Sfântul Vasile cel Mare Arătătorul celor cereşti
Saint Basil the Great
„The Revealer of Heavenly Things”
This research into the work of Saint Basil the Great, 1630 years after his death, is part of the events initiated as a result of the decision taken by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church to celebrate “the revealer of heavenly things“ in 2009, a year declared as “Memorial Year of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia (†379) and of the other The research particularly analyzes the contribution the Saint had to the strengthening of fundamental dogma and ritual elements. Saint Basil the Great was an adviser, teacher, guide towards heavenly things, which he brilliantly interpreted. His soul, inspired by his love for God, created the Divine Liturgy and the Special Prayers for the Remission of Sins and, beyond any controversy as to the paternity, the unity of the spirit animating them is obvious. Liturgical work of divine inspiration, the Liturgy particularly stands out through the Anaphora devised by Saint Basil. The elements of the Divine Liturgy and the structure of the Anaphora are analyzed. In addition, emphasis is given to the nine Homilies of St. Basil the Great on the Hexaemeron, uttered as a priest (he became a bishop in 370) during a particular week in the Lent. The Hexaemeron is a comment on the 1-26 verses from the Confinement, an unfinished work. In these texts, St. Basil proves a remarkable power to go into the mystery of Creation, with revealing results at the end. The Hexaemeron is a Christian guide for understanding Creation, the author using scriptural and rational arguments to object to the philosophical trends of the ancient times related to the genesis of the world. All this out of love for God, whom he glorifies for the beauty of the world He created. The Treatise On the Holy Spirit is presented in the context of the religious disputes in the 4th century, when Orthodoxy used to be threatened by a series of heresies. The fearless attitude Saint Basil the Great had in defending Orthodoxy was favorably echoed at the time, as he was considered a “pillar of Orthodoxy”.
Keywords: Saint Basil the Great, Orthodoxy, dogma, ritual, Liturgy, the Holy Spirit, Creation
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