“You fought the good fight, O First- Martyr and Apostle of Christ…” (Troparion of the Feast)

In the feast of the Nativity of our Lord we admired the infinite love and sacrifice of God for us sinners. On the third day after the feast of the Nativity, holy Church places before us the heroic example of the love of God in the person of the Protomartyr St. Stephen. St. Gregory of Nyssa in his sermon in honor of St. Stephen says: “Behold we go from one feast to another and receive grace upon grace. Yesterday the Lord of the universe filled us with wonder, whereas today the disciple of the Lord fills us with wonder. In what manner the former, and in what manner the latter? The former (i.e., Christ), for our sakes assumed human nature, while the latter (i.e., St. Stephen) for the sake of the Lord rid himself of human nature. The martyr’s death of St. Stephen is truly singular, as is his cult, which is enjoyed in the Church of Christ since apostolic times.

St. Stephen – Apostle, First-Martyr and Archdeacon
The Eastern Church in giving glory to St. Stephen in its church services, gives him a threefold title, calling him an Apostle, the Protomartyr, and an Archdeacon. St. Stephen belonged to the seventy apostles whose memory our Church honors on the 4th of January. For his holiness, fortitude and zeal in spreading the word of God, he deserves the title of apostle in every way. The Acts of the Apostles say that he was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…full of grace and fortitude, who did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6, 5 and 8) St. John Chrysostom numbers St. Stephen among the apostles. “Tell me truthfully,” he says, “what did he lack to be equal to the Apostles? Did he not also work miracles? Did he not also manifest fortitude?” (Sermon 15, Acts of the Apostles)
St. Stephen was not only a zealous apostle, but was also the first martyr. Accused before the Synhedrion – the Jewish Council by false witnesses, he bravely professed the holy faith. For this they led him out of the city and stoned him to death. This occurred in the year 34 or 35 (A.D.) after Christ. Like Christ, he too prayed for his enemies at his death. Saul, a young man who later became the Apostle Paul, took part in his martyrdom. St. Augustine ascribes the conversion of Saul to the martyrdom of St. Stephen. “If Stephen had not prayed,” he says, “the Church would not now have Paul.” St. Stephen was the first to shed his blood and give up his life after the Ascension of our Lord. As a result of this, he received the honorable title of “Protomartyr” (First-Martyr). The holy Fathers highly extol this title in their sermons and it is emphasized, in a special way, in our church services in honor of St. Stephen and in the service commemorating the translation of his holy relics on the 2nd of August.
St. John Chrysostom begins his sermon on St. Stephen the Protomartyr with the words:

“All the Martyrs are given glory, and the heroic deeds of the just are everywhere an object of admiration; but at the mention of the most famous heroic deed of the first-martyr Stephen. even the mute tongue begins to praise him. Whom is Blessed Stephen not able to invite to praise (him)? His very name, which in Greek means “crown”, already indicates his merits. His very name suggests that he received the honor of victory! Here the name of the Martyr already implies struggle, victory, and honor!”

Another sermon on St. Stephen says:

“We crown Stephen with flowers of praise, and we shower upon him roses of laudatory songs. He already crowned himself with victorious prizes… Who among mortals can give worthy praise to the fighter? Who of us is able to weave a wreath fitting his heroic deed? What tongue is able to expound the glory of the victor? What lips shall speak in praise of the heroic deeds of Stephen? What mouth is able to express the fortitude of the first Martyr?”

In her services on the feast of St. Stephen and the translation of his relics on the 2nd of August, the Eastern Church extols his martyrdom with various titles of praise: “The beginning and praise of the martyrs”, “the first-martyr”, “the first among the martyrs”, “the protomartyr (first-martyr)”, “Apostle”, “soldier (warrior) of Christ”, “the glorious leader of the martyrs”, “the praise of the apostles and the glory of the martyrs”, “the protomartyr”, “the door of the martyrs'”, “the wise first-martyr”, “the leader of the assembly of martyrs”. In the stichera of the aposticha in the Vespers service, we praise him:

“You became the first among the martyrs and deacons, O Stephen Apostle, the ornament of martyrs, the fortress of the faithful, glory of the just. Since you stand before the throne of Christ the King, implore Him to cleanse the sins of those who celebrate your memory and to render them worthy of the kingdom of heaven.”

In the kontakion honoring the translation of his relics, holy Church invokes him:

“You were the first to be sown on earth by the heavenly Sower, O all praiseworthy Stephen; you were the first on earth to shed your blood for Christ, O Blessed One; you were the first to be crowned in heaven by Him with the crown of victory, O first fruit of the martyrs, O crown of martyrdom, O first-martyr Stephen.”

Stephen was first among the seven deacons chosen to take care of the poor; hence he is called the Archdeacon.

