Saint Gregory of Nyssa

January 10, we celebrate the feast of Saint Gregory of Nyssa (333-398), younger brother of Saints Basil the Great and Macrina, and revered as one of the greatest of the Eastern Fathers of the Church. St. Gregory , his brother Basil and their friend St. Gregory of Nazianzen, are known as the Cappadocian Fathers, from the region in modern Turkey from which they came.

Along with his brother, Basil, and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Saint Gregory of Nyssa is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers. Gregory was born in modern-day Turkey in the years following the persecution of Christians. His grandparents had fled to Turkey during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. He was raised by his elder brother and sister, Saints Basil the Great and Macrina.

From a young age, Saint Gregory excelled at his studies, becoming a professor of rhetoric at an early age, working for several years before entering the monastery founded by Saint Basil. Ordained a priest, he was later consecrated the Bishop of Nyssa (in Lower Armenia) in 371, at the age of 38.

He was elected Bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of great tension over the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Briefly arrested after being falsely accused of embezzling Church funds, Gregory was restored to his see in 378, an act met with great joy by his people.

Saint Gregory fought tirelessly against heresies, and preached the tenets of the Trinitarian faith. Following the death of his brother, he was recognized as a defender of orthodoxy, writing and preaching effectively against Arianism and other questionable doctrines. Saint Gregory held a position of prominence at the Council of Constantinople, which reaffirmed the divinity of the Trinity. He spent the remainder of his life following this great council, writing, preaching, and traveling.

Generally considered one of the great pillars of mystical writing of the Church, Saint Gregory is referred to as the “Father of Mysticism.” While his brother, Saint Basil the Great, is credited with providing structure and organization to the eastern Church, Saint Gregory’s writings filled the hearts of the faithful with spirituality and the mystical vision of Christ.

He penned countless reflections and commentaries on the Holy Scriptures, including a well-known text on the Life of Moses. His other writings and homilies included treatises on the Lord’s Prayer, the Song of Songs, and the Beatitudes.

Prayer:

God our Father, Saint Gregory, your bishop, praised you by the splendor of his life and teaching. In your kindness, as we forget what is past and reach out to what is before us, help us to attain that vocation to which we are called.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa , pray for us.