Therefore, here is one understanding, and another one like this: I have considered my ways, not only past ones, but also future ones; so that I might anticipate my actions with my thoughts, lest in the unconsidered progress of operation, I might fall into some offense in the very thoughts themselves: so that if I want to do something, I think beforehand whether that which I desire should be done, or in what way it should be done; likewise, if I want to speak to someone, whether I should speak to them; then, whether publicly or privately to speak, with some present, or none at all; just as this is, that if you want to correct a brother, you first correct him alone, secondly with two or three witnesses present, thirdly if he does not listen, before the Church. Therefore, if, disregarding order, you wish to rebuke a brother before the Church, whom you should have warned beforehand, you yourself recognize the mistake. Therefore, consider everything carefully, so that you do not regret your actions. But if you enter a road, when you come to a crossroads (for it is thus called, like a gathering of many roads), if you do not know which path you should take, you stand and contemplate within yourself whether you should choose the first, or the second, or the third, or the fourth, or certainly the fifth, if it is so, path to follow; and you do not think that you should begin the journey before you have determined in your mind and made a decision with a fuller intention of the mind. Therefore, while standing, considering what the way is, that leads into the city, towards which you think you must go. So, therefore, you must stand firm in mind and thought, you who strive for the heavenly kingdom, and consider with yourself that not every way leads there, not every way directs to that Jerusalem which is in heaven! (Prov. XIV, 12)!
There are paths that have evil outcomes, which the temptations of the devil have worn away; and thus their outcomes are the outcomes of death. These, indeed, are the paths of which you have read in Proverbs: For there are paths that seem to be straight to a man, and their ends look towards the depths of hell (Matthew 5:28). But there is a narrower path that leads to the kingdom of God. Therefore, if you desire to enter that path which leads to God, you will not look around, you will not involve yourself with yourself, you will not deliberate; lest you be easily captured by desire, if enticed by the width of the path, you should enter upon a journey that leads to hell. Therefore, think before, and consider what you are doing.
34. Whoever looks, he says, at a woman to desire her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This person certainly thought in order to see the woman, in order to see her for the purpose of desiring her; but let this evil thought abandon its ways. Another person did not think indeed, but suddenly looked, and was captivated, and saw, and desired, and therefore fell. But if he had considered his weak nature, and had feared beforehand that when he saw a woman, he would be captivated in his mind and heart; certainly he would not have looked at the woman, lest he desire her. Therefore, seeing that the woman did not direct her foot to the testimonies of the Lord, if she had been able to consider before her fall, perhaps she would have directed it. Therefore, let each one first consider how he sees the woman; so that he does not see her for the purpose of lusting after her, or does not pay attention to her. However, if, seeing her suddenly, or being based on good thoughts, he directs his foot to the testimonies of the Lord, he will not remain in captivity: surely that thought was beneficial to him. Finally, let the one who loves a woman, desires her, and cherishes her, consider Christ, his judgment, his testimonies about the rewards of chastity, and let him forsake the paths of desire, and follow the ways of Christ: he will receive praise in them, if he contemplates the Lord Jesus, he despises the burning of the flesh, and extinguishes the flame of lust as if from a certain fountain, he strikes the tender and weak desires against the rock of Christ.
Therefore, let him first consider how he sees and how he speaks. It is well considered by one who said: 'Set, O Lord, a guard to my mouth' (Psalm 140:3), lest perhaps while the mind inflames the passion, the tongue slips in speech, or through reckless excessive talk, even what the mind did not think, it falls into the ease of speaking. Let him consider how he directs his foot, brings his hand forward, lest, driven by the force of anger, when he should repel an injury, he himself inflict a remarkable blow on the other. Therefore, we must consider what we do; for where thought precedes, maturity of action is applied. Thus, this foot is a trace of faith, which, pondered through meditation, turned away from bodily movements towards divine testimonies.
36. (Verse 60.) Therefore, the verse that follows teaches what benefit there is in thinking ahead about what you will do later: I am prepared, and I am not troubled, so that I may keep your commandments. When someone anticipates with thought what they are going to do, they are always ready to act, always determined and strong, so that they cannot be thrown off by sudden obstacles. No gusts of excessive ambition shake them, no storm or tempest of unfair attack dislodges them, they are not ensnared by the seductive gaze of a harlot; for the gaze of a harlot is the snare of a lover. In the possession of another person, one who is unexpectedly caught in fire loses possession of his own mind. If persecution arises, he finds it already prepared; so that where there may be disturbance of uncertain salvation, there the hoped-for crown of holy conflict may soothe with careful contemplation of future struggle. If he is frequently attacked by malicious detractors, let him consider that a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. If even the reproaches of the blasphemous assailants have fallen upon the Son of God, how can a servant hope to be exempt from their insults? Therefore, one should prepare their mind, so that when these things happen, they may not be disturbed. They should prepare their soul and compose it with meditation, so that they may be able to say, if they can: Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble, or distress, or hunger? etc. (Rom. VIII, 35). And why should we not be separated, he added: But in all these things we are more than conquerors, he says, and we overcome because of him who loved us (Ibid., 37). And rightly confirmed, he says: For I am confident that neither death, nor life, nor angels... Neither powers, nor present things, nor future things can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Ibid., 38 and 39).
37. The Apostle has said many things against which we struggle, but some are easy, or certainly not for this time or place; so that we ought to discuss all those things which can separate us from the love of God, unless we resist diligently. Now we do not pass over what seems obscure, because he says: Neither height nor depth (Ibid., 39): which are weighty temptations. Finally, you have in Isaiah written to King Ahaz: Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord in the depth, or in the height. He replied, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord” (Is. 7:11-12). The mystery was proposed to him, but he did not understand, and he feared that he might appear to be testing the Lord if he asked for a sign from above or below. But the Lord, intending to replace serious tests with divine remedy, says, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb” (Is. 7:14). This is the great sign that destroyed tests of both height and depth. For the Lord Jesus did not consider himself to be equal to God, nor did he seek what was his own, but he took the form of a servant and humbled himself to the point of death. Therefore, he was neither exalted by power, nor disturbed by the agony of death. Therefore, this is the sign set before the king; that he may seek for himself a remedy, whereby he may neither be lifted up by the power of royalty, nor be disturbed by any exception of agony; as he was troubled in heart when he saw war being brought against him by the Assyrians. Therefore, we desire to demonstrate by the divine example of the oracle how weighty these trials were, to which only Christ could bring a remedy.
38. However, it is easy to teach a certain burden of these temptations in prophetic speech. For Saint Solomon declared these two great temptations in his own prayer and asked to be able to exclude them, saying: Do not give me riches or poverty, but give me what is necessary and what is abundant, so that I may not be filled with lies and say: Who sees me? Or that I may not snatch from the poor and profane the name of God. (Prov. 30:8-9). Can you then despise those trials that frightened Solomon, who sought and deserved wisdom? He was rich and feared being elevated; he feared becoming poor, lest the necessity of poverty would not hold the grace of abstinence. How many who seemed to be holy have fallen from the height of their own heart? How many, overcome by some necessity, could not bear an injury, despite having been strengthened by the exercise of virtues? Rarely is a man found on earth who has lost both his wealth and his children, and who is scarred with the wounds of his body, with worms flowing from his whole body, yet he could not be separated from the love of Christ. Therefore, let us control our emotions, so that an unexpected force does not disturb us unprepared. Finally, knowing that we are prone to be quickly broken, the Lord also said to the apostles: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John XIV, 27). If desire and temptation should tempt you, read the Gospel, let Jesus Christ say to you: Let not your heart be troubled. If any terror should come upon you, Christ says to you: Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. If any persecutor inflicts any torments on you, read the Gospel, and let Jesus say to you: Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. Read the Apostle saying: For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come (Rom. VIII, 18). If, while you are sailing on the sea, a heavy wave rises up, and a black storm rages, let Jesus say to you: It is I, be not afraid (Mark VI, 50). Therefore, when coming into any great and serious contest, say first: I am ready, and I am not troubled, so that I may keep your commands.
And what should I say about worldly things? Be prepared not only for what you see, but also for what you do not see. Outwardly, there are battles; inwardly, there are fears (2 Corinthians 7:5). There is a war within yourself: it is good for your soul to be in tranquility and a certain serenity, but the better sailor is the one who guides the ship in a storm. Therefore, govern yourself when your soul is disturbed and your mind is wavering. I would praise the virtue of a captain who does not sense any storms and directs the course of the ship, unshaken by any tempest? But I would praise him even more who fights against the winds, rises against the waves, is not afraid either when the ship is lifted up by the waves or when it is brought down to the depths of the sea. In this way, the captain of his own ship is also to be praised, who overcomes adverse circumstances with patience, surpasses them with virtue, is not lifted up by favorable circumstances, and is not broken by unfavorable circumstances. You have a war against spiritual wickedness as well. Do you realize the magnitude of the battle you are facing? Therefore, contemplate and prepare yourself mentally, so that when you proceed into the fight, you may say: I am ready and not troubled; so that you may keep His commandments.
