Житие во святых отца нашего Григория Двоеслова, папы Римского

Saint Gregory, Pope 1897, nicknamed for his eloquent conversations the double-talker or interlocutor 1898, was born in the city of Rome. His father, named Gordian, and his mother, Blessed Sylvia, were both of a senatorial, noble and wealthy family. But the kinship of this Saint Gregory was noble not so much in its senatorial origin as in those pious and holy people who were related to Gregory. Thus, Blessed Felix 1899, Pope of Rome, was the grandfather of Gregory Dvoeslov; Saint Tarsilla, who at her death saw the Lord Jesus coming to her, and blessed Emiliana, who together with Tarsilla was honored with eternal, heavenly life, were Gregory’s aunts; also Sylvia, the mother of the saint, is canonized by the Roman Church. But this holy family was most adorned with its holiness by Blessed Gregory, who from his youth labored in virtue in a godly life. From childhood he fell in love with reading books, he later became a famous scientist and rhetorician; he was a man full of intelligence and good intentions, which is why he was elected to the rank of praetor in 1900. However, Gregory's thoughts and desires were directed not so much to the worldly as to the spiritual: he wanted to be a monk. But during the life of his parents, the future saint postponed his tonsure until a more favorable time, although in the world he lived as if a monk, spending his life in pure virginity. When Gregory’s father died, he began to spend the large estate that remained to him on giving alms and on building holy monasteries, hospitals and hospice houses. Thus, in Sicily in 1901 he created six monasteries, providing them with everything necessary, and in Rome he founded a monastery in honor of St. Andrew the Apostle; He founded this monastery in his own house, located near the church of the holy martyrs John and Paul, on a mountain called “Skvara” 1902. Having tonsured his hair here, Gregory took off his gold-woven worldly clothes and put on the hair robes of the monastic order, instructed by the experienced elders Hilarion and Maximian; and after some time he became the abbot of that monastery in 1903. Blessed Sylvia, the mother of Saint Gregory, lived at that time near the gates of the Apostle Paul; Serving the Lord, she spent time in fasting and prayer, and day and night “swept about the house of the Lord” 1904. Her food was raw greens, which she sent every day to her son, Blessed Gregory. She was so merciful to the poor and wretched that she gave them all her property. Also, her son, Blessed Gregory, was so poor-loving that he did not spare anything for the latter, but immediately gave everything to those who asked him. One day, when he was sitting in his cell and, as usual, copying books, a beggar came to him (it was the Angel of the Lord in the form of a beggar) and said to him: - Have pity on me, servant of the Most High God! Being a shipbuilder, I destroyed at sea not only what I had, but also what belonged to others. The poor-lover and true servant of Christ, Saint Gregory, his heart aching for him, called his brother who served him and ordered him to give the man six gold coins 1905; and the beggar, taking it, left. On the same day, a few hours later, the same beggar came to the blessed one again and said to him: “Have mercy on me, servant of God, I have lost so much, and you have given me so little.” Saint Gregory again called the brother who was serving him and said to him: “Brother, go and give the other six pieces of gold to the beggar.” He did this, and the beggar took twelve pieces of gold that day from Saint Gregory and left him. After some time, the beggar came to Blessed Gregory for the third time and called out to him: “Have mercy on me, father, and give me some of your generosity, too, for I destroyed a lot of other people’s wealth at sea.” Then blessed Gregory again said to the one serving him: - Go, brother, and give the one who asks six more gold coins. To this this brother replied: “Believe me, honest father, that we don’t have a single piece of gold left.” But Blessed Gregory told him: - Do you have anything else to give: some clothes or some kind of vessel? “I have only one vessel,” the brother answered, “precisely the silver dish on which your mother sent you pickled juice.” “Go, brother,” said Gregory, the saint of God, “and give the beggar that dish too, so that he does not leave us sad, since he is looking for consolation in his misfortune.” The poor man, taking that silver dish, rejoicing, left the saint, and clearly as a beggar he no longer came to ask Gregory for alms, but invisibly he stayed with him all the time, protecting him and helping him in everything. For the Angel of the Lord was assigned to the saint with the power of miraculous grace, with which Saint Gregory later became famous, performing great miracles in his monastery. After the death of Pelagius, Pope of Rome in 1906, everyone unanimously elected Saint Gregory, abbot of St. Andrew's Monastery, to his throne; he, avoiding such a great rank and honor, fled from the city and hid in deserted places. Looking for their shepherd Gregory and not finding him, the Roman people indulged in great sadness; and everyone began to earnestly pray to God - that He would show them His servant. And then a pillar of fire appeared, visible to everyone, descending on the place where Saint Gregory was hiding, being in a certain desert mountain. Then everyone knew that that heavenly pillar had appeared for the sake of Saint Gregory. Immediately everyone went to the place where they found Gregory and with indescribable joy they took him away, although he did not want this. During the reign of Mauritius in 1907, Saint Gregory was installed as pope of ancient Rome in 1908: Here he became especially famous for his unspeakable mercy towards the poor and wretched, towards orphans and widows. He built hospice houses and shelters for poor people not only in Rome, but also in other cities. Saint Gregory deliberately sent Abba Provos to Jerusalem with a large amount of money so that he could arrange a hostel there. Every year he sent large alms to Mount Sinai in 1909 to feed the monks. In Rome, the saint fed every day all the poor and sick, who were recorded by him by name in a special book of 1910. He often seated wanderers and the poor at his meals, and always served them himself. Once he ordered his sacellar 1911 to call twelve wanderers to his meal in order to dine with them, and when everyone was sitting at the meal, the holy pope saw thirteen strangers sitting. Then, calling the sacellarius, he said to him quietly: “Didn’t I tell you to summon twelve strangers?” Why did you disobey me and call the thirteenth! The frightened Sacellarius said to him: “Believe me, most honorable Lord, the thirteenth is not here.” Indeed, neither he nor anyone else saw the thirteenth: only the holy Pope saw him. During dinner, Saint Gregory looked at this thirteenth wanderer, sitting at the very end of the table, and saw that his face often changed: now he seemed like a gray-haired old man, now like a young youth. When everyone got up from the meal, Saint Pope Gregory dismissed everyone; He restrained this thirteenth wanderer, so wonderful in appearance, and, taking him by the hand, led him into his bed and there said to him: - I conjure you with the great power of God Almighty, tell me: who are you and what is your name! To this the wonderful wanderer said to him: - Why are you asking my name? It's wonderful. Remember one thing, that I am the same beggar helmsman who once, having come to you at the monastery of St. Andrew, when you were sitting and writing in your cell, received from you twelve pieces of gold and that silver dish that your blessed mother Sylvia sent you with the juice. Let it be known to you that from the very day on which you gave it to me with heartfelt love, the Lord named you the rector of this holy Church, for which he shed His Blood, and the heir of the holy Supreme Apostle Peter, whom you imitate in your virtuous life. Blessed Gregory said to him: - How do you know that the Lord even then determined to be my dad? “I am the Angel of the Lord Almighty,” he answered, “that’s why I know; Even then he sent me to find out whether you really do alms for the sake of philanthropy, and not for the sake of vanity. Hearing this, blessed Gregory fell into great horror: until that time he had never clearly seen the Angel of God, but now he talked with him as with a simple person. Then the Angel who appeared said to the saint: – Do not be afraid, for the Lord sent me to stay with you all your life and bring your prayers to God; So whatever you ask of Him with hope, you will receive. Then the holy pope, falling face down on the ground, bowed to the Lord and said: - If for the sake of such a small alms the Lord gave me so many benefits that he made me the pope of His holy Church and assigned His holy Angel to me to protect me, then what will He reward those who abide in His law and do the truth? After this, the Angel became invisible, and the saint, giving his great thanks to the Lord, became even more zealous in doing good to people and pleasing God. Another time, while treating wanderers to dinner, Saint Gregory, in his humility, wanted to give water to one of them, but when he turned around to take the vessel, he saw that the man was no longer there; Having looked for him and not finding him anywhere, Gregory was quite surprised. The very next night, when the holy pope was sleeping, the Lord appeared to him and said: - In those days you treated My members, that is, the poor, yesterday you received Me Myself. The great humility of Saint Gregory is also spoken of in the Limonar of His Holiness Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem 1912. That's what it says about him. “Once we visited Abba John the Persian; He told us about the great and blessed Gregory, Pope of Rome. “I once wanted,” he said, “to venerate the relics of the holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul, and for this I went to Rome. When I was once standing in the middle of the city, I heard among the people that the pope was about to pass by; then I waited to see him. As he walked past me, I decided to bow to him; but I tell you, brothers - God is my witness - that, having warned me, he fell to the ground, bowed to me and did not rise from the