§ 152. Св. Григорий Нисский в жизни.

More than once the theologian Gregory marveled at the family to which the Great Basil belonged. Father and mother are pious; grandfather and grandmother are confessors; five brothers are monks, among them three bishops, extraordinary in talent; six sisters, “married and celibate, but all virtuous,” and among them Macrina, amazing in intelligence and height of spirit 640. Only Christianity could form such a family, and only it could reveal talents to the extent to which they were revealed in the brothers Vasily and Gregory, extraordinary teachers of the Church. St. Gregory, according to the place of bishopric, Nyssa, was the third son of St. Emmelia. Childhood education was taught to him by the same pious grandmother Macrina, who taught Vasily, and the initial instruction in literature was taught to him, as well as to Vasily, by his father; further lessons, from the 12th year of his life, when his father died 641, he listened, as likely as not, from one of the neo-Cessarine teachers of eloquence 642. Gregory prepared himself for the title of secular speaker and took over his parental estate 643. The Lord arranged Gregory's fate not according to his calculations. Under Julian (in 360), Gregory lost the title of teacher of eloquence 644 and assumed the position of reader. Probably then, as external circumstances changed, Gregory again turned to his favorite title and occupation. It was a weakness; but people are not born saints. The theologian wrote to the speaker: “They do not praise your, in your opinion, inglorious glory, your quick deviation to the worse, your ambition. What happened to you, smart man? Why was he angry with himself, throwing away the sacred and edifying books that he had previously read before the people? Don’t blush with shame while listening to this; did you want to be better known as an orator than as a Christian? For me, the latter is much better than the former, and thank God for that! Don’t think otherwise either... Don’t tell me these elegant and florid words: well, wasn’t I a Christian when I was a speaker? Wasn’t he a believer when he studied science among young men? No, not everything here is true, although I can partially concede to you. Why do you, by your behavior, seduce others who are already prone to evil?” 645. Gregory turned with all his soul to the study of the monuments of faith and retired into the desert 646. In the desert, around 370, he wrote an essay on virginity. The great shepherd of Cappadocia, wishing to have a faithful assistant in Gregory to fight against Arianism, at the beginning of 372 installed Gregory, against his will, as Bishop of Nyssa 647. Gregory acted as a true shepherd of Christ. His pious sister Theosevia was a deaconess with him and helped her brother a lot in church affairs. Her death was a great loss for her brother; but St. Gregory, although with sorrow, but complacently endured this loss. “I am amazed,” the Theologian wrote to him, at the patience in wisdom that I hear you showed at the death of your blessed, holy sister” 648. The Nyssa saint needed firmness for a more difficult and important feat. Such a shepherd of Christ as the brother of the Great Basil was intolerant for the Arians. And now Demosthenes, already known to us (375), prepared another bishop to replace Gregory; Gregory was slandered for misuse of church property and deprived of his see 649. But the champion of Orthodoxy did not remain inactive: he moved from one place to another to affirm Orthodoxy and console the Orthodox 650. It was hard for Gregory to lead a wandering life; but the Theologian wrote to him: “the good that you spread is durable, although you yourself do not have a stable place; Do they really complain about the sun because it flows around the universe, shedding its rays and enlivening everything around it? 651. After the death of Valens, the Nyssa flock greeted their shepherd with delight 652. Soon after, he was saddened by the death of Vasily, whom he loved and respected as his mentor. On the one-year anniversary, he honored him with a funeral oration 653, and out of grateful respect for his mentor, he completed his description of the six days of creation, where a description of the creation of man was lacking and where others wanted to see some more questions resolved 654. The same respect prompted him to take on the most important work - to write a refutation of Eunomius’s new apology, in which Eunomius insulted both the truth and the name of the Great Basil, without, however, having the courage to show his work to the light while Basil was alive 655. In 379, the Council of Antioch decided to send someone experienced in the matter of faith to inspect the churches in Arabia and Palestine. There, by the way, the heresies of the Anti-Dicomarianians, who did not honor the immaculate virginity of the Mother of God, and the Collyridians, who honored the Mother of God as a deity, insulted the faith. Gregory was elected 656 to establish peace and faith. Before setting off on this journey, Gregory visited his blessed sister Macrina, and the fruit of the conversation, close to the death of the righteous woman, was subsequently Gregory’s essay on the soul and resurrection 657. After the burial of the holy sister, he happily completed his assignment in Arabia; but in Jerusalem, where he visited the consecrated places with reverent joy, he could not accomplish everything that was entrusted to him, and he wrote with sorrow that sins and errors there also find strong protection in the hearts of people 658. In 381, among the bishops who gathered for the ecumenical assembly was the Shepherd of Nyssa. Here he participated in the confirmation of the Theologian in the title of Shepherd of Constantinople and read to the Theologian and Jerome his essay against Eunomius 659; honored the memory of the deceased Meletius with a funeral oration 660, and, together with many, could not destroy the enmity against St. Gregory of Nazianza, gave advice on faith and the new title to Gregory’s chosen successor from among the catechumens, Nektarios 661. It is not without reason that it is attributed to the efforts of the shepherd of Nyssa that at this Council the Nicene Symbol was supplemented with a member about the Holy Spirit 662. At the same time, Gregory was given the same rights and benefits as the Shepherd of Caesarea 663. The next year he was again at the Council in Constantinople and then read his essay on the deity of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit 664. In 385, as a famous orator, he was instructed to pronounce a word over the tomb of the beloved Empress Plaquilla 665. Gregory affirmed his flock in faith and piety, as a faithful and true shepherd; it happened that he spoke to her for several days in a row; and he was also the defender of the unfortunate before the judges 667. The last time we see it is in the history of the Council of Constantinople, which took place in 394 in the case of Agapius and Bagadius, who argued about the see of Botsra of Arabia. The name of Gregory at this Council is placed between the names of the Metropolitans of Caesarea and Iconium. Probably soon after this, the shepherd of Nyssa died, who, after his brother in teaching and life 668, deserved in general attention the name of the father of fathers 669. Children of St. Emmelia, “the wife of the priest” Basil (Nazianz. Epigramma in Emmeliam matr. Basilii; words Orat. 20 in m. Basilii p. 324): St. Macrina, Basil, Naucratius (with happy gifts as an orator, in the 22nd year a monk and an example of a pure life, in the 26th year he drowned in the service of the elderly brethren. Nazianz. Epigr. in Navcratium. Nissenii de S. Macrina T. 2. p. 482.483), Gregory, Peter (monk in the neo-Caesarean monastery he founded and then bishop of Sebaste. Philostorgius at Svida: Βασιλειος), the fifth son is also a monk, but his name is not known (Philostorgius ibidem; Gregory, Nyss. de S. Macrina), five other daughters, unknown by name, “married and celibate, but all virtuous” (Nazianz. Epigr. in Emmel. Orat. in S. Basilium p. 322), among them the virgin Theosevia. Note about her. 9. The father died at the same time Peter was born. Nyssa about St. Makrine. Or. 4. 2. r. 485. 486. See about Vasily. There is no direct evidence of his mentors. He himself mentions one edifying lesson given to him by the martyrs in Neocaesarea (Orat. in 40 Martyres. T. 2. p. 211. 212. Nissky T. 2. p. 192. 211. Nazianzen. pis. 43.95 and 131. Marcellinus about Julian: “it was mercilessly done that he forbade Christians to be teachers of rhetoric and grammar.” 25.4. Vasily, being a bishop, wrote about him: “he has long since begun to feel the urge to lead a life in silence” (Ep. 385 ad Abistrium. About the same Ep. 8. Gregorii ar. Zaccagn. Epist. 388 inter Epistolas S. Basilii. This was, of course, after the removal of Valens and his representatives from Cappadocia. In Vasily's letter to the bishops of the West. (Er. 92), written at the beginning of 372, Gregory is called a bishop; and in a letter (Er. 89) to Meletius, written at the same time, mention is made of his election as a bishop. Gregory himself says about Nissa (T. 2. p. 220) that she is not far from Koman; and Theodoret (N.E. 5.8, 27) calls Gregory Bishop of Nyssa the defender of Cappadocia Orthodoxy; therefore, it was not Nissa who was proconsular, but Nissa of Cappadocia, about 50 versts from Caesarea, in Galatia, near the river. Mele. Now Nissa is almost in ruins. Gregorii Nazian. Epist. 95. Theosevia was considered the wife of St. Gregory. This is because the words of Nazianzen's epitaph were misunderstood: συζηγος μεγαλου Γρηγοριου (Epigramma 430 ap. Murat.). Here Theosevia is called τεκος Εμμελιας - offspring, daughter of Emmelia, the one who was the mother of Basil and Gregory; and in letter 95 - the sister of Gregory and his brothers. Obviously, Theosevia is not Gregory’s wife. The letter glorifies Theosevia like this: “the beauty of the Church and Christ, the gift of her age, the hope of the female sex, Theosevia among such beauty of her brothers is the most beautiful and glorious.” All this is natural if Theosevia is a virgin and the sister of five brothers; but very wild, inapplicable if she is a married woman. Συζυγος at St. Gregory is a comrade, a friend. In epitaph 41: “You have taken away, Nicodemus, Carteria της σης συζυγον εβσεβιης your partner in piety.” The correct translation of epigram 130: “And you, Theosevia, daughter of the famous Emmelia, faithful comrade of the great Gregory, and you are here - under the sacred earth. Pillar of pious women, how early you left your life!” Basil the Great in letters. 225, 231. 237. 239. Socrates N. E. 5, 8. Theodorit N. E. 5, 8. Antirreth., ed. Zacagn. 1. 434. de S. Macrina 2. 138. Er. 3. Nisseni ar. Galland. T. 6, p. 606–607. Socrates N. E. 4, 21. Op. Nyss. 1. 44–46. Op. Nyss. T. 3. p. 657. 660. Epiphanii haer. 78. 79. On the way to St. Macrina Gregory, who did not know about her situation, saw a vision three times in a row: it seemed to him that he was holding in his hands relics that shone like a mirror turned directly to the sun, so that his eyes could not bear the radiance. The precious inheritance of the deceased for Gregory was an iron ring, with a particle from the tree of life, which she wore around her neck, along with a small cross, also iron. Nyss. Op. T. 2. p. 187–201. Or. T. 3. r. 653–660. r. 859. Hieronimus De vir. illustr. With. 128. Palladium in ch. 86 Lavsaika. Nikif. Call. N.E. 12, 13. Cod. Theodos. lib. 46.tit. 1. 3. Nysseni op. T. 3. p; 464–478. This is the petition for a young man who should have suffered death for an excusable crime. Zacagnii Monum. p. 365. This is how it was named at the Council of Ephesus. Vincentius Lyren. in Commonit. p. 262. 7th Ecumenical Council: “the lamp of the Nissians, called by all the Father of fathers.” Act. 6. 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