ENGLISH:
Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, a great Father and teacher of the Church, was born into a Christian family of eminent lineage in the year 329, at Arianzos (not far from the city of Cappadocian Nazianzos). His father, also named Gregory (January 1), was Bishop of Nazianzus. The son is the Saint Gregory Nazianzus encountered in Patristic theology. His pious mother, Saint Nonna (August 5), prayed to God for a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord. Her prayer was answered, and she named her child Gregory.
When the child learned to read, his mother presented him with the Holy Scripture. St. Gregory received a complete and extensive education: after working at home with his uncle St. Amphilochius (November 23), an experienced teacher of rhetoric, he then studied in the schools of Nazianzos, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and Alexandria. Then the saint decided to go to Athens to complete his education.
On the way from Alexandria to Greece, a terrible storm raged for many days. Saint Gregory, who was just a catechumen at that time, feared that he would perish in the sea before being cleansed in the waters of Baptism. Saint Gregory lay in the ship’s stern for twenty days, beseeching the merciful God for salvation. He vowed to dedicate himself to God, and was saved when he invoked the name of the Lord.
St. Gregory spent six years in Athens studying rhetoric, poetry, geometry, and astronomy. His teachers were the renowned pagan rhetoricians Gymorias and Proeresias. Saint Basil, the future Archbishop of Caesarea (January 1) also studied in Athens with Saint Gregory. They were such close friends that they seemed to be one soul in two bodies. Julian, the future emperor (361-363) and apostate from the Christian Faith, was studying philosophy in Athens at the same time.
Upon completing his education, Saint Gregory remained for a certain while at Athens as a teacher of rhetoric. He was also familiar with pagan philosophy and literature.
In 358 Saint Gregory quietly left Athens and returned to his parents at Nazianzus. At thirty-three years of age, he received Baptism from his father, who had been appointed Bishop of Nazianzus. Against his will, Saint Gregory was ordained to the holy priesthood by his father. However, when the elder Gregory wished to make him a bishop, he fled to join his friend Basil in Pontus. Saint Basil had organized a monastery in Pontus and had written to Gregory inviting him to come.
Saint Gregory remained with Saint Basil for several years. When his brother Saint Caesarius (March 9) died, he returned home to help his father administer his diocese. The local church was also in turmoil because of the Arian heresy. Saint Gregory had the difficult task of reconciling the bishop with his flock, who condemned their pastor for signing an ambiguous interpretation of the dogmas of the faith.
Saint Gregory convinced his father of the pernicious nature of Arianism, and strengthened him in Orthodoxy. At this time, Bishop Anthimus, who pretended to be Orthodox but was really a heretic, became Metropolitan of Tyana. Saint Basil had been consecrated as the Archbishop of Caesarea, Cappadocia. Anthimus wished to separate from Saint Basil and to divide the province of Cappadocia.
Saint Basil the Great made Saint Gregory bishop of the city of Sasima, a small town between Caesarea and Tyana. However, Saint Gregory remained at Nazianzos in order to assist his dying father, and he guided the flock of this city for a while after the death of his father in 374.
Upon the death of Patriarch Valentus of Constantinople in the year 378, a council of bishops invited Saint Gregory to help the Church of Constantinople, which at this time was ravaged by heretics. Obtaining the consent of Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory came to Constantinople to combat heresy. In the year 379 he began to serve and preach in a small church called “Anastasis” (“Resurrection”). Like David fighting the Philistines with a sling, Saint Gregory battled against impossible odds to defeat false doctrine.
Heretics were in the majority in the capital: Arians, Macedonians, and Appolinarians. The more he preached, the more did the number of heretics decrease, and the number of the Orthodox increased. On the night of Pascha (April 21, 379) when Saint Gregory was baptizing catechumens, a mob of armed heretics burst into the church and cast stones at the Orthodox, killing one bishop and wounding Saint Gregory. But the fortitude and mildness of the saint were his armor, and his words converted many to the Orthodox Church.
Saint Gregory’s literary works (orations, letters, poems) show him as a worthy preacher of the truth of Christ. He had a literary gift, and the saint sought to offer his talent to God the Word: “I offer this gift to my God, I dedicate this gift to Him. Only this remains to me as my treasure. I gave up everything else at the command of the Spirit. I gave all that I had to obtain the pearl of great price. Only in words do I master it, as a servant of the Word. I would never intentionally wish to disdain this wealth. I esteem it, I set value by it, I am comforted by it more than others are comforted by all the treasures of the world. It is the companion of all my life, a good counselor and converser; a guide on the way to Heaven and a fervent co-ascetic.” In order to preach the Word of God properly, the saint carefully prepared and revised his works.
In five sermons, or “Theological Orations,” Saint Gregory first of all defines the characteristics of a theologian, and who may theologize. Only those who are experienced can properly reason about God, those who are successful at contemplation and, most importantly, who are pure in soul and body, and utterly selfless. To reason about God properly is possible only for one who enters into it with fervor and reverence.
