Cappadocian Fathers

Cappadocia was an area in what is now central Turkey.   In the later 300’s two brothers, a sister and a friend came out this area to become among the most influential Christian teachers and theologians of their time.They were the brothers Basil the Great of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa and their sister Macrina.  Their friend’s name was Gregory of Nazianzus.  The three men influenced the theology of the Nicene Creed that was ratified by the Council of Constantinople in 381. They defended the doctrines of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity and contributed to the liturgy of the Orthodox church.

  Basil’s Rules are the basis for Eastern monasticism emphasizing communal life over life as a hermit.  On Holy Communion: “Daily communion and participation in the holy body and blood of Christ is a good and helpful practice…for myself, I communicate four times a week, on the Lord’s Day, on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday…In Alexandria and Egypt it is the general rule for each member of the laity to keep communion at his own house.  He continues that having received the portion of the sacrament from the priest, “he…is bound to believe as he participates day by day, that he rightly partakes of it and receives it from him who gave it.”  (As I understand it, the priest would hand out enough portions of the sacrament to cover the week.)
Gregory of Nyssa wrote on spiritual living and contemplating God in worship and the sacraments.  Concerning baptism: “Since the death of him who leads us to life involved burial under the earth…the imitation of death on our part is represented by water, the neighboring element.  That man from above, after he assumed a state of death after his deposition in the earth, came back to life on the third day.  So every one who is linked to him in virtue of his bodily nature and fixes his eyes on the same victory has water pour on him, instead of earth, and thus, by submitting to this element three times, represents the grace of resurrection attained after three days.”
 Macrina received an excellent bible centered education.  When her fiancée died she devoted herself to pursuing Christian perfection in her life. She led a community based on the family estate near Caesarea that was dedicated to ascetic meditation and prayer.
 Gregory of Nazianzus, was sent to Constantinople to preach on behalf of the Orthodox faith.  Despite the Council of Nicea in 325, Arian teachings were still prevalent in many places.  Simply put, Arius proposed that the Son of God was not quite equal to the Father.   Gregory succeeded in winning over the city to the Orthodox teaching on the Trinity and Christ.In regard to infant baptism: “Have you an infant?  Do not let wickedness seize its chance.  Let him be sanctified from babyhood, and consecrated by the Spirit in his tender years.  You have no need of charms or spells.  With these the Devil gains an entrance, and with these baubles steals for himself the honor due to God.  Give your child the powerful and lovely amulet of the Trinity,”
Prayer of the DayAlmighty God, You revealed to Your Church Your eternal being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in a Trinity of persons.  May Your church, with leaders like the Cappadocians, receive grace to continue steadfast in the confession of the true faith and constant in our worship of You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who live and reign, one God, now and forever.