Three Great Stars of the Trinity

When we hear the phrase “Church Fathers,” there are three names that immediately come to our minds: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Our Holy Orthodox Church honours these saintly bishops annually on a day referred to as the “Feast Day of the Three Holy Hierarchs.”

The contributions made to the Church by this trio of saints are tremendous in scope. St. Basil was the author of the Divine Liturgy which is still celebrated ten times a year according to our ecclesiastical calendar. He established rules and regulations for monastic communities, and is said to have been the organizer and founder of the first Christian hospital.

At. Gregory was a contemporary of St. Basil. Living during an era when the truths and doctrines of Christianity still faced stiff opposition and attacks, St. Gregory developed a reputation for being a steadfast defender of the faith. His keen perception and heartfelt understanding of the teachings of Holy Orthodoxy earned him the right to be referred to as the “Theologian.”

As his title proclaims, St. John Chrysostom (Golden-Mouthed) was one of the most eloquent speakers the Church has ever known. As Patriarch of Constantinople, St. John spoke out fearlessly against the social and moral wrongs of the time, often provoking the wrath of the Emperor and his family in the process! A prolific writer, many of St. John’s sermons and homilies have been preserved. Many prove to be as timely today as the day they were written. His form of the Divine Liturgy is still celebrated on the majority of Sundays and Holy days in the Orthodox Church.

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The celebration of the Synaxis of the three great Doctors of the Church, or “Three Satellites,” as they were called, originated in the year 1100 in the days of Emperor Alexis Comnenus. A great quarrel as to which one of these three theologians was the greatest then divided the people of Constantinople. Patriarch John, appointed as arbitrator resorted to fervent prayer to help find a solution. Basil, Gregory, and Chrysostom appeared to him in a dream and told him they were equal before God, and that each one of them had his own personality and genius. A feast honouring all three of them together was established on January 30.

Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth by Anthony Coniaris

Our Father Among the Saints Gregory the Theologian, Patriarch of Constantinople

Icon copyright from St. Issac the Syrian Skete (Boscobel, Wisconsin)

This light of the Church is one of only three holy Fathers whom the Church has honoured with the name “the Theologian”. The others are St. John the Evangelist and Theologian, and St. Symeon the New Theologian.

He was born in 329 in Arianzus in Cappadocia to a pious and holy family; his father Gregory, mother Nonna, brother Caesarius, and sister Gorgonia are all counted among the Saints of the Church. His father later became Bishop of Nazianzus. He studied in Palestine, then in Alexandria, then in Athens. On the way to Athens, his ship was almost sunk in a violent storm; Gregory , who had not yet been baptized, prayed to the Lord to preserve him, and promised that henceforth he would dedicate his entire life to God. Immediately the storm ceased.

In Athens, Gregory’s fellow students included St. Basil the Great and the future Emperor Julian the Apostate. The friendship between Gregory and Basil blossomed into a true spiritual friendship; they were loving brothers in Christ for the rest of their lives. After completing their studies, Ss. Gregory and Basil lived together as monks in hermitages at Pontus. Much against St. Gregory’s will, his father ordained him a priest, and St. Basil consecrated him Bishop of Sasima (in the Archdiocese of Caesarea, over which St. Basil was Archbishop).

In 381 the Second Ecumenical Council condemned Macedonius, Archbishop of Constantinople and appointed St. Gregory in his place. When he arrived in the City, he found that the Arians controlled all the churches. And he was forced to “rule” from a small house chapel. From there he preached his five great sermons on the Trinity, the Triadica; these were so powerfully influential that when he left Constantinople two years later, every church in the City had been restored to the Orthodox.

St. Gregory was always a theologian and a contemplative, not an administrator, and the duties of Archbishop were agonizing to him. In 382 he received permission from a council of his fellow-bishops and the Emperor to retire from the see of Constantinople. He returned to Nazianzus (for which reason he is sometimes called St. Gregory of Nazianzus). There he reposed in peace in 391 at the age of sixty-two.

