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Shorter Rules
St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925
Rule 172: With What Fear, What Conviction, What Disposition, Should We Receive the Body…
As regards fear, the apostle teaches us when he says: “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself.”2 Conviction is implanted in us by faith in the words of the Lord: ‘This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me”’3: and in the witness of John, who first described the glory of the Word and then added the manner of His Incarnation, saying: “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”4 Further we believe the words written by the apostle: Being in the form of God, he counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, yea, the death of the Cross.”5 When therefore the soul, believing these words, and others of similar tenor and importance, understands the majesty of the glory, and wonders at the exceeding measure of humiliation and obedience, in that One go great obeyed the Father unto death, that we might live, then I think it achieves a disposition of love both towards God the Father, Who ‘spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,”6 and towards His only begotten Son, Who became obedient unto death for our redemption and salvation. And then he will be able to obey the apostle who prescribes a good conscience in these matters as a kind of rule for those who are sound in the faith, saying: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, therefore all died. And he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.”’7 Such a disposition and preparation ought he to have who partakes of the Bread and the Cup.
Notes
- Cf. B. 109, 110.
- 1 Cor. xi. 29 add ἀναξίως K.
- Lk. xxii, 19.
- Jn. 1. 14.
- Phil. ii. 6-8.
- Rom. viii. 32.
- 2 Cor. v. 14 add εἰ before εἷς; 15.