My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,

Then when its time comes, desire gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is of full growth, gives birth to death.

For after looking at himself he goes away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like.

The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.

For if a man with a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, comes to your meeting, and at the same time a poor man clad in dirty clothes,

and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, find warmth and food for yourselves," but at the same time you do not give the necessaries of the body, what good would that do them?

whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

You have lived on earth a life of extravagance and luxury; you have indulged your fancies in a time of bloodshed.

Be patient, then, brothers, till the arrival of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious crop of the land, biding his time patiently till he gets the autumn and the spring rains;

Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months.