2 JANUARY 2021 MEMORIALS: STS. BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN (BISHOPS AND DOCTORS)

 

2 JANUARY 2021

MEMORIALS: STS. BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN

(BISHOPS AND DOCTORS)

INTRODUCTION:

Today is Saturday and we remember our Blessed Mother. Let us seek her intercession to live this day well doing god’s will and glorifying him through our life.

Today, the mother Church keeps the memory of Sts. Basil the Great (329-379) and Gregory Nazianzen (329-389), Bishops and Doctors of the Church. In spite of being childhood friends, in reality, their friendship grew stronger in Athens where they were studying together. Both were well known as brilliant thinkers and orators, skills they used in service of the church and the people.

St. Basil, a great orator and writer, known for his tireless pastoral care, refuted Arian heresy (denial of the divinity of Christ), preached to people, gave money to the poor, orgonised soup kitchen, built churches, hospitals guesthouses, wrote and explained the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and Incarnation. He lived a life of poverty. St. Basil is known for his monastic life and monastic rules which he set down.

St. Gregory was ordained a bishop by St. Basil. When St. Basil died in 379, Gregory took up the defense of the faith against Arianism.  He is often referred to as Gregory ‘the Theologian’ or ‘the Trinitarian Theologian’, because the Trinity was so often at the heart of his sermons and writings. He died in 389.

LESSONS FROM THE SCRIPTURE

FIRST READING: 1JN 2:22-28

In the first reading of today, St. John brings to light as to who is a ‘liar and an antichrist’. Anyone who denies Jesus is a liar. He calls us to acknowledge Christ as God who came down to live with us. He also urges us to keep in mind or keep alive in us what we have heard and being taught from the beginning. When we do so God abides in us and we abide in God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 97 (98)

R/ “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God”

Responsorial Psalm of today once again reminds us about ‘the truth’ saying: “He has remembered ‘his truth’ and love for the house of Israel.”

GOSPEL READING:  Jn 1:19-28

In the Gospel reading of today John the Baptist appears as the witness of Christ. He declares openly who Jesus is. He says that he is not the Christ. He is only the voice that cries in the wilderness: ‘Make a straight way for the Lord’. He says that he baptizes with the water but Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

 

MESSAGES FOR OUR DAILY LIVING FROM THE FIRST READING
1. We need to acknowledge Christ in our life and grow holier day by day
a. By standing for the truth for Jesus said: " I am the way the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6).
b. By not saying lies or not supporting those who say lies because by doing that we become children of satan who is the father of lies. In him there is no truth. He is a liar from the beginning (Jn 8:44).
c. By allowing God's Word and his teachings to abide in us ( Jn 25:7) and God will grant us whatever we need in our life.
d. By doing something every day that makes us worthy for ‘eternal life’.
e. By remaining in the grace of God and not losing our anointing through sin.
f. By abiding in GOD and he will abide in us (Jn 15:4)
g. By not leading people astray through our words and examples.

h. By allowing ourselves to be taught by the Holy Spirit and his anointing.

MESSAGES FOR OUR DAILY LIVING FROM THE GOSPEL READING
1. We need to ask every day who is Jesus for me. We need to make an effort to come to know him little better every day.

2. Who am I? All our dealings and activities must be an overflow of this question – Who am I? If I am a Catholic, my words and example must be in line with my identity of being a catholic, priest or religious.

3.) We need to be honest about our self as to who we are in the sight of God and in the sight of people.
4) We should acknowledge the truth about ourselves.
5) We should not spoil the name of others, or destroy their image by false witness or lies.
6) We should become the voice of God to others that whoever comes in contact with us may come to know Christ better.
7) We should be like John the Baptist helping people to go to Christ, helping the people to recognise Christ.
8) We must be humble like John the Baptist having his attitude of "He must increase and I must decrease" (Jn 3:30)
9) We need to ask for the anointing and strengthening of the Holy Spirit to do good for others and to avoid evil in our life
10) We need to keep our baptismal promises believing in God and rejecting satan and his empty promises.