Беседа 1. О любви

Our philanthropic God, wanting to unite everyone with mutual ties, beloved, put such a law into human affairs that the benefit of one will certainly be united with the benefit of another. Thus, the farmer does not sow as much grain as is needed for himself, otherwise he would have long ago destroyed both himself and others, and the warrior takes up arms in the face of danger not in order to save only himself, but in order to bring safety to the cities, and the merchant brings not as much as is needed for himself, but for many others. If people were not placed in such a need, they would not want to seek the benefit of their neighbor; That’s why God connected everything in this way and did not allow us to achieve our own benefit except through the benefit of others. It is impossible to be saved in any other way, and if you practice even the highest wisdom, but do not care about others who are perishing, then you will not have any boldness before God. “If I give away all my possessions,” says the divine apostle, “and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good” (1 Cor. 13:3). If you want to know what kind of weapons one acquires who attracts brothers to himself, even if sometimes they are unfaithful, or who is meek, calm and pleasant to deal with, then listen to what this blessed Paul himself says, appearing before the unfaithful judge for trial: “I consider myself happy... to be judged before you” (Acts 26:2). He said this not with the aim of flattering him - no - but wanting to achieve benefit through such meekness. In part, he achieved it - the one who was hitherto considered a defendant captivated the judge; and the captive himself testifies to this victory with a clear voice in the presence of everyone, saying: “You are not convincing me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). What about Pavel? “I would pray to God that, little or no, not only you, but everyone... present would become like me” (Acts 26:29). So, when he demands such a great measure, and we cannot imagine even less, will we be worthy of any forgiveness? And don’t think that there is something shameful in needing the help of another; this is a matter of the ineffable wisdom of God. If we need each other and even this need for mutual help does not unite us with bonds of friendship, then if we ourselves could satisfy our needs, wouldn’t we become indomitable animals? By force and necessity God has subjected us to one another, and we encounter each other daily. If God removed this bridle, who would seek the friendship of his neighbor? That is why God gave us one dwelling - this world, lit one lamp for all - the sun, spread over us one roof - the sky, and provided one table - the earth. He did not give anything more and more valuable to the rich, and less and of little value to the poor, so that there would be complete and indissoluble unity between us, and so that no one could say: such and such is neither my friend, nor relative, nor neighbor, and I have nothing in common with him - how will I go to him, how will I speak to him? The connection between us should be even closer than the closeness that friends discover between themselves; it must be a member-to-member connection. And just as you could not say: where do I have kinship and intimacy with him? - because it would be funny - just like you couldn’t say the same about your brother. Even if he is neither your relative nor your friend; but he is a man who has the same nature as you, the same Lord, and lives in the same world. In the discussion of money we praise those who owe nothing; in the reasoning of love, we praise and honor those who always remain in debt. Let us establish ourselves in this truth and unite with each other; and if anyone wants to fall away, do not fall away yourself, and do not say these cold words: “If he loves me, I love him; If my right eye doesn’t love me, then I tear it out.” On the contrary, when he does not want to love, then show even more love to attract him - after all, he is a member. When, due to some necessity, a member is separated from the rest of the body, then we do everything to reunite it with the body, and we show special care for it. And your reward will be greater when you attract someone who does not want to love. If God commands us to invite those who cannot repay us to the feast, so that the reward will increase, then all the more should we do this in terms of friendship. The one who, being loved by you, loves in return, already gives you a reward; the one who, being loved, does not love you, makes God your debtor instead of himself. And besides, when he loves you, a little effort is required; when he doesn’t love, then there is a need for your help. Do not do what should be the cause of care, the cause of carelessness, and do not say: “since he is sick, I neglect him”; This disease is the cooling of love: warm up what has been cooled. After all, the desire to be strongly loved comes from strong love. When we are not particularly disposed towards someone, we do not need close friendship with him, even if he were a great and famous person; but when we love someone passionately and sincerely, even if the loved one were an insignificant and small person, we consider the love that he inspires in us to be the greatest honor. If you don’t know how to use your brother, will you ever be able to properly use someone else’s? If you don’t know how to handle your own member, will you ever be able to attract and connect with yourself an external one? Do you want people not to say bad things about you? Therefore, do not speak ill of others yourself. Do you want to be praised? Praise others too. Do you want to be pitied? Show yourself regret. Do you want to receive forgiveness? Goodbye too. Do you wish not to be kidnapped? Don't kidnap yourself. Let us treat our neighbors the way we want them to treat us. Just as a soul without a body is not called a person, just as a body without a soul, so is love for God if it is not accompanied by love for one’s neighbor. Do you want to serve so-and-so? I don’t interfere; but just let it not be to the chagrin of another. Teachers were not given to us so that we would be at enmity with each other, but so that everyone would be in union with each other. Why are you alone? Why don't you make many friends? Why are you not a creator of love? Why don’t you establish friendship, this greatest praise for virtue? Just as being in agreement with the evil especially irritates God, so being in agreement with the good especially pleases Him. Do not be with many in wickedness; prepare for yourself friends before your home, before anything else. If the peacemaker is the son of God, how much more is he who makes friends? If only the one who reconciles is called the son of God, then what reward will not be worthy of the one who makes the reconciled friends? The devil encourages us to be enemies of everyone, but God commands us to consider everyone as friends and love; he, having nailed us to clay and clay (and such is wealth), does not allow us to breathe even a little even at night, and this one, freeing us from such unnecessary and aimless care, commands us to collect treasures in heaven, not by offending others, but from our own righteousness; He, after many labors and sorrows, not only cannot protect us when we endure punishment in the next world and are subjected to suffering for violating the laws of God, but also increases the flame, and This One, having commanded us to give a cup of cold water, does not allow us to be deprived even for this of reward and reward, but rewards us with great generosity. After this, isn’t it extreme madness on our part not to love a Master so meek and abounding in such blessings, but to slave to an ungrateful and cruel tyrant, who neither here nor there can bring any benefit to those who obey and are devoted to him? So, do not complain about my words. And I would say about someone who loves me that it is not when he only praises me, but when he reproaches me with the goal of correcting me, then he especially loves me. To praise indiscriminately everything, good and bad, is not characteristic of a friend, but of a flatterer and scoffer; on the contrary, to praise for a good deed and reproach for a misdeed is the duty of a friend and well-wisher. So, the enemy is unpleasant to me, and when he praises me; but a friend is pleasant even when he reproaches me. Even though he kisses me, he is disgusting; This one, although it hurts me, is kind. “The reproaches of one who loves are sincere,” it is said, “and the kisses of one who hates are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6). One, whether rightly or wrongly, reproaches, does so not to shame, but to correct; another, even if he rightly reproaches, reproaches not in order to correct, but rather trying to dishonor. So, beloved, nothing can compare with like-mindedness; Moreover, one can be equal to many. If, for example, two or ten are unanimous, then one ceases to be one, and each of them becomes ten times greater, and you will find one in ten, and ten in one. If they have an enemy, he attacks more than one, and is defeated as if he had attacked ten. If one is impoverished, he is not in poverty, because the impoverished part is covered by the larger part. Each of them has twenty arms, twenty eyes and the same number of legs; each has ten souls, because he does everything not only with his own members, but also with the rest. Even if there were a hundred of them, it would be the same again. One and the same can be in both Persia and Rome - and what nature cannot do, the power of love can do. If he has a thousand or two thousand friends, then think to what extent his strength will increase. It’s truly wonderful to make a thousand out of one! Why don’t we acquire the power of love and establish ourselves in safety? How long will we limit it to one or two? He who has friends, even if he was poor, becomes much richer than the rich: what he himself does not dare to say for himself, his friend will say for him; what he cannot deliver to himself, he will achieve through another. It is impossible for one to suffer any harm who is guarded by so many squires: the royal bodyguards are not as vigilant as these. Those protect out of need and fear, and these – out of goodwill and love. Moreover, the king is afraid of his guards, and a man who has friends trusts them more than himself. And, besides, is there any wall so indestructible, so fortified by a collection of huge stones, so inaccessible to the attacks of enemies, as the union of those who love each other and are united by unanimity? He reflects the machinations of the devil himself; and very natural. Revolting against him in alliance with each other, such people become invincible by his tricks and erect brilliant trophies of love. And just as the strings of a lyre, although numerous, but tuned in harmony, sound the most pleasant sound, so likewise, united by like-mindedness, they emit the euphonious voice of love. There is nothing sweeter than love. What won't a sincere friend do? What pleasure will it not provide, what benefit, what security? Even if you point out