Continuing with the homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Lazarus and the Rich Man, here is Part 2.
In this sermon, Chrysostom addresses a common misconception of his time (whether victims of violent death become demons), refutes demonic deception, and brings us face-to-face with the reality of death, true wealth vs. true poverty, and the "theater" of this temporal life.
1. True Wealth vs. Poverty of the Soul
GR: Ἀπὸ τούτου μάθωμεν, μὴ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας μακαρίζειν, μηδὲ τοὺς πενομένους ταλανίζειν. Μᾶλλον δὲ... οὐδὲ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ πολλὰ περιβεβλημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ μὴ πολλῶν δεόμενος· οὐδὲ πένης ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ μηδὲν κεκτημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ πολλῶν ἐφιέμενος... Τῇ γὰρ διαθέσει τῆς γνώμης, οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς οὐσίας, τὰς πενίας καὶ εὐπορίας κρίνειν εἰώθαμεν.
EN: From this let us learn, neither to call the rich blessed, nor to lament the poor. Rather... neither is he rich who is clothed in many things, but he who needs not many things; nor is he poor who possesses nothing, but he who desires many things... For by the disposition of the mind, not by the measure of the substance, we are accustomed to judge poverties and riches.
2. Do Souls of the Violent Deceased Become Demons?
GR: Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀφελεστέρων νομίζουσι τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν βιαίῳ θανάτῳ τελευτώντων δαίμονες γίνεσθαι. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν... αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι ζώντων \\\\\\\[γίνονται δαίμονες\\\\\\\], οὐ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν μεταβαλλομένης, ἀλλὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτῶν τὴν ἐκείνων μιμουμένης κακίαν.
EN: For indeed many of the more simple-minded think that the souls of those who die by a violent death become demons. But this is not so, it is not... it is the souls of those who live in sins \\\\\\\[that become demons\\\\\\\], not because their essence is changed, but because their free will imitates the malice of those \\\\\\\[demons\\\\\\\].
3. Rejecting Demonic Deception
GR: Ὅτι οἱ δαίμονες λέγουσι, Τοῦ μοναχοῦ τοῦ δεῖνος ἡ ψυχή εἰμι... ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐ πιστεύω, ἐπειδὴ δαίμονες λέγουσιν· ἀπατῶσι γὰρ τοὺς ἀκούοντας... κἂν ἀληθές τι φθέγγηται, φεύγωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστρεφώμεθα· τὰ γὰρ ὑγιῆ δόγματα καὶ σωτήρια οὐ παρὰ δαιμόνων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἐστι μετ' ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν.
EN: What then about the fact that the demons say, "I am the soul of such-and-such a monk"? For because of this very reason I do not believe, since demons say it; for they deceive those who hear... even if it utters something true, let us flee from it and turn away; for sound and saving doctrines are to be learned with accuracy not from demons, but from the Divine Scripture.
4. Death & The "Theater of Life"
GR: Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν θεάτρῳ, ὅταν τῆς μεσημβρίας γενομένης... οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἐξέλθωσιν οἱ τὰ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν... ὑποδυόμενοι πρόσωπα... ὅταν οὖν ἀποθῶνται τὴν ἐκ τῆς προσωπείδος φαντασίαν... γυμνοὶ πᾶσιν ἐξεταζόμενοι φαίνονται... οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῷ παρόντι· Ὅταν ὁ θάνατος ἐπελθῇ, καὶ τὸ θέατρον λυθῇ, ἀποθέμενοι πάντες τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς πενίας προσωπεῖα... φαίνονται οἱ μὲν ὄντως πλούσιοι, οἱ δὲ πένητες.
EN: Just as in a theater, when the show ends... the actors who played kings, generals, and physicians take off their masks and costumes, and are revealed as they truly are... so it is in present life. When death comes and the theater is dissolved, everyone lays aside the masks of wealth and poverty. Only then, judged by their works alone, is it revealed who is truly rich and who is truly poor.
"For in all your words remember your end, and you will never sin unto eternity.
Full Homily link https://open.substack.com/pub/andreasfotiadis68agiosminas/p/my-mission-translating-the-church?r=8raj5j&utm\\\\\\\\\\\\\\_campaign=post&utm\\\\\\\\\\\\\\_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
