Homilia de sancta dominica

A discourse of our father among the saints Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, concerning the holy Lord’s Day. I wish today, beloved, to praise the Lord’s Day, a day honored by many, yet also insulted by many—or rather, honored by God, but insulted by men. Why do you insult, O man, what is honored by God? Why do you transgress eternal boundaries that God has set? Why do you break His laws? You have put off the old man and his deeds; why are you eager to put him on again? Therefore, on the Lord’s Day, work not at the things of the belly, but at those of the heavenly kingdom. Do not enter on that day into a field or into vineyards, but run on that day to churches and to martyria. Do not sow on that day earthly seeds, but work on that day spiritual works. Do not strike on that day an ox plowing, but strike on that day your own soul in prayer. Imitate that tax collector who struck his own heart and opened a door of compassion, who went up into the temple a sinner and came down justified, who went up wounded and came down healed. He went up bearing sins and came down clothed in righteousness; he went up black as a raven and came down white as a dove; he went up sorrowful into the temple and came down to his own house rejoicing.

Stir then your hands also, beloved, on the Lord’s Day, not to gather fleshly wealth, but to reap spiritual goods. For God has blessed the day of the Lord and sanctified it; it requires blessing, not labor; it needs holiness, not desire. Bless it through hymnody, that God may bless you. Sanctify it through temperance, that He may sanctify you through communion; you owe one day of rest for God, beloved, each week. Which of these do you wish to keep as a day of rest, tell me: that of the Jews, or that of the Greeks, or that of the Christians? There are three orders in the world: Jews, Greeks, Christians. Jews rest on the Sabbath; Greeks rest on the fifth day; Christians rest on the Lord’s Day. With which of these, then, do you wish to rest, tell me? With the Jews? But you are not circumcised. With the Greeks? But you are not an idolater. Those men, being impious, beloved, keep their own days of rest; and you, being a Christian, do you despise your own day? Persuade the Greek to work on the fifth day, and I will be silent; persuade the Jew to work on the Sabbath, and I will not speak. Those men keep their own days of rest contrary to the will of God; so much the more, then, ought we, who do this according to the will of God, to do so.

You are breaking the law, beloved, if you work all seven days. And that it is lawlessness, God bears witness, teaching: "In the six days you shall do your works," he says, "but on the seventh you shall do no work." For the Lord's Day is a day of rest—rest for both rational and irrational beings. Let your ox rest on it, beloved, and your servant, and your maidservant, and your hired laborers. Give them rest on the Lord's Day, so that they may rest on the great day of the Resurrection. Your ox and your donkey will bless the one who gave them the Lord's Day for rest. And that irrational animals speak, when God wills, the donkey that carried Balaam groaned: "Why do you strike me unjustly?" it says. "I see an angel standing in the road holding a two-edged sword. Get down and prostrate yourself," it says, "lest we both be slain." The donkey spoke so that the synagogue might be silenced. The mouth of the donkey was opened so that the mouth of the Jews and heretics might be stopped. For it is written, "The mouth of those speaking unjustly was stopped." The donkey spoke because it was being struck unjustly. Do not strike your ox working on the Lord's Day, lest it turn and say to you: "Why do you strike me? It is not lawful for you to work today." But perhaps you are ashamed at my saying these things, beloved. If you are not ashamed, [...] For even if the remedies are harsh, they are beneficial for healing. Even if the irons are sharp, they cut off rotten limbs. Harsh, too, is the teacher to the child, but from him the child gains wisdom. Fearsome, too, is the opponent to the athlete, but through him he receives the crown and prize.

The teaching seems harsh even to the hearers, but through these things they are led toward the truth. Do not, therefore, transgress a commandment of God by working on the Lord's day. Do not despise this commandment; for on it hang heaven and earth. And do not break one of the commandments; for a partial blindness has come upon Israel. Do not despise the small leaven; for, it says, a small leaven leavens the whole lump. It seemed small, beloved, even to Adam, the eating of the tree, but it stripped him of that great glory. Another man again, because he touched the ark unseasonably, died untimely. Another man again, having hidden a small golden tongue among his own possessions, was burned. Another man again, because he tasted the sacrifices unseasonably, his hand withered. Two others again, because they offered censers unseasonably, were swallowed up by the earth; for, it says, the earth opened up and swallowed Dathan and Abiron. And because they delayed to complete their own work, their sacrifice was not accepted.

Remain, therefore, beloved, in the holy church on the Lord's day. Learn how the schools of children are idle on the day of the Lord; learn how the assemblies of soldiers rest on the Lord's day; learn how the thrones of rulers mourn on the Lord's day; and while their thrones mourn, the throne of Christ shines. No one sees a child stretched out by teachers on the day of the Lord; no one sees anyone beaten by a chiliarch on the day of the Lord; no one finds anyone condemned on the holy Lord's day. All await the Lord's day, as those in prisons await release, as calves tied to stakes; all await the Lord's day, as the schools of children await dismissal; all await the Lord's day, as lambs in the folds await release; all await the Lord's day, as the dead await resurrection. With joy and exultation, therefore, beloved, let us keep the day of the Lord, offering on it a living holy sacrifice, works of righteousness, fruits of love for the poor, prayers, readings, glorifying Father and Son and Holy Spirit, the one kingdom and divinity, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.