar, and foul thoughts that rush in must be restrained, lest, lingering over them, we be sunk. Nor does this discourse pertain only to the young, but also to the seniors and those advanced in training, since the devil does not omit to tempt even them; regarding whom this sentiment of the great and divine Basil exists somewhere: "A most sad spectacle: after vigils, after afflictions, after fervent prayers, after abundant tears, after twenty or perhaps thirty years of continence, to be stripped of all through the supine negligence of the soul." Truly, I have both seen and heard this, and I wept, and I weep, thinking how so many riches of virtues, gathered over so many years, perished in a single moment by the devil’s fraud, leaving him naked and useless, [like] a sort of ascetic of piety; so great is the mystery of our salvation, and so great the devil's cruelty, looking at us who are straining toward heaven, from whence he fell. And such, indeed, he is, and with such madness he fights against us: but we, brothers, small and great, young and old, all together, with God as our guide, let us strive with many studies and labors not to lose by any means what we have sought—the renunciation of the world, obedience, temperance, tears, confession, [both] that which is recent and that which is present; because we keep watch, having the spread sail of hope, guided by the breeze of the Spirit, until we dock at the harbor of immortality at the end of life, to bring the celestial kingdom as if it were the merchandise of virtue through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and empire with the Father and the holy Spirit now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO CVII. On the remembrance of death, lest we receive the sacraments negligently.

Brothers and Fathers, when the king’s messenger arrived yesterday, we immediately became terrified, startled by an unexpected arrival, and once we understood that he had not come for us, we instantly released our fear. I ask, therefore, for what reason we were afraid—clearly because we were little in favor with the emperor due to our present profession, nay, rather, we were hated and detestable; for if we had been true friends, we would have certainly rejoiced, knowing that he had come undoubtedly for the sake of some good. But wherefore this preamble for me? For truly the soul

that has provided a clear life for its benign God will, at its departure from the body, look upon the King of all and his attendant joyfully and without terror, and will betake itself gladly to its Master. But if it is found otherwise, it must necessarily be troubled and tremble, endowed with neither confidence nor any to succor it. Here, truly, friends and brothers might offer consolation and drive away terror, yet there is money for all those who are there, with an angel snatching away the miserable soul fiercely and bitterly. And perhaps we might fear at these words. If the mere hearing of it brings terror, what shall we suffer in the present reality? For when such a soul appears before the tribunal of Christ, it is dragged into the fiery stream, according to the prophet Daniel, with ten thousand times ten thousand standing by and ten thousand times ten thousand ministering, and the severe and incorruptible Judge is present; and it is brought to trial, according to the evangelical sentence, for even a careless word; what shall that soul then endure? Indeed, as it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, so it is more fearful when it hears the most just sentence and is handed over to eternal punishments. Wherefore, brothers, I exhort and beseech you, let us be reconciled to God before we die, and let us win a benign Creator, let us acquire the angels who are to come to us as friends, let us have a watchful eye of the soul, let us keep our mind unconquered, so that we may not turn back from the constant conflict with vices; and if we fall slightly, let us rise instantly, and with frequent weeping let us extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy by inducing Christian zeal. The persistent prayer of the just man 51 is of great value, so that we may seek mutual prayers and encouragements. Tears and compunction are of great value, and above all, and with all things, the reception of the sacraments, in which I know not how I happen to notice some being sluggish, and I marvel exceedingly, for if the Lord’s day is present, you approach the mysteries, but if on another day people gather together, you do not gather at all. Indeed, may it be permitted to communicate in the monastery even daily, and not more rarely, and yet we scarcely gather. Nor do I say these things as one who wishes you to approach lightly and incidentally, for it is written: Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord 52. I do not say this, therefore (by no means), but rather that we may be possessors of the gift, purged as much as possible through the zeal of communion; for the reception of bread is the proposition of life, since the Lord says: I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world 53; and again: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him 54. Do you see the huge and ineffable benefit? He died not only for us, but also offered himself as a feast. What shows love more powerful than this; what is more solution-bearing for the soul? Now that food and drink have been proposed in common, no one is lacking who might partake daily, and if he does not partake, why do we think of [the Eucharist] as something indifferent and not wholly necessary, as if it were not common bread, but the immortal cup? Is this not the height of ignorance and madness? Even if it happens in truth, at least let us beware for the future, not ignorant of what the power of the gift is, and, purged as much as possible, let us receive the sacred things, and, being free from manual work when the signal is given, leaving our work, let us approach the gift skillfully and zealously. This, I think, or rather as the matter stands, is of great help to us, who by the preparation of enjoyment are kept pure and innocent, for by the negligence of communicating, how can we not be seized by vices? And it will be a provision for the life to come, which may we deserve to attain through the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO CVIII. That one ought to be swift for the struggles of virtue.

Brothers and Fathers, virtue is a restless thing by nature, which never ceases to strive for what is before it, but rather always urges itself on for the better, which the Apostle, demonstrating it, says: Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus 55; and again: Forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to those that are before, I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation in Christ Jesus 56. So that there is no rest from virtue, for rest from virtue is the beginning of vice. And so let us not rest, brothers, from the course of virtue, but let us be constantly swift, and as novices let us be promoted from strength to strength, until we arrive at a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ 57. But how will this be done? If we spend the day entirely in joy. For example, is it morning? Let us rise at once from sleep, adhering to prayers. Have we departed from there? Let us eagerly take up our work, singing songs to God together with our souls, and at the same time being devoted to manual labors. Is the day finished? Rejoicing and contrite, let us betake ourselves to sleep, by which vicissitude you may approve this sentence of David: Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night showeth knowledge 58. Let not the day be passed sluggishly, with the mind as if captured, nor the night in debauchery and lusts, I do not say that we should perpetrate these (by no means), but not even think of them; for as the body, so the soul is a seeker of chaste truth. But are we led by desires? What is more desirable than virtue, whose pleasure is delightful and insatiable? We love beauty: what is more lovable than the Hero, whose things all shine with beauty? Otherwise, the desires of the wicked consume the mind that has been led astray more cruelly than any beast. So that it is not pleasure, but a sorrowful life. Be not deceived, he says; the flesh and blood shall possess the kingdom of God.

^A nor shall corruption possess incorruption. But consider whom the embrace of sin has not filled with infamy, afflicted, and handed over to death, and whom the embrace of virtue has not exalted and rendered conspicuous to the world? Take two from among many: Amnon and Joseph. Did not the incest of his sister slay the former? Did not chastity bestow the kingdom upon the latter from the Egyptian woman? So lovable, desirable, and life-giving is virtue! And yet we frequently err at the cost of our soul, choosing death instead of life, grasping at darkness instead of light, and loving corruption instead of immortality; what could be more miserable than this? Why, then, he says, do we wish to be lovers of the good, yet are unable? It is because we do not truly wish it, but only feignedly, since by the liberty of our free will we embrace exactly what we wish. For in truth, from childhood our pursuit of evil, as it seems, has contracted a tenacious habit of vice within us. But what is the Apostle’s counsel? I speak in human terms because of the infirmity of your flesh: for just as you have presented your members to serve uncleanness and lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now present your members to serve righteousness unto sanctification ^B: that is, it is necessary to bring an equal industry to bear upon virtue. Therefore, brothers, let us continue to knock, and the merciful God will plainly open the doors, having worked in us what is acceptable to Him, and having bestowed eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CIX.

On the death of brother Theosostus, and on treading the path to a pious and holy life.

Brothers and Fathers, we have now fully learned that our brother Theosostus has passed away, of whom something must be said, since he was a man of integrity, praised by very many—both monks and laymen—who both knew how to submit and how to maintain the position of one subjected, being—to speak in the Apostolic manner—powerful in the things which he suffered, being tempted, to aid those who are tempted; wherefore he drew to God many upright sons, and likewise, for the sake of truth, underwent hardships, troubles, calamities, and no small dangers, in which he also died and departed to the Lord. Why, however, have these things been said by me? So that we might witness in our brother a certain exemplar of our own affairs; so that, having died holily and honestly, we might likewise be worthy of being praised by others after our death, as certain guides clearly set before those who are to come for their emulation; ^C if not, we are not only not praised, but we are punished with the penalties of eternal torment, which is a terrible thing both to contemplate and to speak of. Now you see how we depart from here in turn, and whither we go, and what in this life is for us a brief prolongation of days for the testing of virtue, and as a trial for those who are to live, but are to die thereafter, and thus are to depart to where we may remain forever. It is for the prudent to recollect these things, and he who recollects them trembles and fears, he who strives to die daily, and as it were to lead the bodily hand mission, and from thence be invigorated for the task imposed upon him, to such a degree that he adds constant labors to labors; for whence, I ask, the unheard-of battles of the saints, the long-lasting endurance, the persistent obedience, the submission into old age, and things greater than these besides? Whence the contests of the martyrs, the mangling of limbs, the shedding of blood? Is it not because they were possessed in their souls by the fleeting brevity of life's course, the judgment before the terrible tribunal, and the eternal and infinite punishments? Naturally, from this everything is tolerable to them; hence the suffering of atrocious pains as if in the bodies of others. And blessed is the mind that contemplates these things day and night, which, like a guest and a stranger passing through this life, might expect a happy and secure age, of which these are the words of the Apostle: For the expectation of the creature awaits the revelation of the sons of God; for the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the servitude of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. Do you see how it is promised that this whole universe shall be restored from corruption, ^D and that the whole nature of things shall be transformed from servitude into liberty? What sort of day, then, is that which follows, of which the holy David says, Better is one day in thy courts above thousands; and again the coryphæus of the apostles: The day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and the apostle Paul: Conformed to his death: if by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the dead. Thither let us also direct our soul and mind, brothers, thither let us confer our pursuits, thither let us transport our thoughts and our natural talent, here let us fix our vows and desires, by which occupation we may escape the prince of this age, who although he can tempt us, cannot cast us down, being already protected by the arms of monastic struggle. Whom I desire indeed not only that you yourselves avoid, but also overcome, garlanded with the trophies of probity, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CX.

On our joyful life, and that we must not grow weary in the struggle against the adversary.

Brothers and Fathers, since the Apostle commands all men to rejoice always in the Lord, it appears that true monks are the only ones who rejoice, who are not led by the solicitude of a wife, of children, of slaves, of money, of property, or of any other of those things which the carnal desire, and who enter upon one pursuit only, that they might please the Lord. This constant pursuit is the joy in the Lord; for where there is marriage, and servitude, and the troubles that flow from these, there exists that miserable distraction divinely implanted in the human race, whereby they are kept divided, as the sentiment of Solomon suggests: it is difficult to rejoice in the Lord, with the mind removed from the things I have mentioned and from the holy remembrance of God, in which it is situated in the Lord.

^A It is joy. Therefore, let us who are of the number of those who rejoice in the Lord, rejoice and rejoice together among ourselves, brothers, awaiting the rewards of virginity and poverty from God the remunerator, who has promised a reward even for a cup of cold water, let alone for such great and huge deeds; for, in truth, the function of virginity is the highest and most excellent, and joined with the angelic life, which recalls man to his origin, into paradise, where marriage and servitude are nowhere, and a certain secure and harmless life is spent. But if you say that you do not rejoice, but rather grieve, what, I ask, is the cause of your grief? That you have committed faults? But these have been remitted through withdrawal, obedience, and confession. Or is it that you think of striking daily? But that also is a sign of a crown, for one does not crown someone who is a stranger to war, but a warrior; nor does a general reward one who has not advanced into the arena and fought a battle brilliantly. Do you not see that from where we are said to be sad, from there we should have cause to rejoice? Wherefore let us rejoice, brothers, insisting on spiritual joy, and let us struggle more sharply against the deceits of the devil; let us break his assaults with prayers and supplication, and let us dissipate his snares with submission and obedience; then, moreover, with tears and compunction, let us drown him as if he were a certain Pharaoh, and by confessing and revealing our faults, let us put him to flight, and with all other right actions let us lay him low with divine aid. For he is manifold in his deceits and an artificer of crimes, who, seeking to kill us, knows both how to seize the time when he may attack, and how to withdraw himself, as if defeated, so that he may suddenly rush in and, having found an unprepared soul, accomplish what he wishes. We, however, standing at our post, let us keep watch; let us be vigilant, keeping the eye of the mind unsleeping, and ^B with a fervor of soul burning for the divine: by which let us remain stable and invincible, and I beseech you, let us not grow sluggish in undertaking the war, nor let us grow weary in the battle against the adversary. The end of the contests is imminent, and it is a very little while before He comes, approaching and delaying nothing, either by the departure of any one of us, or by the course of the whole universe being completed; at which time He will appear from heaven, accompanied by angelic hosts, and wrapped in fiery flame and unspeakable majesty, when indeed "Every eye shall see him," as it is written, "and those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth shall wail over him." How terrible a spectacle that is, and greater than any consternation! Then indeed those will exult who have contended the noble fight, who have stood firm in dangers, who have loved probity, who have performed obedience, who have followed through on their submission, who have pleased God entirely in all things. Burning with their example, may we also enjoy eternal goods, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto every eternity. Amen.

Sermon CXI. On tolerance, and compunction.

Brothers and Fathers, I have spoken, and I shall insist on speaking and exhorting—for indeed I am anxious, after old age has beset my head and the judgment of the prefecture is terrible; what can I not fear, and what can I not desire, not only to speak these few things, but also to spend this life of mine for each of you? Therefore, let us hear, brothers, the Apostle saying: "The time is short; it remains that those who have wives should be as though they had none, and those who weep as though they did not weep, and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as though they did not use it; for the form of this world is passing away." What is this, "the form of this world is passing away"? That is, it slips, and glides away, and does not even obtain a lasting stability; but he who yesterday was radiant is today squalid, he who was yesterday in a splendid condition is today in misery; now this one is exalted, ^C now another falls from his dignity; here one becomes rich from being poor, another poor from being rich, and our wretched life is subject to a thousand mutations and shifts, possessing nothing constant. Whence does this fact happen? Surely from our ancient ignorance: for by despising the holy commandment which we received in paradise, and led astray by the pleasure of the serpent's fraud, we have come as if into the hand of a calamitous and mutable life. On account of which the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is also agitated, who restores those brought back to their origin into eternity, innocent and alien to pain, so that it may be the way of the prudent and the upright to stand firm in unstable things and immovable in mutable ones; whose mark is this, indeed, save for those who are crucified to the world and following the Lord? Indeed, if we are, by the benefit of Christ, venerable brothers, who, having made an illustrious withdrawal, have performed obedience—a most beautiful thing through which we return as if by postliminy to our former state; for God, who is thrice-best, wished to recover paradise through obedience and submission for us who were proscribed from paradise on account of disobedience and contumacy. Therefore, let us rejoice in our obedience, by which we may be led back to perennial life. But in conflict, persistence is required, and in hardships, tolerance; for if victory is prepared in the flesh not without ^D great labors and sweats, how much more must he who would run the course of life victoriously here be, first and foremost, manly and magnanimous? Therefore, let us stand, I exhort you, courageously, we who keep watch daily, having translated our desire to God alone, and fixed in contemplating Him—tearful, touched by compunction, struggling with prayers and supplication, and thus leading the grace of the Holy Spirit—for God is delighted by nothing so much as a mind pure from vices; nor does the meadow smell so fragrant as a soul fragrant with virtues. But if it happens that one falls asleep, one must wake up as soon as possible, and even if one admits guilt seven times a day...

and we shall not be frustrated of our hope, just as the divine promise maintains. Let us but persist, I exhort you, and let us not grow weary, but rather call ourselves back from our falls. Now the end of our struggles is near; joy and triumph and the crown of righteousness are approaching, which we deserve to obtain through the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXII. On the Supreme Day, and the coming of the illustrious God and Savior Jesus Christ.

^B Brothers and Fathers, since my natural ability is limited and my tongue is meager for speaking, I am for that very reason distressed by the necessity of addressing you. And what is this necessity? It is the judgment of my charge, and the debt of love I owe you—partly because of the account I must render to God for you at the time of judgment, in which I, a wretch, even tremble; and partly because a good shepherd does not only offer words, but also lays down his life for his sheep. Therefore, brothers, attend, for it is a thing auspicious and blessed: let us make a covenant for the supreme day, let us be reconciled to God before the hour of implacable death arrives, since this sentence exists: *In death there is no one who is mindful of Thee, and in Hades who shall confess Thee?* Do we not see brothers snatched away daily? Do we not see how we are held, prepared like sheep for the slaughter, today safe, tomorrow nothing? See, Father Liberius has also been taken; my mind, by my faith, is struck by his death, found as they say suddenly in his cell, lifeless, lying on his side, as if asleep. And this is his end; as for our own, we do not know by what kind of death we are to depart. For who knows if it will be sudden, or in the grip of sickness? Whether on dry land, or by water? Whether alone, or joined to our brothers? Truly, who has discerned the mind of God, or who has been His counselor, that he might know the day, the hour, the manner, or the place of his own end? So that the sentence of death is truly terrible, and it is dreadful to fall into the hands of the living God, and I cannot but exhort you to be concerned and always attentive, and to occupy ourselves with divine things. ^C It is a good thing for the small, for the great, for the learned, for the commoner, for the old, for the young; but if not, the Lord will close the doors for those not admitted into the heavenly bridal chamber: *Woe*, He says, *to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed; it were better for that man if he had not been born.* Nor is there any doubt that He speaks of the traitor, even if it is not irrelevant to say it of anyone else who betrays his own salvation. Do we not consider the coming of the illustrious God, and Savior Jesus Christ? Do we not contemplate the unquenchable fire, the eternal torments, and those that are intolerable? O that one might understand these things, and as a skillful helmsman might steer himself, and preserve the mind of his soul from wicked spirits! We, by Hercules, who have begun a life that is tranquil, quiet, and composed through the benefit of Christ, let us still be borne along prosperously, let us still gladly endure all things, with each of our members being fortified by the fear of God. Therefore, let the eye be forbidden from looking curiously, let the ear not admit empty fables, let the tongue be forbidden to slander (since it says: *He who slanders his brother, or he who judges his brother, slanders the law, and judges the law*), let the hands work for their living, since the apostolic sentence is that he who is idle should not eat, let the feet be directed on the path of peace, let the mind not turn toward wicked speeches, nor be one that seeks pretexts for shameful deeds, but let all things be done with order and decency, so that by dutifully performing all things in an excellent manner, we may obtain the eternal goods: through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXIII. Of Faith, and Love, and Virginity.

Brothers and Fathers, there are two things that seek salvation for man: faith and love. If I perceived you erring in faith, I would truly pour forth words about it, and would labor to restore you to the orthodox view, for: *Without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder to those who seek Him.* But since you are strong in the faith by the grace of Christ, and, supported by that, you triumph in the hope of divine glory, come, let us set aside that subject and discuss it briefly. Therefore, I exhort you, brothers, now also, as always, to apply yourselves carefully to the monastic struggle, with your senses as a kind of governor in command, remaining solicitous about virginity, ^D and how precious it is, and how, when we embrace the mercy of God, the enemy attempts with all industry to assault it, he who prowls for our salvation: for he does not ignore that by committing this sin we have something of God, so that against this we are compared to beasts: since it is written: *Man when he was in honor did not understand: he was compared to the senseless beasts, and became like them.* O how many a crafty one has he caught throughout all memory with the lust of the flesh! Indeed, he presses on now also, both against the old and the young, and those who are not downcast.

^A For what serenity and freedom is there from vices? Do we not hear the Scripture saying: "Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house for ever; the son remains for ever" (John VIII, 34, 35). Come then, we who have been liberated from sin and have escaped into adoption, shall we again be delivered into slavery to sin? We who have gathered under the all-powerful hand of God, shall we strike a covenant with the devil? By no means. For if I rebuild what was destroyed, says the Apostle in a certain place, I prove myself a transgressor (Galat. II, 18). Wherefore, let us not become transgressors of the sacred covenants, nor serve the devil in slavery, once set free, nor seek out punishment for ourselves against the day of punishment, and of the appearing of the righteous judgment of God, upon whom this sentence stands: "Their worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished" (Mark IX, 43). Rather, let us stand firm in the freedom into which Christ has delivered us, ^B having cursed the dire monsters of the dragon; let us daily, with a firm struggle, resist not only this wickedness but all others, trampling underfoot envy, malice, fraternal hatred, and detesting all other evil deeds, that by escaping eternal punishments we may enter the heavenly kingdom, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXIV. On the monastic life, and the struggle against the present heresy.

