“As Hierarchs (St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, Saints Gregory and John, Patriarchs of Constantinople), they guided people to the Church of Christ to know the sacred relationship that unites them with the true Triune God,” said Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria in his message for the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs.
Elsewhere, Metropolitan Arsenios noted: “The first step for our Orthodox youth is to show interest in our future, school progress, as saints we celebrate today did in their school years.”
In conclusion, the Metropolitan of Austria stressed: “So our interest must be extended to feeding our minds and souls with confidence in Christ. He is the anchor of the ship of our life in the sea of life, in the beloved image of the Holy Fathers.”
Read the full message of Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria for the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs:
Dear children,
I am communicating with you today because the Church has designated January 30 as the Feast of the Three Holy Fathers and Ecumenical Teachers: Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom. All three lived in the 4th century, 16 hundred years before us. They all had Christian families. They traveled and were educated in famous schools and universities and met famous teachers and political leaders. They all received Greek education in many areas. However, in all matters, they preferred to choose what was good and helped them to maintain their integrity. That is why even ideologies, religions and ways of life were confused, they discerned the only Truth and followed the only Path that leads to real Life; they gave their body and soul to Jesus Christ . They remain, along with myriads of saints, until today, followers of our Lord in the work of Salvation of the world and people from decay and death.
All three Saints were deemed worthy to receive episcopal offices. As Hierarchs (St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, Saints Gregory and John, Patriarchs of Constantinople), they guided people to the Church of Christ to know the sacred relationship that unites them with the true Triune God. The wishes for the sanctification the precious gifts and the distribution of the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ to the faithful are still read today in the Divine Liturgies. Their theological books, written in Greek, remain important to this day for the spiritual equipment they provide to Christians and they were translated into many languages, thus remaining relevant to the whole universe.
All three, sacrificing even their health, supported the correct sacred doctrines of our Faith and took the lead in the struggles against lawlessness. Their action were not merely words. They organized God’s people, built buildings, gathered food, cared for the sick and poor. They were true Fathers because they cared for people as if they were their children. They protected them from the injustices of the world, they prevented them from associating with evil. They especially advised young people, boys and girls, what to teach, how to live properly, without mental suffering, close to Christ, with love and offering for fellow human beings.
The Three Holy Hierarchs gave us the example of their lives and their writings so that we do not lose our orientation as long as we live on earth, in the midst of difficulties, turmoil and all kinds of dangers. The first step for our Orthodox youth is to show interest in our future, school progress, as saints we celebrate today did in their school years.
However, it is not the only point that needs to concern us because today’s developments are very fast and many “wolves” exploit the young people who are the future on the planet. So our interest must be extended to feeding our minds and souls with confidence in Christ. He is the anchor of the ship of our life in the sea of life, in the beloved image of the Holy Fathers. With their wishes let us use time and energy for a conscious Christian life and participation, regardless of our age, in the Mysteries of the Orthodox Faith.
With paternal love,
† Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria