Homily 2, to those who called at first, but did not meet the Holy Scriptures. Gregory, when he became a presbyter

Why do you not rush to our word, O friends and brethren, who were once so quick to compel me and extract me from my stronghold, that is, from the wilderness, which I loved above all else, which I chiefly revered and chose for myself as the guide of all life as the co-worker and mother of the divine ascent, as the deifier? Why do you despise what you wanted to receive when you receive it? Why, it seems, do you know how to desire us better when we are not there, than to use us when we are with you, as if you wanted only to possess our wisdom, and not to benefit yourself from it? Or it is fitting for me to say this: "I will make you satisfied" (Isaiah 1:14), and moreover – a strange thing! — before you tasted and tested us. Even as a stranger, you did not bring me in, or, I will say more compassionately, you were not brought in with me, for which, if not something else, then the commandment had to be respected. As a beginner, you did not give me guidance as a fearful one, did not encourage me as a victim of violence, did not console me; On the contrary, I would not like to say it, but I will say it, you did not make a feast for me, you did not receive me with good tidings, and you dissolved the triumph in sorrow, because it lacked the most important thing for pleasure — it lacked you, my conquerors, it would be unjust to say: lovers. Thus is everything conveniently neglected that is conveniently overcome; the lofty are slavishly revered, and those who humble themselves before God are dishonored. What do you want? Should I sue you or become a judge? Should I pronounce a sentence or subject myself to a sentence? For I hope that even when I am judged, I will gain the upper hand, and when I pronounce judgment, I will judge you righteously. Your fault is that you do not equally repay my love, do not honor my obedience, and do not present your present diligence as a guarantee for the future, whereas even with this diligence it would hardly be possible to rely on the future, because everyone is more ardent in the beginning. On the contrary, each of you prefers something to both your old and new pastors, not respecting gray hair and not encouraging youth.

Magnificent is the supper depicted in the Gospel (Matt. 22:2 et seq.): the one who treats kindness; there are friends, and the most pleasant feast; it is the marriage of the Son. But the Tsar summons, and the guests do not come. He is angry, and — I am silent about what happened behind this, as about portending terrible things, but I will say that it is easier to say — the Tsar fills the feast with others. I do not wish you this; but you have treated me (can I speak meekly?) and those more haughty and impudent; for they, being called, denied the supper, and offended Him who called; and you are not strangers, you are not invited to the marriage, but you yourselves called me, yourselves drew me to this sacred table, yourselves showed me the splendor of the bridal chamber, and then left me. Such are your great virtues! Some to their village, some to a pair of newly-bought oxen, some to a newlywed wife, some for something else of little importance, all of you scattered and fled, caring neither for the bridal chamber nor for the Bridegroom. This greatly grieved me and put me in difficulty, — I will not be silent about my feelings, —

If any of you has been wounded by love and experienced contempt, then he knows the power of this passion and will forgive those who have been subjected to it and were close to the same madness.

However, even now it is not permissible for me to reproach you, and I do not wish that it should ever be allowed. Perhaps what I have said is excessively reproachful to you, holy flock, praiseworthy sheep of Christ, God's inheritance, with which you are rich [7] in all your poverty. It seems to me that it is fitting to attribute to you these words of the Scriptures: "A rope has laid for you in beautiful places, and your portion is most pleasing to you" (Psalm 15:b). I will not yield in any way the advantage over us to the most populous cities, the most extensive of the flocks; though we are few in number in the smallest tribe of the children of Israel, though we are very few in the thousands of Judah; we are the least of the cities of Bethlehem, in which Christ is born, both now and of old, rightly known and honored; we exalt the Father, we revere the Son as equal to Him, and we glorify the Holy Spirit. We are of one accord, of one mind, we do not in the least offend the Trinity either by addition or by cutting off, like the evil stewards and measurers of the Godhead, who humiliate and insult everything by the very fact that they consider one thing more than proper.

And if you wish to repay me in any way, my field, my vineyard, my womb, or, rather, this our common father, who by the gospel gave birth to us in Christ, then show me respect also, as justice requires; for I have preferred you to all things of which you yourselves and those who have entrusted this government or ministry to me are witnesses. And if we owe more to him who loves more, how shall I measure the love to which I have bound you with my love?

But show greater respect to yourselves, honor the image entrusted to you and Him Who entrusted it, honor the passion of Christ and the hope of the life to come. And for this reason keep the faith which you have received, in which you have been raised, by which you hope to be saved yourselves (1 Cor. 15:1:2) and to save others, for you know that few can boast of the same things as you do. Establish piety not in speaking often about God, but in being more silent; for a tongue that is not governed by reason is a stumbling block to men. Always hold on to the idea that it is safer to listen than to speak; it is more desirable to learn than to teach about God; Leaving the most thorough examination of these things to the builders, show your piety less in word and more in deed, and show your love for God more by keeping His commandments than by wondering at the Lawgiver; flee evil, increase in virtue, live by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit, by Him attract knowledge; On the basis of faith, edify not wood, hay, or reeds, which are weak substances that can easily be destroyed when our deeds are judged or cleansed by fire, but gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:12) are solid and abiding substances. Do this, and thereby glorify us also, whether you will be with us or not, whether you will use our words or find something else preferable. Be pure and blameless children of God in the midst of the evil and perverse generation, do not entangle yourselves in the nets of the wicked who walk around, and do not be bound by the captivity of your sins (Proverbs 5:22); let not the word of God be overwhelmed in you by the cares of life, lest you remain barren. But walk the royal way, not deviating to the right or to the left, and under the guidance of the Spirit walk the narrow path as if it were a broad one. Then everything will prosper with us, both in the present life and in the future trial in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Homily 3, in which Gregory the Theologian justifies his removal to Pontus, after his ordination to the priesthood and then his return from there, also teaches how important the dignity of the priesthood is and what a bishop should be like

I am defeated and admit victory over myself. Obey the Lord, and beseech Him (Psalm 36:7). Thus may the most blessed David, or, rather, Who spoke in David and still speaks through him, begin my word! For for a beginner every word and deed is the best order — both to begin with God and to end with God.

As to the reason for my former resistance and faint-heartedness, whereby I withdrew from the run, and settled down (Psalm 54:8) for a considerable time away from you, who perhaps desired my stay with you, as well as about the reason for my present submission and change, by which I myself returned to you, let each one speak and think in his own way; since one hates and another loves, one does not excuse, and the other even approves of me. People are most pleased to reason about other people's affairs, especially if they are carried away either by benevolence or hatred, in which case the truth is most often hidden from them. But I, putting aside shame, will present the truth to both parties, that is, to those who accuse me and to those who defend me, and I will diligently be a truthful mediator, accusing myself of one thing and justifying myself of another. And in order that my word may proceed in due order, I will first speak of what happened to me before, namely, of my timidity. For I cannot bear that I should be offended by some of those who carefully observe all my actions, whether they are right or wrong (since it pleases God that I also should mean something to Christians), and those who have been offended, if there are any, I will heal with this word of protection. It is best not to stumble or tempt others, without sinning or even giving suspicion as much as this is possible and as much strength of the mind as possible; for we know what an inevitable and grievous punishment the True One (Titus 1:2) has determined for those who have offended even one of the least ones. But I was subjected to this, brethren, not through ignorance and misunderstanding, on the contrary (I will boast at least a few) for other reasons, and not because I despised God's laws and commandments.

As in the body, some rule and preside, as it were, and some are under authority and administration, so in the Churches (whether according to the law of justice, which gives what is worthy, or according to the law of Providence, which binds all things), God has decreed that some, for whom it is more useful, directed in word and deed to their duty, should remain flock and subordinates, and others, standing above others in virtue and closeness to God, were pastors and teachers in the perfecting of the Church, and had the same relation to others as the soul to the body and the mind to the soul, so that the one and the other, insufficient and superfluous, being, like the bodily members, united and united into one composition, united and bound together by the union of the Spirit, would represent one body, perfect and truly worthy of Christ Himself, our Head. Therefore, I do not think that lack of authority and disorder are more useful than order and authority, both for everything else and for people; on the contrary, they are least useful to people who are threatened in the most important things. For them, if they do not observe the first requirement of reason, so as not to sin, the second is important, so that those who have sinned are returned to the true path. And since it is good and just to be a ruler and a subordinate, then, in my opinion, it is equally bad and equally contrary to the order of both desiring a ruler for everyone and not for anyone to take it upon oneself. If everyone began to avoid this leadership, or, more correctly, service, then the beautiful fullness of the Church would lack the most significant and it would no longer be beautiful. Moreover, where and by whom would the mysterious and sorrowful divine service be performed among us, which is most excellent and honorable among us, if there were no king, no prince, no priesthood, no sacrifice (Hos. 3:4), and all that which, as the most important, the disobedient of old were deprived of as a punishment for great crimes? On the other hand, it is not at all strange or out of order that many God-wise subordinates ascend to the rank of superior; this is not contrary to the rules prescribed by wisdom, nor is it reprehensible; as well as the fact that a skilful shipwright is allowed to control the ship's bow, and he who, by controlling the bow, knows how to observe the winds, is entrusted with the helm; or (if you like) a courageous soldier is made the commander of a detachment, and a good commander of a detachment is entrusted with the whole army and the management of all military affairs.

And I was not ashamed of the degree of rank, desiring the highest one, what perhaps some of the useless and wicked people, who judge others by their own passions, would think. I do not understand both God's greatness and human baseness so little that I do not consider it a great deed for any created nature to approach God in the slightest, Who alone is the most radiant, most glorious, and purity of all material and immaterial nature.

So, what happened to me? What was the reason for my disobedience? It seemed to many that I was then out of my mind, that I had become a completely different person from what I was known to be, that I resisted and persisted more than was allowed. Therefore, listen to the reasons for this, you who have long desired to know them.

I was especially struck by the surprise, like a man struck by a sudden thunder, I did not collect my thoughts; and therefore he transgressed the modesty to which he had accustomed himself all his life. Then a kind of attachment to the blessings of silence and solitude took possession of me. Loving him from the very beginning, as hardly any other student of science has loved, in the most important and dangerous circumstances for me, having made a vow to God to live a silent life, even touching it, as if I were on the threshold, and, as I know, burning with great desire, I could not endure the compulsion, did not allow myself to be plunged into rebellion and forcibly distracted from such a life, as if from a sacred refuge. It seemed to me that the best thing to do was to close one's senses, as it were, to renounce the flesh and the world, to gather oneself into oneself, without extreme necessity touching anything human, conversing with oneself and with God, to live above the visible and to bear within oneself divine images, always pure and unmixed with earthly and deceptive impressions, to be and constantly become a truly pure mirror of God and the divine, to acquire light to the light, to the less radiant one, to reap the blessings of the age to come, to cohabit with the angels, and, while still on earth, to leave the earth and be lifted up by the Spirit. If any of you are embraced by this love, he will understand what I am saying, and will excuse the state of my spirit at that time. But my words will perhaps not convince many, namely all those who find this kind of life ridiculous, to which they are not disposed, either through their own foolishness, or because others pass through it unworthily; strengthened by envy, as well as by ill-temper and the inclination of many to the worst, they call the good bad, and wisdom is called vanity. And because of this, they invariably sin in one of two ways: either they do evil, or they do not believe in good.