In the Roman Catholic Church, there are eight figures who are known as the "Great Church Fathers." They are set apart for their influence on the early Church in the first few centuries following Jesus' resurrection.
These Church Fathers are: Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great in the West, and Basil the Great, Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom in the East.
Each of these saints has much to teach us today, and Pope Benedict XVI liked to reference them often during his Wednesday general audiences.
Luminary of the Church
Pope Benedict XVI began a commentary on St. Basil's life in 2007, in which he said, "Let us remember today one of the great Fathers of the Church, St Basil, described by Byzantine liturgical texts as 'a luminary of the Church.'"
St. Basil was an important bishop during the 4th century and is held in high esteem by both the Western and Eastern Church.
One unique part of St. Basil's life was his approach to monasticism, which Pope Benedict XVI explains:
Basil created a very special monasticism: it was not closed to the community of the local Church but instead was open to it. His monks belonged to the particular Church; they were her life-giving nucleus and, going before the other faithful in the following of Christ and not only in faith, showed a strong attachment to him - love for him - especially through charitable acts. These monks, who ran schools and hospitals, were at the service of the poor and thus demonstrated the integrity of Christian life.
St. Basil sought to serve the community and to help those most in need. His type of monasticism laid the foundations for thousands of religious orders that would blend charitable works and a deep prayer life.
Pope Benedict XVI continues by relaying the concern he had for the most vulnerable of society:
As the Bishop and Pastor of his vast Diocese Basil was constantly concerned with the difficult material conditions in which his faithful lived; he firmly denounced the evils; he did all he could on behalf of the poorest and most marginalized people; he also intervened with rulers to alleviate the sufferings of the population, especially in times of disaster; he watched over the Church's freedom, opposing even the powerful in order to defend the right to profess the true faith.
St. Basil reminds us that serving the poor and the marginalized has been part of the Church's essence since the very beginning. What we do today is a continuation of what has been going on for thousands of years.
As we discern what to do in our current world, it is healthy and helpful to look back and see the witness of the saints and how their dedication to Christ can inspire us today.
