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Sermo ob sacerdotum instructionem

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS BASIL, A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE ORDINATION OF PRIESTS.

Take heed to yourself, O priest, and look to the ministry which you have received, that you may fulfill it with the fear of God. Look, therefore; for you have not been entrusted with an earthly ministry but a heavenly one, not a human one but an angelic one; strive to present yourself as a worker 31.1688 unashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth; take heed, lest you stand in the assembly having enmity with someone, so that you do not drive away the Paraclete. On the day of the assembly, do not judge, nor be contentious at all; but praying in secret, reading until this hour; and thus stand with compunction at the holy altar; not looking around here and there; do not cut short the prayers in haste; but entreating, do not be a respecter of persons, but see the king set before you, and the powers standing around; and do not be a hypocrite, nor give the divine body where it is not right. Make yourself worthy of the sacred canons, and serve according to how the canons are set forth. See then how you stand at the holy table, and how you perform the sacred rites, and what you impart, and how you put things away; see then, lest you forget the master's commandments and the traditions of his holy disciples; for he says: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast my pearls before swine."

See then also you, lest you be led by human fear, and deliver the Son of God into the hands of the unworthy; but do not be ashamed before any of the glorious of the earth, nor be terrified of those who wear the diadem at that hour when you perform the sacred rites. See those who wish to receive the gifts in their homes; you will see that they are also bestowed by women, and also by the unworthy. See then, as the divine canons and the synods of the holy Fathers have ratified; so act, and do not impart to the unworthy or to laypeople, unless they return to the orthodox faith. But woe to those who impart to them! See then lest flies fall into the holy chalice, or from your negligence it become damp, or moldy, or covered with dust, or be handled by heretics; but see how you put things away after the completion of the divine liturgy, lest hurrying a pearl should fall out, or remain in the chalice; or the holy chalice having liquid, and be covered with dust; but having put away both, go in peace. If you keep this tradition, O priest, you will save yourself, and those whom you are to teach; praying also for me, the wretched one, to the Lord, to whom is due glory for ever. Amen.

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Sermo ob sacerdotum instructionem

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΕΩΣ ΙΕΡΕΩΝ.

Πρόσεχε σεαυτὸν, ὦ ἱερεῦ, καὶ βλέπε τὴν διακο νίαν, ἣν παρέλαβες, ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃς αὐτὴν μετὰ φόβου Θεοῦ. Βλέπε λοιπόν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπίγειον διακονίαν ἐνεχειρίσθης ἀλλὰ οὐράνιον, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην ἀλλ' ἀγγελικήν· σπούδασον σεαυτὸν παραστῆσαι ἐργάτην 31.1688 ἀνεπαίσχυντον, ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀλη θείας· πρόσεχε, μὴ στῇς εἰς σύναξιν ἔχων ἔχθραν μετά τινος, ἵνα μὴ φυγαδεύσῃς τὸν Παράκλητον. Ἡμέρᾳ συνάξεως μὴ δικάζου, μηδὲ φιλονείκει τὸ καθόλου· ἀλλὰ κρυπτόμενος εὔχου, ἀναγινώσκων μέχρι ταύτης τῆς ὥρας· καὶ οὕτω παράστα ἐν κα τανύξει τῷ ἁγίῳ θυσιαστηρίῳ· μηδὲ περιβλεπόμενος ὧδε κἀκεῖσε· μὴ ἐν σπουδῇ τὰς εὐχὰς συντέ μνοις· ἀλλὰ παρακαλῶν, μὴ λάμβανε πρόσωπόν τινος, ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸν προκείμενον βασιλέα, καὶ τὰς παρεστώσας δυνάμεις κύκλωθεν· καὶ μὴ ὑποκρίνου, μηδὲ μεταδίδῳς τὸ θεῖον σῶμα ὅπου οὐ χρή. Σεαυτὸν ἄξιον ποίησον τῶν ἱερῶν κανόνων, καὶ συλλειτούργει ὡς οἱ κανόνες ἀπόθενται. Ὅρα οὖν πῶς παρίστασαι τῇ ἁγίᾳ τραπέζῃ, καὶ πῶς ἱερουργεῖς, καὶ τίνος μεταδίδως, καὶ πῶς καταστέλλεις· ὅρα οὖν, μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τὰς δεσποτικὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν τὰς παραδόσεις· φησὶ γάρ· «Μὴ δότε τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ ῥίπτετε τοὺς μαργαρίτας μου ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων.»

Ὅρα οὖν καὶ σὺ, μὴ φόβῳ ὑπαχθῇς ἀνθρωπίνῳ, καὶ παραδώσῃς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς χεῖρας ἀναξίων· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐντραπῇς τινα τῶν ἐνδόξων τῆς γῆς, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ αὐτῶν τῶν τὸ διάδημα φορούντων πτοηθῇς ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ὅτε ἱερουργήσαις. Βλέπε τοὺς βουλομένους τὰ δῶρα μεταλαμβάνειν ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις· σὺ ὄψει, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὸ γυναικῶν χαρίζονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀναξίων. Ὅρα οὖν, ὡς οἱ θεῖοι κανόνες καὶ αἱ σύνοδοι τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων ἐπεκύρωσαν· οὕτω πράττε, καὶ μὴ μεταδίδῳς ἀναξίοις ἢ λαϊκοῖς, παρὰ ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτοὺς τῇ ὀρθοδόξῳ πίστει. Οὐαὶ δὲ τοῖς μεταδιδοῦσιν αὐτοῖς! Ὅρα οὖν μὴ μυῖαι ἐμπέσωσι εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ποτήριον, ἢ ἐξ ἀμελείας σου νοτισθῇ, ἢ μοχλιάσῃ, ἢ κονοπισθῇ, ἢ ἐγχειρισθῇ ὑπὸ αἱρετικῶν· ἀλλὰ βλέπε πῶς καταστέλλεις μετὰ τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς θείας λειτουργίας, μὴ σπεύδων μαργαρίτης ἀποπέσῃ, ἢ ἀπομείνῃ ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ· ἢ ἔχον νᾶμα τὸ ἅγιον ποτήριον, καὶ κονοπισθῇ· ἀλλὰ ἀμφότερα καταστείλας, πορεύου ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Ταύτην τὴν παράδοσιν ἐὰν φυλάξῃς, ὦ ἱερεῦ, σώσεις σεαυτὸν, καὶ οὓς μέλλεις διδάσκειν· εὐχόμενος καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ τοῦ τάλανος πρὸς Κύριον, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.