Jesus said: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father— and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd”. (John. 10, 9-16)
St. Gregory was named for his father who was a bishop in Nazianzen, in Cappadocia. Before he was even born, his pious mother, Nonna, made a vow to offer him up to the service of God. After he had grown to manhood, she gave him the Holy Bible, saying, “As I promised even before your birth, I now offer you to God; I beg you, therefore, to fulfil my desire. You were born as a result of my prayers. For this I now pray, that you be perfect. I entrust to you, my son, this precious treasure. Use it throughout your entire life, and in the future you shall receive still more blessings.”
St. Gregory, like St. Basil, received a thorough education in the higher schools of learning. On his way to study in Athens, his ship was caught in a fierce storm at sea. At the time, he had not yet been baptized, and fearing lest he died without holy baptism, he made a vow that if he came out of the storm safely, he would consecrate himself to the service of God. In Athens, he met St. Basil and they became faithful friends and remained so throughout their entire lives. St. Gregory speaks briefly about their life in Athens:
“We knew only two roads,- one to church to pray, the other to school to study.”
His father ordained him to the priesthood, and later St. Basil appointed him Bishop of Sazima. St. Gregory was the Archbishop of Constantinople for several years. He distinguished himself as a profound preacher; his sermons are pearls and masterpieces of sacred eloquence. St. Gregory had great devotion to the Holy Trinity, regarding that dogma as the foundation of the Christian religion. Because of his deep knowledge of theology he received the title “the Theologian.” In Byzantium, he was called the Christian Demosthenes.
St. Gregory was by nature quiet, tender sensitive and compassionate. He always dreamed of a life of prayer and contemplation in solitude. As a writer he left sermons, poems and letters for posterity. He penned a sublime funeral oration in honor of his friend, St. Basil, and his father, Gregory. We celebrate the memory of his death on January 25.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Google+