Letter 222: The letter of your reverences came upon me in an hour of affliction like water poured into the mouths of racehorses, inhaling dust with each eager breath at high noontide in the middle of the course. Beset by trial after trial, I breathed again, at once cheered by your words and invigorated by the thought of your struggles to meet that which is ...

Your letter reached me in an hour of real affliction -- like water poured into the mouths of racehorses gulping dust at high noon in the middle of the course. Beset by trial after trial, I could breathe again, at once cheered by your words and strengthened by the example of your own struggles. For the fire that has consumed a great part of the East is now creeping toward us. It has already burned everything around us, and now it is reaching for the churches of Cappadocia itself, already reduced to tears by the smoke rising from our neighbors' ruins. The flames are almost at my door. May the Lord drive them back by the breath of His mouth and extinguish this terrible fire. Who could be such a coward as not to be inspired by your cheers and pray to be counted a victor at your side? You were the first to step into the arena of true faith. You have beaten off attack after attack from the heretics. You have borne the scorching wind of trial -- all of you, both the leaders of the Church and the ministers of the altar, and every member of the laity, including those of highest rank. What is most admirable about you is that you are all one in the Lord: some leading the way to what is good, others willingly following. That is why you are too strong for your attackers. You offer no opening to your opponents in any part of your body. Day and night I pray the King of Ages to preserve your people in the integrity of their faith, and to preserve the clergy among them like an unharmed head, exercising watchful care over every part of the body beneath it. For when the eyes do their work, the hands can function properly, the feet can move without stumbling, and no part of the body is left uncared for. I urge you: hold fast to one another, as you are doing now and will continue to do. I urge those entrusted with the care of souls to keep everyone together and to cherish them like beloved children. I urge the people to continue showing their leaders the respect due to fathers, so that in the good order of your Church you may preserve your strength and the foundation of your faith in Christ.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To the people of Chalcis. The letter of your reverences came upon me in an hour of affliction like water poured into the mouths of racehorses, inhaling dust with each eager breath at high noontide in the middle of the course. Beset by trial after trial, I breathed again, at once cheered by your words and invigorated by the thought of your struggles to meet that which is before me with unflinching courage. For the conflagration which has devoured a great part of the East is already advancing by slow degrees into our own neighbourhood, and after burning everything round about us is trying to reach even the Churches in Cappadocia, already moved to tears by the smoke that rises from the ruins of our neighbours' homes. The flames have almost reached me. May the Lord divert them by the breath of His mouth, and stay this wicked fire. Who is such a coward, so unmanly, so untried in the athlete's struggles, as not to be nerved to the fight by your cheers, and pray to be hailed victor at your side? You have been the first to step into the arena of true religion; you have beaten off many an attack in bouts with the heretics; you have borne the strong hot wind of trial, both you who are leaders of the Church, to whom has been the ministry of the altar, and every individual of the laity, including those of higher rank. For this in you is specially admirable and worthy of all praise, that you are all one in the Lord, some of you leaders in the march to what is good, others willingly following. It is for this reason that you are too strong for the attack of your assailants, and allow no hold to your antagonists in any one of your members, wherefore day and night I pray the King of the ages to preserve the people in the integrity of their faith, and for them to preserve the clergy, like a head unharmed at the top, exercising its own watchful forethought for every portion of the body underneath. For while the eyes discharge their functions, the hands can do their work as they ought, the feet can move without tripping, and no part of the body is deprived of due care. I beseech you, then, to cling to one another, as you are doing and as you will do. I beseech you who are entrusted with the care of souls to keep each and all together, and to cherish them like beloved children. I beseech the people to continue to show you the respect and honour due to fathers, that in the goodly order of your Church you may keep your strength and the foundation of your faith in Christ; that God's name may be glorified and the good gift of love increase and abound. May I, as I hear of you, rejoice in your progress in God. If I am still bidden to sojourn in the flesh in this world, may I one day see you in the peace of God. If I be now summoned to depart this life, may I see you in the radiant glory of the saints, together with all them who are accounted worthy through patience and showing forth of good works, with crowns upon your heads. 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/3202222.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.