Take care also, that no mouse

An Instruction to priests before the divine and
holy service. By our Father among the Saints,
Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in
Cappadocia, how it behooves a priest to serve
with a deacon.

Give heed to thyself, O priest,
to all that thou wouldst teach.
Guard the ministry which thou
hast received, that thou mayest fulfill
it. For not to an earthly ministry
art thou committed, but a
heavenly; not a human service, but
an angelic one. Haste thou to present
thyself before the Lord not as
an husbandman who is ashamed,
but as one who rightly divideth the
word of His truth. Never stand at
the assembly while bearing enmity
toward anyone, lest thou drive the
Comforter away. On the day of the
assembly quarrel not, neither argue,
but rather pray and read in
private until the hour of the service.
Guard thyself from evil
thoughts, insofar as thou art able.
Moreover, stand with fear before
the holy altar, without looking
around at anyone else, and do not
abbreviate thy prayers with haste.
Make no distinction of persons,
but rather look to the King Who is
present before thee, lest, being a
respecter of persons, thou givest
the Holy Body where it ought not
to be given. Make thyself worthy
of the rules concerning priests,
and do not serve together with
such as reject those rules. Watch
therefore, how thou standest; how
thou ministerest; how and to
whom thou givest [Communion];
and how thou keepest [the Holy
Gifts.] Take care that thou not forget
the Lord’s command: Give not
that which is holy to the dogs. Do
not be seized by fear of men; do
not betray the Son of God into the
hands of the unworthy. Be not intimidated
by the mighty of the
earth, nor even by him that
weareth a royal diadem; be not
afraid in such an hour. Watch how
thou givest the Gifts to them that
wish to receive Them in their
homes. See thou, I have nothing.
See that thou not give [the Gifts] to
such as are forbidden by the divine
canons [to receive Them] for they
are reckoned as pagans, and woe
to those who give them [Communion]
before their conversion.
Take care also, that no mouse or
any such thing touch the Divine
Mysteries. Do not by negligence
let them get wet or mouldy, nor
may they be handled by those not
in holy orders. Keep these rules
and others like them, and thou
wilt save thyself and those in thy
charge. (From the Sluzhebnik of the 5th
year of the Patriarchate of Joseph).