Bishop and Doctor of the Church · Feast day January 2
St. Basil the Great
The feast day of St. Basil the Great is January 2, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar. Below: a short life and 3 sourced quotations in their own words.
| Feast day | January 2 |
|---|---|
| In the US calendar | Memorial |
| Title | Bishop and Doctor of the Church |
| Died | c. 379 |
| In their own words | 3 sourced quotations |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | None left in the published calendar (through December 31, 2028) |
Life
Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, brother of saints, friend of Gregory Nazianzen. He faced down an emperor’s prefect who threatened confiscation and death, answering that a man who owns nothing has nothing to fear from confiscation.
He organized the Church’s first great complex of hospitals and hostels, wrote the rule that still governs Eastern monasticism, and defended the divinity of the Holy Spirit. He is called simply ‘the Great.’
In their own words
Each quotation names the work it comes from. Bless quotes these in the comments beside the verses listed under In Scripture.
The bread you store up belongs to the hungry; the cloak that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.
A quiet mind is the beginning of purification.
A psalm is the calm of souls, the arbiter of peace; it stills the stormy waves of thought.
In Scripture
In Bless, St. Basil the Great’s words appear in the comments beside these verses. This page’s labels say how each is linked: “on this verse” means the saint wrote about that very verse; “on this theme” means the quotation shares its theme. Scripture is quoted from the Catholic Public Domain Version.
On this verse
Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the impious, and has not remained in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the chair of pestilence.
Psalm 1:1 · CPDV Beside their words: “A psalm is the calm of souls, the arbiter of peace; it stills the stormy waves of thought.”
On this verse
Then he spoke to them using a comparison, saying: “The fertile land of a certain wealthy man produced crops. And he thought within himself, saying: ‘What should I do? For I have nowhere to gather together my crops.’ And he said: ‘This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. And into these, I will gather all the things that have been grown for me, as well as my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many goods, stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, and be cheerful.’ …
Luke 12:16–21 · CPDV Beside their words: “The bread you store up belongs to the hungry; the cloak that lies in your chest belongs…”
On this theme
carrying away wars even to the end of the earth. He will crush the bow and break the weapons, and he will burn the shield with fire.
Psalm 45:10 · CPDV Beside their words: “A quiet mind is the beginning of purification.”
On this theme
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: If you return and are quiet, you shall be saved. Your strength will be found in silence and in hope. But you are not willing!
Isaiah 30:15 · CPDV Beside their words: “A quiet mind is the beginning of purification.”
On this theme
Break your bread with the hungry, and lead the destitute and the homeless into your house. When you see someone naked, cover him, and do not despise your own flesh.
Isaiah 58:7 · CPDV Beside their words: “The bread you store up belongs to the hungry; the cloak that lies in your chest belongs…”
On this theme
Let the word of Christ live in you in abundance, with all wisdom, teaching and correcting one another, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing to God with the grace in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16 · CPDV Beside their words: “A psalm is the calm of souls, the arbiter of peace; it stills the stormy waves of thought.”
In the calendar
The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Basil the Great. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.
Readings
No dates are left in Bless’s published calendar, which runs through December 31, 2028. St. Basil the Great keeps January 2 in Bless’s calendar of saints: see the saints of January.
All the saints of January Born on January 2? A saint for every day
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