On Honouring Parents, and also on Old Age and Youth

-St. Basil the Great

The saying, “Arise, O Lord my God, according to the decree which Thou hast commanded” (Ps 7:6/7), may be understood concerning the mystery of the resurrection—as though the Prophet were praying that the Judge may arise to avenge every sin and to fulfil the commandments appointed for us. Or it may be understood of the Prophet’s own situation at that time—as though he were praying that God may arise to avenge the commandment He Himself had given: “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exod 20:12), which commandment his son had transgressed. Therefore he prays that God, both for the correction of the offender himself and for the chastening of many, may not be long-suffering, but may arise in wrath and, arising, execute vengeance for His disregarded commandment. “Avenge not for my sake,” he says, “but for the sake of Thy commandment that has been treated with contempt—Thy commandment which Thou Thyself didst ordain.” For it is plain that when one transgressor is punished, many are thereby corrected.

Consider now the behaviour of certain birds toward their aged parents—a behaviour that, if only our children would pay heed, could alone arouse them to love of parents. For there is no one so deficient in understanding that he would not count it shameful to be surpassed in virtue even by irrational creatures.

Storks whose parent has lost its feathers through old age surround it on every side, warm it with their own wings, provide it with abundant food, and in flight render it every possible assistance, gently supporting it on both sides with their wings. This is so well known that some even call the gratitude these birds show their parents “the recompense of the storks.”

If you desire to be assured of things to come, fulfil what the Law prescribes and await the reward for it: “Honour thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the good land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exod 20:12). Dutiful children are a great glory to their parents.

Children, love your parents. Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath (Eph 6:4), thus the Apostle Paul exhorts us. If the lioness loves her cubs and the wolf fights for its young, what shall a man say who transgresses the commandment and violates the law of nature—when either a son dishonours his father’s old age, or a father, because of a second marriage, forgets his former children?

The eagle is very harsh in rearing its young: having hatched two fledglings, it strikes one with its wings and casts it to the ground, keeping only the other for itself, rejecting the one it has begotten because rearing it is burdensome. Yet, it is said, the lammergeier (a different kind of eagle) does not allow it to perish but takes it and rears it together with its own young. Such are the parents who, under pretext of poverty, expose infants, or who in distributing their property act most unjustly toward them. Justice requires that fathers who have equally given existence to each of their children should also divide equally and impartially among them the things needful for life.

Do not imitate the cruelty and harshness of the crook-clawed birds which, when they see their young already able to fly, beat them with their wings, drive them from the nest, and care for them no further. Imitate rather the tender love of the crow, which follows even its fledged young for a very long time, providing them with food.

A man who is childish in understanding differs in no way from an infant in years. “Grey hair is wisdom for men” (Wis 4:9). Truly it is understanding, far more than grey hair, that brings honour to an elder. If someone is like the wise Daniel—young in body but hoary in understanding—he is justly preferred above those who have bodily grey hair yet a lawless will in the soul. It is evident that upon Daniel, though still a youth and young in physical years, there descended the gift of eldership because he possessed the grey hair of understanding. Thus it happens that the young, on account of the virtue shining in their souls, are preferred to elders who live slothfully and carelessly.

The heaviest punishment is for a city to be governed by a foolish youth; for youth is often prone to levity and easily moved to corruption. Unrestrained desires, bestial anger, insolence, affronts, pride, and arrogance are passions nurtured together with youth. Envy is born against superiority, suspicion toward one’s own household. A multitude of immoderate evils is bound up with youth—evils that subjects must of necessity endure. The vices of rulers are a calamity to the ruled.

Hence, before the final captivity of Jerusalem, those great evils arose when the citizens of Jerusalem, attacking one another, filled the city with sedition and murder; even when the city was surrounded on every side by enemies, they could not be brought to the concord so necessary for them. Even when they were in utmost peril, with the city being taken, the walls crumbling, and the enemy pouring in, they oppressed one another for the sake of love of power and pre-eminence. And this they suffered because the Prophet, the seer, the ancient, the wonderful counsellor had been taken from them, and young princes were set over them, and scorners ruled them (cf. Isa 3:4–5).

Let us not suffer evils like these. Therefore let us strive to avoid mutual discord, ever preserving honour and peace among ourselves, that having lived here in tranquillity we may be accounted worthy to enjoy the good things to come, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.