Saint Basil the Great Day

Basil the Great was born in 330 AD. and lived for 49 years. Almost his entire life was devoted to worship, for which he was canonized after his death. The literary works he wrote are still in the authority of modern Christians; the Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated in his honor several times a year. But everything could have been different! Vasily was born into a wealthy family of a lawyer, a master of rhetoric, and was the eldest child in the family. At the age of 14, he became an orphan, left in the care of his grandmother Macrina. When Vasily was 17 years old, he left his father’s house and went first to Caesarea, then to Constantinople, and from there to Athens. There, in one of the Athens schools, he continued his studies, intending to later become a lawyer. Vasily found it easy to study; by those standards, he was a more than educated person: he studied several languages, had knowledge in the fields of medicine, mathematics, and natural science. At the age of twenty, Vasily returned to Caesarea, taking up legal practice there. Around the same age, Vasily was baptized and became a reader in church, and then completely abandoned the legal profession and went on a trip. During his pilgrimage, he visited many monastic monasteries, where he acquired knowledge. Returning back, he donated part of his father’s inheritance, distributing it to the poor, and founded a monastic monastery on the Iris River. During his monastic seclusion, he created many theological works, some of which have survived to this day. In 362, Vasily was offered to head the post of presbyter of the local diocese, and in 370, after the death of the head of the diocese, he became a bishop. He remained in this place until the end of his days. On January 14, a service is held in the church in honor of St. Basil the Great.