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Posted on January 2, 2020January 2, 2020 by Msgr. Charles Pope A Picture of a Strong Bishop in the Face of Suffering On January 2nd, we celebrated the feast of St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzen. They were bishops in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey) during the stormy period of the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Despite the strong affirmation by the Council of Nicaea, the Arian heretics did not desist. Saints Basil and Gregory were strong forces for truth in the long battle to stamp out the heresy. When the emperor, Julian the Apostate, sought to compel...

January 2, 2017 Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church Reading 1 1 Jn 2:22-28 Beloved:Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise...

Sunday’s Gospel on generosity and the need to renounce greed, is reflection worth continuing. Last week in the Breviary St. Basil the Great (in Hom. De caritate, 3, 6: PG 31, 266-267, 275) provided a reflection that amounts to an investment strategy not just for the near future of old age, but for eternity. Challenging though the saint’s thoughts are, they are also consoling and sensible. Lets listen to his instruction.Out of no intended disrespect for the saint, I would like to add some of my own comments in plain red text along with his reflections, and to adjust the...

HOMILY 21 On Detachment from Worldly Goods and Concerning the Conflagration Which Occurred in the Environs of the Church THOUGHT, well-beloved, that, Inasmuch as I had so vigorously plied you with the goad of my words on every and all occasions, you regarded me as a troublesome fellow, overbold for a stranger and for a man who is himself guilty on similar charges. Yet, by my rebukes you were moved to kindliness and the blows of my tongue you transformed into incentives to greater zeal. This, of course, is not a matter for surprise, since you are wise in the...

Central to the early Christian community was an ethic which, on the one hand, condemned violence and bloodshed and, on the other, vigorously upheld the sanctity of life. Such an ethic had, and still has, manifold ramifications. In the case of the early Christians, it led them not only to shun the violent “pastimes” of the Roman arena, but also to eschew participation in the militarism of the Roman state. Of great import with regard to our contemporary scene, this ethic led the early Church to articulate a clear position concerning the treatment of the unborn. In the following paper,...

Dear brothers and sisters! After a pause of three weeks, we resume our usual Wednesday encounters. Today I will continue my last catechesis on the life and writings of St. Basil, bishop in what is now Turkey, then known as Asia Minor, in the fourth century. The life of this great saint and his works are rich with points for reflection and teaching that are valid even today. Above all, his emphasis on the mystery of God, which remains the most significant and vital reference point for man. The Father is "the beginning of all and the cause for being...

On St. Basil "He Shows Us How to Be Real Christians" VATICAN CITY, JULY 4, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today at the general audience. The audience took place in two phases: The Pope first greeted a crowd in St. Peter's Basilica. Then he went to a packed Paul VI Hall, where he delivered the catechesis. The reflection focused on St. Basil and concluded with an appeal to young people to attend World Youth Day '08 in Australia. * * * [Before giving the catechesis, the Pope greeted crowds in St. Peter's Basilica....

January 2, 2006 Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church Psalm: Monday 4 Reading I1 Jn 2:22-28 Beloved:Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is...