Letter 176: God grant that when this letter is put into your hands, it may find you in good health, quite at leisure, and as you would wish to be. For then it will not be in vain that I send you this invitation to be present at our city, to add greater dignity to the annual festival which it is the custom of our Church to hold in honour of the martyrs. For ...

God grant that when this letter reaches your hands, it finds you healthy, at leisure, and just as you would wish to be -- for then my invitation will not be in vain. I am asking you to come to our city, to add greater dignity to the annual festival our church holds in honor of the martyrs. Let me assure you, my most honored and dear friend, that although our people here have experienced many visitors, they desire no one's presence as eagerly as yours. The brief time you spent with them has left a remarkably warm impression. So then -- that the Lord may be glorified, the people delighted, the martyrs honored, and that I in my old age may receive the attention due me from my true son -- do not refuse to come with all speed. I would ask you to arrive three days before the assembly, on September 5th, so that we may have time to talk at leisure and comfort one another by sharing spiritual gifts. Please also honor with your presence the church at the Hospital [Basil's famous charitable institution, the Basiliad, which included a hospital, hospice, and church]. May you be kept in good health and good spirits by the grace of the Lord, praying for me and for the Church of God.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium. God grant that when this letter is put into your hands, it may find you in good health, quite at leisure, and as you would wish to be. For then it will not be in vain that I send you this invitation to be present at our city, to add greater dignity to the annual festival which it is the custom of our Church to hold in honour of the martyrs. For be sure my most honoured and dear friend, that our people here, though they have had experience of many, desire no one's presence so eagerly as they do yours; so affectionate an impression has your short intercourse with them left behind. So, then, that the Lord may be glorified, the people delighted, the martyrs honoured, and that I in my old age may receive the attention due to me from my true son, do not refuse to travel to me with all speed. I will beg you too to anticipate the day of assembly, that so we may converse at leisure and may comfort one another by the interchange of spiritual gifts. The day is the fifth of September. Come then three days beforehand in order that you may also honour with your presence the Church of the Hospital. May you by the grace of the Lord be kept in good health and spirits in the Lord, praying for me and for the Church of God.

[Πρός: Ἀμφιλοχίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰκονίου] Παράσχοι ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς ἐρρωμένῳ σοι τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἀσχολίας ἀνειμένῳ, καὶ πάντα πράττοντι κατὰ νοῦν, τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἡμῶν ταύτην εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἄπρακτος ἡμῶν ἡ παράκλησις γένηται, ἣν παρακαλοῦμεν νῦν ἐπιφανῆναί σε ἡμῶν τῇ πόλει, ἐπὶ τῷ σεμνοτέραν γενέσθαι τὴν πανήγυριν, ἣν δι’ ἔτους ἄγειν ἐπὶ τοῖς μάρτυσιν ἔθος ἐστὶν ἡμῶν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. πέπεισο γάρ, τιμιώτατέ μοι καὶ ποθεινότατε ὡς ἀληθῶς, ὅτι πολλῶν εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθὼν ὁ παρʼ ἡμῖν λαὸς τῆς οὐδενὸς οὕτως ἀντέχεται ἐπιτυχίας, ὡς τῆς σῆς παρουσίας· τοιοῦτον κέντρον ἀγάπης ἐκ τῆς μικρᾶς ἐκείνης συντυχίας ἐναφῆκας. ἵνα οὖν καὶ ὁ Κύριος δοξασθῇ, καὶ λαοὶ εὐφρανθῶαι, καὶ τιμηθῶσι μάρτυρες, καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ γέροντες τῆς ὀφειλομένης ἡμῖν παρὰ τέκνου γνησίου τύχωμεν θεραπείας, καταξίωσον ἀόκνως μέχρις ἡμῶν διαβῆναι, καὶ προλαβεῖν τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς συνόδου, ὥστε ἐπὶ σχολῆς ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις συγγενέσθαι καὶ συμπαρακληθῆναι διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων. ἔστι δὲ ἡ ἡμέρα τῇ πέμπτῃ τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου. διὸ παρακαλοῦμεν πρὸ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἐπιστῆναι, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ πτωχοτροφείου τὴν μνήμην μεγάλην ποιήσῃς τῇ παρουσίᾳ. ἐρρωμένος καὶ εὔθυμος ἐν Κυρίῳ ὑπερευχόμενός μου διαφυλαχθείης μοι καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου.