Let the peoples recount the wisdom of the Saints,
and let the Church proclaim their praise.
Their names will live on and on. - Cf. Sir 44:15, 14
(Entrance Antiphon, Today's Liturgy)
"Eternal Son of the living God, whom I acknowledge
here as truly present, I adore You with all the powers
of my soul! Prostrate with the angels in the most profound
reverence, I love You, O my Savior; whom I now behold on
Your throne of love. O dread Majesty, O infinite Mercy,
save me! Forgive me! Grant that I may never
more be separated from You!"
St Basil the Great
Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Father of Eastern Monasticism
His single greatest contribution was his insistence
on the divinity and consubstantiality
of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son
329-379 AD
Feast Day - January 2
"We should not accept in silence
the benefactions of God, but return
thanks for them." - St Basil the Great
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In the life of St. Basil the Great we find one of the first references
of the Holy Eucharist being reserved for Adoration.
At Mass, St. Basil divided the Blessed Sacrament into 3 parts:
the first, he consumed; the second, he gave to his monks;
the third, he placed in a special golden dove (like a tabernacle)
in the Church for veneration.
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"Why was St. Basil given the name "Great"? Only a few people
in the world were ever given the magnificent title, "Great"!
Alexander the Great was so-called because he conquered the world,
but St. Basil was called "Great" because he conquered
the hearts and souls of men for Jesus Christ.
His whole life was dedicated to Jesus and the message of Christianity.
He had the humility of Moses, the zeal of Elijah,
the piety of Peter, the eloquence of John the Theologian,
and the dedication of Paul." - Fr. George Poulos
Tyburn Convent, England“Let us remain in adoration: and to Him, who, in order
to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty
as to receive our body, let us offer not only
incense, gold and myrrh, the first as God, the second
as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake,
but also spiritual gifts more sublime than those
which can be seen with the eyes” (Oratorio).
St Gregory Nazienzen
Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Father of Eastern Monasticism
Esteemed writer and orator
especially on theme of Trinity
aka "the Theologian"
328 -389 AD
Feast Day - January 2
“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; nor
ask for frivolous things unworthy of God’s greatness.”
St Gregory of Nazienzen
A sweet tidbit: St. Gregory marveled at the depth of his mother
Nonna’s faith in God on the altar. While in Our Lord's presence,
she would never turn her back on the Blessed Sacrament.
Sts Basil and Gregory, pray for us!
Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen are linked in this feast day, as they were in life; they were schoolmates, co-defenders of the orthodox teaching on the Trinity, and dear friends. Both served as Bishops and suffered hostility from the politically powerful Arians. In 379 Gregory preached at Basil's funeral: "Do you, Basil, there also welcome me in your dwelling, when I have departed this life that we may live together and gaze more directly and perfectly at the Holy and Blessed Trinity. Thus we shall attain the fruition of our desire, and receive the reward of the battles we have fought and the attacks we have resisted." - Magnificat - Vol 21, No 11, January 2020 ______________
Ninth Day of Christmas
TODAY is the Anniversary of the birth of St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
St Therese, the Little Flower, please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly garden
and send it to me with a message of love;
ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell
Him I will love Him each day more and more. Amen.