The Cult of St. Stephen
St. Stephen is the first-martyr and prototype of all martyrs and so his cult is the oldest of all the martyrs. The date of his death is unknown. Holy Church linked his memory with the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, for as the first-martyr of Christ he bore a very close relation with Christ. Originally, both the Eastern and the Western Churches celebrated the feast of St. Stephen on the second day after Christmas. But when the custom of celebrating the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God on the day after Christmas emerged in the Eastern Church, then somewhere in the seventh century, the feast of St. Stephen was transferred to the third day after Christmas. To this day the Western Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen on the 26th of December. The feast of St. Stephen was already generally known in the fourth century and was celebrated on an equal footing with those of the Apostles. The Apostolic Constitutions of the fourth century say: “Let them celebrate on the day of the first-martyr Stephen.” The holy Fathers of the fourth century, such as St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine, preached sermons in honor of St. Stephen. In the fourth and fifth centuries, in the East and in the West, churches were built in his honor. In Constantinople itself, there are as many as three churches in memory of St. Stephen.
A further motive for the cult of St. Stephen was the finding of his relics in 415. It was then that the teacher of the Apostle Paul, who died believing in Christ, appeared three times to a priest of Jerusalem, Lucianus. He told Lucianus that, after the stoning of Stephen, he buried Stephen’s body in his own tomb, where it now rests together with the remains of his son, Avivus, and near them Nicodemus – the secret disciple of Christ. The discovered relics of St. Stephen were transferred to the church on Sion, in Jerusalem. Sometime afterwards they were again transferred to the Church of the Stoning, north of Jerusalem. The wife of Emperor Theodosius the Younger, Eudokia, in the year 460, at the place of the original Church of the Stoning, built a beautiful basilica which was later destroyed. The ruins of this basilica were discovered in 1812, and upon the old foundation the present day church of St. Stephen was erected.
A later tradition has it that the site of St. Stephen’s martyrdom was the valley of the Cedron, east of Jerusalem. Hence, the Eastern gate of the old city is now called the gate of St. Stephen.
In the year 560 part of the relics of St. Stephen were transferred to Constantinople and deposited, first in the church of St. Lawrence, and later in the newly built church of St. Stephen. The Greek Church celebrates the translation of the relics to Constantinople on the 2nd of August. Just as at the finding, so too, at the translation of the relics of St. Stephen, various miracles took place. St. Augustine, the great venerator of St. Stephen speaks of these miracles.

St. Stephen the First-Martyr Our Model
The Christian religion is a religion of heroism. It cultivates and trains heroes and demands heroism. The life of a good Christian is a constant struggle with the devil, the passions and the world, which is the enemy of God. The Christian must always place the love of God above all things: above his “I”, above worldly interests, above all comforts, above father, mother, brother and sister, and even life itself. This is what Jesus Christ Himself taught and demanded:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14, 26-27)

St. John Chrysostom in a sermon on St. Stephen reminds us of the obligation to struggle for the sake of Christ and the salvation of our soul.

“The present life,” he says, “is the time of struggle. Here we must wage war and struggle. During war no one seeks rest. During war no one thinks of comfort, no one cares for possessions, no one worries about a wife, but worries only about one thing – how to overcome the enemy. We too shall act in the same manner. If we overcome and return with trophies, then God will give us all things.’

Upon us all weighs the obligation of being Christians not only in name, but also in the faithful and courageous profession of our faith in word, deed and our entire life, and, if necessary, even in death by giving up our lives for the faith. St. Stephen, the first-martyr, gives us an inspiring example of a courageous and heroic profession of faith. St. John Chrysostom, setting before us St. Stephen as a model for imitation, says:

“Whoever would go to battle for the sake of Christ has St. Stephen for his teacher. Whoever would go forth to the struggle of martyrdom will imitate Stephen. Stephen is the leader of the fighters for Christ; Stephen is the support of those who die for Him.”

“In heaven he is the one only-begotten of the One Father, and on earth he is the one only-begotten of one Virgin.” (St. John Chrysostom)

The feast of the Nativity of Christ places before us God’s great plan for the redemption of the human race. The Son of God, out of infinite love for us, became a small child. For his mother he chose the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Thanks to the Most Holy Mother of God, His plans became a reality. Without her, there would be no Nativity of Christ, no redemption. The renowned church writer, Father M. Meschler, meditating upon the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ and the role the Most Pure Virgin Mary played in it, exclaims:

“O wonderful, sublime creature, in whose hand and heart God laid our redemption, on whose consent He made everything depend! Without her, we would not have Jesus, we would not be redeemed. She gave her consent, and gave it freely, with boundless love for us… The immediate effect of the Incarnation upon Mary was that she really became the Mother of God. Mary is really the Mother of God, precisely because she is the Mother of Jesus”.

(The Life of Jesus Christ in Meditations, Vol. I) The Eastern Church, conscious of the dignity of Divine Motherhood, dedicated the day following the Nativity of our Lord, to the dignity of the Most Holy Mother of God.

The Period of Twelve Days

The period from the feast of the Nativity of our Lord to the feast of the Theophany lasts twelve days; hence, it has the name “The Twelve Days” from the Greek word “dodekameron”. Just as in ancient times the feast of the Pasch was celebrated for a whole week until the Sunday of St. Thomas, so also, the feast of the Nativity of our Lord was celebrated for twelve days to the feast of the Theophany.

The celebration of the Twelve Days is substantiated by the Typicon of St. Sabbas the Sanctified (+530), where it is stated that during that time “there is no fasting – hence, the origin of our Privileged Days nor kneeling in church or in the cells.” The Codex of Emperor Justinian published in 535, dictates an observance of the Twelve Days. The historian, George Cedrenus (12 c), relates that Emperor Justinian himself celebrated the twelve days of the feast with particular devotion and generously distributed alms at that time. The Second Synod of Tours, France, which took place in 567, regards as feastdays all the days from the feast of the Nativity to the Theophany. Of the original twelve days, two are still celebrated in our Church as festal days: the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God and the feast of St. Stephen Protomartyr.

The Institution of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God

After a great feast, the Eastern Church traditionally honors the memory of those persons who played a chief role in the events commemorated by the feast. The Most Holy Mother of God occupies first place after Christ, in the events connected with the Nativity of our Lord. For this reason, in the first centuries, the faithful assembled on the day following the Nativity to express their gratitude to the Most Pure Virgin Mary for having given us the Saviour and to honor her as the Mother of God. From this gathering of the faithful, the feast itself received the name Synaxis which is a Greek word for “gathering”.

It is difficult to determine in which century the feast of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God became a universal practice of the Church. Some of the Fathers of the fourth century, such as St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Epiphany of Cyprus and St. John Chrysostom, on the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, praise in their sermons the Most Holy Mother of God. Perhaps at one time, the feast of the Synaxis and the commemoration of St. Stephen the Protomartyr were also celebrated on the same day, for it was not until the seventh century that the commemoration of St. Stephen was transferred to the third day following the feast of the Nativity.

There is an allusion made to the celebration of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God on the day after the Nativity of our Lord in the 79th rule of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which met at Constantinople in 691. During that time, in certain localities, a custom was introduced where on the second day after Christmas the faithful exchanged baked goods as though in honor of the travail that the Most Pure Virgin Mary underwent in giving birth to Jesus Christ. The Synod condemned and forbade this practice.

“The divine birth by the Virgin,” says the Synod, “which was without seed, we profess to have been painless, and this we preach to all the faithful. Hence, we wish to correct those who through ignorance are doing something improper. For there are some who, the day after the feast of the Nativity of Christ our God, prepare baked goods and exchange them among themselves and present them as gifts to one another in honor of the labor during the childbirth of the all Pure Virgin Mary. We decree that the faithful not do anything similar. This does not bring honor to the Virgin when they designate and represent her marvelous childbirth as an ordinary birth such as the kind we know; because in fact, she gave birth to the uncontainable Word in a manner that is beyond all understanding and expression. If therefore, from this moment on anyone should do this, let the cleric be deprived of his dignity, and the layperson be excommunicated.”

Even in Eastern Ukraine, a similar custom prevailed. In the villages, on the day of the Synaxis, the women brought to church “phrohy” (potato dumplings), thinking that in this manner they would honor the Most Holy Mother of God, as was generally the custom when someone gave birth to a child. The Kyivan Metropolitan Michael Rahoza prohibited such a practice in 1590.

The Nativity of Our Lord and The Dignity of the Divine Motherhood

The Incarnation of our Lord bestowed upon the Most Pure Virgin Mary the dignity of dignities – that of being the Mother of God. By giving birth to Jesus Christ, she became the real Mother of God without ceasing to be a Virgin. This dignity is the source of all privileges and graces bestowed upon her.

St. Ephrem the Syrian (+373), the great eulogist and venerator of the Mother of God, in his Nativity hymns, very beautifully sings the praises of the mystery of the Incarnation, the Virginity, and Divine Motherhood of Mary:

“No one knows,” he says, “what to call your Mother O Lord! She is called a virgin, though she has a child; she is called a Bride, though she knew no man! If one cannot comprehend your mother, how then can they understand you!” (Hymn, XI, 1) “Your Mother, She is a wonder! The Lord, entering Her becomes a servant. The Almighty through a word enters her, and becomes mute. The Ruler of thunder entered and his voice became silent. The Supreme Shepherd enters and in her becomes a lamb which saw the light of day amid crying.”

