St. Gregory Nazianzen

St. Gregory was born in Asia Minor, about 325 AD, and died in 389. He became friends with Basil at very young age but left home and studied rhetoric and philosophy in Cappadocia, Palestine and Alexandria. After his baptism at age 30, Gregory went to Athens where he renewed his friendship with Basil, where they both continued their studies of rhetoric. Basil and Gregory for different reasons both decided to live a life of austerity and sacrifice, they both began to live the life of religious hermits and eventually joined in a newly founded monastery. Both Basil and Gregory were ordained priests and argued against Arianism, a heresy denying the divinity of Christ. Basil became known for sweeping reforms in Caesarea. He defended the faith against the Arian heresy, refusing communion to those who did not believe in the divinity of Christ. He was known as a great orator, preaching twice a day to huge crowds. He built a hospital that was so large and vast it was called a wonder of the world. He organized famine relief and created a system of soup kitchens to feed the poor. Gregory became the bishop of Caesarea and then eventually Constantinople, where he tried to bring back Christians from Arianism. He was able to convert the emperor Theodosius to Catholicism and with his help was able to push back the influence of Arianism in Constantinople. He preached eloquently on the Trinity and on the divinity of Christ. Two remarkable saints who combined the best of the East and the West and championed the truth of the Divinity of Christ. St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil the Great, pray for us.