Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
Today the Roman Catholic Church honors the lives of two friends from an area of what is now Turkey that was called Cappadocia. St. Gregory of Nazianzen and St. Basil the Great began their friendship while away at school and later became bishops. Basil and Gregory were defining figures as the early Church sought to figure out just how to describe Jesus as fully human and fully divine. Both were largely responsible for safeguarding the faith that has guided the Church for thousands of years.
The first reading is a letter written to the Ephesians (residents of Ephesus). The author offered his audience some suggestions for living a moral life: “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit.” He reminded his audience that they belong to Christ, and encouraged them to start living their lives differently. This letter to the Ephesians is a reminder that God’s grace is given to us all. He is our Father, and His kingdom is open to all those who put their faith and trust in Him.
The letter continues with “and he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith.” As we meditate on these words, we can ponder our own role in building up the kingdom of God. St. Matthew reminds us in the gospel “Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We are never as close to God as when we are serving. As we begin this new year, let us take the time to reorient our lives so we can live out our Christian ministry. We all have been blessed with spiritual gifts. What gifts have we been given? How can we use these gifts to serve others? These kind of questions can help us discover the ways in which God wants us to serve the church.
As we strive to live out our faith, let us be reminded that we are members of the Body of Christ. There are no insignificant people in the family of God and we are called to serve Him. Like St. Gregory and St. Basil, let use our gifts and talents to be like Jesus in word, attitude and deed.
-Jessica Gabrielli