Letter 293: How fare you this long while? Have you altogether recovered the use of your hand? And how do other things prosper?

How are you doing after all this time? Have you fully recovered the use of your hand? And how are things going otherwise -- according to your wishes and my prayers? In line with your intentions? Where men are quick to change, their lives are naturally disordered. But where the mind is fixed, steady, and unshakable, lives tend to follow. True, it is not in the helmsman's power to produce calm weather whenever he wants. But it is entirely within our power to make our lives tranquil -- by stilling the inner storms of passion and rising above the ones that attack from outside. The upright man is untouched by loss, sickness, or the other misfortunes of life, because he walks with God in his heart, keeps his gaze fixed on the future, and weathers the storms that rise from earth lightly and with ease. Do not be weighed down with earthly cares. Such men are like fat birds equipped with wings they never use, who creep along the ground like animals. But you -- and I have watched you in difficulties -- are like swimmers racing out into the open sea. A single claw reveals the whole lion. From a brief acquaintance I think I know you well. And I count it a great thing that you think of me, that I am not absent from your mind but constantly in your memory. Writing is proof of remembrance. The more often you write, the more pleased I am.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Julianus. How fare you this long while? Have you altogether recovered the use of your hand? And how do other things prosper? According to your wishes and my prayers? In accordance with your purposes? Where men are readily disposed to change, it is only natural that their lives are not well ordered: but where their minds are fixed, steadfast and unalterable, it follows that their lives should be conformable to their purposes. True, it is not in the helmsman's power to make a calm when he wishes; but with us, it is quite easy to render our lives tranquil by stilling the storms of passion that surge within, by rising superior to those that assail us from without. The upright man is touched by neither loss, nor sickness, nor the other ills of life; for he walks in heart with God, keeps his gaze fixed upon the future, and easily and lightly weathers the storms that rise from earth. Be not troubled with the cares of earth. Such men are like fat birds, in vain endowed with flight, that creep like beasts upon the ground. But you — for I have witnessed you in difficulties — are like swimmers racing out at sea. A single claw reveals the whole lion: so from a slight acquaintance I think I know you fully. And I count it a great thing, that you set some store by me, that I am not absent from your thoughts, but constantly in your recollection. Now writing is a proof of recollection; and the oftener you write, the better pleased I am.

[Πρός: Ἰουλιανῷ] Πῶς σοι τὸν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦτον χρόνον τὸ σῶμα ἔσχεν; εἰ καθαρῶς ἀπέλαβες τῆς χειρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν; πῶς δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ βίου πράγματα; εἰ κατὰ γνώμην χωρεῖ σοι, ὥσπερ εὐχόμεθα καὶ ὡς ἔστιν ὀφειλόμενον τῇ σῇ προαιρέσει; καὶ γὰρ οἷς μὲν εὔκολος πρὸς μεταβολὴν ἡ διάνοια, τούτοις οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς καὶ τὸν βίον εἶναι μὴ τεταγμένον, οἷς δὲ πεπηγυῖα ἡ γνώμη, καὶ ἀεὶ ἑστῶσα καὶ ἡ αὐτή, τούτοις ἀκόλουθον συμφώνως τῇ προαιρέσει τὴν ζωὴν διεξάγειν. τῷ ὄντι γὰρ κυβερνήτῃ μὲν οὐκ ἐφεῖται γαλήνην ποιεῖν ὅτε βούλεται, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀκύμονα ἑαυτοῖς καθιστᾷν τὸν βίον καὶ πάνυ ῥᾴδιον, ἐὰν τοὺς ἔνδοθεν ἐκ τῶν παθῶν ἐπανισταμένους ἡμῖν θορύβους κατασιγάσωμεν, καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν προσπιπτόντων ὑψηλοτέραν τὴν γνώμην καταστησώμεθα. καὶ γὰρ οὔτε ζημίαι, οὔτε ἀρρωστίαι, οὔτε αἱ λοιπαὶ δυσχέρειαι τοῦ βίου, ἅψονται τοῦ σπουδαίου, ἕως ἂν ἔχῃ τὴν διάνοιαν τῷ Θεῷ, ἐμπορευομένην, καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἀποσκοποῦσαν, καὶ τῆς χαμόθεν ἐγειρομένης ζάλης κούφως καὶ εὐσταλῶς ὑπεραίρουσαν. ἐπεὶ οἵ γε σφοδρῶς ταῖς τοῦ βίου μερίμναις κατειλημμένοι, οἷον ὄρνιθες πολύσαρκοι εἰκῆ τὸ πτερὸν ἔχοντες, κάτω που σύρονται μετὰ τῶν βοσκημάτων. Σὲ δὲ τοσοῦτον ἰδεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπετράπημεν, ὅσον οἱ ἐν πελάγει ἀλλήλους παραμειβόμενοι. πλὴν ἀλλʼ , ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐξ ὄνυχος ἔστιν ὅλον γνωρίσαι τὸν λέοντα, ἐκ βραχείας τῆς πείρας ἡγούμεθά σε ἱκανῶς ἐγνωκέναι. ὅθεν καὶ μέγα ποιούμεθα τὸ ἐν λόγῳ σέ τινι τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς τίθεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἀπεῖναί σου τῆς διανοίας, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς σοι συνεῖναι διὰ τῆς μνήμης. δεῖγμα δὲ μνήμης τὸ γράφειν· ὅπερ ὅσῳ ἂν συνεχέστερον ποιῇς, τοσούτῳ πλέον ἡμῖν χαριῇ.