The tradition of baking and cutting a special "pita" (which can mean a loaf of bread, a cake, or even a pie!) each year on January 1st is observed in honor of our Holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia--hence its name Vasilopita. This tradition is observed in both parish churches and in the homes of the Orthodox Christian faithful. What is the meaning of this tradition and how did it begin? For centuries upon centuries parents, grandparents and godparents have related the following story to Orthodox children about Saint Basil and the Vasilopita.

--Geronda (Elder), when we have a serious request, should our prayer be accompanied by fasting?

--That goes without saying; it's a must. Fasting and ascetic struggle are prerequisites for prayer. But for prayer to be proper and effective one must have compassion for others. For it is a rule of many Christians in our time not to want to have any worries. Even retired people who sit around all day don't want to approach an abandoned child, for this requires work and effort, which will disturb their serenity.

--Geronda (Elder), Saint James says, "The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working" (Saint James 5:16). What is meant by "Availeth much in much in its working?"

--That it is also necessary for someone seeking the prayer of a righteous man to want to be helped, to be saved, and to make an effort too. In other words, someone who wants to benefit from the prayer of a righteous man must have a good disposition. Prayer from the heart is heard; but the recipient must also be receptive. Otherwise, the person who is praying must have the sanctity of Saint Paisios the Great to be able to bring the other person out of hell. [In the life of Saint Paisios the Great the following event is related.

"Much Prayer Is Needed"

In the past, in order to do something, a worldly person would think. If he were a spiritual person, he would think and pray. In our time, even "spiritual" people not only don't pray, they don't even think. In fact, this frequently involves serious matters, and all they do is practice on people. In all circumstances, before we act we should say, "Have I thought about this? Have I prayed about this?"

"Seek First the Kingdom of God"

Geronda [Elder], Abba (Father) Makarios says our God gives us heavenly gifts, and this we believe. Should we believe He will also give us earthly gifts, which are not so important?

--What earthly gifts?

--Whatever we need.

In dealing with the knowledge of God, it is impossible to talk about darkness without talking about light simultaneously. But in most religions, and also in all philosophical systems animated by a religious spirit, the place attributed to light is so important that it is almost possible to identify knowledge of God with light, though "light" sometimes is to be taken in the sense of a metaphor and sometimes is understood in a real sense as a datum of religious experience. Thus as we consider the question of darkness in relation to knowledge of God in thought of the Patristic age, we shall be raising the question as to the sense in which the two contradictory terms, darkness and light, could refer to God in the works of some of the theologians and spiritual writers of the first centuries of Christianity.