During the reign of Emperor Alexius Comnenus, who reigned from 1081 to 1118, a controversy arose in Constantinople, dividing men enlightened in matters of faith and zealous in the acquisition of virtues into three camps. The debate centered on three saints and outstanding Fathers of the Church: Basil the Great , Gregory the Theologian , and John Chrysostom . Some favored St. Basil over the other two, as he was able to explain the mysteries of nature like no other and was elevated by virtue to angelic heights. His supporters argued that there was nothing base or earthly about him; he was the organizer of monasticism, the leader of the entire Church in the struggle against heresies, and a strict and demanding pastor regarding moral purity. Therefore, they concluded, St. Basil stood above St. John Chrysostom, who was more inclined to forgive sinners.
The other party, on the contrary, defended Chrysostom, countering that the renowned bishop of Constantinople, no less than St. Basil, was committed to combating vices, calling sinners to repentance, and urging the people to perfection according to the Gospel commandments. Unrivaled in eloquence, the golden-mouthed pastor flooded the Church with a veritable river of sermons. In them, he expounded on the Word of God and demonstrated its application in everyday life, and he succeeded in doing so better than the other two Christian teachers.
The third group advocated recognizing St. Gregory the Theologian as the most important, citing the grandeur, purity, and depth of his language. They argued that St. Gregory, who best mastered the wisdom and eloquence of the Greek world, attained the highest level of contemplation of God, and therefore no other person could have so magnificently expounded the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Thus, each party defended one father against the other two, and this rivalry soon engulfed the entire capital's population. No longer even considering respect for the saints, people indulged in endless arguments and squabbles. The disagreements between the parties seemed endless.
Then one night, three saints appeared in a dream to St. John Mauropous, Metropolitan of Euchaita (commemorated October 5), first one at a time, then three at a time. With one voice, they said to him: "As you see, we are all together near God, and no discord or rivalry divides us. Each of us, according to the measure of circumstances and inspiration granted to him by the Holy Spirit, wrote and taught what is necessary for the salvation of men. Among us there is no one first, second, or third. If you invoke the name of one of us, the other two are also present with him. Therefore, command those who quarrel not to create schisms in the Church because of us, for in life we devoted all our efforts to establishing unity and harmony in the world. Then unite our memories into a single feast and compose a service for it, including hymns dedicated to each of us, in accordance with the art and science the Lord has given you." "Convey this service to Christians so that they may celebrate it every year. If they honor us in this way—united before God and in God—then we promise to intercede in our common prayer for their salvation." After these words, the saints ascended to heaven, enveloped in an ineffable light, addressing one another by name.
Then Saint John Mauropous immediately gathered the people and announced the revelation. Since everyone respected the Metropolitan for his virtue and admired the power of his eloquence, the disputing parties reconciled. Everyone began to ask John to immediately begin composing a service for the common feast of the three saints. Having carefully considered the matter, John decided to allocate the thirtieth day of January for this celebration, as if to seal this month, during which all three saints are individually commemorated.
As sung in numerous troparia from this magnificent service, the three saints, the "earthly trinity," distinct in person but united by the grace of God, commanded us in their writings and by the example of their lives to venerate and glorify the Most Holy Trinity—the One God in Three Persons. These luminaries of the Church spread the light of the true faith throughout the earth despite dangers and persecutions and left us, their descendants, a holy legacy. Through their works, we too can attain supreme bliss and eternal life in the presence of God, together with all the saints.
Throughout January, we celebrate the memory of many glorious hierarchs, confessors, and ascetics, concluding with a cathedral feast in honor of the three great hierarchs. In this way, the Church remembers all the saints who preached the Orthodox faith through their lives or writings. With this feast, we pay tribute to the sum total of the knowledge, enlightenment, mind, and heart of the faithful, which they receive through the word. Ultimately, the feast of the three hierarchs becomes a commemoration of all the Fathers of the Church and all the examples of evangelical perfection that the Holy Spirit produces in all times and places, so that new prophets and new apostles may arise, guides of our souls to Heaven, comforters of the people, and ardent pillars of prayer upon which the Church rests, strengthened in the truth.