Saint Basil the Great

January 2nd IV century

Memory of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus, bishops and doctors of the Church. Basil, Bishop of Cesarea de Capadocia (today in Turkey), surnamed "the Great" due to his doctrine and wisdom, taught the monks Scripture meditation, work on obedience and fraternal charity, ordering their lives according to the rules which he himself wrote. With his distinguished writings he educated the faithful and shone for his pastoral work in favor of the poor and the sick. He died the day 1 of January of 379. His friend Gregory, was Bishop of Saintcina, in Constantinople and, finally, of Nazianzus. He defended the divinity of the word vehemently, deserving therefore to be called 'Theologist'. The Church is proud to celebrate the memory of these two great Doctors together. Roman martyrology