Explaining that God has concealed His Essence from mankind, Saint Gregory demonstrates that it is impossible for those in the flesh to view mental objects without a mixture of the corporeal. Talking about God in a positive sense is possible only when we become free from the external impressions of things and from their effects, when our guide, the mind, does not adhere to impure transitory images. Answering the Eunomians, who would presume to grasp God’s Essence through logical speculation, the saint declared that man perceives God when the mind and reason become godlike and divine, i.e. when the image ascends to its Archetype. (Or. 28:17). Furthermore, the example of the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets and also the Apostles has demonstrated, that the Essence of God is incomprehensible for mortal man. Saint Gregory cited the futile sophistry of Eunomios: “God begat the Son either through His will, or contrary to will. If He begat contrary to will, then He underwent constraint. If by His will, then the Son is the Son of His intent.”
Confuting such reasoning, Saint Gregory points out the harm it does to man: “You yourself, who speak so thoughtlessly, were you begotten voluntarily or involuntarily by your father? If involuntarily, then your father was under the sway of some tyrant. Who? You can hardly say it was nature, for nature is tolerant of chastity. If it was voluntarily, then by a few syllables you deprive yourself of your father, for thus you are shown to be the son of Will, and not of your father” (Or. 29:6).
Saint Gregory then turns to Holy Scripture, with particular attention examining a place where it points out the Divine Nature of the Son of God. Saint Gregory’s interpretations of Holy Scripture are devoted to revealing that the divine power of the Savior was actualized even when He assumed an impaired human nature for the salvation of mankind.
The first of Saint Gregory’s Five Theological Orations is devoted to arguments against the Eunomians for their blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Closely examining everything that is said in the Gospel about the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the saint refutes the heresy of Eunomios, which rejected the divinity of the Holy Spirit. He comes to two fundamental conclusions. First, in reading Holy Scripture, it is necessary to reject blind literalism and to try and understand its spiritual sense. Second, in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit operated in a hidden way. “Now the Spirit Himself dwells among us and makes the manifestation of Himself more certain. It was not safe, as long as they did not acknowledge the divinity of the Father, to proclaim openly that of the Son; and as long as the divinity of the Son was not accepted, they could not, to express it somewhat boldly, impose on us the burden of the Holy Spirit” (Or. 31:26).
The divinity of the Holy Spirit is a sublime subject. “Look at these facts: Christ is born, the Holy Spirit is His Forerunner. Christ is baptized, the Spirit bears witness to this... Christ works miracles, the Spirit accompanies them. Christ ascends, the Spirit takes His place. What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in His power? What titles appertaining to God do not apply also to Him, except for Unbegotten and Begotten? I tremble when I think of such an abundance of titles, and how many Names they blaspheme, those who revolt against the Spirit!” (Or. 31:29).
The Orations of Saint Gregory are not limited only to this topic. He also wrote Panegyrics on Saints, Festal Orations, two invectives against Julian the Apostate, “two pillars, on which the impiety of Julian is indelibly written for posterity,” and various orations on other topics. In all, forty-five of Saint Gregory’s orations have been preserved.
The letters of the saint compare favorably with his best theological works. All of them are clear, yet concise. In his poems as in all things, Saint Gregory focused on Christ. “If the lengthy tracts of the heretics are new Psalters at variance with David, and the pretty verses they honor are like a third testament, then we also shall sing Psalms, and begin to write much and compose poetic meters,” said the saint. Of his poetic gift the saint wrote: “I am an organ of the Lord, and sweetly... do I glorify the King, all atremble before Him.”
The fame of the Orthodox preacher spread through East and West. But the saint lived in the capital as though he still lived in the wilderness: “his food was food of the wilderness; his clothing was whatever necessary. He made visitations without pretense, and though in proximity of the court, he sought nothing from the court.”
The saint received a shock when he was ill. One whom he considered as his friend, the philosopher Maximus, was consecrated at Constantinople in Saint Gregory’s place. Struck by the ingratitude of Maximus, the saint decided to resign the cathedra, but his faithful flock restrained him from it. The people threw the usurper out of the city. On November 24, 380 the holy emperor Theodosius arrived in the capital and, in enforcing his decree against the heretics, the main church was returned to the Orthodox, with Saint Gregory making a solemn entrance. An attempt on the life of Saint Gregory was planned, but instead the assassin appeared before the saint with tears of repentance.
At the Second Ecumenical Council in 381, Saint Gregory was chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople. After the death of Patriarch Meletius of Antioch, Saint Gregory presided at the Council. Hoping to reconcile the West with the East, he offered to recognize Paulinus as Patriarch of Antioch.
Those who had acted against Saint Gregory on behalf of Maximus, particularly Egyptian and Macedonian bishops, arrived late for the Council. They did not want to acknowledge the saint as Patriarch of Constantinople, since he was elected in their absence.
