St. Basil the Great (329 – January 1, 379) shares his feast day with his lifelong friend St. Gregory of Nazianzen. These accomplished men fought against heresies that threatened the foundations of the early Church, shaping doctrines around Christ’s divinity and the nature of the Holy Trinity.
 
St. Basil was born at Caesarea of Cappadocia, to a family already deeply rooted in Christianity, going back to the time of widespread persecution in the 1st and 2nd centuries. Following in the footsteps of his father, Basil studied in Caesarea as well as Constantinople and Athens, training in the law and rhetoric. He became a popular teacher. However, his sister persuaded him to give up academia for monastic life. Before inviting St. Gregory to start an order with him, St. Basil traveled through Egypt, Palestine and Syria visiting monasteries, learning everything he could and formulating his own ideas about monastic rule. His rule is still followed today, and he is known as the Father of Eastern Monasticism.
 
His time in the monastery was relatively short, it was only five years before he was called to play a greater role in the Church. Ordained as a priest, by around 370 he was made bishop of Caesaria. It was in this role that he fought against the heresy of Arianism which denied the divinity of Christ, even defying an emperor! He also fought against other early Trinitarian heresies. But these important doctrinal stands were not what defined Basil. He was passionate about caring for the poor and sick, pastoral care, and fighting against institutionalized prostitution. He would preach twice a day to large crowds, and opened a complex with a hospital, orphanage, and shelter for the poor. In addition to influential monastic rules, sermons, and doctrinal treatises, more than 300 of his letters still exist. St. Basil the Great, pray for us!