Homilies on Second Corinthians 2 part 2/2

but you hasten and do everything so as to depart destitute of a manner of life.

For what if you do become righteous, but from faith alone? We, however, pray that you may have boldness also from your good deeds.

To think His things continually, to be minded toward His things, to meditate on His things.

For we ask for a sober reasoning and a virtuous manner of life, not for one day or two or three only, but throughout all one's life and existence, and the foundation of all good things—namely, to be minded toward His things.

For the many seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ.

How then might this come to pass? For along with the prayer one must also contribute what comes from oneself.

If we occupy ourselves in His law day and night;

wherefore he also adds this in his petition:

To occupy oneself in His law.

And just as above he said 'continually,' so here, 'day and night.'

Wherefore I am also ashamed on account of those who scarcely appear in church once a year.

For what defense could they have who are commanded not merely to converse with the law day and night, but to occupy themselves in it—that is, to be constantly engaged with it—and yet do not do this even for the smallest portion of their life, so as to remember His commandments and keep His ordinances?

Do you see a most excellent chain, and how each of these clings to its neighbor, being framed together more securely and beautifully than any golden chain? For having asked for a mind inspired by God, he tells how this might come to pass.

And how might it come to pass? By meditating on Him continually.

And how might this come about? By attending to the law without ceasing.

And how might men be persuaded to this? If they keep His commandments;

or rather, from attending to the law comes also the keeping of the commandments;

just as also from being minded toward His things and having a mind inspired by God comes the meditating on His things.

For each of the things mentioned both helps to establish its neighbor and is itself established by it, both holding it fast and being held fast by it.

Let us yet more earnestly make supplication on their behalf.

For since in a long discourse the soul is wont to fall asleep, he rouses it up again.

For again he wishes to ask certain great and lofty things;

Let us yet more earnestly make supplication on their behalf.

And what is this? That He may deliver them from every wicked and untoward thing.

Here we ask on their behalf both not to enter into temptation and to be delivered from every plot, from things bodily and spiritual alike.

From every diabolical sin, and from every assault of the Adversary;

signifying thereby both the temptations and the sins.

For sin is a thing that easily besets us, standing on every side, before and behind, and thus casting us down.

For since he had said what things must be done on our part, namely to be occupied in His law, to remember His commandments, and to keep His statutes,

he then persuades them that not even these things are sufficient, unless He Himself be present and give aid.

For unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it;

and this especially in the case of these, who still lie exposed to the devil and are under his dominion.

And you who have been initiated know these things.

Call to mind, then, those words by which you renounced his tyranny, bending the knee, deserting to the King, and uttering those awesome words by which we are taught to yield to him in nothing at all.

He calls him both Adversary and devil, because he both slanders God to men, and us to God, and again us to one another;

for at one time he slandered Job to God, saying,

Doth Job serve the Lord for nought? And again God to Job,

Fire came down out of heaven;

and to Adam again he slandered God, when He said that their eyes would be opened;

and to many of the men of the present day, saying,

God takes no thought for the things that are seen, but has abandoned your affairs to demons;

and to many of the Jews he slandered Christ, calling Him a deceiver and a sorcerer.

But how he works, perhaps some may wish to hear.

Whenever he finds no mind that is divinely-minded, whenever he finds no sober soul, whenever a man remembers not the commandments of God, nor keeps His statutes, then he takes him captive and departs.

Adam, at any rate, if he had remembered the commandment that said, Of every tree thou shalt eat, if he had kept the statute that said, In the day that ye eat, then ye shall surely die,

he would not have suffered what he suffered.

That He may vouchsafe to them, in a fitting season, the regeneration of the laver, the remission of sins.

For we ask both the present things and the things to come;

and we discourse concerning the laver, and in the very petition we teach them to know its power.

For from this point already the discourse accustoms them to know that the thing is a new birth, and that we are born again, just as from the womb, so from the waters;

that they may not say, as Nicodemus did, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born from above? Then, since he had spoken of remission of sins, in what follows he confirms it, saying:

Of the garment of incorruption.

For he who is clothed with sonship plainly becomes incorruptible.

But what is the meaning of, In a fitting season? Whenever he is well-disposed, whenever he approaches with eagerness and faith;

for this is the fitting season for the believer.

That He may bless their comings in and their goings out, all their life.

Here they are bidden to ask even for something bodily, inasmuch as they are still weaker.

For their houses and their households.

That is, whether they have servants, or kinsfolk, or any others belonging to them.

For these were the rewards of the Old Covenant;

and nothing seemed so dreadful as widowhood, as childlessness, as untimely mournings, as being in famine, as their affairs not proceeding with a fair wind.

For this reason He permits these also to linger over the more bodily petitions, raising them up little by little.

For this is what Christ also does, this is what Paul also does, making mention of the ancient blessings;

Christ, when He says:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth;

and Paul, Honour thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt be long-lived upon the earth.

That He may cause their children to grow and bless them, and bringing them to the measure of full stature, may make them wise.

Here again both something bodily and something spiritual, seeing that they are disposed as very babes.

Then the latter part is wholly spiritual;

That He may direct for them all the things set before them unto that which is profitable.

For not simply the things set before them, but unto that which is profitable.

For often a journey is set before us, but it is not profitable;

or some other such thing, but it is not advantageous.

From these things they are taught to give thanks to God in all things, as things done for their profit.

And after all these things he then bids them rise up.

For having first cast them upon the ground, when they had asked what they asked and were filled with confidence, the word raises them up, and bids them henceforth also to hold fast to supplication toward God.

For some things we say for them, but other things we entrust to themselves, thus already opening to them the doors of asking;

just as with children, at first we ourselves teach them, and then bid them also to speak for themselves, saying:

Ask ye for the angel of peace, O catechumens.

For there is an angel that has chastisement, as when he says:

A sending by evil angels.

For this reason we bid them ask for the angel of peace, teaching them to seek that which is the bond of all good things, namely peace, so as to be delivered from all strife, from all war.

That all the things set before you may be peaceful.

For even if a thing be burdensome, yet if it has peace, it is light.

For this reason Christ also said:

My peace I give unto you.

For no weapon is so mighty for the devil as strife and enmity and war.

Ask ye that the present day, and all the days of your life, may be peaceful.

Do you see how again he bids their whole life to be spent in virtue? May your ends be Christian;

the sum of good things, that which is noble and that which is profitable.

For that which is not noble is not profitable either.

For with us the nature of profitable things is other than the supposition of the many.

To commit themselves to the living God and to His Christ.

For we do not yet entrust to them petitions on behalf of others, but it is welcome enough that they can pray on behalf of themselves.

Do you see a prayer complete both in respect of doctrines and of conduct? For when we have said 'Gospel,' when 'garment of incorruption,' when 'laver of regeneration,' we have named all the doctrines;

When we said a God-inspired mind, when a sober reasoning, when the other things we have mentioned, we were hinting at one's manner of life.

Then we bid you bow your heads, making the blessing of God a token that the prayers have been heard.

For it is not indeed a man who blesses, but through that man's hand and tongue we present to the King Himself the heads of those who stand by.

And all cry out aloud the 'Amen.'

But for what purpose have all these things been said by me? That I might teach you that we must seek the good of others, lest the faithful should think that these words, when they are spoken, have nothing to do with them.

For it is surely not to the walls that the deacon says, 'Let us pray for the catechumens.'

'Let us pray for the catechumens.'

But some are so senseless and dull and dissolute that they stand and chatter not only during the time appointed for the catechumens, but even during the time appointed for the faithful.

Hence everything is turned upside down, hence everything is ruined: that at the very time when we most need to reconcile ourselves to God, at that very time we go away provoking Him.

For indeed, among the faithful we are bidden to approach the God who loves mankind on behalf of bishops, on behalf of presbyters, on behalf of kings, on behalf of rulers, on behalf of land and sea, on behalf of the air, on behalf of the whole inhabited world.

When, therefore, we who ought to have such great boldness as to make intercession for others do not pray watchfully even on our own behalf, what defense have we? What pardon? Wherefore indeed I exhort you, considering all these things, to know the time of prayer, to become lifted up on high, to be released from the earth, and to lay hold of the very vaults of heaven, that we may be able to make God propitious and to obtain the good things that have been promised;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and love toward mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.