SAINT BASIL THE GREAT
From a TRANSLATION into French by: LEON LEBE O.S.B.
MONASTIC RULES
PROLOGUE
By the divine grace and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, us here are joined together in this place, we who have one and even
goal: that to carry out a life of piety, and if you are obviously thirsty to hear an advantageous teaching with your hearts, I feel
for my part, in the obligation to inform you about the divine commands. I, indeed, am continued day and night by the memory of these
words of the Apostle: "During three years, of night and day, I did not cease giving in the tears of the warnings to each one."
(Ac 20,31)
The hour is favorable, the place gets to us the silence and the distance of the noises of the outside. Thus ask me in good time to
distribute, with my companions, their measurement of wheat, and me I will ask you to receive my word as in a good ground, in order
to bear one day in abundance the perfect fruits of justice about which the Writing speaks. (MT 13,23)
I entreat you, by the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ who delivered itself for our sins (Tite 2,14), occupy us finally of our heart,
cry the vanity of our life passed, fight, in the hope of the future goods, for the Glory of God, his Christ and his adorable Holy
Spirit.
Let us not remain in this unconcern and in this relaxation, always let us not give with lightness, at tomorrow or later, the
beginning of the action. Let us fear that one day That which repurchased us does not come to surprise to us deprived of good works
and does not draw aside us from the joys of the bridal feast. When it is not used any more for nothing repentance, we will cry in
vain and we will unnecessarily regret the time badly employed of our life: "It is now the hour favourable, known as the Apostle,
it is today the day of the salut."(2 Cor 6,2)
Currently, it is the time of penitence, later it will be that of the reward; now that of patience, one day that of the consolation.
In this moment God comes to assistance of those which are diverted ways of the evil; later he will be the infallible and frightening
inquisitor acts, words and thoughts of the men. Today we benefit from his forbearance, but we will know the justice of its judgements
when, with resurrection, we receive, each one according to its works, the ones the punishment, the others the eternal life.
To when will give we to obey the Christ who calls us in her kingdom of heaven? Won't we come to résipiscence? Won't we excite
ourselves us same to give up our usual way of life for the rigorous observance of the Gospel? We ourselves under the eyes will
not put ourselves this day at the same time solemn and terrible where those which will have lived well will be received with the
right-hand side of the Lord in the Kingdom of God, while in dark the géhenne fire eternal those will hide which the Lord will have
rejected on his left for their sterility: "There, it says, there will be tears and squeakings of dents."(Mt 1,43)
We claim well to seek the kingdom of God, but we are worried little means of obtaining it. Without us to give any sorrow to observe
the commands of the Lord, we believe ourselves, in the vanity of our heart, worthy to receive the same rewards as those which resisted
the sin until death.
But which thus could sit down and sleep at his place at the time of the sowing and collect then at the time of the harvest of the
sheaves full the arms? Who made the vintage without neither have planted nor cultivated the vine?
The fruits are for those which pained, the rewards and the crowns for those which overcame.
Did one ever crown that which did not even remove its clothing opposite the adversary? And however, not only it is necessary to
overcome, but it is still necessary, like known as the Apostle, "to fight according to all rules'" (2 Tim 2,5), i.e. to act according
to the commands which were given to us without omitting the least. "Happy, indeed, the servant that the Master, on his arrival, will
find - not working with the chance but working in such manner" (Lc 12,43), and still: "If you offered well, but if you land held in
severalty your offering, you are guilty." (Gen 4,7)
For us, as soon as we believe to have observed a precept, (I do not say: when we observed it, because they are so dependent between
them in the complete direction of the word, that by transgressing only one us to them violins all), instead of fearing anger for
those which we neglected, we await already the reward for that which we respected!
If somebody sees himself entrusting ten talents, one or two for him keeps some and returns the remainder, it will not pass for
honest because it returned much, but it will be taxed with injustice and cupidity for the little which it seized. What do I say
seized? But if it received only one talent and such as it makes it whole received it, it will be condemned not to have added anything
to what was given to him. Who strikes only once his father, even after having respected it during ten years, not will be honoured for
his filial devotion, but will not be judged like parricide.
