Letter 213: 1. May the Lord, Who has brought me prompt help in my afflictions, grant you the help of the refreshment wherewith you have refreshed me by writing to me, rewarding you for your consolation of my humble self with the real and great gladness of the Spirit. For I was indeed downcast in soul when I saw in a great multitude the almost brutish and un...

From: Basil, Bishop of Caesarea To: [unnamed recipient] Date: ~369 AD Context: Basil thanks an unnamed correspondent for a consoling letter, confesses discouragement at the spiritual apathy of his flock, and reports that he may be summoned to the imperial court. May the Lord, who has been my prompt helper in affliction, grant you the same refreshment with which you have refreshed me by your letter -- rewarding your consolation of my humble self with the real and great gladness of the Spirit. For I was indeed downcast in soul when I saw in a great multitude of people an almost brutish insensibility, and in their leaders an entrenched and ineradicable uselessness. But I saw your letter. I saw the treasure of love it contained. And I recognized that he who governs all our lives had caused some sweet consolation to shine on me in the bitterness of my existence. So I greet your holiness in return and urge you, as I always do, not to stop praying for my unhappy life: that I may never, drowned in the unrealities of this world, forget God "who raises the poor from the dust" [Psalm 113:7]; that I may never be puffed up with pride and "fall into the condemnation of the devil" [1 Timothy 3:6]; that I may never be found by the Lord neglecting my stewardship, or asleep, or discharging it badly and wounding the conscience of my fellow servants; and that I may never, keeping company with the drunken, suffer the punishment God's just judgment threatens against wicked stewards. Know also this: I am expecting to be summoned by the heretics to the imperial court, in the name of peace. I have also learned that a bishop has written urging me to hurry to Mesopotamia, assemble like-minded supporters, and travel with them to see the emperor. But my health may not allow me to undertake such a journey.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Without address. 1. May the Lord, Who has brought me prompt help in my afflictions, grant you the help of the refreshment wherewith you have refreshed me by writing to me, rewarding you for your consolation of my humble self with the real and great gladness of the Spirit. For I was indeed downcast in soul when I saw in a great multitude the almost brutish and unreasonable insensibility of the people, and the inveterate and ineradicable unsatisfactoriness of their leaders. But I saw your letter; I saw the treasure of love which it contained; then I knew that He Who ordains all our lives had made some sweet consolation shine on me in the bitterness of my life. I therefore salute your holiness in return, and exhort you, as is my wont, not to cease to pray for my unhappy life, that I may never, drowned in the unrealities of this world, forget God, who raises up the poor out of the dust; that I may never be lifted up with pride and fall into the condemnation of the devil; that I may never be found by the Lord neglectful of my stewardship and asleep; never discharging it amiss, and wounding the conscience of my fellow-servants; and, never companying with the drunken, suffer the pains threatened in God's just judgment against wicked stewards. I beseech you, therefore, in all your prayers to pray God that I may be watchful in all things; that I may be no shame or disgrace to the name of Christ, in the revelation of the secrets of my heart, in the great day of the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 2. Know then that I am expecting to be summoned by the wickedness of the heretics to the court, in the name of peace. Learn too that on being so informed, this bishop wrote to me to hasten to Mesopotamia, and, after assembling together those who in that country are of like sentiments with us, and are strengthening the state of the Church, to travel in their company to the emperor. But perhaps my health will not be good enough to allow me to undertake a journey in the winter. Indeed, hitherto I have not thought the matter pressing, unless you advise it. I shall therefore await your counsel that my mind may be made up. Lose no time then, I beg you, in making known to me, by means of one of our trusty brethren, what course seems best to the divinely guided intelligence of your excellency. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202213.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.