Житие святого отца нашего Григория Богослова, патриарха Константинопольского

The fatherland of Saint Gregory the Theologian was the second, or southern, Cappadocia, the city of Nazianzus 957, after which it is called Nazianzus. His parents were noble and respectable people: his father also named Gregory and his mother Nonna. But his father was previously an unbeliever, since he came from unbelieving parents: from a pagan father and a Jewish mother. In his faith, he followed both, adhering to both pagan error and Jewish unbelief. This is what the so-called Ipsistarian false teaching consists of 958. The mother of Saint Gregory, Blessed Nonna, came from Christian parents and was herself a pious Christian. From early childhood she was brought up in piety and taught in the most perfect way the fear of God, which is the beginning of all wisdom. According to God's purpose, she was united in marriage with an unbelieving husband in order to lead him to the holy faith: “For an unbelieving husband is sanctified,” according to the words of the Apostle, “by a believing wife” (1 Cor. 7:14). And so it happened. Nonna, constantly convincing her husband with God-wise speeches and praying to God for him with all zeal, led him, with the help of God, to the Christian faith. Her husband had such a vision from God in a dream: it seemed to him that he was singing words from a psalm of David that he had never had in his mouth, except that he had only ever heard them from his wife, who often prayed. He himself never prayed: he did not know how to pray, and did not want to. The words that he sang in a dream vision were the following: “I rejoiced when they said to me: “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1). During this singing, he felt a special sweetness in his heart and, waking up, rejoiced, and then told his wife about it. She realized that God Himself was calling her husband to His Holy Church; she began to teach him the Christian faith even more diligently and set him on the path of salvation. At this time, it happened to Saint Leontius, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, who was going to the First Ecumenical Council convened in Nicaea 959, to stop in the city of Nazianza. Blessed Nonna brought her husband to him, and Gregory was baptized by the hands of the saint. After receiving holy baptism, he began a righteous and godly life, befitting a true and perfect Christian. Moreover, he succeeded so much in evangelism and good deeds that he was subsequently elected to the episcopal throne in the same city of Nazianza (which will be discussed below). Living with such a husband in an honest marriage, blessed Nonna wanted to become the mother of a male child. She sent earnest prayers to the Giver of all blessings, so that He would give her a son, and even before his conception she promised, as Anna Samuel once did, to dedicate him to the service of God. The Lord, who fulfills the will of those who fear Him and listens to their prayers, fulfilled the request of the heart of the pious wife and in a nightly dream vision, by His revelation, predicted to her the child who would be born from her. And blessed Nonna, even before the birth of her son, saw what his face would be like, and she foreknew his name. When she then gave birth to a male child 961, she named him after his father’s name Gregory, as she had been foreshadowed in a dream vision. She offered great thanks to God and handed over the born child to His providence; with full zeal she offered as a gift to God what she received from Him through prayer. However, the baby was not immediately baptized. In those days, many Christians had a voluntary custom of postponing baptism until adulthood and until the year in which Christ our Lord was baptized by John in the Jordan - most often until thirty-three and a half years old 962. Subsequently, this custom, for good reasons, was eliminated by the same Saint Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and other great fathers. Thus, Saint Gregory was not baptized immediately upon birth, but, according to the ancient custom accepted among Christians, his baptism was postponed until the age of Christ. The youth was raised according to Christian customs. When he reached school age, they immediately began to teach him books. Growing in years, Gregory also grew in intelligence. In keeping with his name, 963 he was sensible, cheerful in spirit, diligent in his studies and superior in intelligence to his peers. Even his adolescence did not prevent him from understanding what those who have reached perfect age and intelligence learn. Even as a child, he exhibited the kind of behavior that is characteristic of elders. He hated children's games, empty fun and all kinds of spectacles, but practiced much better things and spent his time in learning, and not in idleness. When he reached adolescence, his pious mother taught him piety with many of her maternal instructions. She told him that he was the fruit of her prayer, that with fervent prayers she asked him from God and, even before conception, doomed him to serve God. The good young man composed his mother’s words in his heart and his soul was enlightened in faith, hope and love for Christ, the true God. Most of all, he loved chastity of soul and purity of body, and also made it a law to carefully preserve his virginity until his death. He was admonished to this partly by repeated and heartfelt instructions from his mother, and partly by a dream vision that occurred to him in his youth. He himself, much later, spoke about the latter as follows: once, while sleeping, it seemed to him that two girls dressed in white clothes were standing near him. Both were beautiful in face; age and years are the same. They wore no external adornment: no gold, no silver, no pearls, no precious stones, no expensive necklaces; they were not decorated with soft silk clothes or golden belts; they were not proud of the beauty of their faces, or their luxurious eyebrows, or their flowing hair, or any other features with which worldly girls try to please and capture the hearts of young men. Dressed simply in clean white robes and modestly girded, they had not only their heads, but also their faces covered with thin veils. Their eyes were cast down; cheeks blushed from girlish embarrassment and testified to chastity; the lips resembled the color of a bright red rose; by their silence they revealed the greatest modesty. Saint Gregory, looking at them, felt great joy in his heart and thought that these were not earthly creatures, but higher ones, surpassing human nature. They, seeing that he was very pleased with the contemplation of them, loved him and hugged him like their child. Then he asked them: who are they and where did they come from? The first said that she was Purity, and the other called herself Chastity. At the same time, they explained that they were standing before the throne of the King of Glory, Christ, and were enjoying the beauty of the heavenly maidens. They said: - Be, child, like-minded with us; unite your mind with our mind and make your face similar to ours. Then we will lift you, shining with the greatest light, to heaven and place you near the immortal Trinity light. Having said this, they began to ascend to the sky and, like birds, ascended upward. The youth Gregory followed them with a joyful gaze until they disappeared into the heavens. Waking up, he felt unspeakable joy, and his heart was filled with joy. From that time on, he was inflamed with jealousy for the careful protection of his virginity. He tried to observe it with complete abstinence, avoiding all tasty food, drunkenness and satiety. After the birth of Saint Gregory, Blessed Nonna gave birth to another son, named Caesarea, and a daughter, Gorgonia. She raised them in piety and book learning. Meanwhile, Blessed Gregory, wanting to improve in oratorical eloquence, in school wisdom and all worldly Hellenic learning, went first to Caesarea Palestine 964, which at that time was famous for its schools and learning. There he had the rhetorician Thespesius as a teacher. Then he moved to Alexandria 965, collecting treasures of wisdom from many men and enriching himself with intelligence. After this, he wished to go to Athens 966 and boarded the Aegina 967 ship along with the pagans. When sailing past the island of Samos 968, a strong storm arose at sea. Everyone despaired of saving their lives and cried in view of bodily death. Gregory cried, fearing spiritual death, since he had not yet been baptized, but only announced. He recalled the former miracles of God in the waters: the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea and the salvation of Jonah from the belly of the whale. He prayed to God with cries, asking for deliverance from death in the waves. These disasters of his during the sea voyage were revealed to his parents in a dream vision. They immediately began to pray and shed hot tears before God, asking Him for help for their son in distress at sea. God, who kept His servant Gregory for the benefit of many and prepared him to become the pillars of the Church, tamed the fierce storm and rebuked the winds; There was complete silence on the sea. Everyone on the ship, seeing themselves, beyond expectation, saved from death and, as it were, snatched from the bonds of death, glorified Christ God. They knew that only by invoking His all-powerful name in Gregory’s prayer was the sea tamed. Moreover, one young man, a traveling companion of the saint, saw in a dream at night, during excitement and storm, that Gregory’s mother, Blessed Nonna, hastily came across the sea, took the sinking ship and brought it to the shore. When the excitement subsided, he told everyone about the vision, and everyone confessed the God of Gregory as a great Helper - they thanked Him and believed in Him. In addition, Father Gregory, who prayed with tears in Nazianza for his son and then fell asleep after prayer, had another vision. He saw one furious demon, Erinn, who tried to destroy Gregory at sea, but Gregory grabbed him with his hands and defeated him. From this vision, Gregory’s father learned about his son’s deliverance from death and offered thanks to God with his wife. Saint Gregory completed his subsequent journey by sea safely and arrived in Athens. There, studying secular sciences, he was an object of surprise to everyone due to the extraordinary sharpness of his mind and chaste life. After a little time, Saint Basil also arrived in Athens for the sake of improvement in secular wisdom. Both of them - Grigory and Vasily - became sincere friends and roommates. They had one house, one food, one spirit, one wisdom, one character, just like half-brothers. Both of them became famous and respected in Athens, for in a short time they surpassed their teachers; being students themselves, they became teachers for their teachers. At the same time, when Constantius, the son of Constantine the Great, reigned over the Greeks and Romans, Julian, who later became king and an apostate from God, studied philosophy in Athens. Gregory often spoke about him: – What great evil is being fostered by the Greek and Roman lands! He had already foreseen what was about to happen. Gregory and Basil lived in Athens for many years, studied all the sciences 969 and improved in them so much that they themselves rose above all Athenian wisdom. Then Basil went to Egypt to the divinely inspired men to study spiritual wisdom, as it is narrated in his life, and the Athenians convinced Gregory with their requests to accept the teaching title. Having lived there for a short time after Basil, Gregory heard that his father had been appointed bishop of Nazianza. He immediately returned to his homeland to his father, already thirty years old, and received holy baptism at the hands of his father. He wanted to immediately renounce the world and go into the desert, but, being restrained by his father, he remained at home with him. He set a rule for himself - never to use oaths or call on the name of God in vain, and he kept this rule until the end of his life. He constantly read Divine books and spent days and nights in contemplation of God; He repeatedly beheld Christ in visions. His father, against his will, made him a presbyter, and then wanted to consecrate him as a bishop, but Saint Gregory, evading such rank and honors, and also striving for monastic silence, secretly fled from home and came to Pontus to his friend, Saint Basil. The latter was also already a presbyter and built a monastery in Pontus, where many monks gathered. He wrote to Gregory from Pontus, persistently inviting him to his place. Thus, they again, as before in Athens, began to live together, each having in the other an example of virtue and imitating one another. Together they wrote rules of fasting life for the monks. Thus Saint Gregory lived with Saint Basil for quite a long time. Meanwhile, Gregory's brother Caesarius died. His parents cried a lot about him. At the same time, the father wrote to Gregory, tearfully urging him to return home and help him in his old age. Blessed Gregory, partly fearing to disobey his father, and partly seeing the needs of the Church, which was greatly troubled at that time by the heresy of Arius, into which Gregory’s father, who had not received a theological education, was partly seduced, returned from Pontus to Nazianza. Here he helped his aged father in church administration and with household chores, explained to him the harm of the Arian heresy and confirmed him in Orthodoxy. After the death of King Constantius, son of Constantine 970, Julian ascended the throne, and then Gregory’s prophecy about him was fulfilled: this lawless man brought great evil; he openly renounced Christ and initiated persecution against the Church of Christ. Saint Gregory fought with him with many of his God-wise writings, exposing his errors, destructive pagan hobbies and false Hellenic fables. This lawbreaker reigned briefly and died in disgrace 971. After him, the pious king Jovian ascended the throne 972, and the faith of Christ began to flourish again. After Jovian, the Arian Valens 973 took over the kingdom, and again the Arian heresy began to spread; Orthodox Christians were oppressed everywhere. At the same time, in Caesarea in Cappadocia, Arianism seduced many into errors and brought confusion into the Church of Christ. Even Bishop Eusebius 974, not well versed in the Divine Scripture, began to waver and allow deviations from the true faith. Having learned about this, Saint Gregory wrote to him, advising him to beg Abba Basil to return to Caesarea to fight errors. He also wrote to Saint Basil himself, friendlyly advising and asking that he, forgetting Eusebius’s former anger at him, go to Caesarea to help the Orthodox and again establish the Church, shaken by the Arians. Thus, Saint Gregory, having arranged peace with his letters between Bishop Eusebius and Saint Basil, made it possible for Saint Basil to return to Caesarea in Cappadocia. Immediately upon his return, the Arians were put to shame, and some of them fell silent, while others fled. Bishop Eusebius rejoiced at Saint Basil. Having lived with him in friendship for some time, he died, and in his place, Saint Basil the Great was elevated to the throne by the Orthodox, against his will. The heretics, indignant at this and feeling embittered, organized the separation of the city of Tian from Caesarea. In Tianakh 975 there was at that time Bishop Anthimus, who pretended to be Orthodox, but in reality was a heretic. He, with like-minded bishops, separated from Basil and became Metropolitan of Tyana. Thus, he arranged for the division of the Cappadocia region into two parts, which led to long-lasting disputes about the boundaries of the diocese. Saint Basil, seeing that some cities and villages were being torn away from his diocese, decided to arrange things this way: between Caesarea and Tianami there was one insignificant and little-known city of Sasima 976. In it, Saint Basil decided to establish a new episcopal see and install a pious man there as bishop; He hoped by this to end the strife and save many people for piety. Not having an experienced husband in mind for this purpose, he wrote to his friend, Saint Gregory, asking him to accept ordination as a bishop to the see in Sasima, for no one else would be as capable of establishing piety there as he was. Saint Gregory persistently refused letters. Basil wrote to him many times, but, not achieving what he wanted, he went himself to the city of Nazians and there, after consulting with old Gregory, the bishop of Nazians, Gregory’s father, he began with him to convince his friend Gregory to accept ordination to the priesthood. Thus, Gregory was forced to take the episcopal see in the city of Sasima. When the Tian Metropolitan Anfim, who counted Sasima among the boundaries of his diocese, learned about this, he brought an army there in order to prevent Gregory from occupying the see; he lay in wait for Gregory along his route. Saint Gregory, having learned during the journey about the intrigues of Anthimus and about the troops he had brought, went to a monastery and there cared for the sick, and then settled in the desert, seeking the silence he desired. After a little time, he again, at the request of his parents, returned to Nazians. His parents were already very old and, due to their old age, needed his help, especially since they no longer had any other children except him. Caesarea, their other son, had already died, as has already been said, and likewise their daughter Gorgonia had already passed away into eternity 977. The brother, this Saint Gregory, honored the burial of both of them with funeral words. Then he was left alone with his parents, like the apple of his eye, and it was impossible for him not to fulfill the requests of his parents. He was supposed to serve them in their old age and, after their death, perform the usual burial over them. When Saint Gregory returned from the desert to Nazians, his father Gregory, already exhausted from old age, wanted to place his son in the episcopal see in Nazians during his lifetime. He encouraged his son to do this not only with convictions and requests, but also with an oath. He did not refuse to take care of the improvement of the Church, nor did he want to disobey his father’s orders, but he did not at all want to accept the episcopal throne. “It is impossible for me, father,” he said, “while you are still alive and have not passed into eternity, to accept your throne.” The father, no longer insisting on his son accepting the throne and only entrusting him with the care of the Church, said: - While I am alive, be my son, the support of my old age, and after my death, do as you please. Soon the father of Saint Gregory, the elderly Bishop of Nazianza, reposed 978, having been on the episcopal throne for forty-five years. He lived only a hundred years. He was buried with great triumph, with the participation of St. Basil the Great, who arrived for the burial. Nonna, the mother of Saint Gregory, Basil's friend, still remained alive, but she also soon fell asleep in the Lord, also reaching the age of one hundred years 979. Saint Gregory, having buried his pious parents, became free from caring about them; but he also wanted to free himself from glory, especially since the inhabitants of his native city forced him to take the episcopal throne, after his father. He went secretly to Seleucia 980 and there remained at the church of the holy first martyr Thekla. From there he was summoned by the friendly requests of Basil the Great and, returning, took charge of almshouses and hospitals. Saint Basil, in order to give shelter to those who had no place to lay their heads, built vast buildings and, gathering there the poor and sick, widows, orphans and wanderers, took care of daily food for them, and entrusted their care to his beloved friend. Thus, Saint Gregory was a nourisher of the poor, a minister of the sick, and a calmer of wanderers. At this time, from the Arian heresy, which had been troubling the Church of God for many years, a new heresy arose, like a new head from some hydra, 981 and seduced many. This was the heresy of Macedonius, who blasphemed the Holy Spirit. The Arians confessed that the Father is an uncreated, pre-eternal God, and the Son is created, moreover, not consubstantial and not co-essential with the Father; The Macedonians recognized the Son as equal to the Father, but blasphemed the Holy Spirit, some saying that He is a creature and not God, while others did not recognize Him as either God or a creature. Saint Gregory called them semi-Arians, since they revered the Son, but humiliated the Holy Spirit. This heresy spread especially strongly in Byzantium. According to the conviction of Saint Basil the Great and on the general advice of many other Orthodox bishops who gathered at the council, Saint Gregory, as a man of deep intelligence and strong in eloquence, had to go to Byzantium to refute heretical wisdom and to defend the right dogmas of the holy faith. But before he went to Byzantium, Saint Basil, having been ill for a while, died in 982. Thus the universal lamp of faith went out. Saint Gregory wept a lot for him and, having honored him with a funeral oration, set off on the path that lay before him. When he reached the royal city of Byzantium, he was greeted with joy by pious Christians. He found the Church of Christ to be extremely diminished. The number of believers was easy to count, since most of the city followed the heresies. All the churches of God, majestic and richly decorated, were in the hands of heretics. Only the small and dilapidated church of St. Anastasia, rejected by the heretics, was left to the Orthodox. Saint Gregory immediately, like David, who once armed himself with a sling against the Philistines, armed himself with the word of God against the heretics, defeated them in disputes and destroyed their dogmatic errors, like a cobweb. Every day he converted many from error to Orthodoxy with his God-wise and God-inspired speeches, and in a short time he increased the number of believing members of the Church of Christ so much that it is impossible to count; the number of heretics decreased from day to day, so that what was said in the Holy Scriptures about the house of David and the house of Saul came true: “The house of David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul weakened more and more” (2 Samuel 3:1). The evil inflicted on the Church by the Arians and Macedonians had not yet passed when a new heretic appeared from Syria, Apollinaris, who thought incorrectly about the Incarnation of the Lord. He recognized the incarnation as untrue: Christ allegedly did not have a soul, and instead of it there was a Divinity. Being eloquent and skilled in Hellenic wisdom, he attracted many to his heresy, and his disciples dispersed everywhere, catching those ignorant of theological science and dragging them, as if with milk, to destruction. Then again the good ascetic of piety, Saint Gregory, undertook a great feat, entered into the struggle with heretics, denounced those who had fallen away from the right faith, begged, forbade, and confirmed some in the faith, and restored others from their fall. At the same time, the disciples of Apollinaris, moving among the people, slandered Saint Gregory, as if he divided Christ into two persons. By diligently disseminating such lies everywhere, they aroused the anger and malice of the people against the saint: after all, even a drop of water, if it falls frequently, pierces a stone. People, unable to understand the intricately woven heretical speeches and comprehend the depth of the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, revered heretics as true shepherds and recognized them as Orthodox teachers; the true shepherd, who taught the gospel, was recognized as a heretic. Having excited the crowd, they threw stones at the saint, as the Jews once did at the holy First Martyr Stephen; however, they could not kill him, since God protected His saint. Unable to satisfy their anger, they brutally attacked him and presented him to the head of the city for trial as some kind of rebel, the culprit of unrest and unrest. The saint, being innocent of any crime, moreover, distinguished by meekness and humility, in the midst of this disaster and the causeless attack on him by the people, prayed only to God, His Christ: in Your name, Christ, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Ps. 22:4). The boss, knowing his innocence and seeing the unjust human malice, released him. So he turned out to be a martyr, but without wounds and tortures, a crown bearer, but without ulcers, and had only one desire - to suffer for Christ. Having shone with such exploits and stubborn struggle against heretics, Saint Gregory became known to everyone; His wisdom was glorified everywhere, and for it he received a new name from the entire holy Orthodox Church, the name of a theologian, like the first theologian, Saint John the Virgin, beloved disciple of Christ. This name of theologian, although it is characteristic of all great teachers and saints, since they all theologized, worthily glorifying the Holy Trinity, however, it was adopted by Saint Gregory in a special way and became his additional name. It was given by the Church as a sign of his triumph and victory over many great heretics. From that time on, everyone began to call him the Theologian. He was deeply loved by the Orthodox. The entire host of pious people wanted to see him on the patriarchal throne. Moreover, the Patriarch of Alexandria Peter 983, who accepted the throne after Athanasius the Great, wrote to Saint Gregory the Theologian, entrusting him with the patriarchal throne of Constantinople, as the most worthy and who had endured much labor for the benefit of the Church of Christ. But immediately there appeared an obstacle to this from evil people. There was a Greek philosopher in Constantinople, from the school of Cynics 984, named Maximus, originally an Egyptian. He was distinguished by cunning, cunning, hypocrisy and evil intentions. Appearing to the most holy shepherd, Gregory the Theologian, he renounced Hellenic atheism and, after baptism, entered the bosom of the holy Church. However, he lived in the vanity of the world and hypocritically covered himself with reverence, like sheep’s clothing, while remaining a wolf in his soul, which was not slow to be revealed. Saint Gregory of God, not suspecting his guile, and considering his conversion from paganism to Christianity to be a great deed, sheltered him as a roommate and friend, made him his table companion and then a member of the church clergy. He followed the example of Judas - he planned to retreat from his teacher and spiritual father and began to fight against him. To fulfill his plan, he also found an assistant in the person of one presbyter, who did not fear God and was skilled in treacherous enterprises. In alliance with him, Maxim began to act cunningly and secretly in order to delight the patriarchal throne in Constantinople. But since the success of such a business required a lot of money in order to persuade the majority to agree with their views through bribery and gifts, they began to worry about money first of all. With satanic help, they soon found what they wanted in the following way. One presbyter came to Byzantium from the island of Phazos 985 with a large sum of money to buy marble boards brought from Prokonnis 986 for the church building. Having seduced him with various unrealistic promises, the