In Praise of the Holy Martyrs · §3 · Hesychius of Jerusalem

Each virtue needs its companion

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The preacher continues his chain of paired virtues, now showing that almsgiving needs faith, gentleness needs humility, and faith needs love.

Almsgiving, then, is wonderful, but without faith it does not work redemption from sins. For he says, "By almsgiving and faith sins are cleansed." Gentleness is something to be zealous for, but without humility it cannot produce a royal character. For the Lord says, "Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29). Faith is good, since even the smallest measure of it can move mountains, but without love it is vain and superfluous. For he says, "Even if I have faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Greek

Θαυμαστὴ μὲν οὖν ἡ

ἐλεημοσύνη, ἀλλὰ χωρὶς πίστεως ἁμαρτημάτων οὐκ ἐργάζεται λύτρωσιν·

«Ἐλεημοσύναις γὰρ καὶ πίστεσιν ἀποκαθαίρονται ἁμαρτίαι.» Ζηλωτὸν ἡ πραότης,

ἀλλὰ χωρὶς τῆς ταπεινώσεως βασιλικὸν ἀποτελέσαι χαρακτῆρα οὐ δύναται·

«Μάθετε γὰρ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, φησίν, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ.» Καλὸν ἡ πίστις

ὡς καὶ τὸ βραχύτατον αὐτῆς ὄρη δύνασθαι μεθιστᾶν, ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἀγάπης εἰκαία καὶ

περιττὴ καθέστηκεν· «Κἂν ἔχω γὰρ πίστιν», φησίν, «ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάναι, ἀγάπην δὲ

μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι.»

About this text

A short sermon urging hearers to gather every virtue, not one, since fasting needs prayer, prayer needs almsgiving, and faith needs love.

This homily is attributed to Hesychius of Jerusalem (fl. c. 412–450), a priest and preacher known for his biblical commentaries and festal addresses. The text as it survives is a fragment, and the attribution is not certain, but it fits the kind of encomium on martyrs that Hesychius was known to deliver. It is addressed to a congregation as brothers and fathers, and its purpose is to urge them toward a complete life of virtue rather than a partial one.

The speaker calls the hearers into the Spirit's garden and tells them to gather not one virtue but all of them, because virtues depend on one another like stones in a tower or steps in a ladder. He argues that each virtue is incomplete without another: fasting needs prayer, prayer needs almsgiving, almsgiving needs faith, gentleness needs humility, and faith needs love.

A reader will meet Cornelius, whose prayers and alms were remembered before God, and will hear words from Jesus and from an angel speaking to Cornelius, as well as from an unnamed scriptural speaker. The key terms are virtue, fasting, prayer, almsgiving, faith, gentleness, humility, love, crown, and kingdom of heaven.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 93 (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.