|Fresco of St. Basil the Great, Macedonia|
Basil grew up in a big family. Not only did his parents become saints (Saint Basil the Elder and Saint Emmelia), three of his brothers and one of his sisters also became saints: Gregory of Nyssa, Macrina the Younger, Naucratius and Peter of Sebaste. Basil started out as a lawyer like his dad. Then he became a monk and started his own monastery where the monks were dedicated to prayer, manual labor, and living as a true community of brothers who loved and helped each others. Basil eventually was made a bishop, and he got quite famous for teaching people about Jesus and helping the poor.
Imagine so many people in one family becoming saints! That’s really the goal for all of us, though. Today, pray that God will help each person in your family become a saint – say one prayer for each family member.