"Go, says the Lord, teach all the nations and learn to them - not to keep certain commands by neglecting the others - but to keep all
those which I gave you" (MT 28,19), and the Apostle, after Him, written: "let us offend anybody of nothing, for fear our ministry is
not blamed; but we in any thing of worthy ministers of God show." (2 Horn 6,3)
If all these commands were not necessary to the hello, they all neither would have been written, nor imposed like strictly
obligatory.
With what is used to me, indeed, to observe all the other precepts if, to have said "insane" to my brother, I am worthy of the
Géhenna?
With what is used to be free with respect to the great number if one is maintained in constraint by only one? Because: "Which makes
the sin is slave of the sin." (Jn 8,34) Which advantage to be free from many diseases when it is enough to only one to kill us?
Then, will one say, for the mass of the Christians who do not keep all the commands, it will be useless to keep at least some of
them?
Here, it will be wise to remember holy Pierre. After having behaved so well in as well occasions, after having deserved to be called
happy, it was intended to say, for only once as it was concealed: "If I do not wash myself the feet, you share with me will have"
(Jn. 13,8), and however, I omit to mention it, its refusal by no means did not mean the indifference or the contempt, but rather
indicated the respect and respect.
And yet, one will still object, it is written: "That which will call upon the name of the Lord will be sauvé."(Joël 2,32)
How if the invocation of the name of the Lord were enough, with it only, to save which utters it!
That that one hears also the words of the Apostle: "How they will call upon That in which they did not believe?" (Rom 10,14) And
so now you believe, listening the Lord: "the kingdom of heaven not whoever Will enter will say: Lord, Lord, but that which achieves
the will of my Father who is in the skies." (MT 7,21)
Much more, if somebody achieves this will, but not of the manner that God wants nor in the provisions of love of God, they is in
vain that it was put in sorrow, the Lord Himself says it: "In truth, those which act to be seen men have already their reward."
(MT 6,5) From where holy Paul could say: "Nevertheless I would distribute my goods to the poor and would deliver my body to the
flames, if I do not have charity, that is not used for nothing." (1 Horn 13,3)
To be short, I distinguish three different provisions which inevitably carry us to obey: or we are diverted evil by fear of the
punishment, and we are in the provision of the slave; or we continue the soft food of the reward by achieving the commands for the
advantage that we withdraw some, and thus we resemble to the mercenaries; or finally it is for the good itself and the love of that
which orders, that we obey, happy to be found worthy to serve so glorious God and so good, and we are then in the provision of the
children.
That which achieves the commands in fear and unceasingly sees in front of him the sorrow as the negligence incurs, will not be
satisfied to carry out part of the precepts by neglecting the others, but it will fear the punishment which sticks as well to any
disobedience. This is why: "Happy that which animates in a a whole salutary fear." (prov. 28,14), it is firmly established in the
truth, because it can say: "I always saw the Lord in front of me, It is held on my line so that I would not be shaken." (PS, 15, 8)
In this way he will want nothing to omit of his duty. "Happy the man who fears the Lord", why? "Because it will apply with zeal to
the observance of its commandements."(Ps 111,1)
Those which live in fear will be able neither to thus omit nor négligemment to observe only one of the commands which are given to
them.
But the mercenary, it either, will want nothing to scorn what is prescribed to him.
Indeed, how would it receive the price of its work in the vine, if it did not observe conventions? If it ignored some urgent work,
it made it useless to its owner. Who thus would grant wages for a damage that one caused him.
In third place the service rendered by love comes. Eager to like which son will his father satisfy it in the broad outline, while
however reserving himself to grain it in the details? Especially that it will remember the words of the Apostle: "do not contristez
the Spirit of God whose seal is printed in you." (Eph 4,30)
Those which violate the majority of the commands, in which category will we thus place them?
They do not carry out the orders of God like those of a Father; they do not obey to him in the hope of a reward; they do not serve
it like a Master... " If I am Père, known as the Lord, where is the respect that one owes me? And if I am the Master, where is fear
whom I inspire?" (Badly 1,6) In Truth: "That which fears the Lord will strongly fix its to want with its laws" (PS 111,1), because
it is known as: "By violating his law you God with scorn treats." (Rom 2,23)
If we want to live according to our good pleasure rather than according to commands', how do we promise ourselves, for later, the
happy life, the equality with the saints and the joy shared with the angels in the presence of the Lord? Puerile imaginations!
