Basil of Caesarea, Great Ascetic

my body that I be burned, but have not love, I am profited nothing. This is what the Apostle was taught by the Lord who said concerning certain people: For they do it to be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. For that which is not done out of love for God, but for praise from men, whatever it may be, finds not the praise of piety, but of men-pleasing, or self-pleasing, or contentiousness, or envy, or receives judgment for some such cause. Wherefore the Lord 31.1281 also calls such a thing a work of iniquity, saying to those who said, "We ate in your presence," and the rest: Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. For how are they not workers of iniquity who misuse the gifts of God for the business of their own pleasures? Such were those about whom the Apostle says: For we are not as the many, peddling the word of God; and again: Of those who suppose that godliness is a means of gain, and many such things. The same Apostle is shown to us to be pure from all these things by what he says: Not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. For we never came to you with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed; God is witness; nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others.

QUESTION 283. If one who does the will of someone is a partner of that one. ANSWER. If we believe the Lord when He says: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin; and again: You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do; we know that he is not simply a partner, but he ascribes to himself as master and father the one whose work he does, according to the voice of the Lord. The Apostle also testifies to this clearly, saying: Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

QUESTION 284. If a brotherhood falls into poverty through circumstance or disease, if it is permissible without distinction to receive from others what is needed; and if it is right, from whom shall it be received. ANSWER. He who remembers the Lord saying, "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," takes great care with much diligence and attention to be worthy to be counted a brother of the Lord. If, therefore, there is such a person, let him not hesitate in receiving, but let him give thanks. But from whom it is right to receive, and when, and how, he who is charged with the common care ought to discern; remembering David who said: "Let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head;" and again: "He that walked in a blameless way, this one ministered to me." 31.1284

QUESTION 285. Whether it is right for a brotherhood doing business with a brotherhood to be scrupulous about the worth of the item. ANSWER. If indeed reason permits buying from and selling to one another among brothers, I have nothing to say; for we are taught to have fellowship with one another for what is needed, according to what is written: "that your abundance may supply their lack, and that their abundance may supply your lack, that there may be equality;" but if such a necessity ever happens to arise, the buyer should be more scrupulous not to give a price less than the worth than the seller. And let both remember the one who said: "To cause loss to a just man is not good."

QUESTION 286. If it is necessary to take one living in a brotherhood, who has fallen into bodily weakness, to a hospice. ANSWER. It is necessary to consider the particular place and purpose in relation to the common good for the glory of God.

σῶμά μου ἵνα καυθήσω μαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. Ὅπερ ἐπαιδεύθη ὁ Ἀπόστολος παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος περί τινων· Ποιοῦσι γὰρ πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆ ναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὑτῶν. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ διὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπην, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔπαινον γινόμενον, οἷον ἂν ᾖ, οὐ θεοσεβείας ἔπαινον εὑρίσκει, ἀλλ' ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας, ἢ αὐταρεσκείας, ἢ φιλονει κίας, ἢ φθόνου, ἤ τινος τοιαύτης αἰτίας ἔχει τὸ κρῖμα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀδικίας ἔργον τὸ τοιοῦτον ὁ Κύριος 31.1281 ὀνομάζει, λέγων πρὸς τοὺς εἰπόντας τὸ, Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· Ἀπόστητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, πάντες ἐργάται ἀδικίας. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀδικίας ἐργάται οἱ ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεαῖς εἰς πραγματείαν τῶν ἰδίων ἡδονῶν καταχρώμενοι; Οἷον ἦσαν ἐκεῖνοι περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ πάλιν· Νομιζόντων πορισμὸν εἶναι τὴν εὐσέ βειαν, καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα. Ὧν ἁπάντων καθαρεύων ἀποδέδεικται ἡμῖν ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀπόστολος δι' ὧν φησιν· Οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες. ἀλλὰ Θεῷ τῷ δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν. Οὔτε γάρ ποτε ἐν λόγῳ κολακείας ἐγενήθημεν ὑμῖν, καθὼς οἴδατε, οὔτε προφάσει πλεονεξίας· Θεὸς μάρτυς· οὔτε ζητοῦντες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφ' ὑμῶν, οὔτε ἀπ' ἄλλων.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠΓʹ. Εἰ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημά τινος κοινωνός ἐστιν ἐκεί νου. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ πιστεύομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ λέγοντι· Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας· καὶ πάλιν· Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ, καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν· οἴδαμεν, ὅτι οὐχὶ κοινωνὸς ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ κύριον ἑαυτοῦ καὶ πατέρα ἐπιγράφεται ἐκεῖνον, οὗ τὸ ἔργον ποιεῖ, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν. Μαρ τυρεῖ δὲ τοῦτο σαφῶς καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος, λέγων· Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ᾧ παριστάνετε ἑαυτοὺς δούλους εἰς ὑπακοὴν, δοῦλοί ἐστε ᾧ ὑπακούετε, ἤτοι ἁμαρ τίας εἰς θάνατον ἢ ὑπακοῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην;

