π Life Timeline
Pre-
Canonized β Pre-Tridentine
β Biography
GREGORY of NYSSA (St) Bp.
R.M. March 9 d. Β’.395. A younger brother of St Basil the Great. After his marriage he prac- tised as a professor of rhetoric but aband- oned this profession for the priesthood. In 372 his brother Basil nominated him bishop of Nyssa, a small township in Lower Armenia. It was a somewhat un- fortunate choice, as Gregory was not a man of affairs, and the Arians were pre- dominant in the diocese. He returned home and after his brotherβs death was the mainstay of orthodoxy throughout Cappa- docia. His writings are remarkable for depth of thought and lucidity of expres- sion. Of the three βgreat Cappadociansββ β Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa β he is the least prolific but the most profound.
Cf. Att. β Holw. β Baud.
273
GREGORY the GREAT (St) Pope, Dr. O.S.B. R.M. March 12 and Sept. 3 c.540-604. The R.M. (Sept. 3) aptly sur- names him Vzr tncomparabilis β an in- comparable man.
π‘ Patronage
Patron of: Theologians, mystics, and those who study the Trinity. Doctor of the Church.
π¬ Words of the Saint
The saints make progress even in their immobility.
π Key Facts
Born
c. 335
Died
395
Feast Day
September 10
Canonized
Pre-Tridentine
π Legacy
Gregory of Nyssa's 'Life of Moses' is a masterpiece of spiritual interpretation. His mystical theology shaped the Eastern Orthodox tradition. He is one of the three Cappadocian Fathers.
π Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words β their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
π The Life of Moses
On the Ascent to God
Moses ascended to God, not by climbing a mountain, but by ascending in virtue. He left Egypt, not by crossing the sea, but by leaving sin. He entered the cloud, not by walking into darkness, but by entering the mystery of God.
β St. Gregory of Nyssa