“Who are you?” The Jewish authorities asked this question of John the Baptist. John had no difficulty answering them. And, I wonder, if someone asked us a question that challenged our identity, both our natural identity and our spiritual identity, how would we answer? In our society, many people try to manufacture or invent an image or identity for themselves, leaving their spiritual identities deep in the recesses of their souls.
The Jewish authorities questioned John the Baptist so intensely because they wanted to know if the Messiah had come, if John claimed to be the Messiah or one of the great prophets who was expected to return at the coming of the Messiah. But John had no problem in knowing who he was and in proclaiming his identity to the world: he was the one preparing the way for the Messiah. John is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs.
Today we also celebrate the feast day of two important Church fathers and doctors of the Church from the 4th century: St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzus. They were both from Cappedocia, an inland area in present day Turkey that was an important center of early Christianity. Gregory and Basil were not only two great theologians and teachers in the early Church, they were great friends. Gregory described his relationship with Basil as “one soul in two bodies.” Like John the Baptist, Gregory and Basil were true disciples of Jesus who were not afraid of proclaiming their identities publicly and not afraid of ardently preached the truth of God. In 379, Gregory found himself in Constantinople, where he had to defend the Trinitarian doctrine that was declared at the Council of Nicaea to those who adhered to the heresy of Arianism. Gregory acquired the nickname “The Theologian,” because his theological way of thinking came from his strong life of prayer and holiness. St. Basil was instrumental in outlining the foundations of monasticism as it evolved in the early Church and as it is still practiced in the monasteries today. As a bishop, Basil was also known for his acts of charity and for his development of the Church’s liturgy as the summit of its activity.
In John the Baptist, St. Basil the Great, and Gregory Nazianzen, we have three great examples of faithful discipleship, of identity rooted in their faith in God, of a strong willingness to give witness to their faith and their spiritual identity to all publicly. May they serve us as models as we continue our journey of faith this Christmas season.
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