The miracle thanks to which we celebrate the Three Saints

On the penultimate day of Gerar, Orthodox and Greek Catholics commemorate three saints, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom.

The celebration of the three saints, celebrated on January 30, is celebrated separately on different days of the church year. The memory of St. Basil is celebrated on the first day of January, St. Gregory the Theologian on January 25, and St. John Chrysostom on January 27 and November 13. Find out why they had to celebrate together!

The great holiday reminds us of the calls of Orthodoxy

All three saints lived in the fourth century, during the period of heresies that replaced Christian persecution, and defended the Christian faith. They were the greatest shepherds of the Church, and their lives and teachings are considered the model and guide of the faith.

Their memory was established on the same day thanks to the Bishop of Evaitel, Saint John Mauropus. During the time of Emperor Alexios I Comnianus, he commanded their celebration to remember the intertwining of the three vocations of Orthodoxy: monastic, theological and practical. The decision to correct this holiday was made after a miracle.

The miracle that united warring Christians

A dispute that arose in the 11th century led to the establishment of a great holiday on January 30. In Constantinople then they talked about which of Saints Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom was the greatest. After misunderstandings between Christians, the saints began to appear to the Bishop of Evaitel. At first they were shown to him one by one, then together. According to legend, their words were:

“As you can see, we are one with God and there is no enmity between us. Each of us in our own time, prompted by the Holy Spirit, that's how we learned. There is no one first and another second between us. When you call one, two others come. Therefore, standing up, command those who are at enmity to stop arguing for us. That our need during life and after death was to reconcile people and bring peace and unity to the world. Therefore, make a feast for all three of us on one day and proclaim to Christians that we are one before God.”

After this miracle, the wise bishop chose January 30 as fixed in the church calendar for the general celebration of the Holy Three Hierarchs, thereby ending disputes on this topic and Christians united to celebrate them.

Do you know that…

...in 1936 the Holy Three Hierarchs were appointed spiritual patrons of Orthodox theological educational institutions in the world?

What you need to know about the Holy Three Saints

Saint Basil the Great was the archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia (the center of Asia Minor) when the heretics Arius and Macedonius won over the emperor Valens to their side. Saint Basil fought for the true faith in writing and in word. He was the first church father to build hospitals and orphanages near the church.

Saint Gregory of Nazianzus did not consider himself worthy of the sacrament of the priesthood and was ordained against his own will. He became bishop of Nazianzus, then archbishop of Constantinople, during the period when the city fell to Arius, and one of the most important orators, nicknamed the Theologian.

Saint John Chrysostom, born in Antioch (now Antakya, Turkey), retired to a monastery, then to a cave, before being ordained a deacon in Antioch. He is known for his speeches and works “Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew”, “Interpretation of the 14 Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul”.