Saint Basil the Great

“None is worthy among those bound with carnal desires and pleasures to approach or draw nigh or to minister to Thee, O King of glory, for to serve Thee is a great and fearful thing even unto the heavenly Powers.”

– Saint Basil the Great
(Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil)

4th century
(The Cappadocian Fathers are Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus & Saint Basil the Great )

Life

https://orthodoxwiki.org/Basil_the_Great
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_of_Caesarea
Lives of the Saints (oca.org)
Life of Saint Basil the Great (video 3:11)

Teachings

Divinity of the Holy Spirit
The Trinity of God
Against Arianism
Psalms
Improvement of the liturgy
Reformation of the monastic orders of the East

Writings

Saint Basil the Great Collection (4 books)
Treatise on the Holy Spirit
Refutation of the Apology of the Impious Eunomius
Basil, Letters and Select Works

The Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

“Most of the liturgies bearing the name of Basil, in their present form, are not primarily his work, but they nevertheless preserve the recollection of Basil’s activity in this field in formularizing liturgical prayers and promoting church-song. One liturgy attributed to him is The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, a liturgy that is somewhat longer than the more commonly used Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom; it is still used on certain feast days in the Church, such as every Sunday of Great Lent and January 1, on which his memory is celebrated.”

– orthodoxwiki.org

Troparion — Tone 1

Your proclamation has gone out into all the earth / which was divinely taught by hearing your voice / expounding the nature of creatures, / ennobling the manners of men. / O holy father of a royal priesthood, / entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion — Tone 4

You were revealed as the sure foundation of the Church, / granting all mankind a lordship which cannot be taken away, / sealing it with your precepts, / O venerable and heavenly Father Basil.

Feast Day(s)

January 1 – Feast
January 30 – Three Holy Hierarchs

Icon source: https://www.uncutmountainsupply.com/icons/of-saints/by-name/b-c/icon-of-st-basil-the-great-20th-c-1ba14/