Moreover, if he had not had an exalted spirit and a wise mind, if it had not been for the habit of obeying God in all things, then he would have encountered another important obstacle – the death of his father. You know how often many people wanted to die because of the coffins of their relatives in the places where their parents ended their lives.

4. So it would be natural for this righteous man, if he were not very God-loving, to think of this, that my father, out of love for me, left his native land, gave up his old habits, and, having conquered all (obstacles), came even here, and one might almost say that because of me he died in a foreign land; And I, even after his death, do not try to repay him in kind, but depart, leaving his grave along with my father's kinship? However, nothing of this could stop his determination; love for God made everything seem easy and comfortable to him.

Is it not much better to spend this short time here than to wander hither and thither in my old age, and suffer ridicule from everyone, because even at this age I cannot live quietly, but change place after place and do not stop anywhere? This righteous man did not think anything of the sort, but hastened to fulfill God's command. But perhaps someone will say that the words (of God) were sufficient to motivate him to do this: Go to the land which I will show you, and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you" (Gen. 12:2). But it was these especially words that could, if he had not been God-loving, have made him colder to the fulfillment of the commandment.

"I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and magnify your name, and you will be a blessing." A great promise! "I will make of you," he says, "a great nation, and I will bless you, and magnify your name." Not only will I set you over a great nation and make your name great, but I will also bless you, and you will be blessed. Do not think, beloved, that there is an identity in these words: "And I will bless you, and you will be blessed." This means: I will vouchsafe you such a blessing that it will last forever. You will be so blessed that everyone will consider it a great honor to enter into kinship with you. See from what early time (God) prophesied to him the fame in which He wanted to place him. "I will make of you," he says, "a great people, and I will bless you, and magnify your name, and you will be a blessing." That is why the Jews, boasting of the patriarch, tried to show their kinship with him, and said of themselves: "We are the children of Abraham." But in order that they might know that because of their evil morals they are not worthy of this kinship, Christ says to them: "If ye had been the children of Abraham, ye would have done the works of Abraham" (John 8:39). And John, the son of Zechariah, when those who wished to be baptized flocked to the Jordan, said to them: "Spawn of vipers! Who inspired you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore the worthy fruit of repentance, and do not think to say within yourselves, Abraham is our father, for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Matt. 3:7-9). Do you see how great was the name of this patriarch for everyone? But now, while this has not yet come to pass, only the piety of the righteous man is shown, how, i.e., he believed the words of God, and accepted everything that seemed difficult easily. "And I will bless," he says, "those who bless you, and curse you I will curse: and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Look also at God's condescension, at what favor (the Lord) shows to the patriarch. Those, he says, I recognize as my friends, who will be sincerely disposed towards you, and as enemies, those who will be hostile to you. And children hardly try to make sure that they have the same friends and enemies as their fathers. So, very great, beloved, is God's favor towards the patriarch! These, he says, I will bless who will bless you; And I will curse those who curse you, "and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Here is another gift! All, he says, the families of the earth will strive to be blessed in your name, and they will set their best glory in bearing your name.