Saint Gregory decided to resign his office for the sake of peace in the Church: “Let me be as the Prophet Jonah! I was responsible for the storm, but I would sacrifice myself for the salvation of the ship. Seize me and throw me... I was not happy when I ascended the throne, and gladly would I descend it.”
After telling the emperor of his desire to quit the capital, Saint Gregory appeared again at the Council to deliver a farewell address (Or. 42) asking to be allowed to depart in peace.
Upon his return to his native region, Saint Gregory turned his attention to the incursion of Appolinarian heretics into the flock of Nazianzus, and he established the pious Eulalius there as bishop, while he himself withdrew into the solitude of Arianzos so dear to his heart. The saint, zealous for the truth of Christ, continued to affirm Orthodoxy through his letters and poems, while remaining in the wilderness. He died on January 25, 389, and is honored with the title “Theologian,” also given to the holy Apostle and Evangelist John.
In his works Saint Gregory, like that other Theologian Saint John, directs everything toward the Pre-eternal Word. Saint John of Damascus (December 4), in the first part of his book AN EXACT EXPOSITION OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH, followed the lead of Saint Gregory the Theologian.
Saint Gregory was buried at Nazianzos. In the year 950, his holy relics were transferred to Constantinople into the church of the Holy Apostles.
In appearance, the saint was of medium height and somewhat pale. He had thick eyebrows, and a short beard. His contemporaries already called the archpastor a saint. The Orthodox Church, honors Saint Gregory as a second Theologian and insightful writer on the Holy Trinity.
“O glorious Father Gregory, Your knowledge has overcome the pride of false wisdom. The church is clothed with your teaching as a robe of righteousness. We your children celebrate your memory crying out: Rejoice, O father of unsurpassable wisdom!” [Kontakion].
Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, a great Father and teacher of the Church, was born into a Christian family of eminent lineage in the year 329, at Arianzos (not far from the city of Cappadocian Nazianzos). His father, also named Gregory (January 1), was Bishop of Nazianzus. The son is the Saint Gregory Nazianzus encountered in Patristic theology. His pious mother, Saint Nonna (August 5), prayed to God for a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord. Her prayer was answered, and she named her child Gregory.
When the child learned to read, his mother presented him with the Holy Scripture. St. Gregory received a complete and extensive education: after working at home with his uncle St. Amphilochius (November 23), an experienced teacher of rhetoric, he then studied in the schools of Nazianzos, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and Alexandria. Then the saint decided to go to Athens to complete his education.
On the way from Alexandria to Greece, a terrible storm raged for many days. Saint Gregory, who was just a catechumen at that time, feared that he would perish in the sea before being cleansed in the waters of Baptism. Saint Gregory lay in the ship’s stern for twenty days, beseeching the merciful God for salvation. He vowed to dedicate himself to God, and was saved when he invoked the name of the Lord.
St. Gregory spent six years in Athens studying rhetoric, poetry, geometry, and astronomy. His teachers were the renowned pagan rhetoricians Gymorias and Proeresias. Saint Basil, the future Archbishop of Caesarea (January 1) also studied in Athens with Saint Gregory. They were such close friends that they seemed to be one soul in two bodies. Julian, the future emperor (361-363) and apostate from the Christian Faith, was studying philosophy in Athens at the same time.
Upon completing his education, Saint Gregory remained for a certain while at Athens as a teacher of rhetoric. He was also familiar with pagan philosophy and literature.
In 358 Saint Gregory quietly left Athens and returned to his parents at Nazianzus. At thirty-three years of age, he received Baptism from his father, who had been appointed Bishop of Nazianzus. Against his will, Saint Gregory was ordained to the holy priesthood by his father. However, when the elder Gregory wished to make him a bishop, he fled to join his friend Basil in Pontus. Saint Basil had organized a monastery in Pontus and had written to Gregory inviting him to come.
Saint Gregory remained with Saint Basil for several years. When his brother Saint Caesarius (March 9) died, he returned home to help his father administer his diocese. The local church was also in turmoil because of the Arian heresy. Saint Gregory had the difficult task of reconciling the bishop with his flock, who condemned their pastor for signing an ambiguous interpretation of the dogmas of the faith.
Saint Gregory convinced his father of the pernicious nature of Arianism, and strengthened him in Orthodoxy. At this time, Bishop Anthimus, who pretended to be Orthodox but was really a heretic, became Metropolitan of Tyana. Saint Basil had been consecrated as the Archbishop of Caesarea, Cappadocia. Anthimus wished to separate from Saint Basil and to divide the province of Cappadocia.
Saint Basil the Great made Saint Gregory bishop of the city of Sasima, a small town between Caesarea and Tyana. However, Saint Gregory remained at Nazianzos in order to assist his dying father, and he guided the flock of this city for a while after the death of his father in 374.
Upon the death of Patriarch Valentus of Constantinople in the year 378, a council of bishops invited Saint Gregory to help the Church of Constantinople, which at this time was ravaged by heretics. Obtaining the consent of Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory came to Constantinople to combat heresy. In the year 379 he began to serve and preach in a small church called “Anastasis” (“Resurrection”). Like David fighting the Philistines with a sling, Saint Gregory battled against impossible odds to defeat false doctrine.
Heretics were in the majority in the capital: Arians, Macedonians, and Appolinarians. The more he preached, the more did the number of heretics decrease, and the number of the Orthodox increased. On the night of Pascha (April 21, 379) when Saint Gregory was baptizing catechumens, a mob of armed heretics burst into the church and cast stones at the Orthodox, killing one bishop and wounding Saint Gregory. But the fortitude and mildness of the saint were his armor, and his words converted many to the Orthodox Church.
Saint Gregory’s literary works (orations, letters, poems) show him as a worthy preacher of the truth of Christ. He had a literary gift, and the saint sought to offer his talent to God the Word: “I offer this gift to my God, I dedicate this gift to Him. Only this remains to me as my treasure. I gave up everything else at the command of the Spirit. I gave all that I had to obtain the pearl of great price. Only in words do I master it, as a servant of the Word. I would never intentionally wish to disdain this wealth. I esteem it, I set value by it, I am comforted by it more than others are comforted by all the treasures of the world. It is the companion of all my life, a good counselor and converser; a guide on the way to Heaven and a fervent co-ascetic.” In order to preach the Word of God properly, the saint carefully prepared and revised his works.
In five sermons, or “Theological Orations,” Saint Gregory first of all defines the characteristics of a theologian, and who may theologize. Only those who are experienced can properly reason about God, those who are successful at contemplation and, most importantly, who are pure in soul and body, and utterly selfless. To reason about God properly is possible only for one who enters into it with fervor and reverence.
Explaining that God has concealed His Essence from mankind, Saint Gregory demonstrates that it is impossible for those in the flesh to view mental objects without a mixture of the corporeal. Talking about God in a positive sense is possible only when we become free from the external impressions of things and from their effects, when our guide, the mind, does not adhere to impure transitory images. Answering the Eunomians, who would presume to grasp God’s Essence through logical speculation, the saint declared that man perceives God when the mind and reason become godlike and divine, i.e. when the image ascends to its Archetype. (Or. 28:17). Furthermore, the example of the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets and also the Apostles has demonstrated, that the Essence of God is incomprehensible for mortal man. Saint Gregory cited the futile sophistry of Eunomios: “God begat the Son either through His will, or contrary to will. If He begat contrary to will, then He underwent constraint. If by His will, then the Son is the Son of His intent.”
Confuting such reasoning, Saint Gregory points out the harm it does to man: “You yourself, who speak so thoughtlessly, were you begotten voluntarily or involuntarily by your father? If involuntarily, then your father was under the sway of some tyrant. Who? You can hardly say it was nature, for nature is tolerant of chastity. If it was voluntarily, then by a few syllables you deprive yourself of your father, for thus you are shown to be the son of Will, and not of your father” (Or. 29:6).
Saint Gregory then turns to Holy Scripture, with particular attention examining a place where it points out the Divine Nature of the Son of God. Saint Gregory’s interpretations of Holy Scripture are devoted to revealing that the divine power of the Savior was actualized even when He assumed an impaired human nature for the salvation of mankind.
The first of Saint Gregory’s Five Theological Orations is devoted to arguments against the Eunomians for their blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Closely examining everything that is said in the Gospel about the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the saint refutes the heresy of Eunomios, which rejected the divinity of the Holy Spirit. He comes to two fundamental conclusions. First, in reading Holy Scripture, it is necessary to reject blind literalism and to try and understand its spiritual sense. Second, in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit operated in a hidden way. “Now the Spirit Himself dwells among us and makes the manifestation of Himself more certain. It was not safe, as long as they did not acknowledge the divinity of the Father, to proclaim openly that of the Son; and as long as the divinity of the Son was not accepted, they could not, to express it somewhat boldly, impose on us the burden of the Holy Spirit” (Or. 31:26).
The divinity of the Holy Spirit is a sublime subject. “Look at these facts: Christ is born, the Holy Spirit is His Forerunner. Christ is baptized, the Spirit bears witness to this... Christ works miracles, the Spirit accompanies them. Christ ascends, the Spirit takes His place. What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in His power? What titles appertaining to God do not apply also to Him, except for Unbegotten and Begotten? I tremble when I think of such an abundance of titles, and how many Names they blaspheme, those who revolt against the Spirit!” (Or. 31:29).
The Orations of Saint Gregory are not limited only to this topic. He also wrote Panegyrics on Saints, Festal Orations, two invectives against Julian the Apostate, “two pillars, on which the impiety of Julian is indelibly written for posterity,” and various orations on other topics. In all, forty-five of Saint Gregory’s orations have been preserved.
