Увещание к девству

See also: Exhortation to Virginity by St. Ambrose of Milan 1. Those who are invited to a great feast usually bring gifts with them. Having been invited to a feast in the city of Bononia, where the transfer (of the relics) of the holy martyr was celebrated, I also saved for you gifts full of holiness and grace. Gifts are usually considered triumphs of leaders, and these gifts also serve as triumphs: after all, the victories of martyrs constitute the triumph of Christ our leader. However, I did not direct my path here; and only at your request I was forced to bring with me what was prepared for others, and thereby come to you not without some property. And in this way my poverty, which could not live up to your expectations, will be abundantly filled by the martyr. 2. The name of the martyr is Agricola; Vitaly used to be his servant, and now he is his friend and accomplice in his martyrdom. To make a preliminary inspection of the place, the servant came forward; the master followed him, in full confidence that the place would be already prepared by the faith of the slave. And, of course, we do not praise (in the master) the merits of others; After all, the martyrdom of a slave is the (fruit) of the master’s teaching. This one taught, and that one fulfilled. At the same time, the merit of the slave is not diminished in the least. In fact, is it possible to diminish what Christ gave? One thing that is wonderful is that through serving man the slave learned how to please Christ; at the same time, the master also received extreme praise: in relation to the slave - for teaching, and in relation to himself - for martyrdom. And so, competing with each other in virtues, they then merited to be equal. The master sent the slave to martyrdom first, and the slave dragged the master along with him. 3. Consequently, the (external) position of a person is in no way an obstacle to his glorification; It is not the nobility of the family, but faith that bestows a well-deserved reward. Whether slave or free, we are all one in Christ: and “everyone will receive from the Lord according to the measure of the good that he has done” (Eph. 6:8). Slavery does not reduce (merit) and freedom does not increase it. Notice how the temporary situation is taken into account. “Are you called as a slave,” says (the apostle), “do not be embarrassed... For a servant who is called in the Lord is the Lord’s free; likewise, he who is called free is a servant of Christ” (1 Cor. 7:21–22). Consider, I say, the meaning (of the words) of the apostle. Apparently, he exalted more the one who was called in a state of slavery than the one who was called from a free state. For from a slave Christ is made free, and from a free man a slave. But in fact, He did not exalt either one; He divided both to the same extent. And indeed, for Christ, slavery and freedom are equivalent; There is not the slightest difference in merit between the merits of virtuous slavery and freedom; and there is actually no greater dignity than serving Christ. Finally, Paul is a slave of Jesus Christ: and if the apostle boasts of this slavery, then, therefore, it is glorious. Is it really not our greatest glory that we are valued at such a price that we are redeemed by the blood of the Lord? But we will continue further. 4. And so, when the persecutors forced Saint Vitaly to renounce Christ, and he (instead) began to confess the Lord Jesus Christ even louder, when they applied all types of torture to him, so that not a single place on his body remained free from wounds, then he poured out a prayer to the Lord in the following words: “Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and my God, commanded me to receive my spirit; for I have long been burning with the desire to accept the crown that Your holy angel is showing me.” And having finished the prayer, he gave up his ghost. 5. Saint Agricola was known for being a man of very gentle disposition, so that even his enemies loved him. That's why they put off his torment. And this respect on the part of the persecutors, combined with hatred of martyrdom, was (for him) more painful than any cruelty. Finally, when Agricola remained adamant, he was crucified. From this it is clear that the gracious attitude on their part was not an expression of goodwill, but a deception. By executing the slave they wanted to frighten the master. But Christ turned this into a gift of grace: the master followed the example of his servant. 6. Even the names of both of them (as if deliberately) were adapted to the feat of martyrdom; both of them, apparently, by their very names were doomed to martyrdom. One was called Vitaly, as if (as a sign) that he thought to gain true, eternal life by contempt for this life. The other was Agricola, as if to sow the good fruits of spiritual grace and irrigate the plantings of his exploits and all virtues with a stream of holy blood. 7. And they were buried in the land of the Jews, among their own graves. The Jews strongly desired to take part in their burial along with those slaves whose Master they had rejected. So Balaam once said: “Let my soul die in the souls of the righteous” (Num. 23:10); however, during his life he did not participate in the deeds of those among whose souls he wanted to die. So these, who were persecuted during life, they began to honor in death. Also there, as if separating the rose from the thorns, we looked for the remains of the martyrs. 8. When the holy remains were removed, we were surrounded by a dense crowd of Jews; The members of the Church (populus Ecclesiae) were also present with joy and jubilation. Seeing the martyrs, the Jews said: “Blossom appearing on earth; Christians said: the time for circumcision has come” (Song. 2:12). Already “he who reaps accepts bribes” (John 4:36). Others have sowed, and we are reaping the fruits of the martyrs. The Jews, listening to the voices of the jubilant Church, again said among themselves: “The voice of the turtledove was heard in our land” (Song. 2:12). Therefore, it is beautifully said: “day the word vomits out days, and night the mind proclaims night” (Psalm 19:3). “Day of days” – Christian to Christian, “night of night” – Jew to Jew. In a word, the Jews showed that they had knowledge of the martyrs, but did not have knowledge of the Word; i.e. (they have knowledge) that is not consistent with the knowledge of the One Good and the One True: “They do not understand God’s righteousness, and seek to establish their own righteousness, not obeying the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). 9. So, I brought you gifts that I collected with my own hands, precisely those victorious signs of the cross, the grace of which you know from its works. (This grace) is professed even by the demons themselves. Let others collect gold and silver and extract them from unknown veins, let them collect precious bundles of necklaces - all this is a temporary treasure and is often disastrous for its owners. We collected the nails of the martyr; and there were far from few of them due to the fact that the martyr had more wounds than members. When we collected these nails, the martyr seemed to exclaim to the Jewish people: “Bring up your hand and place it in My side, and do not be unfaithful, but faithful” (John 20:27). We collect the victorious blood and the wood of the cross. 10. When the holy widow asked for these gifts, we could not refuse her. So, accept the gifts of salvation that are now placed under the sacred altars. And that holy widow is Juliana, who prepared and offered to the Lord this church, which we are consecrating today; she, who in the person of her offspring has already consecrated churches of chastity and purity to the Lord, is worthy of such an offering. Wanting to talk about Julian, I mentioned Judea. And the language was not mistaken, but made an accurate definition. Indeed, Judea is a soul that confesses Christ. It is even said: “God is known in Judea” (Psalm 75:2), that is, where He was confessed, and not where He was denied. Consequently, spiritual Judea is where the understanding is greater and purer; “For there is salvation from the Jews” (John 4:22). Thus the error of language revealed the evidence of holiness. 11. So, let us honor this widow, for it is written: “Honor widows who are true widows” (1 Tim. 5:3); although, however, this widow is not seeking our verbal honor, who, having evidence from her good deeds, rose to fulfill the apostolic commandment, who raised her sons well and taught her sons even better. 12. And who did not mourn for her as an orphan and worthy of pity at the time when she lost her husband? She, on the contrary, mourned more strongly for the servant (of the Church) who was seized at the holy altar than for her husband or the father of the children. Although with the loss of her husband she lost protection and consolation, for her holy thought the misfortune of the Church was more severe. 