conspirators took away the money, which was enough to achieve their evil plan, and secretly sent to Alexandria many rich gifts to Patriarch Peter, as well as his bishops and clergy, and convincingly asked to send bishops to Byzantium who would elevate Maximus to the patriarchal throne. Peter, seduced by the gifts and as if forgetting about his previous letter to Saint Gregory, immediately bowed to their requests. He sent Egyptian bishops to Constantinople, who arrived there without delay. Without showing themselves to anyone, neither Pastor Gregory, nor the clergy, nor any of the leaders, they appeared with Maxim in the church during Matins and had already begun their ordination, wanting to ordain Maxim as an archbishop. Saint Gregory the Theologian was ill. Everyone immediately knew about it. Elders, members of the clergy and a multitude of people, both Orthodox and heretics, immediately gathered in the church. Everyone, surprised by such a subtle trick and illegal dedication, became inflamed with anger and began to shout at the arriving bishops, trying in every possible way to prevent them in this completely illegal matter. Removed from the church in disgrace, they went to the house of a flutist and there completed the incorrect initiation, and then proclaimed Maximus Patriarch of Constantinople with the assistance of assistants, both clergy and lay persons. Some of them were excommunicated from the Church for sins, others were hired for pay, and others were deceived by promises of gifts and honors; all of them were adherents of Maxim and supported him. The majority, moreover, the most honorable citizens, were inflamed with anger and condemned Maxim with sharp reproaches and reproaches; They also expressed displeasure to Saint Gregory the Theologian himself because he accepted such a person as his cohabitant and honored him with his friendship. “Don’t be angry with me, men, because I benefited this man without foreseeing his malice; are we guilty of not being able to foresee someone’s malice?” Only God can know the secret of man's inner life. Moreover, isn’t it the law itself that commands us to open our bosom in a fatherly and loving manner to everyone who comes to us: “him who comes to Me,” says the Savior, “I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). It was also important for me that Maximus came from Hellenic error to holy baptism and, instead of serving Hercules 987, began to serve the Holy Trinity. Moreover, he seemed virtuous, albeit hypocritically, but his hypocrisy and malice only now clearly emerged. It is not given to us to investigate such matters; we do not penetrate into human thoughts, we do not know the future, unless God reveals it to us. We look only at the face, but God sees the heart. With these words the people were reassured and then began to treat Saint Gregory the Theologian with even greater love. Maxim went, along with the council of Egyptian bishops who appointed him a bishop, to the pious Tsar Theodosius the Great 988, who was then with troops in Thessalonica 989, and asked for confirmation of his rights to the Constantinople throne. He, an outcast man, could not obtain approval on the basis of church statutes, and therefore wanted to receive the power of governance in the church by royal command, meaning to torment rather than to sanctify. The pious king became very angry and with threats drove away Maxim and the bishops who arrived with him. Then they all went to Alexandria, and there Maxim began to build similar intrigues. Having bribed the clergy of the Alexandrian Church with a significant amount of money, Maxim boldly and shamelessly turned to Patriarch Peter: “Either intercede for the throne of Constantinople for me, or I will not give up yours.” Using insidious means, he dug a ditch for the patriarch, and would certainly have carried out his evil intention if the head of the city had not soon found out about it. Fearing that unrest would break out among the people, he expelled Maximus from Alexandria in disgrace. Meanwhile, Saint Gregory the Theologian was so depressed in Constantinople by bodily illnesses that he was forced to abandon the concerns of governing the Church of Constantinople and wanted to return to his homeland, to Nazianza. He decided to tell the people the last word, in which he urged them to zealously keep the faith and do good deeds. The people realized that they wanted to leave Constantinople. Exclamations and loud crying were heard in the church. Everyone unanimously began to say: - Father! When you leave us, you take with you the teaching about the Holy Trinity. Without you, there will be no right confession of the Holy Trinity in this city. Orthodoxy and piety will leave the city with you. Hearing these exclamations and the people's lamentation, Saint Gregory postponed his intention and promised to remain with them until the next council was convened. At this time, they expected that the bishops would soon gather and elect a worthy man to the patriarchate. Saint Gregory also expected this: as soon as he saw a worthy shepherd on the patriarchal throne, he intended to return to his homeland. Meanwhile, the pious king Theodosius waged war against the barbarians and, after defeating them, returned to Constantinople in triumph. The Arians still owned the cathedral patriarchal church and had the Arian Demophilus as their patriarch; The Orthodox still had a small and dilapidated church of St. Anastasia. The king called Demophilus and convinced him to either accept the Orthodox confession, or give up his place to another. Demophilus, being hardened in heart, preferred to lose his throne rather than abandon his errors. Then the tsar gave to Saint Gregory the Theologian and the entire host of Orthodox Christians the cathedral church, which the Arians owned for forty years, as well as all other churches. When the Bishop of God Gregory with the clergy and people wanted to enter the church, a crowd of Arians, armed as if for war, stood near the church, blocking the entrance for the Orthodox, and they threatened the saint with death. The Arians hired one young man, brave and daring, so that he, unnoticed, would approach Gregory and thrust a sword into his belly; but God saved His faithful servant. Then a cry, noise and chatter arose among the Arians. They would certainly have caused violence and harm to the Orthodox if the Tsar himself had not appeared and brought the holy bishop into the church. The Orthodox exclaimed with great joy and joy, glorifying God, shedding tears of delight and raising their hands in the air. Indeed, after so many years, they received their shrine again! At the same time, they unanimously appealed to the tsar, asking to elevate Gregory the Theologian to the patriarchal throne. Saint Gregory, being too weakened by his constant bodily ailments and not having the strength to address the people with a speech, in view of the general