DISCOURSE 65. The life-giving effect on Jacob of the news that Joseph was alive, his determination to go to Egypt; the sacrifice at the well of the oath, and the consoling Theophany to Jacob. Introduction of Joseph's brothers and father to Pharaoh. The actions of the latter in Egypt during the famine; the liberation of the priestly land from taxes to Pharaoh and the exhortation to show honor to God's servants and patiently endure the temptations sent by God.

DISCOURSE 66. Why did Jacob want to be buried in the land of his fathers? True wickedness is death not in a foreign land, but in sins. The adoration of Jacob at the end of his rod and the blessing of the sons of Joseph. An exhortation to leave to children as an inheritance a treasure that consists not in wealth, but in virtue and the blessing of God. Good is wealth without sin.

DISCOURSE 67. Explanation of Jacob's prophetic blessing to his sons in order of their birth. The mysterious meaning of the blessing of Judas. Death and burial of Jacob. Why in ancient times there was a strong lamentation for the dead! Joseph's forgiveness and testament to his brothers. Conclusion with moral exhortation.

DISCOURSE 42

"And the men arose, and from thence went to Sodom [and Gomorrah]" (Gen. 18:16).

1. In yesterday's reading, beloved, we saw the great hospitality of the righteous man; Today, continuing further, we learn again about the power of love and compassion of the forefather. Every virtue reached the highest perfection in this righteous man; he was not only loving, not only loving strangers and compassionate, but he also manifested in himself all the other virtues in abundance. Do you need to set an example of patience? You will find that he has reached the utmost height here. Or (an example of) humility? Again you will see that here he does not lag behind anyone, but rather surpasses everyone. Is it necessary to show faith? And in this respect he was again more famous than anyone else. His soul in living images represents various types of virtue. What excuse will we find for ourselves, when one (this) person has all the virtues in him, and we are so empty in ourselves that we do not care about any of them? For we are poor in good works, not because we cannot, but because we do not want (to do good); and a clear proof of this is the fact that many people like us by nature shine with virtues. And the very fact that the forefather, who lived both before grace and before the law, by himself, with the help of natural reason alone, attained such a degree of virtue, deprives us of all excuse. True, perhaps someone will say that this man enjoyed special care from God, and that the Lord of all things showed a wondrous providence for him? Indeed; And I admit it. But if on his part he had not previously done what depended on him, then he could not have enjoyed such care from the Lord. Therefore, do not look at this alone [i.e., that Abraham saw such a wondrous providence of God over him], but in every circumstance of his life, pay attention to how the forefather himself previously manifested his own virtue in everything, and then was vouchsafed favor and help from God. I have drawn your attention to this more than once. Thus, during his resettlement from his native land, without receiving any seeds of piety from his ancestors, he himself showed in himself a great love for God. And then, as soon as he had migrated from Chaldea, and had immediately received the command to go from his own land to a strange land, he did not hesitate, nor did he delay (until another time), but immediately fulfilled the commandment, and, not even knowing where his pilgrimage would end, he sought the unknown as to the known, honoring the command of God above all things. You see how from the very beginning he himself was the first to do on his part what was due, and then there followed each time an abundant recompense of blessings from God. In the same way, beloved, if we wish to enjoy favor from above, let us be jealous of our forefather, and let us not deviate from virtue, but, assimilating each of the virtues to ourselves, let us strive in it with such zeal that the eye from above may incline to the reward of reward. And the One who leads our innermost thoughts, as soon as He sees that we manifest a sound mind in ourselves, and diligently strive in virtue, immediately and from Himself gives help, making our labors easier, strengthening the weakness of our nature, and giving us generous rewards. You won't find anything like this at the Olympic competitions. There the wrestling teacher stands, remaining only a spectator of the wrestlers, and can do nothing else, but only waits on whose side the victory will be. Not so – our Lord: He Himself helps us, and stretches out His hand, and fights with us, and as if He Himself, overcoming the enemy on all sides, delivers him into our hands, does and arranges everything so that we can stand in the struggle, and gain victory, and He – to put on our head the unfading crown. "A beautiful wreath," it is said, "for thy head, and an ornament for thy neck" (Proverbs 1:9). The crown of victory in the Olympic contests consisted in nothing else but laurel leaves, applause, and popular cries, and all this, with the onset of evening, withered and perished. And the crown for virtue and labor for its sake is not sensual, it is not destroyed, like everything else in this world; it is a crown unchanging, immortal, abiding in all ages. Labor is only for a short time, and the reward for labor has no end, does not yield to the force of time, does not fade. And in order to convince you of this, look: how many years and how many generations have passed since the time when the forefather (Abraham) lived, and, nevertheless, his crowns for virtue shine as if only yesterday, or today, began to shine, and until the end of the world he will serve for the edification of all pious people.

2. Therefore, having in the person of the patriarch such an example of virtue, let us imitate him. Finally, although it is too late, let us remember our dignity, and in imitation of our forefather, let us think about our salvation, let us make every effort so that not only our body may be healthy, but that the soul may also be healed of its various ailments. And it is even more convenient for us to heal the ailments of the soul than the diseases of the body, if only we wish to be temperate and watchful. Thus, if we are disturbed by some passion, but we imagine the future day of the Last Judgment with a pious mind, and have in mind not the present pleasures, but the torments that follow them, then the passion will immediately depart from our soul and leave it. Let us not be careless, but, knowing that we have podvig and struggle ahead of us, and that we must be ready for battle, let us constantly keep our spirit strong and vigorous, so that, with help from above, we may erase the head of the evil beast, i.e. I mean the slander against our salvation. The Lord Himself promised us this, saying: "Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). And so, I beseech you, let us be vigilant, so that, walking in virtue in the footsteps of this forefather, we may be worthy of crowns like him, rest in his bosom, and, having escaped eternal fire, be worthy of future unspeakable blessings. And in order to give you more zeal and to stir you up to imitate this righteous man, let us begin again a conversation to your love about the events of his life, which follow in order. And so, after that generous hospitality, valuable not for the quality or quantity of food, but for zeal, the Lord, having received with favor the hospitality of the righteous man, immediately rewarded him for his love of strangers. Meanwhile, the forefather learned who was the One who had come and what His power was, and when the pilgrims intended to rush from there to destroy Sodom, He followed them, "seeing them off," as it is said (Gen. 18:16). See now how loving the Lord is to mankind, what condescension He gives to the righteous, showing him honor and at the same time desiring to reveal all the virtue hidden in his soul. And the men arose, and from thence went to Sodom [and Gomorrah], v. 16. This is said about the angels, because here, in the tabernacle of Abraham, both the angels and their Lord appeared together. But then the angels, as ministers, were sent to destroy those cities, and the Lord remained to converse with the righteous man, as a friend converses with a friend, about what He intended to do. And so, when the angels had departed, he "said" (it is said in the Scriptures), "The Lord, will I hide from Abraham what I will do" (Gen. 18:17). What a great condescension of God, and how this honor bestowed upon the righteous surpasses every word! See how He converses with the righteous just as a man converses with a man like himself, showing us by this what honor God vouchsafes to virtuous people. And lest you think that so great an honor to the righteous is the work of God's goodness alone, see how the divine Scriptures teach us that the righteous man himself deserves such an honor, in complete obedience to the commandments of God. Precisely, the Lord, having said: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I want to do?" does not immediately, however, speak of what was to be; otherwise He should have added and said that He intends to set Sodom on fire. However, it is also necessary to pay attention to the following (for it is not necessary to ignore a single word, not a single feature in all that is contained in the Divine Scriptures): how much honor, do you think, is there in these very words: "Abraham my servant"? What love, what goodwill! It is in these words that all the advantage and all the honor of the righteous man are revealed. Then (as I have already mentioned), having said, "I will not conceal it," he does not immediately add, and says what will happen, and what? In order for us to know that it is not without reason and not in vain that He shows such great care for the forefather, the Lord says: "From Abraham will surely come a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, for I have chosen him to command his sons and his household after him, to walk in the way of the Lord, doing righteousness and justice; and the Lord will do to Abraham what He said concerning him" (Gen. 18:18-19). Oh, how great is the Lord's love for mankind! Since after this He intended to speak about the destruction of Sodom, He first encourages the forefather, announcing to him the greatest blessing, i.e., that from him "will come a great nation," and at the same time shows him that he will receive such a reward for his God-loving heart. Consider, then, what is the virtue of the forefather, when God Himself says: "For I have chosen him, that he should command his sons, and his household after him, to walk in the way of the Lord." This is the great reward for virtue! Not only does the forefather receive a reward because he himself struggled in virtue, but he is also honored with a generous reward for having commanded the same virtues to his descendants. In this way, he also became a teacher for all in the future, because he who is the first to initiate and begin a work will also be the author of what will later come from this work.

3. You see the goodness of the Lord! He rewards the righteous not only for virtues already committed, but also for those expected in the future. "For I have chosen him," he says, "that he should command his children." I, he says, know beforehand the intentions of this righteous man and warn him with retribution. Thus the Lord knows our innermost thoughts, and when He sees that we desire what is due and show sound judgment in ourselves, He stretches out His hand to us, and rewards us before our labors, thereby arousing us to greater zeal. And this can be seen in the lives of all the righteous. Knowing the weakness of human nature, so that we do not lose heart in hard labors, He often gives us both help and rewards in the midst of labors, making our labor easier and increasing our zeal. "For I have chosen him," he says, "that he should command his sons to walk in the way of the Lord." Not only does he foretell of him that he has commanded, but also of his sons, meaning Isaac and Jacob, that they will "keep" the ways of the Lord. "The ways of the Lord", i.e. commandments, commandments. "To do," he says, "righteousness and judgment," i.e., to prefer nothing to righteousness, to be a stranger to all unrighteousness. This is the greatest virtue, and for this all that the Lord had announced to him had to be accomplished. I think, however, that He had something else in mind when He said, "Surely from Abraham shall come a great and mighty nation." As if He had said: "You, who love virtue, obey all My commandments, and show all obedience, you will be a "great and mighty nation," but those wicked who dwell in the land of Sodom will all be destroyed, because just as virtue serves as a means of salvation for those who strive in it, so vice is the cause of destruction. Now, having stirred up the righteous man to greater boldness (of faith) by blessing and praise, God begins to reveal His destinies to him and says: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy; I will go down and see if they do exactly as the cry against them that goes up to Me or not; I will know" (Gen. 18:20-21). A terrible saying! "The cry," he says, "of Sodom and Gomorrah." Although some others were destroyed along with these cities, but since these were the most glorious, the Lord mentioned them in particular. "He is great, and their sin is very heavy." See how evil has grown there! A great multitude not only of outcry, but also of unrighteousness, because the words, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great," mean, I think, that together with the iniquity known not to be said and unforgivable, they also revealed many other unrighteousnesses: the strongest rose up against the weakest, the rich against the poor. Thus, it is said, not only is their cry great, but also their sins are not ordinary, but "their sin is very heavy." They invented a hitherto unknown iniquity, invented an unnatural obscene mixture, and were so inclined to evil that all were filled with all kinds of depravity, and no longer showed any possibility of correction, but had to undergo complete destruction. Their passions, having become incurable, no longer accepted any corruption. However, admonishing the whole human race that even if someone's sins are very great and known, it is not necessary to pronounce judgment on them before obvious proofs are presented, (the Lord) says: "I will go down and see whether they do exactly as the cry that goes up to Me is against them, or not; I'll find out." What is this adaptation in words? "I'll get off," he said, "I'll see." Does the God of all things move from place to place? No, let it not be! He does not express this, but, as I have often said, He wants to make us understand in a sensual way that we must be very careful, and that those who have sinned should not be condemned only by hearing, and that we should not pronounce the sentence without proof. Let us all hear this: for not only those who sit at the judgment seats are obliged to observe this law, but each of us should never condemn our neighbor for one empty slander. For this reason, later, the blessed Moses, inspired by the Holy Spirit, exhorted, saying: "Give no heed to vain ears" (Exodus 23:1). And Blessed Paul cried out in his epistle: "But why dost thou condemn thy brother" (Romans 14:10)? And Christ, giving commandments to His disciples, and teaching the Jewish people, the scribes and Pharisees, said: "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1). Why, says He, do you steal away the dignity of the judge before the time? Why do you warn of that (future) terrible day? Do you want to be a judge? Be a judge of yourself and of your sins. In this no one hinders you, and yet you will correct your sins in this way, and you will not suffer any harm from it. If, forgetting about yourself, you sit as a judge over others, then insensibly you collect for yourself only great burdens of sins. In the same way, I beseech you, we will in every way avoid condemning our neighbors. Though you have no judicial power, but condemn only by thought, yet you become guilty of sin when, having no proof, you condemn, as often happens, on mere suspicion and empty slander. That is why Blessed David exclaimed: "He who secretly slanders his neighbor I will cast out" (Psalm 100:5).

4. Do you see the superiority of virtue? Not only did David not accept what was said to him against others, but he also drove away those who wanted to slander his brother. Therefore, if we also wish to reduce our falls, let us be most concerned not to condemn our brethren, but not to allow those who invent slander against them, or, even better, to drive them away from us, following the example of the prophet, and to turn away from them completely. This, I think, is expressed by the Prophet Moses, in the words: "Do not heed empty ears." That is why, in the present case, for the benefit of our souls, the Lord of all kinds used such a sensual form of expression and said: "I will go down and see." How could it be otherwise? Did He not know? Did he not know the whole multitude of sins? Did He not understand the complete incorrigibility of those who have fallen into sins? But He showed such long-suffering, as if justifying Himself beforehand before those who would afterwards shamelessly accuse Him [i.e., of lack of long-suffering and justice], denouncing their light-mindedness and great poverty in virtue. And perhaps not only (He did so), but also in order to give the righteous man an opportunity to show compassion and the power of love (for his neighbors) in his soul. Thus, the angels, as it was said before, went to Sodom, and the forefather stood before the Lord (Gen. 18:22). "And Abraham came near," it is said, "and said, Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked" (Gen. 18:23)? Oh, the boldness of the righteous! Or, better yet, oh, compassion of the soul! He, in an abundance of compassion, does not even seem to understand what he is saying. And the Divine Scriptures, showing that he uses his intercession with great fear and trembling, says: "And Abraham came and said, Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked"? What are you doing, blessed forefather? Does the Lord need your intercession not to do this? But let's not think so. And in fact, Abraham does not speak as if the Lord really wanted to do this; but, not daring to speak directly about his nephew, he offers a common prayer for all, wishing to save him with the rest, and with him to deliver others (from perdition). And so he begins to intercede, and says: "Perhaps there are fifty righteous men in this city? Wilt thou destroy and spare not this place for the sake of the fifty righteous men in it? it cannot be that you should destroy the righteous with the wicked, that it should be the same with the righteous as with the wicked; it cannot be from Thee! Shall the judge of all the earth do wrong" (Gen. 18:24-25)? See how in his very intercession he expresses his pious spirit, confesses God to be the judge of all the earth, and acknowledges it just that the righteous should not perish with the wicked. And the merciful and loving God bows to his prayer and says: "I will do as you say, and I accept your intercession: "If I find fifty righteous men in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake" (Gen. 18:26). Fifty, he says, to the righteous, if they are found, I will grant the salvation of the rest, and I will fulfill your request. Then the righteous man, feeling boldness and taking advantage of God's love for mankind, goes further in his request and says: "Behold, I have decided to speak to the Lord, I am dust and ashes" (Gen. 18:27). Do not judge me, O Lord, as if I did not know myself, and I overstep the bounds by allowing myself such great boldness: I know that I am earth and ashes. But as I know this and understand it clearly, so it is not unknown to me that Thy love for mankind is great, that Thou art rich in mercy and that Thou wilt save all men. Having created (people) from non-existence, would You ever want to destroy them, who are already there, if the multitude of their sins were not great? Therefore I ask and pray again: "Perhaps five of the fifty righteous will be missing, will Thou destroy the whole city for lack of five? He said, I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there" (Gen. 18:28). Who will praise God of all things for such long-suffering and condescension, or who will sufficiently please the righteous who has received such boldness? "And he continued," it is said, "to speak with Him, and said, Perhaps forty shall be found there? He said, I will not do this for the sake of the forty" (Gen. 18:29). Then, as if fearing to test the unspeakable long-suffering of God any longer, and fearing lest he should appear to be transgressing the boundaries, and not go further with his intercession than is proper, he says: "Let not the Lord be angry, that I should say, Perhaps thirty shall be found there" (Gen. 18:30)? Since he saw that God bowed down to mercy, he no longer began to reduce the number of the righteous by a little, and having reduced not by five, but by ten, the number of the righteous, he thus continued his intercession and said: "Perhaps there will be thirty found there? He said, I will not do it, if thirty are found there" (Gen. 18:30). Behold, what perseverance there is in the righteous man! He is so anxious to deliver the people of Sodom from the punishment that threatens them, as if He Himself were to be subjected to the same condemnation. "Abraham said, 'Behold, I have made up my mind to say to the Lord, Perhaps there shall be found twenty there?' He said, I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty" (Gen. 18:31). Above all word and all mind is such goodness of the Lord! Would any of us, who live in the midst of innumerable evils, pronounce judgment on people like ourselves, show such condescension and philanthropy?

5. But this righteous man, seeing such riches of God's love for mankind, does not yet stop, but says again: "Let not the Lord be angry, what shall I say once more" (Gen. 18:32)? Having experienced the unspeakable long-suffering of God, and fearing that he might no longer stir up Him to anger against him, before whom he interceded for others, the forefather says: "Let not the Lord be angry"? Am I not acting foolishly? Do I not show something shameless? Shall I not do a deed worthy of condemnation, "if I speak once more"? But in Thy great goodness, accept from me one more prayer: "Perhaps ten will be found there? He said, I will not destroy for ten's sake. And since the forefather had said beforehand, "I will say it once more," it is said, "The Lord has ceased to speak to Abraham; Abraham returned to his place." (Gen. 18:33). Do you see all the condescension of the Lord? Do you see the ardent love of the righteous? Do you now understand what is the power of people who strive in virtue? "If there be found," says (the Lord), "ten righteous men," for their sake I will grant forgiveness of sins to all. Have I not truly said that all this was done for the purpose of leaving no pretext for reproach to those who would speak shamelessly (about these events)? For there are many fools who have an unbridled tongue, who want to reproach (the judgment of God), and say: "Why is Sodom burned? They [i.e., the inhabitants of Sodom] might have repented if they had been shown long-suffering." That is why God shows such an increase in evil, and such an impoverishment of virtue in such a multitude of people, that a second flood was needed, the same as previously covered the universe. Only in view of God's promise that such a punishment will not be repeated, God now uses another kind of punishment, subjecting the Sodomites to punishment together, and giving all subsequent generations a constant lesson in this. They perverted the laws of nature, invented a strange and unlawful confusion. Wherefore God also brought upon them an extraordinary kind of punishment, for their iniquity he smote the very bowels of the earth [of course, the barrenness of the earth, and the deadness of nature, which are still visible on the shores of the Dead Sea, where Sodom and Gomorrah were found and consumed by fire], and left a permanent monument for posterity, so that they might not dare to do such things, and not be subjected to the same punishment. Whoever wishes can visit these places, and see this land, so to speak, crying out and showing the traces of execution: after so many years, the wrath (of God) is so evident in it, as if the plague had struck it only yesterday or this morning. Therefore, I beseech you, let us understand the example of others, seeing the execution that has befallen them. But perhaps some will say: what is this? If they are thus punished, are there not now many who break the law in the same way as they are, and yet are not punished? Perhaps, but for that reason the greater punishment awaits such lawless ones. Of course, if we do not come to our senses by what befell the Sodomites, nor do we turn God's patience to our advantage, then think how much more strongly we kindle for ourselves the future inextinguishable fire, and how fierce a worm we prepare for ourselves! And on the other hand, even now, by the grace of God, there are many virtuous people who, like the forefather then, are able to propitiate the Lord, and if we, looking at ourselves and seeing our own carelessness, rightly recognize (in the world) a great impoverishment of virtue, then God shows long-suffering for the virtues of these people to others. And that the boldness of such people is indeed the cause of God's long-suffering for us, be convinced of what God says to the forefather in this very story: "If ten righteous men are found, I will not destroy them for the sake of ten." And what do I say, ten righteous men? In Sodom there was no one free from iniquity, except one Lot the righteous and his two daughters. His wife, perhaps for his sake, escaped execution in the city, but for her negligence she was subsequently punished. Now, through the ineffable love of God, works of piety have multiplied, and in the cities there are not a few people who are able to propitiate God; others hide in the mountains and caves. And the virtue of these people, even if they are not many, can cover the sins of many, because the goodness of the Lord is great, and He often, for the sake of the righteous few, deigns to grant salvation to many. But what do I say, for the sake of a righteous few? Often, when He does not find a single righteous person in this life, He is propitiated over those who live for the virtue of the dead, and declares thus: "I will guard this city for my own sake, and for the sake of David my servant" (2 Kings 19:34). Though they, he says, are unworthy of salvation, and in no way deserve to be delivered from misfortune, yet as it is natural for Me to show love for mankind, and as I am always ready to have mercy and deliver (people) from troubles, so for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant I will bring salvation to them. In this way, this man [David], who had departed from this life so many years before, becomes the author of salvation for people who perished from their own carelessness. Do you see the Lord's love for mankind, how He honors men who shine with virtue, how He prefers and opposes them to all the multitude of other people? That is why Paul also said: "They wandered in alms and goatskins, enduring deficiencies, sorrows, bitterness; those of whom the whole world was not worthy" (Hebrews 11:37-38). This whole world, he says, with all the universe, has no equal value with those who, for God's sake, spend their lives in sorrows, in anger, in nakedness, in wandering, or in caves.

6. And so, beloved, when you see a man outwardly clothed in poor clothes, but inwardly clothed with virtue, do not despise him for his outward appearance, but observe his spiritual richness and inner light, and then you will see in him everywhere a resplendent virtue. Such was the blessed Elijah: he had only one mercy; but Ahab, clothed with purple, also had need of his mercy. Do you see from this Ahab's poverty and the riches of Elijah? See, then, what a difference in their power: the mantle of Elijah closed the heavens, stopped the flow of rains, and one word of the prophet was like a bond for heaven, so that for three years and six months there was no rain; but he who was clothed with purple and diadem went about seeking a prophet, and could not derive any benefit from his great power. But see how loving the Lord is to mankind: as soon as He saw that the prophet, moved by zeal and great zeal, had brought such a great punishment upon the whole earth, so that he himself would not be subjected to calamity from this punishment and would not suffer like the wicked, He said to him: "Arise and go" [the saint recounts here an event from the story of the Prophet Elijah, not literally according to the text of the Book of Kings, but abridged, partly in their own words, partly in the words of the Scriptures, which therefore differ from each other in their double design] "to Zarephath of Sidon," for there I will command "a widow woman to feed you. And he got up and went. (1 Kings 17:9-10). Notice, beloved, the grace of the Spirit. And yesterday our whole conversation was limited to the love of strangers; And today this strange-loving widow will conclude our word. And he came, it is said, to the widow, and found her gathering wood, and said to her, "Give me a little water to drink" (1 Kings 17:10). She obeyed. And he said to her again, "Make me unleavened bread, we will sing" (1 Kings 17:11). And then it reveals its extreme poverty, or rather (to say) unspeakable wealth, because the increase in poverty has shown the greatness of wealth. She said, "Your servant has nothing but a handful of flour in a tub and a little oil in a pitcher: I will prepare this for myself and for my son; let us eat it and die" (1 Kings 17:12). Pitiful words that could bend even the most stony soul! There is no hope of salvation left for us, she says; death at the door; This is only one thing [i.e., a handful of flour and a little oil] and is left with us to sustain life; and even that will hardly be enough for me and my children. I did what was possible: I gave him water. But that we may know both the love of strangers of this woman, and the great power (of faith) in the righteous man, see what has happened. When the prophet learned all this, then, in order to reveal to us the virtue of the woman (for God, who said, "He commanded a widow woman to feed thee," in this case He Himself acted through the prophet), said to her: "First of these make a little unleavened bread for me, and bring it to me; but for thyself and for thy son shalt thou do afterwards" (1 Kings 17:13). Listen to this, you wives who are surrounded in abundance by riches: you waste your surplus on many useless things, and, in the midst of all your pleasures, you do not want to throw two oxen to the needy, or to any of the virtuous men who suffer poverty for God's sake. And this woman had nothing else but a handful of flour, and expected, according to her reasoning, to see the death of her children soon, but she heard from the prophet: "First of this, make a little unleavened bread for me, and bring it to me; and for yourself and for your son you will do it afterwards" – and she was not upset, did not hesitate, – she immediately fulfilled the command, teaching all of us to prefer the servants of God to our own comfort and not to ignore such favorable occasions, but to remember that for this we will be greatly rewarded. Look at this widow: for one handful of flour and a little oil, she bought herself an inexhaustible granary. After all, after the prophet had been fed, neither a handful of flour nor a jar of oil ran out of it, while the whole earth perished from hunger. It is also wondrous and astonishing that at that time she had no need to work, but always had flour and oil ready; it had no need of agriculture or oxen, and knew no other care; But with her, everything obviously happened supernaturally. And while the king, clothed with a diadem, was in a hopeless situation, under the yoke of hunger, the poor widow, herself deprived of everything, began to live in constant abundance because she had received the prophet to her. That is why Christ also said: "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet" (Matt. 10:41). Yesterday you saw what blessings the forefather was honored with, showing with great zeal generous hospitality. Look also at this woman of Sidon, who suddenly acquired unspeakable wealth, when the word of the prophet, which held heaven in its power, made for her an inexhaustible handful of flour and a pitcher of oil.

7. Let us all imitate her, both men and women! I would like to stir you up to imitate the zeal and virtue of the prophet; but this will seem to you beyond your strength, although he also was a man clothed with flesh like us, and had the same nature as us; but he was worthy of grace from above because he did everything that depended on him in abundance, and (most of all) he loved virtue. And so, let us first imitate, at least, this woman (of Zarephath); and then, little by little, we will come to imitate the prophet. Let us imitate her love of strangers, and let no one plead his poverty. No matter how poor anyone may be, he cannot be poorer than this woman: she had food only for one day, but even in this state she did not hesitate to fulfill the request of the righteous man, but showed great diligence, and for this she received a speedy reward. Such are the works of God: for a little, God usually gives much. Tell me, perhaps, what did she do, and did she sacrifice as much as she received later? But our Lord usually values not the quantity (of what is offered), but the diligence of the soul, in which even the small becomes great, and vice versa: the great is often diminished when it is not done with a cordial readiness. Thus, the widow mentioned in the Gospel, when many put much into the treasury (of the church), having put two mites, surpassed all, not because she gave more than others, but because she showed her zeal with all her heart. Others, it is said, did this out of their abundance, but she put in all that she had. Let us, men, at least imitate women, and show ourselves not worse than they; let us not only take care to spend all our possessions on our own pleasures, but let us also take care of the needy, and we will do this with diligence and pleasure. The farmer, when he throws seeds into the ground, does so not with sorrow, but with joy and gladness, and with such confidence he leaves his seeds in the ground, as if he were already seeing the sheaves themselves. In the same way, beloved, do not look at what the poor man receives from you, and what expenses he leads you into, but imagine that Someone accepts from your hands what you do for the poor who stands before you, and this Other is not any mere person, but the Lord of all, the Lord of all, the Creator of heaven and earth. And your expenses become an acquisition, and not only do they not diminish your possessions, but increase them even more, if only you do this with faith and joyful zeal.

That country is above all such evil. Only let us do this not out of vanity, but according to the commandments of God, trying not to obtain praise from men, but from the Lord common to all: otherwise we will bear the costs and the gains, because the wealth transferred to heaven by the hands of the poor, becoming inaccessible to all other calumnies, can be destroyed by vanity alone. As here the moth and the worm injure the garment, so the wealth gathered in heaven by alms is harmed by vanity. Therefore I beseech you: let us not only do almsgiving, but let us also do it with caution, so that we may receive great blessings for the small, the incorruptible for the perishable, and eternal for the temporal, and so that in addition to all these we may be able to receive both the remission of sins and the eternal ineffable blessings, which may we all be vouchsafed to inherit through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, with the Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

DISCOURSE 43