13. She, having girded the recesses of her mind, in view of the family surrounding her, consisting of three daughters and one son, inspired by what others usually fear, turned to her children with the following speech: “Children! you lost your father, but you still have your mother. Of course, it would be better if the father was alive and the mother was not. However, no matter how weak and helpless I am, still, under the condition of your desire to follow (me), I will show you something on the basis of which you can think that your father has not left you: you have even a better father - the Heavenly Father. This is the One who was a support even for these fathers. And in fact, what other hope remains for us now? Your father was rich in grace, not in money; he was rich in his service, and not in his family estates; his heritage is faith, which is valuable before God and worthless to the world. He left you quite a rich inheritance, if only you follow his commandments. Only one faith inseparably belongs to both sexes, while the property belongs to the men, and the dowry to the girls. 14. And here you are, son, once dear to your father, remember what you owe to your mother - (remember) that you must support the good name of your house. Age excuses you, but inheritance rights oblige you. “Let son, father and mother rejoice in you” (Prov. 23:25). Do not despise your mother as unreasonable. “The king’s prophecy,” says the Scripture, “is his mother’s commandment” (Prov. 31:1). (A) What is a son who keeps the words of God? My firstborn son, I say to you: “What, child of my womb? what is the child of my prayers? Do not give your wife your wealth” (Prov. 31:2–3). Hear what the Wise One says, what Scripture affirms. 15. Consider who helped you to be born: you are rather the son of vows, and not of my illnesses. Consider what service your father intended you for by his very name when he called you Lavrentiem. We directed our vows to the place from which we took the name. And so the vows were followed by their fulfillment; Render to the martyr what you owe him. He asked you for us, and you fulfill what we promised about you by giving this name. 16. What else, son, do you think you should choose, if not the God of your fathers? For He makes the poor and the rich, He humbles and exalts, He lifts up the poor from the earth and raises up the poor from nothingness and, together with the mighty, enables him to sit on the throne of glory and inheritance; He fulfills the desire of the one who asks and blesses the life of the righteous (1 Samuel 2:7–9). What, son, is better than this? And what else represents human life on this earth if not a fast walker? So we passed (the earthly field) and saw nothing. And oh, if only we were like this walker, and thus did not see anything and did not lift any weights! And especially difficult is a fruitless movement and a vain burden. Being in vain, it is not even easy: it is not free from sin, but sin’s interest is heavy. That is why Saint Job exclaims: “Is not man’s life on earth like a temptation, and his daily life is like that of a hired servant? Or, like a servant, fear your Lord and gain shelter? Or like a mercenary, waiting for his reward? So I wait for months of futility, but the nights of illness are given to me. Whenever I fall asleep, I say: when is it day? Whenever I rise, again: when is evening? I am filled with illnesses from evening to morning. My life is quicker than ashes, but I perish in vain hope” (Job 7:1–4, 6). So, a person is nothing, unless you, Lord, look upon him and visit him until the morning and bring him into peace. If a tree is cut down, it sprouts again and blooms from the action of water; when a person falls, he turns into nothing and sorrows begin for him. 17. So, if you, children, want to avoid all these inevitable temptations, then you must strive for the integrity of the body, which I offer you in the form of advice, but do not instill in the form of a command. In fact, regarding virginity, only advice can be given, but not a command. It is more a matter of desire than of commandment. After all, what belongs to grace is not commanded, but only constitutes an object of desire; it is offered for free election, and not for obligatory execution (servitutis). That is why the apostle says: “I have not commanded the Lord concerning virgins, but I give counsel, because I have received mercy from the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:25). For he read that the Lord said to the eunuchs: “The little ones will keep My commandments and choose what I want and keep My covenant; I will give them a name in My house and in My fence, the best of sons and daughters; I will give them a name forever and they will not fail” (Is. 56:4-5). I will give you, he says, the best place; in this case, He addresses his speech to eunuchs, that is, to those who castrated themselves by cutting off their reproductive parts. So, these are those who have priority rewards in heaven over others. 18. The Son of God glorifies them in his Gospel. For when the apostles said: if a person’s position is such that he is not allowed to have “a wife... unless the word is adulterous, then he does not need to marry, the Lord answered them: not all can bear this word, but to them it is given to eat” (Matthew 19:9, 11), i.e.: the weakness of human nature does not accommodate that (the virgin state) should be accessible to everyone. Only for those alone it is easily acceptable, for whom divine grace has overshadowed and who, in order to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven, were able to castrate themselves. 19. You have heard, children, how great is the reward of integrity. By it the Kingdom is acquired, and the Kingdom of Heaven bestows angelic life. And I advise you exactly this, which is most beautiful - (I advise you) to become angels among people who are not connected to each other by any marriage ties (Matthew 22:30). In any case, those who do not marry or marry remain on earth as angels; they do not feel the sorrows of the flesh, they do not know slavery, they are free from the filth of worldly thoughts; on the contrary, they direct their thoughts to divine objects; they, as if throwing off bodily weakness, think not about what is characteristic of man, but about what is divine. 20. Think, daughter, how much you will be missing if, without a father, you want to get married. There is a lack of a good dowry; even if this itself were enough, then even then you would have bought yourself (only) slavery at a great price. And under present conditions, when you have no father, who would not show you contempt? Where will you resort, where will you seek intercession against your husband’s insults? And how many adversities are there in marriage itself? how severe are the insults in most cases? what are the shackles? 21. First of all, marriage itself is a fetter by which the wife (nupta) is tied to her husband and is given into subjection to him. True, the bonds of love are pleasant, but they are still bonds; the wife cannot free herself from them, even if she wishes it, (she cannot) even have her own free will. The Apostle says: “the wife does not own her own body, but the husband” (1 Cor. 7:4). And what is surprising in this regarding the wife, when the husband also has no power over his body, but the wife? If the stronger has no power over himself, then how much less (of this power) does the weaker have? So, mutual slavery does not make it easier for the wife, on the contrary, it binds her even more tightly. 22. So, look what the Scripture says, what the apostle advises. And who can give you better advice than this vessel of divine election? Listen to what he says: “I want all men to be as I am” (1 Cor. 7:7). And further he says about the unmarried and widows: “It is good for them if they remain as I did” (1 Cor. 7:8). I want you to be followers of this great apostle, to imitate his life; and he shunned the shackles of marriage and desired to be a prisoner of Christ Jesus. If he had been bound by the cohabitation (contubernio) of marriage, he could not have achieved such a great grace of apostleship. 23. If he, who in his teaching (his own) was most excellent and possessed such a great gift of Christ, recognized it as very important to abstain from entering into a marital union, if he remained in such a state for this purpose, so as not to cause too much damage to his ministry - since it is actually impossible for him to always be free for prayer and always to heed the divine commandments, who is distracted by concerns connected with marriage and aimed at how to to please your wife: - it goes without saying that you should choose, to whom only virginity can give freedom. In fact, the one getting married is sold into slavery for her own (own) money. Even slaves are bought under more favorable conditions compared to the conclusion of marriage: in the first case, slave service is bought, and in the second, payment is added to slavery. The woman who is sold in marriage is hung with gold and by (this) gold she is valued. 24. I, children, have experienced the labors of marriage, the hardships of marriage, and all this with a good spouse; Even with such a kind husband, I was not free: I served my husband and tried to please him. The Lord was merciful and made him a servant of the altar, and soon he was taken from me and from you; and, perhaps, by the mercy of God, all this is for the purpose of not being called (anymore) a husband. 25. You see, children, a mother aged from illness and still not ripe for the service of a widow. You see that all my protection and armor have been lost. I have neither help from my husband nor the gifts of virginity. However, I do not care about myself: I grieve for you, I think about you. The hardships of marriage remained my lot, and the auxiliary means disappeared. Oh, how I wish I had never used them! 26. But you can remove the guilt from the father and relieve the mother; what we have lost, you will restore. Only in this case we will not repent of marriage if our labors bring you benefit. I will consider being the mother of virgins very close to being a virgin myself. Look, children, what kind of mother the Lord Jesus chose for himself when he came into this world. He came to grant salvation to the world through the Virgin, and resolved the fall of his wife by the birth of the Virgin: may your integrity also resolve my sins. 27. Look how much good virginity contains. As you can see, I am (now) an orphan and need protection. But if you wish to remain so 47, then I will not seek help from anyone: the crown of your integrity will give me an abundance of all help. Who then will not call me happy, me, who is now considered unhappy? Who would not honor the mother of so many virgins? Who would not be imbued with respect for the chamber of chastity? 28. Divine Scripture showed the world many wives, but it bestowed the honor of universal salvation only on virgins. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people, locked both from land and from sea, were led by a virgin across the sea as if by dry land (Ex. 15:20); in the New Testament (in Evangelio) the Virgin gave birth to the Creator and Redeemer of the world. The Church is also a virgin, which the Apostle was jealous of “presenting to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2); the virgin is the daughter of Zion (Isa. 37:22), the virgin is also that heavenly city Jerusalem, into which nothing worldly (commune) or unclean enters (Apoc. 21:27). The Virgin is also the one whom Jesus calls, addressing her with the words: “Come from Lebanon, bride, come from Lebanon; come and pass from the beginning of faith” (Song 4:8). She not only came (transivit), but also passed (pertransit) as a virgin: hastening to the groom, she crosses the world (transit mundum) and reaches (pertransit) Christ; in other words, this means that she who has dedicated herself to Christ strives for the heavenly and bypasses the limits of the earthly. And the Groom himself marches towards his Bride in such a way that he jumps over the mountains, jumps over the hills (Song. 2:8). 29. In praise of virginity, he also adds: “The garden is enclosed, my sister, the Bride, the garden is enclosed, the source is sealed” (Song 4:12), - (concluded) so that virginity, protected by the gates of chastity, bears the best fruits, so that the seals of chastity remain intact in it. Take care of this garden of your soul, this source of pure moisture, lest anyone disturb it in you, lest anyone unseal this source, which nature has sealed with you (genitalis origo). Let no one steal the vineyard of your soul and plant cheap vegetables (in its place). After all, a vineyard is like the fruits of virginity, and marriage is like a planting of vegetables, which are often exposed to the cold; and therefore, like herbal vegetables, it soon falls away and withers, unless old age puts an end to it, or abstinence raises it to perfection. 30. So, do not let Ahab come to you with the desire to destroy and destroy your vineyard (1 Kings 21:2); Let not Jezebel, this vain stream of this age, come to you; indeed, this name signifies empty and vain abundance; - on the contrary, let Naboth come to you, coming from his father, as it appears from the interpretation of the name itself - Naboth, who defends the vineyard with his blood and offers his death for it. It was He who was stoned for us, for us he died, for us he was subjected to false witness; It was he who, being rich, came to us (huc) humbled, so that we through his poverty might become rich. He is the Vine, which filled the entire universe with the abundant fruits of its grace. Let Him dwell in your hearts, deeply entrenched (in them) by His root; May your fruit thus be abundant, and may the flame of bodily passions be tempered by the moisture of spiritual grace. 31. It is he who comes on a light cloud, as the prophet said: “Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud and will come to Egypt” (Is. 19:1), showing that he will come to Egypt, that is, to the suffering (of) this world, through the medium of the Virgin. So, he called Mary a cloud because she wore the flesh (of the Lord), but light because she, unburdened by any burdens of marriage, remained a Virgin. She is a rod, a vegetating flower, because her virginity is pure and directed towards the Lord according to the free will of her heart, because she does not deviate from any roundabout paths of the worries of this world. 32. That is why the Lord from the cross entrusted her to his beloved disciple Saint John (John 19:27), who said to “his father and his mother: I have not seen you” (Deut. 33:9). And, indeed, called by Christ, he left his father and followed the Word. The Virgin is entrusted to him, because he did not know his own; is entrusted to him, because he draws wisdom from the Persians of Christ; is entrusted to him because he did not know his brothers and did not know his sons. That is why the law blesses him: give to Levi his true ones, give to Levi his lot (Deut. 33:8). 33. And from that time on he took the Mother of the Lord to him; indeed, we see in the Scriptures that “from that hour the disciple began to sing to himself” (John 19:27). What does “at home” mean, since he had already left his father and mother and followed Christ? And how “at home”, since the apostles themselves said: “We have left everything behind you and died after you” (Matthew 19:27)? What did John have of his own, who did not have worldly and temporary things, who was not even of the world? So, what did he have of his own? Of course, only what he received from Christ. He is the good possessor of word and wisdom, the good recipient of grace. Listen to what the apostles received from Christ: “Receive,” He says, “the Holy Spirit; forgive their sins, they will be forgiven them, and by them you hold, they hold” (John 20:22–23). And the Mother of the Lord Jesus did not move to anyone other than the bearer of grace, in whom Christ had his abode. 34. So you also, my children, give this true Levi his true ones. Be clouds, but light clouds. And you will be them, if only virginity eases you from the hardships of life (conditionis) and enlightens the darkness of this mortal flesh. That is why she says: “I am black and good, daughter of Jerusalem” (Song. 1:4); black - flesh, good - virginity. So, those who marry are clouds, and heavy clouds; I even believe that the name of those getting married was taken precisely from the clouds. And in fact, when those getting married receive a veil, they cover themselves with it like clouds. Truly, the heavy clouds are those that bear the burden of marriage. They say that they actually experience heaviness in the womb as soon as they receive the seeds of conception. 35. Therefore, give to Levi his true ones. And what could be more true than that immaculate virginity that preserves the seal of chastity and the locks of innocence bestowed by nature? And so, when a young girl, having tasted marriage, loses the flower (her virginity), she already loses what constitutes her property, and an alien element is mixed in with her. In fact, the true state is the one into which we are born, and not the one into which we change; (true is) what we received from the Creator, and not what we received from cohabitation. Therefore, give to the true Levi, this head of the priesthood, to the true Aaron, to the true Melchizedek, his true ones, those true ones which he himself created, and not those whom the custom of this age produced; let him, in this way, recognize in you his deed and that undefiled and undestroyed seal (of virginity) given to you by nature. 36. Give him, show him that Adam who existed before the Fall, and that Eve who existed only until the moment when she drank the destructive poison of the serpent, (show them both as they were) before they stumbled through his wiles, when they were not yet the possessors of what they should have been ashamed of (later). And even now, even good marriages contain something that the spouses themselves are ashamed of in front of each other. So, children, be as Adam and Eve were in paradise. It is written about them that after Adam was expelled from paradise, he knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Cain; then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, whom she named Abel (Gen. 4:1–2). And so the second fruit turned out to be better than the first, since that one was blameless, but this one was wicked. He clung to God and was entirely the Lord's (a Domino), but this one is a worldly and earthly inheritance. Therefore, in this the redemption of the world is foreshadowed, and in this - its fall. This is the sacrifice of Christ, and this is the murder of the devil. So, let you, children, have nothing in common with worldly inheritance, do not think about acquiring for yourself any part of the Jewish earthly possessions. 37. We read that Moses, that is, the law, determined that all the lands acquired by war and murder should be distributed by lot to the Jewish people. The daughters of Salpaad also asked for a plot of these lands for themselves on the grounds that they were his daughters (Deut. 27:1). However, the same Moses did not allocate land to the Levites, whose dwelling was not earthly, but more sublime. He assigned them only a reward for their sacred service - without agricultural labor. The question is, what are these daughters of Salpaad who are looking for land? As the meaning of (the name) shows, they must be understood as darkening of the lips. And it happens, of course, to those who do not have words in their mouths and truth in their speech (Psalm 5:10), as we see in the Jewish people, who do not want to confess God Christ Jesus as the Son of God. These are the ones who are looking for land and striving for an inheritance of this kind, in order to shed sweat over it all the time of their lives, and instead of reaping fruits, they reap the thorns of worries and worries. 38. So, you, daughters, who believe in the eternal light that enlightens every person, who confess Christ not as if in the shadows, but in the light, avoid the (indicated) darkness of the lips. These are the people who walked in the shadow of death, and the light appeared to them (Isa. 9:2). So we, who confess Christ, were (once) in the shadow, but are now free from it. And although in this way, together with you, may I be allowed to say that we confess Christ; but nevertheless we will confess again: I am widowhood, and you are virginity. May confession with our lips be accomplished in us for salvation. 39. Therefore, give to Levi, this our Savior, his lot. His lot is Levitical service, his lot is virginity, his lot is widowhood; indeed, not only a virgin, but also an unmarried woman cares for the Lord. That is why the apostle said: In Him and by lot we are established (Eph. 1:11). In fact, just as in the Old Testament the earth was divided by lot, so in the New Testament (in Evangelio) we are dedicated to the Lord as if by some kind of lot. That is why it is written by the evangelists: “I divided my garments for myself, and cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 21:19; John 19:24). And the apostles, when it was necessary to elect the twelfth apostle in the place of Judas, decided to grant the gift (munus) of apostolic ministry by lot. And so, after making a prayer that the Lord would choose from the two whom He desired, the lot fell on Matthias (Acts 1:26). 40. So, that ancient division by lot was earthly, and this is spiritual. There is the acquisition of the material goods of this world, and here is the acquisition of personal service; there is a legacy of care, here a division of talents (gratiarum); there we possess fields filled with labor and sorrow, but here Christ possesses us. Why does Saint David say: “Thou hast gained my womb” (Psalm 139:13). Let Him, children, possess your womb, so that it may be a seedbed of chastity, a stimulator of virtues. Devote yourself to Christ and confess to Him, saying: “Thou art my part, O Lord” (Psalm 119:57). Only an unmarried woman can say this, but a married woman cannot say this; after all, she strives to please her husband, and only the unmarried woman (trying to please) Christ. This one is the heritage of the world, and this one is the heritage of Christ. 41. The Levite, the inheritance of Christ, is the one who does not appropriate to himself anything from the earth. He who is looking for a wife can no longer say: “You are my part, O Lord” (Psalm 119:57). But what does the servant of Christ say: “silver and gold,” he says, “I have not, but imam - this I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk” (Acts 3:6); and this he received because he did not seek gold. Indeed, he was sent without a staff, without a bag, without money. That's why he was glorified; since he did not have what he did not receive; he was not ashamed of poverty, since he atoned for his humiliation (pauper). That is why He said: “Arise and walk” - this is because he read in the Scripture: “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard” (Psalm 33:7). 42. So let the Lord be your portion, the Lord who creates both the barren and the barren. He creates both, but one gives birth in sorrow, and the other rejoices in (her) barrenness; to this latter it is said: “rejoice, you barren, you who do not give birth, shout and cry, you who are not sick with the stomach” (Is. 54:1). And, indeed, she has sons without the pain of birth. That is why in the appendix to the Church it says: “Who has heard ... whether a country arose in one day and whether a people were born” together (Is. 66:8)? But in one day the earth does not give birth, but grace gives birth. When Easter Day arrives, the sacraments of baptism are performed all over the face of the earth (in toto orbe), and the dedicated virgins are veiled. So, in one day, without any sorrow, the Church usually gives birth to many sons and daughters. And that is why it is beautifully said about those who are ordained (people): and a people was born together (Isa. 66:8). 43. You see the sacraments, you see the grace of Christ, the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is given as if by some kind of lot, for not by works, but by faith, everyone is justified by the Lord. In fact, just as the casting of lots depends not on our power, but on chance, so the grace of the Lord is sent down not as payment for merit, but as if arbitrarily. Therefore, about the division of gifts (gratiarum), sent down in various ways to the servants of God, the apostle says: “But all these things work in one and the same Spirit, dividing ... as each one wills” (1 Cor. 12:12). “As he wants,” he says, and not as he should. Indeed, to those who demand more abundant payment for their work and complain that they received equal (pay) with those who came after, the Lord says: “Or is your eye envious because I am good” (Matthew 20:15)? 44. Give, then, children, your lots to the One who usually gives (to his slaves) a reward that exceeds the price of labor. Give the truth to His holy husband (Deut. 33:8), that is: (grant) integrity; for the integrity of Him who came, free from all defilement, remains. So, virginity is the truth, and its loss is a lie. Therefore, stand firm in your heart, like a good vineyard in its shoots. 45. There are many temptations; That is why the Scripture says: they tempted him with temptation and slandered him on the water of quarreling kadis (cf. Psalm 106:14, 32; Deut. 32:51). Virginity is tempted by numerous seekers, and when a virgin decides to remain adamant, then the wranglers appear. The seeker gets into arguments and, if rejected, resorts to slander. The position of an unmarried woman - no matter whether it is a virgin or a widow - seems (then) shameful. Cadiz is an unmarried woman who is holy in body and spirit, who, having dedicated herself to the Lord, has left her parents and does not fulfill the wishes of those who usually tell her: you, daughter, are obliged to give us grandchildren. Cadiz is the one who does not know children. And if in this way she prefers the reproach of Christ, which is necessary for everyone who strives to please Christ, to the riches of this age, then how much more should you (whom the Father calls to chastity and the mother exhorts to follow what constitutes the requirement of duty) (should do the same). 46. ​​So, virginity is good. Why, (Scripture) says: whoever “decides in his heart to keep his virgin, does good. In the same way, when you give your virgin to marriage, he does good; and let him not do better” (1 Cor. 7:37–38). This one acts well because of temptation (laqueum), but this one acts better because of benefit. This (is done) for the sake of medicine, this is to receive a reward. “The Most Blessed One exists, if he continues according to my advice. For I imagine that I also have the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 7:40). So, children, follow the advice of the apostle, this gift of the Holy Spirit. 47. Take the tympanum in your hands, just as Mary, the sister of Moses and Aaron, took it; (and) go out with the words: “Let us drink to the Lord, for gloriously he has been glorified, horse and rider have been thrown into the sea” (Ex. 15:21). Mortify your members like a tympanum. Let no carnal lust (lascivia carnis) excite them, let every feeling of bodily passion perish (in them). And among the dead lusts of the body, let only the moderating voice of the spirit be known to you. If you die to sin, you will live to God; but you will be alive only when there is no lust in your dead body. 48. Have in your hands the cross of the Lord Jesus, and lift it up in your deeds. Tread on the abyss of this world and pass it by. Like a horse neighing lustfully, let him not find any refuge in you; let anyone who wishes to pursue and take possession of you drown. Let there be a wall of water around you on your right and left, tempering all your bodily ardor, until God’s favor removes you to those mental twelve springs and seventy palm trees, into that rest of the Great Saturday, and deigns to settle you on the mountain of his inheritance, where Holy Mary presides over the faces. 49. Put on, children, the Lord Jesus, seek true wisdom, about which Job speaks: “Where did you find wisdom from? and what place is there knowledge” (Job 28:12)? “An abyss of speech: there is nothing in me. The sea said: “It is not with me” (Job 28:14). The abyss said well: “there is not in me,” for He has risen; there is no One in her whom she could not hold. And in the Gospel you will find that the angels said to the wives who came to the tomb: “You are looking for Jesus crucified: there is no rise here” (Matthew 28:5-6). What does it mean: “not here?” This means: He is not in the grave, He is not in the underworld, but He is in heaven. And the sea also - that is, this age, this world - says: “he is not with me,” for He is above the world, whom neither the fall nor the charms of this world changed, since He “committed no sin, lest flattery be found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). So, the abyss said: “It is not in me,” and the sea said: “It is not with me.” But heaven did not say that it did not have the One whom it perceived as risen. And paradise did not say: “to bear in me” the One whom he, after freeing the thief according to the word of the Lord Himself: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), he recognized as his King. 50. Draw, children, wisdom into the inner treasuries of your heart, since it, which does not know death, is more precious than gold and silver; and it is not the dead who will praise You, O Lord, but the living (Psalm 113:25). Therefore, in order that you may live and praise the Lord, praise Him day and night. And you will praise Him only if no desire for a spouse, no worldly concern turns you away from Him; in fact, those who choose the lot for marriage bear the burden of worries about the affairs of this world. 51. Consider, children, what you owe in relation to parental vows. We have opened our mouths to God, and the will of our parents is a (legal) vow. We asked, and you will fulfill it. And what is the power of parental vows, the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead should teach you; she, so that the parental vow would not be in vain, even sacrificed her life (Judges 11:31). After all, worried about the unfavorable course of military operations, (Jephthah) made a vow, in the event of a successful outcome of the battle, to sacrifice to God what, upon his return home, he would first of all come across. And so, when the victory was won, his daughter came out to meet him, who, more than the others, was imbued with joyful jubilation on the occasion of the victory and out of duty of love (for her father). The father burst into tears and forgot all his feelings when he remembered (his) vow. The daughter asked him about the reason (for this state), and he told her what he had promised the Lord. Then the daughter began to convince him to fulfill the vow he had made to the Lord. And thus she atoned for her father’s careless vow with her blood. 52. All this applies to you too. “And here you are, the son who was given to me by the true Elkanah, - that is, the inheritance of God, - you (the subject of) my petitions and desires - from here you got the name Samuel, - you, I say, the object of my prayers and vows, you, who - I don’t even know how - entered my womb when I already despaired of having male offspring, you who created for me my vows, and not any secrets ordinary conception, you, I say, son, know who gave you to me. It is He who formed your mouth, it is He who formed (distinxit) your members, it is He who heard my prayers, to whose church and to whose service I doomed you even before your birth. You were born not for your parents, not for yourself, but for God; you began to belong to Him before you came out of your mother’s womb. And we all, of course, belong to Him, but nevertheless, you, as the fruit of the promises, should preferentially return to your Lord, for it is written: “Make and pay vows to the Lord your God” (Psalm 75:12). I am insignificant, I am unworthy, and yet, like Anna, I promised that all the days and nights of your life you will not depart from the face of the Lord; I promised, (and) you will fulfill it: the Lord will fulfill the gift of his sacrifice for himself.” 53. This and other things (like this) the pious mother said. And when she saw the appropriate mood in the children, she then brought her wealth (suum), suckled by the breasts of spiritual grace, to the church of the Lord and, turning in prayer, said: “My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God. My mouth was enlarged against my enemies, and they rejoiced in Thy salvation: for there is nothing holy like the Lord, and there is nothing righteous like our God, and there is nothing holy more than Thee” (1 Samuel 2:1-2). 54. So, this is what the mother said to her children, who at the same time brought into the house her title of widowhood in relation to herself and the title (titulos) of chastity in relation to children - in a word, these are, as it were, in a certain way the feminine principles of power. And, of course, this woman is beautiful, who left nothing for herself, and brought everything she had to God; her life is a lesson in learning (disciplinae) and a certain example of chastity, both in its good intention and in its even more valuable instructiveness. Indeed, the example of widowhood and virginity is instructive. 55. Here she goes to the Church, surrounded by the company of virgin daughters, and (as if) she brings here this decoration of her home. And in the Church she finds what she can call her property (suum), namely her son, who proclaims the sayings of the sacred readings. Thus, it turned out that his sisters also received instructions at home while their brothers listened to them (in the Church). And the mother, imitating the heavenly example, rejoices at her success in her son; She composes all the words of his readings in a pious feeling, and carefully preserves them in her heart. 56. Although there are no omissions in the mother’s admonitions, I, for my part, will tell you, children, at least a few words. Seek the Lord Jesus, Who exhorts us to seek the Kingdom of God: “And all these things,” He says, “will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). But I want you to first deserve it, and then demand a reward. The reward is beautiful, but even more beautiful is the giver of the reward and the originator of the gift. The reward is in the kingdom, and in Christ lies the power to distribute it. Seek this (power) in the divine Scriptures, where Christ is found, and speak as that (bride) spoke; “tell me what my soul has loved” (Song. 1:6). True, the Synagogue also sought Him, but only abandoned Him; seek him also, and do not forsake Him. But why do you, Synagogue, say: “I have loved him,” and do not express it this way: “I love him?” That’s why, of course, you don’t possess Him, since you say: you loved Him; why don’t you still love Him strongly in order to be able to possess Him. 57. However, let’s leave this (Synagogue). You, virgin, as soon as you begin to look for Him, He is already with you; and, indeed, it cannot be that He did not respond (desit) to the call of those who sought Him - He Who appeared to those who did not seek Him and revealed Himself to those who did not call. While you are talking and thinking, He is already here - with you. When He comes, then be able to ask Him where He grazes, where He rests, as that (bride) also said: “Where are you grazing? ... you rest at noon” (Song. 1:6). Where is Christ? Of course, where the noon of justice shines. This is even proven by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which says: “Put your village in the sun” (Psalm 18:5). Therefore, the same prophet says in another place: “in your Light we will see light” (Psalm 36:10). Light is the Son, Light is also the Father, Who appears (videtur) in the Son, for the Son is “the radiance of the glory of the Father and the image of His hypostasis” (Heb. 1:3). 58. But also in your light, virgin, seek Christ, (seek Him) in good thoughts, in good deeds, which may be enlightened before your Father, who is in heaven. Seek (Him) at night, seek him on your bed, for even at night He comes and knocks on your door. After all, He wants you to be awake at every moment, He wants the door of your thoughts to be open. There is also a door that He wants (to see) open, namely, for your lips to be open and proclaim the praise of the Lord, the beauty (gratiam) of the bridegroom, the confession of the cross, so that you, repeating the symbol, sing psalms on your bed. So, when He comes, let Him find you awake, ready. Let your flesh sleep, but your faith stay awake; let the temptations of the body sleep, but the prudence of the heart stay awake; let your members exude the fragrance of the cross of Christ and the fragrance of burial, and sleep, thus, does not spread any warmth in them, does not excite any movements. The soul, which is not disturbed by any bodily stimulation, opens itself to Christ. 