In Kalendas

A discourse of the same author on the Kalends, when the bishop of Antioch, Flavianus, did not come forward. It was spoken against those who observe the new moons and perform dances in the city, and on the Apostle's saying: "Do all things to the glory of God." 1. Just as a chorus seeks its leader, and a crew of sailors its helmsman, so too this assembly of priests seeks its high priest and common father today. But in the case of the chorus and the ship, the absence of those in charge often greatly detracts from both order and safety; here, however, it is not so. For even if he is not present in the flesh, he is present in spirit, and now he is with us, sitting at home, just as we are with him, standing here. Such is the power of love: it is accustomed to bring together and unite those who are far apart. For if we love someone who dwells in a foreign land and is separated from us by vast seas, we imagine him every day; just as, when we are ill-disposed toward someone, we often do not seem to see him even when he stands near. Thus, when love is present, distance in place does no harm; when it is absent, proximity of place brings no benefit.

Just recently, when we were praising the blessed Paul, you leaped about as if you saw him present; and yet his body lies in the imperial city of Rome, while his soul is in the hands of God. For the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and torment shall not touch them. But nevertheless, the power of love set him before your eyes. And I wished to descend into the same subject today as well, but my speech has been set in motion toward other pressing matters—the sins committed today by the whole city. For those who hear the encomia of Paul must first be emulators of Paul's virtue and worthy of such a hearing. Since, then, the father is not present with us, come, let us take courage from his prayers and take up the task of teaching you. For Moses, though not present in body to those fighting, contributed no less than the fighters—indeed much more—to that battle, raising the affairs of his own side by the stretching out of his hands and making them fearsome to the enemy. For just as the power of love is not separated by a distance of place, so too is the efficacy of prayer not separated; but just as love binds together those who are far apart, so too can prayer greatly benefit those who are far away. Taking courage, then, let us proceed to the battle. For a war has now been joined for us as well—not Amalekites attacking, as then, nor any other barbarians overrunning us, but demons parading in the marketplace.

For the devilish all-night vigils that take place today, and the mockeries, and the slanders, and the night dances, and this laughable comedy, have taken our city captive more harshly than any enemy, and it is necessary on account of these things to be downcast, to mourn, to be dejected, both those who have sinned and those who have not sinned, the former for what they have done wrong, the latter for having seen their brothers behaving disgracefully; but our city has become full of joy and bright, and has been crowned, and like a woman fond of adornment and extravagant, so the marketplace has ambitiously beautified itself today, putting on gold, and costly garments, and shoes, and other such things, each one in the workshops striving to outdo the craftsman of the same trade by the display of his own works. But this ambition, even if it is of a childish mind and a soul that imagines nothing great nor lofty, nevertheless does not bring such great harm, but is only a foolish zeal, covering those who are zealous about these things with ridicule. For if you wish to adorn, do not adorn the workshop, but your own soul; not the marketplace, but your mind; so that angels may marvel, and archangels may approve of what is done, and the Master of the angels may reward you with his own gifts; for this display, which is now taking place, brings both ridicule and envy, ridicule from those of loftier mind, and envy and much jealousy from those who suffer from the same afflictions. 2. But, as I said, this ambition is not worthy of such great accusations;

The contests that take place today in the taverns, these especially cause pain, being filled with much profligacy and impiety. Impiety, because those who do these things observe days and practice divination, and think that if they celebrate the new moon of this month with pleasure and merriment, they will have the entire year likewise. Profligacy, because at dawn men and women fill bowls and cups and drink unmixed wine with great licentiousness. These things are unworthy of our philosophy, whether you do them yourselves, or overlook others doing them, whether servants, friends, or neighbors. Have you not heard Paul saying, "You observe days and months and seasons and years"? I fear that I have labored in vain among you. Moreover, it would be the height of folly to expect the whole year to be favorable from a single day, if it should turn out auspicious. This judgment is not only folly, but also of diabolical energy, to entrust the affairs of our life not to one's own zeal and diligence, but to the cycles of days. The year will be favorable to you throughout, not if you get drunk on the new moon, but if both on the new moon and on every day you do what is pleasing to God. For a day becomes evil or good not by its own nature—for no day differs from another day—but by our own zeal or negligence. If you practice righteousness, the day has become good for you; if you practice sin, it is evil and full of punishment.

If you philosophize about these things and are so disposed, you will have the entire year favorable, working at prayers and almsgiving each day. But if you neglect your own virtue and entrust the joy of your soul to the beginnings of months and the numbers of days, you will be bereft of all your own goods. This the devil, seeing and eager to loosen our labors for virtue and quench the zeal of the soul, taught us to ascribe successes and failures to days. For he who has persuaded himself that a day is bad or good will neither attend to good works on the bad day, as doing everything in vain and benefiting nothing because of the necessity of the day, nor will he do this on the good day, as suffering no harm from his own indolence because of the good fortune of the day again; and thus from both sides he will betray his own salvation, and at one time laboring as for nothing, at another as superfluously, he will live in idleness and wickedness. Knowing this, then, one must flee the devil's machinations, cast this opinion out of one's mind, and not observe days, nor hate one and love another. For not only to cast us into indolence, but also to slander God's creations, does that wicked demon contrive these things, wishing to drag our souls down into both impiety and indolence. But we must recoil and know clearly that nothing is evil except sin alone, and nothing good except virtue alone, and pleasing God in all things. Drunkenness does not produce joy, but spiritual prayer does.

not wine, but a teaching word. Wine produces winter, but the word produces calm; the former introduces disturbance, the latter expels turmoil; the former darkens the mind, the latter illuminates the darkened mind; the former casts in non-existent despondencies, the latter drives away those that exist. For nothing is so accustomed to produce cheerfulness and joy as the doctrines concerning philosophy: to look down upon present affairs, to be intent on future things, to consider nothing human as secure—neither wealth, nor power, nor honors, nor services. If you know how to philosophize about these things, even if you see someone wealthy, you will not be stung by envy; even if you fall into poverty, you will not be humiliated by beggary; thus you are able to celebrate continually. For the Christian ought not to celebrate months, nor new moons, nor Lord's days, but to keep the feast that befits him throughout his whole life. And what feast befits him? Let us hear Paul saying: "Therefore let us celebrate, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of vice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." If, then, you have a clean conscience, you have a feast continually, nurtured by good hopes and delighting in the expectation of future goods; just as, on the other hand, if you have a conscience without freedom and are liable for many sins, even if there are countless feasts and festivals, you will be in no better state than those who mourn. For what benefit is a bright day to me, when my soul is darkened in its conscience? But if you wish to derive some profit from the new moon, do this.

When you see a year completed, give thanks to the Master, because he has brought you into this cycle of years; pierce your heart, count up the time of your life, say to yourself: The days run and pass by, the years are fulfilled, we have advanced far along the road; what good, then, has been wrought by us? Shall we not depart from here empty and destitute of all righteousness, with the judgment at the doors, and our life now hastening toward old age? 3. Philosophize about these things from the new moon, remind yourself of these things from the cycle of years; let us consider the coming day, lest someone say to us also that which was said to the Jews by the prophet: Their days have failed in vanity, and their years with haste. This feast of which I speak, the perpetual one, which does not wait for cycles of years nor is bounded by days, both rich and poor will be able to keep alike; for here there is no need of money or wealth, but only of virtue. Do you not have money? But you have the fear of God, a treasure more productive than all wealth, not consumed, not altered, not spent. Look at the sky, and the sky of the sky, the earth, the sea, the air, the kinds of animals, the manifold plants, the whole nature of human beings; consider angels, archangels, the higher powers; remember that all these are possessions of your Master. And it is not possible for a slave of such a wealthy Master to be poor, if he has his own Lord propitious.

Observing days is not of Christian philosophy, but of Greek error. You have been enrolled in the city above, you belong to the polity there, having mingled yourself with angels; where there is no light that ends in darkness, nor day that ends in night, but perpetual day, perpetual light. Let us therefore look always to those things. For it says, seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. You have nothing in common with the earth, where there are courses of the sun, and cycles, and days; but if you live rightly, night becomes day for you; just as for those who live in licentiousness and drunkenness and intemperance, their day is transformed into the darkness of night, not because the sun is extinguished, but because their mind is darkened by drunkenness. To be excited about such days, and to take greater pleasure in them, and to light lamps in the marketplace, and to weave garlands, is childish folly. But you have been freed from this weakness, and you have come of age, and you have been enrolled in the polity of the heavens. Do not therefore kindle a physical fire in the marketplace, but light a spiritual fire in your mind. For it says, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in the heavens. This light brings you great reward. Do not crown the door of your house, but display such a life that you may receive the crown of righteousness upon your head from the hand of Christ. Let nothing be done idly or carelessly; thus Paul commanded that everything be done for the glory of God.

