In his homily 4, “Peri eucharistias,” Basil of Caesarea offers an extended reflection on the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” He continues this theme in homily 5, following a rather hasty and perfunctory praise of a local martyr, Julitta. This short communications paper will explore Basil’s intersecting themes of weeping, gratitude, and philosophical material detachment for the believer who is facing circumstances of personal crisis and loss. Paul permits weeping because, Basil suggests in homily 4, tears can effect seeds of eternal joy (PG 31.228, lines 8-9). While his advice on gratitude and rejoicing in both of these homilies echoes classic Greek ideals of moderation and detachment from unruly passions, Basil explains and justifies tears, whether for self or others, in detailed terms of physiology and medical therapy. In his deliberate construction of the voice of those who would scoff that the idea of gratitude and rejoicing in all circumstances is preposterous, Basil contrasts worldly self-centered tears and joy with the ideal Christian response, based on empathy for others and trust in eternal securities. This paper, part of a larger project on the rhetoric of gratitude and exchange in religious responses to need, concludes by identifying how the Julitta narrative in homily 5—which the homilist presents as somewhat of a distraction and duty on the day of her feast—in fact encapsulates in popular imagery (through her dramatic “manly” renunciation and miraculous healing spring) the martyred embodiment of the very virtues Basil exhorts.
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