^C Brothers and Fathers, I shall by no means cease to address you by this excellent name of brothers and fathers, knowing that this title is true for you, and that the address is no lie; for these are truly truthful brothers and fathers, who, above parents, brothers, kin, country, and all visible things, have embraced God, and entered upon a common life, whose one mind and soul is God the Father, and whose city is the heavenly Jerusalem. Such indeed are you, brothers beloved by the Lord; and that I may address you from the Scripture: "A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (I Petr. II, 9). For it is a marvelous light, this monastic life into which we have been called, and in which we proclaim the praises of Him who covers the heavens with his majesty. Here indeed is prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice; here are the trophies against the Wicked One, and the victory in Christ; ^D since "our weapons are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds, destroying arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to obey Christ" (II Cor. X, 4, 5). And if we look also to visible adversaries, let us contemplate in our mind how many and how great attacks have assaulted the Church of God from the beginning. For whose lot is it to be assaulted, whose to be despised, and to be slain, if not those who are crucified to the world? And to omit the old, and everything in the memory of

the present generation and of the heresy that is already upon us, the discussion turns to this: who have stood their ground against sin even unto blood? Are they not our blessed ^A Fathers and brothers, both those of our monastery and those of others? Such then are truly the deeds and contests of monks, and monks are the sinews and foundations of the Church; and such and so great is the dignity that has been granted to us by the goodness of God. But since where the treasures are, there also the thieves lie in wait, and the treasures of the soul are the virtues, I exhort and remind you: let us watch, let us be sober, so as to remain unplundered, neither dragged down by pleasure, nor enraged by anger, nor darkened by unbelief, nor beset by the lack of confession, nor mastered by any other passion; but being above these lethal passions, let us proceed with readiness to what follows, until we arrive at the end of life. Perhaps the report that our monasteries are being corrupted by the enemies of the Lord grieves us; but this is no cause for grief, for we are the monastery and the temple of God, to whom it has also been spoken: ^B *If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him* (I Cor. III, 17). And otherwise, for often they have happened to be defiled by those who persecuted us, and again, by the providence of God, they have returned to their former state. Perhaps this, too, unsettles us: that we do not hold the monasteries as many of the persecuted do, rebuilding and planting, and cultivating whatever else. But I am ashamed to such a degree; for if the persecution and the entire struggle is on behalf of the destruction of the faith, and this has not been amended, but the name of God is still being blasphemed, and our holy Fathers are being anathematized, is there then any benefit in the possession [of buildings], and not rather an admitted harm and a betrayal of the truth? Who, having run halfway, took the prize, when it is decreed not only to run to the end, but also lawfully? For He says: *And no one is crowned ^C unless he competes lawfully* (II Tim. II, 5). Therefore, dismissing such reasonings, if they are even present, and casting away far from us the crooked examples, let us hold to one thing only—our dual confession, both according to faith and according to word—trusting in the promise of Him who cannot lie, saying: *Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you* (Matth. VI, 33). May we attain this, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

^D (3) As you see, the holy abbot here extols the monastic life with great praises. Many in our age, however, complain that regular institutes and the regulars themselves are despised. But, with their permission I would say, no one will ever be so remarkably powerful, no one so potent in the deceptive allurements of eloquence, that he could guarantee these four things: I. That institutes that are regular and approved by the judgment of the Holy See are not praised by wise men, and are not despised by the scoffers of the Gospel. II. That those who depart from a regular institute are not disparaged both by the wise and by the unwise. III. That in regular societies there is no one who is not honest, no one who is not tenacious of purpose and discipline. IV. That those who observe the rules of their own order are not treated with goodwill by the greatest part of Christians, and least of all by that most abject and execrable part of men, namely the incredulous and atheists, who do not hold them in hatred or at least in contempt.

SERMON CXV. On the remembrance of death, the passing of brother Jacob, and on penitence.

^A Brothers and Fathers, how long shall I discourse to you in vain, and you listen to this dry voice, which admonishes you of your duty? Are not two of our brothers, Jacob and Basianus, even now—one having departed to God, the other lingering at the gates of death? Shall we be immortal? Shall we not drink the same cup as those who have gone before? How well it is for him who reflects upon this constantly, and compares his own life to the meditation of death; for where there is meditation on death, there, without doubt, vigor, incentives, tears, sweetness, splendor, the desire for higher things, and things that surpass the world, follow. When these are absent, there arise wicked thoughts, which the Lord in the Gospel has forbidden, which lacerate those who are captured, and drag those who love life into error. ^B We indeed must always and assiduously remember death, and take care not to engage in foul lusts, but rather to pass the remaining time of our life in the flesh according to the divine will; for indeed, the past course of life is sufficient, in which we have satisfied the desires of the body and mind; there has been enough and more than enough of the tricks devised by the devil, who has tossed us about from honest pursuits into wicked desires—from which we have never gained any benefit, but rather loss and infamy. Now is the accepted time, and the days of salvation. “Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,” 88 the Holy Spirit cries out; for since our nature is prone to vice and would not have even daily stability, He has benevolently established now, and today, so that it might not be permitted to anyone to flee from repentance, but rather, whether one has been heavily or lightly defiled, whether long ago or recently, upon hearing the saving proclamation, he might, without any delay, restore and renew himself day by day. ^C Behold the goodness of God the Most High and Most Great, who devises a swift and easy medicine for the injury. Indeed, those wounded in the flesh are cured, but certainly slowly, so that when they are healed they may again engage in conflict with the enemy; for us, the medicine is joined to the wound, if only we are willing to repel the enemies immediately. Wherefore, let us not fail to be renewed in mind through daily repentance, nor let the wound received in mind, words, or action provide an occasion for sloth; but as often as we fall, so often let us repent, fearing the judgments of God and warding off shameful deeds with all our might. For indeed Moses, the servant of God, while on the mountain, having his mind as if girded up and his hands of justice stretched out, put the Amalekites to flight—who whenever he grew weary, then the enemy prevailed; in the same way, let the mind that has been enticed by sins, by overcoming as if by a mountain of prayers and by stretching out its senses to God as if they were hands, put the Amalekites to flight, who flee from the sight of the eyes; but if it relaxes, it suffers under the enemy. What is there to be done then, if not, when the enemy presses, to stretch out the mind and hands to God, who is able to save from death? Why then, with our enemies in flight, let us be bound to the victory and share in the heavenly kingdom through Christ our Lord: to whom is glory and power with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXVI. On visible and invisible things, on the dangers and miseries that are in our hands, and on attaining the happy life.

Brothers and Fathers, now that our brother, Lord Eustratius, has arrived here by divine impulse, I do not think you are standing without questions, asking the reason for his arrival; nor is it a wonder, since there is an occasion that provokes these questions. ^D But forgive me, it is not always lawful for these matters to be revealed to everyone, nor except to the leaders of the brothers, as we are taught by our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who now opens the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom to all his holy disciples: now having taken Peter, Jacob, and John, he exhibits the spectacles to them alone. Although, so that you yourselves may also partly know, the arrival is on account of the Church; for he declares, as to those who are privy, the time of the council, the restoration of the faith, and the recall of the exiles. To these we have responded accurately as was proper, concealing nothing, by the goodness of God, which needed to be made known; from which we also conjecture that dangers and miseries again await us. But "I fear none of these," 89 says the blessed Apostle (for it is pleasing to use his words here), "nor do I count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God." 90 Let us brothers, according to the measure of faith given, think and speak the same, who rejoice in martyrdom for Christ, prepared for torments, and not having finished with dangers, let us not decline to be in danger again; but hearing, "Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven," 91 let us induce our minds to suffer and endure many things, that we may attain this happy entrance. And perhaps by God’s mercy nothing dire will happen; yet it is expedient to have established what you fear before the terror, that we may go forth into the battle line with excellence when the war is engaged; for a mind that is unprepared is easily defeated, one that does not enter into the conflict immediately girded. Now why do I mention terrors? The contest is daily, the battle is waged every day, not visible, but invisible, wounding and killing not the body, but the mind; let us therefore, girded with arms as excellent soldiers of Christ, fight alacritously and not sluggishly. No one who is sleeping raises a trophy, nor does one who is lying on his back gather the harvest; rather, there is great sweat and industry on both sides; and if it is so there, how much more so in our own war, where missiles like rays of lightning descend—on this side, raging wicked lust, on that, ambition, here envy, there blasphemy? And the arts of the devil are many, tempting the mind on every side to weaken it, and demanding to devour it, that one might burst forth from a life of despair into these words: Unless

the Lord had helped me, my soul had almost dwelt in hell, although in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us; certainly let us do worthily in God, so as to speak David-like, and He shall bring our enemies to nothing: for He is our peace who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition, having abolished enmities in His flesh, that is, who has trampled underfoot the conquered devil, having brought forth for us victory and the prize of victory, the heavenly kingdom promised, which may it befall all to attain through Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXVII. On the Fall of Brother Memnon. That we should not live as solitaries, in order to escape the pestilential harms which are contracted through the senses.

^A Brothers and Fathers, truly while I am anxious to exhort you from all sides, gathering occasions from here and there; then having heard that something unusual has happened in Bithynia, I shall begin my discourse from this. What has actually happened? They say that a leopard—not one, but two, and three—suddenly seen, not [that it has] disturbed the oxen, nor the sheep, nor any other animal at all, but humans only, so that the townspeople, terribly frightened, shut themselves up within their houses during the whole night, until the day dawns. Surely this is an indication of divine wrath. But I will say first to what end this speech of mine serves. For in truth there are within us very many, and indeed atrocious wild beasts, wicked spirits; ^B an atrocious beast is lust, it is fury, envy, the desire for vainglory, and whatever other wicked crimes there are, which capture the soul with no nocturnal, but rather daily audacity, and attack it frequently. As the blessed apostle Peter declares in these words: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour; and again let holy David, as one praying, write: Lest he snatch away my soul like a lion, while there is none to redeem, nor to save. Now what is to be done in these [trials]? What else, than to be established in the protection of the heavenly God, and to resist within the errors of the senses? For when the eyes hang wandering and raised high, they admit pestilential tales, the mouth speaks unspeakable things, the mind wanders in foul things: then indeed the soul, like one traveling through wastelands, which are held by no divine care, succumbs to wild beasts. ^C This, therefore, the wretched Memnon has also suffered now, becoming a prey to the devil, whose bloody garment I do not gaze upon—as once the patriarch Jacob [gazed upon] that of his own son Joseph—but rather his mind [is seen] destroyed by the sword of sin. For sin is the parent of death: this rendered Adam, our predecessor, immortal by grace, mortal; this brought destruction by the flood upon the world; this burned Sodom and Gomorrah, and neighboring cities; this now also delivers whosoever conceives it to eternal death. Which things let us flee, brothers, as fire, and would that rather [we had chosen] fire, iron, beasts, than lethal vices.

