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...

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.

[Πρός: Φήστῳ καὶ Μάγνῳ] Πρέπει μέν που καὶ πατράσι παίδων ἰδίων πρόνοια καὶ γεωργοῖς φυτῶν ἢ σπερμάτων ἐπιμέλεια, καὶ διδασκάλοις μαθητῶν φροντίς, μάλιστα ὅταν δι’ εὐφυΐαν βελτίους ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς ὑποφαίνουσι τὰς ἐλπίδας. χαίρει γὰρ πονῶν καὶ γεωργός, ἁδρυνομένων αὐτῷ τῶν ἀσταχύων ἢ τῶν φυτῶν αὐξανομένων, εὐφραίνουσι δὲ καὶ μαθηταὶ διδασκάλους, καὶ παῖδες πατέρας, οἱ μὲν πρὸς ἀρετήν, οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὔξησιν ἐπιδιδόντες. ἡμεῖς δὲ τοσοῦτον μείζονα μὲν ἐφʼ ὑμῖν ἔχομεν τὴν φροντίδα, κρείττονα δὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα, ὅσον εὐσέβεια πάσης μὲν τέχνης, πάντων δὲ ζώων ὁμοῦ καὶ καρπῶν ἐστιν ἀμείνων, ἣν ἐν ἁπαλαῖς ἔτι καὶ καθαραῖς ταῖς ὑμετέραις ψυχαῖς ῥιζωθεῖσαν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν καὶ τραφεῖσαν ἰδεῖν εὐχόμεθα καὶ προελθοῦσαν εἰς ἀκμὴν τελείαν καὶ εἰς καρποὺς ὡραίους, συλλαμβανομένης ἡμῶν ταῖς εὐχαῖς τῆς ὑμετέρας φιλομαθείας. εὖ γὰρ ἴστε καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν εἰς ὑμᾶς εὔνοιαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεργίαν ταῖς ὑμετέραις ἐναποκεῖσθαι γνώμαις, ὧν πρὸς τὸ δέον εὐθυνομένων, Θεὸς συνεργὸς καλούμενος παρέσται καὶ ἄκλητος, καὶ πᾶς φιλόθεος ἄνθρωπος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν αὐτεπάγγελτος. ἀνίκητος γὰρ ἡ προθυμία τῶν διδάσκειν τι χρήσιμον δυναμένων, ὅταν αἱ τῶν μανθανόντων ψυχαὶ πάσης καθαρεύωσιν ἀντιτυπίας. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ σώματος κωλύει χωρισμός, τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος ἡμᾶς δι’ ὑπερβολὴν σοφίας καὶ φιλανθρωπίας μὴ συμπεριορίσαντος τοῖς σώμασι τὴν διάνοιαν, μήτε μὴν τῇ γλώττῃ τῶν λόγων τὴν δύναμιν, δόντος δέ τι πλεῖον καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου τοῖς ὠφελεῖν δυναμένοις, ὡς μὴ μόνον τοῖς μακρὰν διεστηκόσιν, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ τοῖς λίαν ὀψιγόνοις παραπέμπειν δύνασθαι τὴν διδασκαλίαν. καὶ τοῦτον ἡμῖν ἡ πεῖρα πιστοῦται τὸν λόγον, ἐπείπερ οἵ τε πολλοῖς πρότερον ἔτεσι γενόμενοι διδάσκουσι τοὺς νέους, σωζομένης ἐν γράμμασι τῆς διδασκαλίας· ἡμεῖς τε κεχωρισμένοι τοσοῦτον τοῖς σώμασι, τῇ διανοίᾳ σύνεσμεν ἀεί, καὶ προσομιλοῦμεν ῥᾳδίως, τῆς διδασκαλίας οὔτε ὑπὸ γῆς οὔτε θαλάσσης κωλυομένης, εἴ τίς ἐστιν ὑμῖν τῶν ἰδίων ψυχῶν φροντίς.