St Basil the Great LETTERS, First Part

Translated by Bl. Jackson.

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This Part: 128 Pages

Page 60

3. You will not love your kinsfolk more than the Lord. "He that loveth," He says, "father, or mother, or brother, more than me, is not worthy of me." [2071] What is the meaning of the Lord's commandment? "He that taketh not up his cross and followeth after me, cannot be my disciple?" [2072] If, together with Christ, you died to your kinsfolk according to the flesh, why do you wish to live with them again? If for your kinsfolk's sake you are building up again what you destroyed for Christ's sake, you make yourself a transgressor. Do not then for your kinsfolk's sake abandon your place: if you abandon your place, perhaps you will abandon your mode of life. Love not the crowd, nor the country, nor the town; love the desert, ever abiding by yourself with no wandering mind, [2073] regarding prayer and praise as your life's work. Never neglect reading, especially of the New Testament, because very frequently mischief comes of reading the Old; not because what is written is harmful, but because the minds of the injured are weak. All bread is nutritious, but it may be injurious to the sick. Just so all Scripture is God inspired and profitable, [2074] and there is nothing in it unclean: only to him who thinks it is unclean, to him it is unclean. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." [2075] "All things are lawful but all things are not expedient." [2076] Among all, with whom you come in contact, be in all things a giver of no offence, [2077] cheerful, "loving as a brother," [2078] pleasant, humble-minded, never missing the mark of hospitality through extravagance of meats, but always content with what is at hand. Take no more from any one than the daily necessaries of the solitary life. Above all things shun gold as the soul's foe, the father of sin and the agent of the devil. Do not expose yourself to the charge of covetousness on the pretence of ministering to the poor; but, if any one brings you money for the poor and you know of any who are in need, advise the owner himself to convey it to his needy brothers, lest haply your conscience may be defiled by the acceptance of money.

[2071] Matt. x. 37, with adelphous added perhaps from Luke xiv. 26.

[2072] Luke xiv. 27 and Matt. x. 38.

[2073] For the contrary view of life, cf. Seneca, Ep. 61: "Omnia nobis mala solitudo persuadet; nemo est cui non sanctius sit cum quolibet esse quam secum."

[2074] cf. 2 Tim. iii. 16.

[2075] 1 Thess. v. 21, R.V.

[2076] 1 Cor. vi. 12.

[2077] cf. 1 Cor. x. 32.

[2078] 1 Pet. iii. 8.

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