The name Vasily in the Orthodox calendar (Saints). Basil of Caesarea - biography, information, personal life

Saint Basil the Great. Biography

Saint Basil the Great born around 330 in Caesarea in Cappadocia. His parents were of noble origin, and also distinguished by jealousy Christian faith. His grandparents suffered during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, and his uncle was a bishop, like his two brothers - Gregory of Nyssa(c. 335–394) and Peter of Sevastia. Vasily's father was an orator and lawyer and wanted Vasily to follow in his footsteps. Basil received an excellent education in Caesarea and Constantinople, and then studied at the Athens Academy. There he met Gregory the Theologian(329–389).

Upon his return to Caesarea, Basil became involved in secular affairs, but thanks to the influence of his pious sister Macrina (324 (327 or 330)–380), Basil began to lead a more ascetic life and eventually left the city with several friends and settled on family lands in Ponte. In 357, Basil went on a long journey through Coptic monasteries, and in 360 he accompanied the Cappadocian bishops to the synod in Constantinople. Shortly before the death of the Caesarea bishop Diania, Basil was ordained a presbyter and became an adviser to Bishop Eusebius, who succeeded Diania after his death. Eusebius did not like Vasily’s strict ascetic life, and Vasily decided to go into the desert, where he began to establish a monastic life.

The rise to power of the Arian emperor Valens (328–378) and the growing oppression of Christians led Eusebius to seek the help of the active and diligent Basil. In 365, Basil returned to Caesarea and began to govern the diocese. He wrote three books against the Arian heresy, preaching "three hypostases in one essence." Despite the opposition of a number of bishops, after the death of Eusebius in 370, Basil took over as Metropolitan of Cappadocia and began to eradicate Arianism in Asia Minor. Basil's efforts to eradicate Arianism brought him into conflict with Valens. During the emperor's trip to Cappadocia, the bishop categorically refused to recognize the correctness of the Arian teachings. In response, Valens divided Cappadocia into two provinces, which reduced Bishop Basil's canonical territory and undermined his position in the Church. Nevertheless, Vasily managed to promote his comrades Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory the Theologian to the place of bishops of key cities. At this time, the struggle for the patriarchal throne in Antioch began, on which Basil did not want to see the Nicene Paulinus, fearing that an excessive exaggeration of the unity of God was fraught with the heresy of Sabellianism.

Emperor Valens died at the Battle of Adrianople (378). Bishop Vasily's health was undermined by his ascetic lifestyle. He died on New Year's Day 379. Saint Basil left us many theological works: nine discourses on the Sixth Day, 16 discourses on various psalms, five books in defense of the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Trinity; 24 conversations on various theological topics; seven ascetic treatises; monastic rules; ascetic charter; two books about Baptism; a book about the Holy Spirit; several sermons and 366 letters to various persons.

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Library of Russian Faith
The life and miracles of our holy father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Great Menaion of Cheti →

Veneration of St. Basil the Great

Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium(c. 340–394), in his funeral homily about St. Basil said:

He has always been and will be a most saving teacher for Christians.

For his services to the Church Saint of Christ Basil is called the Great and is glorified as “the glory and beauty of the Church,” “the luminary and eye of the universe,” “the teacher of dogmas.” Saint Basil the Great is the heavenly patron of the enlightener of the Russian Land - the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in holy baptism Vasily. Prince Vladimir revered Saint Basil and erected several churches in his honor in Rus'. Many Russian rulers were named after Basil the Great at baptism, in particular, Vladimir Monomakh (baptized Vasily), Vasily I, Vasily II. Saint Basil the Great, along with the saint, is especially revered by the Russian people. A particle of the relics of St. Basil is located in the Pochaev Lavra. The honorable head of the saint is kept in the Lavra of St. Athanasius on Athos, and his right hand is in the altar of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem. Memory of Saint Basil the Great is being done January 14 (January 1, old style) and February 12 (January 30, old style)- in the Cathedral of the Three Saints.

Troparion and Kontakion to St. Basil the Great

Troparion, tone 1:

To the whole2 earth your message has come, as your word has come, and you have taught 3si2, and 3 the nature2 of those who exist. humanely decorated є3сi2. This is a great meaning, and the Lord, pray to God to save our people.

Kontakion, tone 4:

The Kwi1cz pillar of immovable churches, giving everyone the inestimable earthly wealth, was imprinted by your disciples, your heavenly teacher.

Saint Basil the Great. Icons

According to the iconographic original of the 16th century, St. Basil the Great was depicted in frescoes and icons wearing a light cross-haired phelonion, with his right hand blessing the people, and holding the Gospel in his left. Initially, Basil the Great was depicted frontally, chest-to-chest, as on the 7th century icon. from the monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine in Sinai. Later, full-length images of the saint appeared. On the icons of the 11th century, Basil the Great is depicted bowed in prayer, with an unrolled scroll in his hands.

At the end of the 11th century, the celebration of the memory of the Three Hierarchs (Basily the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom) was approved in Byzantium. In this regard, joint images of the Three Hierarchs became widespread. IN Ancient Rus' festive icons of the Three Saints became widespread from the 15th century, often as part of menain tablet icons, for example, “Trinity” (2nd quarter of the 15th century), “Sophia” from Veliky Novgorod (late 15th century).

In the Byzantine art of the Palaiologan period, compositions appeared that revealed the theme of the teaching of the holy fathers, for example, “The Conversation of the Three Hierarchs” or “The Blessed Fruits of the Teaching” in the frescoes of the Church of the Archangels in Lesnov, Macedonia (1347–1349). Basil the Great sits behind a music stand with a cross-shaped base, from which streams of water emanate, i.e. "river of learning" Such iconographic images of the saint appeared in Rus' in the 16th–17th centuries. entitled “Conversation of Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom”, “Teaching”, or “Good Fruits of Teaching”, for example, in the mural of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Ferapontov Monastery (1502).

In Moscow icon painting, illustrations of the life of Basil the Great are more common. The Russian face list of the Life of Basil the Great of the 3rd quarter of the 16th century is distinguished by its exceptional wealth of iconographic subjects (225 sheet miniatures). from the collection of M. A. Obolensky. Russian monuments of the 17th century. were distinguished by an increase in the number of hagiographic episodes and great decorativeness.

Temples in Rus' in the name of St. Basil the Great

The first temple, built by Prince Vladimir in Kyiv on the site of a pagan temple, was consecrated in the name of Basil the Great. Prince Vladimir also erected the Church of St. Basil in Vyshgorod, where the passion-bearing princes Boris and Gleb were originally buried. In the 12th century, churches were built in the name of Basil the Great in Kyiv, Novgorod, Ovruch and in Smyadyn near Smolensk. In the XIII–XV centuries. churches in honor of Basil the Great were built in Tver (before 1390), Pskov (before 1377) and in other cities. The church in the name of St. Basil the Great in Ovruch (Ukraine) is part of the complex of St. Basil's Convent (UOC MP). The temple was built in 1190 by Prince Rurik Rostislavovich (d. 1212). The construction of the church was led by the architect of Ancient Rus' Peter Miloneg. In 1321, the Vasilyevskaya Church in Ovruch was almost completely destroyed by the Lithuanians, restored in 19070–1909 by the famous architect A.V. Shchusev. Fragments of ancient Russian frescoes have been preserved in the temple.

