The Name day of
everyone named Grigor, Grigorina, Grisha (which means "being on the
alert, staying awake").
The son of a bishop, for whom he was named, Saint
Gregory was born in Arianzos in Cappadocia, Asia Minor, in 329 AD. He
was educated in Caesarea and then in Athens, where he met Basil with
whom he became close friends linked in a common resolve to serve
Christ. At the suggestion of Basil, the two friends became monks at a
retreat in Pontos, where each embarked on a spiritual journey that was
to lead them both to greatness. It was with some degree of reluctance,
however, that Gregory left the monastery to be ordained into the
priesthood to serve as an assistant to his father, the bishop of
Nazianzos. The son's brilliance as a preacher outshone his father's.
When barely thirty years old, he won acclaim throughout the region as
a mighty warrior in the fight against paganism and heresy.
After the death of the Arian Emperor Valens, followed closely
by the death of Gregory's friend Basil, Gregory was called to
Constantinople. He was to head the reorganization of the Orthodox
Church which had been torn asunder by the heresy of Arianism from
within and by the harassment of pagans without. In the course of this
holy work, he achieved distinction as an orator, traditionalist, and a
crusader that earned him the title of "Theologian" despite the
opposition of Maximos the Cynic, who had been set up against him by
the bishop of Alexandria.
When the Orthodox Emperor Theodosius came to
power in 380 AD, Gregory assumed the Direction of the magnificent
Church of Aghia Sophia, the most prestigious house of God in all
Christendom. While director of this mighty church, Gregory took part
in a synod held in Constantinople in 381AD to settle the differences
among the prelates of the Church. Known as the Second Ecumenical
Synod, it resolved the issues and voted to accept Gregory as patriarch
of Constantinople. It further added its official support to the Nicene
doctrine which was championed at the First Synod in Nicaea.
For as long as he held the post of
spiritual leader of Orthodoxy, the gallant Gregory served with honour
and dignity. Moreover, he was the instrument of God in unifying the
Church into a cohesive unit that could withstand any internal or
external pressure. He grew weary of the personal attacks that are the
occupational hazard of a patriarch and after a moving farewell
address; he retired to live out his days in meditation, writing, and
prayer. He died 25 January 388 AD.
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PEACE HAVENS of BULGARIA