The letters of the saint compare favorably with his best theological works. All of them are clear, yet concise. In his poems as in all things, Saint Gregory focused on Christ. “If the lengthy tracts of the heretics are new Psalters at variance with David, and the pretty verses they honor are like a third testament, then we also shall sing Psalms, and begin to write much and compose poetic meters,” said the saint. Of his poetic gift the saint wrote: “I am an organ of the Lord, and sweetly... do I glorify the King, all atremble before Him.”
The fame of the Orthodox preacher spread through East and West. But the saint lived in the capital as though he still lived in the wilderness: “his food was food of the wilderness; his clothing was whatever necessary. He made visitations without pretense, and though in proximity of the court, he sought nothing from the court.”
The saint received a shock when he was ill. One whom he considered as his friend, the philosopher Maximus, was consecrated at Constantinople in Saint Gregory’s place. Struck by the ingratitude of Maximus, the saint decided to resign the cathedra, but his faithful flock restrained him from it. The people threw the usurper out of the city. On November 24, 380 the holy emperor Theodosius arrived in the capital and, in enforcing his decree against the heretics, the main church was returned to the Orthodox, with Saint Gregory making a solemn entrance. An attempt on the life of Saint Gregory was planned, but instead the assassin appeared before the saint with tears of repentance.
At the Second Ecumenical Council in 381, Saint Gregory was chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople. After the death of Patriarch Meletius of Antioch, Saint Gregory presided at the Council. Hoping to reconcile the West with the East, he offered to recognize Paulinus as Patriarch of Antioch.
Those who had acted against Saint Gregory on behalf of Maximus, particularly Egyptian and Macedonian bishops, arrived late for the Council. They did not want to acknowledge the saint as Patriarch of Constantinople, since he was elected in their absence.
Saint Gregory decided to resign his office for the sake of peace in the Church: “Let me be as the Prophet Jonah! I was responsible for the storm, but I would sacrifice myself for the salvation of the ship. Seize me and throw me... I was not happy when I ascended the throne, and gladly would I descend it.”
After telling the emperor of his desire to quit the capital, Saint Gregory appeared again at the Council to deliver a farewell address (Or. 42) asking to be allowed to depart in peace.
Upon his return to his native region, Saint Gregory turned his attention to the incursion of Appolinarian heretics into the flock of Nazianzus, and he established the pious Eulalius there as bishop, while he himself withdrew into the solitude of Arianzos so dear to his heart. The saint, zealous for the truth of Christ, continued to affirm Orthodoxy through his letters and poems, while remaining in the wilderness. He died on January 25, 389, and is honored with the title “Theologian,” also given to the holy Apostle and Evangelist John.
In his works Saint Gregory, like that other Theologian Saint John, directs everything toward the Pre-eternal Word. Saint John of Damascus (December 4), in the first part of his book AN EXACT EXPOSITION OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH, followed the lead of Saint Gregory the Theologian.
Saint Gregory was buried at Nazianzos. In the year 950, his holy relics were transferred to Constantinople into the church of the Holy Apostles.
In appearance, the saint was of medium height and somewhat pale. He had thick eyebrows, and a short beard. His contemporaries already called the archpastor a saint. The Orthodox Church, honors Saint Gregory as a second Theologian and insightful writer on the Holy Trinity.
“O glorious Father Gregory, Your knowledge has overcome the pride of false wisdom. The church is clothed with your teaching as a robe of righteousness. We your children celebrate your memory crying out: Rejoice, O father of unsurpassable wisdom!” [Kontakion].
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ESPAÑOL:
San Gregorio el Teólogo, arzobispo de Constantinopla, gran padre y maestro de la Iglesia, nació en el año 329 en una familia cristiana de linaje eminente, en Arianzos (no lejos de la ciudad de Capadocia Nazianzos). Su padre, también llamado Gregorio (1 de enero), fue obispo de Nacianceno. El hijo es el San Gregorio Nacianceno encontrado en la teología patrística. Su piadosa madre, Santa Nonna (5 de agosto), oró a Dios por un hijo, prometiendo dedicarlo al Señor. Su oración fue respondida y llamó a su hijo Gregorio. Cuando el niño aprendió a leer, su madre le presentó la Sagrada Escritura. San Gregorio recibió una educación completa y extensa: después de trabajar en casa con su tío San Anfiloquio (23 de noviembre), un experimentado maestro de retórica, luego estudió en las escuelas de Nazianzos, Cesarea en Capadocia y Alejandría. Entonces el santo decidió ir a Atenas para completar su educación.
En el camino de Alejandría a Grecia, una terrible tormenta duró muchos días. San Gregorio, que en ese momento era solo un catecúmeno, temía morir en el mar antes de ser purificado en las aguas del Bautismo. San Gregorio permaneció en la popa del barco durante veinte días, suplicando al Dios misericordioso la salvación. Hizo un voto de dedicarse a Dios y fue salvo cuando invocó el nombre del Señor.
San Gregorio pasó seis años en Atenas estudiando retórica, poesía, geometría y astronomía. Sus maestros fueron los renombrados retóricos paganos Gymorias y Proeresias. San Basilio, futuro arzobispo de Cesarea (1 de enero) también estudió en Atenas con san Gregorio. Eran amigos tan cercanos que parecían ser un alma en dos cuerpos. Juliano, el futuro emperador (361-363) y apóstata de la fe cristiana, estudiaba filosofía en Atenas al mismo tiempo.
San Gregorio pasó seis años en Atenas estudiando retórica, poesía, geometría y astronomía. Sus maestros fueron los renombrados retóricos paganos Gymorias y Proeresias. San Basilio, futuro arzobispo de Cesarea (1 de enero) también estudió en Atenas con san Gregorio. Eran amigos tan cercanos que parecían ser un alma en dos cuerpos. Juliano, el futuro emperador (361-363) y apóstata de la fe cristiana, estudiaba filosofía en Atenas al mismo tiempo.
Al completar su educación, San Gregorio permaneció durante un tiempo en Atenas como maestro de retórica. También estaba familiarizado con la filosofía y la literatura paganas.
En 358, San Gregorio abandonó tranquilamente Atenas y regresó con sus padres en Nacianceno. A los treinta y tres años recibió el bautismo de su padre, quien había sido nombrado obispo de Nacianceno. Contra su voluntad, san Gregorio fue ordenado al santo sacerdocio por su padre. Sin embargo, cuando el anciano Gregory quiso nombrarlo obispo, huyó para reunirse con su amigo Basilio en Ponto. San Basilio había organizado un monasterio en Ponto y había escrito a Gregorio invitándolo a venir.
San Gregorio permaneció con San Basilio durante varios años. Cuando murió su hermano San Cesáreo (9 de marzo), regresó a casa para ayudar a su padre a administrar su diócesis. La iglesia local también estaba en confusión debido a la herejía arriana. San Gregorio tuvo la difícil tarea de reconciliar al obispo con su rebaño, que condenó a su párroco por firmar una interpretación ambigua de los dogmas de la fe.
San Gregorio convenció a su padre de la naturaleza perniciosa del arrianismo y lo fortaleció en la ortodoxia. En ese momento, el obispo Anthimus, que pretendía ser ortodoxo pero en realidad era un hereje, se convirtió en metropolitano de Tyana. San Basilio había sido consagrado como arzobispo de Cesarea, Capadocia. Anthimus deseaba separarse de San Basilio y dividir la provincia de Capadocia.
San Gregorio convenció a su padre de la naturaleza perniciosa del arrianismo y lo fortaleció en la ortodoxia. En ese momento, el obispo Anthimus, que pretendía ser ortodoxo pero en realidad era un hereje, se convirtió en metropolitano de Tyana. San Basilio había sido consagrado como arzobispo de Cesarea, Capadocia. Anthimus deseaba separarse de San Basilio y dividir la provincia de Capadocia.
San Basilio el Grande nombró a San Gregorio obispo de la ciudad de Sasima, una pequeña ciudad entre Cesarea y Tyana. Sin embargo, San Gregorio permaneció en Nazianzos para ayudar a su padre moribundo, y guió al rebaño de esta ciudad durante un tiempo después de la muerte de su padre en 374.
Tras la muerte del Patriarca Valentus de Constantinopla en el año 378, un concilio de obispos invitó a San Gregorio a ayudar a la Iglesia de Constantinopla, que en ese momento fue devastada por herejes. Obteniendo el consentimiento de San Basilio el Grande, San Gregorio llegó a Constantinopla para combatir la herejía. En el año 379 comenzó a servir y predicar en una pequeña iglesia llamada “Anastasis” (“Resurrección”). Como David luchando contra los filisteos con una honda, San Gregorio luchó contra todo pronóstico para derrotar la falsa doctrina.
Los herejes eran mayoría en la capital: arrianos, macedonios y apolinarios. Cuanto más predicaba, más disminuía el número de herejes y aumentaba el número de ortodoxos. En la noche de Pascua (21 de abril de 379), cuando San Gregorio bautizaba a los catecúmenos, una turba de herejes armados irrumpió en la iglesia y arrojaron piedras a los ortodoxos, matando a un obispo e hiriendo a San Gregorio. Pero la fortaleza y la dulzura del santo fueron su armadura, y sus palabras convirtieron a muchos a la Iglesia Ortodoxa.
Los herejes eran mayoría en la capital: arrianos, macedonios y apolinarios. Cuanto más predicaba, más disminuía el número de herejes y aumentaba el número de ortodoxos. En la noche de Pascua (21 de abril de 379), cuando San Gregorio bautizaba a los catecúmenos, una turba de herejes armados irrumpió en la iglesia y arrojaron piedras a los ortodoxos, matando a un obispo e hiriendo a San Gregorio. Pero la fortaleza y la dulzura del santo fueron su armadura, y sus palabras convirtieron a muchos a la Iglesia Ortodoxa.
Las obras literarias de San Gregorio (oraciones, cartas, poemas) lo muestran como un digno predicador de la verdad de Cristo. Tenía un don literario, y el santo buscó ofrecer su talento a Dios Palabra: “Le ofrezco este don a mi Dios, le dedico este don. Solo esto me queda como mi tesoro. Dejé todo lo demás por mandato del Espíritu. Di todo lo que tenía para obtener la perla de gran precio. Sólo con palabras lo domino, como siervo de la Palabra. Nunca desearía despreciar intencionalmente esta riqueza. Lo estimo, le pongo valor, me reconforta más de lo que otros se sienten reconfortados por todos los tesoros del mundo. Es la compañera de toda mi vida, buena consejera y conversadora; un guía en el camino al cielo y un ferviente coascético." Para predicar la Palabra de Dios correctamente, el santo preparó y revisó cuidadosamente sus obras.
En cinco sermones, u "Oraciones Teológicas," San Gregorio define en primer lugar las características de un teólogo y quién puede teologizar. Solo aquellos que tienen experiencia pueden razonar adecuadamente acerca de Dios, aquellos que tienen éxito en la contemplación y, lo que es más importante, que son puros de alma y cuerpo, y completamente desinteresados. Razonar correctamente sobre Dios sólo es posible para quien entra en él con fervor y reverencia.
Al explicar que Dios ha ocultado Su Esencia a la humanidad, San Gregorio demuestra que es imposible para los que están en la carne ver los objetos mentales sin una mezcla de lo corpóreo. Hablar de Dios en sentido positivo sólo es posible cuando nos liberamos de las impresiones externas de las cosas y de sus efectos, cuando nuestra guía, la mente, no se adhiere a imágenes transitorias impuras. Respondiendo a los eunomianos, que se atreverían a captar la Esencia de Dios a través de la especulación lógica, el santo declaró que el hombre percibe a Dios cuando la mente y la razón se vuelven divinas y divinas, es decir, cuando la imagen asciende a su Arquetipo. (O 28:17). Además, el ejemplo de los patriarcas y profetas del Antiguo Testamento y también de los Apóstoles ha demostrado que la Esencia de Dios es incomprensible para el hombre mortal. San Gregorio citó el sofisma inútil de Eunomios: “Dios engendró al Hijo por Su voluntad o contrariamente a ella. Si engendró en contra de la voluntad, entonces sufrió coacción. Si por Su voluntad, entonces el Hijo es el Hijo de Su intención."
Al explicar que Dios ha ocultado Su Esencia a la humanidad, San Gregorio demuestra que es imposible para los que están en la carne ver los objetos mentales sin una mezcla de lo corpóreo. Hablar de Dios en sentido positivo sólo es posible cuando nos liberamos de las impresiones externas de las cosas y de sus efectos, cuando nuestra guía, la mente, no se adhiere a imágenes transitorias impuras. Respondiendo a los eunomianos, que se atreverían a captar la Esencia de Dios a través de la especulación lógica, el santo declaró que el hombre percibe a Dios cuando la mente y la razón se vuelven divinas y divinas, es decir, cuando la imagen asciende a su Arquetipo. (O 28:17). Además, el ejemplo de los patriarcas y profetas del Antiguo Testamento y también de los Apóstoles ha demostrado que la Esencia de Dios es incomprensible para el hombre mortal. San Gregorio citó el sofisma inútil de Eunomios: “Dios engendró al Hijo por Su voluntad o contrariamente a ella. Si engendró en contra de la voluntad, entonces sufrió coacción. Si por Su voluntad, entonces el Hijo es el Hijo de Su intención."
Refutando tal razonamiento, San Gregorio señala el daño que le hace al hombre: “¿Tú mismo, que hablas tan desconsideradamente, fuiste engendrado voluntaria o involuntariamente por tu padre? Si fue involuntariamente, entonces tu padre estaba bajo el dominio de un tirano. ¿OMS? Difícilmente se puede decir que fue la naturaleza, porque la naturaleza es tolerante con la castidad. Si fue voluntariamente, entonces por unas pocas sílabas te privas de tu padre, porque así se muestra que eres el hijo de Will, y no de tu padre ”(Or. 29: 6).
La primera de las Cinco Oraciones Teológicas de San Gregorio está dedicada a los argumentos contra los eunomianos por su blasfemia contra el Espíritu Santo. Examinando de cerca todo lo que se dice en el Evangelio sobre la Tercera Persona de la Santísima Trinidad, el santo refuta la herejía de Eunomios, que rechazaba la divinidad del Espíritu Santo. Llega a dos conclusiones fundamentales. Primero, al leer las Sagradas Escrituras, es necesario rechazar el literalismo ciego y tratar de comprender su sentido espiritual. En segundo lugar, en el Antiguo Testamento el Espíritu Santo operaba de manera oculta. “Ahora el Espíritu mismo habita entre nosotros y hace más cierta la manifestación de sí mismo. No era seguro, mientras no reconocieran la divinidad del Padre, proclamar abiertamente la del Hijo; y mientras no se aceptara la divinidad del Hijo, no podían, para expresarlo con cierta valentía, imponernos la carga del Espíritu Santo ”(Or. 31:26).
La divinidad del Espíritu Santo es un tema sublime. “Mire estos hechos: Cristo ha nacido, el Espíritu Santo es Su Precursor. Cristo es bautizado, el Espíritu da testimonio de ello ... Cristo obra milagros, el Espíritu los acompaña. Cristo asciende, el Espíritu ocupa su lugar. ¿Qué grandes cosas hay en la idea de Dios que no están en Su poder? ¿Qué títulos pertenecientes a Dios no se aplican también a Él, a excepción de No engendrado y Engendrado? ¡Tiemblo cuando pienso en tanta abundancia de títulos, y cuántos Nombres blasfeman los que se rebelan contra el Espíritu! (O 31:29).
Las Oraciones de San Gregorio no se limitan solo a este tema. También escribió panegíricos sobre los santos, oraciones festivas, dos invectivas contra Juliano el Apóstata, “dos pilares sobre los que está escrita indeleblemente para la posteridad la impiedad de Juliano” y varias oraciones sobre otros temas. En total, se han conservado cuarenta y cinco de las oraciones de San Gregorio.
La fama del predicador ortodoxo se extendió por Oriente y Occidente. Pero el santo vivía en la capital como si aún viviera en el desierto: “su alimento era alimento del desierto; su ropa era todo lo necesario. Hizo visitas sin pretensiones, y aunque estaba cerca de la corte, no buscó nada de la corte."
El santo recibió un susto cuando estuvo enfermo. Uno a quien consideraba su amigo, el filósofo Máximo, fue consagrado en Constantinopla en lugar de San Gregorio. Golpeado por la ingratitud de Máximo, el santo decidió renunciar a la cátedra, pero su fiel rebaño se lo impidió. El pueblo echó al usurpador de la ciudad. El 24 de noviembre de 380 el santo emperador Teodosio llegó a la capital y, al hacer cumplir su decreto contra los herejes, la iglesia principal fue devuelta a los ortodoxos, con la entrada solemne de San Gregorio. Se planeó un atentado contra la vida de San Gregorio, pero en cambio el asesino apareció ante el santo con lágrimas de arrepentimiento.
En el Segundo Concilio Ecuménico de 381, San Gregorio fue elegido Patriarca de Constantinopla. Después de la muerte del Patriarca Melecio de Antioquía, San Gregorio presidió el Concilio. Con la esperanza de reconciliar a Occidente con Oriente, se ofreció a reconocer a Paulinus como Patriarca de Antioquía.
San Gregorio decidió renunciar a su cargo en aras de la paz en la Iglesia: “¡Permíteme ser como el profeta Jonás! Yo era el responsable de la tormenta, pero me sacrificaría por la salvación del barco. Agárrame y arrójame ... No estaba feliz cuando subí al trono, y con mucho gusto lo bajaría."
Después de comunicarle al emperador su deseo de abandonar la capital, San Gregorio apareció nuevamente en el Concilio para pronunciar un discurso de despedida (Or. 42) pidiendo que se le permitiera partir en paz.
A su regreso a su tierra natal, san Gregorio centró su atención en la incursión de los herejes apolinarios en el rebaño de Nacianceno, y allí estableció como obispo al piadoso Eulalio, mientras él mismo se retiraba a la soledad de Arianzos, tan querida por su corazón. El santo, celoso de la verdad de Cristo, continuó afirmando la ortodoxia a través de sus cartas y poemas, mientras permanecía en el desierto. Murió el 25 de enero de 389 y es honrado con el título de “Teólogo," también otorgado al santo apóstol y evangelista Juan.
En sus obras San Gregorio, como ese otro San Juan Teólogo, orienta todo hacia la Palabra Pre-eterna. San Juan de Damasco (4 de diciembre), en la primera parte de su libro UNA EXPOSICIÓN EXACTA DE LA FE ORTODOXA, siguió el ejemplo de san Gregorio el Teólogo.
San Gregorio fue enterrado en Nazianzos. En el año 950, sus santas reliquias fueron trasladadas a Constantinopla a la iglesia de los Santos Apóstoles.
En apariencia, el santo era de mediana estatura y algo pálido. Tenía cejas pobladas y barba corta. Sus contemporáneos ya llamaban santo al archipastor. La Iglesia Ortodoxa honra a San Gregorio como segundo teólogo y escritor perspicaz sobre la Santísima Trinidad.
“Oh glorioso padre Gregorio, tu conocimiento ha vencido el orgullo de la falsa sabiduría. La iglesia está vestida con tu enseñanza como un manto de justicia. Nosotros, tus hijos, celebramos tu recuerdo clamando: ¡Alégrate, padre de una sabiduría insuperable! [Kontakion].
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