For whether you eat, he says, or drink, or do anything, do everything for the glory of God. And how is it possible, he says, to eat and act for the glory of God? Call a poor person, make Christ a partner of your table, and you have eaten and drunk for the glory of God. But he did not command only this to be done for the glory of God, but also all other things, such as going to the marketplace and staying at home; let both of these be done for God's sake. And how is it possible for both of these to be done for God's sake? When you go to church, when you partake of prayer, when of spiritual teaching, the going out has been for the glory of God. Again, it is possible to stay at home for God's sake. How and in what way? When you hear of disturbances, disorders, and diabolical processions, the marketplace filled with wicked and licentious people, stay at home, and free yourself from this turmoil, and you have stayed for the glory of God. Just as it is possible to make both staying at home and going out for God's sake, so also praise and blame. And how is it possible, he says, to praise someone and to find fault for the glory of God? You often sit in the workshops, you see wicked and base people passing by, raising their eyebrows, puffed up, dragging along many parasites and flatterers, wearing expensive clothes, wrapped in much ostentation, seizing everyone's possessions, being greedy. If you hear someone saying, Is not this man enviable, is he not blessed? rebuke, accuse, silence, call him wretched, weep; this is to find fault for God's sake.

Blame is instruction in philosophy and virtue for those who sit together; such a person should no longer gape at worldly things. Say to the one who has said these things: Why is this man blessed? Because he has a marvelous horse with a gold bridle, and possesses many servants, and wears a bright robe, and is bursting with drunkenness and luxury every day? But for this reason he would be wretched and miserable, and worthy of countless tears. I see that you are able to praise nothing of his, but only all his externals—the horse, the bridle, the garments, none of which pertain to him. What could be more wretched than this, tell me, when his horse, and the horse's bridle, and the beauty of his garments, and the physical well-being of his servants are admired, while he himself passes by unpraised? What could be poorer than this, than one who has no good of his own, nothing he can carry away from here, but is adorned with everything belonging to others? For our own adornment and wealth are not servants and garments and horses, but virtue of soul, wealth of good works, and freedom of speech before God.

4. Again, if you see another person who is poor, cast off, despised, living with poverty and virtue, and called wretched by those who sit together, praise him, and the praise becomes instruction and counsel in good and noble conduct for the one who has passed by. If they say, "Wretched and miserable," say that this man is the most blessed of all, having God as a friend, living with virtue, possessing wealth that never fails, having a clear conscience. For what harm is there to him from the lack of money, when he is about to inherit the heavens and the goods in the heavens? If you philosophize in this way and teach others, you will receive much recompense both for blame and for praise, having done both for the glory of God. And that I am not leading you on in vain by saying these things, but that a great reward from the God of all lies in store for those who are so disposed in mind, and that the practice of judging such things concerning those who live thus is considered a virtue, hear what the prophet says, and how he places in the order of achievements the despising of the wicked and the glorifying of those who fear God. For after enumerating the other virtue of the one who is to be honored by God, and saying what sort of person the one dwelling in the holy tabernacle ought to be—that he is blameless, and works righteousness, and is without malice—he added this: for having said, "Who did not falsify with his tongue, and did no evil to his neighbor," he added: "The wicked one is despised before him, and he glorifies those who fear the Lord.

showing that this too is one of the accomplishments, namely, to despise the wicked and to praise and call blessed the good. And elsewhere again, making this same point clear, he said: "But to me your friends, O God, were greatly honored, their authorities were greatly strengthened." Whom God praises, do not blame; he praises the one who lives in righteousness, even if he is poor. Whom God turns away from, do not praise; he turns away from the one who lives in wickedness, even if he is clothed in great wealth. But whether you praise or blame, do both as God wills. It is also possible to rebuke for the glory of God. How? We are often indignant with our servants. How then is it possible to rebuke for the sake of God? If you see someone drunk, if stealing, whether the servant, or the friend, or any other of those belonging to you, if running to theaters, if neglecting his own soul, if swearing, if perjuring, if lying, be indignant, punish, turn him back, correct him; and all these things you have done for the sake of God. If you see someone sinning against you and falling short in service to you, forgive, and you have forgiven for the sake of God. But now many do the opposite, both with friends and with servants. For when they sin against them, they become harsh and unforgiving judges; but when they insult God and destroy their own souls, they take no account. Again, should one make friends? Make them for the sake of God. Should one make enemies? Make them for the sake of God. And how is it possible to make friends for the sake of God and enemies?

If we do not draw ourselves toward those friendships from which there is money to be gained, from which to share a table, from which to obtain human patronage, but rather we hunt for and make friends those who are able always to regulate our soul, to advise what is necessary, to reprove us when we err, to convict us when we transgress, to set us upright when we are tripped up, and to bring us to God by both counsel and prayers, helping us. Again, it is possible to make enemies for the sake of God. If you see someone licentious, polluted, full of wickedness, filled with unclean doctrines, tripping you up and harming you, stand away and leap back, just as Christ commanded, saying: "If your right eye scandalizes you, pluck it out and cast it from you," commanding that those friends, who are as dear as eyes and necessary in worldly affairs, be cut off and cast out if they harm us with regard to the salvation of the soul. If you share in gatherings and prolong a speech, do this also for the sake of God; and if you are silent, be silent for the sake of God. And how is it possible to share in a gathering for the sake of God? If, when sitting with others, you discuss nothing about worldly matters, nor about trivial and vain things that do not concern us, but about our philosophy, about Gehenna, about the Kingdom of Heaven, and not about superfluous and useless things, such as: Who has entered office? Who has been removed from office? Why then has so-and-so been penalized? Whence has so-and-so gained profit and become more prosperous? What did so-and-so leave to so-and-so when dying? And how did so-and-so fail to be enrolled among the first heirs?

we have hoped; and many other such things. Let us not, then, discuss such matters, nor tolerate others discussing them; but let us consider what we must do or say to please God. Again, it is possible to be silent for God's sake when insulted, reviled, suffering countless evils, if you bear it nobly and utter no blasphemous word against the one who does these things. It is not only a matter of praising and blaming, nor of staying within and going out, nor of speaking and being silent, but also of weeping and grieving, and of rejoicing and being glad for the glory of God. For when you see either a brother sinning or yourself falling into a transgression, and then you groan and grieve, you have gained from that grief an unregrettable salvation, as Paul says: "For grief according to God produces unregrettable salvation." If you see another succeeding, and you do not envy, but give thanks to God as for your own goods, for the one who made your brother illustrious, you have received a great reward from this joy. 5. What, then, tell me, could be more pitiable than the envious, when it is possible both to rejoice and to gain through joy, yet they choose rather to grieve at the successes of others, and along with the grief also to incur punishment from God and unbearable retribution? And what need is there to speak of praises and blames, griefs and joys, when even from the smallest and most trivial things it is possible to reap the greatest benefits, if we do them for God's sake? For what is more trivial than cutting one's hair? Yet even this can be done for God's sake.

When you do not arrange your hair, nor beautify your face, nor adorn yourself as a lure and deception for those who see you, but simply and as it happens and only as much as necessity demands, you have done this for God, and you will certainly have the reward, because you have curbed a wicked desire and checked an untimely vanity. For if one who gives only a cup of cold water for God will inherit the kingdom of heaven, consider how great a reward will be enjoyed by one who does everything for God. It is possible to walk for God, and to see for God. How is it possible to see for God, and to walk? When you do not run to wickedness, when you do not pry into the beauties of others, when, seeing a woman approaching, you rein in your eye, walling up your sight with the fear of God, you have done this for God; when we put on not costly things that make us softer, but only those that can cover us. It is possible to extend this rule even to shoes. For many have slipped into softness and profligacy in this matter, adorning their shoes and variegating them from every side, no less than others do their faces; this is a sign of an unclean and corrupted soul. For even if this seems a small matter, it would be a sign and proof of great ruin, both in men and in women. It is possible, then, to use shoes for God, when we everywhere seek necessity and make this the measure of our enjoyment. And that it is possible to glorify God through gait and through dress, hear what a certain wise man says:

A man's attire, and the laughter of his teeth, and the step of his foot announce what concerns him. For when we appear composed [and dignified], full of dignity, and displaying great modesty from every side, even the unbeliever, and the licentious, and the turbulent, seeing such a person, will marvel, even if he is more insensible than all. And if we take a wife, let us do this for God, that we may be chaste, not that we may make our property more abundant, that we may seek nobility of soul, not abundance of wealth, nor the renown of ancestors, but virtue and gentleness of character; let us take a companion for life, not a partner in huckstering. And why must I recount everything? For it is possible for us from what has been said to examine each of the things that happen and are done, and to do everything for God. And just as merchants sailing the sea and putting into cities do not disembark from the harbor nor go up into the marketplace until they learn that there is some profit in the goods stored there, so also do you neither do nor say anything unless it has profit according to God. And do not tell me that it is not possible to do everything for God. For when putting on shoes, and a haircut, and the wearing of garments, and walking, and appearance, and words, and gatherings, and comings and goings, and jests and praises, and censures and encomiums, and friendships and enmities can be done for God, what is there then that cannot be done for God, if we wish? What is worse than a jailer?

Not everyone's life seems to be the most wicked. But it is possible for one who wishes to profit even from that, when he spares those who are bound, when he tends to those who have been unjustly imprisoned, when he does not traffic in another's misfortune, when he lies as a common harbor for all who are in need. Thus that prison warden was saved, the one in the time of Paul. Hence it is clear that from every side, if we wish, we are able to profit. 6. What is more grievous than murder, tell me? Yet this daring deed was once able to produce righteousness for the one who did it. So great is the power of doing something for God's sake. And how was murder able to produce righteousness? The Midianites once, wishing to set God against the Jews, and expecting to prevail over them by this means—if they should deprive them of the goodwill of the Master—adorned maidens, placed them before the camp, enticed them, led them into fornication, and then from that into impiety. Seeing this, Phinehas, taking up a sword, and catching two in the act of fornication, pierced them both in that very sin, and stayed God's wrath by his resolve. And what occurred was murder, but what was accomplished from that was the salvation of all who were perishing; hence it also brought righteousness to the one who did it. And not only did it not defile his hands, but that murder rendered them even purer, and quite reasonably so; for he did this not hating those who were slain, but sparing the rest. He killed two, and saved countless myriads. For just as physicians, by cutting away the putrid parts of the limbs, preserve the whole body [and make it healthy], so also did he.

This is why the psalmist says: Phinees stood and made atonement, and the plague ceased, and it was counted to him as righteousness for generation after generation, unto eternity. So the memory of that good deed remains immortal. Again, another man prayed and offended God—so great is the difference when one does not act for God's sake; I mean the Pharisee. But just as Phinees, though he committed murder, gained approval, so this man fell and offended not because of the prayer itself, but because of the intention with which he prayed. Thus, when something is not done for God's sake, even if it is a spiritual act, it can cause the greatest harm; just as, when it is done for God's sake, even if it is a worldly act, it greatly benefits the one who acts with a God-loving intention. For what is worse and more grievous than murder? Yet it made the one who dared it righteous. What excuse, then, shall we have, who say that it is not possible to profit from every side and to do everything for God's sake, when someone is found to have profited even from murder? If we are willing to pay attention, we shall engage in this spiritual commerce throughout our whole life, whether we need to buy or to sell: for example, when we do not demand more than the customary price, when we do not watch for times of scarcity, and then give to those in need. For "he who hoards grain for a high price is accursed," it says. And why need I speak of each detail, when it is necessary to sum up the whole with one example? For just as builders, when they are about to raise a wall, stretch a line from corner to corner and thus weave the construction so that its surface may not be uneven, so

Therefore, let us also, instead of a staff, stretch forth this saying: "Whether you eat, whether you drink, or whether you do anything else, do all things to the glory of God." Whether we pray, whether we fast, whether we accuse, whether we forgive, whether we praise, whether we blame, whether we enter, whether we exit, whether we sell, whether we buy, whether we are silent, whether we converse, or whether we do anything else whatsoever, let us do all things to the glory of God. And if anything is not done to the glory of God, let it not be done nor said by us. But instead of a great staff, instead of a weapon and a safeguard, instead of ineffable treasures, wherever we may be, let us carry this saying with us, having inscribed it in our mind, so that having done, said, and transacted all things to the glory of God, we may obtain glory from Him both here and after our departure from here. For He says, "I will glorify those who glorify me." Therefore, let us glorify Him not only with words but also through our deeds, continually, together with Christ our God, because to Him belongs all glory, honor, and worship, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.