Villager of Onesi, 368 AD. Eight years have passed since Basil's return home. Eight years of hard work and sacrifice. Basil and Macrina now run a new kind of monastery, an expansive, impressive city of prayer and almsgiving. While their monastery grows, a new emperor is rising to power, an emperor who sees this monastery and Basil as a threat to his pagan power. Where is this great basil I keep hearing of? Gregory? Hello Basil. It's been a long time. Years! It's so good to see you old friend. You too, Basil. You've certainly changed since I last saw you in Athens. Thank God, yes. Tell me about this strange project you're working on, a monastery. The monasteries I know of are mud huts out in the desert, but this, this looks like a city. Christ has called us to be in the world, but not of it. We feed the hungry. We are building a hospital to care for the sick. We pray for the world, but we don't live as the pagans live. We pray and work together. And now we are almost finished constructing a church. We just need a priest. Do you know him? I might. No, but he prefers to remain anonymous. For now, it's you, isn't it? Nothing gets past you. Father Gregory, will you join us? Celebrate the divine mysteries of the Eucharist here. Basil! Basil! Come quickly! It's finished! Sure, it's small, but it's finished! We have a church. What do you think, Gregory? It would be an honor to celebrate the Mass at this altar. Soon this church will not hold all the faithful who come to pray the Mass. Word is getting out, and there has been no sign of Julian's so-called persecution here. Yes. Fighting is heavier for Julian. The army is crumbling. Mars has defended us until now, but he'll assist us in this war. The gods will defend me. There are more and more people coming to our monastery, more than we can fit. Isn't it wonderful? Do you hear that? What is it? Let us go and see. The emperor is died. We have a new emperor. Julian the Apostate is dead! God have mercy on Julian. I, God have mercy. Basil? Basil, come here quickly! Easy, Bishop. Hold my arm. Basil! I'm here. Macrina, what? Bishop Eustathius, how did you get here? After Julian became emperor, I was dismissed from the university in Athens. I went to Caesarea here in Cappadocia. Everyone has been talking about the strange new monastery erected on the hillside of Anise. I had to see it for myself. I'm glad you are here. You built all of this? The Lord did. With your hands. I'm dying, Basil. I would like to spend my last days here. We would be honored to have you here with us. Your reputation precedes you, Basil. You have become a great teacher. I know I have seen the fruits of your labor. I want you to be my successor. Me? A bishop? I don't know. The Holy Spirit will keep on using your hands and heart to do his work. Chirotonnia, Basil. I lay my hands on your head. Receive the Holy Spirit, who sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them. And who sins you shall retain, they are retained. Axios, Bishop Basil! I prayed for you. Since the day you stormed out of my study in Athens ten years ago. I prayed for you, Basil. You are a great man. But the road only gets harder from here. Remain strong. Let our dear blessed Lord guide you. He is pleased with you. Eustathius, I will now confer unto you the mystery of Holy Unction. You will soon see face to face, quest the Lord. Pray for us. I will! Friends, the good Bishop Eustathius has died. He will be rewarded for his faithful ministry amidst uncertainty, persecution, and the confusion of heresy which has polluted the minds of so many. We continue to live in uncertain times. But let us never despair or lose hope. The new Emperor, Valens, I hear, has embraced Aeas' heretical views. But he is not a pagan like Julian, and perhaps we will live in peace. The sanctity of our lives will inspire the love of God in their hearts, just as it burned in the heart of Bishop Eustathius. Yet, even if this hope should fail, let us cling to the sure hope of eternal life towards which all of our earthly labors are directed, which the good Bishop now enjoys. Neither torture nor exile can take away our hope in Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, to whom belongs all glory, honor, and power forever. Amen. Attention! The Emperor Valens! Leave us. Modestus. Yes, Lord Emperor. I am troubled. What is it, Sire? I have just received news that the Bishop Athanasius has condemned me as a heretic in Caesarea. He is a very popular Bishop. Hmm. He must be made into an example. An example, Lord Emperor? Yes, an example. I am sending you to Cappadocia, Modestus. You will find the Bishop and demand that he profess the Aryan Creed and pledge his loyalty to me. And if he refuses? Burn down his church, strip him naked and drag him into the street and beat him. Kill him. Do whatever it takes to make him embrace our rule or leave his body to the wild dogs. Yes, Lord Emperor. Modestus. Julian was known for his soft hand in religious matters. I do not want to garner the same reputation. Basil, I've been wondering, do you still read the pagan philosophers? I do. I'm surprised. It seemed like it would be the cause of your downfall back in Athens. Why do you keep reading them? Look at it this way. It's certain that we have, in our nature, the capacity to obey all God's commandments. Above all, the commandment to love Him. If we act according to His commandments, we live a life of virtue. If not, we succumb to vice. So is reading pagan philosophers a path to virtue or to vice? Both are possible. But I think it is a question of love. A question of love? If we read Plato and Aristotle in search of a greater love of the Divine Majesty, our affections for our dear crucified Jesus can only grow. Yes, the splendor of God and our true affection declares, I am wounded with love. God is my only love. I desire nothing else. Then may whatever draws us to His Divine Majesty be found with us. It's a good thing you left Athens. Yes. Studying Plato was definitely a vice for me ten years ago. Thank you for calling me out back then. I could have wasted a lot of time, or worse, with Julian and Maximus. Oh, you turned out alright. You turned out to be my closest friend. These are the most... ...firm grapes I have ever eaten. Grown in the little monastery of Anise. That dissenting bishop of Cappadocia. What's his name? Basil, sir. Yes, Basil. Basil. What is all the commotion outside? The company has returned from Caesarea, Lord Emperor. Excellent. Ah, Modestus, you've finally returned. Did you have any resistance? The bishop would not profess the Aryan creed, Lord Emperor. Hmm. Did he at least pledge fealty to us? He refused. And? Did you have him drawn and quartered? Crucified? What tortures did you impose? We warned him that there would be severe consequences. What? Did you not carry out the threat? No, Lord Emperor, we could not. The bishop fled and went into hiding. So you directly disobeyed my orders, Modestus. But, Sire, you profess the Aryan creed. Do you think it is right for us to torture Christians into submission? It is right to carry out the lawful order of your Emperor! You know, Modestus, you are right. You're right. I will be merciful towards your insolence. Tell me, do you like grapes, Modestus? Hmm? Here. Grapes? I, uh, yes. Try it. How is it? Describe it to me. Good. Firm. A good crunch under the teeth. Mm-hmm. Exactly. The bishops are like grapes, Modestus. Good. Firm. But they are easily squashed. Under pressure. Ah! Ooh! What is it, Lord Emperor? I have a tooth that is rotting. Ah. You better have it removed. Modestus, you're right. A tooth that cannot squash a little grape should certainly be removed. Ah. Yeah. Well, I don't want any more excuses, Modestus. One of these dissenting bishops, Basil, I hear he's been constructing a strange monastery, building houses for the sick. I also hear that he condemns our position and undermines my authority. This is your opportunity to be a good person. My authority. This is your opportunity to receive Christian mercy, Modestus. Bring me Bishop Basil. Yes, sir. Modestus. Sir. I don't want to have any more teeth removed. Understood. Basil? Basil, are you here? What is it, Macrina? There you are. It is so quiet. It's early in the morning. Yes, but usually you are busy practicing some great sermon or writing your rule of life with Gregory. I find great consolation and contemplation. The Lord is drawing very near to me. I'm sorry to interrupt your prayer. You didn't. It goes on. Even now. What did you need? Travellers from Caesarea arrived. They fled their homeland because their bishop has gone into hiding. Hiding? The other bishops have professed the Aryan creed at the demand of the new emperor. The church is under siege, Basil. Emperor Valens is sending soldiers out to enforce his words. I see. What do we do if soldiers come here? To our monastery. When Julian's men arrived at our home, didn't you shoo them away like flies? I'm afraid that Valens won't be easy to shoo away. And now we have over a hundred people to care for. We have the hospital. We are starting farms. We cannot let the people in our care be scattered or killed. If this monastery is the work of the Lord on earth, no emperor can possibly destroy it. I will stand between my flock and the emperor. I do not fear death, and I do not fear the emperor. If a new persecution has arrived, I will put on the full armor of God and rise to meet it. There it is. The little monastery. It's more like a small city. A church. A hospital. Look at all of these people. Beyond guard! Find me, Bishop Basil. I'm sorry. It seems the persecution has come. Where is he? Where is your bishop? Search every building. You two, with me. Here. Who are you? I am Basil, Bishop of Cappadocia. Who disturbed this monastery, which belongs to Christ the Lord? I am a destist. Prefect of the Emperor Valens. You are to come with me to Constantinople, where you will profess the Arian creed and pledge your loyalty to the new emperor. Is that so? Tune in to Episode 5 Theophany, to hear the final episode of Basil the Great. Listen to all the episodes and discover new shows at thesaintspongcast.com.
