In principium jejuniorum

On the Beginning of the Fasts, and concerning Fasting. The spiritual spring of fasting has shone upon us today, beloved, and the meadows of temperance have been opened for the merchants of piety. The sailors of the Church summon us to heavenly commerce and prepare for us the voyage of righteousness, unfurling before us the prophetic scrolls and handling the tillers of the law. They hoist the mast of the precious cross and tighten the anchor of faith. The Holy Spirit guides this ship, and the Creator of all tends it. Come then, beloved, let us today joyfully welcome the purity of fasting standing before the gates, and with spiritual embraces let us cry out to her: Come, O mother of goods and of virtues, fill us with heavenly fragrance, open to us the paradise of evangelical conduct, let us enjoy the spiritual fruits of temperance, purify us with the diadem of sobriety, grant us an unclouded life, heal the wounds of souls caused by indulgence, quench the embers kindled by drunkenness, and cure the sickly thoughts fevered by despondency.

Shut the theaters of the devil, remove the madness, bind up the beast-breeding workshop of inhumanity, rebuke the winds of the evil spirits, refashion the fasting into the conduct of the incorporeal, show the gray hair of an elder to be venerable, draw with the plow of temperance, brighten men who spend their days in profligacy, adorn women who traverse the stadium of modesty, refashion youth to the angelic life; let those wearied by sins breathe again from vain labors, let them cast off the filth of the whole year by the forty days of fasting; for you fill not only the earth, but already paradise itself. For now the supramundane powers rejoice, the ranks of angels celebrate spiritually; Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers delight in the salvation of men; only the devil, fallen from the heavens, scowling says: Where now is my boast over those who have been thrown headlong by gluttony? Where now is my soul-destroying device against men through food? Where now is the greedy taste of the tree, by which I deceived Adam together with Eve and stripped him? My devices of wickedness are now gone, now that fasting has appeared. Whence has this so-called fasting appeared against me? Who has now marshaled it against me? No longer is Adam, deceived together with Eve, stripped of God, no longer does he obey soul-destroying counsel, no longer does he gorge himself, no longer is he held by the snare of gluttony.

Again through fasting Adam is in paradise, again he boasts, again he exults in the divine image, again he is led back to the archetypal beauty; and what is more terrible than this, that having lost paradise through transgression, he leaped up to the heavens on the chariot of fasting. I was cast out from there, and the outcast one is again borne upon the heavenly powers. I have become a laughingstock, defeated by men, overthrown by fasters, driven out by human nature. But let the Evil One lament these failures of his, being struck down; we, however, snatching a well-aimed arrow from the apostolic quiver for the present, let us wound the pleasures of his greed, crying out with Paul the words of Paul: We brought nothing into the world; clearly, we can carry nothing out. But would that our entrance imitated our exit; would that one departed naked and free from punishment; would that one were poor in nature and uncensured in soul; would that one were destitute and blameless, would that one were without resources and without pain. But the most terrible thing is this: someone, leaving behind here what he has gathered, departs bearing the sin from those things; and he is deprived of the profit, yet not alienated from the condemnation on account of them; but another succeeds to the enjoyment of his goods, while he alone endures the punishment; and the one who did not acquire them, having them, revels, while the one who acquired them, having nothing, is tormented, having gained only one thing: the penalty for having grown rich. Awake from the sea of worldly life, O man, and willingly distribute your wealth to the poor; do not leave it to enemies; anticipate the mouths gaping at you.

Do not become prey for those who track the property of others. Are you a father of children? Count the soul of these as a sister, and set aside a portion of the property for it as well. Are you fond of children? Become also fond of God, through whom you acquired your fondness for children. But have you suffered from childlessness? Do not fall into sons whom nature has not given you; do good to yourself and make yourself your heir; do not appear naked of almsgiving before the Judge; flee the threatened fire; prepare yourself for the common departure of the race; keep that last day of your life in view. When the passing angels suddenly stand ready to take your soul, what will you do, dragged by the thief death? When you are about to be disheartened by the danger that constrains you, when you speak faintly, when you utter indistinct sounds, when you breathe weakly and rapidly, when a flame from within presses hard, contending against the soul, when no ally stands by as the calamity presses, when a brother does not ransom you—will a man ransom you? When wealth flows away, when the soul is driven into that dread tribunal, when you are no longer master of yourself, when you repent of what you have done, but there is no longer room for repentance, when the door of repentance is closed and the entrance to paradise is walled off, when you groan from the depth of your heart but find no one to deliver you, will you not then confront yourself with such perplexities in your reasoning? By no means; but you will groan bitterly in your soul and say, speechless, "Alas, alas, wretched me! I am thrust toward the exit, miserable; I am dragged to end my life by force; I am led as a captive from whence there is no return.

Therefore, servants do not help, friends do not appear, flatterers have withdrawn, bodyguards do not stand by; my belt does not assist me, gold does not contribute to me, an army does not rescue me, money does not ransom me, illustrious connections do not save me. I built houses in vain, I spent so much money untimely, I amassed talents. My glory falls away; I no longer command, and attendants stand by; I do not give orders, and an army surrounds me; I do not issue commands, and all cities fulfill what is ordered. What shall I do, wretched I? What shall I do, with relentless things pressing upon me? Shall I entreat, shall I supplicate again the death that drags me, even if it has no inclination for mercy? I beg you, O Death, grant me a little time of life as a favor. Do you not fear royal rank? Did you not see my chariot prepared before my doors? Respect the entreating nobility, be ashamed of the gray hair that beseeches you, spare the weeping youth. I do not need, O Death, complete release, but a small postponement. My house still remains unfinished, I have not yet divided the inheritance to the heirs as I ought, I have not reached the allotment. Forgetfulness has made me not wake up until now, occupied with worldly cares; I left my mind unprovided for in the most critical matter. Suddenly you drag me to judgment; what words shall I use when I am brought in? What good deed shall I call as my ally? What achievement will plead for me when I am judged? Having done what shall I defend myself before the Judge? What shall I say, or what shall I utter, forced to look down by the weight of my transgressions? Be patient with me a little, I beg. Where am I, unprepared

you drag me? Why are you eager to set me naked before the Judge? Let me, I beg, say something: I will consider the offense, I will utter a voice of confession, I will lament a little, I will groan briefly, I will weep for a short while, I will greet friends, I will embrace my wife; even with a single garment of repentance I will cover my soul. I will hire poor advocates from here, I will devise healing for my wounds before the departure, I give all the wealth I have for a brief postponement. And even with these words, O man, wiser than these, you will not prevent the violence of impending death. For death is a flatterer-free executioner, death is an unfeigned decree, death is an evictor of the race without regard to person, death is an unfeigned murderer, death is a traveler of nature, death enters unannounced to kings and stands by, death is a thief working the same art of theft both by day and by night, death is a snatcher, a snatcher of righteousness, death is a possession longed for only by the righteous. Hearing these things, beloved, let us arise, having awakened; let us not again sleep the sleep of sin; let us propitiate with second things what has gone before. Did you collect unjustly? Spend justly; from the very sources of the passion, set remedies for the passion. Did you once do injustice? First spare those whom you wronged; first be just, and then be philanthropic; first give back, and then give; first turn away from evil, and then do good. Do not appear generous from things for which you were not brotherly. When you have shown mercy to those whom you made poor, then give to other poor from what you did not seize.

When you stop the tears of those you have wronged, then have compassion on other poor people who weep. Honor the Lord, Scripture says, from your own righteous labors. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. He does not accept a gift from one who makes another groan; the Creator does not consent to share with you what has been seized. There justice cannot be overlooked, nor can the one convicted escape. But if you are aware, O man, that you have done something wrong, repent. Have you ever, O man, slipped into irrational desires, serving lawless compulsion? Have you become liable for many lawless deeds? Do not fear the Judge and despair of your own salvation. He knows how to be bought off by mercy; He is naturally appeased by good deeds to the poor; He is bribed by consolations of the needy. Hear Him crying out in the Gospels: Give alms, and all is fulfilled. Give to me, cries the one who enriches all; give to me, cries the one who has given everything to all for enjoyment. He deigns to accept even two obols from a widow; He does not blush to come down even for a cup of cold water; He knows how to accept the intention of a poor but merciful person. For He Himself said, He who pities the poor lends to God. To Him is due glory and power always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.