E00775: Basil of Caesarea, in his Homily on Psalm 114 of the 370s, mentions his visitation at a church dedicated to a martyr, probably on its feast day. He had previously attended the festival at another church, perhaps of the same dedication. The congregation sings psalms during the service. Written in Greek in Cappadocia (central Asia Minor).

Basil of Caesarea, Homily on Psalm 114 (CPG 2836.114)

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΙΔ’ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ

Πάλαι προκαταλαβόντες τὸν ἱερὸν τοῦτον τῶν μαρτύρων σηκὸν, ἐκ μέσης νυκτὸς τὸν Θεὸν τῶν μαρτύρων διὰ τῶν ὕμνων ἐξιλεούμενοι, διεκαρτερήσατε μέχρι τῆς μεσημβρίας ταύτης, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἄφιξιν ἀναμένοντες. Ὑμῖν μὲν οὖν καὶ ὕπνου καὶ ἀναπαύσεως τὴν εἰς τοὺς μάρτυρας τιμὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείαν προτιμῶσιν, ἕτοιμος ὁ μισθός. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ ἡμᾶς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀπολογήσασθαι, τῆς διατριβῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀπολείψεως ὑμῶν, ἐροῦμεν τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι ἄλλην ὁμότιμον ταύτῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν οἰκονομοῦντες, οὐκ ὀλίγῳ πρὸς ὑμᾶς διειργομένην τῷ διαστήματι, τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον τῆς ἡμέρας καταναλώσαμεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος κἀκείνοις πληρῶσαι τὴν λειτουργίαν, καὶ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης, ἀπόδοτε μεθ’ ἡμῶν τὴν εὐχαριστίαν τῷ εὐεργέτῃ, τῷ τὴν ὁρωμένην ταύτην τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν ἀσθένειαν τῇ ἀοράτῳ αὐτοῦ δυνάμει χειραγωγοῦντι. Ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον παρακατέχοντες ὑμᾶς ἀνιῶμεν, βραχέα ἐξ οὗ κατελάβομεν ᾀδομένου ὑμῖν ψαλμοῦ διαλεχθέντες, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς παρακλήσεως κατὰ τὴν προσοῦσαν ἡμῖν δύναμιν τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν θρέψαντες, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐπιμέλειαν ἕκαστον διαφήσομεν. Τί τοίνυν ἦν τὸ ᾀδόμενον; Ἠγάπησα, φησὶν, ὅτι εἰσακούσεται Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεώς μου.


‘Homily on Psalm 114 (=116)

Having arrived so long in advance at this holy shrine of the martyrs, you have persevered till this midday, waiting for our arrival, propitiating the God of the martyrs with your hymns since midnight. So, since you prefer the veneration of the martyrs and the worship of God to sleep and rest, your reward is at hand. Now, if we have to apologise for ourselves about our delay and, to a great extent, desertion of you, we shall tell the cause: we spent the earlier part of this day administering another church of God, of the same dedication as this (ὁμότιμον ταύτῃ), which is separated from you by no mean distance. But, since the Lord has granted us to both accomplish our ministry to that community and not to disappoint your love, join us in giving thanks to the Benefactor who leads by his invisible power this visible weakness of our body. But, in order that we may not grieve you by keeping you even longer, let us speak briefly about the psalm we just found you singing, and, having nourished your souls by our edifying words, as much as our strength allows, we shall dismiss everyone, in order to take care of their bodily needs. Now, what was it that you were singing? ‘I have loved,' he says, 'because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer. (….)’

Text: Migne 1857.
Translation E. Rizos (using A. C. Way 1963, 341)