St. Basil the Great: Bishop, Monk and Father of the Church
Quick answer
St. Basil the Great (about 330–379) was bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, in present-day Turkey. With his friend St. Gregory of Nazianzus and his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa, he defended the faith in the Trinity against the Arians. His monastic writings shaped religious life in the East, and he founded a great complex of hospitals and shelters for the poor. He is a Doctor of the Church. His feast, shared with St. Gregory Nazianzen, is January 2.
Key takeaways
- He came from a family of saints, including his grandmother, parents, sister and two brothers.
- His sister St. Macrina encouraged him to leave a worldly career for the monastic life.
- His treatise On the Holy Spirit helped prepare the Council of Constantinople in 381.
- He built the Basiliad, a center caring for the poor, the sick and travelers.
St. Basil the Great was a theologian, a monk, a bishop and a builder of hospitals. Few saints have done so much in so short a life.
A Family of Saints
Basil was born around 330 in Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the heart of present-day Turkey. His family was remarkable. His grandmother, St. Macrina the Elder, had learned the faith from disciples of St. Gregory the Wonderworker. His parents, Basil and Emmelia, are venerated as saints, as are his sister St. Macrina the Younger and his brothers St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Peter of Sebaste.
From Scholar to Monk
Basil studied at Constantinople and Athens, where he became close friends with Gregory of Nazianzus. He returned home a successful teacher of rhetoric, a little proud of his learning. His sister Macrina, who had turned the family estate into a community of prayer, gently challenged him. Basil was baptized, gave away his possessions, and visited monks in Egypt, Palestine and Syria.
He then lived as a monk with friends in Pontus. His rules for monastic life, emphasizing community, obedience, prayer and work, became the foundation of monastic life in the Christian East.
Bishop of Caesarea
In 370 Basil became bishop of Caesarea. The emperor Valens favored the Arians, who denied that the Son is equal to the Father. When an imperial official threatened Basil with confiscation, exile and death, Basil replied that he owned nothing to confiscate, that every land was God’s, and that death would be a kindness. The official said no one had ever spoken to him that way.
Basil’s treatise On the Holy Spirit defended the full divinity of the Spirit. His work helped prepare the Council of Constantinople in 381, which completed the Nicene Creed we pray at Mass.
A City of Mercy
Basil preached powerfully about the duties of the rich. He wrote that the bread you keep belongs to the hungry. During a famine he organized food for all, regardless of their faith. Outside Caesarea he built a great complex with a church, hospital, shelters for the poor and travelers, and workshops. People called it the Basiliad, “a new city.”
Basil died on January 1, 379, worn out at about forty-nine.
A Prayer for Generosity (Original Prayer)
St. Basil, you defended the faith and served the poor. Help me believe firmly in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and share what I have with those in need. Amen.
Continue Reading
Read about the Desert Fathers, St. Ephrem the Syrian, or Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Basil the Great?
January 2, together with St. Gregory Nazianzen. In the Eastern Churches he is honored on January 1.
Who are the Cappadocian Fathers?
St. Basil, his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa, and his friend St. Gregory of Nazianzus, three great theologians of the fourth century from Cappadocia.
What is the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil?
A Eucharistic liturgy of the Byzantine tradition bearing his name, celebrated on certain days each year, including the Sundays of Lent.
Sources
- St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit; Long and Short Rules; Homilies
- St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 43 (Funeral Oration for Basil)
- Pope Benedict XVI, General Audiences on St. Basil (July and August 2007)
