St Basil the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
c329 to 379AD
Remembered on January 2nd
St Basil the Great was an important figure in the Universal Church. His home was Cappadocia, now part of Eastern Turkey. He studied Philosophy in Athens at an academy founded by the famous philosopher Plato.
Basil lived his life as a monk and estabished a monastery on his families land in Pontus, now part of Eastern Turkey.
Basil was ordained Priest in 365AD and became Bishop of Caesarea in 370. His writings were well known during his life time. He wrote in defence of the Christian teaching of the Holy Trinity, on ascetic life, rules for communituies of monks. He was a great champion of what we would now call social justice, stressing that a Christian community, country or Empire needs to have Christian priniciples, like care for the poor and the sick at their heart. He faithfully used the gifts and talents given to him to glorify God and to love his neighbour as himself.
On the 2nd of January we remember St Basil and give thanks to God for his life and witness. May we too learn to use the gifts we are given to serve God, one another and deepen our faith in Christ.
St Vincent, Deacon and Martyr
also of Saragossa.
Died 304 AD
Remebered on 22nd January
In the days of the early Church, Christians suffered periodic and intense persecution. During these times St Vincent had been ordained a Deacon in the Church and served the Bishop of Saragossa, St Valerius.
In 303AD during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian a great persecution of Christians began. Scriptures were burned and those who would not offer sacrifices to the Emperor were tortured and killed.
The faith of St Vincent, that Christ is the one and only lord, meant that to offer a sacrifice to any other God or Roman Emperor would be to deny his faith. St Vincent was a martyr (Greek for Witness) to the Truth of Christ and by his death gladly followed Christ in his suffering.
St Augustine of Hippo tells of the death of Vincent at the hands of his torturers and recalled that whilst being burnt he spoke with only peace and tranquility because in the midst of his suffering God was giving him peace and comfort.
On the 22nd January we remember St Vincent and ask God that we too may grow in faith and in the midst of suffering we might trust in the sure presence of God and like St Vincent witness to Christ in how we live.