Confidently, most beloved, we exhort you to works of piety, because by experience we have learned that you gladly receive what we admonish. For you know, and by God's teaching you recognize, that the observance of the divine commandments will profit you unto eternal joy. In the fulfilling of which, because human frailty for the most part grows weary, and in many things stumbles through the slipperiness of its own infirmity, the merciful and loving Lord has given us remedies and helps, through which we may be able to obtain pardon. For who would escape so many enticements of the world, so many snares of the devil, so many perils, in short, of his own mutability, unless the clemency of the eternal King preferred to restore us rather than to destroy us?
For even those who are already redeemed, already regenerated, and made sons of light, so long as they are detained in this world, which is wholly set in wickedness; so long as corruptible and temporal things allure the infirmity of the flesh, cannot pass these days without temptation. Nor does a victory so unbloodied readily befall anyone, that amid many enemies and frequent conflicts, even if he be free from death, he be also immune from wounding. For the healing, therefore, of the injuries which those often incur who contend with an invisible enemy, the medicine of three remedies above all must be applied: in the instancy of prayer, in the chastisement of fasting, in the largeness of almsgiving:
which when they are practiced together, God is appeased, guilt is blotted out, the tempter is crushed. And with these safeguards the faithful soul ought always to be girded, but then to prepare itself zealously, when those days are present which are properly appointed for these offices of piety. Of which number is also the solemn fast of this tenth month, which is not therefore to be neglected because it was assumed from the observance of the old law, as though it were of those things which have ceased to be among the distinctions of foods, among the differences of baptisms, and the victims of birds and beasts. For those things which bore figures of things to come, when the things signified were fulfilled, came to an end. But the profit of fasting the grace of the New Testament has not removed;
and continence, ever profitable to body and soul, it received with pious observance. For as it abides with Christian understanding: 'The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve,' and 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart,' and 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,' and the rest of such commandments:
so that which in the same books was commanded concerning the sanctification and care of fasts is by no interpretation made void. For in every time, and on all the days of this world's life, fastings make us stronger against sins, fastings conquer concupiscences, repel temptations, incline pride, mitigate wrath, and nourish unto the ripeness of all virtue every affection of a good will; provided, however, that they take to themselves as companion the benevolence of charity, and exercise themselves prudently in works of mercy. For fasting without almsgiving is not so much a cleansing of the soul as an affliction of the flesh; and it is rather to be ascribed to avarice than to continence, when someone so abstains from food that he fasts even from piety. Let our fasts, therefore, most beloved, abound with the fruits of liberality, and be fecund toward the poor of Christ with kindly gifts.
Nor let those of moderate means be slow in this work, because what they can pluck from their substance may be but little. The Lord knows the strength of all, and the just inspector knows out of what measure each one gives what he gives. Unequal substances indeed cannot have equal expenditures: but often that which differs in outlay is equalized in merit; for the intent can be equal, even where the income is unequal. That these things, therefore, may be tended as those who assist God with pious devotion, let us fast on the fourth and sixth day; but on the Sabbath let us celebrate vigils at the tomb of the blessed apostle Peter, that aided by his prayers we may in all things obtain the mercy of God.