But come now, whence did this wretched man fall? From nowhere else than because he lived as a solitary; for truth does not deceive, chanting: Woe to him who is alone, for if he falls, he has not one to lift him up. And indeed, having feared this, I did not omit to declare to him, as to the others, what I declare in the present also: ^D that no one should live alone, nor should he desire to go out, nor wander idly hither and thither, nor associate with women, lest love, like fire, be kindled from this. He who hears and obeys this word, and follows it, is preserved in the Lord; he who rejects it, captured by the devil, perishes. Truly, although I am guiltless of his blood, as I am conscious, and indeed I did not hide it, but rather proclaimed the imminent sword, yet I cannot but lament, and groan as for my own member. Nay, I have, beloved, something to accuse you of also; why so? It is written in the Acts of the Apostles: It came to pass as it were the space of three hours, and Sapphira his wife did not know what had been done. Certainly, the story was done in public, and before a frequent crowd of the common people. But there was indeed, to be sure, circumspection, trouble, and reverence for God; here, when I spoke to you privately on some things in these last days, the discourse was immediately dissipated, thence to Constantinople, hence as far as Prusa. So that for me indeed counsels are pressed into a strait, whether I speak, or do not speak, because those things are carried abroad which it least behooves to be vulgarized; not speaking, because I stick at what to do rightly, having no one to consult. Are we so foolish, brothers? Do we in such an intemperate way rush into danger by the power of the tongue? By no means is this of true disciples, but of enemies. Let us not be so foolish, I pray, but let circumspection henceforth, trouble, reverence for God, and finally a rule be applied, so that, having finished life according to the will of God, pleasing Him, we may enter into the inheritance of eternal goods through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXVIII. On the constancy to be maintained in confession and obedience, and that individual duties should be managed with accurate exertion and vigilant care.

Brothers and Fathers, some are delighted in telling of these things, others of those, and they show themselves off: the soldier in wars, the sailor in maritime affairs, the farmer in rustic things, and each has followed separate arts and sciences, in those things that contribute to each; nor is there, in short, anyone who is not captivated by his own studies. Ours, surely, are not placed in these trifles, and urbanity, since our [affairs] are not carnal, but of the salvation of the soul, of pleasing God, of our departure from here, of the future restoration, and as the Apostle speaks, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are august, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, these are our stories, these

studies are, and what could be at once more festive and more blessed? ^A That this is so, you may see from the end of both, for as they are dissolved by the end of this age in their origin, so also in their end. (For where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Who has remained famous in life for human offices, so that he has not perished together with the sound of all?) Our entry and end is indissoluble and perennial. Indeed, virtue makes those who embrace it gods, even if this statement of it is true: *I have said, you are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High* [Ps. 81:6]. To whom we are indebted for such a benefit: to whose grace we owe such abundance! So that we ought to offer up, as jubilant men, serious praises to God the Saviour, and to celebrate with frequent hymns those whom He long ago chose for salvation, endued with holiness in mind, and whom He appointed to seek glory through this habit for our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us stand firm in the faith, brethren; let us hold to an unbroken confession; let us preserve genuine obedience; let us guard our virginity unharmed; let us have as our one love and bridegroom Christ, the most beautiful of the race of men, and as our one inheritance, the heavenly kingdom and the goods of the Jerusalem above; but as for flesh, blood, riches, glory, and whatever else is vain, let them be of no value, and let them depart from us as far as possible. For indeed, as long as we are in this flesh, the war is at hand; for there would be no virtue if the war were not present. But if thoughts happen to be besieged, let us not marvel, provided we repent more quickly, fearing one thing—that sin, as something death-dealing, might be exercised—and let us repel thoughts with thoughts and exchange studies for studies. But let us not grow sluggish here, after the demon acts to compare us to the slothful by the length of the war so that we may grow weary with exertion; if we stand against him by enduring and resisting the devil, we shall behold the victory prepared in the heavens as a laurel, as the kinsman of God confirms: *Blessed is he who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him* [Jac. 1:12]. ^B Furthermore, rejoice in the Lord, brethren. You who perform your duties know well that a reward is sought from them; you who exercise disciplines, take care that you do not provoke God by them. Is it time for labor? Let us perform our labors. Is it a time of leisure? Let us perform our discipline. But if a brother is at work, and you are [at your] discipline, you do not act as a friend, but rather show yourself a stranger to your brothers. Will you not listen to the Apostle saying, *If food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble* [1 Cor. 8:12]? You do not merely cause a brother to stumble, but you even remain agitated, seeking causes and pretexts, and not reflecting that you are heaping up punishment for yourself for the day of retribution and the coming of the just judgment of God. But let us obey the Apostle commanding that this not happen: *Let all things be done decently and in order* [1 Cor. 14:40], labors in the first place, disciplines in the second. And thus let us help one another, as befits saints, and spend our lives for one another as brothers born of the same blood, so that when God is glorified, we too may be well provided for with eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom is glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXIX

^C Who would seek God through the performance of divine precepts, and yet in no way be dismayed at the approach of death by the coming of demons, and [would think] of the memory and love of death?

Brethren and Fathers, given the common death of all, and the expectation of the heavenly kingdom and the threats of the fire of Gehenna, is it right either for me to speak or for you either to yield or to be weary of listening? Not at all; rather, both must be done assiduously, and all the more as we behold the day approaching; for the final day hangs over every man in every age, and *a certain terrible expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries* [Heb. 10:27], as the holy Apostle speaks. So that we should not be sluggish henceforth, nor should even a small moment be spent slothfully and ignorantly, but rather let us watch intent, let us seek God, as it is in the Psalms, with a mind secure for the future. But how is God to be searched for? Surely by performing the commandments, the path prescribed for blessedness, by living with submission, humility, gentleness, purity of mind, peace, and holiness. ^D When he who is searching is found in the performance of these, he will have found God, and once found, at the time of departure, he will be secure, not dismayed by demons, nor trembling at the arrival of the angels; but having approached them as friends, he sets off joyfully to the Master, bearing a good conscience as an excellent provision for the journey; but he who has in no way prepared himself thus, must of necessity fall into inextricable calamities; having nowhere to look, nor anyone to defend him. Here, indeed, one who falls into the hands of executioners, for example, or a barbarian sea, or shaking ground, or some other deadly necessity, does not lose hope that he might escape; there every hope of salvation is snatched away, with no one to bring aid or to defend, no angel, no man, no father, no mother, no brother, no friend, no one else among all, and with great trembling and inconsolable grief contracted, the miserable soul departs from here. And though this description is made in terrible terms, it does not reach the truth of the thing, namely, that the things God has prepared for those who love Him and for the refractory—things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of any mortal—are of this sort. Therefore, brethren, I exhort you that the unforgotten memory of death be stirred up, and that the desire for the pleasures of the soul be uprooted, with these earthy members mortified: for why do we have an inclination for the flesh, from which we can reap no fruit, but rather be tormented, as all sin is mutable? Let us look, if it seems good, into the tombs, about to see the corruption we desire, for such is mortality in every way, which, starting from corruption, ends in corruption, and all the glory of man is as a flower of the field: [for] virtue

remains untorn. Embracing those holy ones, it desires the spirits which are in heaven, and the bodies sanctified on earth, having wrought miracles, signs, and wonders. And truly, since the discourse has fallen upon miracles, miracles are ^A performed even now, as we hear, nor is it a marvel, since the Spirit, which was then active, does not suffer its grace to be idle even now; but one must not be credulous toward rumors, since this sentence exists: "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God." For indeed, as many prophets have come into the world, so have many heretics been allowed, who, having distorted divine things—both long ago and now—have found ways by providential design to perform signs and wonders, so that there be no necessity to be moved or led away from here, but rather that true disciples might be put to the test, according to the mark provided by the Lord. What is that mark? "In this," He says, "shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Whence the Apostle, having been instructed, writes in these words: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal; and if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing; and if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Do you see to what height charity ascends? That it is the queen excelling all the gifts of the Spirit? Which can never be lost, even when ^B miracles have at last passed away, after the Lord says in the Gospels: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." How horrible, by Hercules, is that judgment and most bitter sentence! Therefore, brothers, let us pursue charity, and with it its companions, faith and hope, as those who are more certain to be recognized as true disciples of the Lord than those who work miracles, and who are about to enter into the celestial kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXX.

Brothers and Fathers, the days of the hours, the weeks of the days, the months of the weeks, the years of the months glide away, and the time running toward the supreme day of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ urges onward those who are mixed together, before whose eyes all things are naked and open, as it is in the Scriptures; nor is there any longer a reason why mortals should toil pointlessly, let the king trust in gold and cohorts, let the powerful man sell his furniture and cattle, let the ^C miser, remaining in the pools of pleasure, set his hope on uncertain riches, since things are such that one must lament daily and mourn, and the spirit must be purified with all one’s might before the judgment of death is sought, by which we may avoid the punishments that hang over the refractory. For these indeed, to speak with Scripture, "Whatever things they know not, they blaspheme; but whatever things they know naturally, as brute beasts, in these they are corrupted. Woe unto them," it says, "for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." But I fear lest this condemning sentence, of illustrious names, should attack us also; for when one struggles for fraternal inheritance, having undertaken long journeys, and another is solicitous to increase his pittance, and another, greedily and unworthily for a monk, insists on buying this and that, is it not the case that they deserve the same punishments? They have, indeed, wherewith to defend themselves, even if coldly, that they procure wives and children; but for us, who being crucified to the world have only the cross as our treasure, what purgation is left, lest we be punished more severely for these things? Since it is written: "The mighty shall be mightily tormented;" and: "A most severe judgment shall be for them that bear rule;" and again: "To whom much has been entrusted, of him they will demand more." Come now, most senseless of mortals, are you so given to trifles that you seek for false things, and for the sake of patronage to your crimes do you allege causes, non-causes, and exiles? Look upon ^D ancient generations, and see, say the Scriptures, who has hoped in the Lord, and was confounded? Or who has remained in His fear, and was forsaken by Him? Was not Abraham, by God's command, an exile from his country, yet made the father of many nations? Did not Jacob the patriarch, instructed only by a staff, depart into Mesopotamia and return wealthy? Was not Joseph, sold and led away into Egypt, saved by the King? Was not the prophet Elias, driven out by Jezebel, fed by a raven, with a leather cloak carried about? Did not the apostles, naked and unarmed, having set out for the proclamation, conquer the world? Did not you yourselves, attacked in previous years in your head and fortunes, prove certain covenants? Whence then this wickedness, and what is this folly? Truly, as it seems, like the ancient Israelites, we have forgotten the benefits of God and tempt Christ, as some of them tempted Him. But what is said of them? "Forty years was I offended with this generation, and I said: These always err in heart; and they have not known my ways: so I sware in my wrath: If they shall enter into my rest." See, brothers, that the same may not be said to us, who, ungrateful for the benefit, use present fortune more unjustly. Hence our feet are not allowed to rest; we insist on wandering here and there, hence judgments by turns, and the conflict of words, just as if we were strangers; hence we live alone, and not with a brother. But if with a brother, it is an imaginary one indeed, certainly, for how could you, having as a companion sweet avarice, with which you settle, keep a unanimous brother?

^A Not at all, by any means. But woe to them, as among the reprobate—for I am not speaking of you, my brothers, who are performing your divine duties here and there, but of those who live profligately and not according to the precept we have established—so that they may at last return to a fruitful life and walk uprightly, let us pray, that no one may perish, but that we all may be kept safe through Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory and sovereign power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXXI. On the remembrance of death, and on a certain venerable deceased elder.

^B Brothers and Fathers, while there are many histories useful for stimulating the mind, none is considered as useful as the proclamation of death; for death is a mystery that is terrible to speak of and to contemplate. And so, now that a venerable elder has deceased, it is necessary to recount a few things about him for our common benefit. Indeed, that he served God from his youth into deep old age in the monastic life is a brilliant eulogy for an old man; furthermore, that he is illustrious among the confessors, who, having been seized by the impious Leo, endured torments to the point of satiety, and with his whole back and breast slashed with three hundred strips of hide, and his face bruised with fists and blows so that even two teeth fell out. At length, some years later, being brought out of prison and set free, according to his former custom (for he had been a stylite), he hid himself again in his cell, and having finished his course through many miseries and straits, he rendered back his soul, so that, had he involved himself in the wickedness of an impious man, it would have been to no purpose, but as an athlete he truly proceeded to God wearing a laurel. But as for us, brothers, what shall we do and what shall we think? For how long shall we survive, for a long time or a short one? Does anyone know what tomorrow will bring forth? ^C Truly, death is enough and more than enough of a reminder, since what we have seen in our brother will happen to us not long after, when the name transcends the goal of death. Therefore, let us never forget death, lest we be oppressed for eternity; nor let us love the present age, lest we be at enmity with God, since it is written: *Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world is constituted an enemy of God.* I say that it haunts you, that the custom of the world does not permit the mind to be led by the study of the departure from the body. For just as the Israelites strove, they who, having been snatched from Egyptian servitude, were to enter the promised land, so we must also strive, so that, having departed from a certain servitude of the body, which is consumed by corruption, we may penetrate deeper within the veil, where Jesus entered as a forerunner for us, that is, into the goods of the heavenly Jerusalem. Therefore, let us still abhor the trifles of the world, let us greedily gather virtues, let us purchase divine riches, prayers, tears, purity, brightness, and innocence, which are the provisions for a life of eternity; as for other food, drink, clothing, and whatever else is necessary for the body, let us embrace them only insofar as they serve life and ^D the function of God's precept. If we fulfill this course of study, let us spend our days in joy, and fearless of death, and even if a thousand tortures are applied, let them not drown a secure conscience; but if we live as the wicked, envious, stubborn, and imbued with other crimes, alas, what deceptions and mockery! Certainly, that daily death is a judgment before the judgment, but then death will come upon us as a roaring lion or a mad bear. Now, since a miserable mind might invite eternal destruction, this sentence indeed stands: *If judgment is first from us, what is the end of those who do not believe in the Gospel of God? And if the just man will scarcely be saved, where will the impious and the sinner appear?* Therefore, most dear brothers, let us stand firm and immovable, anxious at all times, constantly busy in the divine work, for certainly that labor of ours is by no means in vain in the Lord. Regarding Brother Socrates, you know how he came from the East, excusing his tardiness by the necessity of proving his obedience. We wished to detain him here, as a brother of proven merit; but since it is written: *Blessed is he who has seed in Sion, and kinsmen in Jerusalem,* we allowed him to return again, through whom we might prepare mercy, even though there is cause for us to rejoice, brothers, that he was appointed by the most holy patriarch as one of the assembly and our republic, who might officiate in the priesthood and economy in the mother of the Churches. As for the rest, may the holy God preserve both him and us, and fill us with every beneficial will, and with the most powerful propagation of the faith, illuminating through us the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and granting to us through him, according to the grace of God, finally our Jesus Christ: to whom be glory and sovereign power, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXXII. On serving God bravely and constantly, and on the diligent fulfillment of the monastic course.

Brothers and Fathers, it is an excellent zeal to gather from the vigil to hear the sermon, and to go from strength to strength; for although the discourse does not provide us with an equal amount of speaking, yet, since it is frequented according to the example of the holy Fathers, it is not without purpose, or rather it is most useful. Indeed, the Fathers labored in sermon and doctrine, imitating the blessed Apostle, whose words in the Acts are these: *For three years, night and day, I did not cease, with tears admonishing every one of you;* and the same elsewhere: *Let the presbyters who rule well be held worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and doctrine;* for Scripture says: *You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain; and The laborer is worthy of his hire.* Do you see how necessary doctrine is? For just as plants require a source of water to produce fruits, so disciples require the master's voice to exercise virtue, and as they wither if not irrigated, so these also languish if not taught. For this reason, I am indeed incited to warn and exhort, and sometimes to refute and rebuke,

^A if I can preserve you with me—and you, brothers, being strong in the Lord and having gathered mighty strength—clothe yourselves in the divine armor, so that you may be able to resist the deceits of the devil, who certainly does not sleep, but keeps vigil against us, and all the more because he sees our souls engaged in the struggle. Where he attacks (for he attacks by night and by day), let us stand courageous, let us run to Him who delivers from the death of sin, content with offering prayers—and not without fervent tears—and the enemy will quickly depart; for it is written in the Psalms: "Call upon me in the day of your tribulation, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." Has the enemy inflicted a wound? But the Lord has healed it. Has he caused disturbance? But He commanded the sea, saying "Be silent!", and it was hushed; He calmed the fluctuating thoughts within us. And oh, the munificence! Barely has one begun to invoke Him when, benevolently and liberally forestalling the request, He bestows favors upon the one praying, and having dissipated a certain cloud of sadness, He fills the mind with light as it enters into noble thoughts of the soul. And what, indeed, would He not do? For He who offered Himself to death for our sake, and even to the cross—who can He not bestow all things with Himself? Therefore, brothers, we must persevere in serving Him courageously, recalling ourselves from falls, and running the course of the monastic life with intensity, certain of the crowns laid up at the end of the contest. Therefore, let us use frequent confession, for confession is a bridle against sin; let us use submission, by which we break the fiery darts of the malignant; let us use faith, without which it is a sin to please God. Perhaps we marvel, and even wonder to an extraordinary degree, how we are caught by base thoughts, however much we may struggle, but we suffer this truly because of the transgression in Adam, for, he says, "Death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam." And the plague and contagion of lust has penetrated deep into our nature, which—even though it returned to its original state, having been healed in the washing of regeneration at Christ’s coming and the restoration of the Holy Spirit—yet, having once contracted the sickness of corruption, it easily falls into lust through negligence. Truly, those saints escaped, having tempered their soul’s vision, as it were, with reverence and divine love; and they, while sufficient for their own defense, would reach out a hand to others, put demons to flight, and perform infinite miracles—from whose life, although we are far removed, we must certainly strive to imitate them as much as is possible, with God mercifully accepting our humble offering just as He does their glorious deeds, and being about to grant His kingdom to both through Christ our Lord; to whom be glory and empire with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon CXXIII. On traveling the spiritual road with diligence, on turning away from the delights of this life, and on the blessedness of our dwelling place.

Brothers and Fathers, travelers are accustomed to urge one another ^B along, and to rouse those who are embarking on a journey; they do not bend to the right or to the left, but walk the royal road, and take moderate food, drink, and sleep, so that by the temperance of their diet the hardships of the journey may appear lighter. Why this preamble for me? Clearly, I grasp it through you, for we are indeed travelers in this life, and having entered upon a journey full of a thousand labors, it is right that we should exhort and animate one another in the contests, and by no means wander off aimlessly—being temperate in food, drink, and sleep, lest being burdened by these we become sluggish for the journey; also by turning away from the delights of life here, so that travelers may by no means turn hither and thither, to the right or to the left, but, pressing only on the path, may look toward the inn for which they are hastening. And we are fortunate in our inn, or rather our happy mansion, which is not temporal but eternal, and is set not on fragile, but on immortal ground, where joy, peace, and triumph are celebrated—concerning which are these words of the Lord in the Gospels: "In the house of my Father there are many mansions; if there were not, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place, I come again, and I will take you to myself, that where I am, you also may be. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Do you see the huge and incomparable promise? Who would not arise then? Who would not rush? Who would notavidly invade those everlasting tabernacles? Inflamed with the desire for which David sang: "How beloved are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord." For indeed, pleasant are those tabernacles, and we pass through here as if we were certain residents for a little while, ^C as long as life lasts, after which this whole age, for a fleeting moment, is led toward the future. So that there is nothing for which we should continue to be familiar with the world, or pine for present things, or be carried away—I will not say by this or that pursuit, but not even by the heaven, the earth, the sea, the moon, the sun, the stars, and whatever other things are visible—for why do we cling in vain to those things that we shall soon abandon? "One thing have I asked of the Lord," he says, "this I will seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may see the pleasure of the Lord and visit his holy temple." He who has reached this, surely he is delivered from that wretched day of which the prophet says: "Why do you seek the day of the Lord? It is indeed darkness and not light." Moreover, the blessed Apostle also calls it the day of wrath, writing to this effect: "You store up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, and revelation and the just judgment of God, who will render to everyone according to his works." And so that I may propose a certain likeness of that wretched day by the example of things that befall us, let us recall to memory, if you please, a man already brought to this state, who was being strangled, tormented by a demon, burning and seething in his soul, and crying out by day and night, keeping no state or rest. Do you consider this a light punishment for a man? Not at all. Since this is to come in a dream, brothers, how shall we endure that inextinguishable fire, the undying worm, and a thousand other eternal torments?

^A Why, then, are we troubled and tossed, and why do we fear shipwreck? Why do we not enjoy a tranquil peace, but instead kindle a cruel destruction upon ourselves? Do we not invite madness, we who depart from the harbor into the tempest, that we might be drowned by the waves? Indeed, we are to be considered far less sane than those who rush of their own accord into the tempest of vices. Pray, what storms are not stirred up by the impotent desire breathing in the soul? Does it not suffocate and submerge those it impels here and there? Does not envy likewise corrupt the mind, wounding both soul and body? Does not stubbornness cast a shadow over the intellect, making it relaxed and worn out? In short, do not these things individually remove mortals from the nature of their station and fashion them into brutes? Therefore, let us flee further, my brothers, let us flee these pestilential vices, lest this sentence of God be spoken against us: *My spirit shall not dwell in these, for they are flesh.* ^B Yet he did not speak of "flesh" in a universal sense (for God the Word also became flesh), but of that carnal disposition, which, fixed on foul lusts like a beast, in no way directs its appetite toward God. To consecrate ourselves to God the Most High—as this saying requires: *Your conversation is in heaven*—let us hear instead: *You are not of this world, just as I am not of this world*; for what is more blessed than this, not only regarding the coming age, but also the present, we who, being surely alien to foul lusts, are not ruled by the flesh but are led by the spirit? This is blessedness, this is sweetness, this is happiness, this is the angelic life, and he who is such, in the midst of the world, possesses a certain likeness of life, venerable even to those wearing crowns, an arbiter of the world, a master satiated with divine images, prepared for departure, and unterrified by death. ^C Let us too, brothers, strive to escape with all our might (for it is lawful, if we firmly will it), and having become such, we shall both spend this whole life joyfully, however many and how great soever the bitter things that fall upon the flesh, and in the future age we shall inherit the heavenly kingdom, enjoying eternal goods with all the saints, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and imperium with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXXV.

On obedience, and that we should be animated with faith and a pure mind in the fulfilling of all duties.

Fratres Patresque, assuredly I feared the judgment of him who hid his talent in the earth, to whom the Lord says: *You wicked and lazy servant, you ought to have surrendered my money to the bankers, and having come, I would have received my own with usury*, and necessarily I discourse on these segments of the words. But it is your task, who are certain excellent bankers, to bring into work the sermon, which, by the grace of God, you have indeed brought forth—by Hercules!—and are bringing forth, by your notable obedience. Although there are some among you who ^D do not—

Oration CXXV.

but also almost squander what they possess. ^A And who might these be? They are those who refuse the ministries, and put forward as an excuse the plea, "Forgive me," instead of some rightful justification. What are you saying, brother? You engaged yourself to be obedient even until death, and now you refuse the ministry for which you are well-fitted by the grace of God? But someone says, "I am afraid to cross the sea." This is from a lack of faith, fearing there a fear where there is no fear; for if you were trusting in obedience, you would not only cross the sea, but even go naked in body upon the water, imitating that illustrious subordinate who, relying on a paternal commandment, did not fear to cross that dreaded river, but having crossed it, remained unharmed, so as to astonish those who were looking on. ^B Therefore, obedience knows how to subdue even wild beasts; and a witness to this word is he who bound the hyena by a father's command. Obedience works wonders even among the dead; and this was taught by Acacius, who spoke from the tomb. And why do I say this or that? The only-begotten Son of God Himself, having become obedient even unto death, even the death of the cross, accomplished the saving dispensation of the world. And such are the achievements of obedience. But do you wish to learn the crimes of disobedience? Consider Adam, who, because he listened to the forbidden eating from God, brought death into the world. Consider Saul, and you will find that he too disobeyed the holy Samuel, and at once cast away both his kingdom and his life upon Mount Gilboa. ^C Consider also, in addition to these, that man of God who, having fallen into the crime of disobedience through the deception of a false prophet, is delivered to be devoured by a lion. What then of Peter, that blessed apostle? Did he not, through reverence, refuse to be washed by the Lord, and hear: "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me"? What then of him who, in the holy [monastery of] Euthymius, declined the shepherd’s ministry for what he believed were reasonable excuses—did he not immediately contract a foaming demon? This is the judgment for refusing an assigned ministry; for every disobedient subordinate provokes talk, and God justly sends him a cruel spirit. Indeed, to speak once for all: we are many, [but] one body, and we are individual members of one another; one occupies the place of an eye, another of an ear, another of a nose, another of a tongue, another of a hand, another of a foot. ^D If, therefore, the members do not exercise their own proper functions, but the eye strives to hear, and the ear to smell, and the nose to speak, and the tongue to handle, and the hand to walk, will not the whole body be ruined and perish? Since, therefore, these things are so, each one...

^A should fulfill his own ministry; and the gift which he has received from God, let him turn to the common benefit, considering that our affairs are in the hand of God, and that whether one sails upon the sea, or dwells upon the dry land, there is dying to be done there. But as our good God determined before the foundation of the world, both the time, the place, and the manner of each person’s end shall come to pass. And I have gone through these things, not so much for those who are the subject of my speech—for they have already accepted them through obedience—but for the sake of all who hear, that we may take heed securely, and that the promises which we have made under the witness of God and the elect angels, we may clearly fulfill; and not to shrink back, even if that which is enjoined should be deadly. For so the Fathers command, and before all, the great Basil, and thus living, we shall not die to sin, but shall live to righteousness, and obtain the kingdom of heaven; in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMON CXXVI

That those who have received genuine obedience and withdrawal ought to embrace the release of the body with alacrity, having been crucified to the world.

Let us believe, as we are taught by the divine Anthony, in the method of life to be entered upon, so that we be neither dissolute, nor stubborn, nor sluggish, nor idle, nor obstinate, nor insubordinate, nor undisciplined, nor ridiculous; but rather obedient, ready, quick to be moved, vivacious, gentle, placid, sincere, without offense, dedicated to every honorable thing, just like the saints who inherit the promised goods after this life is finished. And I have said these things, not for you alone, but to fortify myself as well, so that having departed with this preparation at the end, we may speak these Davidic words, being dauntless and unafraid: "Turn, O my soul, to thy rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee(Ps. cxiv, 7);" and: "I shall please the Lord in the land of the living(Ps. cxiv, 9);" which may we all attain through the liberality and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMON CXXVII

To resist with fortitude and courage the dangers that arise from human sources.

Brothers and Fathers, I have lain down for a little while in the present, although struck in spirit, believing that I would depart from you. But why should I desire a longer life? Or for how long a time shall I, a wretch, survive? You see how old age presses, and with my contemporaries having passed away, my turn to depart is imminent. What then? Should we grieve at this? Not at all. Let them grieve if they wish, who live according to the flesh, having to leave behind wives, children, boys, servants, estates, money, and whatever other worldly concerns ^C there are, by which they are caught; but as for us, to whom the world is crucified and only the cross remains, it is necessary that we possess the secret of death, not as a mournful thing, but as a joyful one, on account of our genuine obedience and withdrawal. And why do I speak of us? This release is to be embraced by all Christians, even more, since before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, death possessed power over men because of the transgression in Adam, and it was cruel and terrible even to the saints; but Christ, the life of all, has come, and for the sake of all has tasted of death(Hebr. 11, 9), initiating for us a new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh, as it is written(Hebr. x, 20). And thus, death is swallowed up in victory, and we are no longer carried down into the kingdom of the underworld, but are lifted up into the heavenly kingdom; nor do we sleep in darkness and in shadowy death, but we go forth into the immortal light and a certain secure and harmless age, which God promised to those who love Him. So that there is nothing for which we should flee departure, for it is something to be embraced willingly and above all, and all the more so, the more prepared we are with the soul’s equipment. For it is a miserable thing, brothers, to call back past time at the end, and to ask for days of living for the sake of gaining virtue; it is, I say, a miserable and wretched thing. Indeed, he who is caught in such a state, he is necessarily exceedingly troubled and afflicted, he who departs from the body not for the prize of the contests, but for the punishments of his crimes, with terrible spectacles meeting him. That we may not suffer this, I ask and admonish you: be ever ready for the end, all the highest preparations of life [continuing...].

^A as a helper and fellow-soldier in perils, being held fast. "Take courage," says the Lord, "I have overcome the world," therefore let us also have courage, certain that we shall attain victor, along with Him to whom is due all glory, honor, and worship, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto all eternity. Amen.

Sermon CXXVIII. On obedience, and the breaking of the will.

Brethren and Fathers, when a discourse on virtue, catechetical in nature, beats down the defects, then it heals again; for this very thing—to grieve over the deficiency of them that ought to be undergoing restoration—is what secretly arises in our souls as that sorrow which is according to God, as the Apostle says, working repentance unto salvation, which is not to be repented of. But let us consider, if you please, in what matters those things are situated which sadden us. Is it because impure thoughts weigh upon us, which like enemies severely attack the mind? For it is written: "If camps should stand against me, my heart shall not fear; if war should rise up against me, in this I will hope." Or is it because the yoke of obedience is heavy? But this statement also exists again: "It is good for a man to have borne the yoke from his youth, who will serve God alone and together." And again: "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Or is it because obedience has nothing of its own? Yet this, too, is apostolic: "For behold," he says, "we have left all, and followed thee; what then shall be for us?" And the promise—good heavens!—how venerable and illustrious! ^B For as for you, having left all things equally, has one deserted parents, another brothers, another wife and children, another houses, another fields—all of you, in a way superior to everyone, yielding the will? Because this is difficult among the foremost of men; for indeed, whether you speak of prescribed fasting, or of vigil, or of sleeplessness, or of not bathing, or of solitude, or of any other divine pursuit, they are carried out by the exercise of a free will; for that which is performed by free will, however naturally heavy it may be, is indeed performed lightly by the will. But the breaking of the will, however light it may appear, is nonetheless accomplished with difficulty. And this deed, the holy Fathers have considered to be such a cutting-off—falling to none other ^C than one subject to fear, of a ruler of good works, but of the evil ^D of a helper and fellow-soldier in perils, which are brought together, let us hold fast. "Not without reason does he bear the sword, an avenger to him who does evil," just as he is a helper to the good; moreover, the holy apostles, since they have the authority of divine dogmas, proceeding from the Spirit, both to proscribe and to loose, since these are the Lord's words to them: "Receive the Holy Ghost: whose sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; and whose ye retain, they are retained." And again: "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." But it is certain that, as it was said to them, so it has been likewise decreed in turn for their successors down to this day, so that to take up a magistrate's judge-seat among them is nothing else than to annul the power given to the apostles by the Spirit. Now, as to those who reach the arduous decrees of truth, being perfected in the perfection of life, does not the Apostle write: "We speak wisdom among those who are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are destroyed, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which is hidden, which God predestined before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this world knew: for if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory." Do you see the glorious Lord acting as a magistrate on the cross? As it is now also; if a magistrate's tribunal is given to His august image, we should not be wrong to say again that a certain Judaism and the tribunal of Pilate are being agitated. Moreover, to shun coming into an assembly with the impious is also a divine decree; for He says: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine." Consequently, the divine Apostle commands: "Not to contend in words, to no profit, for the subversion of the hearers." And the God-bearer Ignatius does not differ, writing in this sense: "I forewarn you of the man-formed beasts, the heretics, whom you ought not only not admit, but not even encounter if you can." And individual saints, that I may not make a long catechesis, bear witness to the same. Since these things are thus decreed, how can we dare to violate sacred teachings in any controversy whatsoever? In no way, not even if death hangs over us. So that we must necessarily decline, brothers, not because the discourse lacks truth: for indeed, according to the precept by which we are commanded to stabilize the word of faith, we are prepared for an apology to the rulers who wish it, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who girds the weak with strength and provides eloquence even to the mute. And this is that story which is tossed about by rumors. But you, courageous and firm in spirit, do not allow yourselves to be terrified by adversaries; but rather, like certain soldiers of Christ, clothed in the armor of faith, stand stable and immovable. Indeed, a soldier who is experienced in wars and has a conqueror as his leader does not know how to fear; but rather he provides courage and brings his banners, where we ought to be all the more animated, we who have the arbiter of the heavenly armies and the monarch of the whole universe, who can say with the Apostle: "I live now not I, but Christ liveth in me;" for he who in no way lives by his own desire, but as one sequestered, lives by the will of the ruler, lives for God. Indeed, he imitates Him who said: "I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me, of the Father." Do you see what the height of this institution is? Is it not to be a follower of Christ, is it not apostolic? Nor do I flatter, but truth bears testimony to that tested sentiment. But if men do not weave encomiums for the departed, no glory from this comes to them

^A For God does not see as mortals see, and the judgment of God is one thing, and the judgment of men is another; and one who appears ignoble to those who seem illustrious will be seen as more honorable on the day of reward: for it is written: "The last shall be first, and the first last." Therefore, rejoice and tremble, partly for the benefit of God, and partly for the conversion of the heart, because we do not remain the same forever. And to speak apostolically: "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works," that we may not grow weary in the will that must be broken—in which all our prayer turns—nor be dissolved in fulfilling our duties, but rather be strengthened by readiness, bearing one another's burdens, as confreres, as like-minded, as fellow-members of the body. By engaging in this struggle daily and completing our course, I do not doubt that you shall win the crown of glory that does not fade, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXXIX

That one must contend with care against invisible enemies, and avoid the company of heretics.

Brothers and Fathers, indeed our power of exhortation is short, and in both matter and speech it is feeble, yet it is necessary to exhort you and to rouse you from your souls to the best of your ability. For if those running in the stadium desire the acclamation of those following, and those contending in battles need the exhortations of their fellow soldiers, how much more is it necessary for you, who have entered into war with invisible enemies, as if anointed with the spurs of words, so to speak, to gird yourselves seriously in your souls, you who fight a struggle not for a little day, but for the entire duration of a life passed, so that having obtained the illustrious laurel of immortality for the victors, you may avoid the infamy of eternal shame? But let us not allow this, brothers, nor be frustrated in our expectation, but with persistent care and stubborn struggle, with God as our leader, let us contend for victory; for you do not ignore how those who fight carnally are all aroused. They say that their faces change, and one appears different from another, by reason of the serious fury and presence of mind, so that at that time they remember neither wives, nor children, nor parents, nor brothers, nor anyone else at all, being ready for war in mind, in spirit, and in body. In the same way, we also, according to the inner man, must not be held by any terror of the enemy, but must be sharpened by readiness and burn in spirit, as excellent Christian soldiers. And when you see these enemies, they will yield to the attack; but if they see [some] fearful and broken, then they bend their bow, and with impure thoughts, as if with certain arrows, they lacerate the mind. Although even then one must not despair, but rather, having recovered health through repentance, one must fight again, and that perpetually, for such a war is hateful that pertains to the kingdoms of the earth.

^B And if it pleases you, with the eyes of the mind lifted up, behold, you who are reckless, this whole universe that lies open under heaven, full of such slaughter: for the dragon does not only drive the irreligious and heretics, and those given to debauchery and adultery, and those who commit such flagrant sins, to the sword; but he also gathers together those who are not strangers to these [sins] and who enter into society with them, if this saying is true: "He who touches pitch shall be defiled, and he who communicates with a proud man shall become like him." Truly we are accused in the present time, we who have forbidden someone who claims to be orthodox, but who is perpetually consorting with heresy, from being named with the orthodox in the sacred commemoration, and from being given and offered the sacred mysteries—for if, at the time of his departure, he had at least been beforehand in obtaining [the right] to hold the sacred [mysteries] through confession, it would certainly have been permissible to offer the oblation for him as an orthodox man; but now, having died in heretical custom, who can insert him into the orthodox communion?

^C Indeed, this is the sentiment of the Apostle: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, one body: for we all partake of one bread." Therefore, by parity of reasoning, the communion of bread and of the chalice of heretics belongs to the opposing parties, and he who enters into their society makes himself a body divorced from Christ, since "there is no society of light with darkness, nor participation of justice with injustice, nor part of the faithful with the infidel, nor concord of the temple of God with idols," as the same [Apostle] cries out elsewhere. So it must be mourned in them, and while one must pray even for those who are still alive, so that they may escape the snares of the devil, one must also rejoice for us, whom God has long since taken for safety, [those] endowed with holiness of soul and true faith, who, in guarding the orthodox religion, would serve it in the present confession, by which, having departed unblemished and entire, He may increase [us] in the heavenly kingdom through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and empire with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXXX

Concerning the remembrance of death, and virginity.

Brothers and Fathers, one time is ordained for one thing, and another for another (for there is the time of sowing, and another of harvest; another of peace, and another of war; another of gain, and another of holidays); no time is unsuitable for the salvation of the soul, and every day is convenient, if we wish. Therefore, let us be restless for honest things, swift, and new, bringing our words into action: for "Not the hearers," he says, "of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Indeed, whether a war is being waged that escapes the sight of the eyes, one must fight bravely, and under God as leader, the diabolical thoughts that have sprung up must be overthrown, so that, if they linger, they may not demand death; or whether one is engaged in the spiritual harvest, one must spiritedly reap whatever is to be gathered into a certain granary as provisions for everlasting life, lest we be killed by eternal hunger. Indeed, it is a constant time for prayers, tears, recon-

reconciliation ^A of sins, and of taking hold of the heavenly kingdom, so that there is no reason why we should henceforth delay, be divided, and postpone our amendment from day to day. Does not the fashion of this world pass away? Do not innumerable people die every day? Do not the open graves, if I may so speak, lead the wretched human race in triumph? Does not the earth receive the kindred body? Are we to be perpetual [or are we to remain]? Do we not recall how many have departed from our community, to mention only this? Where are the fathers of old? Where are the spiritual and carnal brothers? Where are our fellow countrymen? Where are our companions? Where are our choir-fellows? For us, only their habits remain, empty and void of substance. But, it seems, we are forgetful of our pledges; if there is the death of a brother or a father in our hands, we at once return to our senses, we are pricked, we are aroused; but as soon as a little time has passed, there is a persistent oblivion of our pacts and incentives. But not so the holy men of God, who, in all their life, have prepared it by a certain meditation on death, daily dying, and (what is wondrous) living, daily being crucified to the world in an apostolic way, daily advancing in zeal toward God, living a life that is truly happy and to be loved. Do we not have the example ^B of the ten virgins? Behold, he says, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him 66. Therefore, the wise, with their shining lamps, meet him to penetrate into the bridal chamber, while the foolish, because of a lack of good works, cry out in these words: Lord, Lord, open to us 67; to whom he answers, saying: Amen, amen I say to you, I know you not 68, adding: Watch, because you know not that day, nor the hour 69. We must, therefore, be watchful, and the mind must be aroused, which, once alert, is to be pricked, purged, inflamed, and brightened, so that, lest death suddenly falling upon us, we be excluded, with no one to open and no help to come. Let us all together seriously anticipate, I say, preparing works for a departure friendly to God; let the lazy one awake, let the disobedient comply, let the proud yield, let the hard become soft, let the insolent stimulator of tears become one who confesses, let the slothful worker become one who executes all things, and let me add, by Hercules, let the lecherous become a restrainer. What is this word? Do not associate with women, nor linger over-long, from which the fire of disgrace is kindled, and [hear] the sentence of the sacred Scriptures: Can a man bind fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned, or walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned 70? The same applies to one who betakes himself to a woman—and a woman who is a virgin, or a monastic, or one who has bound herself to widowhood, whose bridegroom is the glorious God—is considered as such. And those wanderers who live from lust, seeking pretexts for their wickedness, are little mindful of the Lord’s command to pluck out the eye that scandalizes you 71, not to mention others who are differently disposed. To you, indeed, I have this to say: we who are strong must bear the weakness of the weak, and let an example of honesty be set before the perverse, so that, as you are by divine grace, so also may you be, by the benefit of God, preserved ^C and saved, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMON CXXXI

On our zeal, and on a life both divine and happy.

Brothers and Fathers, having used a different opening in my previous discourses, I now begin as an inquirer. And I ask indeed concerning the struggle of the monastic zeal that we are undertaking: what do you think, brothers? Are we holding fast to what we pursue, and are we enjoying immortal life, affected by the hope of salvation, or are we failing in our duty? Indeed, as far as is apparent, I do not think that you have fallen away even in the slightest from the rules, if I may so speak, which are the head of your salvation, and that you are preserved within, safe and without guile, so that I, for my part, might receive some benefit through you. Truly, let us both proclaim God, we who are in the better part, sitting as it were at the feet of Jesus, and listening to him as he speaks 72. Therefore, others are anxious and toil over many things—wives, children, estates, money; our only concern is to please the Lord; others serve an earthly Caesar, by whose commands they are forced, even to death, to serve; our militia is a voluntary one, of the best King Christ, with all liberty to obey his commands; with a certain honorary regimental [service] in an ^D unshakable kingdom, others undertake a long and arduous journey for the sake of fleeting and meager gain; for us, it is permitted to assemble in the divine temple in harmony, and day and night to take up the magnitude of God into our throats, not to earn gold here that passes away, but treasures intact and eternal. And if in this there is some trouble and contention, whether it be sensible or invisible (for it surely exists), for the sake of the divine Word, and the hope [of reward], it is most easy; for we who are upright in our straits rejoice in misfortunes; for this life is lived such that it may draw even the beloved to itself through adversities. Who does not cherish and embrace his parents? And yet, having left them for the sake of zeal for God, men are born into this [life] and devote themselves to it. What is more binding than marriage, after the sentence of the Lord that two are one body? Yet the evangelical sword commands the separated to come hither. Indeed, here the prince renounces his principality, the rich man esteems wealth as chaff, the poor man forgets his poverty, the widower casts off his widowhood, and I will add, the king, stripped of his purple, is joined to these. Such is the honor of the Christian body, and it is a certain public harbor of salvation. Now, at the death of a person, no grief or lamentation is stirred up, according to those who love life, but rather a burial of the deceased is composed, whom neither the wife should cry out for, nor the children wail, nor the relatives lament, recalling this and that, but let him be brought forth joyfully and carried out with good hope; and if there is need for tears, not even these are beyond what is right, because of the spiritual friendship of the one who has departed, after even the Lord wept over Lazarus 73, demonstrating his nature. What is more fortunate in every memory than this life, because for this reason an institution has been revealed that joins man to God, so that not without reason we may say with David: There the Lord commanded the blessing, life

^A even unto eternity (Ps. cxxxii, 5). Therefore, brethren, let us rejoice and congratulate one another, giving thanks again and again, and seriously loving the merciful God, who has called us from darkness into light, from ignominy into glory, and from filth into splendor; for you know the origin of each person, from what parents he was born, with whom he has associated, whose brother he is called, and whose company he uses. And indeed I say this even regarding those outside. These are certain approaches and beginnings of the future promises, for once the struggle that lies before us is completed and finished, and once we have contended with unwavering obedience, bringing forth certain fruits of obedience, as if in paradise, or ready for ministries, having performed everything with honesty and according to the prescribed laws and norms of the obedient, we shall finally attain those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of man (1 Cor. ii, 9), which have been prepared by God for those who love Him, all of which may we obtain through the liberality and benefit of our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO CXXXII. On the passing of brother Gregory, and that one must always be prepared for death.

Brethren and Fathers, reports of death are increasing, heard near and far in this time, especially concerning spiritual brothers and fathers; for truly, among others, brother Gregory has also left us, whose life is praiseworthy, and whose end is happy, as one who passed away in dangers for Christ. What, then, is to be done? Truly, it is necessary for all to depart from here, both small and great, both old and young, with one common decree of death for all, one destined to die sooner, another later. Therefore, let us seriously consider what we shall experience in soul once we have departed from the body. For what, pray, shall we say when we encounter the coming of the spirits, if we are not clothed in shining armor? With what shall we traverse that path, if we have not brought the provisions of eternal life? How shall we escape the prince of the world, of whom the Lord says: The prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me (John xiv, 30), if we are not free from servile vices? Blessed, He says, is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, that he shall set him over all his goods (Matt. xxiv, 46, 47). What a most desirable word! But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord delays his coming, and shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and shall eat and drink with drunkards, the lord of that servant shall come in the day that he hopes not, and the hour that he knows not, and shall divide him, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. xxiv, 48-51). Do we not fear that comparison? Do we not tremble at the threats to our bodies? Are these, forsooth, fables and empty speech? Indeed, the force of words does not reach the truth of those things signified, for that weeping is not like our weeping here, nor is that gnashing of teeth like this one; the difference is as great as that between dreams and reality, since the fire there is not extinguished, ^B and there the worm does not die, here it dies.

But who is clever and exquisite, who is discerning and attentive? Since one can look and not see, and hear and not understand, on account of the stupor of the soul and the mind's commerce with vices. Who possesses the mourning praised by the Lord, and daily purges himself from stains on all sides, neither postponing it until tomorrow? For sufficient, He says, is the evil of the day (Matt. vi, 34). Who, through zeal, combines constant zeal for God, and is freed from every lust, and can say with David: My soul has stuck close to thee: thy right hand has upheld me (Ps. lxii, 9)? O happy innocence! We must indeed be as the Holy Scriptures bid us, ardent in spirit, armed by faith, winged by hope, prepared for the end. Therefore I exhort and implore that we may die as if we were to die daily, urging ourselves with manly strength, certain that virtue is something violent which draws us upward to the heights, while vice draws us down to the depths; let us gather purifying tears, which the contrition of the heart and the submission of the mind beget, and let us prepare the holy angels as friends, who, by our living an innocent life ^C, may gently lead us to the Master at the time of our departure. And I discuss these things, not that I have achieved any good, but because I am eager to die along with you, since I am damned both if I speak and if I remain silent. And pursuing you with the love of God, that we may all happily share in the eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto all eternity. Amen.

SERMO CXXXIII. On salutary confession, and that one must share with others the benefit by which each is affected.

Brethren and Fathers, I desire to be silent, yet I am compelled to speak: the former that I might not sadden you, the latter by the burden of the command; for: Speak, He says, and do not be silent, because I am with thee (Acts xviii, 9); and although this was said by the Lord to the Apostle, yet speech is fitting for all who have been assigned to preside. Indeed, you too are the people of God and a holy nation, and I will add, a numerous one, if the whole commonwealth is to be considered. But why have I grieved for you these past days, and with sorrow that can least be borne? Truly, as it appears, there is no confession, and that is a huge and primary virtue. If I saw that you were made better by it, I would indeed rejoice, as if freed from troubles, since it is no small labor to cure the diseases of others; but now I consider the cause while observing that you act in the opposite way. Therefore, whence this license in you, I ask, and what is this indignity that arises from it? You who do not divulge, but rather cover the pestilential sores of your soul? Truly, the approach to sins is indeed within us, and like a hidden root is the wicked thought which, when made public, is put to flight by the mercy of God, but when kept hidden, gradually emerges into the work of darkness. Hence come interior slaughters, hence retreats, hence the pretexts of guile and ignorance. But, good man, even animals devoid of reason know by nature how to avoid harmful food, not to mention man, who, through the holy anointing, has been gifted with the knowledge of all good. Not even to the extent of the sentence of Scripture...

did God spare the original world? Nay, He preserved Noah, the herald of righteousness, as the eighth, while bringing a flood upon the world of the ungodly. Does not this hold true? Did He not, by overthrowing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and reducing them to ashes, condemn them, providing an example for those who were to act ungodlily? Finally, did you not heed the Apostle who so often cries out: "Do not err; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God?" Hearing these things, do you profess ignorance of evil? These are surely but pretexts. But what shall I do with their teachers, who, when they ought to exhort and warn, and confirm the disciple by their own example, bear an empty title, devoid of substance? For he who is a surveyor of the memory of all time and of the deeds of the holy Fathers, or, to speak more precisely, an onlooker in our republic as I have said—what sort of man did abbot Dorotheus make of blessed Gregory? What sort of man did abbot Arsenius make of the happy Thaddeus? What sort of man did abbot Lucianus make of the renowned Jacob? What sort of men did the others make—not to be long-winded—of the remainder? "To him who has," he says, "it shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has not, even that which he seems to have shall be taken away." Do you not fear the threats? Do you not dread Him whom the whole universe dreads? Therefore, I exhort and beseech you, that each one, according to the grace he has received, should fulfill his duty, doing everything as if under the divine gaze. Let no one henceforth be found lazy, slothful, or dissolute, nor unmastered by food and drink, from whence lusts are born, nor restless and a brawler, who disturbs the brotherhood. Do you dare at all to pick a fight with a layman with words and contend in wicked conversations? If so, you are not a monk, but a criminal; not a son of peace, but of wrath. And to talk like this to young men, who are not even worthy of whispering! Although we who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please ourselves, let each one of you please his neighbor for his good, for edification. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on me." Wherefore, let us also be reproached together with Christ, and for Christ, and let us strive to act in all things according to the model of life instituted by Him, so that, pleasing God, we may enter the heavenly kingdom, through Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all eternity. Amen.

Sermon 134

^A It is not to be wondered at that we are rebuked by the superior, and that the heavenly kingdom is to be entered through frequent hardships.

Fathers and brothers, this is the sentiment of sacred Scripture: "I love those who love me, and those who seek me shall find me," and it explains the sign of love in these words: "But he who loves, chastises earnestly." Indeed, regarding this established for you, I could not but repeat my previous catechesis, not that I might grieve you (to the extent of using that apostolic saying), but that you might know the love that I have more abundantly for you, who both sympathize with the afflicted and rejoice with the joyful. For to whom else should I look, or over whom should I grieve or rejoice, if not over you? Who are my brothers, children, fathers, friends, kinsmen, my love, my delight, my joy, my crown, and whatever other name of devotion and love one might utter. And I bear witness to you likewise that you do not depend on parents, brothers, kin, country, or any other conspicuous thing, but only on God, and after God on our humility, so that thanks are to be given to God who has bound us, loving and loved, embracing and embraced, one body and one mind, as we are called and summoned to one hope. For the rest, let us rejoice, and let us rejoice together, brothers, nor let us be bewildered that we are sometimes rebuked, but let us bear the discipline that grows from love and is for the common profit with gentleness. For it is written: "My son, do not neglect the discipline of the Lord, nor grow weary when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastises, and scourges every son whom He receives." Moreover, the Apostle says: "If you endure discipline, God offers Himself to you as to sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." Now, since wealth and power, and whatever else mortals covet, are not to be acquired without labor, is it not an indication of extreme madness to imagine that obtaining God and divine rewards is a simple and easy matter, and not one full of a thousand hardships and sweats? For indeed we hear: "Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven," and the way that leads to eternal life is narrow and afflicted. Wherefore, my friends, because we refused to cling to the joyful age which we might have enjoyed, and to the joy of old in the garden of delights, we ignorantly chose to fall into a calamitous and sad life. Nor do we return there otherwise than by being exercised in miseries, like our Lord Jesus Christ, who, for the joy that was set before Him, as it is said, "endured the cross, despising the shame." Although things that happen according to God seem bitter, when softened by the hope of eternal goods, they are not even bitter, and the present time to the saints was believed to be a kind of holiday, which the holy David testifies, saying: "Rejoice, you righteous, in the Lord," in declaring a continuous triumph. Hence the blessed Apostle, saying the same: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice." Which, even if they were said to those who were sorrowful and tearful and exercised by a certain struggle and variously punished for the sake of what is good, yet according to God, sadness is considered an occasion of joy for the righteous, so that we too, brothers, as if on holiday...