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠ∆ʹ. Ἐὰν πτωχεύσῃ ἀδελφότης διὰ περίστασιν ἢ νό σον, εἰ ἀδιάκριτόν ἐστι παρ' ἑτέρων λαμ βάνειν τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν· καὶ εἰ χρὴ, παρὰ τίνων λήψεται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ μνημονεύων τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλα χίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε, φροντίδα πολλὴν μετὰ σπουδῆς πλείονος καὶ ἐπιμελείας ποιεῖται ἄξιος εἶναι ἀδελφὸς τοῦ Κυρίου τετάχθαι. Ἐὰν οὖν τις τοιοῦτος ᾖ, μὴ διακρινέσθω λαμβάνων, ἀλλ' εὐχα ριστείτω. Παρὰ τίνων δὲ χρὴ λαμβάνειν, καὶ πότε, καὶ πῶς, ὁ τὴν κοινὴν φροντίδα ἐπιτεταγμένος δοκι μάζειν ὀφείλει· μνημονεύων τοῦ ∆αβὶδ εἰπόντος· Ἔλαιον ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου· καὶ πάλιν· Πορευόμενος ἐν ὁδῷ ἀμώμῳ, οὗτός μοι ἐλειτούργει. 31.1284

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠΕʹ. Εἰ χρὴ ἀδελφότητα μετὰ ἀδελφότητος πραγμα τευομένην τὴν ἀξίαν τιμὴν τοῦ εἴδους περιερ γάζεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν συγχωρεῖ ὁ λόγος ἐν ἀδελφοῖς τὸ ἀγοράζειν παρ' ἀλλήλων καὶ πωλεῖν ἀλλήλοις, οὐκ ἔχω τι λέ γειν· κοινωνεῖν γὰρ ἀλλήλοις παιδευόμεθα πρὸς τὴν χρείαν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Τὸ ὑμῶν περίσ σευμα εἰς τὸ ἐκείνων ὑστέρημα, καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα, ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης· εἰ δὲ ἄρα συνεμπίπτει ποτὲ τοιαύτη ἀνάγκη, χρὴ τὸν ἀγοράζοντα μᾶλλον. ἀκριβεύεσθαι μὴ τῆς ἀξίας ἐλάττονα δῷ τιμὴν ἤπερ τὸν πωλοῦντα. Ἀμφότεροι δὲ μνημονευέτωσαν τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ζη μιοῦν ἄνδρα δίκαιον οὐ καλόν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΠʹ. Εἰ δεῖ τὸν ἐν ἀδελφότητι ζῶντα, καὶ ἀσθε νείᾳ σωματικῇ περιπεσόντα, εἰς ξενοδοχεῖον ἀπάγειν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Στοχάζεσθαι χρὴ ἑκάστου τόπου καὶ σκοποῦ τοῦ οἰκείου πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ.