Letter 43: O faithful man of solitary life, and practiser of true religion, learn the lessons of the evangelic conversation, of mastery over the body, of a meek spirit, of purity of mind, of destruction of pride. Pressed into the service, add to your gifts, for the Lord's sake; robbed, never go to law; hated, love; persecuted, endure; slandered, entreat. ...

From: Basil of Caesarea To: A young man entering the ascetic life Date: ~369 AD Context: A short encouragement for a young man beginning the monastic life. Admonition to the Young. Go forward in the life you have embraced. Make your whole life a single prayer. Do not look backward toward what you have left behind — the memory of old pleasures is itself a temptation. Look ahead to what God has prepared for those who love him. You are young, and the road stretches far before you. Don't waste the strength of your youth on things that don't matter. What you build now, you will inhabit later. Let the example of the saints be your daily study. They were flesh and blood like you — no different in nature — yet they conquered every weakness through the grace that is available to you on identical terms. You have the same baptism, the same Scriptures, the same Spirit. The only difference between you and them is the quality of your resolve. Be sober. Be watchful. Don't assume that because you are young you have time to spare. No one is promised tomorrow. The present hour is what you have. Use it.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Admonition to the Young. O faithful man of solitary life, and practiser of true religion, learn the lessons of the evangelic conversation, of mastery over the body, of a meek spirit, of purity of mind, of destruction of pride. Pressed into the service, add to your gifts, for the Lord's sake; robbed, never go to law; hated, love; persecuted, endure; slandered, entreat. Be dead to sin; be crucified to God. Cast all your care upon the Lord, that you may be found where are tens of thousands of angels, assemblies of the first-born, the thrones of prophets, sceptres of patriarchs, crowns of martyrs, praises of righteous men. Earnestly desire to be numbered with those righteous men in Christ Jesus our Lord. To Him be glory forever. Amen. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202043.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.