59. Having found (all) this, the Bridegroom will pass by; but let your soul follow Him, let it leave its bed and follow His Word, as it is written: “my soul went out into His Word” (Song. 5:6), i.e.: let it leave (peregrinetur) from the body to be with God, since while in the body it moves away from Christ. That is why the apostle says: “We dare and deign, rather, to be taken away from the body and brought into the Lord. In the same way, those who strive, whether entering or departing, may it please him to be. For it is fitting for all to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that everyone may receive what he has done with his body, either good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:8-10). How easily (cito) he discovered the reason why the body will be resurrected. In fact, the flesh, which has to receive reward for its deeds, even needs to be resurrected: we must accept in the body for everything that we have done in the body. 60. So, the Lord wants Him to be sought more often: He withdraws, runs in order to awaken (resuscitet) grace (gratiam), which He wants you to awaken in yourself, as it is written (in the letter) to Timothy: “For this reason I remind you to kindle the gift of God, which dwells in you through” the laying on of my hands (2 Tim. 1:6). And she who has already kindled this gift (gratiam) in herself becomes (as if) wounded by love, as that (bride) said: “For I am wounded by love” (Song. 5:8), of course, under the condition that you have kindled and aroused love. And we will understand what this means if we remember that the Lord Jesus is an arrow; The Father says to him: “I have laid you down like a chosen arrow” (Isa. 49:2). And since He Himself is love, there are, of course, arrows of love with which He inflicts wounds on those who seek Him. And truly bound by bonds they follow Him; those whom He wounds He also binds (ligat). There are, therefore, even bonds of love; Paul was associated with them, who said: “Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:1). 61. Job also testifies to the existence of wounds of love, more than whom no one loved Christ; he loved Him even in the suffering of his own body. That is why he said: “For the arrows of the Lord are in my body, and their rage drinks my blood; Whenever I begin to speak, they will butt me” (Job 6:4). There are, therefore, wounds of love and wounds of goodness: better are the wounds of a friend than the voluntary kisses of an enemy (Prov. 27:6). Jeremiah burned in the same way and could not bear the fire of love that burned during the fulfillment of the prophetic ministry (Jer. 20:9). He was even thrown into a ditch, for he announced future destruction to the Jews and could not remain silent (Jer. 38:6). They also stoned Stephen, but he accepted these wounds for Christ as wounds of love, with a feeling of pious disposition (Acts 7:58). The apostles were beaten and rejoiced (Acts 5:40). How good is the Lord, for whose sake both insults are sweet and death is pleasant! And it’s even very pleasant, because it bestows immortality. 62. “At all times,” says (Ecclesiastes), “let your garments be white” (Eccl. 9:8). What is greater than virginity? What is greater than the spotless robe of chastity? Beautiful, of course, is marital chastity and the chastity of widowhood: all chastity is pure, but perhaps not all is white, or not white at all times. It is not white if one does not have power over his body, when prayer is postponed until (another) time. Therefore, it is beautifully said about virginity: “At all times let your garments be white and oil on your head” (Eccl. 9:8), so that your lamps can always shine and not go out when that heavenly Bridegroom begins to approach (Matthew 25:6). 63. And in what sense Ecclesiastes said: on your head, we will present on the basis of (the book) Proverbs 48; the eyes of a man, it is said, are on his head (Eccl. 2:14), i.e. (on the head) is the center of your wisdom (sapientiae tuae sensus). That is why, perhaps, that evangelical wife is praised, who wiped the Lord’s feet with her hair (Luke 7:38), precisely because she humbled herself by faith, so as not to seem proudly imbued with that carnal wisdom, which, as the true interpreter of the mysteries Paul explained, is not subject to the law, whereas (this wife) submitted herself to Christ. 64. We can perfectly understand this (the Gospel story) in the literal sense (corporaliter); in fact, if in the prophetic writings the daughters of Zion are blamed for the fact that they stood with their necks raised high, winked with their eyes, dragged (long) tunics behind them and played with their feet, and if for all this, says the Lord, the glory of their clothing, their ornaments, and the braiding of their hair is taken away (Isa. 3:16-18), then this (gospel) wife did the right thing when she let go She untied her hair and her braids according to the teaching of the Gospel (Luke 7:38). That is why the apostles said that women should seek not “braiding of the hair,” as Peter taught (1 Pet. 3:3), not “braiding with gold or beads or costly garments” (1 Tim. 2:9), as Paul asserted, but the adornments of the inner man; for only that hidden person of the heart who is poor to the world is rich to God. 65. Now you, children who consider yourself poor, listened (to me). The question arises, who is a rich person when there are so many needs? Of course, only those who do not have a grave sin on their conscience. In fact, “good,” says (Scripture), is a being that has no sin on its conscience (Sir. 13:30). You have listened, I say, to what your wealth may be before God. You are rich, says (Peter), if you have an uncorrupted and humble spirit (1 Peter 3:4). Indeed, good wealth is characteristic of innocence and meekness; sin is not imputed to them, since there are no twists of guile and deception in them; Every meek (person) does not know how to slander, he does not know envy, he is satisfied with his own, he does not look for someone else’s; and even when he is poor, he considers himself rich, if only he has enough food. In view of this, the Apostle Paul says beautifully: “and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their simplicity” (2 Cor. 8:2). 66. And since the Church was adorned with befitting decorations and, receiving the light from Christ, shone with radiance, then in view of this, the passage given below can be understood in the sense that here the Synagogue addresses the Church with these words: “Where do you shepherd? where do you rest at noon? Why should I be a wanderer near the flocks of your fellows” (Song 1:6)? The one who previously arrogated dominance to herself wants to be a mercenary. How disastrous is treachery! 67. But since she was unfaithful, stiff-necked and sacrilegious, Christ therefore separates her from the flocks of his Church, saying: if you do not know yourself, most beautiful of women (Song. 1:7), that is, first know yourself, what you are, and then only strive to get closer to my flocks. And rightly the Synagogue is called beautiful among women, and not among virgins, since it followed the wife Eve, through whom the fall came. The Church is beautiful among virgins, for she is an immaculate virgin (virgo sine ruga). 68. Consequently, both husband and wife should know that they are the image and likeness of God, and therefore should seek the beauty of the soul, and not the body. What are we made of? (We are composed of) the substance of the soul and the power of thought. This is our whole destiny (portio). David says: “I have trusted in God, I will not fear; what can the flesh do to me” (Psalm 55:5)? Therefore, we are not flesh, but spirit. But about the Jews it is said: “My Spirit shall not abide in them, ... they are flesh” (Gen. 6:3). We are not gold, we are not money, we are not an abundance of riches; after all, only that 49 is ours (property). Therefore, Moses says to you: “take heed to yourself” (Deut. 15:9), that is, (be attentive) to your soul, so that you do not perish and become carnal. “Take heed to yourself,” that is, to the image that you received from Christ, to the likeness with which you were created. Preserve the very image that Christ imprinted on you through His deeds, as He Himself says to Jerusalem, that is, to the soul that brings peace: “behold... you have written, O Jerusalem, your walls” (Is. 49:16). 69. So, take heed, and especially you, son, “take heed to yourself” in order to rejoice in your youth. And the Scripture tells you: “Rejoice, young man, in your youth” (Eccl. 11:9). It tells you, of course, not about the time itself exclusively of this age. It seems that there is a certain flourishing of life, a time of good deeds; which is what is actually meant in the words of Scripture: “your youth will be renewed like an eagle” (Psalm 102:5). “And let your heart,” says (Ecclesiastes), “make you happy in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart blameless and in the sight of your eyes,” but not in the boldness of your eyes (Eccl. 11:9); of course, in spiritual vision, and not in the boldness of this age. “And understand that from all these God will bring you to judgment. And put away wrath from your heart, and put away wickedness from your flesh” (Eccl. 11:9–10). 70. “Listen to yourself,” maiden, and you; be diligent in prayer; let your face become pale from constant prayer. And when you begin to pray, prepare your soul in advance, so that your prayer does not turn out to be a temptation for God; (pray in this way) so that your morals speak, your faith helps, and your deeds express what you pray for. “Take heed to yourself,” I tell you this, like every virgin. After all, you are not without a teacher who can give you a pious upbringing. 