At that time, the Church of Christ was troubled by Valens (364–378), the emperor blinded by the Arian heresy, who, having driven many right-believing bishops from their thrones, raised Arians in their place; and others, who were fainthearted and fearful, he forced to consent to his heresy. Therefore, he became angry and disturbed when he saw Saint Basil seated upon his throne without fear and unmoved in his faith like a pillar, supporting and advising others to turn away from the Arian heresy as from something abominable to God. The emperor, traversing his dominion and greatly afflicting the right-believing everywhere, went to Antioch and to Caesarea of Cappadocia, diligently striving to bring Basil into Arian unity. Thus he urged his generals, nobles, and counselors, through entreaties, promises, and threats, to persuade Basil to do his will.
For this reason, those of one
mind with the emperor greatly troubled the saint; and even the high-born women
who were acquainted with the emperor sent their eunuchs to the saint, advising
and urging him to join in the emperor's way of thinking; but they achieved
nothing, for they did not find a weak-hearted man, but a resolute one.
After that, Modestus, the eparch,
rose up against him with greater fury; for having summoned him and being unable
to persuade him with flattery to the imperial faith, he threatened him with
wrath. But the saint, in the face of his threats, boldly replied: “Do you wish
to take my possessions? You will not grow rich from them, and I will not be
made poor. But I suppose these old garments of mine and these few books, in
which lies all my wealth, are of no use to you. I do not fear exile, for the
whole earth is mine—or rather, it is God's. I do not concern myself with
torments, which will lead me to the desired end, and in this you will do me
good, for you will send me the sooner to my God.”
Modestus said: “No one has ever
spoken to me with such boldness.” And the saint replied: “That is because you
have never chanced to speak with a bishop. In other matters we show humility
and gentleness, but when someone seeks to take from us God and His righteousness,
then we care for no one.” In the end Modestus said: “Think it over until
morning, for I will hand you over to destruction.” But he replied: “In the
morning I shall be the same; but I desire that you also remain unchanged in
your word.” Such bold words of Saint Basil were reported by Modestus to the
emperor, and he ordered that he be troubled no further.
When the feast of the Theophany
(the Baptism of the Lord) arrived, the emperor, as if wishing to show some
favor to Basil, entered his church; and observing the good order and the
arrangement of the church, the chanting and the prayer of the faithful with
attention, he was amazed, for never had he seen in his own Arian churches such
order and beauty. There, Saint Basil, drawing near to the emperor, spoke to him
words not of man but of God, which were also heard by Gregory of
Nazianzus—since he happened to be there at that time—and he also wrote about
it. From then on, the emperor began to be more favorable toward Basil.
However, going to Antioch, he
again turned to wrath against Basil, being swayed by wicked men; yielding to
their slander, he resolved to exile Basil. But when he was about to sign the
decree, the throne on which the emperor sat shook, and the pen with which he
intended to write broke. He took a second pen, but that one also broke, as did
the third; then his hand began to tremble, and fear fell upon him. And
recognizing the power of God, he tore up the paper.
Then the enemies of the right
faith, the Arians, urged the emperor to do harm to Basil. So the emperor sent a
senator, Anastasius, to bring Basil to Antioch. Arriving in the city of
Caesarea and announcing to Basil the command of the emperor, the saint replied:
“My son, a few days ago I was already informed that the emperor, yielding to
the counsel of senseless men, broke three pens while attempting to sign the
decree for my exile and to obscure the truth. But the insentient pens hindered
his intent, choosing rather to be broken than to serve his unjust judgment.”
Being brought to Antioch, he
stood before the judgment of the eparch, who asked him why he did not adhere to
the emperor’s faith. Saint Basil answered: “May it never be that, turning away
from the right Christian faith, I should follow the unclean Arian teaching; for
the faith in the One God I have received from my fathers, to glorify it.” The
judge threatened him with death. But he replied: “May it be granted to me to
suffer for the truth and to be loosed from the bonds of the body; for this I
have long desired—but as for you, do not change your promise.” The eparch
reported this to the emperor, telling him that this man is beyond fear, for his
faith is unchanging, his heart unmoved and unwavering. And the emperor, being
filled with anger, considered how he might destroy Basil.
At that time, Galatius, the son
of the emperor, fell ill with a great pain and, being in despair, was near
death. His mother, coming to the emperor, reproached him, saying: “Because you
have an unrighteous faith in God and do wrong to the hierarch of God, for this
reason my son is dying.”
Hearing this, Valens called for
Basil and said to him: “If the dogmas of your faith are pleasing to God, make
my son well through your prayers.” The saint replied: “If you, O emperor, will
unite yourself with the right faith and grant peace to the Churches, then your
son shall live.”
The emperor, promising to fulfill
this, immediately Saint Basil, praying to God for the life of the emperor’s
son, made him well. Then he released Basil with honor to his throne. The
Arians, hearing and seeing these things, murmured in their hearts full of envy
and malice, and said to the emperor: “We too can do this.” Afterwards, they
deceived the emperor so that he allowed his son to be baptized.
After the Arians baptized him, he
immediately died in their hands. Seeing this with his own eyes, the
aforementioned Anastasius reported it to Emperor Valentinian (364–375), who
reigned in the West, that is, the brother of Valens, emperor of the East. He,
marveling at such a wonder, glorified God. Then he sent much wealth to Saint
Basil through the hands of Anastasius, which Basil, receiving, used to build
hospitals in the cities of his eparchy and to help a multitude of poor and
infirm people.
Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
relates that Saint Basil also healed Modestus the eparch, the one who had been
an enemy of the saint, when he had fallen seriously ill and sought help with
humility in his sickness through the saint’s holy prayers.
(From the Lives of the Saints
for the month of January)
Romanian source: https://theodosie.ro/2019/09/25/dreapta-credinta-in-vietile-sfintilor-1-sf-vasile-cel-mare/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.