5. Have you heard, beloved, what commandments did the Lord give to the Chaldean, an old man who knew no law, did not read the prophets, and received no other instruction? Do you see how important these commands are? What lofty and valiant soul was required to fulfill them? Look also at the obedience of the patriarch, as it is depicted to us in the Scriptures. "And Abraham went," he said, "as the Lord God had spoken to him, and Lot went with him." It is not simply said, "Abraham went," but, "as the Lord God said to him," that is, he fulfilled all that was in the commandment. God told him to leave everything, kinship and home, and he did. He told him to go to a land he did not know – he obeyed. He promised to "produce" from him a great "people" and bless him – he believed that this too would come true. In a word, "as the Lord God said to him," so he "went," that is, he believed the words of God, without the slightest hesitation or doubt, and went with a firm spirit and determination: for this he was worthy of great favor from the Lord. "And he went," it is said, "Lot with him." Why, when God said, "Go out of your land, and out of your generation, and out of your father's house," why did he take Lot? Not out of disobedience to the Lord, but certainly because (Lot) was young and (Abraham) took his father's place; and even he, out of love for him and gentle disposition (Abraham), did not want to be separated from the righteous man: for this reason Abraham does not want to leave him. In addition, he already looked upon him as a son, because, having lived to such an age, he did not yet have children of his own because of Sarah's barrenness. And the temper of this young man did not differ much from (the disposition of) the righteous man. The very fact that he (Lot), having in mind the two brothers, joined the righteous man, shows that he had enough intelligence to judge and decide which of the uncles to entrust his fate to. And the determination to set out on a journey is a new proof of good morality (of Lot): although later he sinned somewhat when he took for himself the best part of the earth (Gen. 13:11), nevertheless he tried to follow in the footsteps of the righteous man. That is why the righteous man took him as his companion, and he readily exchanged the life of his home for the life of a pilgrim. Further, so that we may know that the Lord commanded this to the patriarch not in his youth, but when he had already come to old age, when people are for the most part rather disinclined to travel, the Scripture says: "Abraham was seventy-five years old when he came out of Haran" (Gen. 12:4). You see, neither age nor anything else that could bind him to home life served as an obstacle to him, on the contrary, love for God conquered everything. Thus, when the soul is alert and attentive, it overcomes all obstacles, strives entirely towards the beloved object, and whatever difficulties may present itself to it, it does not stop by them, but runs by everything, and does not stop until it has achieved what it desires. That is why this righteous man, although he could have been restrained by old age and many other obstacles, nevertheless broke all the bonds, and, like a young man, cheerful and unhindered, hastened and hastened to fulfill the command of the Lord. Nor is it possible for any one who dares to do anything glorious and valiant, it is impossible to do it without arming himself beforehand against everything that may hinder such an undertaking. The righteous man also knew this well, and, leaving everything unattended, not thinking about habit, or about kinship, or about his father's house, or about the tomb (of his father), or even about his own old age, he directed all his thoughts only to how he could fulfill the command of the Lord. And then a wonderful sight presented itself: a man in extreme old age, with a wife, also elderly, and with a multitude of slaves, was moving, not even knowing where his pilgrimage would end. And if we also think, by the way, how difficult the roads were at that time (then, as now, it was impossible to freely pester anyone, and thus make the journey with convenience, because there were different authorities in all places, and travelers had to go from one owner to another, and almost every day pass from kingdom to kingdom), then this circumstance would be a sufficient obstacle for the righteous man, if he did not have great love (for God) and a readiness to fulfill His commandment. But he tore apart all these obstacles like a spider's web, and strengthening his mind with faith and submitting to the greatness of the Promiser, he set out on his journey. "And Abraham took with him," it is said, "Sarah his wife, Lot his brother's son, and all the possessions that they had acquired in Haran; and they went out to go into the land of Canaan; and they came into the land of Canaan" (Gen. 12:5).

6. Notice the thoroughness of the Scriptures, with which they tell us about everything, so that we may know from everything the godliness of the righteous man. "And he took," he says, "Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the possessions which they had acquired in Haran." It is not without reason that it is said, "all that was acquired in Haran," so that it would be known that the patriarch took nothing with him from Chaldea, but leaving all this paternal property to his brother, he went out with only what he could acquire in Haran. And this wonderful man took with him, not because he valued his possessions, or was covetous, but so that he could prove to everyone God's care for him by his property. He Who brought him out of the land of the Chaldeans, and then commanded him to move from thence also, Himself increased his possessions every day, and removed every nuisance. Thus, the very fact that Abraham took this property with him and carried it all the way served as a proof of his spiritual piety. Anyone who saw him probably wanted to know the reason for such a journey of the righteous man. Later, having learned that he was moving to a foreign land, leaving his property (in his homeland), by God's command, he was convinced by his very deeds how pious was the obedience of the righteous man, and how great was God's providence for him. "And they went out," it is said, "to go into the land of Canaan." How did he know that his pilgrimage would end in the land of Canaan, when the command said, "Go to the land which I will show you"? Perhaps God revealed this to him as well, showing the spirit his land in which He wanted to settle him. For God, when He commanded him, said so vaguely, "Go into the land which I will show you," in order to reveal to us the virtue of the righteous. Then, since Abraham had done all that was required of him with complete readiness, God immediately gave him information about the land in which he wanted to build his dwelling. Foreseeing the greatness of the virtue of the righteous man, God called him out of his house (fatherly) and did not command him to take even his brother with him, because He wanted to make him a teacher now for all the inhabitants of Palestine, and soon afterwards for the Egyptians.

Do you see that both virtue and vice do not depend on nature, but on our free will? So the patriarch and Nahor were brothers by nature, but not so in their heartfelt disposition. On the contrary, Nahor, despite the fact that his brother had reached such a virtue, still remained in error, and this one daily actually showed everyone his success in God-pleasing virtue. And they came, it is said, into the land of Canaan, "and Abraham went through this land to the place of Shechem, to the oak grove of the Sea" (Gen. 12:6). The Scriptures show us the very place in the land (of Canaan) in which the righteous man now dwells. Then, so that we may know in what condition this country was, He says: "In this land then dwelt the Canaanites." This remark was made by the blessed Moses not without purpose, but in order that you might know the wise soul of the patriarch, and from the fact that he, since these places were still occupied by the Canaanites, had to live like a wanderer and a wanderer, like some outcast poor man, as he had to be, perhaps not having a place to live. And yet he did not murmur at this, nor did he say, What is this? I, who lived in such honor and esteem in Haran, must now live here and there as a rootless, as a stranger and a stranger, out of mercy, to seek comfort in a poor shelter – and even this I cannot get, but I am forced to live in tents and huts and endure all other misfortunes! Is this the meaning of the words: "Go and I will make of you a great nation"? So far, a great start for me! What good can we expect next? No, even in this situation, the righteous man did not allow himself to say anything like this, or to come into doubt, on the contrary, trusting in the promises of God with all his heart and with full faith, he remained steadfast in spirit, for which he was soon worthy of consolation from above.

7. But in order that we may not continue our teaching too much, let us stop here and conclude our discourse, asking your love that you imitate the spiritual disposition of this righteous man. Truly, it will be extremely strange if, while this righteous man, being called from (his) land to (foreign) land, showed such obedience, that neither old age, nor other obstacles which we have enumerated, nor the inconveniences of the time, nor any other difficulties that might have stopped him, were able to restrain him from obedience, but, having broken all the bonds, he, the elder, fled and hastened like a cheerful youth, On the contrary, we, who are called not from earth to earth, but from earth to heaven, will not show the same diligence in obedience as the righteous man, but will present empty and trifling causes, and will not be carried away by the greatness of the promises, nor by the importance of the visible, as earthly and temporary, nor by the dignity of Him who calleth, On the contrary, let us discover such inattention that we prefer the temporal to the ever-abiding earth, the earth to the heavens, and we will place that which can never end below that which flies away before it appears. How long, tell me, shall we, for example, show such greed for collecting money? What kind of frenzy is it to be carried away by this tormenting passion every day and never feel full, but to be almost worse than drunkards? Just as drunkards, the more they drink wine, the more they inflame their thirst and the stronger they kindle the fire, so those who have given themselves over to a strong passion for money never calm down, but the more they receive, the more the flame (of passion) rises in them and the more the furnace burns. Do we not see what happened to those who lived before us, how, having taken possession, so to speak, of the whole universe, they were caught up naked and without anything, only to be accounted for and punished for everything? The possessions (of the lover of money) are often divided among many, and the sins committed by him because of this possessions he takes with him alone, is subjected to painful punishment for them, and finds no consolation in anything. Why, tell me, do we so neglect our own salvation, and think of our own soul as someone else's? Do you not hear Christ say, "What ransom shall a man give in exchange for his soul"? And again: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul" (Matt. 16:26)? What can you compare with a soul? Name the entire universe and then you can't say anything. In fact, "what profit," as Christ said, is to gain "the whole world," and to injure one's soul, which has nothing nearer to us? And it is she, so precious, her which we ought to take so much care of, that we should leave her in such neglect that she suffers every day, now besieged by the love of money, now tormented by intemperance, now humiliated by anger, and variously disturbed by every passion – and shall we not apply any care for her, though it is too late? Who, finally, will grant us forgiveness, or deliver us from the punishment that threatens us? I beseech you, therefore, while we still have time, to wash away her filth with abundant alms, and to extinguish the flame of our sins. It is said: "Water will quench the flame of fire, and alms will cleanse sins" (Sir. 3:30). And indeed, nothing else can deliver us from the fire of Gehenna so much as generous (almsgiving). If we give it according to the prescribed commandment, that is, not out of boasting, but out of love for God, then we will be able to wash away the filth of our sins, and be vouchsafed God's love for mankind, through the grace and mercies of His Only-begotten Son, with Whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CONVERSATION 32

"And the Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord, Who appeared to him" (Gen. 12:7)

1. A great and ineffable treasure, beloved, is in the present reading, and an attentive mind, a sober and cheerful thought, is needed, so that nothing contained in these brief words escapes you. For this reason the loving God did not deign to make all that is contained in the Scriptures intelligible and clear to us suddenly and in simple reading, in order to awaken us from drowsiness, and so that we, having shown great vigilance, might receive benefit from it (the Scriptures). Usually, what is acquired with difficulty and research is more deeply implanted in our minds, and what is easy flies away from our hearts more quickly. Let us not, I beseech you, be careless, but, having aroused our thoughts, let us penetrate with all attentiveness into the very depths of the Scriptures, in order to derive some benefit from them, and return home with them. The Church of God is a spiritual marketplace and at the same time a hospital of souls: consequently, we must, like those who have come to the marketplace, gather up much good in it, and return home with it; like those who enter a hospital, they must take here the diseases that are appropriate for our illnesses, and leave here with them. We do not gather here every day only to see each other and then all disperse, but so that each of us may learn something useful here, receive medicine against the passion that disturbs him, and then go home from here.

We, for our part, will not be guilty of this in the least (because we do everything in our power and omit nothing that we can do), but those who are indignant with us, do not listen diligently and do not want to use our instructions, are subject to the greatest condemnation. Listen to what Christ says to the one who buried his talent: "Wicked servant, it behooved thee to give my money to the merchants, and when I came, I would have received mine with profit" (Matt. 25:26-27); and of the Jews, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin" (John 15:22). However, we do not now care whether we ourselves are free from guilt, but we desire your success, and we think that, with all our innocence, our joy will be lessened if you do not show diligence commensurate with our labors. After all, we rejoice precisely when we see your success in spiritual matters. True, I know that you, being filled with knowledge by the grace of God, are able to instruct others also; yet, like Blessed Paul (Romans 15:15), I, too, reminding you and stirring up your zeal and zeal, constantly exhort you to this, that you may be made perfect in all things. In fact, I consider it no small proof of your success in pleasing God that you come here every day with such zeal and show an untiring desire for spiritual instruction. And just as the desire for bodily food is a sign of the best health (bodily), so the desire for spiritual instruction is the clearest evidence of spiritual health. Wherefore I, knowing your zeal, wherefore I may not be able to satisfy your desire and saturate you with this spiritual nourishment, I will not cease to offer to you every day for your benefit and to teach our minds the teaching of the Divine Scriptures.

2. And now, having prayed to the Lord, who loves mankind, that He would direct our tongue to the acquisition of what we seek, let us offer you the usual instruction, and first explain to your love the very reading. "And the Lord appeared unto Abraham," it is said, "and spoke" (Gen. 12:7). Was it not true that I said at the beginning that the great treasure is contained in these brief words? Now (it seems) strange and new the very beginning of these words: "And the Lord God appeared to Abraham." The first time we find that Scripture used the word, "appeared." Divine Scripture did not use such an expression in the history of Abel, Noah, or anyone else. What does this word mean: "appeared"? Does not the Scripture itself say in another place: "Man cannot see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20)? What shall we say now, when it says that God has appeared? How did He appear to the righteous? Did he see the very essence of God? No, let it not be! But what? God appeared as He alone knows, and as he (the righteous man) could only see Him. Being inventive, wise and philanthropic, and condescending to human nature. Our Lord reveals Himself to those who are worthily prepared for this. And this He shows through the prophet, saying: "I have multiplied visions, and through the prophets I have used parables" (Hosea 12:10). Thus, for example, Isaiah saw Him sitting, and such a position is unbecoming of God, because God is not sitting; and how is this possible for a creature incorporeal and not subject to fatigue? Again Daniel saw Him as "the Ancient of Days" (Dan. 7:21); Zechariah saw Him differently (ch. 1); Ezekiel is different again (ch. 1, 2). That is why God said, "I multiplied visions," that is, He appeared in one way or another, according to the worthiness of each one. So it is now, the good Lord, since He Himself called the righteous man out of his house and commanded him to go into a strange land, and when he came, he walked there from place to place, like a wanderer and a stranger (for the Canaanites still lived there), and sought where he might dwell – the good Lord, desiring to comfort him and strengthen his zeal, so that he would not grow weary and not doubt the promise given to him: "Go, and I will make of thee a great nation" (for the righteous man saw that the contrary of the promise was happening to him, and he wandered like some outcast and helpless poor man, not knowing where to find a place for himself), – so, in order to encourage his soul, "the Lord appeared," it is said, "to Abraham, and said, To thy seed I will give this land." This promise is also great, and corresponds to the promise with which (God) called him from his native land. Then he said, I will magnify thy name; and now he also says, "To thy seed I will give this land." Since, being already in old age, the righteous man was still childless because of Sarah's barrenness, (God) promises to give land to the son who was to be born of him. And look at God's love for mankind, how He, in promoting the virtue of the righteous, wants to make him known and visible to all, like some hidden pearl. Having joined the promises to the promises, and having given great promises at the same time, God, however, delays a little (in fulfilling them), so that through this the piety of the righteous man may be especially revealed, since this blessed one, although he saw for the time being that the contrary to the promises was coming true, was not troubled, and was not indignant, but remained steadfast in spirit, believing that what was once promised to him from God was firm and irrevocable. But let us consider everything separately, so that in this way we may know the inventive wisdom of the good God, and the care that He showed for the righteous man, and the love of the patriarch for the Lord. "And the Lord God appeared to Abraham," it said, "to Abraham." How did he appear? As God Himself alone knows, and as he (the righteous man) could see. I will not cease to repeat this, although I do not know the image (appearance) itself, but only hear what the Scripture says: "The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.'"

For if He allowed this righteous man, so pious and so obedient, to be subjected to the trials of which you will soon learn, if God permitted it, not because He neglected His servant, but in order to reveal his virtue to all others (