How will I be with Job, if I did not accept with recognition the misfortune which struck me? How will I be with David, when I did
not treat my enemy with generosity? How with Daniel, without to have sought God in uninterrupted temperance and the continual
prayer? How with each saint, me who did not walk on their traces?
Which is the director of plays stripped enough of judgement
to consider worthy of the same crowns the winner and that which did not even fight? Which head of army will invite those which
did not even appear in the fray, to receive, with those which gained the victory, a share equal to the spoils?
God is good, but
it is just too; however it is the characteristic of the Juste to return to each one according to its due, as he is written:
"Lord grant your benefits to those which are good and have the right heart, but those which take the diverted routes, destroy
them with the malicious ones." (PS 124,4-5)
God is miséricordieux, yes, but it is right: "the Lord likes the mercy and
justice" (PS 32,5); this is why: "I will sing, Seigneur, your mercy and your justice."(Ps 100,1)
By the Writing we know also who will profit from his mercy: "Happy the miséricordieux ones, because it to them will be made
miséricorde."(Mt 5,7)
You see with which understanding God uses of pity? It does not make mercy without judgement and does not
judge without mercy, "Because the Lord is miséricordieux and right" (PS 114,5). We thus do not make God a truncated idea and
let us not seek in its kindness a pretext with the negligence.
For this reason the thunders, why flashes: it is so that one
does not misuse his kindness.
That which makes rise the sun (MT 5,45) will punish also blindness (2 Kings 6,18); that which
gives the rain (Zach 10,1) will also make fall fire (Gen 19,24). They are there marks, the ones of its kindness, the others of
its severity: or we for the first, or we for the seconds, so that he is not said to us, with us as:"Méprises you will fear will
like the richnesses of his kindness, his patience and his forbearance, forgetting as the leniency of God wants to lead you to
penitence? But in the measurement of your hardness and your impénitence, you do not pile up a treasure of anger for the day
when it will appear." (Rom 2,4-5)
It is thus not possible to make our safety without achieving all works which the Lord imposes
to us, and it is not without danger to neglect anything of what is prescribed to us, because it is a disastrous pride to claim to
judge the divine legislator and to examine the laws to admit the ones and to reject the others of them.
Since it is thus, athletes
of piety, we who seek a life calm and far away from the evangelic businesses to facilitate the observance of the precepts to us, eh
well! let us share our concern and our will nothing to let escape from the commands which are given to us.
If it is necessary to
reach this perfection of the man of God about which the Writing speaks and which shows the preceding reasoning, it is absolutely
necessary to purify us by the complete observance of the law until "the measurement of the age of the plenitude of Christ" (Eph. 4,13),
because a mutilated victim, if pure is she becomes unsuitable with the sacrifice offered to God.
That each one thus subjects for the
examination by all which it believes to need. If one is several to seek with solicitude, it will be easier to find the solution
hidden, because God, according to the promise with our Lord Jesus Christ, will make us the grace discover it in the lesson and the
warnings of the Esprit saint. (Jn 14,26)
Force is to me to teach and misfortune with me if I do not proclaim Évangile(1 Cor 9,16);
but an equal danger threatens you, you also, if you are negligent in this examination, or if you bring mollesse and relaxation in
the maintenance of the laws and the practice of prescribed works. The Lord said: "the doctrines that I taught you will be your
judge with the last jour"(Jn 12,48), and: "the servant who is unaware of the will of his Master and returns worthy to be punished,
will be it moderately; but that which knows it and it did not achieve, or is not formed there, will be rigorously punished."
(Lc 12,47)
Thus let us request so that God grants to me with to exempt his word without deserving of blame, and that it gives you,
with you, to listen to it with fruit.
Knowing well that the words of the Holy Scripture will be drawn up in front of us with the
court of Christ, because it is known as:"Je will confuse you and I will establish your sins against you "(PS 49,21), pay a vigilant
attention to all that will be known as, and endeavour to represent with zeal in our acts the divine lesson.
We know, indeed, "neither which day, nor what time the Lord will come." (MT 24 42)
The Great Rule of St Basil
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