Posted on 01/01/2014 9:55:14 PM PST by Salvation
January 2, 2014
Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
Reading 1 1 Jn 2:22-28
Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.
And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel Jn 1:19-28
This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Feast Day: January 2
Born: 329 at Caesarea, Asia Minor (modern Turkey)
Died: 14 June 379
Patron of: Cappadocia, Hospital administrators, Reformers, Monks, Education, Exorcism, Liturgists
Feast Day: January 2
Born: 325, Arianzum, Cappadocia
Died: January 25, 389, Arianzum, Cappadocia
Major Shrine: Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in the Fanar
St. Basil and St. Gregorian Nazianen
Feast Day: January 02
Born:330 :: Died: 379 & 390
Basil was born at Caesarea and Gregory was born at Cappadocia in Asia Minor which is now called Turkey.
Basil came from a rich and noble family. His grandmother St. Macrina the Elder, his father, mother, two brothers and St. Macrina his sister are all saints.
Gregory also came from a saintly family. His parents are St. Nonna and St. Gregory the Elder and his brothers are St. Caesar Nazianzen and St. Gorgonius.
Basil and Gregory met and became great friends at school in Athens, Greece. They became everything to each other, lived together, ate together and shared the same goal of growing together in truth, wisdom and knowledge. And their love for each other grew warmer and deeper each day.
Even as a teenager Basil used to help organise famine relief and used to work in the kitches himself. This was very unusual for a young nobleman. After he completed his education in Athens, he ran a school of public speaking and law in Caesarea and became a well-known teacher. He was so successful that he was often tempted by pride.
Fearing that his pride would overtake his holiness, his sister, St. Macrina, suggested that he become a monk. He took her advice, sold everything he had, gave away all his money and moved to the wilderness where he started his first monastery. The rules he created for monks living in the dessert were very wise and are followed by monasteries in the East even today.
Both Basil and Gregory became priests and then bishops. They preached bravely against the Arian heresy (untruth) that was confusing people which denied that Jesus is God.
As bishop of Constantinople, Gregory converted many people with his wonderful preaching especially about the Holy Trinity. This nearly cost him his life. A young man planned to murder him. He repented at the last moment and begged Gregory's forgiveness. Gregory did forgive him and won him with his gentle goodness.
But he was always in conflict with the Arian emperor, Valens. When Valens died, Gregory worked hard to bring the Arians back to the Christian faith. For his trouble, he was abused, insulted and beaten up.
Forty-four of Gregory's speeches, 243 letters and many poems were published. His writings are still important today. Many writers have modeled their works on his writings.
Gregory's friend Basil had a very kind and generous heart. He always found time to help the poor. He even invited people who were poor themselves to help those worse off. "Give your last loaf to the beggar at your door," he urged, "and trust in God's goodness." He opened a soup kitchen where he could often be seen wearing an apron and feeding the hungry.
Basil died in 379 at the age of forty-nine. Gregory died in 390 at the age of sixty. He is buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
We will never be sorry for using our education, time and talents to help the people around us come closer to God
Thursday, January 2
Liturgical Color: White
St. Therese of Lisieux was born on this day
in 1873. Known as the Little Flower, she had
total love and devotion to the Child Jesus
and demonstrated how small acts
of everyday life could be offered to Him.
Daily Readings for:January 02, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, who were pleased to give light to your Church by the example and teaching of the Bishops Saints Basil and Gregory, grant, we pray, that in humility we may learn your truth and practice it faithfully in charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
ACTIVITIES
o Day Nine ~ Activities for the Feast of St. Basil and St. Gregory
o Namedays
o Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas
PRAYERS
o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Christmas Season (2nd Plan)
o Blessing of the Vasilopita or Bread of Saint Basil
o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Christmas (1st Plan)
LIBRARY
o Saint Basil | Pope Benedict XVI
o St. Basil - Part 2 | Pope Benedict XVI
o St. Basil The Great | Eric J. Scheske
· Christmas: January 2nd
· Memorials of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors
Old Calendar: Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors. This is the ninth day of the Christmas season.
St. Basil was a brilliant student born of a Christian family in Caesarea, Cappadocia (Turkey). For some years, he followed the monastic way of life. He vigorously fought the Arian heresy. He became Bishop of Caesarea in 370. The monks of the Eastern Church today still follow the monastic rules which he set down.