40. (Verse 61.) The fifth verse follows: The cords of the wicked have surrounded me, and I have not forgotten your law. This means that the sinners have surrounded me with cords, so that they could entangle my footsteps, making it impossible for me to avoid their attacks with quick anticipation. Therefore, those are not the cords that are written about: The cords have fallen to me in pleasant places (Psalm 16:6); for those are the cords that they use, who measure the boundaries of fields and distinguish the limits, and mark the boundaries of possessions. Therefore, those ropes are stretched out as far as each possession extends. Thus the rope of their inheritance was made for Israel. So these ropes are good. But those ropes by which sins are dragged, like a long rope, and like the strap of a yoke on a calf of iniquity. For the untamed calf boasts and shakes itself more, when it is held, it does not submit to authority, nor is it bound by a rope; but rather, when it is pulled back by the strap, it becomes aggravated. Therefore, it does not force itself to submit, nor is it truly free from the bonds. Just as, therefore, a young calf pulls the yoke's strap, which, although not held close; yet it is still held, and does not free itself and get away: so too does each sinner pull the injustices with his unruly habits, who thinks himself free; because he is not subject to the yoke, and submissive to judgement: and he does not know that he is not free, but rather like that young calf, he entangles himself in the knots of his own sins. These, therefore, are the ropes of our offenses, with which we are wrapped up and bound, just as they are also the chains of offenses. And therefore the Savior, who has the power to forgive sins, says to those who are in bondage: Go forth. I wish that He would also say to me: Go forth from your bondage: go forth from the chains of your sins: break the bonds of your error, with which you are surrounded and bound. For even though I am the most wicked of all, and the most detestable of sinners; by His command, I will be set free, who, in a single moment, delivered the condemned criminal from the punishment of robbery and established him in His kingdom.
41. Therefore, there are bonds by which we are bound, although we may appear free to ourselves. Blessed is the one who loosens these bonds for himself. And that is why David says: Let us break their bonds: and let us cast away their yoke from us (Psalm 2:3). He certainly does not say that visible bonds must be broken by hand, but rather that invisible bonds of sin must be loosened by a change of morals and a profession of faith: or by hand, that is, by the work of your hands. Give to the poor, lift up the weak, redeem captives; and you have loosened your own bonds. For almsgiving liberates from sin. Rescue him who is being led to death, that is, rescue him through intercession, rescue him through grace, you priest; or you emperor, rescue him through the granting of indulgence; and you will have loosed your sins, you have freed yourself from chains.
42. For each person is bound by the chains of their own sins, as you yourself have read: the allure of the flesh binds us with its chains (James 1:15). Greed is our chain, drunkenness is our chain, lust is our chain, pride is our chain. There are also chains of the devil. As it is written: this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years (Luke 13:16). The devil also binds us with the bond of crimes: he binds us with the bond of fornication, the bond of adultery, the bond of treachery by which Christ is denied, the bond of envy by which even our brothers are often desired, the bond of cruelty by which sometimes a companion is killed and made like. These are the chains by which each person is bound; so that he cannot lift up his soul, nor raise the gaze of his mind to heaven, unless the Lord says to him: You are released from your infirmity; and He elevates him with the gift of His blessing (Ibid., 12). These are the chains of the wicked that bind sinners harshly, that is, the devil and his ministers: or certainly it is Nemroth, that is, bitterness: or certainly it is Esau, that is, earthly and crafty. For these were hunters who were accustomed to capturing wild animals with snares and binding mute creatures with chains. Useless hunters who capture beasts that provide a spectacle for the entertainment of the public, a service to cruelty. Finally, we find no righteous hunters in the series of divine Scriptures.
43. But there are other bonds, as I said, of the Lord Jesus, whom they follow, says the prophet: 'They are bound with cords, that is, bound with the cords of love and charity, bound with the bonds of faith. It can be understood in this way: They follow Christ, bound with the bonds of sin and guilt, the source of forgiveness, the author of redemption. Let us therefore follow the bonds of Christ, let us flee the bonds of the hunters; lest while we walk, while we are ignorant, the snares of their nets catch the foot of our mind, nor let us attach the neck of our souls with their bonds.' For they lie in wait as if they were the most cunning hunters; and when we relax our minds and let go in the face of prosperous events, and do not keep our watchful guard, then they lay even more traps, or they hide them along the path on which we walk; so that when our feet become entangled in their snares, they drag us to our downfall in order to ambush the unsuspecting traveler, or they strangle the passing merchant with a noose around their neck.
44. Therefore, do not walk with a high neck, like the daughters of Judah; for a noose is quickly tied around high necks. Do not fix your mind and soul on worldly things: but look around carefully with the eyes of your soul, for the Lord rains snares upon sinners; lest they can bind you when falling: those whom you can avoid if you do not forget the law of the Lord. Indeed, even someone who is bound, if he is conscious of his freedom, does not cease to forget his freedom, and sometimes pleads his case from the chains, defending it with the prescription of the law, and is often acquitted by judgement. Therefore, if you sin, remember the law. If you sin, remember Christ, who liberates you, saying: I am, I am the one who blots out iniquities ..., and I will not remember [them] (Isaiah 43:25). In these days and nights, hold on to your confessions of sins.
45. (V. 62.) The Prophet teaches you how to hold on to the Lord Jesus. In the middle of the night, he says, I arose to give thanks to you, for your righteous judgments. It is not enough to pray during the day, one must rise in the night, and in the middle of the night. The Lord himself spent the entire night in prayer, in order to invite you by his own example to pray; and indeed, he was seeking forgiveness for your sins: he was seeking it from the Father, and he was working by his own will. The Prophet does not tell you to only rise in the middle of the night, but to rise at night, especially in the middle of the night. For he preceded by saying: I remembered your name, Lord, in the night (Psalm 55). Everyone can remember and not rise; everyone can rise and, when they have risen, ask for what they desire according to their own will. He added: At midnight I rose, teaching that one should rise at midnight. And it is not idle what he added: To confess to you, that is, to implore God at that time above all, and to mourn our own sins: not only to seek forgiveness for the past, but also to avoid the present, and to guard against the future; for many temptations arise during that time.
46. Then the allurements of the flesh grow strong: then the tempter deceives: food is cooked and drink is digested: the stomach is sickly, the mind is drowsy, the soul is preoccupied. Therefore, either the heat of sleep is increased for the one who is at rest, or the vigor, which can guard against the attacks of errors, is not yet renewed for the one who is wakeful. Thus, then, the tempter is present, then he casts his nets, with which he can disturb the unwary mind. Then spiritual wickednesses cast their darkness: then they strive to persuade every wicked thing, when there can be no judge of guilt, no conscious agent of crime, no witness of error. Then they pour forth various arguments to the sleeping sinner, in order to first throw down his resisting mindset, and an example is presented of some who are considered holy, that they too have sinned at some point, but afterwards obtained forgiveness and covered their past transgressions. For even though our enemy despises every change in us, nevertheless for the time being, in order to deceive a man of sober mind, he pretends that future pardon will be granted, in order to persuade him of present sins; and when he has persuaded someone to assent to error, if he sees that the person is no longer being drawn away from guilt by love of virtue but by the dread of punishment, he inserts various arguments, saying to himself: Who sees me? And darkness surrounds me, and walls ... whom I fear (Eccli. XXIII, 25 and 26)? The Most High does not see, our sins do not reach Him, He does not deem worthy to look at what is foul. We know this certainly by experience and example; for no one can be without temptation.
Therefore, just as this time is opportune for trials, so is it also a time for punishment, in which we can be taught by divine reading. For our Lord God, when he could have destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians at any moment, did not do so in vain; yet he judged this time to be more suitable for the pain and mourning of the sinner. For it is written, 'At midnight the firstborn of the Egyptians were killed by the destroyer' (Exodus 12:29). And so, the holy prophet Moses, in order to anticipate this time and to pass over without any deceit from the Hebrews, sacrificed a lamb before the evening, that is, the Passover, so that those who ate it and celebrated the Lord's Passover would not be caught in the trap of the destroyer, lest the dark arrows of the spiritual food of the enemy oppress them defenseless and empty at night.
48. Attend to these things diligently, understand them prudently, seek them with care. These things are not said perfunctorily, but divine mysteries are revealed to you. Anticipate the snares of the tempter, restore the heavenly banquet first. Fasting has been proclaimed, be careful not to neglect it. And if daily hunger compels you to a meal, or intemperance leads you to break the fast; nevertheless, preserve yourself more for the heavenly banquet. Do not let prepared feasts draw you away, so that you may be empty of the heavenly sacrament. Stay a little longer, the end of the day is near: in fact, most days are like this, where you must immediately come to the Church at midday hours, singing hymns, celebrating offerings. Then be prepared to receive sustenance for yourself; to eat the body of the Lord Jesus, in which there is forgiveness of sins, a divine request for reconciliation, and eternal protection. Receive before the Lord Jesus the hospitality of your mind: where his body is, there Christ is. When your enemy sees that your haven is occupied by the celestial radiance of the divine presence, understanding that the place is cut off from his attempts through Christ, he will flee and depart: and you will pass through the middle of the night without any offense. It also reminds us of the evening sacrifice, so that you may never forget Christ. You cannot forget, when you go to bed, the Lord to whom you offered prayers at the close of the day, who filled you with the feasts of his body while you were hungry. Therefore, whatever you have resolved in the evening, quickly review it when you awaken. The Lord Jesus himself will awaken you: he will remind you to rise and at that time take up the weapons of prayer, with which the temptor is accustomed to attack.
49. Therefore, it was not in vain that the apostle Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, with their feet in stocks. Even in the middle of the night, they rose in spirit, prayed to the Lord, and offered a sacrifice of praise. And so, where the duty of devotion was not lacking, the remedy of absolution was also present. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, the gates were opened, and the chains of all were loosened. (Acts 16:25-26). Do you hear how, if you were bound, with what hands, with what works you would free yourself, how you cannot estimate how to guard against it? Therefore, rise up for praying. It is that hour when the tempter is accustomed to harm, and wickedness is accustomed to rush in. It is that hour when the heavenly remedy is wont to come against grave temptations. You must keep watch, lest you be overcome by any deceit: you must take care that at the time when you are able to conquer, you do not in any way lose the time for conquering.
And because we said that a speech must be undertaken in the middle of the night, it seems necessary to also speak about this time of day; for night is the opposite of day. For what does light have in common with darkness? And therefore, what is adverse to itself is nocturnal or diurnal. Just as at midnight the primary tempter of the Egyptians perished, and from that it is known that the adversary operates most at that hour; so, on the contrary, divine light operates at the time of midday. And so, Abraham was keeping watch around noon, expecting some good outcomes, lifting his eyes and scanning the surroundings, because at that time he was seeking the approaching grace (Gen. XVIII, 1 and 2). Therefore, at that time, the divine guest, together with two holy angels, came to him: at that time, he received Christ as a guest: at that time, those mysteries that you read and understand, were celebrated. For when else should divine presence illuminate a faithful man more than when the light of day shines more fully? And rightfully, even Saint Joseph, having received his brothers and calling the younger brother whom he loved the most, prepared a noonday feast (Gen. 43:16). Indeed, in Saint Joseph's heart it was noon, when he served joyful meals to his brothers, ministering in shining grace, and he shared the sweet food of conversation; so that when they feared punishment for their brother's sake and were sold into slavery, he would say to them by divine judgment that it had been provided for them to be led to Egypt, so that he would not deny sustenance to those suffering from hunger (Gen. 45:5-7).
51. Therefore, we have the noon within us. Noon belongs to the one upon whom the sun of justice shines, and in whose good works or innocent thoughts Christ is nourished with a pure and sincere mind. Learn, therefore, how to make noon for yourself. 'Reveal,' it says, 'your way to the Lord, and hope in Him; and He Himself will do it, and will bring forth your justice as the light, and your judgment as noon' (Psalm 36:5-6). For where true faith is, there is the grace of true light; where there is a more extended vigilance over innocence and a long meditation in virtues, where there is the splendor of good conscience that lasts a long time, there is the noon that is understandable. There, you will also provide nourishment to Christ for your mind, and you will also be fed in His riches, in such a way that the premature and swift setting of true light does not follow, nor does some dark evening quickly occur, interrupting your studies and impeding good works. If, however, the night of temptations comes, it is not without reason that one must rise in the middle of the night and pray for a long time, and extend the times with psalms until the day comes and Christ shines upon you.
52. Therefore, be careful not to let even the middle of the day become like night for you, in which the dark and squalid ruler of the world pours upon you the fullness of temptation. Therefore, arise and awaken your mind: the one who guards you will not sleep if he does not find you asleep; he will rise if he himself has been awakened by the vigilance of your soul. And he will command the wind, and there will be tranquility in your heart, which was tossed by the waves of various storms. Therefore, we must rise. The Bridegroom is accustomed to come in the middle of the night: beware lest he find you sleeping, beware lest you be unable to light your torch while dozing. We must rise, I say, and confess to the Lord, to give thanks. His eternal judgments are also to be confessed; whatever good happens to us, let us attribute it to his justice: whether we are wealthy or enjoy good health, let us attribute it to the justice of the Lord; for it is just that he should protect and preserve his own work, so that he may deign to clothe those whom he has cast naked by an unpurchased gift of nature into this infirmity of the body, with the strength of the soul and the gift of his mercy. Certainly, it is evident that we must not be devoid of thanksgiving at any time, neither by day, nor by night, nor at any time.
53. (Verse 63.) The seventh verse follows: I am a partaker of all who fear you, and keep your commandments. And Christ also has partakers and companions of himself. Finally, David proves it, saying: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions. (Psalm 45:8). He has partakers of the flesh, for he took on flesh; he has partakers of prophecy, for the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from among your brethren, like me: him you shall hear in all things, whatever he shall speak to you. But every soul that does not listen to that prophet will be exterminated from the people (Deut. XVIII, 18 and 19). He is the true prophet, who without the gift of another knows the future: who spoke about things that were to come in the prophets. Is he not a prophet, who makes others prophesy? He is the one who is heard like the Law; because the Law is his. Finally, if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not believe even if someone comes back from the dead and goes to them (Luc. XVI, 31). Therefore, the Jewish people, because they did not listen to this prophet, were exterminated from the community, so that they would cease to be the people of God, who were previously called the people of God. He has companions in baptism, because he was baptized for us; he has companions in righteousness, because he himself is righteousness, and he gave us a share in his righteousness; he has companions in truth, because he himself is truth, and he wanted us to hold onto the truth; he has companions in resurrection, because he himself is the resurrection; he has companions in a blameless life, because he himself is blameless. And whoever walks in the newness of life, whoever holds to the path of righteousness, is a participant in Christ. They also share in his sufferings; therefore, the one who desired to be a participant in him said: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the Church (Colossians 1:24). We are also participants in his burial; for whoever is buried with him through baptism into death, is a participant in him. Therefore the Apostle himself, pointing out the grace that the Lord Jesus has given us, says: For we have become partakers of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3:14).
54. But he is also a participant in Christ, who consoles the mournful with sad affection: who does not neglect his duty to the one imprisoned: who sits by the sickbed, not seeking to snatch a share of the inheritance; but who, by diligent service, soothes the troubled with his words, and comforts the weary with his conversation: who clothes the naked, and feeds the hungry. For in these, Christ is often present, as he himself says: I was in prison and you did not come to me; I was naked and you did not cover me. For whatever good you have not done to one of these least ones, you have not done to me. (Matt. XXV, 42 et seq.) If I hate falsehood, I am a partaker of Christ, because Christ is truth: if I avoid iniquity, I am a partaker of Christ, because Christ is righteousness. Blessed is he who can say this. For just as we say that a member is a partaker of the whole body, so too, anyone who fears God and is joined to all, should not say to another: You are not of my body, that is, a rich person should not say to a poor person, a noble person should not say to someone of low birth, a healthy person should not say to someone who is sick, a strong person should not say to someone weak, a wise person should not say to someone ignorant: You are not necessary to me; they are a partaker of the body of Christ, which is the Church. But whoever knows that those who are seen in the Church, weak, poor, ignorant, and even sinners, are in greater need of honor and greater assistance to support them: he who knows this can say, 'I am a partaker of all who fear you.' Let him have more compassion for such men than disdain them: let him have compassion for the weak; so that he knows that we are all one body and members connected to each other; so that one cannot exist without the other: and when one suffers, let him have compassion for the other. Therefore, he can rightly use the authority of this voice.
55. But see how modestly the Prophet said: I am a partaker of those who fear you. He did not say imitators, but those who fear; for the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Eccl. I, 16). He humbled himself among the unlearned, while surpassing the experienced in devotion. But to fear virtue is also necessary; for it is written: Fear the Lord, all you his saints (Psal. XXXIII, 10).
56. But lest this fear appear unholy to some (for there are those who fear with a lazy dread and tremble with a dull anxiety), he added: And those who keep your commandments. To show that he is a partner in holy fear. Either thus. Indeed, one can fear with a devout heart but be lazy in action; so that one may be religious in affection, but idle in deeds. However, one cannot be lazy who keeps the commandments of the Lord. Therefore, the one who fears, keeps. Therefore, it is his to keep, who fears. Therefore, the Holy One says this: I, however, cannot use this for myself; for how great are those who fear God, and I do not show them mercy? They seek help, and I do not wish to offer it; they are in need of mercy, and I do not assist them with expense. Whoever, though, does these things, can say that they are a companion of Christ, who is feared.