4. If no one accepts just a king, why do I say, a king? – if no one simply dares to touch the king's garment with unclean hands, even in a secret place, even in private, even if there is no one else, while the garment is nothing but the fabric of worms, and the dye with which you marvel is the blood of a dead fish, and yet no one dares to take it with unclean hands; If, I say, no one dares to touch human clothing simply, then how can we dare to receive with disrespect the Body of all God, the Body immaculate, pure, united to the divine nature, by which we exist and live, by which the gates of death are broken and the vaults of heaven are opened? No, I beseech you, let us not destroy ourselves with shamelessness, but let us approach Him with trembling and with all purity. When you see Him offered, then say to yourself: through this Body I am no longer earth and ashes, no longer a prisoner, but free; through it I hope to reach heaven and the blessings prepared there – immortal life, the lot of angels, union with Christ; death did not stand when this Body was nailed and wounded; the sun hid its rays, seeing this Body crucified; at that time the veil was torn, the stones were torn asunder, the whole earth was shaken; it is the same Body that was bloodied, pierced with a spear, and poured out the salvific fountains of blood and water to the whole universe. Do you still want to see his power? Ask the bleeding woman who did not touch it, but the garment in which it was clothed, and not even the whole garment, but the edge of it; ask the sea that carried him on its back; Ask the devil himself and say to him: Where did you get your incurable wound? "Why do you no longer have any power?" "How did you get captured?" – By whom are you restrained, when you gave yourself up to flight? – and he will point you to nothing else but the Body crucified. By him his sting has been blunted, by him his head has been broken, by him his principalities and powers have been put to shame: he has stripped away principalities and powers, thou hast brought them to shame with boldness, overcoming them in thyself (Col. 2:15). Ask also death, and say, With what hath thy sting been destroyed? - What ruined your victory? "What is your strength crushed by?" "Why hast thou become the laughingstock of maidens and youths, when before thou wast feared by all rulers, and even by the righteous?" – and it will point to the same Body. When it was crucified, then the dead arose, then that prison was destroyed, the brazen gates were broken, and the dead were raised, and all the guards of hell were terrified. If it were one of many, then the opposite would have to happen: death would prevail; but it did not happen, because it was not one of many; therefore it (death) was conquered. As those who partake of food which they cannot keep within themselves, cast out with it also that which they had taken before, so it was with death: having taken on a body which it could not crush, it also threw out that which it had in itself; having received him, she experienced the pains of childbirth and was tormented until she brought him back. That is why the Apostle says: "Having broken the bonds[1] of death" (Acts 2:24). Not a single woman who gives birth to a child suffers as she was tormented and tormented, having received the Body of the Lord into herself. What happened to the Babylonian serpent, which, having eaten its own food, was torn to pieces (Dan. 14:27), so it is with it. Christ did not come back through the mouth of death, but having torn open and torn to pieces the very belly of this serpent, He thus came out of its intestines with great glory, shedding rays not only to heaven, but to the very throne on high, where He carried His Body with Him. This Body He gave us to possess and eat, by which He showed us strong love; After all, whom we love very much, we often remorse. Thus Job, expressing the love of his servants for him, said that they often said out of great love for him: "Who would let us be satisfied with his flesh" (Job 31:31)? In the same way, Christ gave us to be satisfied with His flesh, in order to arouse in us a strong love.

5. Let us, therefore, approach it with ardent love, so that we may not be punished, for the more we are favored, the more we will be punished if we prove unworthy of beneficence. This body was honored by the Magi when it lay in a manger. People who did not know the true God and foreigners, leaving home and homeland, undertook a long journey, and when they came, they bowed down to him with great fear and trembling. Let us, the citizens of heaven, at least imitate these strangers. And when they saw Him in the hut and in the manger, and saw nothing of the things which thou now seeest, they approached with great trembling; but you see him not in a manger, but on an altar, you see not a woman holding a woman, but a priest standing before him, and the Spirit overshadowing what is offered with great generosity; and not only do you see this Body as they did, but you also know His power and all the economy, you know all that has been accomplished through Him, being carefully taught all the mysteries. Therefore, let us approach with trembling and show more reverence than those strangers, lest, approaching Him simply and inattentively, we will not gather fire on our heads. However, I say this not so that we do not approach, but that we do not approach unworthily, because just as it is dangerous to approach without reasoning, so not to partake of this mysterious supper is hunger and death. This meal is strength for our soul, strength for our heart, the foundation of hope, hope, salvation, light, life. Having departed there with this sacrifice, we will enter with great boldness into the holy abodes, as if fenced on all sides with golden weapons. But what do I say about the future? This mystery here also makes the earth heaven for you. Open the gates of heaven and see, or rather, the gates not of heaven, but of the heaven of heavens, and then you will see what has been said. What is most precious there, I will show you the same on earth. Just as in the king's palaces the most important thing is not the walls or the golden roof, but the body of the king sitting on the throne, so in heaven is the body of the King. But you can see the same thing now on earth, not angels and archangels, not heaven and heaven of heavens, but the Lord of all this himself. Is it not true that you see on earth that which is most important, that you not only see but also touch, not only touch but also taste, and when you have tasted, you go back to your house? Purify your soul, prepare your heart for the reception of these mysteries. If you were entrusted with holding in your arms the royal son in all the splendor of the purple and diadem, then you would undoubtedly reject everything else earthly. And now you accept not the son of the king of men, but the Only-begotten Son of God Himself, and how can you not tremble, tell me, how do you not abandon your addiction to all worldly things, and instead of admiring this one jewel, you bow to the earth, give yourself over to the passion for money and love for gold? Can you have any excuse, any excuse? Or do you not know that your Lord turns away from all worldly splendor? – why did He deign to recline in a manger after His birth, and chose the poor Mother? – that is why He answered: "The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head" (Matt. 8:20)? And what about His disciples? Did they not observe the same commandment, stopping to live in the houses of poor people, one with a tanner, the other with a skin-maker and porphyry seller? They were not looking for noble houses, but for virtuous souls. Let us also compete with them: let us not admire the beauty of columns and marbles, but strive for the heavenly abodes, despise all this splendor and addiction to money, and exalt ourselves in our thoughts to grief. If we judge sensibly, then this world itself is not worthy of us, not only porticoes and galleries. Therefore I exhort you, let us adorn our souls, build this house, which we will take with us when we move from here, so that we may be vouchsafed eternal blessings, grace and love for mankind (our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

[1] Gr. ωδινας – pangs of childbirth

DISCOURSE 25

"Whatever is sold in the market, eat without any examination, for peace of conscience" (1 Corinthians 10:25).

1. Having said that it is impossible to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons together, having inspired perfect abstinence from those (demonic) meals by the example of the Jews, by human considerations, by pointing out the terrible mysteries and what is done in the temples, and having aroused (in the Corinthians) a great fear, – furthermore, lest by this fear they should lead them to the other extreme, lest they should be overly cautious in fearing such defilement in any way without their knowledge, for example, in a marketplace, or in some other way, (the Apostle) relieves them of such fear and says: "Everything that is sold at the market, eat without any examination." If, he says, you eat without knowing or hearing (that it is sacrificed to idols), then you are not subject to punishment, since this is a matter of ignorance, and not of intemperance. And not only does He deliver them from this fear, but also from another, granting them great independence and freedom: He does not even allow them to doubt, i.e. to investigate and investigate whether it is sacrificed to idols or not; but commands simply to eat everything that is in the marketplace, without asking what is offered. Consequently, he who eats (things sacrificed to idols) out of ignorance remains innocent. Things sacrificed to idols are not evil by their nature, but defile according to the disposition of the eater. That is why he says: "without any investigation." "For the earth is the Lord's, and what fills it" (v. 26), not demons. But if His earth, and fruit, and all dumb animals, then there is nothing unclean; but something is made unclean because of a person's disposition and disobedience. Wherefore he not only gave permission, but added, "If any of the unbelievers call you, and you wish to go, all that is offered to you, eat without any examination, for the peace of conscience" (v. 27). Notice again his condescension: he does not command or prescribe to walk, but he does not forbid either; but He delivers those who are walking from all suspicion. For what? Lest excessive caution appear to be an act of fear and apprehension, for he who investigates does it out of fear, and he who refrains after he has learned the matter refrains from dislike, contempt, and disgust. Wherefore Paul, desiring to arrange both, says, "Whatever is set before you, eat." "But if anyone says to you, 'This is sacrificed to idols,' you shall not eat for the sake of him who has declared it to you" (v. 28). He commands to abstain (from sacrifices to idols), not as having power, but as from those worthy of abhorrence. Avoid (things sacrificed to idols), he says, not because they can cause harm, for they have no power. However, on the ground that it has no power, do not eat it indifferently, since it is the table of enemies and the wicked. Wherefore he adds, Ye shall not eat for the sake of him who hath declared unto you, and for the sake of conscience. For the earth is the Lord's, and what fills it." Do you see how he, both allowing to eat and commanding abstinence, gives the same proof? Not because he says, I forbid it, as if it were an alien thing, for the earth is the Lord's, but, as it is said, for conscience, that is, so as not to do harm. Therefore, it is necessary to reconnoitre? No, he says, I do not mean your conscience, but another's; for I had said beforehand, "For the sake of him who declared"; And again: "But I do not understand my own conscience, but that of another" (v. 29)

But perhaps someone will say: You justly spare your brethren, and do not allow us to eat things sacrificed to idols for them, lest "his conscience, as a weak man, dispose him to eat things sacrificed to idols" (1 Corinthians 8:10); And why do you care for a heathen? Did you not say: "For why should I judge even those who are outside" (1 Corinthians 5:12)? Why do you care for them? It is not for them, he says, that I care, but here, too, for you. For this reason he adds: "For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?" this is the freedom that is alien to Jewish slavery. And the meaning of his words is as follows: God created me free and set me above all harm: but the pagan does not know how to judge my wisdom, nor to understand the generosity of my Lord, but will condemn me and say to himself: the teaching of the Christians is a fable: they shun idols, avoid demons, but do not refuse what is offered to them; great is their gluttony. What harm, you will say, is there for us, and that he will judge so unjustly? But is it not much better not to give him a reason to condemn him at all? If you abstain, he will not say this either. How do you say he won't tell you? Seeing that I use everything without scrutiny, both in the marketplace and at the feast, how can he not say and condemn me that I use everything indifferently? Exactly, no, because you use it not as something sacrificed to idols, but as pure; By not scouting, you show that you are not afraid of what is offered. Therefore, whether you enter the house of a heathen, or come to the marketplace, I do not allow you to investigate, lest you be restless and cowardly, and incur unnecessary care. "If I eat with thanksgiving, why blame me for what I give thanks?" (v. 30). What, tell me, do you receive with gratitude? God's gifts. His grace is such that it makes my soul pure and places it above all impurity. Just as the sun, touching all impurities with its rays, makes them pure again, so can we, too, circulating in the midst of the world, remain pure if we wish, and all the more so the greater the power we have.

2. Why, you say, should we abstain? Not so that otherwise one can become unclean, but for a brother, so that he may not have communion with demons, and so that he may not be condemned by an unbeliever. Here it is not the quality (of food), but disobedience and communion with demons that make me unclean, and defilement depends on volition. What is the meaning of the words, "Why blame me for what I am thankful for?"

Is it not foolish, therefore, to give cause for blasphemy for the very blessings for which gratitude is offered? But, you will say, the heathen will say this even when he sees that I do not investigate. No, because not everything is filled with things sacrificed to idols to have such a suspicion; Moreover, you do not eat these things as things sacrificed to idols. Therefore, do not search in vain; and on the other hand, do not take part when you are told that this is sacrificed to idols. Christ gave you grace, magnified you, and set you above all harm, not in order to give rise to bad fame about you, and not in order to offend others so much by the very advantages for which you give thanks that they can blaspheme. And why, you will say, should I not tell a pagan that I eat and not suffer any harm from it, and that I do not do this out of attachment to demons? Because you will not convince him, even if you say it a thousand times, because he (man) is weak and your enemy. If you have not yet convinced your brother, how much more will you not convince the enemy and the heathen. If this one is bound by conscience in relation to things sacrificed to idols, how much more unfaithful. Why should we resort to such means? But are we really to depart from Christ, Whom we have come to know and thank only because our enemies blaspheme us? Let it not be! There is a difference between the two; there is a great gain from suffering blasphemy, but here there is no benefit. For this reason (the Apostle) said above: "If we eat, we gain nothing; if we do not eat, we lose nothing" (8:8). Moreover, he proved that it is necessary to shun and abstain from things sacrificed to idols for other reasons, not only for this, but also for other reasons, which he mentioned above. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (v. 31). Do you see how he passed from a particular subject in instruction to a general one, and taught us an excellent rule – to glorify God in all things? "Give no offense to Jews, nor to Greeks, nor to the church of God" (v. 32); i.e. do not give anyone any reason to be tempted. Otherwise, your brother will be offended, and the Jew will hate and condemn you even more, and the Gentile will laugh at you as a glutton and a hypocrite. One should not seduce not only the brethren, but, if possible, even those outside. If we are light, leaven, luminaries and salt, then we must enlighten and not darken, hold together and not weaken, attract unbelievers to us and not drive them away from us. Why then do you drive away those whom you should attract? Truly the heathen are offended when they see that we return to these things, because they do not know our way of thinking and that our soul has become above all sensual defilement. The Jews and the weakest of the brethren will experience the same thing. Do you see how many reasons he gave why one should abstain from sacrifices to idols? Namely, because intemperance is useless, superfluous, harms a brother, provokes blasphemy on the part of a Jew, reproach on the part of a pagan, which should not have communion with demons, that such behavior is in some way idolatry. Then, when he said, "Give not offense," he made them responsible for the offense of Jews and Gentiles, and expressed something grievous, see how he makes it acceptable and easy: he makes himself a mediator, and says, "Just as I also please all in all things, seeking not my own benefit, but the benefit of many, that they may be saved" (v. 33). "Be ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (11:1).

