Basil of Caesarea, Homily Delivered in Lacisis

Homilia dicta in Lacisis

HOMILY DELIVERED IN LACIZAE.

The enemy contends, striving with the noise from outside to drown out our word; but we, not being ignorant of his designs, let us turn our ears and our minds to the things being said here, pitying those who are left out of the hearing, not going out with them in our minds; but where we are in our bodies, let us be also in our hearts. Recall for me the memories of the spiritual oracles read to you from this morning, teachings profitable for the soul, therapies for souls. Remember the teachings of the psalms; gather for me the proverbial instructions; examine the beauty of the histories; add to these the apostolic exhortations. Upon all of them, as a crown, place the memory of the evangelical sayings, so that having received some profit through all of them you may return, each one to that for which he happens to be gladly disposed, having received for this the benefit from the Spirit. Thus, in a congregation of many persons, as many as are the differences of persons, so many are also the differences of minds; as many as are the ages, so many also are the sins. For the devices of the devil are of many forms and many kinds; he leads one astray one way, another another; toward whatever he sees one more inclined, to that he uses his own baits. 31.1440 Does someone stand here having a soul afflicted with envy? May there be no one, then; and this is a fitting prayer for me. But since it is difficult in human nature for there not to be some one of the passions, small or great, let each one choose for himself the benefit from the things that have been said. Are you envious? receive the cure; Are you angry? the healing is set before you. For it speaks about all these things. And, if possible, we will speak briefly, culling from each of the things said. Are you greedy? here is the healing.

Are you proud? here you will subdue your pride; here you will chastise the loftiness of your soul, if you wish. Drawing all good things from the spiritual words, as from a gushing spring, thus having drawn up richly for yourself, return. The first saying has been spoken in Proverbs, in the proverbial style, with obscurity added for the exercise of our mind, that "He who sees smooth things will be shown mercy." Have you grasped the meaning of the saying at once, or do you inquire, diligent hearer that you are, how he who sees smooth things will be praised? For things that are according to choice are praiseworthy. But we humans see not what we wish, but what the nature of the things seen is. So if something is rough on the surface, such as it is by nature, it is seen as such; but if we cast our eyes on the smooth parts of what is seen, whence is the praise for the one who sees smooth things? Smooth are things which have a level surface; but rough is that which is unevenly composed in its first appearance. Since, therefore, the nature of things seen is uneven, how does Scripture praise the one who sees smooth things over the one who sees rough things? And does it condemn the one who sees mountains, and crags, and ravines, and the density of woods, and the continuity of crops making the surface rough, or also the sea often made rough by winds, or also the earth split by a plow, and instead of smoothness being broken up into roughness. Will he who sees these things be condemned? And where is the just judgment of God, if we are condemned for those things which we experience involuntarily? If I see the nature of the earth being uneven (for as it was created, so it is seen), am I condemned for this? But understand for me in a higher sense, "He who sees smooth things." Differences of brethren stand before you; one poor, another rich; one a stranger, another a kinsman, either being judged as you judge, or in need as you give. If you sit judging,

Homilia dicta in Lacisis

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΡΗΘΕΙΣΑ ΕΝ ΛΑΚΙΖΟΙΣ.

Ἀνταγωνίζεται ὁ ἐχθρὸς, φιλονεικῶν τῷ ἔξωθεν θορύβῳ τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον ὑπερηχῆσαι· ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς, αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα μὴ ἀγνοοῦντες, τρέψωμεν τὰς ἀκοὰς καὶ τὰς διανοίας τοῖς ἐνταῦθα λεγομένοις, οἰκτείροντες τοὺς ἀπολειπομένους τῆς ἀκροάσεως, μὴ συναπερχόμενοι τοῖς ἔξω τῇ διανοίᾳ· ἀλλ' ὅπου τοῖς σώμασίν ἐσμεν, ὦμεν καὶ ταῖς καρδίαις. Ἀνα λέξασθέ μοι τὰς μνήμας τῶν ἐξ ἑωθινοῦ παρανα γνωσθέντων ὑμῖν λογίων πνευματικῶν, διδασκαλίας ψυχωφελεῖς, θεραπείας ψυχῶν. Μνήσθητε τῶν ψαλ μικῶν διδαγμάτων· συναγάγετέ μοι τὰς παροιμιώ δεις ὑποθήκας· ἐρευνήσατε τῶν ἱστοριῶν τὸ κάλλος· πρόσθετε τούτοις τὰς ἀποστολικὰς παραινέσεις. Ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἱονεὶ κορωνίδα ἐπίθετε τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν ῥη μάτων τὴν μνήμην, ἵνα διὰ πάντων λαβόντες τι κέρ δος ἐπανέλθητε, ἕκαστος πρὸς ὃ τυγχάνει ἀσμένως διακείμενος, πρὸς τοῦτο λαβὼν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύ ματος ὠφέλειαν. Πάντως οὕτως ἐν πολυπροσώπῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὅσαι τῶν προσώπων διαφοραὶ, τοσαῦται καὶ τῶν γνωμῶν· ὅσαι τῶν ἡλικιῶν, τοσαῦται καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. Πολυειδεῖς δέ εἰσι καὶ πολύτροποι αἱ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπίνοιαι· ἄλλον ἄλλως ὑπάγεται· πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν ἴδῃ ἐπιῤῥεπέστερον, πρὸς ἐκεῖνο κέχρηται τοῖς ἰδίοις δελεάσμασιν. 31.1440 Ἕστηκέ τις ἐνταῦθα φθόνῳ τὴν ψυχὴν κεκακω μένην ἔχων; Εἴη μὲν οὖν μηδένα εἶναι· καὶ τοῦτο ἐμοὶ εὐχή ἐστι πρέπουσα. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ δύσκολον ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει μὴ εἶναι ἕν τι τῶν παθῶν μικρὸν ἢ μεῖζον, ἕκαστος ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐκλεγέσθω τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Βάσκανος εἶ; λάβε τὴν θεραπείαν· Θυμώ δης εἶ; πρόκειταί σοι ἡ ἴασις. ∆ιαλέγεται γὰρ περὶ τούτων πάντων. Καὶ, εἰ δυνατὸν, ἐροῦμεν βραχέα ἀφ' ἑκάστου τῶν εἰρημένων ἀπανθιζόμενοι. Πλεονέκτης εἶ; ἐνταῦθα ἡ ἴασις.

Ὑπερήφανος εἶ; ὧδε δα μάσεις τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν· ὧδε κολάσεις τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ὕψος, ἐὰν θελήσῃς. Πάντα, ὥσπερ πηγῆς βρυούσης, ἀρυόμενος τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῶν λόγων τῶν πνευματικῶν, οὕτω πλουσίως σεαυτῷ ἐπαντλήσας ἐπάνιθι. Εἴρηται πρῶτος λόγος ἐν Παροιμίαις, κατὰ τὸ εἶδος τὸ παροι μιακὸν, πρὸς γυμνασίαν τοῦ νοῦ τοῦ ἡμετέρου τῆς ἀσαφείας ἐπιτεθείσης, ὅτι «Ὁ βλέπων λεῖα ἐλεηθή σεται.» Ἆρα αὐτόθεν ἥρπασας τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ῥήματος, ἢ ἐπιζητεῖς, ὅγε φιλόπονος ἀκροατὴς, πῶς ὁ λεῖα βλέπων ἐπαινεθήσεται; Ἐπαινετὰ γάρ ἐστι τὰ κατὰ προαίρεσιν. Ὁρῶμεν δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὐχ ὁποῖα βουλόμεθα, ἀλλ' ὁποῖα ἡ φύσις τῶν ὁρωμένων ἐστίν. Ὥστε ἐὰν μέν τι τραχὺ ᾖ κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, οἷον ὑπάρχει τῇ φύσει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ὁραθῆναι· ἐὰν δὲ τοῖς λείοις ἐπιβάλωμεν τὰς ὄψεις τῶν ὁρωμένων, πόθεν ὁ ἔπαινος τῷ ὁρῶντι τὰ λεῖα; Λεῖά ἐστιν, ἃ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ὡμαλισμένην ἔχει· τραχὺ δέ ἐστιν, ὃ ἀνωμάλως σύγκειται κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ὄψιν. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἀνώμαλός ἐστι τῶν ὁρωμένων ἡ φύσις, πῶς ἐπαινεῖ ἡ Γραφὴ τὸν βλέ ποντα λεῖα ὑπὲρ τὸν τὰ τραχέα; Καὶ κατακρίνει τὸν ὄρη, καὶ σκοπέλους, καὶ φάραγγας, καὶ ὕλης πυκνότητα, καὶ γεννήματος συνέχειαν τραχύνουσαν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, ἢ καὶ θάλασσαν πολλάκις ὑπὸ ἀνέ μων τραχυνομένην, ἢ καὶ γῆν ὑπὸ ἀρότρου σχιζο μένην, καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς λειότητος εἰς τραχέα διακοπτο μένην. Ἆρα ὁ ταῦτα βλέπων κατακριθήσεται; Καὶ ποῦ ἡ δικαιοκρισία τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ ἃ ἀκουσίως πάσχο μεν, ἐπὶ τούτοις καταδικαζόμεθα; Ἐὰν ἴδω τὴν φύσιν τῆς γῆς ἀνωμάλως ἔχουσαν (ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἵα ἐκτίσθη, τοιαύτη ὁρᾶται), ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐγὼ καταδι κάζομαι; Ἀλλὰ νόει μοι ὑψηλῶς, «Ὁ βλέπων λεῖα.» Παρεστήκασί σοι ἀδελφῶν διαφοραί· ὁ μὲν πένης, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος· ὁ μὲν ξένος, ὁ δὲ οἰκεῖος, ἢ δικάζοντί σοι κρινόμενοι, ἢ μεταδιδόντι σοι χρῄζοντες. Ἐὰν κάθῃ κρίνων,