2 Jan – Memorial for Sts Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen, bishops
St. Basil the Great (329-379) was a noble by birth. His parents and four of his nine siblings were canonized, including St. Gregory of Nyssa. He was the grandson of St. Marcina the Elder. As a youth, he 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 St. Gregory Nazianzen. He ran a school of oratory and law in Caesarea. He was so successful and 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.
He founded monasteries and drew up rules for monks living in the desert. He is considered as key to the founding of eastern monasticism as Benedict was to the west. He was the bishop and archbishop of Caesarea. He conducted Mass and preached to the crowds twice daily. He fought Arianism, is a Greek Doctor of the Church, and a Father of the Church.
St. Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) was the son of St. Gregory of Nazianzen the Elder and St. Nonna, brother of St. Caesar Nazianzen, and St. Gorgonius. He spent an itinerant youth in search of learning. He was a friend and fellow student with St. Basil the Great, and a monk at Basil’s desert monastery.
He was a reluctant priest, feeling himself unworthy, and fearing 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. He became Bishop of Caesarea in 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.
Following the death of Valens, he was appointed Bishop of Constantinople from 381-390. 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.
He was a noted preacher on the Trinity. When it seemed that the faith 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. He was a Father of the Church, and a Doctor of the Church.
- Patron Saint Index
Eph 4:1-7,11-13
Mt 23:8-12
“The greatest amongst you must be your servant.”
There are many books on leadership written with countless companies, consultancies and frameworks being taught across the world. It appears that many people in the world are in need of being led by others. The readings of today will remind us that service should remain at the heart of the Christian faith, regardless of whatever positions we hold.
St Paul shares with us in the First Reading that there is a role and part for everyone in the Church. There may be occasions where we put the individual on an exalted pedestal because of the perception of power which comes with it. Nonetheless, we need to know that the everyone’s role is to bring the person closer to Christ. The motivation of the action should be oriented towards Jesus, no matter how trivial or insignificant that person’s role is perceived by the world.
Our Christian faith will guide our actions in terms of what to say and do. There are many examples whom the Church offers as an example but Mary our Mother, whose solemnity we celebrated yesterday, is the prime example. Modelling on her faith which she shows us, we can then see how the gifts and talents which we possess can be used to glorify God.
St Basil and St Gregory use their gifts of the knowledge of the faith to battle the heresies of their time through their writings. Their ability to carry out their episcopal duties amidst the demands of their societies they lived in demonstrated to their flock what it meant to be a Christian in that time.
We do not need to be a member of the clergy to do this type of work but instead, let us start with the spaces we live in by ministering to the people whom we interact with. May our faith guide us to choose the right words to show them the love of Christ and, through our actions, bring them closer to a loving relationship with Jesus.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: St Basil and St Gregory, pray for us.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who continue to defend the faith of the Church.
OXYGEN 
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