By Grigorios of Mesaoria
Today, Wednesday, January 1 of the new year 2020, the Orthodox Church commemorates Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, and as well as the circumcision of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Saint Basil the Great was born in 330 AD in Caesarea, Cappadocia. He spent his childhood in a small village, his youth in the Neocaesarea of Pontus, and then his life in Caesarea of Cappadocia. His parents, Basil the Elder and Emmelia, despite the fact that they were noble and wealthy, they were humble and were following principles of Christian ethics. So, they brought up their child in Christian faith.
Saint Basil the Great studied philosophy, rhetoric, grammar, astronomy and medicine in Caesarea, in Constantinople, and in Athens, along with Gregory of Nazianzus and Julian the Apostate.
Returning from Athens to Caesarea, he started teaching rhetoric. However, he decided to follow a monastic path and, therefore, he went to the great monasteries, where he learned the fundamental virtues of Monasticism. Then, he went to a monastery next to the River Iris in Pontus. There, he was ordained deacon, Presbyter, and finally Archbishop of Caesarea. He was defending Orthodoxy against Arianism and a heretical sect called “Pneumatomachi” (Combators against the Spirit).
One of the biggest and most important charitable works of Saint Basil was the large complex he built which, was called “the Basiliad”. He constructed the first charitable “organisation” in history which was equivalent to modern social welfare. It consisted of various complexes, such us poorhouses, orphanages, nursing homes, hospitals, and houses for workers.
In his writings, he consolidated Orthodoxy and, therefore, the First Council of Nicaea in 325 decided to call him ‘Saint Basil the Great’. He also convened the Second Council of Constantinople in 381. He was an excellent preacher and he did very important work for Orthodoxy as a whole.
He fell asleep in the Lord on December 31, 378, and was buried in Caesarea on January 1, 379.
Source: Church of Cyprus
