12.  Who opened her house to those who live according to God with a more graceful and bountiful welcome?  And, which is greater than this, who bade them welcome with such modesty and godly greetings?  Further, who showed a mind more unmoved in sufferings?  Whose soul was more sympathetic to those in trouble?  Whose hand more liberal to those in want?  I should not hesitate to honour her with the words of Job:  Her door was opened to all comers; the stranger did not lodge in the street.  She was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a mother to the orphan.7    Job xxix. 15; xxxi. 32.  Why should I say more of her compassion to widows, than that its fruit which she obtained was, never to be called a widow herself?  Her house was a common abode to all the needy of her family; and her goods no less common to all in need than their own belonged to each.  She hath dispersed abroad and given to the poor,8    Ps. cxii. 9. and according to the infallible truth of the Gospel, she laid up much store in the wine-presses above, and oftentimes entertained Christ in the person of those whose benefactress she was.  And, best of all, there was in her no unreal profession, but in secret she cultivated piety before Him who seeth secret things.  Everything she rescued from the ruler of this world, everything she transferred to the safe garners.  Nothing did she leave behind to earth, save her body.  She bartered everything for the hopes above:  the sole wealth she left to her children was the imitation of her example, and emulation of her merits.

ΙΒʹ. Τίς δὲ τὸν οἶκον ἑαυτῆς μᾶλλον προὔθηκε τοῖς ζῶσι κατὰ Θεὸν, τὴν καλὴν δεξίωσιν καὶ πλουτίζουσαν; Καὶ ὃ τούτου μεῖζόν ἐστι, τίς οὕτως ἐδεξιοῦτο τῇ αἰδοῖ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν διαβήμασιν; Καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις, τίς μὲν νοῦν ἔδειξεν ἀπαθέστερον ἐν τοῖς πάθεσι; τίς δὲ συμπαθεστέραν ψυχὴν τοῖς κάμνουσι; τίς χεῖρα δαψιλεστέραν τοῖς δεομένοις; Ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ τὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἂν ἐπ' αὐτὴν θαῤῥήσας καλλωπισαίμην: Θύρα δὲ αὐτῆς παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἠνέῳκτο: ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος. Ὀφθαλμὸς ἦν τυφλῶν, ποῦς δὲ χωλῶν, μήτηρ δὲ ὀρφανῶν. Τῆς δὲ εἰς χήρας εὐσπλαγχνίας τί χρὴ μεῖζον εἰπεῖν, ἢ ὅτι τὸ μὴ χήρα κληθῆναι καρπὸν ἠνέγκατο; Κοινὸν μὲν ἦν ἡ ἐκείνης ἑστία τοῖς πενομένοις ἀφ' αἵματος καταγώγιον: κοινὰ δὲ τὰ ὄντα πᾶσι τοῖς δεομένοις οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ἑκάστοις τὰ ἑαυτῶν. Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησι: καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἄπτωτον καὶ ἀψευδέστατον πολλὰ ταῖς ἐκεῖθεν ληνοῖς ἐναπέθετο, πολλὰ Χριστὸν καὶ διὰ πολλῶν τῶν εὖ παθόντων ἐδεξιώσατο: καὶ τὸ κάλλιστον, ὅτι μὴ τὸ δοκεῖν παρ' αὐτῇ πλεῖον τῆς ἀληθείας: ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ καλῶς ἐγεώργει τῷ βλέποντι τὰ κρυπτὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Πάντα τοῦ κοσμοκράτορος ἥρπασεν: πάντα μετήνεγκεν εἰς τὰς ἀσφαλεῖς ἀποθήκας. Οὐδὲν ἀφῆκε τῇ γῇ πλὴν τοῦ σώματος. Πάντων ἠλλάξατο τὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἐλπίδας: ἕνα τοῖς παισὶ πλοῦτον ἀφῆκε, τὴν μίμησιν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις φιλοτιμίαν.