71. In particular, I repeat, be attentive, virgin, to the sacred vow and beware of every shameless eye. If, even temporarily, like a traveler, he passes by, then even then he will open his mouth and drink whatever water he comes across to give you something to drink (cf. Sir. 26:14). You should not go anywhere without your mother, who should be a vigilant guardian of (your) chastity. Even going to Church for young girls should be comparatively rare. Look what Mary was like, and yet every time they looked for her, they found her not anywhere else, but exclusively in her “spoon” (Judith. 13:3). Let her teach you what you should follow. She saw an angel in the form of her husband, and, turning her gaze away from him, she trembled in her heart. That is why the angel says to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary” (Luke 1:30). Solitude teaches modesty, withdrawal (from the world) exercises chastity. 72. And why do you need to go out freely (facile), even to your neighbor? After all, “the foot of a fool rushes into someone else’s house, but a man of great experience is ashamed” (Sir. 21:25). This is why gossip occurs, the Wise One perfectly teaches you to be wary of it in the following words: “Who will give... a guard for my teaching and a faithful seal... on my lips, so that I do not fall through them and so that my tongue does not destroy me” (Sir. 22:31). If the male sex is commanded to remain silent before elders, then how much more indecent is it for virgins to speak and make various speeches? 73. Suppose you impose silence on yourself, but can you force others to remain silent and not listen to them? Someone can sometimes put a bridle on his mouth and (put) a measure (stateram) on his words, but he cannot do this with his ears. It is up to us to speak, but to listen is up to the will of others; We often listen even to what we don’t want. 74. Let's see what else Scripture teaches us. We should not swear lightly (facile), because very often there are cases when we cannot fulfill what we swore. And whoever does not swear, of course, does not commit an oath; on the contrary, whoever uses an oath necessarily sometimes falls into perjury, for every person is a liar (Psalm 116:2). So, do not swear, lest you fall into perjury. 75. Even the most gaiety of virgins should not manifest itself too freely. If they have nothing to cry about, then let them mourn this world, let them cry about the fall of those who sin. After all, she who mourns the falls of others will fear her own (falls). Let them cry, finally, if only for the consideration that those who cry here will receive consolation there. After all, if you do not cry, then like the rich man who lived luxuriously here, and there, according to the testimony of the Lord’s saying, was subjected to severe torment, you can hear (the words of the Lord): “Thou hast received good things in thy belly” (Luke 16:25). How much happier is Lazarus, who wept here and rejoiced there; here he suffered hunger, but there he enjoys it? Therefore, if you want to achieve good joy, then the book of Ecclesiastes gives you instructions on how you should strive for such (joy); it says: “Come, eat your bread with joy;... for your creation has already been pleasing to God” (Eccl. 9:7). 76. Let us also see how the same Ecclesiastes accuses us all of immoderate laughter. “Like the voice of thorns under a pot,” he says, “like the laughter of fools” (Eccl. 7:7). But thorns, when they burn, make a cracking noise and quickly burn out without producing any heat. In view of this, it is said about the Jews: “they burned like fire among thorns” (Psalm 118:12). Indeed, inflamed by their laughter, they burned during the suffering of the Lord, when, laughing at the fire of their souls, they said: “Trust in the Lord, let him deliver him, let him save him, as He wills him” (Psalm 21:9). And, mocking him, they beat Him on the head with a reed, wove Him a crown of thorns and offered Him vinegar to drink. This ridicule sets the synagogue on fire forever. Such is the laughter of fools; he makes sounds devoid of mercy and burns the vessel of their own body. Therefore, it was not without reason that Sarah denied that she laughed (Gen. 18:15); In this case, she was afraid to reveal with laughter her doubts about the fulfillment of heavenly promises; but this laughter was still full of rationality (gravitatis) and chastity; and no outside witness, except God alone, who knows the hidden secrets, knew about him. 77. The following saying is also excellent: “Do not strive to be angry in your soul, for wrath rests in the bosom of fools” (Eccl. 7:10), that is: even if there was a reason that could arouse your anger, do not rush with punishment, so that the ardor of your anger does not flare up too immoderately. (Man) cannot destroy his natural (mental) movements, but (he can) introduce slowdown into them, and thus, with the help of the healing of thought, moderate irritation. This is what David said a long time ago: “Be angry and do not sin” (Psalm 4:5); in this case, it was not anger itself that he actually forbade; he could not, of course, destroy what was a property of nature, and so, like a good doctor, he only gives medicine so that this anger cannot cause harm. 78. Finally, if someone sins in his heart, since anger can sometimes be uncontrollable, then, according to the advice of (David), he should be moved (compungatur) on his bed and condemn himself for the sin. Indeed, in Scripture there are these words: “Whatever you say in your hearts, on your beds you will be moved” (Psalm 4:5). So, he wanted all people to observe their shortcomings, so that the one who is not subject to the restraining power of public exposure, in the event of committing a secret crime, would be ashamed of his own judgment and tame himself, as it were, with some sting of bitterness and shame. 79. And why should I engage in abstinence, since the Wise One speaks about it: Take away from me “the desires of the womb and lust do not take possession of me” (Sir. 23:5)? Do not be afraid of weakness from fasting and abstinence, for grave weakness makes the soul sober. 80. And how one should take care of a good name - the Proverbs of Solomon teach about this in the following words: “Better is a good name than great wealth (Prov. 22:1). And what does inherited property really mean, unless it also has a good steward? Therefore, righteous Job says: “Let the blessing of the dying man come to me,” and let the lips of the widow bless me. I was blind in eye, lame in foot, weak in father (Job 29:13–15). “If I saw someone perish without clothing,” did I not clothe him? have not the needy blessed me, and have I not warmed their shoulders with the wool of my sheep (Job 31:19–20); Have I ever hidden my sin, which I committed involuntarily as foolish (Job 31:33), have I ever left the weak to come out of my doors with empty bosom (Job 31:34). These are the actions by which a good name is acquired. 81. But what is most worthy of attention in a virgin is jealousy for sobriety. Sobriety I do not call abstinence from wine, but (abstinence) from carnal uncontrollability and the boastfulness inherent in the world: with this boastfulness we become intoxicated even more than with wine; she gives the cup of fall and the vessel of wrath. That is why the Lord says, addressing Jerusalem: “For this reason, hear, humble and drunk not on wine. ... Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of fall, the vial of wrath” (Isa. 51:21–22). And the Synagogue has already drunk this cup (exinaniverit); The daughters of the Church should not drink from it. It is about the Jews that it is said: “Their daughters are enriched and adorned, like the likeness of a church” (Psalm 143:12); you are the very church of God, the daughter of Him who is not transformed into an angel of light, but is the True Light from the True Light. Therefore let there be in you not only likeness, but (the) Truth itself. Meanwhile, many, even at the time when they take a vow of chastity, still worry about auxiliary means of beauty: they appear in such a painted form, with such a tender face that they violate the decency of the sacred (virgins) of the Lord. To them I address myself with the following apostolic speech: “If you and Christ died to the elements of this world, then why do you, as those who live” (in the world), still compete because of this world? Do not touch, says (the apostle), do not touch, do not eat anything that pertains to corruption (Col. 2:20-22). 82. Here is Saint Sotera - may we be allowed to take advantage of the close (domesticum) example of a pious parent; Yes, and we, being in the rank of priest, consider the right to prefer our dignity to the titles of prefects and consuls: after all, we have, I repeat, the advantages of faith, which does not know destruction - so, as I said, Saint Sotera did not care about her face. True, she was already quite beautiful to look at; She was a girl of noble birth and with all this she placed both the consulate and the prefecture of her parents below the holy faith. She did not even heed the orders to make a sacrifice to the gods. And so the cruel persecutor, (believing) that the gentle maiden would yield to pain or shame, ordered to hit her (in the face) with his palm. And she, as soon as she heard this order, immediately opened her face and only for martyrdom threw off the veil and only for him remained uncovered; by presenting her face, she voluntarily went to meet the insult, and thus the martyrdom was performed where the temptation of innocence is usually concentrated. She rejoiced that with the loss of beauty, the danger to innocence would be removed from her. Of course, (the persecutors) were able to scar her face with wounds, but with all this they could not disfigure the face of her virtue and the gift of her inner beauty. 83. Ancient fables tell about an Etruscan youth that he, possessing an amazing beauty of face, which aroused the love of women for him, covered his face with scars for the purpose that no woman could love him. I will consider whether the spirit of this (the young man) was chaste; at least the sensual impulse for which he drew attention to himself was not chaste. Moreover, he inflicted only wounds on himself without harm (to himself). And this one delivered (to herself) the victorious signs of martyrdom in order to preserve the image of God that she received. 84. Preserve this image, daughters, keep the commandments of the Divine Scripture, “so that every mouth,” as (the Apostle Paul) says, “may be stopped” (Rom. 3:19). For it is written: “Blessed is man; if thou shalt chastise him, O Lord, teach him of thy law” (Psalm 93:12). The good Lord admonishes and teaches and mostly convicts; but he also makes the one whom He reproaches blessed, for blessed is the man whom the Lord reproaches. Therefore, do not avoid His reproaches: they are from love and grace. He Himself amazes, but being a good doctor, He Himself heals with His own hands (Deut. 32:39). “Six times I will remove you from troubles, but on the seventh you will not be touched by evil; in famine he will deliver you from death, in battle he will cut you off from the hand of iron; He will hide you from the scourge of the tongue” (Job 5:19–21). And in fact, if only you do not think about the need to limit anyone, then you will not be afraid of the scourge of someone else's tongue. 85. The Scripture surprisingly (aptly) depicted the words of slanderous people when it mentioned the scourge of the tongue, the sound of which is heard over a distant space (late). Wanting to save us from this (sound), the Apostle Peter exhorts that we should not repay evil for evil, or curse for curse, and that when we are slandered, we should return the gift of blessing. That is why (in Scripture) it is said: “restrain your tongue from evil” (Psalm 33:14), that is, as if from the scourge of the tongue, and do not be afraid of the sound of words, if your conscience is clear. It is good, of course, not to allow even the possibility of censure; if only this is feasible; but since so many reproach not for vices, but for virtues, then let them blame what relates to praise, and not attack what relates to error. 86. But what’s even worse is that we are scourged not only by someone else’s language, but even by our own. And these scourgings are even more severe when, through verbosity, we fall into sin. Therefore, guard your ways, O virgin, so that you do not sin with your tongue (Psalm 38:2). And speaking well in most cases is reprehensible for a virgin. And don’t be surprised that I say this about the virgin; after all, even a woman is commanded to study in silence (1 Tim. 2:11). Beautiful is chastity, which is prepared by silence. 87. Susanna was in danger and remained silent, so that she could speak all the more eloquently (melius) with (her) silent chastity (Dan. 13). And so modesty found a defender who protected her chastity. And it is precisely in the appendix to it that Scripture beautifully says that the Lord hid it from the scourge of the tongue. 88. Why are we talking (only) about women? Joseph also remained silent when he was accused, and innocence protected him better than his tongue. The wisest of all, Daniel, was silent, and it was he who stopped the mouths of the lions. In this case, Saint David expresses himself beautifully: “I laid it down,” he says, “with my mouth, so that the sinner would never arise before me” (Psalm 42:2). 89. And why, in fact, do you want to talk? Perhaps you are afraid that, given your silence, they might not believe what they are reproaching you for? But listen to the words of the good teacher, Saint Job: “Behold, I laugh at reproach and will not say: I will cry, and judgment is nowhere” (Job 19:7), that is, every accuser - (says Job) - reproaches me. And you have something to laugh at, unless (your) conscience knows the crime behind it. Why, in fact, do you need to reflect words with words? There is no judgment yet, even if you cry out, it will still not come closer. You must endure many struggles in this world. 90. Saint Job overcame grief over the loss (of property); overcame and did not even allow himself to bitterly mourn the loss of his children; overcame the grief of wounds; Now, in addition to the ulcers of the body, temptations from his wife are added, but he did not notice them either. To end the struggle, he receives more reproaches from his friends. He struggled with parental feelings, struggled with suffering and illness of the body; He still had to experience temptation from (friendly) speeches. 91. So, when you see that a widow is suffering from any material shortcomings or from the indecent behavior of her sons; (when you see) that a righteous person dies or suffers an insult, then do not judge his merits by the misfortunes of this age and do not be surprised that he is abandoned by the Lord. Here we compete, but we will receive the crown in another place. And not only about myself, but about all people in general I said (this). In fact, where can I (get) so much merit? For me, indulgence is already a reward. Here is a struggle, and there is a reward, here is service, and there is payment (for it). So, as long as I am in this world, I fight, I fight, they attack me to defeat me; but the Lord is strong to raise up the overthrown, to support the falling, to encourage the wavering. Why, therefore, are you surprised that one or another suffers? As long as he is in this life, his struggle will not stop and he will not receive the crown. No one will receive praise unless he endures to the end; (only) after this legal competition can he receive the crown. 92. Who is more glorious, who is more blessed than Paul? However, this vessel of the Lord’s election did not win the crown for himself before he completed the entire feat. That’s why he says: “I fought the good fight, I died, I kept the faith; otherwise a crown of righteousness will be kept for me” (2 Tim. 4:7–8); this (crown), he says, is to be given not only to him, but also to all who love the coming of the Lord. He said beautifully: to those who love the coming of Christ; Indeed, no one rushes to judgment except the one who is confident in (his) innocence, or who has taken advantage of his labor in advance, who is helped either by the grace of the Lord or by pious deeds for the sake of Christ. 93. This reward, of course, will also be received by the widow who raised her children well; she will find joy in children; especially will that widow rejoice who gave to the Lord all that she received. That is why that widow of the Gospel is placed above the rich (Luke 21:3); She boasts through the mouth of the Lord not only because she contributed everything she had to feed the poor, but also because she brought (precisely) two copper coins, that is, complete faith. So the Samaritan gave the inn two coppers for the maintenance of a man, so that he would take care of healing the ulcers of this man wounded by robbers. Consequently, in view of the fact that in her concerns for her offspring she imitated both the virginity of the Old Testament Mary, the sister of Aaron, and the purity of the New Testament holy Mary, the Mother of the Lord, she will receive a reward for (her) faith at the divine court. She left nothing to help herself in this world, but entrusted all the service of (her) pious offspring to the Lord. 94. Now, Lord, I pray to You: as the eternal High Priest, look upon this Your house, on these altars now being consecrated, on these spiritual stones, in each of which a living church is consecrated to You; and according to Your divine mercy, accept the prayers of Your servants, poured out in this place. May every sacrifice offered in this church with pure faith and holy zeal be a sacred aroma to You. And looking at that saving sacrifice, for the sake of which the sin of this world is taken away, look also at these sacrifices of holy chastity and do not deprive them of (your) eternal help, so that they may be sweet-smelling sacrifices for You, pleasing to the Lord Christ, and deign to keep their spirit blameless, and their soul and body sorrowless even until the day of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, in a virgin state There is no suitable passage in the book of Proverbs to clarify the position of the author; In view of this, probably, some manuscripts represent a different reading: in aliis locis, which obviously means generally passages from various books of Holy Scripture and, first of all, the book of Ecclesiastes, as is proved by the following phrases. That is, a spiritual life full of thought. You might be interested in: