Labour And Hope

Μακαρίῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ. Οὔτε γεωργοὺς οἱ κατὰ γεωργίαν ξενίζουσι πόνοι, οὔτε ναύταις ὁ κατὰ θάλασσαν χειμὼν ἀπροσδόκητος, οὔτε τοῖς μισθαρνοῦσιν ὁ ἱδρὼς παράδοξος, οὔτε μὴν τοῖς εὐσεβῶς ζῇν ἑλομένοις αἱ κατὰ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα κόσμον θλίψεις ἀμελέτητοι. ἀλλ̓ ἑκάστῳ τῶν εἰρημένων οἰκεῖος καὶ γνώριμος τοῖς μετιοῦσι συνέζευκται πόνος, οὐ δἰ ἑαυτὸν αἱρετός, ἀλλὰ δἰ ἀπόλαυσιν ἀγαθῶν προσδοκωμένων. ἐλπίδες γάρ, πάντα τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνέχουσαι καὶ συγκροτοῦσαι βίον, τὴν ἐφ̓ ἑκάστῳ τούτων παραμυθοῦνται δυσκολίαν. Τῶν μὲν οὖν ὑπὲρ γῆς καρπῶν ἢ τῶν κατὰ γῆν πονούντων, οἱ μὲν παντάπασιν ἐψεύσθησαν τῶν ἐλπίδων, μέχρι μόνης φαντασίας τῶν προσδοκωμένων τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ἔχοντες, οἷς δὲ καὶ κατὰ γνώμην ἐκβῆναι συνέβη τὸ τέλος, δευτέρας ἐδέησε πάλιν ἐλπίδος, παραδραμούσης καὶ μαρανθείσης ἐν τάχει τῆς προτέρας. μόνοις δὲ τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας καμοῦσιν οὐ ψεῦδος ἠφάνισε τὰς ἐλπίδας, οὐ τέλος ἐλυμήνατο τοὺς ἄθλους, βεβαίας καὶ μονίμου διαδεχομένης τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας. Μὴ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς ταραττέτω διαβολὴ ψευδής, μηδὲ φοβείτω τῶν κρατούντων ἀπειλή: μὴ γέλως λυπείτω καὶ ὕβρις τῶν γνωρίμων, μηδὲ κατάγνωσις παρὰ τῶν κήδεσθαι προσποιουμένων, ἰσχυρότατον πρὸς ἀπάτην δέλεαρ προβαλλομένων παραινέσεως προσποίησιν.  Ἅγιος Βασίλειος Καισαρείας, Ἐπιστολή ΙΗ', Μακαρίῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ Source: Migne PG 32 282-284

To Macarius and John. The toil of the field comes as no novelty to farmers; sailors are not amazed if they meet a storm at sea; sweat in summer's heat is no wonder to the hired hand; and to those who have elected to live a holy life the afflictions of this present world are not unforeseen. Each of these have the known and proper labour of their callings, not chosen for its own sake, but for the sake of the enjoyment of the good things to which they look forward. Hope is what in each of these cases acts as a consolation in trouble and which bonds and welds all human life. Now of those who labour for the fruits of the earth, or for earthly things, some are altogether disappointed of their hopes, enjoying only in imagination what they have looked for, and even in the case of others, where the end has been attained, another hope is soon needed, so swiftly the first has fled and faded. Only to those who labour for holiness is the hope not revealed to be a lie; nothing can destroy their reward, for the waiting kingdom of heaven is firm and sure. Be then not troubled at a wicked lie; fear not the threats of the powerful; do not be grieved at the laughter and pride of your peers, nor at the condemnation of those who pretend to care for you, those who put forward, as the most effective bait to deceive, an appearance of giving good counsel. Saint Basil of Caesarea, from Letter 18, to Macarius and John