His writings show a theological depth and a sublimity of expression perhaps unsurpassed in the Church. His teaching on the Holy Trinity is a great bastion of Orthodox Faith; in almost every one of his published homilies he preaches the Trinity undivided and of one essence.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Gregory made a significant impact on the shape of Trinitarian theology among both Greek-speaking and Latin-speaking theologians, and he is remembered as the "Trinitarian Theologian". Much of his theological work continues to influence modern theologians, especially in regard to the relationship among the three Persons of the Trinity.

As Gregory's works circulated throughout the Roman Empire they influenced theological thought. His orations were cited as authoritative by the First Council of Ephesus in 431. By 451 he was designated Theologus, or Theologian by the Council of Chalcedon - a title held by no others save John the Apostle and Symeon the New Theologian. He is widely quoted by Eastern Orthodox theologians and highly regarded as a defender of the Christian faith. His contributions to Trinitarian theology are also influential and often cited in the Western churches. Paul Tillich (one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century) credits Gregory of Nazianzus for having "created the definitive formulae for the doctrine of the trinity".

Excerpt from Orthodox Wiki:
Having governed the Church until 382, he delivered his farewell speech - the Syntacterion, in which he demonstrated the Divinity of the Son - before 150 bishops and the Emperor Theodosius the Great. Also in this speech he requested, and received from all, permission to retire from the See of Constantinople. He returned to Nazianzus, where he lived to the end of his life. He reposed in the Lord in 391, having lived some sixty-two years.

His extant writings, both prose and poems in every type of matter, demonstrate his lofty eloquence and his wondrous breadth of learning. In the beauty of his writings, he is considered to have surpassed the Greek writers of antiquity, and because of his God-inspired theological thought, he received the surname "Theologian." Although he is sometimes called Gregory of Nazianzus, this title belongs properly to his father; he himself is known by the Church only as Gregory the Theologian. He is especially called "Trinitarian Theologian," since in virtually every homily he refers to the Trinity and the one essence and nature of the Godhead. Hence, Alexius Anthorus dedicated the following verses to him:

Like an unwandering star beaming with splendour,
Thou bringest us by mystic teachings, O Father,
To the Trinity's sunlike illumination,
O mouth breathing with fire, Gregory most mighty.

Final note:
Along with the two brothers, Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers. Gregory is a saint in both Eastern and Western Christianity. In the Roman Catholic Church he is numbered among the Doctors of the Church; in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches he is revered as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, along with Basil the Great and John Chrysostom.

St. Athanasius the Great

Icon copyright by Holy Transfiguration Monastary (Brookline, Massachusetts)

Saint Athanasius, pillar of Orthodoxy and Father of the Church, was born in Alexandria in 275, to pious Christian parents. Even as a child, his piety and devotion to the Faith were so notable that Alexander, the Patriarch of the city, took Athanasius under his protection. As s student, he acquired a thorough education, but was more interested in things of God than in secular learning, and withdrew for a time into the desert to sit at the feet of Saint Anthony, whose disciple he became and whose biography he later wrote. On returning to Alexandria, he was ordained to the diaconate and began his public labours for the Church. He wrote his treatise On the Incarnation, when he was only twenty. (It contains a phrase, still often quoted today, that express in a few words some of the depths of the Mystery of the Incarnation: God became man that man might become god.)

Just at this time Arius, a priest in Alexandria, was promoting his enticing view that the Son and Word of God is not of one essence with the Father, but a divine creation of the Father. This view, which (as Athanasius realized) strikes at the very possibility of mankind’s salvation, gained wide acceptance and seemed for a time to threaten the Christian Faith itself. In 325, the Emperor Constantine the Great convoked a Council of the Church at Nicaea to settle the turmoil that had the Arian teaching had spread through the Church. Athanasius attended the Council, and defended the Orthodox view so powerfully that he won the admiration of the Orthodox and the undying enmity of the Arians. From that time forth his life was founded on the defense of the true consubstantiality (homoousia) of the Son with the Father.

In 326, not long before his death, Patriarch Alexander appointed Athanasius to be his successor, and Athanasius was duly elevated to the patriarchal throne. He was active in his pastoral role, traveling throughout Egypt, visiting churches and monasteries, and working tirelessly not only to put down the Arian heresy, but to resolve various schisms and moral declines that affected his territory.