ground until he saw that I had risen before him; Having then kissed me with great love, he gave me three pieces of gold with his hand and ordered me to give me everything I needed for food; I glorified God, who gave Saint Gregory such great humility, love for everyone and mercy. We cannot remain silent about the terrible miracle created by the prayers of this great bishop of God over the Most Pure Mysteries of Christ. A certain woman, very famous in Rome, brought prosphora to the Divine altar; At this time, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Holiness Pope Gregory himself. And so, when he taught people Divine Communion, that woman also began to partake of the Holy Mysteries. But when she heard Gregory’s words: “the life-giving Body of our Lord Jesus Christ is being taught,” she laughed. Then Pope Gregory, holding his hand, asked her: “It’s strange to me, Vladyka,” she replied to this, “that you call the bread that I baked from flour with my own hands the Body of Christ.” The saint, seeing her unbelief, prayed to God, and immediately the bread, in its appearance, was transformed into a real human body. And this bloody human flesh was seen not only by that woman, but also by the people present in the church; everyone who saw this miracle glorified Christ God and was even more confirmed in faith, without any doubt that in the Most Pure Mysteries the true body of Christ is taught under the guise of bread, and His true blood is taught under the guise of wine. After this, the holy pope prayed again, and the appearance of a human body was again transformed into bread. Then that woman received communion with great fear and firm faith, accepting the bread as the body of Christ, and the wine as the blood of Christ. This great lamp of the world, His Holiness Pope Gregory, adorned the Church of Christ not only with his life equal to the angels and wondrous miracles, but also with his numerous creations, which brought great service to the Orthodox faith. And when he wrote them, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, hovered over him; Archdeacon Gregory Peter, a very virtuous man, was often privileged to see this. The conversations of Saint Gregory with this archdeacon are placed in special four books, filled with great spiritual benefit; they contain brief stories of the lives of saints who lived piously in the Italian land, and soul-saving teachings 1913. Saint Gregory shepherded the Church of Christ for thirteen years, six months and ten days and reposed in the Lord during the reign of the Greek Emperor Phocas in 1914. About all the other acts, miracles and church government of this great Gregory, Pope of Rome, as well as about his wondrous and holy life, four books were written by John, deacon of the great Church of Rome 1915; these books contain about two hundred and sixty chapters; Having taken from these books the smallest, but for the benefit of the souls of the faithful, a completely satisfied legend, we glorify Christ our God, who glorifies His saints, Who, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is glorified throughout all ages. Amen. Whosoever from God above we have received Divine grace, O glorious Gregory, we strengthen him with the strength that thou hast deigned to walk in the Gospel. It is from Christ that you received the retribution of your labors, O all-blessed One, pray to Him that He may save our souls. The lieutenant seemed to be the shepherd of Christ, the monks of the succession, Father Gregory, instructing the heavenly fence, and from there you taught the flock of Christ with His commandment, now you rejoice with them and rejoice in the heavenly roofs. The title "pope" (Greek pappas - father) until the end of the 5th century was used as an honorary title for all bishops; from the end of the 5th century it referred mainly to the Roman archbishop, and from 1075 - exclusively to him. Saint Gregory the Great is called Dvoeslov (interlocutor, talker) for his essay “Conversations or dialogues about the life and miracles of the Italian fathers.” Saint Pope Felix III ruled the church from 483 to 492. Praetor (lat. praetor) was the name given by the Romans to a dignitary who was entrusted with the highest judicial power. Sicily is one of the large islands of the Mediterranean Sea, part of the Italian kingdom; It is separated from the mainland by the Messianic Strait. At this time, Pope Paschalis II ordained Gregory, despite his reluctance, to the rank of deacon - in 577. The next year, he sent him to Constantinople as his apocrisiary (ambassador) - partly on the matter of the new Pope Pelagius, and partly to ask for help from Rome against the Longobards. During his stay in Constantinople, Gregory tried to acquire accurate information about the rituals of the Eastern Church, where after the apostles so many men of faith flourished. At the same time, he began his famous work “Interpretation of the Book of Job or Thirty-Five Books on Morality.” In 585, Gregory returned to Rome and was elected abbot of the monastery he founded. This expression is taken from Psalm 83:11. Swoop in - lie at the doorstep, take shelter somewhere. Zlatitsa – gold, chervonets. Pope Pelagius II ruled the Roman Church from 578 to 590. Emperor Mauritius reigned from 582 to 603. Saint Gregory was elected pope in 590. This happened against the will of the humble Gregory, who revered and called himself, in imitation of Blessed Augustine, “the servant of the servants of God,” was burdened by power and used all means in his power to evade it, but, invested with it, he diligently, although constantly ill, devoted himself to the fulfillment of his pastoral duties. Pope Gregory's main concern was the dissemination and explanation of the word of God; he converted many heretics to orthodoxy; contributed to the establishment of the faith in distant Britain (England), sending there in 597 preachers under the command of the Benedictine monk Augustine, who convinced King Ethelbert himself to accept holy baptism, which finally contributed to the spread of the Christian faith throughout the country. Mount Sinai is located in the middle of the Sinai Peninsula; it is actually a group of mountains, consisting of granite rocks, cut through and surrounded by steep and rough valleys. In the Old Testament, at Mount Sinai, the Israelites entered into a covenant with God and received from Him the commandments of the law (Exodus 20). In the 4th and 5th centuries after the birth of Christ, Mount Sinai was famous for the habitation of Christian desert dwellers who lived in its gorges and caves. When a poor man was found dead on the street, Saint Gregory abstained from celebrating the Eucharist for some time, as if considering himself to be the culprit of his death. Sakellary (from the Greek saxella, saxellion - bag, box of money, treasury) generally means treasury guard. In the Church of Constantinople, the sacellarium was entrusted with the responsibility of managing the church treasury itself, which consisted of money and other valuables. In our Russian Church, the name sacellarium was given in later times to the clergy of some of the most famous cathedrals in St. Petersburg and Moscow. “Limonary” or “Zimonary” (from the Greek word λειμών - meadow, pasture). This is the name of the book of Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (7th century), which contains a collection of stories about the deeds of some desert dwellers who shone with the holiness of life. This essay is called "Conversations or dialogues on the life and miracles of the Italian fathers." Among the other works of Saint Gregory the Dialogue, the following are known: a) the “pastoral rule,” containing instructions for the shepherd, and b) the letters of Saint Gregory, up to 848 in total, containing many moral instructions. As for the liturgy of the “Presanctified Gifts,” which is inscribed with the name of St. Gregory the Dvoeslov, it must be borne in mind that even if he set out the rite of this liturgy, it was exclusively for the Western church (as in general he cared about the organization of the Divine service of this church itself), and not for the Eastern Church, which had this rite in practice since ancient times and from which St. Gregory borrowed it in his "Sacramentaries" for the Western Church. The tradition attributing the composition of the rite of the presanctified liturgy to Saint Gregory arose mainly on the basis of the deep veneration with which the Orthodox East treated the name of this holy man. There is no doubt that the news is that, having returned from the East and become the Bishop of Rome, Saint Gregory the Dvoeslov began to restore in the Roman Church some of the ancient rites, forgotten there and preserved in all their primitive purity in the East. At the same time, he appeared to be a reverence for the apostolic liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, used in the East, and a zealot for its lasting establishment and spread in the West. He published this liturgy in Latin and introduced it into use in Western churches, thereby, as it were, earning himself the right, preferable over other fathers of the Universal Church, to the constant combination of his name with this liturgy. The Eastern Church has not forgotten the care of Saint Gregory relating to the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. In the Greek synaxarions, from the time of the 11th century, there was news that Saint Gregory arranged for the Romans to celebrate the full liturgy during the days of fasting, and later this news began to be explained and translated in such a way that he arranged for the Christians of the Roman Empire (and this was the Greco-Bysatian Empire) to celebrate the presanctified liturgy. In the Western Church, this liturgy is now celebrated once a year, namely on Great Friday of Holy Week. (See also about the liturgy of the presanctified gifts, Smirnova, Orthodox Sobes. 1892, pp. 6–7). Saint Gregory the Great (also known in history as the Great) died in 604, on March 12. His body rests in the Vatican Cathedral of St. Apostle Peter in the side church dedicated to this Saint Gregory. Deacon John, who lived in the middle of the 9th century, left an extensive biography of Saint Gregory, compiled by him on the basis of ancient reliable evidence, and a description of later miracles - on the basis of eyewitnesses. You might be interested in: