Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

Moreover, there are other things again, the debasing of the soul, the being looked upon with envy on all sides. For the neighboring women stung by it, arm themselves against their own husbands, and stir up against you grievous wars. Together with these things, the fact that all one's leisure and anxiety are spent on this object, that one does not apply one's self earnestly to spiritual achievements; that one is filled with haughtiness, arrogance, and vainglory; that one is riveted to the earth, and loses one's wings, and instead of an eagle, becomes a dog or a swine. For having given up looking up into Heaven, and flying there, you bend down to the earth like the swine, being curious about mines and caverns, and having an unmanly and base soul. But do you, when you appear, turn towards you the eyes of them at the market-place? Well then; for this very reason, you should not wear gold, that you may not become a common gazing stock, and open the mouths of many accusers. For none of those whose eyes are toward you admires you, but they jeer at you, as fond of dress, as boastful, as a carnal woman. And should you enter into a church, you go forth, without getting anything but countless leers, and revilings, and curses, not from the beholders only, but also from the prophet. For straightway Isaiah, that has the fullest voice of all, as soon as he has seen you, will cry out, “These things says the Lord against the princely daughters of Sion; because they walked with a lofty neck, and with winkings of the eyes, and in their walking, trailing their garments, and mincing at the same time with their feet; the Lord shall take off their bravery, and instead of a sweet smell there shall be dust, and instead of a stomacher, you shall gird yourself with a cord.”

These things for your gorgeous array. For not to them only are these words addressed, but to every woman that does like them. And Paul again with him stands as an accuser, telling Timothy to charge the women, “not to adorn themselves with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” So that everywhere the wearing of gold is hurtful, but especially when you are entering into a church, when you pass through the poor. For if you were exceedingly anxious to bring an accusation against yourself, you could not put on any other array than this visage of cruelty and inhumanity.

4. Consider at any rate how many hungry bellies you pass by with this array, how many naked bodies with this satanical display. How much better to feed hungry souls, than to bore through the lobes of your ears, and to hang from them the food of countless poor for no purpose or profit. What? Is to be rich a commendation? What? Is to wear gold a praise? Though it be from honest earnings that these things are put on you, even so what you have done is a very heavy charge against you; but when it is moreover from dishonesty, consider the exceeding greatness of it.

But do you love praises and honor? Strip yourself therefore of this ridiculous clothing, and then all will admire you; then shall you enjoy both honor and pure pleasure; since now at any rate you are overwhelmed with jeers, working for yourself many causes of vexation arising out of these things. For should any of these things be missing, consider how many are the evils that have their birth therefrom, how many maidservants are beaten, how many men put to trouble, how many led to execution, how many cast into prison. And trials arise hence, and actions, and countless curses and accusations against the wife from the husband, against the hus band from her friends, against the soul from itself. “But it will not be lost.” In the first place, this is not easy to secure, but even if it be kept safe constantly, yet by being kept, it occasions much anxiety and care and discomfort, and no advantage.

For what kind of profit arises from hence to the house? What advantage to the woman herself who wears it? No advantage indeed, but much unseemliness, and accusation from every quarter? How will you be able to kiss Christ's feet, and cling to them, when thus dressed? From this adorning He turns away. For this cause He vouchsafed to be born in the house of the carpenter, or rather not even in that house, but in a shed, and a manger. How then will you be able to behold Him, not having beauty that is desirable in His eyes, not wearing the array that is lovely before Him, but what is hateful. For he that comes unto Him must not deck himself out with such garments, but be clothed with virtue.

Consider what after all these jewels are. Nothing else than earth and ashes. Mix water with them, and they are clay. Consider and be ashamed to make clay your master, forsaking all, and abiding by it, and carrying and bearing it about, even when you enter into a church, when most of all you ought to flee from it. For neither for this cause was the church built, that you should display therein these riches, but spiritual riches. But you, as though thou were entering into a pompous procession, thus deckest yourself out on every side, imitating the women on the stage, even so do you carry about in profusion that ridiculous mass.

Therefore, I tell you, you come for mischief to many, and when the congregation is dismissed, in their houses, at their tables, one may hear the more part describing these things. For they have left off saying, thus and thus said the prophet and the apostle, and they describe the costliness of your garments, the size of your precious stones, and all the other unseemliness of them that wear these things.

This makes you backward in almsgiving, and your husbands. For one of you would not readily consent to break up one of these ornaments to feed a poor man. For when you would choose even yourself to be in distress rather than to behold these things broken to pieces, how should you feed another at the cost of them?

For most women feel towards these things, as to some living beings, and not less than towards their children. “God forbid,” you say. Prove me this then, prove it by your works, as now at least I see the contrary. For who ever of those that are completely taken captive, by melting down these things, would rescue a child's soul from death? And why do I say a child's? Who has redeemed his own soul thereby, when perishing? Nay, on the contrary, the more part even set it to sale for these things every day. And should any bodily infirmity take place, they do everything, but if they see their soul depraved, they take no such pains, but are careless both about their children's soul, and their own soul, in order that these things may remain to rust with time.

And while you are wearing jewels worth ten thousand talents, the member of Christ has not the enjoyment so much as of necessary food. And whereas the common Lord of all has imparted to all alike of heaven, and of the things in Heaven, and of the spiritual table, thou dost not impart to Him even of perishing things, on purpose that you may continue perpetually bound with these grievous chains.

Hence the countless evils, hence the fornications of the men, when you prepare them to cast off self-restraint, when you teach them to take delight in these things with which the harlot women deck themselves. For this cause they are so quickly taken captive. For if you had instructed him to look down upon these things, and to take delight in chastity, godly fear and humility, he would not have been so easily taken by the shafts of fornication. For the harlot is able to adorn herself in this way even to a greater degree than this, but with those other ornaments not so. Accustom him then to take delight in these ornaments, which he cannot see placed on the harlot. And how will you bring him into this habit? If you take off these, and put on those others, so shall both your husband be in safety, and thou in honor, and God will be propitious to you, and all men will admire you, and you will attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might, world without end. Amen.