In the name of St. Basil the Great, a temple was consecrated in the city of Vladimir-Volynsky (Ukraine). The exact date of construction of the church is unknown. According to researchers, the church building dates back to the 70–80s of the 13th to mid-14th centuries. The first documentary information about this monument dates back to 1523. In 1695 the church was in disrepair, and it remained the same in the 18th century. The monument was rebuilt and completed more than once. The interior was decorated with frescoes, whitewashed at the end of the 17th century. Significant works that changed its original appearance were carried out in 1900–1901. designed by architect N.I. Kozlov.

In the name of St. Basil, the Church of Vasily on Gorka in Pskov was consecrated. The wooden temple on the site of the stone one was built in the 14th century on a hill rising in a swampy area in front of the Zrachka stream. In 1375, a wall of the Middle City was built along the bank of the stream and the Vasilyevskaya Tower was erected opposite the church, over which a belfry was built. In 1377 the temple was painted. In 1413, a stone temple was erected on the site of the wooden church. The end of the 15th century and the 16th century are a period of prosperity; at this time, chapels and a gallery were added to the temple. At the beginning of the 16th century, the revered temple icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God was painted.

In the Tverskaya Yamskaya settlement of Moscow there once existed a church in the name of St. Basil. The exact time of construction of the temple is unknown. The first mention of the church of Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, in the sources is found in the census of 1620–1621. This church was wooden, cut down "kletski". In 1671, all the buildings of the Tverskaya Yamskaya Settlement were destroyed by fire. In 1688, construction began on the stone Church of Basil of Caesarea. In May 1934, the temple was closed and destroyed.

Old Believer churches in the name of St. Basil the Great

Consecrated in the name of St. Basil the Great Perm region. The Old Believer Church was built in the early 1990s under the care of the Krechetov family, consecrated in 1995, and the bell tower built in 1999. In 2000, the temple, excluding the bell tower, burned down and was rebuilt.

In the village Zolotilovo, Ivanovo region in 1895-1915. was built . The church is currently abandoned.

In 1854 in the southeast of Romania in the village. Sarikoy was built.

Sculptures of St. Basil the Great

The sculptural composition of St. Basil with his life was installed at the beginning of 2011 in Kyiv.

The sculpture of St. Basil is installed in one of the churches in Prague.

Folk traditions of the holiday of the Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great

The eve of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord was popularly called Vasiliev's evening. Among the northwestern Slavs it was called “generous”, “generous”. That evening the best things were taken out of the storerooms. Saint Basil the Great was revered as the patron saint of pigs, which is why people also called this holiday the pig holiday. For the holiday, they slaughtered cattle, stabbed pigs, so that the table would be hearty, meaty, and they said: “ Pig and boletus for Vasiliev's evening" The main dish was a whole roasted pig, as well as a stuffed pork head, cold and hot pork dishes, pies and pancakes. Kutya was also required. Unlike kutya on Christmas Eve (“lenten”) and Epiphany (“hungry”), it was “rich”, cream, butter, almonds were added to it, walnuts. The table was not inferior in its assortment of dishes to the Christmas feast. After the festive dinner, there was a tradition of going to neighbors and friends and asking each other for forgiveness. Vasily's Day was especially popular among young people. They could woo again if they had previously been refused. On this day, children liked to scatter grains of spring bread throughout the huts: “sowing” was a kind of ritual. The housewives then collected the grains and stored them for sowing. Gardeners also especially prayed to St. Basil the Great, asking him to preserve fruit trees from pests. In some places there was a custom to shake off trees that evening with the saying: “ Just as I shake off the white fluffy snow, so Saint Basil will shake off every worm-reptile in the spring!»

Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, “belongs not to one Caesarea Church, and not only in his own time, not only to his fellow tribesmen, but to all countries and cities of the universe, and to all people he has brought and is benefiting, and for Christians he has always been and he will be a most salutary teacher,” said Saint Basil’s contemporary, Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium (+ 344; November 23). Basil was born around 330 in Caesarea, the administrative center of Cappadocia, and came from a famous family, famous for its nobility and wealth, as well as for its talents and zeal for the Christian faith. The saint's paternal grandparents had to hide in the forests of Pontus for seven years during Diocletian's persecution. Saint Basil's mother, Emilia, was the daughter of a martyr. The saint's father, also named Basil, a lawyer and famous teacher of rhetoric, lived permanently in Caesarea.

There were ten children in the family, five sons and five daughters, five of whom were later canonized: Basil, Macrina (July 19) - an example of ascetic life, which had a strong influence on the life and character of St. Basil the Great, Gregory, later Bishop of Nyssa (January 10), Peter, Bishop of Sebastia (January 9), and the righteous Theozva - deaconess (January 10). Saint Basil spent the first years of his life on an estate on the Iris River that belonged to his parents, where he was brought up under the guidance of his mother and grandmother Macrina, a highly educated woman who preserved in her memory the tradition of the famous saint of Cappadocia, Gregory the Wonderworker (November 17). Vasily received his initial education under the guidance of his father, then he studied with the best teachers Caesarea of Cappadocia, where he met Saint Gregory the Theologian, and later moved to the schools of Constantinople, where he listened to outstanding speakers and philosophers. To complete his education, Saint Basil went to Athens, the center of classical education.

After four or five years of stay in Athens, Basil the Great possessed all available knowledge: “He studied everything in such a way that another does not study one subject, he studied every science to such perfection, as if he had never studied anything else.” Philosopher, philologist, orator, lawyer, natural scientist, who had deep knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and medicine - “it was a ship as loaded with learning as it was spacious for human nature" In Athens, a very close friendship was established between Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, which lasted all their lives. Later, in a speech of praise to Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian spoke enthusiastically about this time: “We were guided by equal hopes in the most enviable matter - in teaching... We knew two roads: one - to our sacred churches and to the teachers there; the other – to the teachers of external sciences.”

Around 357, Saint Basil returned to Caesarea, where he taught rhetoric for some time. But soon, refusing the offer of the Caesareans, who wanted to entrust him with teaching youth, Saint Basil embarked on the path of ascetic life.

After the death of her husband, Vasily’s mother with her eldest daughter Macrina and several virgins retired to the family estate on the Iris River and led an ascetic life. Basil, having received Baptism from Bishop Diania of Caesarea, was made a reader. As an interpreter of the Holy Books, he first read them to the people. Then, “wishing to gain a guide to the knowledge of the truth,” the saint undertook a journey to Egypt, Syria and Palestine, to the great Christian ascetics. Returning to Cappadocia, he decided to imitate them. Having distributed his property to the poor, Saint Basil settled not far from Emilia and Macrina on the other side of the river, gathering monks around him in a hostel. With his letters, Basil the Great attracted his friend Gregory the Theologian to the desert. Saints Basil and Gregory labored in strict abstinence: in their home, without a roof, there was no hearth, food was very meager. They themselves cut stones, planted and watered trees, and carried heavy loads. Their hard work caused calluses on their hands. From clothes, Basil the Great had only a sarbita and a robe; He wore a hair shirt only at night, so that it would not be visible. In solitude, Saints Basil and Gregory intensively studied Holy Scripture according to the guidance of the most ancient interpreters and, in particular, Origen, from whose works they compiled a collection - Philocalia (Philokalia). At the same time, Basil the Great, at the request of the monks, wrote a collection of rules moral life. By his example and preaching, Saint Basil the Great contributed to the spiritual improvement of the Christians of Cappadocia and Pontus; many rushed towards him. Men's and women's monasteries were formed, in which Vasily sought to combine the cenovic life with the hermit life.

During the reign of Constantius (337–361), the false teaching of Arius spread, and the Church called both saints to ministry. Saint Basil returned to Caesarea. In 362 he was ordained deacon by Meletius, Bishop of Antioch, and then ordained presbyter by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea in 364. “But seeing,” as Gregory the Theologian narrates, “that everyone extremely revered and praised Basil for his wisdom and holiness, Eusebius, due to human weakness, became carried away by jealousy of him and began to show dislike towards him.” The monks came to the defense of Saint Basil. In order not to cause church division, he retired to his desert and began establishing monasteries. With the coming to power of Emperor Valens (364–378), a strong supporter of the Arians, difficult times began for Orthodoxy - “a great struggle lay ahead.” Then Saint Basil hastily returned to Caesarea at the call of Bishop Eusebius. According to Gregory the Theologian, for Bishop Eusebius he was “a good adviser, a righteous intercessor, an interpreter of God’s Word, a rod of old age, a support for the faithful in internal affairs, the most active in external affairs.” From that time on, church rule passed to Vasily, although he occupied second place in the hierarchy. He preached sermons every day, and often twice - in the morning and in the evening. At this time, Saint Basil composed the rite of the Liturgy; He also wrote the Discourses on the Sixth Day, on the 16 chapters of the prophet Isaiah, on the psalms, and the second collection of monastic rules. Against the Arian teacher Eunomius, who, with the help of Aristotelian constructions, gave Arian dogmatics a scientific and philosophical form, turning Christian teaching into a logical scheme of abstract concepts, Vasily wrote three books.

St. Gregory the Theologian, speaking about the activities of Basil the Great in that period, points to “feeding the poor, receiving strangers, caring for virgins, written and unwritten rules for monastics, orders of prayers (Liturgy), decoration of altars, and other things.” After the death of Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, in 370, Saint Basil was elevated to his see. As Bishop of Caesarea, Saint Basil the Great was subject to 50 bishops from eleven provinces. Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria (May 2), with joy and gratitude to God welcomed the gift of Cappadocia with such a bishop as Basil, famous for his holiness, deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, great learning, and labors for the good of church peace and unity. In the empire of Valens, external dominance belonged to the Arians, who, resolving the question of the Divinity of the Son of God in different ways, were divided into several parties. The question of the Holy Spirit was added to the previous dogmatic disputes. In his books against Eunomius, Basil the Great taught about the Divinity of the Holy Spirit and the unity of His nature with the Father and the Son. Now, in order to fully clarify the Orthodox teaching on this issue, at the request of Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, the saint wrote a book about the Holy Spirit.

The general sad situation was aggravated for the Bishop of Caesarea by such circumstances as the division of Cappadocia into two parts when the government distributed provincial districts; the Antiochian schism caused by the hasty installation of a second bishop; the negative and arrogant attitude of Western bishops towards attempts to attract them to the fight against Arianism and the transition to the side of the Arians by Eustathius of Sebastian, with whom Basil had close friendship. Amid constant dangers, Saint Basil supported the Orthodox, affirmed their faith, calling for courage and patience. The holy bishop wrote numerous letters to churches, bishops, clergy, and individuals. Deposing heretics with “weapons of the mouth and arrows of letters,” Saint Basil, as a tireless defender of Orthodoxy, aroused hostility and all sorts of machinations of the Arians all his life.

Emperor Valens, who mercilessly sent into exile bishops he disliked, having implanted Arianism in other provinces of Asia Minor, came to Cappadocia for the same purpose. He sent the prefect Modest to Saint Basil, who began to threaten him with ruin, exile, torture and even the death penalty. “All this,” answered Vasily, “means nothing to me; he does not lose his property who has nothing except old and worn-out clothes and a few books, which contain all my wealth. There is no exile for me, because I am not bound by a place, and the place where I live now is not mine, and wherever they throw me will be mine. It is better to say: everywhere is God’s place, wherever I am a stranger and stranger (Ps. 38:13). What can torment do to me? “I’m so weak that only the first blow will be sensitive.” Death is a blessing for me: it will sooner lead me to God, for Whom I live and work, for Whom I have long been striving.” The ruler was amazed at this answer. “Perhaps,” the saint continued, “you have not met the bishop; otherwise, no doubt, I would have heard the same words. In everything else we are meek, more humble than anyone, and not only before such power, but also before everyone, because this is what the law has prescribed for us. But when the matter is about God and they dare to rebel against Him, then we, counting everything else as nothing, look only at Him alone, then fire, sword, beasts and iron tormenting the body will rather be a pleasure for us than frighten us.”

Having reported to Valens about the inflexibility of Saint Basil, Modest said: “We, king, have been defeated by the abbot of the Church.” Basil the Great showed the same firmness in the face of the emperor himself, and with his behavior he made such an impression on Valens that he did not support the Arians demanding the exile of Basil. “On the day of Epiphany, with a large crowd of people, Valens entered the temple and mingled with the crowd to show the appearance of unity with the Church. When psalmody began in the temple, his ears were struck like thunder. The king saw a sea of people, and splendor in and around the altar; in front of everyone is Vasily, not bowing either in body or in gaze, as if nothing new had happened in the temple, but turned only to God and the throne, and his clergy are in fear and reverence.”

Saint Basil performed Divine Services almost every day. He was especially concerned about the strict implementation of the canons of the Church, carefully ensuring that only the worthy entered the clergy. He tirelessly walked around his churches, making sure that church discipline was not violated anywhere, eliminating any partiality. In Caesarea, Saint Basil built two monasteries, male and female, with a temple in honor of 40 martyrs, where their holy relics were kept. Following the example of the monks, the clergy of the saint's metropolis, even deacons and presbyters, lived in extreme poverty, worked and led a pure and virtuous life. For the clergy, Saint Basil sought exemption from taxes. He used all his personal funds and the income of his church for the benefit of the poor; in each district of his metropolis the saint created almshouses; in Caesarea - a hotel and a hospice.

Illnesses from his youth, labors of teaching, feats of abstinence, cares and sorrows of pastoral service early exhausted the strength of the saint. Saint Basil reposed on January 1, 379 at the age of 49. Shortly before his death, the saint blessed Saint Gregory the Theologian to accept the See of Constantinople.

Upon the repose of Saint Basil, the Church immediately began to celebrate his memory. Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium (+ 394), in his homily on the day of the death of Saint Basil the Great, said: “It was not without reason and not by chance that the divine Basil was released from his body and reposed from earth to God on the day of the Circumcision of Jesus, celebrated between the days of Nativity and Baptism Christ's. Therefore, this blessed one, preaching and praising the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, extolled spiritual circumcision, and he himself, having stripped off his body, was worthy to ascend to Christ precisely on the sacred day of remembrance of the Circumcision of Christ. That is why it has been established on this day to annually honor the memory of the Great One with celebration and celebration.”

BASILY THE GREAT (Basily of Caesarea) (c. 330-379), saint, archbishop of Caesarea ( Asia Minor), church writer and theologian.

Born in a pious Christian family in the Cappadocian city of Caesarea, around 330, during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great.

His father was a lawyer and teacher of rhetoric. There were ten children in the family, five of whom were canonized: Vasily himself, his older sister, St. Macrina, brother Gregory, bishop. Nyssa, brother Peter, bishop. Sebastia of Armenia, and the younger sister of Blessed. Feozva, deaconess. Their mother is also canonized. Emilia.

In the 26th year of his life, he went to Athens to study various sciences in the schools there. In Athens, Basil became friends with another glorious saint, Gregory the Theologian, who was also studying at Athens schools at that time.

Vasily and Gregory, being similar to each other in their good behavior, meekness and chastity, loved each other as much as if they had one soul - and they subsequently retained this mutual love forever. Vasily was so passionate about science that he often even forgot while reading books about the need to eat. In Constantinople and Athens, Basil studied rhetoric, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, physics and medicine. Feeling a calling to spiritual life, he went to Egypt, Syria and Palestine. There he studied the works of St. fathers, practiced ascetic deeds, visited famous hermits. Returning to his homeland, he became a presbyter and then a bishop. St. Basil spoke in defense Orthodox faith. As an archpastor, he cared about strict observance of the canons of the Church, about the clergy, about church discipline, and helped the poor and sick; founded two monasteries, an almshouse, a hotel, and a hospice. He himself led a strict and abstinent life, and thereby acquired from the Lord the gift of clairvoyance and miracles. He was revered not only by Christians, but also by pagans and Jews.

There are many known cases of miraculous healings performed by St. Basil the Great. The power of Saint Basil’s prayers was so great that he could boldly ask the Lord for forgiveness for a sinner who had renounced Christ, leading him to sincere repentance. Through the prayers of the saint, many great sinners who despaired of salvation received forgiveness and were freed from their sins. So, for example, a certain noble woman, ashamed of her prodigal sins, wrote them down and gave the sealed scroll to Saint Basil. The saint prayed all night for the salvation of this sinner. In the morning, he gave her an unopened scroll, in which all sins were blotted out, except for one terrible sin. The saint advised the woman to go to the desert to the Monk Ephraim the Syrian. However, the monk, who personally knew and deeply revered Saint Basil, sent the repentant sinner back, saying that only Saint Basil was able to ask her for complete forgiveness from the Lord. Returning to Caesarea, the woman met a funeral procession with the tomb of St. Basil. In deep sorrow, she fell to the ground sobbing, throwing the scroll on the saint’s tomb. One of the clerics, wanting to see what was written on the scroll, took it and, unfolding it, saw Blank sheet; This is how the woman’s last sin was blotted out through the prayer of Saint Basil, which he performed posthumously.

While on his deathbed, the saint converted his Jewish doctor Joseph to Christ. The latter was sure that the saint would not be able to live until the morning, and said that otherwise he would believe in Christ and accept Baptism. The saint asked the Lord to delay his death.

The night passed and, to Joseph’s amazement, Saint Basil not only did not die, but, getting up from his bed, came to the temple, performed the sacrament of Baptism over Joseph, and served Divine Liturgy, gave Joseph communion, taught him a lesson, and then, saying goodbye to everyone, went to the Lord with prayer without leaving the temple.

Not only Christians, but pagans and Jews gathered for the burial of St. Basil the Great. Saint Gregory the Theologian, whom Saint Basil, shortly before his death, blessed to accept the see of Constantinople, arrived to see off his friend.

For his services to the Orthodox Church, Saint Basil is called the Great and is glorified as “the glory and beauty of the Church,” “the luminary and eye of the universe,” “the teacher of dogmas,” “the chamber of learning.” Saint Basil the Great is the heavenly patron of the enlightener of the Russian Land - the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, named Vasily in Baptism. Saint Vladimir deeply revered his Angel and built several churches in Rus' in his honor. Saint Basil the Great, along with Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, has since ancient times enjoyed special veneration among the Russian believing people.

Greek Μέγας Βασίλειος

also known as Basil of Caesarea, - saint, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, church writer and theologian, one of the three Cappadocian Fathers of the Church, along with Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory the Theologian; he is credited with the invention of the iconostasis and the composition of the liturgy of Basil the Great; author of the fifth and sixth prayers of the morning rule (mandatory for Orthodox Christians), numerous sermons and letters (at least three hundred have survived); a staunch supporter of the Kinobia

OK. 330 - 379 A.D.

short biography

Homeland Basil the Great- one of the fathers christian church, saint, Ecumenical teacher, archbishop, famous theologian, was Caesarea of Cappadocia, which is why he is also called Basil of Caesarea. He was born around 330. Both parents belonged to noble and very wealthy families, but his family was famous not only for this, but also for its outstanding abilities and zeal for Christianity. It is noteworthy that of the ten children born in this family, half were canonized together with their mother. Emilia.

Vasily received an excellent education: first in his homeland, then as an 18-year-old boy he came to Constantinople, where he studied various sciences: physics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy, rhetoric, mathematics. It is known that he was a listener to the lectures of the famous sophist Livanius. His knowledge of philosophy and other fields deepened significantly after staying for several years in Athens.

For some time after returning to his homeland, Caesarea, Vasily was engaged in matters of a purely secular nature, but under the influence of sister Macrina, his interest in spiritual life grew more and more, turning into an awareness of his vocation. His lifestyle became more ascetic; together with a group of like-minded people, he left for family lands in Pontus, away from the city with its bustle and temptations. After being baptized, he was ordained a reader. There is also such a fact in his biography as a journey to Egypt through Palestine and Syria, which he went on in 357. There he traveled to monasteries, paid visits to famous hermits, actively studied the works of the holy fathers, and performed ascetic deeds.

Returning to his homeland, Vasily founded a number of monasteries in the Pontic region, for which he wrote the charter with his own hand. He was ordained a presbyter, later he became a bishop, and in 370 he was elected archbishop of Caesarea.

Through his activities in the field of serving God, he earned himself universal respect and glory (including Jews and pagans); his authority was truly great. He strictly ensured that the canons were not violated and that discipline reigned in the churches. He founded not only two monasteries, but also a hotel, a hospice, and an almshouse; all those living in need, persecuted, oppressed could always count on his support - active charity Basil of Caesarea was an integral feature of his service to God and people. His lifestyle was very strict, ascetic, and the power of prayer was great. Possessing supernatural insight, Basil the Great could atone for even the most serious sins and give hope to desperate sinners; He also acquired the gift of performing miracles.

It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the creation of spiritual and theological literature. His rich heritage includes books in defense of the Orthodox faith (for example, criticism of the Arian teaching “Against Eunomius”), interpretations, ascetic treatises, sermons, rules, letters. The “Nine Discourses for Six Days” he wrote about the principles of Christian cosmogony were very popular among contemporary theologians and philosophers. The contribution he made to patristic literature has not lost its relevance to this day. To this day, the so-called is served in churches. the liturgy of Basil the Great, the creation of which (as well as the invention of the iconostasis) is attributed to this famous theologian.

The life of one of the church fathers was bright, eventful, but short-lived. Being a forty-year-old man, in his letters he spoke of himself as an old man. The harsh ascetic lifestyle caused serious damage to his health, and the heart of the famous theologian stopped on January 1, 378, and soon his name joined the host of Orthodox saints.

Biography from Wikipedia

Basil the Great(Greek: Μέγας Βασίλειος, c. 330-379), also known as Basil of Caesarea(Βασίλειος Καισαρείας), - saint, archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, church writer and theologian. One of the three Cappadocian Church Fathers, along with Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory the Theologian. He is credited with the invention of the iconostasis and the composition of the Liturgy of Basil the Great. Author of the fifth and sixth prayers of the morning rule (mandatory for Orthodox Christians), numerous sermons and letters (at least three hundred have survived). A staunch supporter of Kinovia.

Biography

Saint Basil was born around 330 in Caesarea, the administrative center of Cappadocia, and came from a famous family, famous for its nobility and wealth, as well as for its talents and zeal for the Christian faith. His grandparents suffered during the Diocletian persecutions. His uncle was a bishop, as were two brothers - Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste. The saint's sister was the Monk Macrina. Vasily's mother is the Venerable Emilia of Caesarea. His father, being an orator and lawyer, intended Vasily for the same path. He received an excellent education in Caesarea and Constantinople, and completed it in Athens, where he studied at the school of rhetoricians Proaresia. In it he met and became friends with Gregory the Theologian. The future persecutor of Christians and Emperor Julian the Apostate studied with them.

Upon his return to Caesarea, Basil devoted himself to secular affairs, but the influence of his pious sister Macrina (future abbess) forced him to lead a more ascetic life and eventually, together with several comrades, leave the bustle of the city and settle on family lands in Pontus, where they formed a semblance of a monastic community. In 357, Basil embarked on a long journey through Coptic monasteries, and in 360 he accompanied the Cappadocian bishops to the synod in Constantinople.

The decision of the council in Rimini to support the teaching of Arius, condemned by the First Ecumenical Council (which was also shared by the Caesarea bishop Dianius) was a heavy blow for Basil and his comrades. Having reconciled with Diania shortly before his death, Basil was ordained presbyter and became an adviser to Eusebius, who succeeded Diania as bishop. The strict and ascetic life of Vasily was not to the liking of Eusebius, and the first chose to retire to his desert, where he began to establish a monastic life, to which he always had a passion.

The rise to power of the Arian emperor Valens and the growing oppression of the Orthodox forced Eusebius to seek the help of the active and diligent Basil. In 365, the latter returned to Caesarea and took control of the diocese into his own hands. He wrote three books against the Arians, preaching the slogan “three hypostases in one essence,” which was acceptable both to followers of the Nicene Creed and to those who had recently sympathized with the Arians. Despite the opposition of a number of bishops, after the death of Eusebius in 370, Basil took over as Metropolitan of Cappadocia and zealously set about eradicating Arianism in Asia Minor.

Basil's anti-Arian activities brought him into conflict with Valens. During the emperor's trip to Cappadocia, the bishop flatly refused to recognize the correctness of the Arian teachings. In response, Valens divided Cappadocia into two provinces, which reduced Basil's canonical territory and undermined his position in the church. Nevertheless, Vasily managed to promote his comrades Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory the Theologian to the place of bishops of key cities. The main struggle unfolded for the place of Patriarch of Antioch, in which Basil - unlike the bishops of Alexandria and Pope Damasius - did not want to see the orthodox Nicene Paulinus, fearing that an excessive exaggeration of the unity of God was fraught with the heresy of Sabellianism.

The death of Valens in the Battle of Adrianople changed the balance of power in the state and church, but Vasily did not have time to take advantage of this. His health was undermined by his ascetic lifestyle. He died on the first day of the new year 379 and was soon canonized. Memory in the Orthodox Church on January 1 (14) and January 30 (February 12) - Council of the Three Hierarchs.

Essays

Dogmatic: “Against Eunomius”, “On the Holy Spirit”;
Exegetical: 15 conversations on the psalms, “Conversations on the Six Days”, “Commentary on the Prophet Isaiah”;
Conversations (sermons): 28 conversations on various topics;
Letters: ok. 365 letters to various persons;
Ascetic: “Moral rules”, “Monastic rules”, lengthy and short.

Basil the Great (Basily of Caesarea) (c. 330-379), saint, archbishop of Caesarea (Asia Minor), church writer and theologian.

Born into a pious Christian family in the Cappadocian city of Caesarea, around 330, during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great.

In the 26th year of his life, he went to Athens to study various sciences in the schools there. In Athens, Basil became friends with another famous saint, Gregory the Theologian, who was also studying at Athens schools at that time.

Vasily and Gregory, being similar to each other in their good behavior, meekness and chastity, loved each other as much as if they had one soul - and they subsequently preserved this mutual love forever. Vasily was so passionate about science that he often even forgot while reading books about the need to eat. In Constantinople and Athens, Basil studied rhetoric, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, physics and medicine. Feeling a calling to spiritual life, he went to Egypt, Syria and Palestine. There he studied the works of St. fathers, practiced ascetic deeds, visited famous hermits. Returning to his homeland, he became a presbyter and then a bishop. St. Basil spoke in defense of the Orthodox faith. As an archpastor, he cared about strict observance of the canons of the Church, about the clergy, about church discipline, and helped the poor and sick; founded two monasteries, an almshouse, a hotel, and a hospice. He himself led a strict and abstinent life, and thereby acquired from the Lord the gift of clairvoyance and miracles. He was revered not only by Christians, but also by pagans and Jews.

There are many known cases of miraculous healings performed by St. Basil the Great. The power of Saint Basil’s prayers was so great that he could boldly ask the Lord for forgiveness for a sinner who had renounced Christ, leading him to sincere repentance. Through the prayers of the saint, many great sinners who despaired of salvation received forgiveness and were freed from their sins. So, for example, a certain noble woman, ashamed of her prodigal sins, wrote them down and gave the sealed scroll to Saint Basil. The saint prayed all night for the salvation of this sinner. In the morning, he gave her an unopened scroll, in which all sins were blotted out, except for one terrible sin. The saint advised the woman to go to the desert to the Monk Ephraim the Syrian. However, the monk, who personally knew and deeply revered Saint Basil, sent the repentant sinner back, saying that only Saint Basil was able to ask her for complete forgiveness from the Lord. Returning to Caesarea, the woman met a funeral procession with the tomb of St. Basil. In deep sorrow, she fell to the ground sobbing, throwing the scroll on the saint’s tomb. One of the clerics, wanting to see what was written on the scroll, took it and, unfolding it, saw a blank sheet; This is how the woman’s last sin was blotted out through the prayer of Saint Basil, which he performed posthumously.

The night passed and, to Joseph’s amazement, Saint Basil not only did not die, but, getting up from his bed, came to the temple, performed the sacrament of Baptism over Joseph, served the Divine Liturgy, gave Joseph communion, taught him a lesson, and then, saying goodbye to everyone, He went to the Lord with prayer without leaving the temple.

A particle of the relics of St. Basil still remains in the Pochaev Lavra. The Honest Head of St. Basil reverently kept in the Lavra of St. Athanasius on Athos, A right hand him - in altar of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem.

In Moscow in the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God in Vladykina there is an icon of three saints: St. Basil the Great, St. Nicholas and the Military Medical Center Barbarians with particles of relics (metro station “Vladykino”, Altufevskoe highway, 4).

Works of St. Basil the Great

Saint Basil the Great was a man of primarily practical activity. Therefore most of it literary works make up conversations; other Substantial part- letters. The natural aspiration of his spirit was directed towards questions of Christian morality, towards what could have practical application. But due to the circumstances of his church activity, Saint Basil often had to defend Orthodox teaching against heretics or the purity of his faith against slanderers. Hence, not only in many conversations and letters of St. Basil there is a dogmatic-polemical element, but he also owns entire dogmatic-polemical works, in which he shows himself to be a deep metaphysician and theologian. All the works written by Saint Basil have not reached us: Cassiodorus, for example, reports that he wrote a commentary on almost all of the Holy Scriptures.

The surviving works of Saint Basil are divided into five groups in content and form: dogmatic-polemical works, exegetical, ascetic, conversations and letters.

Dogmatic-polemical creations

The most important dogmatic and polemical work of St. Basil - “Refutation of the defensive speech of the evil Eunomius.” The content of this work is determined by the dogmatic provisions of Eunomius, revealed by him in his “Apology”; From this work of Eunomius, Saint Basil cites passages and writes a refutation of them.

Eunomius, Bishop of Cyzicus, was a representative of that strict Arianism that arose in the 50s. IV century, to which Arius himself seemed insufficiently consistent.

The founder and first leader of this new Arianism (Anomie) was Aetius. His only gifted student was Eunomius the Cappadocian, who presented in his works a detailed and systematic disclosure of the theological principles of Aetius.

Possessing a strictly logical mind, he sharply criticized the Nicene doctrine of consubstantiality, and the influence of his views was so strong that such authoritative church leaders and writers like Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Apollinaris of Laodicea, Theodore of Mopsuestia. It was created directly by the energy of the Almighty and, like the most perfect work of an artist, is an imprint of the entire power of the Father, His deeds, thoughts and desires. Not being equal to the Father either in essence, or in dignity, or in glory, the Son, however, infinitely rises above creatures and is even called by Eunomius the true God, Lord and King of glory, as the Son of God and God. The Holy Spirit is the third in order and dignity, therefore, the third and in essence, the creation of the Son, different in essence from Him - since the work of the first creation must be different from the work of God Himself, but also different from other creatures - like the first work of the Son .

Eunomius, who had gained the favor of the Arian Eudoxius (bishop of Antioch, and from 360 of Constantinople), became bishop of Cyzicus in 360, but since his teaching caused church unrest, next year at the insistence of the more confident Arians, he was deposed by Constantius and exiled. On this occasion, Eunomius set out his teaching in writing and called his book “Apology”; in it he clearly expressed the essence of his teaching that the Son is a creature, although elevated above other creatures, and is unlike the Father in essence and in every respect. This work was highly valued by many Arians and the rigor of the development of the system and dialectical and syllogistic subtleties aroused surprise in many. Therefore, Saint Basil the Great, at the request of the monks, undertook in 363–364. a written refutation of it.

The work “Against Eunomius” consists of five books, but only the first three indisputably belong to St. Basil, and the fourth and fifth in their structure, presentation and language are significantly inferior to the genuine works of St. Basil, in some opinions and interpretations they diverge to the point of contradiction from his genuine works and represent not so much a coherent work specifically against Eunomius, but rather a collection of evidence in general against Arian false teachings regarding the Holy Trinity. There was an attempt to assimilate these books to Apollinaris of Laodicea, but in Lately in science, the view has been established that they belong to Didimus of Alexandria.

The first book is busy exposing the sophisms that Eunomius wove around the term “unborn.” St. Basil refutes the main position of Eunomius, that the essence of the Divinity is ungeneracy. Based on general usage and Holy Scripture, St. Vasily explains that the essence of things is comprehended by the human mind in parts, and not perceived directly, and is expressed in several different names, each of which defines only one attribute. The names assigned to God have the same meaning - both positive: holy, good, etc., and negative: unborn, immortal, invisible and similar. Only from all of them taken together does it seem like an image of God, very pale and weak compared to reality, but still sufficient for our imperfect mind. Therefore, the term “unborn” alone cannot be a perfect and complete definition of the essence of God: one can say that the being of God is unborn, but it cannot be argued that ungeneracy is the essence of God. The term “unborn” only indicates the origin or mode of being of something, but does not define the nature or being. Finally, St. Basil speaks of the communicability of the Divine nature through birth and the equality of the Father and the Son. Against the paradoxical assertion of Eunomius that he comprehended the very essence of God, St. Basil says that the human mind testifies only to the existence of God, and does not determine what God is, and the Holy Scripture certifies that the being of God is incomprehensible to the human mind and, in general, to any creature.

In the second book of St. Basil proves that the Son is truly and from eternity born, since there is no time in God. God has within Himself a patronymic co-extended with His eternity; therefore the Son, who exists from eternity and always exists, did not begin to be at any time, but when the Father, then also the Son. The Son is not a creature or creation, but as begotten of the Father, He is of one essence with Him and equal in dignity with Him.

In the third book, the deity of the Holy Spirit is briefly and accurately proven and the assertion of Eunomius is refuted that He, being third in dignity and order, is also third in nature.

The fourth book first gives an abbreviated repetition of the evidence against Eunomius set forth in the first and second books, and then explains the passages of Holy Scripture which, apparently, can serve as evidence against the deity of the Son and which were actually cited by the Arians.

The fifth book speaks in detail about the deity of the Holy Spirit, His consubstantiality with the Father and the Son, and explains the passages of Holy Scripture related here.

"On the Holy Spirit", in 30 chapters. The work was written at the request of Basil the Great's friend, Bishop Amphilochius of Iconia, around 375, in response to the changes made by Saint Basil in the final doxology. Then they usually ended the prayers and hymns with the doxology “To the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.” This formula was accepted by both the Arians and the Doukhobors, since it allowed for the possibility of explaining it in the sense of their teaching about the created subordination of the Son and the Spirit; the heretics referred to it in support of their opinion. To make such references impossible, St. Vasily began to preferentially use the doxology “Father with the Son and with the Holy Spirit.” Rumors began about this, and St. Vasily was accused of innovation. Amphilochius asked St. Vasily to justify the change he introduced. In response to this request, St. Basil compiled the aforementioned dogmatic-polemical work, which aims to prove that the Son and the Holy Spirit have equal honor with the Father, since They are of the same nature with Him. St. Basil first points out that it is indeed necessary to discover the hidden meaning in every utterance and in every syllable, but that heretics direct their sophistic reasoning about syllables and prepositions to confirm their false teaching about the difference in essence of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The subtle distinction of the prepositions “with”, “through”, “in” was borrowed by heretics from external wisdom, and in the Holy Scripture the use of these prepositions is not strictly observed, and they are applied to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, so that it cannot be found in the previous doxology confirmation for Arian views. Moving on to defending his own formula of doxology, St. Basil first speaks of the glorification of the Son. The heretics argued that since the Son is not together with the Father, but is necessarily after the Father, therefore, below the Father, then the glory of the Father is given “through” Him, and not together “with” Him, insofar as the first expression denotes a service relationship, and the last - equality. St. Basil asks on what basis the heretics say that the Son is after the Father, and proves that the Son cannot be inferior either in time, or in rank, or in dignity. Therefore, both formulas of doxology can be accepted and known in the Church, with the only difference being that “when we take into account the greatness of the nature of the Only Begotten and the excellence of His dignity, then we testify that He has glory “with the Father”; and when we imagine that He gives us blessings and brings us to God and makes Him His own, then we confess that this grace is accomplished “by Him” and “in Him.” Therefore, the saying “with Him” is characteristic of those who glorify, and the saying “To Him” is especially appropriate for those who give thanks.”

In the final chapter of St. Basil picturesquely depicts the sad state of the Church, like a ship subjected to a terrible storm; it is the result of disrespect for paternal rules, the insidious machinations of heretics, self-interest and rivalry of the clergy, which is worse than open war.

Exegetical creations

Cassiodorus says that St. Basil interpreted all Holy Scripture. But at present the interpretations of his conversation “On the Sixth Day” and on some psalms are known as undoubtedly authentic.

« Nine Discourses on Six Days"were pronounced by St. Basil, when he was still a presbyter (before 370), during the first week of Great Lent, in the church, before a mixed audience, but mainly from the common people. St. Basil conducted conversations on some days twice. Their subject was the account of the book of Genesis about the creation of the world in six days (Genesis 1: 1–26). The conversations stop on the fifth day of creation, and in the ninth conversation of St. Basil only points out the participation of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity in the creation of man, and an explanation of what the image of God consists of and how man can participate in His likeness is promised in another discussion. This intention was probably not fulfilled, and the well-known three conversations - two about the creation of man and the third about paradise, sometimes appended to the “Six Days” as its continuation, are not authentic. Later, Gregory of Nyssa supplemented the “Six Days” of St. Basil with his work “On the Structure of Man,” thereby confirming that St. Vasily did not finish talking about the creation of man; St. Ambrose of Milan also knew only nine conversations of Basil the Great.

In the conversations of St. Basil’s goal is to depict the creative Divine power, harmonious order and beauty in the world and to show that the teachings of philosophers and Gnostics about peacemaking are unreasonable fabrications and that, on the contrary, the Mosaic narrative alone contains Divine truth, consistent with reason and scientific data. In accordance with the didactic and polemical purpose of his work, he is guided almost exclusively by the literal meaning of Holy Scripture, eliminating allegorism in interpretations and even in passing rebels against its abuse. He carefully determines the meaning of the sayings being interpreted, explores, using scientific data, the properties and laws of nature and artistically describes them. The authenticity of the conversations “On the Sixth Day” is beyond any doubt: Gregory the Theologian already calls them at the head of the works of St. Vasily, and throughout history they were highly valued not only in the East, but also in the West.

"Conversations on Psalms" were pronounced by St. Vasily, probably still in the rank of presbyter. Thirteen are recognized as authentic: psalms 1, 7, 14, 28, 29, 32, 33, 44, 45, 48, 59, 61 and 114. These conversations probably represent only part of his commentary on the psalms; there are fragments of his commentaries on other psalms, if the fragments published by Cardinal Pitra are genuine; in addition, in the conversation on Psalm 1, only the first two verses are explained, and in Psalm 14, only the last verses, but in both conversations the interpretation of the remaining verses is also indicated; Finally, the conversation on Psalm 1 is preceded by a general preface, treating in general the merits of the psalms, which apparently suggests an intention to systematically explain the entire Psalter.

"Interpretation of the Prophet Isaiah"- a detailed and publicly accessible explanation of the first 16 chapters of the book of the prophet Isaiah. The author follows for the most part the literal meaning of the text and then gives a moral application of the words of the prophet. The style of this work is significantly inferior in treatment to other works of St. Vasily. Enough big number places literally borrowed from Eusebius’s interpretation of the book of the prophet. Isaiah, even more borrowings from Origen.

Ascetic creations

Together with Gregory the Theologian, as the latter certifies, St. Vasily already in 358 - 359. in Pontic solitude on Iris, he compiled written rules and canons for monastics. Gregory the Theologian also reports on the written laws of St. Basil for monks and about those established by him convents with written statutes.

"Ascetic Destiny"- an exhortation to those seeking Christian perfection to look upon themselves as spiritual warriors of Christ, obliged to conduct spiritual warfare with all care and fulfill their service in order to achieve victory and eternal glory.

“A word of asceticism and an exhortation to renounce the world”- contains a call for renunciation of the world and moral perfection. The author compares worldly life with monastic life and gives preference to the latter, without condemning the former, but pointing out that unconditional obedience to the Gospel is necessary in it, gives instructions regarding various pious exercises and describes the degrees of Christian perfection that are achieved only by great labor and constant struggle with sinful aspirations .

