friend, who was a chaste and excellent man, and he revealed to him everything about which he repented, and the friend answered and said unto him, “Be not sad, O my brother, for it is meet that thou shouldst rejoice, because thou hast made an offering unto God of thy gold”; but the rich man did not agree with him. Then he said unto him, “I will give thee thirty pounds’ weight of gold, and thou must not be vexed, but come with me to the temple of Mâr Mînâ, the martyr, and say thus: ‘It is not I who have given these alms, but this man,’ and take that which is thine and go.” And having done this, he took thirty pounds’ weight of gold, and went to go forth by the door of the church, and the angel of the Lord smote him and he fell down straightway, and died. Then the priests who were in the temple of Mâr Mînâ gathered themselves together, and they said to the friend, “Take thy gold, and be gone.” And he said unto them, “God forbid that I should take anything from Christ, for I have offered it to Him, and it is His, but if it seem [fit] to you let it be divided among the poor”; and it was divided according to his command, and every one who heard feared and glorified God. My brethren, let us admire the excellence of that friend, and let us not be sad when we offer alms and oblations unto God, for we [only] offer unto Him that which is His. And He Himself hath written that He is the debtor and the borrower, and hath promised a reward even for a cup of cold water, saying, “Whatsoever ye do unto one of these little ones, ye do unto Me” (St. Matthew 10:42; 25:40); may He make us worthy to do His will. Amen.
Here follow the counsels which belong in order to the old man who spake against the thoughts of fornication, saying, “Be like unto a man who passeth through a street of taverns, etc.” (see No. 593, Book I).
426. O man, for thy sake was Christ born, and the Son of God came that He might make thee to live; He became a babe, He became a child, and He became a man, being [at the same time] God in His Nature, and the Son of God.
427. He Who was the Lawgiver became a reader, and He took the Book in the synagogue, and read, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, and therefore He hath anointed Me, and hath sent Me to preach the Gospel to the poor” (St. Luke 4:18).
428. Like a subdeacon He made a whip of cord, and drove out from the temple all those who sold oxen, and rams, and doves, et cetera.
429. Like a servant He girded a napkin about His loins, and washed the feet of His disciples, and He commanded them to wash the feet of their brethren.
