St. Basil the Great

Also known as: Basilius Magnus, Basil of Caesarea, Basilius Caesariensis, Basilius
Dates: c. 330–379
Role: Bishop of Caesarea, Doctor of the Church, Church Father; founder of Eastern monasticism

One of the three Cappadocian Fathers and a pillar of Eastern monasticism. Called "the Moses of his age" by Gregory Nazianzen. Best known for his Hexaemeron, his monastic rule, and his courageous resistance to the Arian Emperor Valens.

Works

Preliminaries

TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Called "the Moses of his age" by Gregory Nazianzen; learned to act like Moses from Moses himself; wrote the Hexaemeron as commentary on Genesis; his letter 140 to Libanius quoted
"Saint Basil was the Moses of his age, says his peer Blessed Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration in Praise of Saint Basil, and he learned to act like Moses from Moses himself."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — With Gregory Nazianzen, devoted thirteen years after studying at Athens to reading and meditating upon Moses and Sacred Scriptures, per Rufinus
"Rufinus attests that after Saint Basil and Saint Gregory Nazianzen had studied eloquence and philosophy at Athens, they devoted thirteen years to reading and meditating upon Moses and the Sacred Scriptures."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Descended from pious parents Basil and Emmelia; his mother followed him into the wilderness
"Saint Basil too was descended from parents illustrious for piety no less than for birth — Basil and Emmelia — and his mother followed her son even when he withdrew into the wilderness."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Like Moses, ascended by degrees; ordained priest by Hermogenes, Bishop of Caesarea, per Gregory Nazianzen
"Saint Basil did the same, of whom Saint Gregory Nazianzen says"
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Fled bishopric of Neocaesarea; hid after Eusebius of Caesarea's death; reluctantly made bishop
"Saint Basil likewise fled the bishopric of Neocaesarea, as he himself writes in Epistle 164."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Called "the Christian Moses"; vanquished adversaries by steady kindness, per Gregory Nazianzen
"Saint Basil, the Christian Moses, vanquished his adversaries by his steady kindness, as Saint Gregory Nazianzen writes of him."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Rufinus recounts his zeal: journeyed through Pontus rousing sluggish minds, built monasteries, taught psalms, cared for poor; transformed the whole province
"Basil," he says, "journeying through the cities and countryside of Pontus, began to rouse with his words the sluggish minds of that people"
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — While preaching, Ephrem saw a dove (Holy Spirit) whispering into his ear; Gregory Nazianzen testifies he relieved a public famine by opening granaries of the wealthy; Gregory of Nyssa adds he gave away his personal inheritance to the poor
"While Saint Basil was preaching, Saint Ephrem saw a dove whispering the sermon into his ear"
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Called "the Moses of cenobitic monks"; raised monasteries throughout the East; prescribed monastic constitutions; defended monasticism against heretics in Epistle 63
"Saint Basil, the Moses of cenobitic monks, raised up monasteries throughout the whole East and prescribed monastic constitutions for them."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Gregory Nazianzen said "the life of Basil was for all a rule of living"
"what Gregory Nazianzen says of Saint Basil — 'the life of Basil was for all a rule of living' — applies equally to you."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Overcame and slew Julian the Apostate through prayer before an image of Our Lady, per Damascene from Helladius
"Saint Basil overcame and slew Julian the apostate Emperor"
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Resisted Prefect Modestus and Emperor Valens; famous dialogue refusing to follow the Emperor's Arian religion; declared confiscation, exile, torture, and death did not touch him
"how glorious were the struggles of Saint Basil against Valens and the Arians?"
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — At his death and funeral, so great a gathering of mourners (even Jews and pagans) that several were crushed and killed, per Gregory Nazianzen
"At the death and funeral of Saint Basil, Saint Gregory Nazianzen writes that there was so great a gathering of mourners — even of Jews and pagans — that several were crushed and killed in the crowd."
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Gregory Nazianzen said "Basil, through the single Church of Caesarea, gave light to the whole world."
"that saying of Saint Gregory Nazianzen: 'Basil, through the single Church of Caesarea, gave light to the whole world.'"
TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Van der Burch exhorted to "express Basil"; Lapide prays God pour out the spirit of both Moses and Basil upon Van der Burch
"Imitate Moses in all things; express Basil."
THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS A LAPIDE. — Listed among saints whose company Lapide found in Rome (with Gregory and Jerome)
"I pursue a solitude and retreat that is pleasant to me and not unprofitable to others, in company with Saint Basil, Gregory, and Jerome"

Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture

Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture — Compared Sacred Scripture to a fully stocked workshop supplying medicines for every disease
"so that St. Basil rightly compares it to a most fully stocked workshop"
Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers — With Gregory the Theologian, spent thirteen years in monastery devoted to Scripture; Rufinus says they studied "from the writings and authority of the elders"
"Basil and Gregory the Theologian, who fleeing to the solitude"
Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers — A contemporary of Ephrem the Syrian
"A contemporary of St. Basil was St. Ephrem the Syrian"
Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study — In prologue to Isaiah, says constant exercise in Scripture imprints its majesty on the mind
"And St. Basil in his prologue to Isaiah"
The Fathers' Defense of the Old Testament — Wrote Hexaemeron books on Genesis; along with Ambrose
"Basil and his follower or interpreter St. Ambrose wrote Hexaemeron books on Genesis"
Saintly Examples of Scripture Study — Quoted on alternation of prayer and reading: "Let reading follow prayer, and prayer follow reading"
"as St. Basil says: "Let reading follow prayer, and prayer follow reading.""
Moses and Christ: Nineteen Parallels — In homily 1 on the Hexaemeron, praises Moses as beloved of God from his mother's breast
"Hear Saint Basil, homily 1 on the Hexaemeron"

Commentary on the Pentateuch of Moses

Canons Bearing a Torch Before the Pentateuch — Argues against Origen on the literal sense of Genesis; Homilies 3 and 9 on the Hexaemeron
"See St. Basil arguing against Origen here, Homilies 3 and 9 on the Hexaemeron."
Canons Bearing a Torch Before the Pentateuch — Hands down the canon that one thing can be a figure of two contrary things; on Isaiah chapter 2
"St. Basil (on Isaiah chapter 2) hand down this canon"

Chapter I (The Six Days of Creation)

In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations — Cited for first interpretation of "In the beginning" as the first origin of time; from Homily 1 on the Hexameron
"Ambrose and Basil, homily 1 on the Hexameron: "In the beginning," they say, that is, in the first origin or start"
In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations — Cited alongside Bede for the view that heaven and earth were created shortly before the first day
"St. Basil and Bede think that heaven and earth were created not on the first day, but shortly before the first day"
In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations — Cited for the second interpretation "In the Son"
"the same Augustine, Ambrose, and Basil in the same place"
In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations — Cited for the sixth interpretation "In a moment"; from Homily 1 on the Hexameron
"Sixthly, St. Ambrose and St. Basil, homily 1 on the Hexameron: \"In the beginning,\" they say, that is, in a moment"
In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations — Cited for the eighth interpretation "As foundations"
"say St. Basil and Procopius."
He Created — Cited for the inference that God can create many worlds and annihilate this one
"from which Saint Basil infers: because God made this world by His power, art, and freedom, by the same He can create many more"
Heaven and Earth: Four Interpretations — Cited for saying heaven and earth were first laid as foundations of the universe
"And Saint Basil, homily 1 on the Hexaemeron, says that \"heaven and earth were first laid and constructed as certain foundations and supporting bases of the universe.\""
Heaven and Earth: Four Interpretations — Listed among supporters of the empyrean heaven interpretation
"This is the opinion of Blessed Clement, received from the lips of Saint Peter; of Origen, Theodoret, Alcuin, Rabanus, Lyranus, Philo, Saint Hilary, Theophilus of Antioch, Junilius, Bede, Abulensis, Catharinus, and many others"
Heaven and Earth: Four Interpretations — Cited for the opinion that the earth, empyrean, and abyss were created first
"This is the opinion of Saint Peter and Clement, Saint Basil, Bede, Molina, and many others"
Heaven and Earth: Four Interpretations — Listed among those who thought angels were created before the world
"Some thought they were created before the world: so held Origen, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, Ambrose, Jerome, Hilary."
Verse 2: And the earth was without form and void — Cited for identifying the Spirit of the Lord as the Holy Spirit; from which passage the divinity of the Holy Spirit is proved
"So say St. Jerome, Basil, Theodoret, Athanasius, and nearly all the other Fathers, who from this passage prove the divinity of the Holy Spirit."
Verse 2: And the earth was without form and void — Cited alongside Diodorus and Jerome on the Hebrew word merachephet referring to birds brooding
"the Hebrew is merachephet, which, as St. Basil, Diodorus, and Jerome testify in the Hebrew Questions on Genesis"
Verse 3: And God said: Let there be light — Quoted from Homily 2 on the Hexaemeron on the beauty light brought to the world
"St. Basil gives a beautiful comparison in Homily 2 on the Hexaemeron: "Just as those who pour oil into a deep whirlpool of water give that place clarity and transparency,"
Verse 3: And God said: Let there be light — Cited alongside Theodoret and Nazianzen for the view that only the quality of light was created without a subject
"St. Basil, Theodoret, and Nazianzen think that only the quality of light was here created without a subject"
Verse 3: And God said: Let there be light — Quoted from Homily on Penance on Christ bestowing His prerogatives on others
"On this St. Basil speaks beautifully in his Homily on Penance: "His own prerogatives Jesus bestows on others. "
Verse 9: Let the waters be gathered together — Cited alongside Burgensis, Catharinus, and Thomas for the view that the sea was made higher than the earth
"Second, Basil, Burgensis, Catharinus, and St. Thomas think that the sea was here separated from the earth so that it was made higher."
Verse 9: Let the waters be gathered together — Quoted on the Red Sea being restrained by God's command
"St. Basil asks: "What would prevent the Red Sea from bursting with its overflowing flood into all of Egypt, which is so much lower than the sea itself"
Verse 11: Let the earth bring forth — Quoted on God's providence in germination: stalks, ears, beards; symbolic application to man
"Moreover St. Basil marvels, and rightly so, at God's providence in germination"
Verse 12: And the earth brought forth — Cited alongside Ambrose for the view that the earth actually brought forth all species on the third day
"So St. Basil and Ambrose."
Verse 12: And the earth brought forth — Cited for teaching that poisonous herbs and thorns were created before the fall
"the contrary is taught by St. Basil and St. Ambrose, and this is the truer view"
Verse 14: Let There Be Lights in the Firmament — Cited for the phrase "Let them be for signs" as prognostications of weather
"says St. Basil, homily 6 on the Hexaemeron"
Verse 16: And God Made Two Great Lights — Quoted from Homily 6 on the Hexaemeron on the moon as symbol of inconstancy
"Symbolically, St. Basil, homily 6 on the Hexaemeron: The moon, he says, which perpetually waxes or wanes, is a symbol of inconstancy"
Verse 16: And God Made Two Great Lights — Quoted on the sun and moon compared to the Creator as a gnat and an ant
"For the sun and moon compared to the Creator bear the same proportion as a gnat and an ant,\" says St. Basil, homily 6 on the Hexaemeron."
Verse 20: Let the Waters Bring Forth — Cited from Homily 7 on the Hexaemeron on fish being unteachable and stupid
"fish are unteachable and stupid, and cannot be tamed or domesticated by man, says St. Basil, Homily 7 on the Hexaemeron."
Verse 20: Let the Waters Bring Forth — Cited from Homily 7 on the marvels of seawater, coral, pearls, the remora
"All this from St. Basil, Homily 7."
Verse 20: Let the Waters Bring Forth — Cited for teaching to admire God's power in the theater of the sea
"from all these things St. Basil teaches, first, to admire God's power, wisdom, and munificence"
Verse 21: And God Created the Great Sea Creatures — Cited on great sea creatures presenting the appearance of a huge island
"say St. Basil and Theodoret."
Verse 22: And He Blessed Them, Saying: Increase and Multiply — Cited from Homily 8 on the Hexaemeron on the industry of bees and cranes
"St. Basil, Homily 8 on the Hexaemeron, and following him St. Ambrose, Book V of the Hexaemeron"
Verse 22: And He Blessed Them, Saying: Increase and Multiply — Cited on silkworms as proof and type of the resurrection
"So says Basil."
Verse 24: Let the Earth Bring Forth the Living Creature — Cited from Homily 7 as seeming to teach the contrary on animals from putrefaction
"although St. Basil here in Homily 7 seems to teach the contrary."
Verse 24: Let the Earth Bring Forth the Living Creature — Cited from Homily 9 on the Hexaemeron on contemplating species of animals
"St. Basil enumerates and contemplates these species, Homily 9 on the Hexaemeron"
Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness — Cited for denouncing as impious the idea that angels created man
"For St. Basil, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Cyril in Book I Against Julian, and Augustine in Book XVI of The City of God, chapter 6, denounce this as impious"
Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness — Quoted from Homily 10 on the Hexameron on image vs. likeness
"So St. Basil, Homily 10 on the Hexameron: "Through the image impressed on my soul, I obtained the use of reason; but having become a Christian, I am made truly like God.""
Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness — Cited from Homily 10 on the image of God in both man and woman
"and Basil here in Homily 10"
Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness — Cited for placing the image of God in man's power to preside over and rule all animals
"St. Basil places it in this."
Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness — Quoted from Homily 10 on the Hexameron on man as an animal born to command
"Hear St. Basil in Homily 10 on the Hexameron: "You are, therefore, O man, an animal born to command. Why do you submit to this wretched slavery of passions? "
Verse 31: And God Saw All Things That He Had Made, and They Were Very Good — Quoted from Homily 4 on the Hexaemeron on the world as a book proclaiming God's glory
"St. Basil, Homily 4 on the Hexaemeron: "This entire mass of the world," he says, "is like a book written with letters, openly testifying and proclaiming the glory of God, and abundantly declaring to you, the intellectual creature, His most august majesty"