St. Gregory was also from Cappadocia. A friend of Basil, he too followed the monastic way of life for some years. He was ordained priest and in 381 became Bishop of Constantinople. It was during this period when the Arian heresy was at its height. He was called "The Theologian" because of his great learning and talent for oratory.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite St. Basil is celebrated on June 14 and St. Gregory on May 9. Today is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus which is celebrated on January 3 in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
St. Basil
St. Basil was born about 330, the oldest of four sons; three of his brothers became bishops, one of whom was St. Gregory of Nyssa. His pious grandmother Macrina exercised a great influence upon his religious education: "Never shall I forget the deep impression that the words and example of this venerable woman made upon my soul." Between St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzen an intimate friendship existed from youth to old age. Of Western monasticism St. Benedict was the father and founder, of Eastern monasticism, St. Basil.
As bishop, Basil was a courageous and heroic champion of the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy. In 372 Emperor Valens sent Modestus, the prefect, to Cappadocia to introduce Arianism as the state religion. Modestus approached the holy bishop, upbraided him for his teaching, and threatened despoliation, exile, martyrdom, and death. To these words of the Byzantine despot, Basil replied with the peace of divine faith: "Is that all? Nothing of what you mentioned touches me. We possess nothing, we can be robbed of nothing. Exile will be impossible, since everywhere on God's earth I am at home. Torments cannot afflict me, for I have no body. And death is welcome, for it will bring me more quickly to God. To a great extent I am already dead; for a long time I have been hastening to the grave." Astonished, the prefect remarked: "Till today no one has ever spoken to me so courageously." "Perhaps," rejoined Basil, "you have never before met a bishop." Modestus hastened back to Valens. "Emperor," he said, "we are bested by this leader of the Church. He is too strong for threats, too firm for words, too clever for persuasion."
Basil was a strong character, a burning lamp during his time. But as the fire from this lamp illumined and warmed the world, it consumed itself; as the saint's spiritual stature grew, his body wasted away, and at the early age of forty-nine his appearance was that of an old man. In every phase of ecclesiastical activity he showed superior talent and zeal. He was a great theologian, a powerful preacher, a gifted writer, the author of two rules for monastic life, a reformer of the Oriental liturgy. He died in 379, hardly forty-nine years old, yet so emaciated that only skin and bones remained, as though he had stayed alive in soul alone.
Patron: Cappadocia; hospital administrators; reformers; Russia.
Symbols: Supernatural fire, often with a dove present.
St. Gregory Nazianzen
Gregory, surnamed the "Theologian" by the Greeks, was born at Nazianz in Cappadocia in 339. He was one of the "Three Lights of the Church from Cappadocia." To his mother, St. Nonna, is due the foundation for his saintly life as an adult. He was educated at the most famous schools of his time - Caesarea, Alexandria, Athens. At Athens he formed that storied bond of friendship with St. Basil which was still flaming with all the fervor of youthful enthusiasm when he delivered the funeral oration at the grave of his friend in 381.
Gregory was baptized in 360, and for a while lived the quiet life of a hermit. In 372 he was consecrated bishop by St. Basil. At the urgent wish of Gregory, his father and bishop of Nazianz, he assisted him in the care of souls. In 381 he accepted the see of Constantinople, but grieved by the constant controversies retired again to the quiet life he cherished so highly and dedicated himself entirely to contemplation.
During his life span the pendulum was continually swinging back and forth between contemplation and the active ministry. He longed for solitude, but the exigencies of the times called him repeatedly to do pastoral work and to participate in the ecclesiastical movements of the day. He was unquestionably one of the greatest orators of Christian antiquity; his many and great accomplishments were due in great measure to his exceptional eloquence. His writings have merited for him the title of "Doctor of the Church."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
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Born to the nobility, his was a pious family – his mother, father, and four of his nine siblings were canonized, including Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Grandson of Saint Macrina the Elder. As a youth Basil was noted for organizing famine relief, and for working in the kitchens himself, quite unusual for a young noble.
He studied in Constantinople and Athens with his friend Saint Gregory Nazianus. Ran a school of oratory and law in Caesarea. Basil was so successful, so sought after as a speaker, that he was tempted by pride. Fearful that it would overtake his piety, he sold all that he had, gave away the money, and became a priest and monk.
Founded monasteries and drew up rules for monks living in the desert; he is considered as key to the founding of eastern monasticism as Saint Benedict of Nursia was to the west. Bishop and Archbishop of Caesarea. Conducted Mass and preached to the crowds twice each day. Fought Arianism. Greek Doctor of the Church. Father of the Church.
Born
Additional Information
Readings
O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all you necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity. - Saint Basil the Great
By the command of your only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of your saints…by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sake of your holy name. - Liturgy of Saint Basil, 373AD
The bread which you use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit. - Saint Basil
Let us raise ourselves from our fall and not give up hope as long as we are free from sin. Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. ‘Come, let us adore and prostrate ourselves and weep before him’ (Psalm 95:6). The Word calls us to repentance, crying out: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened and I will refresh you’ (Matthew 11:28). There is, then, a way to salvation if we are willing to follow it” - from a letter by Saint Basil the Great
Envy is a gnawing pain which springs from the success and prosperity of another; and this is the reason why the envious are never exempt from trouble and vexation. If an abundant harvest fills the granaries of a neighbor, if success crowns his efforts, the envious man is chagrined and sad. If one man can boast of prudence, talent, and eloquence; if another is rich, and is very liberal to the poor, if good works are praised by all around, the envious man is shocked and grieved. The envious, however, dare not speak; although envy makes them counterfeit gladness, their hearts are sore within. If you ask him what vexes him, he dare not tell the reason. It is not really the happiness of his friend that annoys him, neither is it his gaiety that makes him sad, nor is he sorry to see his friend prosper; but it is that he is persuaded that the prosperity of others is the cause of his misery. This is what the envious would be forced to acknowledge, if they spoke the truth sincerely; but because they dare not confess so shameful a sin, they, in secret, feed a sore which tortures them and eats away their rest. As the shadow ever accompanies the pedestrian when walking in the sun, so envy throws its shadow on those who are successful in the world. - Saint Basil, from “De Individia”
Thy fame has gone forth into all the earth, which has received thy word. Thereby thou hast taught the Faith; thou hast revealed the nature of created things; thou hast made a royal priesthood of the ordered life of men. Righteous Father Basil intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved. - troparion of Saint Basil the Great
Thou wast an unshaken foundation of the Church and didst give to all mortals an inviolate lordship which thou didst seal with thy doctrine, O righteous Basil, revealer of the mysteries of heaven. - kontakion of Saint Basil the Great
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Son of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen the Elder and Saint Nonna. Brother of Saint Caesar Nazianzen, and Saint Gorgonius. Spent an wandering youth in search of learning. Friend of and fellow student with Saint Basil the Great. Monk at Basil‘s desert monastery.
Reluctant priest; he believed that he was unworthy, and that the responsibility would test his faith. He assisted his bishop father to prevent an Arian schism in the diocese. He opposed Arianism, and brought its heretical followers back to the fold. Bishop of Caesarea c.370, which put him in conflict with the Arian emperor Valens. The disputes led his friend Basil the Great, then archbishop, to reassign him to a small, out of the way posting at the edge of the archbishopric.
Bishop of Constantinople from 381 to 390, following the death of Valens. He hated the city, despised the violence and slander involved in these disputes, and feared being drawn into politics and corruption, but he worked to bring the Arians back to the faith; for his trouble he was slandered, insulted, beaten up, and a rival “bishop” tried to take over his diocese. Noted preacher on the Trinity. When it seemed that orthodox Christianity had been restored in the city, Gregory retired to live the rest of his days as a hermit. He wrote theological discourses and poetry, some of it religious, some of it autobiographical. Father of the Church. Doctor of the Church.
Born
Additional Information
Readings
God accepts our desires as though they were of great value. He longs ardently for us to desire and love him. He accepts our petitions for benefits as though we were doing him a favor. His joy in giving is greater than ours in receiving. So let us not be apathetic in our asking, nor set too narrow bounds to our requests; nor ask for frivolous things unworthy of God’s greatness. - Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Let us not esteem worldly prosperity or adversity as things real or of any moment, but let us live elsewhere, and raise all our attention to Heaven; esteeming sin as the only true evil, and nothing truly good, but virtue which unites us to God. - Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Basil and I were both in Athens. We had come, like streams of a river, from the same source in our native land, had separated from each other in pursuit of learning, and were now united again as if by plan, for God so arranged it. When, in the course of time, we acknowledged our friendship and recognized that our ambition was a life of true wisdom, we became everything to each other; we shared the same lodging, the same table, the same desires, the same goal. Our love for each other grew daily warmer and deeper. The same hope inspired us: the pursuit of learning. We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit. Our single object and ambition was virtue, and a life of hope in the blessings that are to come. We followed the guidance of God’s law and spurred each other on to virtue. If it is not too boastful to say, we found in each other a standard and rule for discerning right from wrong. Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is, to their own pursuits and achievements. But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians. - from a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Today let us do honor to Christ’s baptism and celebrate this feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom his every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of him who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received – though not in its fullness – a ray of its splendor, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. - from a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you… . Then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:24)
When an architect draws up the plans for a new building, he or she must calculate how deep to dig the foundation, based on the weight that the foundation must bear. So here’s a question: do you feel your foundation is strong enough to bear the weight of the challenges you are currently facing? If your foundation is Jesus, the answer is a resounding yes!
In today’s Gospel reading, we see how deep a foundation John the Baptist had. Boldly speaking against the sins and injustices of his day, John was not shaken in the least when Israel’s religious leaders came to question him. In the plainspoken manner that comes from humility, John simply answered, “I am not” when they asked if he was the Messiah or Elijah or the “Prophet” Moses had predicted (John 1:20, 21). Without fanfare or defensiveness, he pointed them to “the one
… whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie” (1:27).
It seems like a simple exchange, but these few words show how clear John was about his calling. They show that his foundation—his faith in God and in the mission he had received—was strong, deep, and more than able to support him.
How can we build the same foundation? By taking the words from the first reading to heart—the words at the top of this meditation. We can “remain” in Christ, unswayed and undisturbed, if we try to build our lives on the truths of the gospel. “Jesus, you are the Messiah. You died for all sin and rose again. You love me with an everlasting love. You have redeemed me and filled me with your Holy Spirit. Lord, I belong to you!”
Hold onto these truths. Proclaim them in your prayer time every day. Then, when your faith is challenged, you will stand. When struggles or difficulties arise, you will be able to lean on the Lord. When Satan tries to undermine your belief in God’s love, you won’t be fooled. Like John the Baptist, you will be able to stand in confidence, conviction, and joy!
“Jesus, teach me to stand on all the truths you have planted in my heart. Help me open my heart to receive more of your life.”
Psalm 98:1-4; John 1:19-28
John | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
John 1 |
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19. | And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art thou? | Et hoc est testimonium Joannis, quando miserunt Judæi ab Jerosolymis sacerdotes et Levitas ad eum ut interrogarent eum : Tu quis es ? | και αυτη εστιν η μαρτυρια του ιωαννου οτε απεστειλαν οι ιουδαιοι εξ ιεροσολυμων ιερεις και λευιτας ινα ερωτησωσιν αυτον συ τις ει |
20. | And he confessed, and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ. | Et confessus est, et non negavit, et confessus est : Quia non sum ego Christus. | και ωμολογησεν και ουκ ηρνησατο και ωμολογησεν οτι ουκ ειμι εγω ο χριστος |
21. | And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No. | Et interrogaverunt eum : Quid ergo ? Elias es tu ? Et dixit : Non sum. Propheta es tu ? Et respondit : Non. | και ηρωτησαν αυτον τι ουν ηλιας ει συ και λεγει ουκ ειμι ο προφητης ει συ και απεκριθη ου |
22. | They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? | Dixerunt ergo ei : Quis es ut responsum demus his qui miserunt nos ? quid dicis de teipso ? | ειπον ουν αυτω τις ει ινα αποκρισιν δωμεν τοις πεμψασιν ημας τι λεγεις περι σεαυτου |
23. | He said: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias. | Ait : Ego vox clamantis in deserto : Dirigite viam Domini, sicut dixit Isaias propheta. | εφη εγω φωνη βοωντος εν τη ερημω ευθυνατε την οδον κυριου καθως ειπεν ησαιας ο προφητης |
24. | And they that were sent, were of the Pharisees. | Et qui missi fuerant, erant ex pharisæis. | και οι απεσταλμενοι ησαν εκ των φαρισαιων |
25. | And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? | Et interrogaverunt eum, et dixerunt ei : Quid ergo baptizas, si tu non es Christus, neque Elias, neque propheta ? | και ηρωτησαν αυτον και ειπον αυτω τι ουν βαπτιζεις ει συ ουκ ει ο χριστος ουτε ηλιας ουτε ο προφητης |
26. | John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not. | Respondit eis Joannes, dicens : Ego baptizo in aqua : medius autem vestrum stetit, quem vos nescitis. | απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιωαννης λεγων εγω βαπτιζω εν υδατι μεσος δε υμων εστηκεν ον υμεις ουκ οιδατε |
27. | The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose. | Ipse est qui post me venturus est, qui ante me factus est : cujus ego non sum dignus ut solvam ejus corrigiam calceamenti. | αυτος εστιν ο οπισω μου ερχομενος ος εμπροσθεν μου γεγονεν ου εγω ουκ ειμι αξιος ινα λυσω αυτου τον ιμαντα του υποδηματος |
28. | These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. | Hæc in Bethania facta sunt trans Jordanem, ubi erat Joannes baptizans. | ταυτα εν βηθανια εγενετο περαν του ιορδανου οπου ην ιωαννης βαπτιζων |
In the Russian iconographic tradition St. John the Baptist is sometimes shown winged, as an expression of his similarity to angels as a messenger and the forerunner of Christ.
BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN, BISHOPS & DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH
Feast day: 1 January
Basil the Great [329-379]. Basil was on his way to becoming a famous teacher when he decided to begin a religious life of Gospel poverty. After studying various modes of religious life, he founded what was probably the first monastery in Asia Minor. He is to monks oif the East what St. Benedict is to the West, and his principles influence Eastern monasticism today.
He was ordained priest, assisted the Archbishop of Caesarea (now southeastern Turkey), and ultimately became archbishop himself, in spite of opposition from some of his suffragan bishops, probably because they foresaw coming reforms.
One of the most damaging heresies in the history of the Church, Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ, was at its height. The Emperor Valens persecuted the orthodox, and put great pressure on Basil to remain silent and admit the heretics to communion. Basil remained firm, and Valens backed down. But trouble remained. When the great St. Athanasius died, the mantle of defender of the faith against Arianism fell upon Basil. He strove mightily to unite and really his fellow Catholics who were crushed by tyranny and torn by internal dissension. He was misunderstood, misrepresented, accuse of heresy and ambition. Even appeals to the pope brought no response. For my sins I seem to be unsuccessful in everything.
He was tireless in pastoral care. He preached twice a day to huge crowds, built a hospital that was called a wonder of the world (as a youth he had organized famine relief and worked in a soup kitchen himself) and fought the white slave market.
Basil was best known as an orator. His writings, though not recognized greatly in his lifetime, rightly place him among the great teachers of the Church. Seventy-two years after his death the Council of Chalcedon described him the great Basil, minister of grace who has expounded the truth to the whole earth.
COMMENT: As the French say, The more things change, the more they remain the same. Basil faced the same problems as modern Christians. Sainthood meant trying to preserve the spirit of Christ in such perplexing and painful problems as reform, organization, fighting for the poor, maintaining balance and peace in misunderstanding.
QUOTE: St. Basil said: The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.
Gregory Nazianzen [329-390]. Gregory gladly accepted his friend Basils invitation to join him in a newly founded monastery after his baptism at 30. The solitude was broken when his father, a bishop, needed help in his diocese and estate. Gregory, it seems, was ordained priest practically by force, and only reluctantly accepted the responsibility. He was skillful in avoiding a schism that threatened because his own father made compromises with Arianism. At 41, he was chosen suffragan bishop of Caesarea and at once came into conflict with Valens, the emperor, who was supporting the Arians. An unfortunate by-product of the battle was the cooling of the friendship of two saints. Basil, his archbishop, sent him to a miserable and unhealthy town on the border of unjustly created divisions in his diocese. Basil reproached Gregory for not going to his see.
When protection for Ariasnism ended with the death of Valens, Gregory was called to rebuild the faith in the great see of Constantinople which had been under Arian teachers for three decades. Retiring and sensitive, he dreaded being drawn into the whirlpool of corruption and violence. He first stayed at a friends home, which became the only orthodox church in the city. In such surroundings, he began giving the great sermon on the Trinity for which he is famous. In time, he did rebuild the faith in the city, but at the cost of great suffering, slander, insults and even personal violence. An interloper even tried to take over his bishopric.
His last days were spent in solitude and austerity. He wrote religious poetry, some of it autobiographical, or great depth and beauty. He was a claimed simply as the Theologian.
COMMENT: It may be small comfort, but the present turmoil of change in the Church is a mild storm compared to the devastation caused by the Arian heresy, a trauma the Church has never forgotten. Christ did not promise the kind of peace we would love to have no problems, no opposition, no pain. In one way or another, holiness is always the way of the cross.
QUOTE: God accepts our desires as though they were a great value. He longs ardently for us to desire and love Him. He accepts our petitions for benefits as though we were doing Him a favor. His joy in giving is greater than ours in receiving. So let us not be apathetic in our asking, nor set too narrow bounds to our requests; not ask for frivolous things unworthy of Gods greatness.
Note: Taken from Leonard Foley OFM (Editor), SAINT OF THE DAY LIVES AND LESSONS FOR SAINTS AND FEASTS OF THE NEW MISSAL (Revised Edition), Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1990, pages 6-9.
Daily Marriage Tip for January 2, 2014:
(Sts. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen) On the 9th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me 9 ladies dancing. Dancing is not only for ladies or newlyweds. Try it. If you have children, include them. It neednt be ballroom to be fun. Think Hokey Pokey? Or dance to your first dance [
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Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church
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John 1: 19-28 This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, "Who are you?" He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Christ." So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ´Make straight the way of the Lord,´ as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God who came into this world to save us because you love us. Your Incarnation fills me with hope. The only response I can give is to love you with all my heart, soul, strength and mind. Petition: Jesus, help me to learn from St. John the Baptist how to bring others to you. 1. Making Jesus Known: The next few days have readings on John the Baptist. These lead up to this Sunday’s feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the manifestation of Jesus to the world. Tradition has linked several similar events to Epiphany. Although the first one is the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem, Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan is also a key moment of revelation — of epiphany — of Jesus’ mission and divinity. Thus, although the Baptism of the Lord has its own feast day a week after Epiphany, the two events have a common result: They make known the truth of Jesus. A first question we need to ask ourselves is: What am I, a believer in Christ, doing to make the truth of Jesus known to others? 2. The Power of Humility: In this reading, John the Baptist demonstrates the attitude fundamental to making Christ known: humility. John the Baptist had the chance to be considered the Messiah, the Christ. True, eventually the deception would become known, but for a while he could have had all of Israel at his feet. All too often today, people give in to temptation and compromise their principles to get glory and power for a day — think of businessmen who inflate their company’s profits, or scientists who fake their results. Their inevitable downfall is tragic. St. John the Baptist knows that the only way he can serve God and fulfill his mission in life is to direct all glory to God and none to himself, never presuming to be more than he is. We, too, can live as true Christians and make Jesus present to others only if we put aside our own pride and vanity. 3. Living Love: What really makes John the Baptist’s message effective is that he doesn’t just preach his message; he is his message. He preaches penance, but first he lives it, going out into the desert and living an ascetic life. He baptizes with water, but first he gets into the water. If we want to make Jesus known to others, we first have to know him ourselves. We cannot preach the essence of the Gospel, the message of love, if we don’t live love in our daily lives. We can’t criticize, judge others, and always “look out for number one” (where “one” is ourselves) and still hope to be an effective apostle of Christ. However, if with the help of God’s grace, we do our best to put love into action, then words will hardly be necessary. Our example alone will change people’s lives. Conversation with Christ: Lord, when I look at myself and my life, I see that too often I have been selfish, focused on what I enjoy and on what I want. Help me to love you above all things. Help me want to make you known by living love, even at the cost of my own pride and comfort. Resolution:I will make an extra effort today to show through my actions what it means to love Christ and one another. |
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May each father love his child as God has loved him.
Many of us would be hard-pressed to answer the question, “Who are you?”. Yet John’s responses – to this and the other difficult questions that followed — are brief, straight to the point, given without hesitation. He even declares his life’s mission to “prepare a way for the Lord…”. Later in the chapter, John does another surprising thing – he points Jesus out to others and announces “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”. How did John arrive at these conclusions? Was it his detachment from the mundane cultivated by a life in the desert? Was it Zachariah’s prophecy at John’s birth that predestined it, and was he simply expressing obedience to the prophecy? Did he know his cousin as Christ even before he pointed him out to the crowd? Detachment, obedience or insider knowledge – we can only speculate how John arrived at his answers. One thing is certain – John had one final decision to make on his own which was to challenge the established order by announcing Christ’s arrival to the world. This required great courage because he surely knew that he was laying his life on the line by doing so. How did John source this courage?
Holy Spirit, enlighten us. Grant us time with you so we can learn to attain sufficient detachment from the world to discover that we are indeed predestined children of God. Then give us courage to live out our destiny.
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