Tag: St. Basil

Restless Heart: 9 – “Friends in high places” (Part II)

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FriendsInHighPlaces

In this week’s episode, we return to the Saints! Nessa and I share some Saint stories: St. Basil, St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Philip Neri.

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Episode 9: Friends in high places, Part II (Download)

 

— Show Notes —

* My other podcast is “The Eagle and Child”, where my friend Matt and I talk about the works of C.S. Lewis. At the moment we’re working through “Mere Christianity”.

* Brother Peter, who was walking the San Diego Missions, was from the same order as Fr. Benedict Groeschel, who belonged to the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

* The Camino De Santiago is a pilgrimage route from the south of France to the far western coast of Spain. I walked this route in September of 1996.

* Our first Saint was St. Basil of Caesarea. I spoke about the Emperor Valens, Arianism and the Council of Nicaea. I’ve written a little bit about St. Basil here.

* Our second Saint was St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

* When speaking about Mother Teresa, I quoted Peter Kreeft, a well-known Philosophy Professor at Boston College: “I think nobody alive today is a more powerful agent of conversion than someone like Mother Teresa. You can refute arguments but not her life. When she came to the National Prayer Breakfast and lectured President Clinton about abortion, he had nothing to say to her. He can’t argue with a saint. It’s too bad there isn’t an easier way, because becoming a saint is not the easiest thing in the world. It’s much easier to become an apologist or a philosopher or a theologian”

* I also quote from St. Augustine’s “Confessions” (XIII, Chapter 7, 17) “But I, miserable young man…entreated chastity of You, and said, Grant me chastity and continency, but not yet. For I was afraid lest You should hear me soon, and soon deliver me from the disease of concupiscence, which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished”

* Nessa also quoted from Pastor Rick Warren: “Most people today do not know the difference between a hero and a celebrity. Celebrities are famous for being famous and typically use the spotlight to promote themselves. The difference between heroes and celebrities lies in the reason for their sacrifice. Celebrities often make sacrifices, but they are made for personal benefit: to win a game, an award or an election. For instance, professional athletes, actors and entertainers may be celebrities, but they are not really heroes. They sacrifice for what they do because they enjoy it, or for money, or for fame or for personal satisfactions. Heroes, in contract, sacrifice for the benefit of others. They are self-giving. Mother Teresa is ‘Exhibit A’ of a true hero, a Saint”

* The final Saint we discussed was St. Philip Neri.

* My request “Sing me soft kitty” was a reference to the TV show “The Big Bang Theory”.

* There is still time to follow us @davidandnessa in order to win the new book by Jackie and Bobbie Angel.

Wise Words on Wednesday: Giver of every good gift

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basil-the-great

As you take your seat at table, pray… offer thanks to the Giver…remember Him Who supplies you with this gift, to make your heart glad and to comfort your weakness. Has your need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of your Benefactor pass away too.

As you are putting on your tunic, thank the Giver of it. As you wrap your cloak about yourself, feel yet greater love to God…

Is the day done? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night and to serve the rest of the needs of life”

– St. Basil

Defenders of orthodoxy

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Today is the Feast of the Holy Hierarchs, typically known in the West as the Cappadocian Fathers: St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. John Chrysostom. They were each great theologians in their own right and were staunch defenders of the Faith against different heresies:

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Oral Tradition and the Fathers

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Last week I did a post on “Peter and the Fathers” where I posted the quotations which our pastor included in our parish’s newsletter. Today is another reproduction from our bulletin on the subject of Oral Tradition:

“For wherever both the true Christian rule and faith shall be shown to be, there will be the true Scriptures, and the true expositions, of all the true Christian traditions
– Tertullian, The Prescription of Heretics, 19 (AD 200)

“Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have received delivered to us ‘in mystery’ by the tradition of the Apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the same force. And these no one will contradict; no one, at all events, who is even moderately versed in the institutions of the Church. For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in these matters…”
– St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit 27 (AD 375)

“I have often then inquired earnestly and attentively of very many men eminent for sanctity and learning, how and by what sure and so to speak universal rule I may be able to distinguish the truth of Catholic faith  from the falsehood of heretical depravity; and I have always, and in almost every instance, received an answer to this effect: That whether I or anyone else should wish to detect the fraud and avoid the snares of heretics as they arise, and to continue sound and complete in the Catholic faith, we must, the Lord helping, fortify our own belief in two ways: first by the authority of the Divine Law, and then, by the Tradition of the Catholic Church.
– St. Vincent of Lerins, Commonitory 2 (AD 434)

Mosaic

Group Pilgrimage

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I thought I would do a follow-up to yesterday’s post about friendship…

Since the earliest times, as pilgrims traveled towards some holy site, they would travel together in groups. They would band together for support, encouragement and safety as they journeyed towards their pilgrimage destination. Likewise, in our pilgrimage towards Heaven, good friends along the way can offer us all kinds of support.

Given my personality type, I benefit greatly from time by myself, but in recent years I’ve come to understand how much I need friends. Good, virtuous friends support and encourage, but also tell us the cold, hard truth about ourselves when we really need it.

A while ago I was praying The Office of Readings and read about the beautiful friendship between St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzen. These were two of the three “Cappadocian Fathers” who were Early Church Fathers in Fourth Century Turkey. On Wednesday, in the Eastern calendar, it will be their feast day, the “Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs“, I thought I’d share an extract from one of Gregory’s sermons where he describes his relationship with Basil.

the-three-holy-hierarchs

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St. Basil’s Priorities

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The Gospel this week (Luke 13:25-33) was all about what it means to follow Christ and to have Him as Lord over your life, in first place before anything or anyone.  Doing this, as hard as it is, is also immensely freeing since it results in the things of life being put back into their proper order.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the story of St. Basil.  Now here was a man with his priorities straight!  Basil is known as the father of Oriental monasticism and a forerunner of St. Benedict. Though his ascetic training Basil had very clear ideas about what was truly important in life. This clarity would be needed the day a representative from the Emperor came to visit…

The Emperor Valens was a resolute supporter of the Arians, those who said Jesus was created by and inferior to God the Father. The Emperor Valens had plantedArianism in other provinces of Asia Minor and came to Cappadocia withthe same aim. He sent the Prefect Modestus to Bishop Basil in order to convince him to join the Arians.  Modestus threatened Basil with ruin, exile, torture and even death if he didn’t fall in line.  Basil’s response was priceless:

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