(Hymn XI, 6)

St. John Chrysostom in a sermon on “The Holy Virgin and Mother of God, Mary,” meditating on her being chosen the Mother of God, said:

“Nothing can be found among men like the Mother of God, Mary. Consider, O man, all creatures and see is there anything equal or greater than the holy God-bearer Mary? Go around the earth, plumb the sea, search thoroughly the air, examine in spirit heaven, consider all the visible and invisible forces and tell me is there a wonder similar among all the creatures?… She alone miraculously conceived in her womb Him Whom all creatures praise in fear and trembling. Blessed are women, for they no longer labor under the curse. She gave birth to a child through whom she surpasses all the angels in glory… Therefore, let us say to her: ‘Blessed are you among women! You alone removed the grief of Eve; you alone wiped away her tears; you alone brought redemption to mankind; to you alone was the most precious Pearl entrusted; you alone were conceived without concupiscence and gave birth without travail, you alone gave birth to Emmanuel according to His pleasure.”’

(Works, Vol. 8, pp. 906-907)

Our Church on the day of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God calls upon the faithful to praise the Mother of God: “Come, let us extol the Mother of the Saviour,” we sing at the Sticheras of the Praises in Matins, “who, even after giving birth, remained a Virgin. Rejoice, O living garden of the King and God, in which Christ dwelt, and accomplished our salvation. With Gabriel let us offer praise and with the shepherds let us give glory, saying: ‘O Mother of God, pray to Him who became incarnate of you for our salvation.”’

The feast of the Synaxis does not have much of its own service. Its service is the service of the Nativity of our Lord. The Menology of Emperor Basil mentions on this day the flight of the Most Holy Mother of God with the Child Jesus into Egypt. The Gospel of this day also speaks of the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.

The Synods of Zamost and Lviv list among the feasts of the Liturgical Year, the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God and St. Joseph. The Eastern Church does not commemorate St. Joseph in the Synaxis, but honors him on the Sunday after Christmas together with the holy ancestors, King David and the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord. For the Sunday after Christmas, Father Isidore Dolnytskyj composed a beautiful service in honor of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In regard to the service of the Synaxis, he says in his Typicon: “St. Joseph has nothing in this service except the troparion and the kontakion, and this only in our breviaries and Slyzhebnyks” (liturgicons-missals). (p. 196)

“O our Father Basil, You acquired the virtues of all the Saints, the humility of Moses, the zeal of Elias, the profession of Peter and the theology of John, Paul’s unceasing pleading…” (Stichera at the Aposticha of the Feast of St. Basil)

Feast of St. Basil the Great

On the first of January, the beginning of the civil year, our Church celebrates the memory of the death of one of the greatest and most outstanding Fathers of the Church and doctors of the faith and of monastic legislators St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea, Cappodocia, of Asia Minor (329-379). His person is in every respect extraordinary, noble, illustrious and worthy of praise. He was not only an aristocrat by birth, but also an aristocrat in spirit, character, learning and holiness. The mark of his deep faith, heroic love of God and neighbor, learning and holiness is stamped on the entire Church of Christ, on the monastic life in the East and on our people.

The French author, Jean Rivier, in his book “St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea” says of him,

“St. Basil is one of the most illustrious and renowned figures of the ancient Greek Church. His contemporaries had already conferred upon him the title ‘the Great’… he is an ascetic by calling and a man of action by nature… His rule became the code of monastic life in the East, as did the rule of St. Benedict in the West… He is an ascetic, bishop, orator, theologian and scholar. He, without the least doubt, is the most perfect representative of the Church of his times… His life was in complete harmony with his learning, or to put it more clearly, his learning was nothing else than a reflection of his life.”

Small wonder then, that holy Church justifiably gave him the title “the Great”. He is truly “Great” especially in three areas of his life: as a great archbishop of the Church, as a great legislator of monastic life, and as a man of great holiness.

Basil Great Archbishop of the Church

The first outstanding characteristic of St. Basil as an archbishop was his fearlessness in professing and defending the holy faith against the Arian heretics who fiercely persecuted the true followers of Christ. Emperor Valens (364-379), baptized by an Arian bishop, became a relentless apostle of Arianism. Amid the inhuman and savage persecutions of the bishops and the faithful, Basil alone dared to oppose the emperor himself. Historians recorded the encounter of St. Basil with Modest, the prefect of the pretorium. He too was, like Valens, a staunch Arian. At his command, eighty-eight priests were burned at sea in a ship. Modest summoned Basil to appear before him, and received him in a most insolent manner, not even addressing him by his title of bishop. Shouting at him vehemently, he threatened Basil with exile, confiscation, torture and death. To these terrible threats, St. Basil calmly replied, “If there is anything else, threaten me with that too, for none of these things you have mentioned can affect me.” Modest afterwards reported this conversation with Basil to the emperor, saying: “My lord, we have been worsted by the head of this church. The man is superior to threats, deaf to arguments, incapable of persuasion.” After other futile attempts to persuade Basil, the emperor finally ceased to provoke him further.

