6 Nay, if you will accuse, accuse yourself. If you will whet and sharpen your tongue, let it be against your own sins. And tell not what evil another has done to you, but what you have done to yourself; for this is most truly an evil; since no other will really be able to injure you, unless thou injure yourself. Wherefore, if you desire to be against them that wrong you, approach as against yourself first; there is no one to hinder; since by coming into court against another, you have but the greater injury to go away with.
And what injury at all have you really to mention? That such an one insulted and spoiled you by violence, and encompassed you with dangers? Nay, this is receiving not injury, but if we be sober, the very greatest benefit; the injured being he that did such things, not he that suffered them. And this is more than any one thing the cause of all our evils, that we do not so much as know at all who is the injured, and who the injurious person. Since if we knew this well, we should not ever injure ourselves, we should not pray against another, having learned that it is impossible to suffer ill of another. For not to be spoiled, but to spoil, is an evil. Wherefore, if you have spoiled, accuse yourself; but if you have been spoiled, rather pray for him that spoiled you, because he has done you the greatest good. For although the intent of the doer was not such, yet you have received the greatest benefit, if you have endured it nobly. For him, both men, and the laws of God declare to be wretched, but you, the injured party, they crown, and proclaim your praise.
For so if any one sick of a fever had violently taken from any other a vessel containing water, and had had his fill of his pernicious desire, we should not say that the despoiled had been injured, but the spoiler; for he has aggravated his fever, and made his disease more grievous. Now in this way I bid you reason concerning him also that loves wealth and money. For he too, having a far worse fever than the other, has by this rapine fanned the flame in himself.
Again, were some madman to snatch a sword from any one, and destroy himself, which again is the injured? He that has been robbed, or the robber? It is quite clear, he that did the robbery.
Well then, in the case of seizing property also, let us give the same suffrage. For what a sword is to a madman, much the same is wealth to a covetous man; nay, it is even a worse thing. For the madman, when he has taken the sword, and thrust it through himself, is both delivered from his madness, and has no second blow to receive; but the lover of money receives daily ten thousand wounds more grievous than his, without delivering himself from his madness, but aggravating it more exceedingly: and the more wounds he receives, the more does he give occasion for other more grievous blows.
Reflecting then on these things, let us flee this sword; let us flee the madness; though late, let us become temperate. For this virtue too ought to be called temperance, not less than that which is used to be so called among all men. For whereas there the dominion of one lust is to be struggled against, here we have to master many lusts, and those of all kinds.
Yea, nothing, nothing is more foolish than the slave of wealth. He thinks he overcomes when he is overcome. He thinks he is master, when he is a slave, and putting bonds on himself, he rejoices; making the wild beast fiercer, he is pleased; and becoming a captive, he prides himself, and leaps for joy; and seeing a dog rabid and flying at his soul, when he ought to bind him and weaken him by hunger, he actually supplies him with abundance of food, that he may leap upon him more fiercely, and be more formidable.
Reflecting then on all these things, let us loose the bonds, let us slay the monster, let us drive away the disease, let us cast out this madness; that we may enjoy a calm and pure health, and having with much pleasure sailed into the serene haven, may attain unto the eternal blessings; unto which may we all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might, now and always, and world without end. Amen.
Source: Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew (New Advent)