The Story Behind this Icon: Saint Basil the Great, also called Basil of Caesarea was born in Cappadocia, Asia Minor (330 - January 1st, 379) and was one among the eight or nine children of Basil the Elder and Saint Emmelia, both known for their piety. He received a formal education in Cappadocia but later traveled to Alexandria, Athens, Egypt, Syria for further studies. His life changed when he met Eustathius of Sebaste, a charismatic bishop and ascetic, thus renouncing his former teaching career and devoting his life to God. In a letter he described his spiritual awakening:"I had wasted much time on follies and spent nearly all of my youth in vain labors, and devotion to the teachings of a wisdom that God had made foolish. Suddenly, I awoke as out of a deep sleep. I beheld the wonderful light of the Gospel truth, and I recognized the nothingness of the wisdom of the princes of this world." In addition to being a great theologian, Saint Basil was known for taking care of the poor and underprivileged. He established the guidelines for the monastic life to include community life, liturgical prayer and manual labor, as the solitary life did not call him. In 362 he became a deacon and was ordained presbyter of the church in Caesarea in 365. Saint Basil opposed the heresies of the early Christian Church and the Arian heresy. As a great orator he took part in rhetorical contests and, along with Saint Gregory, triumphed. In 370 he became bishop of Caesarea and with compassion for the ones in need, he organized a soup kitchen and distributed food to the poor. He also worked to reform thieves and encouraged his clergy to not be tempted by wealth. Saint Basil fell asleep in 370 after suffering from liver disease. He is celebrated each year on January 1st and again on January 30 as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs (Saint Basil the Great, Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory the Theologian). The Saint Basil Pie or "vasilopita" - a pie baked with a coin inside - dates back to Saint Basil and is prepared on January 1st, the day of his commemoration. According to tradition, thieves once entered Caesaria and stole all the gold and jewelry. In some miraculous way, the jewelry was recovered, begging an obvious problem: how was the jewelry to be returned to its rightful owner? Saint Basil, divinely inspired, proposed to bake pies and place the jewelry inside. When the people took their slices, they miraculously found their own jewelry and gold in their slice. To this day, the tradition of the Vasilopita is commemorated in Orthodox countries around the globe. *** This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here.
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