Friday, January 2, 2009


In the Eastern Churches the feat is of the SYNAXIS OF THE OECUMENICAL TEACHERS OF THE CHURCH AND SAINTED-HIERARCHS: BASIL THE GREAT, GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN AND JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (1084). Also remembered: PRIESTMARTYR HYPPOLITUS AND WITH HIM THE MARTYRS CENSORINUS, SABINUS, CHRYSIA THE VIRGIN AND 20 OTHER MARTYRS (III). SAINT HYPPOLITUS, BISHOP OF OSTIA. MONK ZINON, FAST-KEEPER OF PECHERSK LAVRA, IN FARTHER CAVES (XIV). MONK ZENON (XENO), TEACHER OF SAINTED BASIL THE GREAT (V). MARTYR THEOPHILOS THE NEW (+ 784). NOBLEBORN PETER, TSAR OF BULGARIA (+ 967).
MARTYR THEODORE (+ 1784). In the Western calendar it is simply the feast of Basil of Ceasarea and Gregory of Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church. I am reading (Fr.) John McGuckin's Saint Gregory of Nazianzus: An Intellectual Biography which is full of detail about these complex and gifted men without whom the faith would have had a much more difficult time. They led the Christianization of the Romano-Hellenic world and helped lay the foundations for the civilization of the West as we know it. McGuckin's aim is to reclaim Gregory's place in that achievement. Well worth the read.
The lesson I draw from their lives is to use one's particular gifts for the Kingdom in so far as one can, to strive to overcome one's faults and failings and in the meantime trust that the Lord will use you to do His will. Once we are trying to remain in the Lord's will, to remain faithful then He will reveal His faithfulness to us in His own good time.

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