cry, announced through one of his clergy: - Children! Now is the time of thanksgiving and glorification of the One, in the Trinity, God, who has granted us again to receive His holy Church. Therefore, let us glorify His great mercies now, and we will think about the patriarchal throne later, at another time. The people, having heard this answer from the saint, stopped shouting. Then, after the liturgy, everyone dispersed, glorifying God; The Arians fell silent, disgraced. The blessed king Theodosius greatly respected Saint Gregory the Theologian as his father, but he did not often come to the king, well remembering the words of Solomon: “Do not often enter your friend’s house, lest he become bored with you and hate you” (Prov. 25:17). The saint always had great zeal to teach the people, visit the sick and heal them, help the offended, protect the weak and cleanse his flock from heretical errors. He sometimes retired to the villages, loving silence and trying to heal his frequent illnesses with rest and thus make his body capable of further work. Owning large church property, he did not appropriate a single silver coin, nor did he question the church builders about how much they had collected and how much they had spent. He considered the latter to be the work not of the bishop, but of the secular ruler. He instructed everyone to maintain a clear conscience. Exhausted from incessant work and venerable age, he one day fell ill and lay in bed. The people, having learned about this, came to visit him. He sat up in bed and began to ask: -What do you want, children? Why did you come to me? Those who came bowed to him and thanked him for all his labors, for having cleansed the city of heresy, for returning the holy churches that had been in the hands of the Arians for many years to the Orthodox, for having greatly benefited everyone with his teaching and pastoral care. “Now, father,” they said, “if you are going to God, then pray for your flock, for the blessed king and for the whole Church.” The saint announced that his illness did not lead to death, and then, having taught them according to custom, he released them. When they began to disperse, only one young man remained, who, clutching the saint’s legs, begged him with tears and sobs to forgive him his sin. The saint asked what his sin was, but the young man did not answer, but only sobbed and asked for forgiveness. One of those present said to the saint: - This is your killer, father! At the instigation of the heretics, he wanted to plunge a sword into your belly, but Christ protected you. Now he repents and asks for forgiveness. – May our Lord Jesus Christ be merciful to you, beloved son, and forgive you your sins. Only you will be ours from now on; leave heresy and turn to Christ God and serve Him faithfully. So he released the young man, forgiving him. The whole city, having learned about this, marveled at his gentleness and was inflamed with even greater love for him. Soon after this, bishops began to gather in Byzantium, partly to install a patriarch in the royal city, and partly in order to anathematize heresies at the Second Ecumenical Council of 990. When the Orthodox bishops gathered, numbering one hundred and fifty, Saint Meletius of Antioch was elected chairman of the council. Then Saint Gregory the Theologian, against his will and with sorrow, being sick, accepted the patriarchal throne, agreeing to the requests of the king and all the people. A few days later, Saint Meletios, Patriarch of Antioch, fell ill and went to the Lord. Bishops from Egypt and Macedonia then appeared and began to express displeasure at the appointment of Gregory as patriarch, especially since he was elected in their absence. They argued that this appointment was incorrect, since Gregory was appointed not by the Patriarch of Alexandria, but by the Patriarch of Antioch; Meanwhile, the Patriarchal throne of Alexandria is the first after the Roman one and the appointment of the Patriarch of Constantinople should come from it. There were great disagreements, unrest and strife between the bishops: some said that Gregory’s ordination was correct, while others objected; At the same time, the bishops quarreled among themselves. Saint Gregory the Theologian, seeing the strife and quarrels that had occurred between the bishops because of him, addressed them all in the cathedral with the word: “I, sacred and respected shepherds,” he said, “did not seek to gain power over the Church of Constantinople, but if it has grown and been firmly established by my sweat and labors, then it is enough for me to please God with this and expect reward from Him. Only the love of my verbal flock and the general judgment of the saints forced me to accept the throne; Now I see the hostility of many towards me. Know that I do not seek either wealth, or high position and honors; I do not want to bear the title of Patriarch of Constantinople and leave the bishopric without grief; But you take counsel among yourselves and do as you please. The desert has long been pleasant to me, and those who dethrone us cannot deprive us of God. Having said this, he went out and left the patriarchal house. He settled in a small house located far from the church, avoiding the conversations and arguments of the people who came to him. However, many of the people, coming to him, asked him to show mercy to his flock and not leave them, after he had educated and increased them with so much labor and then. “Show, father,” they said, “your disposition towards your children, for whom you have worked so hard; devote the rest of your days to them, so that we, enlightened by your teaching, may have your body after your death. Saint Gregory, like a loving father, softened in heart and, wondering what to do, asked God to show him the path of life. When the number of assembled bishops increased, and discord and disagreement between them still continued, Blessed Gregory, standing in the middle of the cathedral, addressed them with a speech: - My men and fellow shepherds in the management of Christ’s holy flock! Shame on you, who teach others to keep peace and enter into discord among yourselves! How can you convince others to agree and be like-minded if you cannot agree with yourself? But I beg you, before the consubstantial and Most Holy Trinity, to establish peace and show mutual love for each other, so that you can arrange church affairs in complete harmony. If I am the culprit of disagreement and separation between you, then I am not at all worthy of the prophet Jonah. Throw me overboard the ship, and then the excitement will stop for you. Although I am not to blame for this storm, I prefer to suffer if that is what you want. Just be reconciled with each other and be of the same mind; overthrow me from the throne, drive me out of the city, love only truth and peace, I speak with the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 8:19). I wish you good health, sacred shepherds! Don't forget my works! When he made this speech, all his opponents were ashamed and touched by his words. The saint, leaving the cathedral, decided to return to his homeland and went to ask the king to let him go home. - Tsar! May Christ reward you on the day of judgment for all your benefits to the Church. But do not refuse me, sovereign ruler, the mercy that I will ask you for now: I do not ask you for property or relatives; I am not looking for valuable coverings for altars, but I only want to ease my labors. Let this stop the envy of many; May the bishops reach agreement through your efforts! You, who have eliminated the insolence of the barbarians, also eliminate the strife of the saints. Decorate your victorious power with one thing, so that the bishops achieve peace and harmony among themselves. This will be achieved if you let me go home. This is the favor I ask of you; do me this last favor. The king was amazed by the saint’s words and shed tears. The dignitaries who were here also shed tears. Everyone felt strong love for the saint and did not want to let him go. He, either citing his old age and constant illness, or pointing out the discord between the bishops that was occurring because of him, continued to ask the king and finally convinced him not to keep him, but to let him go where he wanted, in order to spend the rest of his days in peace and rest from his many labors. Released by the king, he said goodbye to everyone and gave the good wishes of peace to his verbal sheep. When he left the city, all the people saw him off and cried bitter tears. Immediately some bishops, who loved Saint Gregory and mourned him, left the city and, leaving the cathedral, each returned to the place of their ministry. These were: Gregory of Nyssa, brother of Basil the Great, Amphilochius of Iconium, Eulogius of Edessa, Helladius of Caesarea, Otrius of Melitene and many others. The remaining bishops at the council elected Senator Nektarios 991 as patriarch. Saint Gregory the Theologian retired to the Cappadocia region and settled in his homeland, in the village of Arians. There he rested, being very weak. However, he did not abandon his work for the glory of God: he found his native city of Nazianza infected with the Apollinarian heresy and tried to cleanse it with both personal admonitions and his messages. When the citizens asked him to accept his father's throne, he refused, and appointed as their bishop one presbyter named Eulalia, a man zealous in the faith and pious. He himself remained in complete solitude in the village of Arianze. There, having lived for some time and left behind many edifying works 992, he, in extreme old age, passed away to ageless life on January 25, 993. He was buried with honor in the city of Nazianze. Many years later, the pious Tsar Constantine Porphyrogenitus transferred his venerable relics from Nazianza to Constantinople and placed them in the Church of the Holy Apostles - to help and protect the city and to the glory of Christ God, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen. The pastoral pipe of the theology of your rhetoricians defeats the trumpets: for I have sought the depth of the Spirit, and the kindness of the broadcast has been added to you. But pray to Christ God, Father Gregory, to save our souls. With your theological language, who destroyed the rhetorical tangles of glory, you adorned the Church with the clothes of Orthodoxy, worn from above, even though you wear them, you call with us your children: Rejoice, Father, the most minded theologist. Second or Great Cappadocia is a very vast region in the middle eastern part of Asia Minor, west of the headwaters of the Euphrates River; Cappadocia was once one of the significant states of Asia, but then lost its independence and became part of the Roman Empire as its province (in 17 or 18 AD). – Nazians is a small town in the southwestern part of Cappadocia; now on the site of Nazianza there are only ruins in a barren area filled with quarries. The Ipsistarians got their name from the fact that they worshiped God as the “highest being” (from the Greek word - highest, highest). They considered themselves illuminated from above; they mixed pagan (Persian) and Jewish false teachings with Christian views. Rejecting idols and sacrifices, the Ipsistarians worshiped God under the symbols of light and fire. They dedicated and observed the seventh day instead of the first and adopted the Jewish rules regarding clean and unclean foods. In general, very little news has been preserved about this sect. Saint Gregory the Theologian was born around 329, in Arianza, the estate of his parents, which lay not far from Nazianza to the south. In the 4th century, there was a general custom of postponing baptism until adulthood, sometimes even, as was the case with Constantine the Great, since the fear of dying unbaptized seemed less than the fear of falling into mortal sin after baptism. Gregory - from the Greek I am awake - meaning: awake, vigorous. Caesarea (on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea) was then one of the most significant cities in Palestine and the seat of the bishop. There was a famous Christian school there, founded by a famous church writer and scientist of the 3rd century. Origen and after him, under the leadership of such outstanding Christian theologians as the famous church historian Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, and Presbyter Pamphilus, famous for his learning and holy life, who ended his life as a martyr (his memory is February 16); In addition to the school, through the work of the latter, an extensive library of thirty thousand volumes was compiled, thanks to which many fathers and teachers of the Church acquired learning. – But before his education in Caesarea Palestine, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus studied science in Caesarea Cappadocia. In Alexandria, the center of pagan learning, there has long been a famous museum of verbal, mathematical and philosophical sciences. But at the same time, in contrast to paganism, since the times of the apostles, a Christian, so-called “Catechetical” or “Catechetical” school arose, the influence of which on the future of Christianity was multifaceted and immeasurable. Tradition reverently attributed the founding of this school to the apostle and evangelist Mark himself. At first, only the initial instructions were taught there for those wishing to receive baptism, as indicated by the very name of the Alexandria School “Catechetical,” and at the same time the catechumens themselves were trained. But then the Catechetical School of Alexandria, due to its position in the center of world education and scholarship, took on the character of a theological and scientific educational institution, which reached a brilliant state, mainly thanks to the works of the famous Panten, his no less remarkable student and successor Clement of Alexandria and even more so - Origen. Although Athens, the ancient famous capital of Greece, was at that time only a shadow of its former greatness, however, schools of pagan sophists and rhetoricians still flourished there, giving the city some semblance of its former glory. Aegina is an island in the Saronic Gulf, east of Greece between central and southern Greece. Samos is one of the main islands of the Aegean Sea (Archipelago), near the western coast of Asia Minor, opposite Cape Mykale, from which it is separated by a narrow strait. They studied grammar, history, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic and mathematics, the beginnings of medicine, philosophy and logic. Studying classical (Roman and Greek) literature took a lot of time. Many Christians disdained reading the great pagan writers, but St. Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil the Great stood above such narrow prejudice. Valens reigned from 364–378. Eusebius Pamphilus, Bishop of Caesarea, was famous for his learning, wrote church history, a book about the Palestinian martyrs, and described the life of Constantine the Great; but, despite his learning, he, unfortunately, deviated from Orthodoxy and was committed to Arianism, although he did not directly deviate from the Orthodox Church. Tiana is the ancient city of Cappadocia, at the foot of the Taurus, near the Cilician gorges. Sasima was located on the borders of two newly formed, as a result of the division of regions, dioceses, fifty miles from Tian and thirty-six from Nazianza. Gregory, Bishop of Nazianza, father of St. Gregory the Theologian, died in 374. Having honored his memory with a funeral oration, Gregory the Theologian, according to the word given to his father, ruled the Nazian flock for some time. The righteous mother of Gregory the Theologian died, like her husband, in the same year 374. She is canonized; her memory is celebrated on August 5th. Seleucia is the name of many cities, mostly founded by Seleucus I. Here we must mean Seleucia of Isauria, in a mountainous country in the southeast of Asia Minor. Hydra, according to the mythology of the ancient Greeks, is a snake-like monster with 9 heads that grew back when they were cut off. St. Basil died in 379. Peter II, Patriarch of Alexandria, ruled the church from 373–380. This man, unknown in Alexandria, actually belonged to the worst category of adventurers from the clergy. He was a poor mixture of a vain layman, a hypocritical Christian and an ostentatious philosopher. In appearance, he presented himself as an ascetic and wore the cloak of cynics (philosophers who showed complete contempt for earthly goods and set the goal of a possible reduction in bodily needs, which is why, going to extremes, they wore shabby clothes and refused all everyday comforts, although often hypocritically). Fazos, now Taso, is an island of the Aegean Sea (Archipelago), not far from the Thracian coast. Prokonnis is an important island on the Propontis (Sea of ​​Marmara); famous for its marble breaks. Hercules is a hero of ancient Greek legends, who, according to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, possessed supernatural power, personifying the physical strength of man and subsequently revered by them as one of the most beloved gods. Reigned from 379–395. Thessalonica, otherwise Thessalonica, is a very significant ancient city of Macedonia, lying in the depths of the large Thessalonica or Thracian Gulf near the Aegean Sea (Archipelago). The Second Ecumenical Council began in 381 and lasted three years. St. Nektarios served as patriarch from 381–397. The works of Saint Gregory the Theologian enjoyed the highest respect in the Church of Christ. They have been the subject of the most careful study and many interpretations. St. Gregory's writings consist of words, letters, and poems. Five words about Theology best show what kind of Theologian Gregory was. In his homily on Pentecost, Saint Gregory depicts the actions of the Holy Spirit and, by the actions in Him, makes it possible to see the true God. In other works, Gregory explains the dogma of the Holy Trinity, and partly speaks about other objects of faith. In general, Gregory’s words are unprecedented in many respects. Both in form and tone, Gregory’s words are not conversations, they are oratorical words in the full sense. Of his 45 words, 5 are commendable, 9 are about holidays, others are defensive and accusatory. Among the festive words of St. Gregory, the words are now known: for the Nativity of Christ, for Epiphany or the day of lights, for Easter, for Pentecost, for Antipascha, for St. Mamanta, about the Maccabees, about St. martyrs on the Sunday of All Saints. Some words from his sermons were included in the Easter canon of St. John of Damascus and from them were compiled one of the Easter stichera, which announce the Church today, and several troparions of the canon; Some words from his sermons were also included in church services for Christmas, Pentecost and Antipascha. From the defensive and accusatory words of Saint Gregory the Theologian, his so-called “Monument” to Julian - two words in which Julian’s wickedness is indelibly depicted for posterity. Gregory's letters are among the best works of literature. They are mostly brief, but Gregory believed that this was the merit of the letter. The chants of St. Gregory are divided into three categories: dogmatic, moral and historical; among the latter, for the most part he sings about himself, about his weaknesses and sorrows. His prayer chants are also remarkable, for example morning and evening, poems about life, virtue, the vanity of life; all of them should take first place among the best works of creativity. – The Church honored Saint Gregory with the name with which it honored one high among the apostles and evangelists, John. This name was given to him because after the first Theologian, Saint Gregory comprehended with such lofty and at the same time precise thoughts the depths of the Divine, as much as a person can comprehend them, in the light of Revelation; especially his whole thought, like that of the first Theologian, was turned to the Eternal Word. The sublimity of thoughts ascending into the inner (as far as it is accessible) sanctuary of God's nature is a feature of Saint Gregory that no one possessed to the same extent as him. Saint Gregory the Theologian died in 389. A church was built for him in Constantinople by a certain Patricius under Theodosius the Younger in the first half of the 5th century. The relics of Saint Gregory, transferred to Constantinople in 960 under Emperor Constantine VI Porphyrogenitus, were divided: one part of them was placed in the Church of the Apostles, the other in the Church of St. Anastasia. There are his relics now in Rome in the Cathedral of St. ap. Petra. You might be interested in: