The Shepherd, January 2008
John the blessed put some wood on the fire. Straightway, the hut became radiant and seemed to be a palace. The beams looked as though they were dusted with gold and the rennet bags which were suspended appeared like vigil lamps and the wooden tubs and the cheese-molds and the other implements that John used in making cheese shone like silver. So it was with all the other lowly and humble things that John the blessed had in his cabin; they all became resplendent as though they were magnificently adorned with diamonds. The logs that burned in the hearth sizzled and sang like the songbirds of Paradise and they emitted a certain sweet fragrance.
They took Saint Basil and sat him down by the fire and John’s wife brought him some pillows to rest on. The elder took his pack from around his neck and set it down next to himself and he also took off his old raso and rested there in his cassock. John the blessed, together with his helper, went out to milk the flock and he put the new-born lambs into the pen. Afterwards he separated the ewes who were about to give birth and kept them in the fold while his helper put out feed for the rest. His flock was small. John was poor, but he was blessed. He had great joy always, both day and night, because he was a good man and his wife was a good woman. Every man who passed by the cabin would be cared for as though he were a brother. This too is why Saint Basil came to their dwelling and rested there as though it were his own home; and it was blessed right down to its very foundations. That night, all the cities and townships of the inhabited world, all the rulers, bishops, and notable men awaited him, but he went to none of them. Instead, he came and rested in the humble cabin of John the blessed.
However, to continue. Once they had put feed out for the flock, John came in and said to the Saint, “Elder, what a great joy I have! I want you to read us that service to Saint Basil! I am an unlearned fellow, but I still love the services of our Faith! I have a service book here given to me by an abbot from the Holy Mountain. Whenever anybody with book-learning comes through, I sit him down and have him read to us from this service book here because we don’t have any church nearby.”
It had just begun to dawn faintly in the East. Saint Basil arose and turned toward that direction and made the sign of the cross. Then he bent over and took from his knapsack a service book for priests; he began and said: “Blessed is our God, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.” John the blessed went and stood behind him. His wife nursed the baby, then she also went and stood next to him with her hands crossed respectfully. Saint Basil chanted “God is the Lord” and the dismissal hymn of the feast of the Circumcision of our Saviour, “Our human form hast Thou taken on Thyself without change,” omitting, however, to chant his own dismissal hymn which says, “Thy sound hath gone forth into all the earth.” His voice was sweet and humble and John and his wife felt great compunction even though they did not fully understand the words.
Saint Basil recited all of Matins and the canon of the feast, “Come, O ye people, let us sing a song unto Christ God,” omitting, however, to chant his own canon which says, “It were meet that thy words, O Basil, should be present to aid them that strive to praise thee.” Afterwards, he recited the whole Liturgy and read the dismissal and blessed them.
Once they had seated themselves at the table and had eaten and had finished, the young woman brought out “Saint Basil’s Bread” and put it on the low table. Saint Basil took a knife and blessed the bread with the sign of the Cross and said, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He cut the first slice and said, “Christ’s portion,” then he cut the second slice and said, “The Mother of God’s portion,” and then he said, “The master of the house, John the blessed’s portion.” John said to him, “Elder! you forgot Saint Basil!” The Saint said to him, “Ah yes, you’re right!” And then he said, “A portion for Basil, the servant of God.” Then, again he said, “The master of the house’s portion , the mistress of the house’s portion , baby’s portion, the helper’s portion , the sheep’s portion, the paupers’ portion.” Then John the blessed said to the Saint, “Holy Elder, why didn’t you cut a portion for yourself?” The Saint said to him. “But I did cut one, my blessed man!” But John, that blessed one, did not understand.
After this, Saint Basil arose and recited this prayer: “O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy nor sufficient that Thou shouldest come under the roof of the house of my soul....” Then John the blessed said, “Elder, since you know many things and can read, can you tell me, to which palatial homes perchance could Saint Basil have gone this night? The rulers and the kings, what sins can they have? We the poor are the ones who are sinners because our poverty causes us to do evil .”
Saint Basil wept and then he repeated the prayer over again, but this time differently: “O Lord my God, I know that Thy servant John the simple is worthy and sufficient that Thou mightest come under the roof of his house. For he is a babe and Thy mysteries are revealed unto babes.”
And again, John, that happy man, John the blessed, did not understand.
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