Today Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (23: 8-12) in which Jesus says, ‘The greatest among you must be your servant’. Afterwards Fr Paul shares a little about the lives of St Basil and St Gregory whose memorials we celebrate today.

Fr Paul says St Basil was born in the year 330 at Caesarea in Cappadocia, into Christian family. He was a brilliant scholar and a virtuous man and he started by becoming a hermit but was made Bishop of Caesarea in the year 370. He fought against the Arians and wrote many notable works, in particular the monastic rule that bears his name and which many monks in the East follow to this day. He was also generous to the poor. He died on 1 January 379.

Gregory was also born in the year 330, near Nazianzus. He travelled widely in search of knowledge. He followed his friend Basil into the wilderness, but he too was ordained and later made a bishop. He was elected Bishop of Constantinople in 381 but because of the factional fighting within the Church he retired to Nazianzus, where he died on 25 January 389 or 390. He is known as “Gregory the Theologian” in honour of his learning and eloquence.

So today, Fr Paul invites us to ask, ‘St Basil and St Gregory…Pray for us!’.