From Basil’s deep faith arose his other outstanding trait – his sacrificial love of God and neighbor. Sacrifice is the language of love. In Basil, this language of sacrifice was very strong, eloquent and active. His love, ever vigilant, sensitive, open, and all-embracing impelled him to be ever ready to assist either friend or foe. For the destitute, the aged, the sick, the outcast, orphans, and widows he established large charitable institutions which formed, as it were, a separate city near Caesarea; in his honor it was called “The Basiliade”.

Basil sacrificed all his great talents, learning, energy and health for the welfare of his flock. In every way possible he defended his people against the attacks of the Arians, using every possible means at his disposal. His friend, St. Gregory of Nazianzen, mentioned this in his funeral oration on St. Basil: “Basil visited some, sent messages to others, and summoned still others; he admonished, reproved, censured, threatened, and upbraided; he assumed the defense of nations, cities, and individuals; he contrived every kind of deliverance…” (43) (Eulogy in honor of St. Basil the Great)

St. Basil was a zealous apostle of the Word of God, that is, of preaching. In his time, sermons were very important and powerful because they were almost the only means of instructing the people in the holy faith. By the grace of God, Basil was an eloquent speaker. His speech was ardent, fiery and poignant. St. Ephrem the Syrian relates that he came to Caesarea to visit St. Basil and, entering a church where Basil was preaching, he saw a white dove hovering over the shoulder of St. Basil. At this sight, he exclaimed: “Great are you, O God, in your truth. Basil is a pillar of fire through whose lips the Holy Spirit speaks.” The fiery pillar symbolizes Basil’s heroic love of God and of neighbor. For this reason, it was adopted as the symbol of his sons, members of the Order of St. Basil the Great, commonly known as Basilians.

St. Basil the Great was also a master and apostle of the written word. Although his life was short, he managed to produce a surprising variety of works. Dogmatic, moral, ascetical, and polemical works, commentaries on Holy Scripture, and 366 letters constitute his spiritual legacy.

St. Basil The Great Legislator of Monastic Life

Another area of activity in which St. Basil revealed his greatness as an unsurpassed organizer and legislator is monasticism. His name is forever inscribed in the history of monastic communities, monastic rules and the doctrine of asceticism, not only in the Eastern Church and in our native land of Ukraine, but also throughout the entire Catholic Church. St. Theodore the Studite (759-826) calls St. Basil “the father of Greek monasticism and the first of all the Fathers.” The father of Western monasticism, St. Benedict

(480-543), knew his monastic rules and benefited from them, commanding in his own Rule that the Rule of St. Basil the Great also be read.

“Of all the services rendered by Basil to the cause of monasticism,” says W. L. Clark, “the introduction of the common life is the one by which he most deserves to be remembered… The Pachomian monasteries were cenobitic only in outward appearance; their inner essence was individualistic. Basil made cenobitism a reality… He must be regarded as a pioneer in working out the ideal of the common life.” (St. Basil the Great).

According to St. Basil the purpose of monastic life is not only personal salvation, but also salvation of neighbor. For the monks of St. Basil apostolic work outside the monastery is not an exception, but a rule. According to him the love of neighbor is the measure of the love of God.

The monastic rules of St. Basil were the result of his profound knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, his great learning, his wide experience of life, his sincere holiness and eminently practical mind. His rules are, in truth, the lived reality of the Holy Gospels. St. Theodore the Studite, the great venerator of St. Basil and restorer of his rules, speaks of him thus:

“Whoever follows Basil, follows the Holy Spirit, and whoever does not have faith in him, has no faith in Christ who spoke through him.”

The Servant of God Metropolitan Andrew gives the following evaluation of the rules of St. Basil:

“After the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Apostles, there is no other book as authoritative for the monks as the rules of our holy Father, St. Basil.”

By his rules, St. Basil laid a lasting foundation for common life in the monastery; hence, some historians regard him as the true originator of the common life, even though this title of the first organizer is ascribed to St. Pachomius (†347). Small wonder then, that the monastic rules of St. Basil survived the various vicissitudes of history and have remained to the present day the authoritative rule in Eastern monasticism.

Monasticism made its appearance in Rus-Ukraine simultaneously with the coming of Christianity. The founders of monastic life in Rus-Ukraine were the two great ascetics and sons of Ukraine – St. Anthony (+1073) and St. Theodosius (†1074) Pechersky. As the foundation of monastic life, St. Theodosius used the rule of St. Theodore the Studite, which is based on the rules of St. Basil the Great.

The most beautiful praise in respect to the monastic rules of St. Basil was expressed by one of his great spiritual sons, Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky: “The saints of our Basilian Order modelled themselves on his rules. His rules were a school for a whole range of countless saints from St. John Damascene, St. Maxim, and St. Theodore the Studite to the Saints Anthony and Theodosius Pechersky and St. Josaphat, who from these rules drew that great spirit with which he renewed our Church and our people.” (Introduction to the “An Extract from the Rules of Our Father St. Basil the Great for Nuns”)

At the time of the Brest Union, the ideal of the monk-apostle in the spirit of the Basilian tradition was once more revived and began to shine forth in our country. Metropolitan V. Rutsky and St. Josaphat were the great reformers and organizers of monastic life in our Uniate Church. After the pattern of the Western monastic orders, they brought about a complete centralization of our monasteries, using the rules of St. Basil the Great as the basis of monastic life. Since that time, the work of the Order has covered three specific areas: missionary and pastoral work, education, and publications.

Although Russian Communism has brutally suppressed the Basilian Order in our native land, nevertheless, the Order has not perished. It still lives on today and its members are continuing its traditional work as missionaries, educators and publishers among our faithful who have settled in foreign countries.

St. Basil A Great Saint

The German historian, Hans von Kampenhausen, in a book entitled “The Greek Church Fathers”, speaking of St. Basil, said:

“Basil is an ascetic body and soul. Austere asceticism is the element in which he labors spiritually, lives and exists.”

According to the expression of St. Basil “monks are those who struggle for holiness.” In the introduction to his Longer Rules he says: “You and I, we have the same goal holiness of life.” As he taught, so he lived. Magnanimity, uncompromising will, angelic innocence and love of sacrifice for God and neighbor these were the distinctive marks of Basil’s character. “When St. Basil once decided on something,” says the French author, P. Humberclaude, “he pursued it to the end… Thus he remained to the end of his life… This feature of his character became evident in his asceticism.” (Ascetical Teaching of St. Basil) The British historian, F. Farrar remarked: “Basil did not belong to those who do things half way. When he consecrated himself to God, he did it without reservation.” (Lives of the Saints)

His holiness, virtues and greatness are extolled by our Church in her services in honor of his feast. Here he is praised as “the holy tongue of Christ”, “the shepherd of Christ’s Church”, “the divine and holy bee of Christ’s Church”, “royal ornament of the Church”, “a rich treasure of learning”, “invincible defender of the Trinity”. Addressing him, the liturgy proclaims, “You walked the rough road of the virtues”, “your word is angelic bread”, “you are a chalice of innocence”, “for monks a model of virtue”, “a light of piety”, and a “trumpet of theology”.

Immediately after Basil’s death, Holy Church began to venerate him as a Saint and to celebrate the day of his death on the first of January. The historian T. Rufin (+410), who eighteen years after the death of St. Basil translated his Rules into Latin, in a letter accompanying the translation addresses Basil as a Saint: “I translated,” he says, “the monastic rules of Saint Basil, Bishop of Cappodocia, a man renowned for his faith, works and every kind of holiness.”

Because the feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord is celebrated on January 1, the Latin Church honors his memory on the 14th of June, on which day he was consecrated bishop in the year 370. The church service in honor of St. Basil was composed by Anatolus of Constantinople (5c), St. John Damascene and Germanus of Constantinople (8c).

Thus we have briefly outlined a silhouette of the immortal figure of St. Basil the Great and his everlasting significance for our Church and Ukrainian monasticism. With the words of St. Paul, “Brethren, be imitators of me as I am of Christ” (I Cor. 11) St. Basil summons us all also to imitate his deep faith, his sacrificial and all embracing love of God and neighbor, and his great holiness.

“I behold a wonderful and most glorious mystery: the cave is a heaven; the Virgin the Throne of the Cherubim; the manger – the place where the uncontainable Christ God was born; let us extol Him, singing praises to him.”(Canon of Christmas)

The greatest and most profound mystery of the Christian faith is the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The eternal God becomes a little infant and does not cease to be God. “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us,” says St. John the Evangelist (1,14). “The eternal God is born” we sing in our Ukrainian Christmas Carol. Christ’s nativity is the cradle of our faith. Only faith is able to accept this unfathomable mystery, understand it, and adore it.

In the first centuries, the holy Fathers of the Eastern Church accepted the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God with profound faith and great piety. Enraptured by this mystery, they have nothing but words of wonder for the most wonderful love of God, the sacrifice, humility, and poverty of the newly-born Messiah and Saviour. Moreover, from their lips come exclamations of heavenly joy that the time of salvation has come.
Like the holy Fathers, in her Christmas celebrations our Church also joyfully praises and glorifies the mystery of the birth of the divine Infant. For the strengthening of our faith and a better understanding of this mystery, we shall cite here portions from the Christmas sermons of the holy Fathers and from our Nativity services. Here we will direct our special at- attention to the greatness, majesty, and significance of Christ’s Nativity for the salvation of the human race.
The Majesty and Significance of the Nativity of Our Lord
The holy Fathers first direct their special attention to the greatness of the mystery of the Nativity. In his Christmas sermon St. Basil the Great (†379) teaches us how to receive the mystery of the Incarnation: “The actual, first nativity of Christ, his eternal birth from all eternity in the bosom of His Father, must be venerated in silence. We should not even permit our minds to investigate this mystery. Since time and space did not yet exist, since no form of expressions had yet been created, and since there is not a single eye witness, nor anyone who could describe this eternal birth, how can reason form any concept for reflection? How can the tongue give expression to thoughts that cannot be formulated? The Father was, and the Son was born! Do not say: “when?” but rather, leave that question unasked. Do not ask: “How?” for there is no answer! For the word “when” suggests time, and “how” suggests birth in the flesh… God is on earth, He is among men, not in fire nor amid the sound of trumpets; not on the smoking mountain, or in darkness, or in the terrible and roaring tempest giving the law, but manifested in the flesh, the gentle and good One dwells with those he condescends to make his equals. God is in the flesh, not operating from a distance, as did the prophets, but through his human nature, one with ours, he seeks to bring back all mankind to himself.”
St. Gregory the Theologian (+390) in his word on the Nativity of Christ wonders at the mystery of the Incarnation: “The Word of God Itself, eternal, invisible, incomprehensible, incorporeal, the beginning of the beginning, light of light, the source of life and immortality, a reflection of the original beauty, an irremovable seal, an unchangeable image, decree and Word of God assuming his form, bearing a body for the sake of the body, uniting himself to a rational soul for the sake of my soul, purifying all being, the Uncreated One is created; the Uncontainable One is contained by means of a rational soul, which is the intermediary link between God and the earthly body.”
St. John Chrysostom (†407) in one of his Christmas sermons extols the mystery of the Nativity of Christ in these words: “I see an extraordinary and wonderful mystery: the shepherds fill my ears with sound, singing not a song of the desert but a heavenly hymn. The angels sing, the archangels praise, the Cherubim implore, the Seraphim extol, all celebrate, seeing God on earth and man in heaven; the high- below, according to his plan; and the low – on high, according to the love of God toward man. Today Bethlehem became heaven. Instead of stars, it received the singing angels, and in- instead of the sun it contained the unspeakable Sun of truth. Do not ask how this can be, for whenever God wills, the order of nature yields…That the Virgin gave birth to him, that I know, and that God gave birth to him in time, that I believe, but the manner of giving birth I learned to reverence in silence…” (Works, Vol. 6, p. 692)

In another Christmas sermon, he says: “Is there anything that could equal this Feast? God on earth, and man in heaven, the angels serve man, man associates with the angels and other heavenly Powers; the demons flee, death is conquered, paradise is opened, the curse is taken away, sin has disappeared, offenses are banished, truth comes to earth. Nature, against which the Cherubim guarded paradise, today is united with God.” (Works, Vol. 12, p. 787)

St. Athanasius the Great (+373) in his word on the Nativity of Christ says: “Even the hovel in which the Virgin gave birth, assumes the appearance of a church where the manger – is the prothesis; Joseph the celebrant; the shepherds – the deacons; the angels the priests; the Lord – the bishop; the Virgin the altar; the mother’s breasts chalices; the vestments the incarnation; the Cherubim the ripidions; the Holy Spirit – the discos; and the discos veil – the Father.”

St. Ephrem the Syrian (+373) sang praises to the Incarnation in very beautiful, deeply dogmatic Christmas hymns: “It was a pure night,” he says, “during which the Pure One ap- appeared, to purify us. Let nothing become mingled with our sentiments, lest they be polluted.” (Hymn I, 82) “The day of your Nativity joined heaven and earth, for on this day the most High came to earthlings.” (Hymn IV, 14) “The Most High became a child but in him there was hidden a treasure of wisdom.” (Hymn IV, 148) “The Most High was nourished by the milk of Mary, while all creatures were being nourished by his riches.” (Hymn IV, 149)
In the Vespers service of the feast we sing in the sticheras of Lytiya: “Heaven and earth are united today because Christ is born. Today God came to earth and man ascended into heaven. Today, he who is invisible by nature became visible in the flesh for man’s sake; hence, glorifying him, we cry: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will…” The sticheras at the Aposticha of Vespers says: “A great and most glorious miracle took place today: A Virgin gives birth and the womb remains intact. The Word becomes incarnate but does not separate himself from the Father; the angels together with the shepherds sing praises, and we, too, together with them sing: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth.”
Characteristic Traits of the Incarnation
The other aspects of the Incarnation of the Son of God that the holy Fathers admired were sacrifice, humility and poverty: “And this shall be a sign to you,” said the angels to the shepherds, “you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2,12) These virtues will shine forth throughout his entire life; they will accompany him to the cross and to his grave.
In his Christmas sermon, St. Athanasius exclaims: “Who will not speak out, who will not wonder at the Lord’s coming? In heaven he is a freeman, on earth he is a hireling; above he is rich, below he is poor. In heaven he is the divine Throne, on earth he is in the cave; in heaven he is in the unfathomable bosom of the Father, on earth he is in the small soulless shelter and manger. Who will not express wonder at the great things above and the small swaddling clothes below! He who loosens is bound; he who nourishes is nourished. The incomprehensible appears as a child. He who makes fountains gush forth is nourished from the Virgin’s breasts. He who carries all creation, is unspeakably carried. The all-present One is ineffably limited. O Wonder! What most glorious truths!” (Prologue)
St. John Chrysostom, pondering the manner of the Incarnation of the Son of God, says: “I see the carpenter and the manger, the child and the swaddling clothes, a birth of a Virgin deprived of all that is necessary; all is poverty; all is destitution. Do you not see the riches in that great poverty? How he who is rich became poor for our sake? How he had no bed, but was laid on a bare manger? O poverty! You are the source of riches! O immeasurable riches, which appear as poverty!” (Works, Vol. 6, p. 698)

St. Ephrem the Syrian summons us to imitate Christ’s humility and love: “Today, when God has come to sinners, let not the righteous raise himself above the sinners. Today, the Lord of the universe has come to his servants, let also the master condescend to his servants in love. Today when the Rich One became poor for our sakes, let also the rich invite the poor to his table.” (Hymn 1, 92-94)

The Mystery of the Incarnation Source of Heavenly Joy
A heavenly and angelic joy is the third characteristic that radiates from the Christmas sermons of the Holy Fathers and our Christmas liturgy.
St. John Chrysostom begins his first Christmas sermon with words of unspeakable joy and enthusiasm: “What the forefathers longed for, what the prophets predicted and what the righteous long to see, today came to pass and was fulfilled: God appeared on earth and dwelt among men. Therefore, my beloved, let us be glad and rejoice.” And in another Nativity sermon he expresses his joy: “And so, seeing all rejoicing, I too, want to rejoice and celebrate. But I rejoice without playing on the zither, without moving a violin bow, without a flute in my hands; I do not even light a torch, but instead of musical instruments I accept the swaddling clothes of Christ. They are for me – hope; they are for me – life; for me they are – salvation; they are for me – the flute; they are for me – the zither.” (Works, Vol. 6, p. 698).

St. Gregory the Theologian, calling all to rejoice, says: “Christ has come in the flesh, rejoice with trembling and joy with trembling because of sin – with joy, because of hope… Who will not adore the Eternal? Who will not praise the Last? Again darkness is dispersed, and again light appears… For I am sure that the heavenly Powers rejoice and celebrate today with us, because they are full of love for man and for God.”

Our Christmas services are full of joyful and happy tones. In the Vespers service at Lytiya we sing: “Angels rejoice in heaven and people exult today, and all creatures leap with joy, because of the birth of the Lord Saviour in Bethlehem; for all deceit of idolatry has ceased and Christ reigns forever.” In the sticheras at the Praises in Matins services we sing: “O just ones, be happy; O heavens, rejoice; you mountains, leap for joy because Christ is born. Like the Cherubim, the Virgin makes a throne, carrying in her womb the Incarnate Word of God. Shepherds are gazing upon him who is born; the Magi are offering gifts to the Master. The angels are singing praises, saying: O Incomprehensible Lord, glory to you.”
The holy Fathers and authors of our Christmas services not only admire and extol the mystery of the Incarnation, but also summon us to give worship to Christ and bring him the gifts of our faith and love, together with the Most Holy Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the angels, the shepherds and the Wise Men.
St. Gregory the Theologian in the above-mentioned Christmas sermon calls to us: “Adore the Nativity through which you are freed of the chains of birth. Give honor to little Bethlehem which again led you to paradise. Kneel before the manger through which, being foolish, you were given life by the Word…follow the star, bring with the Wise Men gifts: gold, incense and myrrh, as to a King, as to God, and as to the one who died for you. Bring glory with the shepherds, rejoice with the angels, sing praises with the archangels, so that a common celebration of the heavenly and earthly Powers may be formed.”

In the Vespers service of the feast, in extolling the Divine Child, we sing: “O Christ, what shall we offer you for your coming on earth as man for our sake? Every creature that has its being from you gives thanks to you: the angels offer hymns of praise, the heavens give a star; the Magi present their gifts and the shepherds, their wonder; the earth provides a cave and the desert a manger. As for us, we offer a Virgin Mother, O God, You who are from all eternity, have mercy on us.”