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Added icon of St. Basil and link to icon at Skete.com
[[Image:Basil.jpg|right|frame|Icon of Saint Basil at Skete.com]]Our father among the saints '''Basil the Great''' (ca. 330 - [[January 1]], 379), was [[bishop]] of Caesarea, a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Church considers him a [[saint]] and one of the [[Three Holy Hierarchs]], together with Saints [[Gregory the Theologian]] (Gregory Nazianzus) and [[John Chrysostom]]. Basil, Gregory the Theologian, and Basil's brother Saint [[Gregory of Nyssa]] are called the [[Cappadocian Fathers]]. The [[Roman Catholic Church]] also considers him a saint and calls him a Doctor of the Church.
Basil's memory is celebrated on [[January 1]]; he is also remembered on [[January 30]] with the [[Three Holy Hierarchs]]. In Greek tradition, he is supposed to visit children and give presents every [[January 1]]. This festival is also marked by the baking of Saint Basil's bread (Gr. ''Vasilópita''), a sweetbread with a coin hidden inside.
* A more complete collection of his homilies (and some other works, but only a few of his letters) is available in Russian at [http://pagez.ru/lsn/ ''The Heritage of the Holy Fathers''].
* [http://skete.com/moreinfo.cfm?Category=47&Product_ID=418 Icon of Saint Basil] (see above) at [[St. Isaac of Syria Skete (Boscobel, Wisconsin)]].
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