Though the Arian heresy had apparently been condemned once and for all at Nicea, Arius had many powerful allies throughout the Empire, even in the Imperial court, and Athanasius was soon subjected to many kinds of persecution, some local, some coming from the Imperial throne itself. Though he was Patriarch of Alexandria for more than forty years, a large amount of that time was spent in hiding from powerful enemies who threatened him with imprisonment or death. Twice he fled to Rome for protection by the Pope, who in the early centuries of the Church was a consistent champion of Orthodoxy against its various enemies. From his various hiding places, Athanasius issued tracts, treatises and epistles which helped to rally the faithful throughout Christendom to the Orthodox cause.

In 366, the Emperor Valens, fearing a revolt of the Egyptians on behalf of their beloved Archbishop, officially restored Athanasius to favour, and he was able to spend the last seven years of his life in peace. Of his forty-seven years as Patriarch, about seventeen were spent in hiding or exile. He reposed in peace in 373, having given his entire adult life, at great suffering, to the defense of the Faith of Christ.

A Worthy Champion of Our Orthodox Faith
"Shining forth with works of Orthodoxy, you quenched every false belief and teaching"

Saint Athanasius the Great was born in Alexandria, Egypt, around 295. His childhood was spent during the years that Christians were persecuted for their faith. He lived among people who suffered, and he was taught by teachers who suffered for Christ. But by 313, peace came to Christians, for Constantine the Great granted religious freedom after his famed vision of the Cross.

Now however, a different enemy arose - one from within the Church. The heresy of Arius infected the Church and caused great troubles. It was young Athanasius, now an archdeacon and secretary to the aged Patriarch of Alexandria, who arose to defend the faith. He relentlessly challenged Arians on the real issue: “Either admit that the Son is of the same substance with the Father, or say openly that He is a creature, in which case He cannot be worshipped …”

The controversy resulted in the the Emperor calling the Great Council, held in 318 at Nicea. It was Athanasius who led the struggle against the heresy. The Patriarch died shortly after the council, and Athanasius was elected to succeed him. He had a stormy career as Archbishop. The Arian troubles did not fade away but persisted for years. Five times Athanasius was banished; five times he returned in triumph, to the joy of the people.

Athanasius was archbishop for some 46 years, and he was 77 years old when death came in 373. This warrior for Christ finally received his crown of glory.
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St. Anthony the Great

Icon Copyright by Holy Transfiguration Monastary (Brookline, Massachusetts)

“Saint Anthony, the Father of monks, was born in Egypt in 251 of pious parents who departed this life while he was yet young. On hearing the words of the Gospel: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast, and give to the poor” (Matt 19:21), he immediately put it into action. Distributing to the poor all he had, and fleeing from all the turmoil of the world, he departed to the desert. The manifold temptations he endured continually for the space of twenty years are incredible. His ascetical struggles by day and by night, whereby he mortified the uprisings of the passions and attained to the height of dispassion, surpass the bounds of nature; and the report of his deeds of virtue drew such a multitude to follow him, that the desert was transformed into a city, while he became, so to speak, the governor, lawgiver, and master-trainer of all the citizens of this newly-formed city. But the cities of the world also enjoyed the fruit of his virtue. When the Christians were being persecuted and put to death under Maximinus in 312, he hastened to their aid and consolation. When the Church was troubled by the Arians, he went with zeal to Alexandria in 335 and struggled against them in behalf of Orthodoxy. During this time, by the grace of his words, he also turned many unbelievers to Christ.

“He began his ascetical life outside his village of Coma in Upper Egypt, studying the ways of the ascetics and holy men there, and perfecting himself in the virtues of each until he surpassed them all. Desiring to increase his labours, he departed into the desert, and finding an abandoned fortress in the mountain, he made his dwelling in it, training himself in extreme fasting, unceasing prayer, and fierce conflicts with the demons. Here he remained, as mentioned earlier, about twenty years. St. Athanasius the Great, who knew him personally and wrote his life, says that he came forth from the fortress “initiated in the mysteries and filled with the Spirit of God.” Afterwards, because of the press of the faithful, who deprived him of his solitude, he was enlightened by God to journey with certain Bedouins, until he came to a mountain in the desert near the Red Sea, where he passed the remaining part of his life. Saint Athanasius says of him that “his countenance had a great and wonderful grace. This gift also he had from the Saviour. For if he were present in a great company of monks, and any one who did not know him previously wished to see him, immediately coming forward he passed by the rest, and hurried to Anthony, as though attracted by his appearance. Yet neither in height nor breadth was he conspicuous above others, but in the serenity of his manner and the purity of his soul.”