3. To seek what is useful for society – this is the rule of the most perfect Christianity, this is its exact purpose, this is the height of perfection! This is also expressed by the Apostle with the words: "As I am to Christ." In nothing can you imitate Christ so much as by caring for your neighbors; whether you fast, whether you sleep on the ground, whether you exhaust yourself, if you do not care for your neighbor, you do not do anything important, and for all this you are still far from the model. Abstaining from sacrifices to idols is in itself a useful thing; but I, says (the Apostle), have done many things that are not profitable, for example, I have circumcised and offered sacrifices; Such actions, when considered in themselves, may even destroy the doers and deprive them of salvation, but I have subjected myself to this also for the benefit that follows from it. There is nothing of the kind here: in those actions, if there is no benefit for others, then there can be harm; And here, even if no one is offended, even in this case one should refrain from what is forbidden. I exposed myself not only to harmful, but also to difficult things: "To other churches I caused expenses," he says, "by receiving maintenance from them" (2 Corinthians 11:8); When it was possible to eat and not work, I did not seek it, but resolved to die of hunger myself rather than seduce another. That is why he says: "I please everyone in everything"; whether it is necessary to do anything illegal, or difficult and dangerous, I am subjected to everything for the benefit of others. Thus Paul, being above all in perfection, became inferior to all in condescension.

Truly, no podvig can be great if it does not benefit others. This is evident from the example of one who brought a talent whole and was punished for not multiplying it. In the same way, brother, whether you remain without food, sleep on the ground, eat ashes, and weep continually, but if you do not do any benefit to others, you do nothing important. This was especially what all the great and valiant men of antiquity had in mind; examine their lives carefully, and you will clearly see that each of them did not aim at his own benefit, but that of his neighbors; For this they became especially famous. Thus Moses performed many great miracles and signs, but nothing magnified him so much as the blessed words he said to God: "Forgive them their sin, and if not, blot out me also" (Exodus 32:32). Such was David: "Behold, I have sinned, I have done iniquity; And these sheep, what did they do? let Thy hand be turned upon me, and upon my father's house" (2 Samuel 24:17). Likewise, Abraham sought not his own benefit, but the benefit of many: therefore he exposed himself to dangers and asked God for (people) who had nothing to do with him. Thus they became famous; but those who seek their own benefit, see how they have done harm. Thus, Abraham's nephew, having heard his words: "If you are on the right, then I am on the left" (Gen. 13:9), and having made a choice, having in mind his own benefit, did not find it; on the contrary, his country was burned, but the country of Abraham remained unharmed. Jonah, when he sought the benefit not of others, but of his own, almost perished: the city stood, and he was in danger, was overwhelmed by the waves and drowned; but when he began to seek the benefit of others, then he found his own. James, who did not seek his own benefit from the flocks, received great wealth. Likewise, Joseph, wishing to benefit his brothers, found his own: when his father sent him (to his brothers), he did not say, "Why, do you not know what visions and dreams they are ready to tear me to pieces, what kind of dreams they accuse me of, what kind of love they intend to punish me for your love for me—what will they not do when they meet me in the middle of the field?" He did not say or think anything of the kind, but preferred the service of his brothers to everything; wherefore afterwards he received all the blessings which made him very glorious and famous. So also Moses, – nothing prevents us from mentioning him another time, in order to see how he did not think of his own benefit and sought the benefit of others – while spending his life in the royal palaces, "he considered reproach greater riches than the treasures of Egypt" (Hebrews 11:26), and, abandoning everything, decided to share the misfortunes with the Jews; but not only did he not undergo slavery himself, but on the contrary freed them from slavery. All these deeds are great and worthy of angels.

4. But (the deeds) of Paul have a great advantage. All others, leaving their own well-being, took part in the misfortunes of their neighbors; and Paul did much more. He not only participated in the misfortunes of others, but preferred to endure extreme calamities himself, so that others would enjoy prosperity. It is not the same thing to deny one's well-being and give oneself up to misfortune (together with others), or to subject oneself to suffering, and to give peace and honor to others. There, although it is difficult to exchange well-being for suffering for one's neighbor, there is some consolation in the fact that there are accomplices in suffering; and to subject oneself to sorrows alone, so that others may enjoy joys, is the work of the noblest soul and Paul's zeal.

Not only with this, but also with another great advantage, he surpasses all those we have mentioned above. Abraham and all others exposed themselves to the calamities of the present life, and all in general desired death; and Paul wanted to lose even future glory for the salvation of others. I can point out the third advantage. What is it? That although some of the men mentioned took care of the people who were hostile to them, they were under their leadership; they did what a father would do if he cared for a bad and criminal son, but also a son; but Paul wished to be anathematized for those who were not entrusted to his care, since he had been sent to the Gentiles. Do you see the greatness of his soul and the superiority of his zeal, which surpasses heaven itself? Imitate him; If you do not have zeal to take care of your brother, then remember that otherwise you cannot be saved, and take care of him and his deeds at least for yourself. if you wish, you can convince yourself by experience and from ordinary examples. When a house should catch fire, those who live near it, and care only for themselves, do not prevent the danger, but shut themselves up in their houses for fear that someone will enter and steal something from them, what punishment will they receive? The fire, having reached them, will burn up all their (property); not caring for the benefit of their neighbor, they will lose their own. God, wishing to unite all with one another, has placed everything in such a necessary connection that the benefit of one is combined with the benefit of another: the whole world stands on this. If on a ship, during a storm, the helmsman, neglecting the benefit of others, seeks only his own, he will soon sink both himself and them. If each craft strove only for its own benefit, then life would be impossible, and the very craft that would strive for this would be impossible. Therefore, the farmer does not sow as much as is necessary for himself, otherwise he would have destroyed both himself and others long ago, but he also cares for others; The warrior takes up arms against danger, not only to save himself, but also to secure the cities: the merchant brings not as much as is necessary for himself, but as for many others. But everyone, someone will say, does this not with my benefit in mind, but with his own, he works to acquire for himself money, and fame, and security, so that when he benefits me, he seeks his own. I say the same thing, this is what I wanted to instill for a long time, and to this I directed all my words, in order to show that my neighbor achieves his benefit when he cares for yours. If people were not placed in such a necessity, they would not want to seek the benefit of their neighbor; wherefore God united all things in this way, and did not allow them to attain their own benefit except by the benefit of others. It is natural for people to follow this path for the benefit of their neighbors; but the motive for this should not be borrowed from here, but from the conviction that this is pleasing to God. There is no other way to be saved; if you exercise even in the highest wisdom, but do not care for others who are perishing, then you will not have any boldness before God. Where does this come from? From the words of Blessed Paul: "If I," he says, "give away all my possessions, and give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3), Do you see what Paul demands of us? Although the giver (of his possessions) apparently seeks the benefit not of his own, but of his neighbor, this alone, he says, is not enough, and it must be done with sincerity and great compassion. That is why God gave us such a commandment, in order to unite us in the union of love. If He demands love from us to such an extent, and we do not show it even less, then will we be worthy of forgiveness? How, someone will object, did God say to Lot through the angels: "Save thy soul" (Gen. 19:17)? But, tell me, when was it and why? When punishment threatened, when it was no longer time to reform, when (the wicked) were condemned and suffered from an incurable disease, when old and young men gave themselves over to the same lusts and were about to be burned, on the day when lightning was about to strike them. Moreover, this was not said about vice and virtue, but referred to punishment sent down from God. What, then, tell me, was to be done? To sit down, accept punishment and burn uselessly? But that would be utter madness. I do not say that one should suffer for no reason and in vain, contrary to the will of God; but when a man leads a vicious life, then I command you, come to him and correct him, if you will, for the good of your neighbor, but if not, then at least for your own benefit; the former is better than the latter, but if you have not yet reached such a height, do so at least for the latter. Let no one seek his own benefit, and then he will find it. Knowing that neither poverty, nor torment, nor anything else can save us, if we do not have high love, let us acquire it first of all, so that through it we may also receive other blessings, present and future, which may we all be vouchsafed by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

DISCOURSE 26