thousands of treasures, nothing can compare with a sincere friend. Just as shiny bodies spread their shine to nearby places, so friends, no matter where they appear, squander their favor everywhere. It is better, therefore, to live in darkness than without friends. Fever does not burn the body as much as separation from loved ones does the soul. The passion of love is such that it makes us daily imagine those dear to us when they are not with us, but absent; it distracts the soul of the lover from all those present and binds it to one beloved. If the one who sees his beloved, or even just remembers him, becomes cheerful in soul and high in thought, and, enjoying the memory, endures everything easily, then having in his thoughts the One who deigned to truly love us, and remembering Him, will he ever feel any sadness or be afraid of something terrible and dangerous? Of course, never! If, taking advantage of the love of strong people, we are terrible for everyone, then it is much more so when we are loved by God. And even if we had to give money, or our body, or our very soul for this love, we will not spare it. It is not enough to say only in words that we love, but it is necessary to provide proof of our love in deeds, since He Himself showed His love not only in words, but also in deeds. If in the houses of noble people a servant, who has made his goods the master's, has in fact not made his master's goods, but the master's, and uses both his own and the master's equally, why do many of the servants even fear him more than the master, and if, due to the fact that he neglected his goods, he in fact did not neglect them, but received even much more, then all the more so it happens in spiritual things. Let us, therefore, not take care of our benefits in order to actually take care of them, but let us neglect them in order to acquire them. If we neglect them, God will take care of them; and if we take care of them ourselves, God will neglect them. If anyone wants to love sincerely and learn the power of love, then let him hurry to her pet, Blessed Paul, and he will teach him how great a feat it is to endure separation from a loved one, and how great a soul is required for this. In fact, this Paul, who stripped off his flesh and laid down his body, walked around the universe with an almost naked soul, tore out all passion from the spirit, imitated the dispassion of incorporeal forces, although he easily endured everything else, as if suffering in someone else’s body - prisons, and bonds, and exile, and scourgings, and threats, and death, and all types of punishment - but, separated from his one beloved soul, he was so upset and embarrassed that he immediately left the city where he expected to see his loved one and did not find him. What is this, blessed Paul? Imprisoned in stocks, living in prison, bearing the marks of scourging, with blood flowing down your back, you introduced the Sacraments, baptized, made a sacrifice, and did not neglect even one person who was supposed to receive salvation; and having come to Troas and finding the field cleared and ready to receive seeds, you let go of such a profit and immediately left? “Yes,” he says, “because I was overcome by the power of despondency, because my spirit was very troubled by the absence of Titus; and sadness took such hold of me, so overpowered me that it forced me to do it.” Do you see what a great feat it is to be able to calmly endure separation from a loved one, how sorrowful and sad this matter is, how it requires an exalted and courageous soul? For those who love, it is not enough just to connect with the soul; they are not content with this for their consolation, but also need the physical presence of each other, and if this is not there, then a considerable share of joy is taken away. Oh, the fiery passion of love! Paul, not afraid of fire, adamantine, firm, unyielding, irresistible, saying: “Who will separate us from the love of God: tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?” (Rom.8:35), boldly trampling the earth and the sea, laughing at the iron gates of death - this same (Paul), when he saw the tears of the people he loved, was so crushed and moved that he did not even hide his grief, but immediately said: “What are you doing? Why are you crying and breaking my heart?” (Acts 21:13). Oh, wonder! The abyss of water did not crush him, but small tears crushed and broke him? "What are you doing? Why are you crying and breaking my heart?” What are you saying, tell me? Could this adamantite soul be crushed by a tear? “Yes,” he says, “because the power of love is great; she defeats and overpowers me; I can resist everything except love.” Who wouldn't be amazed? Who wouldn't be surprised? Better to say, who can adequately marvel and wonder at this courageous and heaven-reaching soul, thinking that he, being confined in chains and prison, sent a message to the Philippians from such a distant place? You know how far Macedonia is from Rome. But neither the distance of the journey, nor the length of time, nor the multitude of tasks, nor the danger, nor the continuous disasters, nor anything else extorted from him the love and memory of the disciples; on the contrary, he had them all in his thoughts. And his hands were not bound with shackles, as his soul was bound and nailed by love for his disciples. Just as a king, having ascended the throne in the morning and sat down in the royal palaces, immediately receives thousands of letters from everywhere, so he, sitting in prison, as if in the royal palaces, constantly sent and received from everywhere many more letters from those who turned to his wisdom and reported to him about all their affairs; and he organized affairs so much more, compared with the king, as much power was entrusted to him. Such is the power of love; it not only embraces, connects and connects those present, who are close to us and before our eyes, but also those far removed from us; and neither the length of time, nor the distance of roads, nor anything else like that can sever and dissolve spiritual friendship. A lover needs to love so much that if he were asked for his soul and it was possible to give it, he would not refuse - because there is nothing equal to a sincere friend. Seeing his beloved, the lover rejoices and melts with delight, intertwining with him with some intertwining of the soul, delivering indescribable pleasure. Even if he only remembers it, his soul is encouraged and inspired; seeing him every day, he is not satisfied; he has nothing that does not belong to a friend; he wishes for him the same thing as for himself. I know a man who, asking holy men for a friend, exhorted him to pray first for him, and then for himself. I also know Paul, who was ready, even without asking, to give his soul and fall into Gehenna for those he loved. A flaming heart should love in such a way that it seems that it is not the one you love who is your debtor, but you yourself are a debtor to him for the fact that you have him as a debtor. The lover wants not only to command, but to be commanded; he rejoices more in receiving commands than in commanding himself. A lover would rather give than receive; he would rather have a friend as a debtor than he himself would be in debt to him. The lover wants to show benefits to the beloved, and does not want to appear to be beneficent; he wants to be the author of a good deed, and at the same time does not want to appear to be the author of a good deed. Do not understand here, I ask you, as just friends, partners in meals, considered friends by name alone; whoever has the friend I am talking about will understand my words. A friend is sweeter than real life. That is why many, after the death of their friends, did not even want to live anymore. Truly, a friend is more desirable than the light itself. It is better for us to have the sun go out than to lose our friends. Many, although they see the sun, are in darkness; and he who has an abundance of friends cannot endure any sorrow. But if someone's friendship harms you, reject it from yourself. If we often cut off one or another of our members when they are incurably sick and harm others, then all the more the same must be done in relation to the soul. Nothing is as harmful as a bad community. What necessity cannot do, friendship can often do, both for harm and for good. Whoever makes friends with the enemies of the king cannot be a friend of the king. Hatred for Christ's sake is much better than friendship for His sake. When we are loved for God's sake, we find ourselves indebted to Him for honor; when we are hated, He Himself owes us honor. So, all of us, who do not even despise money for the sake of Christ, or better yet, for our own sake, will tremble, imagining in our minds the love of Paul for Christ. He loved Christ not for the sake of the blessings bestowed by Christ, but these latter for the sake of Him, and he was afraid of only one thing, namely, not to fall away from love for Him. This was more terrible for him than even Gehenna, just as being in this love was more desirable than the Kingdom itself. So, when for the love of God he was ready to fall into Gehenna and lose the Kingdom, if this were to happen, and we do not even despise real life, then are we even worthy of his soles, being so far from the greatness of his soul? That is why Christ said: “Whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Matthew 10:39), and: “Whoever confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Truly, the labor of this feat is great; he almost transcends nature itself. And those who have been awarded these crowns know this well. No word can describe this feat: it requires such a courageous soul and is so worthy of surprise. And, however, this wondrous feat, according to Paul, does not bring any benefit in the absence of love, even if it were combined with non-covetousness. Why (Paul) said this, I will now try to show this, first of all by deciding the question of how a person who has given all his property to the needy can not have love. So that a person who is ready to give himself up for burning and has spiritual gifts does not love, this may be permissible; but one who not only gives away property, but also uses it to feed others, how can he not love? So what can we say? Or the fact that he presented the non-existent as existing, which he loves and always does when he wants to imagine the excess of something. So, for example, in the Epistle to the Galatians he says: “Even if we or an angel from heaven preached to you a gospel other than what... (you received) the gospel was preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8); although neither he himself nor the Angel had to do this, but in order to show the matter in an exaggerated form, he pointed out what was not meant to happen at all. Likewise, when in the Epistle to the Romans he says: “Neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers” ​​will be able to “separate us from the love” of Christ (Rom. 8:38–39); although the Angels did not have to do this, yet here the apostle assumes something that does not exist, as well as in further words: “no other creature,” although, of