Saint John Cassian lived at the end of the 4th century and the first half of the 5th century. At that time, spiritual enlightenment was most widespread in the East.
There, ascetic life also developed with all its might. The deserts and mountains were inhabited by holy monks, whose glorious names were revered by the entire Christian world.
Striving for a spiritual life, Cassian left his homeland of Rome and came to the East. He lived for some time in the Scythian Desert, in Bethlehem he took monasticism, and toured all the deserts and monasteries in the Thebaid. In Constantinople he listened to Saint John Chrysostom and after a few years returned to Rome. This was during the persecution of John Chrysostom. Cassian was one of his enthusiastic admirers and courageous defenders.
After some time he moved to Gaul (France) in the city of Marseilles and was the first to introduce monastic communal life in that country following the example of the East. Venerable Cassian wrote many books through which he introduced Western Christians to the spirit and rules of Eastern monastic monasteries, expounded the discourses of the hermit fathers on various spiritual subjects and refuted false teachings. He died in the year 435.
Venerable Basil the Confessor
Saint Basil lived during the reign of the iconoclast Leo the Isaurian. Having abandoned the world with its temptations, he entered a monastery and virtuously led a monastic life.
When the persecution of the holy icons arose, Saint Basil courageously resisted the iconoclasts. For this he was arrested and subjected to many tortures; nevertheless, he rejected the heretical teachings of the iconoclasts and, together with Saint Procopius, defended the truth to the shedding of blood. They stripped his entire body, like the Venerable Procopius; then they imprisoned him in a dungeon, where he suffered for a long time - until the death of the wicked king.
After the death of the tormentor, Saint Basil was released together with Saint Procopius and the other confessors and lived, as before, in fasting labors, converting many to the Orthodox faith and instructing them in a virtuous life. After several years of a godly life, he was granted a blessed death and with prayer, gratitude, and unspeakable joy went to the Lord, whom he had loved since early childhood.