Letter 294: It is doubtless a father's duty to make provision for his children; a husbandman's to tend his plants and crops; a teacher's to bestow care upon his pupils, especially when, innate goodness shows signs of promise for them. The husbandman finds toil a pleasure when he sees the ears ripen or the plants increase; the teacher is gladdened at his pup...
Basil of Caesarea→Festus and Magnus|c. 374 AD|basil caesarea
education booksproperty economics
Economic matters; Miracles & relics
It is a father's duty to provide for his children, a farmer's to tend his crops, a teacher's to care for his students -- especially when natural ability shows signs of promise.
The farmer finds joy in watching the grain ripen and the plants grow. The teacher is gladdened by his students' progress in knowledge, the father by his son's growth in stature. But the care I feel for you is greater, and my hopes are higher, in proportion as godliness is more excellent than all the arts and all the harvests combined.
I planted the seeds of piety in your hearts while they were still pure and tender, and I nurtured them in the hope of seeing them reach maturity and bear fruit in due season. My prayers have been strengthened by your love of learning. You know well that you have my good wishes, and that God's favor rests on your efforts. For when efforts are rightly directed, God is at hand to further them, called or uncalled.
Every man who loves God is eager to teach. Where there is the ability to teach profitable things, the desire is almost uncontrollable. But first the hearers' minds must be cleared of resistance.
Separation in body is no hindrance to instruction. The Creator, in the fullness of His love and wisdom, did not confine our minds to our bodies or the power of speech to our tongues. Words can reach across any distance. So receive my teaching through this letter, and make it your own.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
To Festus and Magnus.
It is doubtless a father's duty to make provision for his children; a husbandman's to tend his plants and crops; a teacher's to bestow care upon his pupils, especially when, innate goodness shows signs of promise for them.
The husbandman finds toil a pleasure when he sees the ears ripen or the plants increase; the teacher is gladdened at his pupils' growth in knowledge, the father at his son's in stature. But greater is the care I feel for you; higher the hopes I entertain; in proportion as piety is more excellent than all the arts, than all the animals and fruits together.
And piety I planted in your heart while still pure and tender, and I matured it in the hopes of seeing it reach maturity and bearing fruits in due season. My prayers meanwhile were furthered by your love of learning. And you know well that you have my good wishes, and that God's favour rests upon your endeavours; for when rightly directed, called or uncalled, God is at hand to further them.
Now every man that loves God is prone to teaching; nay, where there is the power to teach things profitable, their eagerness is well near uncontrollable; but first their hearers' minds must be cleared of all resistance.
Not that separation in the body is a hindrance to instruction. The Creator, in the fullness of His love and wisdom, did not confine our minds within our bodies, nor the power of speaking to our tongues. Ability to profit derives some advantage even from lapse of time; thus we are able to transmit instruction, not only to those who are dwelling far away, but even to those who are hereafter to be born. And experience proves my words: those who lived many years before teach posterity by instruction preserved in their writings; and we, though so far separated in the body, are always near in thought, and converse together with ease.
Instruction is bounded neither by sea nor land, if only we have a care for our souls' profit.
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/3202294.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.
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It is a father's duty to provide for his children, a farmer's to tend his crops, a teacher's to care for his students -- especially when natural ability shows signs of promise.
The farmer finds joy in watching the grain ripen and the plants grow. The teacher is gladdened by his students' progress in knowledge, the father by his son's growth in stature. But the care I feel for you is greater, and my hopes are higher, in proportion as godliness is more excellent than all the arts and all the harvests combined.
I planted the seeds of piety in your hearts while they were still pure and tender, and I nurtured them in the hope of seeing them reach maturity and bear fruit in due season. My prayers have been strengthened by your love of learning. You know well that you have my good wishes, and that God's favor rests on your efforts. For when efforts are rightly directed, God is at hand to further them, called or uncalled.
Every man who loves God is eager to teach. Where there is the ability to teach profitable things, the desire is almost uncontrollable. But first the hearers' minds must be cleared of resistance.
Separation in body is no hindrance to instruction. The Creator, in the fullness of His love and wisdom, did not confine our minds to our bodies or the power of speech to our tongues. Words can reach across any distance. So receive my teaching through this letter, and make it your own.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.