Feast of Ss. Basil and Gregory

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of two friends of the 4^th century: St. Basil the Great (330-379) and St. Gregory of Nazianzus (325-389). They were not living in the age of martyrdom because God had conquered Babylon, the Roman Empire. Caesar Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. Persecutions had stopped. Lavish gifts were showered on the Church. The Roman Empire had begun her retreat to the East, making Constantinople another power centre. It was a time of heresies, corruption, political interventions into religious disputes and consequently a great thriving in theology and ecclesiastical restructuring.
Both saints were promising lawyers and would have made a prominent political career. Yet, God had a better use of their oratorical skills. St. Basil became a monk and built several monasteries. After consecration to the bishop of Caesaria, he worked to build up a better clergy. He fought against Arianism. God put St. Gregory into the stormy struggle in Constantinople. Both saints became Doctors of the Church. A study of their lives will benefit us in a better understanding of Church history of their age.

In the community of John, a heresy was brewing. The heresy denied that Jesus is Christ (1 John 2:22). Had Jesus not been Christ, Christianity would have crumbled. John warned.
No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23).
According to John, Jesus told Thomas the following truth.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
If we deny Jesus, we will not receive his promise.
And this is what he has promised us, eternal life (1 John 2:25).
Therefore, it is a very grave matter. When we deny Jesus, we deny ourselves of eternal life. When we deny Jesus, we will not receive his Holy Spirit which will teach us the truth, which will guarantee eternal life.
but the anointing (the Holy Spirit) which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him (1 John 2:27).
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 14:26).
John advised us to abide in Jesus.

Dear Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68). Amen.