“So passing his life, and becoming an example of virtue and a rule for monastics, he reposed on January 17 in the year 356, having lived altogether some 105 years.”

Speaking of the demonic temptations and struggles with the passions that beset those who seek their salvation, St Anthony said: “All these trials are to your advantage. Do away with temptation and no one will be saved.”

St. Gregory of Nyssa

Icon Copyright by Holy Transfiguration Monastary (Brookline, Massachusetts)

Commemorated on January 10, Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, was a younger brother of St. Basil the Great. His birth and upbringing came at a time when the Arian disputes were at their height. Having received an excellent education, he was at one time a teacher of rhetoric. In the year 372, he was consecrated by St. Basil the Great as bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia.

St. Gregory was an ardent advocate for Orthodoxy, and he fought against the Arian heresy with his brother St. Basil. Gregory was persecuted by the Arians, by whom he was falsely accused of improper use of church property, and thereby deprived of his See and sent to Ancyra.

In the following year St. Gregory was again deposed in absentia by a council of Arian bishops, but he continued to encourage his flock in Orthodoxy, wandering about from place to place. After the death of the emperor Valens (378), St. Gregory was restored to his cathedra and was joyously received by his flock. His brother St. Basil the Great died in 379.

Only with difficulty did St. Gregory survive the loss of his brother and guide. He delivered a funeral oration for him, and completed St. Basil’s study of the six days of Creation, the Hexaemeron. That same year St. Gregory participated in the Council of Antioch against heretics who refused to recognize the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God. Others at the opposite extreme, who worshipped the Mother of God as being God herself, were also denounced by the Council. He visited the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which were infected with the Arian heresy, to assert the Orthodox teaching about the Most Holy Theotokos. On his return journey St. Gregory visited Jerusalem and the Holy Places.

In the year 381 St. Gregory was one of the chief figures of the Second Ecumenical Council, convened at Constantinople against the heresy of Macedonius, who incorrectly taught about the Holy Spirit. At this Council, on the initiative of St. Gregory, the Nicean Symbol of Faith (the Creed) was completed.

St. Gregory of Nyssa was a fiery defender of Orthodox dogmas and a zealous teacher of his flock, a kind and compassionate father to his spiritual children, and their intercessor before the courts. He was distinguished by his magnanimity, patience and love of peace.
Born in 335 and having reached old age, St. Gregory of Nyssa died in 394, soon after the Council of Constantinople. Together with his great contemporaries, Ss. Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa had a great influence on the Church life of his time. His sister, St. Macarina, wrote to him: “You are renowned both in the cities, and gatherings of people, and throughout entire districts. Churches ask you for help.” St. Gregory is known in history as one of the most profound Christian thinkers of the fourth century. Endowed with philosophical talent, he saw philosophy as a means for a deeper penetration into the authentic meaning of divine revelation.
St. Gregory left behind many remarkable works of dogmatic character, as well as sermons and discourses. He has been called “the Father of Fathers.”

The "Art" of Writing Icons

The Orthodox Church has long been known for expressing her theology through iconography. Indeed, our precious Faith is visually brought to life with the sacred images that adorn our churches and our homes. By definition, icons are “two-dimensional images of Christ, the Theotokos, the Saints, important Biblical events or significant events in Church History.” St. Gregory the Dialogist refers to icons as being “scriptures to the illiterate,” making the point that one can simply look at an icon and learn lessons that may take volumes to express in words. Icons are meant to lift up our thoughts to heavenly things or, as St. John of Damascus writes: “We are led by icons to the contemplation of that which is divine and spiritual.”

The Evangelist Luke is said to have been the first iconographer. He “WROTE” the icon of the Theotokos (icons are written, not painted) known as the Directress, or “The one who points the way.” Since then, true iconographers have dedicated their lives to expressing the dogmas and teachings of the Church through their works. To be an iconographer, one truly must experience a calling from the Lord. An iconographer must pray and fast prior to beginning their work. Writing an icon is said to be, in itself, a form of prayer. Iconographers have maintained that each stroke of their brush is a meditation, which constantly remind them of the necessity of inner peace as they proceed with their work. An iconographer never “SIGNS” an icon, for it is not really his or her work, bur merely a depiction of what has been revealed to them through the grace of the Holy Spirit. May we pray that the Church will continue to be blessed with men and women dedicated to preserving this wonderful aspect of our Holy Orthodox Faith.
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Theophany: What The Church Fathers Say

Theophany is one of the most important and oldest feast days in our Holy Orthodox Church, with its observance being traced back to apostolic times. Historically, it commemorates the baptism of our Lord in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist. Theologically, its significance is even greater, for on this day, the Holy Trinity was revealed. Through the centuries, many of our Church Fathers commented on this Feast in their writings. St. Proclus of Constantinople, a 5th century disciple of St. John Chrysostom, wrote a powerful sermon about Theophany. Putting words into the mouth of St. John the Baptist, Proclus writes: “How dare I stretch forth my hand and place it on the head of Him Who sustains all things? How dare I baptize the Creator of nature? I can only say: You, O Lord, are the Master and I am the servant. You are the Sun and I am the star. You are the Shepherd and I am the sheep. You are the King and I am the soldier. You are the Light and I am the candlestick.” St. Gregory the Theologian calls Theophany the "feast of lights," while St. John of Damascus points out that “... the Lord was baptized, not because He Himself had need of cleansing, but to bury sin by water; to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify the nature of water and offer us the form and example of Baptism.”

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January 6th, Epiphany, or Theophany is - after Easter and Pentecost - the greatest feast of the Orthodox Church. It is even greater than the feast of the Nativity of Christ. It commemorates the baptism of our Lord by John in the waters of the Jordon and, more generally, the public manifestation of the incarnate Word to the world.

Life's Journey

Dear Son,
We read in the Book of Psalms: "Blessed is the one who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor follows in the way of sinners." Life has been called "way" because everything that has been created is on the way to its end.

When people are on a sea voyage, they can sleep while they are being transported without any effort of their own to their port of call. The ship brings them closer to their goal without their even knowing it. So we can be transported nearer to the end of our life without our noticing it, as time flows by unceasingly. Time passes while you are asleep. While you are awake time passes although you may not notice.

All of us have a race to run towards our appointed end. So we are all "on the way." This is how you should think of the "way." You are a traveler in this life. Everything goes past you and is left behind. You notice a flower on the way, or some grass, or a stream, or something worth looking at. You enjoy it for a moment, then pass on. Maybe you come on stones or rocks or crags or cliffs or fences, or perhaps you meet wild beasts or reptiles or thorn bushes or some other obstacles. You suffer briefly then escape. That is what life is like. Pleasures do not last but pain is not permanent either. The "way" does not belong to you nor is the present under your control. But as step succeeds step, enjoy each moment as it comes and then continue on your "way."
- Basil the Great, Commentary on Psalm 1, 4

Love,
Dad

St. Basil the Great

Basil is one of the great fathers of the church. Born at Caesarea of Cappadocia in 329 or 330, he began his studies in Caesarea and continued them at Constantinople and Athens. He was ordained to the priesthood by Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, and succeeded him in 370. He died on January 1, 379. He is the father of Eastern monasticism.

 The title "great" is often used in reference to military leaders who have commanded mighty armies and rulers who have reigned long and gloriously over kingdoms. The Church, however, has bestowed this honorable name on relatively few of the many people who have faithfully served the Lord as His saints. One such individual is depicted here - ST. BASIL THE GREAT.

St. Basil was born in Caesarea in Asia Minor in 330 AD. In his youth, he was a brilliant scholar, excelling in philosophy, astronomy, and public speaking. Because of his education and training, St. Basil’s life could have branched out in many different directions, but he chose the "road less traveled" and followed Christ. Following his baptism in the Jordan River, Basil quickly rose to prominence in the Church. At the age of 40, he became Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia - his boyhood home. Although his episcopacy was relatively brief - he was to die 10 years later - St. Basil's accomplishments have had a far-reaching and lasting effect on the Church. He set down a practical rule of life for monastics. He was a liturgist - he compiled the Divine Liturgy that is still served several times a year in our Holy Orthodox Church.

In addition to his spiritual concerns for his flock, he recognized the Church's role in caring for the material needs of the faithful as well. It was Basil the Great who established the first hospitals, orphanages and homes for the elderly. St. Basil was also a strong defender of the Faith - standing up for the true teachings of the Church throughout the lengthy Arian heresy that caused division among believers in the 4th century. It is no wonder that in the services for his Feast Day, St. Basil is referred to as “a bee of the Church of Christ, bringing honey to the faithful, but stinging those in heresy."

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Excerpts from OrthodoxWiki

Our father among the saints Basil the Great (ca. 330 - January 1, 379), was bishop of Caesarea, a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Church considers him a saint and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Saints Gregory the Theologian (Gregory Nazianzus) and John Chrysostom. Basil, Gregory the Theologian, and Basil's brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa are called the Cappadocian Fathers. The Roman Catholic Church also considers him a saint and calls him a Doctor of the Church.

Basil was born about 330 at Caesarea in Cappadocia. He came from a wealthy and pious family which gave a number of saints, including his mother Saint Emily (also styled Emilia or Emmelia), grandmother Saint Macrina the Elder, sister Saint Macrina the Younger and brothers Saints Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste. It is also a widely held tradition that Saint Theosebia was his youngest sister, who is also a saint in the Church.

Troparion (Tone 1)

Your proclamation has gone out into all the earth

Which was divinely taught by hearing your voice

Expounding the nature of creatures,

Ennobling the manners of men.

O holy father of a royal priesthood,

Entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion (Tone 4)

You were revealed as the sure foundation of the Church,

Granting all men a lordship which cannot be taken away,

Sealing it with your precepts,

O Venerable and Heavenly Father Basil.

Excerpts from Wikipedia

Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa are collectively referred to as the Cappadocian Fathers. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches have given him, together with Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, the title of Great Hierarch. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have also named him a Doctor of the Church. He is also referred to as "the revealer of heavenly mysteries" (Ouranophantor).

 

St Basil was given the title Doctor of the Church for his contributions to the debate initiated by the Arian controversy regarding the nature of the Trinity, and especially the question of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Basil was responsible for defining the terms "ousia" (essence/substance) and "hypostasis" (person/reality), and for defining the classic formulation of three Persons in one Nature. His single greatest contribution was his insistence on the divinity and consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son.

In Greek tradition, his name was given to Father Christmas and he is supposed to visit children and give presents every January 1 (St Basil's Day) — unlike other traditions where Saint Nicholas arrives either on December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day) or on Christmas Eve (December 24). It is traditional on St Basil's Day to serve "Vasilopita", a rich bread baked with a coin inside. It is customary on his feast day to visit the homes of friends and relatives, to sing New Year carols, and to set an extra place at the table for Saint Basil. In Greek tradition and according to historical records, St Basil, of Greek heritage, is the original "Father Christmas", who being born into a wealthy family, gave away all his possessions to the poor and those in need, the underprivileged and children. A similar story exists for another Greek bishop, St. Nicholas of Myra. Over the centuries the two have been merged but the Western "Santa Claus" is St. Nicholas and the Eastern "Santa Claus" is St. Basil. [citation needed]

Saint Basil died on January 1, and the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day together with that of the Feast of the Circumcision (of Christ) on that day.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates Saint Basil on January 2, rather than January 1.

The Anglican Church celebrates Saint Basil's feast on January 2,

The Episcopal Church celebrates it on June 14.

The Lutheran Church celebrates st. Basil, St Gregory of Nazianzus (a.k.a. Gregory the Theologian), and St. Greogory of Nyssa on January 10

In the Byzantine Rite, January 30 is the Synaxis of the Three Holy Hierarchs, in honor of Saint Basil, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria celebrates the feast day of Saint Basil on January 14 or January 15 during leap year. [citation needed]

There are numerous relics of Saint Basil throughout the world. One of the most important is his head, which is preserved to this day at the monastery of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos in Greece. The mythical sword Durandal is said to contain some of Basil's blood.