Incense in vain; do not appear empty
'For my people forgot me; they burned incense in vain.' Everyone who sins has forgotten God, but the righteous says: 'All these things came upon us, and we did not forget you.' And what is 'they burned incense in vain' must be understood. If we take up again the one hundred fortieth Psalm—'Let my prayer become as incense before you'—we will understand. Prayer compounded of a fine heart, when our heart is not thickened, being sent up becomes as incense before God.
If then the prayer of the righteous is incense before God, the prayer of the unjust is incense indeed, but such that it could be said: 'they burned incense in vain'—as about Judas: 'Let his prayer become unto sin.' That one according to praying burned incense in vain. And who burns incense in vain—understand still more thus. 'Three times of the year every male of yours will be seen before the Lord your God,' to which is immediately added: 'You will not be seen before me empty.' Therefore of those coming to be seen, one must not appear empty before the Lord.
Greek
«Ὅτι ἐπελάθετό μου ὁ λαός μου, εἰς κενὸν ἐθυμίασαν. πᾶς μὲν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἐπιλέλησται τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ δὲ δίκαιος λέγει· «ταῦτα πάντα ἦλθεν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπελαθόμεθά σου, οὐδὲ ἠδικήσαμεν καὶ εἰς κενὸν ἐθυμίασε. τί δὲ τὸ «εἰς κενὸν ἐθυμίασαν« κατανοητέον. τὰ πρώην εἰρημένα εἰς τὸν ἑκατοστὸν τεσσαρακοστὸν Ψαλμὸν ἐὰν ἀναλάβωμεν, νοήσομεν τί ἐστι τὸ «εἰς κενὸν ἐθυμίασαν.
ἦν δὲ ἐν τῷ Ψαλμῷ τοιοῦτόν τι εἰρημένον· «γενηθήτω ἡ προσευχή μου ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν σου. οὐκοῦν ἡ προσευχή μου σύνθετος . . . λεπτῆς καρδίας, ὅτε μὴ παχύνεται ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν, ἀναπεμπομένη γίνεται ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. εἰ οὖν ἡ τοῦ δικαίου προσευχὴ θυμίαμά ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡ τοῦ ἀδίκου προσευχὴ θυμίαμα μέν, τοιοῦτον δὲ θυμίαμα ὥστ᾿ ἂν λεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐχομένου ἀδίκου· «εἰς κενὸν ἐθυμίασαν«· οἷον περὶ Ἰούδα γέγραπται· «γενηθήτω ἡ προσευχὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν.
ἐκεῖνος κατὰ τὸ προσεύχεσθαι εἰς κενὸν ἐθυμίασε. τίς δὲ ὁ εἰς κενὸν θυμιῶν, ἔτι μᾶλλον οὕτως κατανοήσωμεν. «τρὶς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ« φησὶν «ὀφθήσεται πᾶν ἀρσενικόν σου ἐνώπιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου«, ᾧ εὐθέως ἐπιφέρεται· «οὐκ ὀφθήσῃ ἐνώπιόν μου κενός. οὐκοῦν τῶν Homilie XVIII. Jerem. 18, 1—16. Homilie XIX. Jerem. 20, 1—7 165 ἐρχομένων ὀφθη ................................................ ............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................