Word to the Wise
Friday, January 2, 2026 - Jan. 2
[1 John 2:22-28 and John 1:19-28]Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. [1 John]
JANUARY 2 STS. BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN - bishops and doctors of the Church
The scriptures assigned for daily Mass for the next several days will be coming from the gospel and letters that bear the name of the Apostle John. They will be calling our attention to the true identity of Jesus Christ. The two great Fathers of the Church, Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, whose feast we celebrate today, were great defenders (along with Sts. Athanasius and John Chrysostom) of the faith against the Arian heresy that held that Jesus was not divine but simply human. This heresy became widespread and led to the convoking of the Council of Nicea [325 A.D.] which produced the Nicean Creed, our profession of faith which we recite every Sunday and solemn feast day. This past year, 2025, marked the 1700th anniversary of that council.
The early centuries of Christian faith saw the rise of some unorthodox theological teachings. The Arian heresy attacked the divinity of Christ. The Docetists denied the humanity of Christ, saying that his humanity was simply a kind of costume that God wore. The Pelagian heresy denied the doctrine of original sin and held that we could earn our way to heaven without the help of Christ. St. Augustine was particularly concerned with this one.
The great Fathers of the Church - Basil, Gregory, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Cyprian, Augustine, John Damascene, Peter Chrysologus, etc. - shaped the orthodox faith we profess. They are the ones who would be the source of authoritative Tradition (with a capital "T") to which the Church turns time and again, along with Sacred Scripture, in defining our Catholic faith. This feast day can serve as a reminder of the debt of praise and gratitude we owe to them. The true identity of the Child in the manger and the role of his Mother are represented in these great champions of faith. AMEN
Comment on Reflection
<< Previous Date [Back to List] Next Date >>