course, there is no other creature; calling everything higher and lower, he embraced all creation, but in order to show the excessiveness of his love, he nevertheless presupposes something that does not exist here. He does the same thing here, saying that even if someone has given everything, but does not have love, he does not receive any benefit (1 Cor. 13:3). So, either this needs to be said, or the fact that the apostle wants those who give to be in unity with those who receive and give not simply, without sympathy, but pitying those in need, bowing down and touched by their need, compassionate with them. This is why alms were established by God. God could feed the poor without this; but in order to bind us into a community of love, and so that we would burn with love for each other, He commanded them to receive food from us. That is why in one place it is said: “A good word is better than giving,” and: “Isn’t a word higher than a good gift?” (Sir.18:16–17). And God Himself says: “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos.6:6; Matt.9:13). Since we usually love those to whom we provide benefits, and those who receive benefits are more friendly towards the benefactors, then, establishing a union of friendship, God decreed such a law. And in order for you to know how great and important this virtue is, let us describe it in words, since we do not see it manifested anywhere in practice, and let us think about what good things would happen if it were in abundance everywhere. After all, then there would be no need for laws, or trials, or punishments, or executions, or anything else like that. In fact, if everyone loved and were loved, then no one would offend anyone else; murder, abuse, war, indignation, theft, greed, and all vices would completely disappear, and evil would be known only by name. Even miracles cannot do this; on the contrary, they even lead careless people to vanity and arrogance. And this is what is surprising about love: while all other goods have some kind of evil associated with them - for example, a non-covetous person is often proud because of his poverty, a skillful person in words suffers from love of glory, a humble person often therefore exalts himself in the depths of his soul - love is free from all such harm, because no one will ever be proud of his beloved. And suppose that not just one person loves, but everyone loves equally, then you will see the power of love. However, if you wish, first suppose one beloved and one lover, loving exactly as one should love. Such a person will dwell on earth as if in Heaven, enjoying peace everywhere and weaving countless crowns for himself. Such a person will keep his soul pure from envy, and from anger, and from slander, and from pride, and from vanity, and from bad desires, and from all indecent love, and from all vice. Just as no one will do any harm to himself, so this man will not do any harm to his neighbor. And being such, he, walking on earth, will become with Gabriel himself. This is what he is like who has love. The one who performs signs and has perfect knowledge, but is devoid of love, even if he raised thousands of the dead, will not bring any great benefit, being separated from everyone and not being able to unite with any of his fellow servants. That is why Christ said that a sign of sincere love for Him is love for one’s neighbor. “If,” he says, “you love Me, Peter, more than these...feed My sheep” (John 21:15, 17). Do you see how here again He made it clear that love is greater than martyrdom? If someone had a beloved son, for whom he would even give his soul, and someone loved the father, but did not pay any attention to the son, then he would greatly upset the father, so that the latter would not notice the love for himself, due to contempt for the son. If this happens in relation to father and son, then even more so in relation to God and people, because God is more loving than all fathers. That is why, having said: “the first and... great commandment: love the Lord your God,” he added: “the second... - and did not remain silent, but added something similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). And look how He demands the fulfillment of this commandment to almost the same highest degree. About God He says: “with all your heart,” and about your neighbor: “as yourself,” which words are equal to the expression: “with all your heart.” If this were observed with precision, there would be neither slave nor free, neither superior nor subordinate, neither rich nor poor, neither small nor great; Even the devil would never be known - I don’t say this one, but if there were another like him, or even if there were countless devils, they would have no power under the rule of love. Truly, hay can more easily withstand the power of fire than the devil can withstand the flame of love. It is stronger than a wall, it is harder than steel, and even if you point out another stronger substance, the hardness of love far surpasses everything. Neither wealth nor poverty will defeat her; better to say, there would be neither poverty nor excessive wealth if there were love, but only the benefits that come from both, because we would acquire abundance from the latter, and serenity from the former, and would not be subjected to either the worries of wealth or the needs of poverty. But what am I saying about the benefits of love? Think what a great good love is in itself, what joy it brings, what grace it imparts to the soul. This is precisely the advantage of love. All other virtues have a sorrowful state associated with them, such as: fasting, chastity, vigil - envy, lust, pride; and love, in addition to benefits, also has great pleasure, but no sorrow; and, like a good bee, she, collecting benefits from everywhere, deposits them in the soul of the lover. Whether anyone is in slavery, she imagines slavery as more pleasant than freedom, because the lover does not rejoice as much when he commands as when he obeys. Of course, it’s nice to command. But love changes the nature of things and comes to the rescue with all the blessings in its hands, more welcoming than any mother, richer than any queen, and makes difficult things easy and convenient, presenting us with virtue as attractive and vice as extremely disgusting. Look: spending property seems like a sad thing, but she makes it pleasant; taking what belongs to others seems pleasant, but she does not allow it to seem pleasant, but forces her to avoid it as a low thing. Again, slander seems to everyone to be a pleasant thing, but she makes it disgusting, while praise is pleasant, because for us nothing is so pleasant as praising a loved one. Likewise, anger has a certain pleasantness; but with love this is no longer there, all his nerves are killed; and if the beloved saddens the lover, anger does not manifest itself in anything, but there are tears, admonitions and requests: so far is the lover from irritation. If he sees someone sinning, he grieves and gets sick; but even this very sorrow brings pleasure, because both tears and the sadness of love are more pleasant than any laughter and joy. Truly those who laugh do not enjoy as much as those who cry for friends; and if you don’t believe it, block their tears, and you will see that they are so gloomy, as if they had suffered an irreparable disaster. But love, you say, has an unclean pleasure. Stop, don't slander, man: there is nothing so pure from this passion as true love. Do not talk to me about that low and common love, which is rather a disease than love, but about the one that Paul demands, about love that seeks the benefit of loved ones, and you will see that those who have such love love more tenderly than fathers. And just as those who are addicted to money do not dare to spend it, but agree to endure hardships rather than see them diminish, so the one who has love for another will agree to endure a thousand disasters rather than see that his loved one has suffered harm. Well, you say, shouldn’t one even hate enemies and pagans? One must hate, but not them, but their teaching, not a person, but vicious activity and a corrupted will. Man is the work of God, and error is the work of the devil. After all, if one must hate the enemies of God, then one must hate not only the wicked, but also sinners; and in this case we will be worse than beasts, turning away from everyone and puffed up with pride, like the Pharisee. But that’s not what Paul commanded—but how? “Admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). But, you say, what then do his words mean: “If anyone does not listen to our word in this epistle, take note of him and do not communicate with him” (2 Thess. 3:14)? It is true what is said about brothers; but in this case not simply, but also with meekness. Do not separate the subsequent words from these words, but add what is said below. Namely, having said: “do not communicate,” he added: “but do not consider him an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:15). Do you see how he commanded to hate a bad thing, and not a person? The devil's job is to tear us apart from each other; he is trying hard to destroy love in order to block the path to correction and keep him in error, and you in unbelief and enmity, thus hoping to block his path to salvation. If the doctor hates and runs away from the patient, and the patient turns away from the doctor, can the patient recover when he does not call for the doctor and the doctor does not come to him? Why do you turn away and run away from him? Is it because he is wicked? But that is why it is necessary to come and heal in order to restore the patient. Even if he suffers from an incurable disease, you are commanded to do your job. Judas was also overcome by an incurable disease, but God did not stop healing him. Therefore, do not weaken. Even though with all your efforts you could not free him from wickedness, you will still receive a reward, as if you had freed him, and you will make him marvel at your meekness, and thus God will be glorified in every possible way. Even if you performed miracles, even if you raised the dead, even if you did something else similar, the pagans will never be as surprised by you as when they see you meek, kind and courteous. And this is not an unimportant matter, because in this way many can finally lag behind the vice. Nothing can attract like love. Because of something else, that is, signs and wonders, they may envy you, but because of this (love) they will begin to be surprised and love, and, loving, they will little by little accept the truth. However, if a pagan does not soon become a believer, do not be surprised, do not rush, do not suddenly demand everything; but let him praise and love for now, and little by little he will come to this. So, if love is the originator of virtue, then let us with all diligence plant it in our souls, so that it brings us many benefits, and so that we constantly collect its abundant fruits, always blooming and never withering. In this way we will achieve eternal blessings, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy and Good Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: