January 2
St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen
Feast shown for the year 2027; movable feasts can vary from year to year.
On January 2, the Church celebrates two remarkable Fathers of the fourth century: St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen. Both were bishops in what is now modern-day Turkey and shared a deep friendship grounded in their common pursuit of holiness, scholarship, and the defense of orthodox Christian doctrine during a time marked by theological controversy, especially regarding the nature of Christ and the Holy Trinity. St Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, is especially known for his role in monasticism, his thoughtful writings on the Trinity, and his efforts in charitable works, establishing hospitals and social services for the poor. St Gregory Nazianzen, Bishop of Constantinople for a brief period, is celebrated for his eloquent theological orations and poetry, which have shaped the Church’s language about the mystery of God’s inner life. Their shared commitment to Christ and their friendship are often seen as models for Christian life—balancing contemplation, action, and love of neighbor. The liturgical commemoration of St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen invites the faithful not only to admire their intellectual brilliance, but also their humility and pastoral dedication, reminding us of the unity of truth and charity in service to the Gospel.
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Liturgical texts of January 2, 2027
The liturgical day
Mass readings
Reading1 Jn 2, 22-28
Beloved,
is not the liar the one who refuses
that Jesus is the Christ?
That person is the anti-Christ:
he refuses both the Father and the Son;
anyone who refuses the Son
does not have the Father either;
whoever acknowledges the Son
has the Father as well.
As for you, let what you heard
from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning
remains in you,
you too will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise he himself made to us:
eternal life.
I have written this to you
concerning those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing you received from him remains in you,
and you do not need anyone to teach you.
This anointing teaches you about everything,
it is truth and not a lie;
and, according to what it has taught you,
remain in him.
And now, little children, remain in him,
so that, when he is revealed,
we may have confidence,
and not shrink back from him in shame
at his coming.
– The word of the Lord.
Psalm97(98), 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done marvelous deeds;
by his most holy arm, by his mighty hand,
he has secured the victory.
The Lord has made known his victory
and revealed his justice to the nations;
he has remembered his faithfulness and his love
toward the house of Israel.
All the earth has seen
the victory of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy, sing, play!
GospelJn 1, 19-28
This is the testimony of John the Baptist,
when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem
to ask him:
"Who are you?"
He did not refuse to answer, he declared openly:
"I am not the Christ."
They asked him:
"Then what about you?
Are you the prophet Elijah?"
He replied:
"I am not."
– "Are you the Prophet foretold?"
He answered:
"No."
So they said to him:
"Who are you?
We must give an answer
to those who sent us.
What do you say about yourself?"
He replied:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert:
Make straight the way of the Lord,
as the prophet Isaiah said."
Now, they had been sent from the Pharisees.
They asked him further:
"So why are you baptizing,
if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
John answered them:
"I baptize with water.
But among you
stands one whom you do not know;
he is the one who comes after me,
and I am not worthy
to untie the strap of his sandal."
This took place in Bethany across the Jordan,
at the place where John was baptizing.
– The Gospel of the Lord.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org