Letter 1123: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
Although the narrative of the Gospel depicts Lazarus as having reached the extremity of every misery, his misfortune became for him the greatest foundation of true prosperity. For if he had not come to such depths of adversity, he would never have risen to such heights of renown. For what could be more glorious — to pass over the rewards that await him beyond — than to be hymned in the Gospels, to have God as one's praiser, and to possess Abraham as one's advocate? Let none therefore murmur at present afflictions, for they are the seeds of future glory. The rich man, by contrast, had every earthly comfort and lacked nothing in this life, but in the next he lacked everything. His purple robes and fine linen became rags of shame, and his sumptuous table became an eternal famine. Not because wealth is evil in itself — for Abraham himself was wealthy — but because wealth without mercy and luxury without compassion harden the heart and blind the eyes to the suffering at one's gate. The parable teaches us that the true worth of a human life is measured not by what one possesses but by what one gives, not by how one feasts but by how one treats the hungry beggar lying at the door. The wisdom of God, which orders all things sweetly and powerfully, has arranged matters so that every virtue carries its own reward and every vice its own punishment, even in this present life. The virtuous person enjoys peace of conscience, the respect of the wise, and the friendship of God; the vicious person endures the torment of guilt, the contempt of the good, and the enmity of heaven. And these present consequences are but shadows of the eternal realities that await each soul after death, when every deed will be judged and every motive will be revealed.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Εἰ χαὶ πάσης εἰς ἄχρον ἧχοντα ταλαιπωρίας τὸν Λάζαρον ὃ τῆς εὐαγγελιχῆῇς διηγήσεως; ὑπογράφει λόγος, ἀλλ᾽ εὐπραγίας αὐτῷ ὑπόθεσις μεγίστη χαὶ ἀληθείας γέγονεν ἡ συμφορά. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ εἰς () τοσοῦτον δυσπραγίας ἀφῖχτο, οὐχ ἂν πρὸς τοσοῦτον εὐχλείας ἀνέδη. Τί γὰρ εὐχλεέστερον ( ἵνα παρῶ τὰς ἐχεῖσς ἀμοιδὰς) τοῦ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ὑμνεῖσθαι, χαὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπαινέτην, καὶ τὸν ᾿Αύραὰμ χεχτῆσθαι συνήγορον; ΡΚΒ΄. --- ΗΛΔΙ͂Α ΔΙΑΚΟΝΏ. ε Πὰς ὁ βλέπων γυγαῖχα πρὸς τὸ ἐπι- θυμῆσαι, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτήν.» φὶς τό" Εἰ μὲν τῶν προπυλαίων μόνων, χαὶ μὴ τῶν ἀξύ - τῶν ἥπτετο ὁ μολυσμὸς, ἴσως εὐΐατον ἣν τὸ πάθος. Εἰ ὃὲ αὐτῆς χαθάπτεται τῆς ψυχῆς, μὴ ἕχαστος ἑαυτὸν παραλογιζέσθω. Εἰ δὲ φαίη τις ἀνθρώπους ἀπατῶν, « Οὐδεὶς στεφανοῦται, εἰ μὴ νομίμως ᾿ἀθλήσει, ν νόμιμον πάλην εἶναι νομίζων τὴν θέαν, εἰ τῆς πράξεως ἀπόσχοιτο, μανθανέτω, ὅτι ὁ ἀγωνο- θέτης χαὶ χριτὴς τῶν τοιούτων παλαισμάτων εἶπεν" ε« Ὃ βλέπων γυναῖχα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ. » Νόμιμος οὖν ἐστι πάλη, οὖὐχ ἡ παρὰ τῆς ἑχάστου ῥᾳθυμία: χαὶ προλήψεως, ἀλλ᾽ ἣ παρὰ τοῦ ἀδεχάστου χριτοῦ θεσμοθετηθεῖσα. ΡΚΓΙ". Εἷς τό" ε -- ἸΣΙΔΩΡΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΈΡΗ. Ὁ δὲ θὅλων ἑαυτὸν διχαιῶσαι, εἶπε" Καὶ τίς ἐστί μου πιϊησίον; ν Τί ἔστιν, ἔφης, τὸ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις εἰρημένον περὶ τοῦ νομιχοῦ" ε« Ὁ δὲ θέλων ἐχυτὸν διχαιῶσαι, εἶπε Καὶ τίς ἐστί μου πλησίον; νΓΆχουε τοίνυν. Ὁ Νομιχὸς πλησίον μόνον ἐνόμιζε εἶναι τὸν δίχαιον τῷ Ρυϊαθαὶ Ἰυδίυμ [υδίοθ, . π ὲπὶ δυ δ] ἢ, αυὸ ἃἀ Ὦ διχαίῳ, τὸν ὑψηλὸν τῷ ὑψηλῷ, κατ’ ἀρετὴν φημι. Οὐ ΥὙἱΓίΌΓ6 πὶ, ἰπᾳυᾶπι. ΝΟ Θεἢ δυυδίδπ!α, αυα τηἃ οδαθιηαᾳυδ , ργοχὶ πὶ ἰδίθπ) ἐβϑιϊ πρὶ, δυὶ Οἰη δι υ8, δι δοιοηυυ8. Θυδιῃοῦτγοπι οἰΐδπὶ γ0- ἰδ8 δαίρϑυπι, [ι 8ι1 οᾶγὸ, 68ι ἰυδίυπι) ἀπση)θη- ϑ8ίΓΆΓΘ, αυλιη νἱ ὲ . βδοιπέυπι Υἱγ- ἐθ αὶ, τηᾶ5η08, αυοα πηαρίβιογ, [ : ε Εἰ ͵ πιο ργΓοχίιηυβ » Ουδεοὶ ἀΐοοτγαι : Οοιοηὰδ δΛ . ΧΥΙ, β64ᾳ. Γ5 ΜλΆ( ). ν, . γὰρ τῇ οὐσίᾳ μιᾷ οὔσῃ, τὸν “λησίον ἔχρινεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἣ τοῖς ἀξιώμασιν, ἣ ταῖς πράξεσι. Διὸ χαὶ θέλων ἑαυτὸν δικαιῶσαι, τουτέστιν δίκαιον ἀποδεῖξαι, ὡς ὑψηλὸς εἴη χατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἢ μέγας χατὰ τὸ δι- δάσχαλος εἶναι, φησί" ε Καὶ τίς ἐστί μου πλησίον; » Δεῖξζόν μοι τὸν οὕτω μέγαν. Ὃ ὃὲ Σωτὴρ, ἅτε δὴ ποιητὴς (μικρὸν γὰρ χαὶ μέγαν αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν), ", ὃ. Ἵ[μιο..χ, . ΥΔΙΙΣ ΤΕΓΟΤΙΟΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ͂, () Ρτο ἄλλος εοἀ. . 5ογῖθιι ἀλλ᾽ ὅς, αα τὶ ΤΘοῖα 'ρ56 νἱἀστγιι : ὁρ6 εἶ τππ γον, ῬΟΒΘΙΝ. () θην ἐο4. παρασχευάσων πολι ἰΐ παρα- σχεύασον. ἴν. ) οἱ. γλιΐο, εἰς τητῖλι ἴῃ πρός. Ὑοτϑ. Ῥοϑι ὅ, νοῦ "Ὸ ὑμνεῖσθαι ρῥτα)ροηΐ! ἄν οοηλιηοσίμη). [. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΛΆΟΜ . ΤῊ - ΕΡΙΒΤ. ΟΥΧΥ. οὐ ταῖς πράξεσιν, οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀξιώμασιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει Α ἢ Αἰϊχυθπι αχυὶ ἰΔπὶ δἷῖ πλάξηι8, ὃἱ πηοοῦηὶ ρο8- . ὡρίσατο τὸν πλησίον, μονουχὶ λέγων Οὔπω σοι τέως λέγω, ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν ἄλλων διενήνοχας, ἵνα μὴ οἱ ὄντως; φιλάρετοι νομίσειαν χρεωστεῖν τοῖς πέλας τὴν ἀγάπην, δόγμα τὸ σὸν ἔλεγχον νομίσαντες εἶναι" ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ οὕτως ἔχει (δεδόσθω γὰρ), σὺ σπούδασον τοῦ δεομένου πλησίον εἶναι, οὐ τῷ τόπῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ διαθέσει, χαὶ τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπιμελείᾳ. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο χαὶ τὸν Σαμαρείτην σοι ἐχαρακχτηρίσατο. Τὸ γὰρ πλησίον τῇ φύσει χρίνεται, οὐ τῇ ἀρετῇ " τῇ οὐσίᾳ, οὐ τῷ ἀξιώματι" τῇ συμπαθείᾳ, οὐ τῷ τόπῳ᾽ τῆς θεραπείας τρόπῳ, χαὶ οὐ τοῦ τόπου ἐγγύτητι. Ἐχεῖνον μάλιστα ἡγοῦ εἶναι πλησίον, τὸν δεόμενον, καὶ αὐτεπάγγελτος ἐπὶ τὴν βοήθειαν βάδιζε. δὶ: σομῃραγαγί. ϑαϊνδῖου δυίοιη, ἰδηαθδηι ἷς αιὶ μοπήποπι (δοΐββοί (ρ09 ππὶ οηΐἷπὶ οἱ πιοφηυπὶ ἷμ80 (), ποη δοιϊοηΐθυβ, πο4ι6 ἀϊφηϊ!αιυι5, πδίυγα ἀοιϊαἰνέι ργοχίπηιπι : (δ πῈ Ποη ἰαἰ ἴα φυσάδηι ἀΐ- ὁ6η8 : Νοηάυπι ιἰδὶ ἀΐξο : ΠἰΠ δηϊαδίδγα δυῖὶ πιο ϊογο) , η6 Πὲὶ αυἱ τοανγογὰ ζ8 5υηὶ υἱγίυι βιυἀίοδί, [Ι͂Ογἱ6 ρυΐοηϊ, ρτοχίηνὶ8 ( ἐϑὶ, πΠΟΩ πἰδὶ δυΐ 5ἰπῺ ) ἀϊ!οιϊοπθπ) ἀδῦόγα, ἰαυπὶ ἀοᾷπιὰ ΓΙῸ γοχιΐα νοῦ : μΔὈΘη.. δ6ιἱ 5ὶ γὙο] πιαχίπηα ἰ(ἃ, υἱἱ ἴθ Υ͵ἱδ, Γ68 ἢδβρθοδὶ (8π ΘηΐπῚ Βος ἀοίυν ) ( ἰά ροιΐυβ ἀὰ ορογᾶμι, υἱ᾿ ἐπαϊφοηιἷβ ἴ08 ΟΡ6 : Ῥγοχί πηῦ8, ΠΟ βοίηπι), ἰ060, δ0ἃ οἰἶαπὶ δηΐ ΡγΓοΟραπδίοηθ, οἱ δτρδ ἰρ80.Π) ΟὐΓΆ : δο εἰ ἴη6. Οὐ ᾿ς δοίη ἰρβᾶπι γον ϑειη)δγ πη αυο4ᾳυ0 (ἰυὶ ργῆρυγανίί. Ῥγοχ πη δ8 δηΐἶπι. Πδίυγα ὡοιπιδίυγ, ποι υἱγίυϊα; βυυδίδηιϊα, πο αἰφηί αι; σοπιρϑδϑί
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Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
Cyprian had visited Jerome at Bethlehem and had asked him to write an exposition of Psalm XC. in simple language such as might be readily understood. With this request Jerome now complies, giving a very full account of the psalm, verse by verse, and bringing the treasures of his learning and especially his knowledge of Hebrew to bear upon it.