“A Word on Asceticism, How a Monk Should Decorate”- in brief provisions gives excellent instructions for the entire behavior of a monk and for spiritual life in general, so that it meets the requirements of ascetic perfection in all respects.

"Preface on the Judgment of God". The author says that during his travels he observed endless bickering and discord in the Church; and, what is saddest of all, the primates themselves disagree in beliefs and opinions, allow things contrary to the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ, mercilessly tear the Church apart, mercilessly disturb His flock. Having thought about the reason for such a sad state, he found that such disagreement and strife between members of the Church occur as a result of apostasy from God, when everyone deviates from the teachings of the Lord, arbitrarily chooses theoretical and moral rules for himself and wants not to obey the Lord, but rather to dominate over it. After exhortations to maintain unanimity, a union of peace, and strength in spirit, the author recalls the manifestations of Divine judgment in the Old and New Testaments and points out the need for everyone to know the law of God, so that everyone can obey it, with all diligence pleasing God and avoiding everything that is displeasing to Him. In view of the above, St. Vasily considered it proper and at the same time necessary to first set forth the sound faith and pious teaching about the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and to this add moral rules.

"About Faith". He says that he will expound only what is taught by the inspired Scripture, beingware of those names and sayings that are not literally found in the divine Scripture, although they preserve the thought contained in the Scripture. Then the teaching of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is presented in a condensed form, with an admonition to teachers to be devoted to this faith and to beware of heretics.

"Moral Rules", numbering 80, each further subdivided into chapters; the rules are truly set out in the words of Holy Scripture and determine all Christian life and activity, both in general and in conclusion, [and] specifically in different states(preachers of the Gospel, primates living in marriage, widows, slaves and masters, children and parents, virgins, warriors, sovereigns and subjects).

"Rules laid out at length", in questions and answers, consist, in fact, of 55 separate rules, presented in the form of questions from monks and answers from St. Vasily, or, better to say, his concisely stated reasoning regarding the most important issues of religious life. As can be seen from the preface, during the composition of this work, St. Vasily was in desert solitude, surrounded by people who assumed the same goal of a pious life and expressed a desire to learn what was necessary for salvation. From the answers of St. Vasily compiled, as it were, a complete collection of the laws of monastic life, or a doctrine of the highest moral perfection, but without a strict plan.

"The Rules, Briefly Stated", numbering 313 - also in questions and answers, contain almost the same thoughts as those revealed in the lengthy rules, with the difference that the lengthy rules set out the basic principles of spiritual life, and the short ones contain more special, detailed instructions.

Ascetic works of St. Basil give evidence of the form of monastic life that spread in this era in Cappadocia and throughout Asia Minor, and in turn had a strong influence on the development of monasticism in the East: little by little they became the generally accepted rule of monastic life. St. Basil does not recommend the solitary life of anchorites, which he even considers dangerous; he does not seek to reproduce those huge monastic colonies that he observed in Egypt - he prefers monasteries with a small number of inhabitants, so that everyone can know their boss and be known to him. He considers manual labor obligatory, but it must be interrupted for general prayer at certain hours. St. Basil gave instructions full of wisdom and knowledge of life on those cases, frequent in ancient society, when married people insisted on being admitted to the monastery, when slaves sought refuge in them, when parents brought their children to them. Despite its purpose for monastics, the ascetic instructions of St. Basil and for all Christians can serve as a guide to moral improvement and a truly saving life.

Liturgical works of St. Basil

The general tradition of the Christian East testifies that St. Basil compiled the order of the liturgy, that is, he organized in writing and brought into a uniform, stable form the liturgy that had been preserved in the Churches from apostolic times. This is evidenced by a number of testimonies, starting with St. Gregory the Theologian, who among the works of St. Basil mentions the orders of prayers, the decoration of the altar, and St. Proclus of Constantinople, who reports a reduction in the duration of the service [liturgy] of St. Basil and then John Chrysostom, to the Councils of Trullo and the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Text of the Liturgy of St. Basil has been attested since the beginning of the 6th century, and its lists agree with each other in essentials, which proves its origin from the same original. But over the centuries, there have undoubtedly been many changes in details, so that in the latest scientific publications the oldest and most recent texts are compared.

In addition, St. Basil introduced in his district the custom, apparently borrowed from Antioch, of singing psalms in two choirs, which, however, was not agreed upon, for example, in Neocaesarea, citing the fact that such an order did not exist under St. Gregory the Wonderworker.

St. Basil the Great belongs to the outstanding preachers of Christian antiquity. His eloquence is characterized by oriental charm and youthful enthusiasm. “Whoever wants to be a perfect orator,” says Photius, “does not need either Plato or Demosthenes if he chooses Basil as a model. His language is rich and beautiful, his evidence is strong and convincing." Conversations of St. Vasily is considered to be the best works preaching literature.

Letters

The Benedictines published 365 letters of St. Basil or his correspondents and divided them into three classes: 1 - 46 letters written before the bishopric, 47 - 291 letters dating back to the time of the bishopric of St. Vasily, and, finally, those for which there is no dating data. This chronological distribution of letters is recognized as thorough even today, after former doubts and new research.

Letters from St. Vasily are distinguished by outstanding literary merits and have important: directed to many people of different positions, they reflect the history of the life of Basil the Great himself and his time, and provide church historians with rich and valuable material, which has not yet been completely exhausted. They reflect in colorful images the multifaceted activities and exceptional virtues of the mind and heart of St. Basil, his constant concern for the good of all Churches, deep sorrow for the many and such great disasters that befell the Church in his time, zeal for true faith, the desire for peace and harmony, love and benevolence towards everyone, especially towards those in need, prudence in the conduct of affairs, peace of mind in the face of the most severe and unfair insults and restraint in relation to rivals and enemies. Like a shepherd, he gives advice in times of need and doubt; as a theologian he takes an active part in dogmatic disputes; as a guardian of the faith, he insists on observing the Nicene Creed and recognizing the deity of the Holy Spirit; as the guardian of church discipline, he strives to eliminate disorder in the life of the clergy and to establish church legislation; finally, as a church politician, with the support of St. Athanasius, is concerned about revitalizing relations with the Western Church in the interests of supporting Orthodoxy in the eastern half of the empire.

Troparion, tone 1
Thy message has gone out into the whole earth, / as it has received your word, / which thou hast divinely taught, / thou hast clarified the nature of beings, / thou hast adorned human customs, / the royal priesthood, Reverend Father, / pray to Christ God / for the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4
Thou hast appeared as an unshakable foundation to the Church, / giving to all unstealthy dominion by man, / sealing with thy commands, / the unappearing Venerable Basil.

Greatness
We magnify you, / Saint Basil of Christ, / who has piously preserved the Church of Christ.