Homily in Time of Famine and Drought · §9 · Basil of Caesarea

The soul as bride prepared for Christ

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

Basil is closing the homily, urging each hearer to resist greed and to prepare the soul as a bride for Christ at the coming judgment.

If you meet a younger man who is worn down, weep for him as Joseph wept for Benjamin, the son of his old age. Perhaps greed is testing you too, as the mistress tested Joseph. It pulls at your clothes, so that you will despise the commandment and love that gold-loving, ornament-loving woman more than the Master's order. So when a thought comes to fight against that commandment, drawing your chaste mind toward love of money, forcing you to neglect love for one another and holding you toward it, throw off your clothes too, and leave in anger. Keep faith with the Lord, as Joseph kept faith with Pentephres, the Egyptian master. Manage the want in one year, as he managed it in seven. Do not give everything to pleasure; give something to the soul as well. Consider that you have two daughters: the luxury here, and the life in the heavens. If you are not willing to give everything to the better one, at least divide equally between the licentious girl and the chaste one. Do not make your life here extravagantly rich while the other is naked and dressed in rags, when you must stand before Christ and come into the sight of the Judge, having the form of a bride and the name of a life according to virtue. Do not present the bride to the bridegroom shapeless and unadorned, so that when he sees her he does not turn his face away, and when he looks he does not hate her and refuse the union. Instead, dress her in fitting adornment and keep her beautiful for the appointed time of the wedding, so that she too may light her lamp with the wise virgins, having the unquenchable fire of knowledge and not lacking the oil of good deeds. So that the God-inspired prophecy may be confirmed by deeds, and what was said may apply to your soul: “The queen stood at your right hand, clothed in gold-woven garments, richly adorned. Hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and the king will desire your beauty” (Psalm 45:9-11). For the Psalmist proclaimed these things in general, announcing beforehand the beauty of the whole body; but it will apply properly to each individual soul, since the Church is made up of individuals. Provide for me rationally for the present and the future, which you should not betray for shameful gain. A body will leave you, your distinguishing mark in life. At the appearing of the expected Judge, who will certainly come, you will shut yourself out from the granting of rewards and the heavenly glory, and you will open unquenchable fire, and Gehenna, and punishments, and bitter ages in anguish, instead of long and blessed life. Do not think that I am shaking false bogeymen at you, as some mother or nurse does; they are accustomed to do this with infant children when they cry without order and without end, silencing them with made-up stories. But these things are not a myth, but a word proclaimed beforehand by a voice that does not lie. And know precisely, according to the Gospel prediction, not one iota or one stroke will pass away (Matthew 5:18). But the body that has vanished in the tombs will rise, and the same soul that was confined by death will dwell in the body again. And an exact examination of what has been lived will be presented, with no others testifying, but the conscience itself testifying. To each one, what is deserved will be measured out by the just Judge. To him belong glory, power, and worship, to the ages of ages. Amen.

Greek

Ἐὰν ἐντύχῃς νεωτέρῳ καταπονουμένῳ, οὕτω δάκρυσον, ὡς ἐκεῖνος τὸν Βεν ιαμὶν τὸν τοῦ γήρως υἱόν. Πειράζει καὶ σὲ τυχὸν ἡ πλεονεξία, ὡς τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἡ δέσποινα· ἕλκει σε τῶν ἱματίων, ἵνα τῆς ἐντολῆς καταφρονήσῃς, καὶ φιλήσῃς μᾶλλον ἐκείνην τὴν φιλόχρυσον καὶ φιλόκοσμον παρὰ τὸ τοῦ Δεσπότου πρόσταγμα. Ὅταν δὴ ἔλθῃ λογισμὸς τῇ ἐντολῇ ἐκείνῃ πολεμῶν, καὶ τὸν σώφρονα νοῦν εἰς τὴν φιλαργυρίαν ἐπισπώμενος, τῆς φιλαδελφίας καταναγκάζων ἀμελεῖν, καὶ κατ έχων πρὸς αὐτὴν, πρόσριψον καὶ σὺ τὰ ἱμάτια, ὀργι σθεὶς ἀναχώρησον· φύλαξον τῷ Κυρίῳ τὴν πίστιν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος τῷ Πεντεφρῇ· ἐν ἑνὶ ἐνιαυτῷ τὴν ἔνδειαν οἰκονόμησον, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἐν τοῖς ἑπτά. Μὴ τὰ πάντα τῇ ἡδονῇ, δός τι καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ. Καὶ δύο σοι νόμισον εἶναι θυγατέρας· τὴν εὐπάθειαν τὴν ἐνθάδε, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰ μὴ θελήσῃς τὰ πάντα δοῦναι τῇ κρείττονι, μέρισον γοῦν ἐξ ἴσης τῇ τε ἀκολάστῳ παιδὶ καὶ τῇ σώφρονι. Μὴ τὴν ἐνταῦθα διαγω γὴν ὑπέρπλουτον δείξῃς, γυμνὴν δὲ τὴν ἄλλην καὶ ῥακίοις ἠμφιεσμένην, ἡνίκα ἂν δέῃ σε τῷ Χριστῷ παραστῆναι, καὶ εἰς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν τοῦ κριτοῦ, νύμφης ἔχουσαν σχῆμα, καὶ κλῆσιν τὴν κατ' ἀρετὴν ζωήν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἄμορφον καὶ ἄκοσμον παρα στήσῃς τῷ νυμφίῳ τὴν νύμφην, ἵνα μὴ θεασάμενος ἀποκλίνῃ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἰδὼν μισήσῃ, καὶ τὴν συνάφειαν ἀπαρνήσηται. Ἀλλὰ στείλας αὐτὴν τῷ προσήκοντι κόσμῳ, τήρησον εὔμορφον τῇ προθεσμίᾳ τῶν γάμων· ἵνα καὶ αὐτὴ μετὰ τῶν φρονίμων παρθένων ἀνάψῃ τὴν λαμπάδα, ἔχουσα τὸ πῦρ τῆς γνώσεως ἄσβεστον, καὶ μὴ λείπουσα τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ ἔλαιον· ἵν' ἔργοις ἡ θεοφορουμένη προφητεία βεβαιωθῇ, ἐφαρμόσῃ δὲ καὶ τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ τὸ λεχθέν· Παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη. Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου. Ταῦτα γὰρ γενικῶς προανεφώνησεν ὁ Ψαλμῳδὸς, τοῦ γενικοῦ σώματος προκηρύσσων τὴν ὥραν· ἐφαρμόσει δὲ κυρίως καὶ τῇ ἑκάστου ψυχῇ, εἴπερ ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον ἔχει ἡ Ἐκκλησία τὸ σύστημα. Προνόησόν μοι λογικῶς τὸ παρὸν καὶ τὸ μέλλον, ὃ μὴ διὰ κέρδος αἰσχρὸν προδῷς. Καταλείψει σε σῶμα, τὸ σὸν γνώρισμα τῷ βίῳ. Εἰς δὴ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ προσδοκωμένου κριτοῦ, καὶ ἀναμφιβόλως ἥξοντος, ἀποκλείσεις μὲν σεαυτῷ τὴν τῶν τιμῶν δόσιν καὶ τὴν ἐπουράνιον δόξαν, ἀνοίξεις δὲ πῦρ ἄσβεστον, καὶ γέενναν, καὶ κολαστήρια, καὶ πικροὺς ἐν ὀδύναις αἰῶνας, ἀντὶ μακρᾶς καὶ μακαρίας ζωῆς. Μή με νομίσῃς, ὥσπερ μητέρα τινὰ ἢ τροφὸν, ψευδῆ σοι μορμολύκεια ἐπισείειν, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖναι ποιεῖν περὶ τοὺς νηπίους τῶν παίδων εἰώθασιν· ὅταν θρηνῶσιν ἄτακτα καὶ ἀπέραντα, δι' ἐπι-πλάστων διηγημάτων κατασιγάζουσιν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ μῦθος, ἀλλὰ λόγος ἀψευδεῖ προκεκηρυγμένος φωνῇ. Καὶ ἴσθι γε ἀκριβῶς κατὰ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν πρόῤῥησιν, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ σῶμα τὸ ἐν θήκαις ἀφανισθὲν ἀναστήσε-ται, καὶ ψυχὴ ἡ αὐτὴ ἡ τῷ θανάτῳ ἀποκλεισθεῖσα, πάλιν ἐνοικήσει τῷ σώματι. Καὶ τῶν βεβιωμένων ἔλεγχος ἀκριβὴς παραστήσεται, οὐκ ἄλλων μαρτυρούντων, ἀλλ' αὐτῆς μαρτυρούσης τῆς συνειδήσεως. Ἑκάστῳ δὲ τὰ πρὸς ἀξίαν παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ ἀντιμετρηθήσεται. Αὐτῷ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος καὶ προσκύνησις, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

Report a mistake in this passage

About this text

Basil of Caesarea (c. 330–379) wrote this homily for the Christian congregation of Caesarea to call them to repentance and almsgiving.

A severe drought and famine had struck the region, and Basil presents it as God's correction for sin, especially greed and neglect of the poor. He describes the devastation, contrasts shallow repentance with the mourning of the Ninevites, warns that hoarded wealth is useless in famine and that the unmerciful face judgment, and closes by urging generosity after Joseph and the early Christians and readiness of the soul as a bride for Christ. The reader meets Amos, Elijah, Job, Joseph, Habakkuk and the Israelite young man he feeds in the lions den in Babylon, Achan, Zimri, the historian Josephus, and the widow of Zarephath. The text quotes Amos, the poor man's model prayer, the widow, the Lord, and the Psalmist.

This translation follows the Septuagint in names and Psalm numbering, with modern citations in standard English form such as Amos 4:7-8 and Psalm 45:9-11 for LXX Psalm 44. Achar appears as Achan, Zambri as Zimri, Ambakoum as Habakkuk, the Sidonian widow as the widow of Zarephath, and the Babylonian pit as the lions den in Babylon. Famine and drought name the disaster, greed names the chief sin, almsgiving names concrete aid to the poor, and generous person and selfish person name those separated at the judgment. The Israelite young man is the young captive fed in the pit and is not named Daniel here, Habakkuk is the prophet carried to feed him, Pentephres is the Egyptian master whom Joseph served, Josephus is the Jewish historian cited on the siege famine, and Achan is the figure whose sacrilege brought punishment on Israel.

No published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Migne PG text (Aegean University Digital Patrology, via (Greek)
Also checked Migne PG 31, archive.org scan patrologiae_cursus_completus_gr_vol_031 (Greek machine-read text) (Greek · check (same print; machine-read text compared word by word))

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

Report a mistake