Sickness and Cure

Πρόσεχε οὔν σεαυτῷ, ἵνα κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τοῦ πλημμελήματος καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς θεραπείας βοήθειαν καταδέξῃ. Μέγα καὶ χαλεπὸν τὸ ἁμάρτημα· πολλῆς σοι χρεία τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως, δακρύων πικρῶν, συντόνου τῆς ἀγρυπυίας, ἀδιαλείπτου τῆς νηστείας. Κοῦφον καὶ φορητὸν τὸ παράπτωμα· ἐξισαζεσθω καὶ ἡ μετάνοια. Μόνον πρόσεχε σεαυτῳ, ἵνα γνωρίζῃς ψυχῆς εὐρωστίαν καὶ νόσον. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἄγαν ἀπροσεξίας μεγάλα καὶ ἀνίατα νουσοῠντες, οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἵσασιν, ὅτι νοσοῦσι. Μέγα δὲ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ παραγγέλματος ὄφελος καὶ τοῖς ἐῥῥωμένοις περὶ τὰς πράξεις· ὥστε τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ νοσοῦντας ἰᾶται, καὶ ὑγιαίνοντας τελειοῖ. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Το, Πρόσεχε Σεαυτῷ

'Look to yourself,' that the cause of your error and the cure of it be known. Great is the sin: much for you then is there in words of confession and bitter tears and earnest vigilance and ceaseless fasting. A light thing and bearable is the error: this also demands penitence. Only look to yourself that you might know the health and sickness of your soul. On account of inconsideration many are gravely sick and distressed, not knowing the cure for their sickness. Great is the benefit of the commandment to attend to those who err that thus even the sick be cured and the healthy be perfect. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homily on 'Look to Yourself'