Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea was a rare man. The mere fact that when he went to Neocaesarea he found few believers (17 Christians are mentioned), while when he left, he left few unbelievers (also 17 in number), reveals the zeal of his faith, the power of his word, the power of the miracles that God granted him. The Holy Hymnographer cannot help but apply to him the prophetic saying: “the zeal of God has consumed you, Gregory.” Seeking to find figures similar to Gregory, the ecclesiastical poet, Saint Theophanes, resorts to the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament. The Saint resembles Moses, he says, who, like him, received the tablets of faith on the mountain of mystical theophany, legislating piety to the people: “You have become a new Moses through your deeds, receiving the tablets of faith on the mountain of the mystical theophany, legislating piety to the peoples.” He resembles the Prophet Samuel, who ascended the mountain of theoria: “ascend on high, like Samuel, to theoria.” He resembles the Prophet Daniel, who, just as the gift of interpreting dreams was given to him, the mystery of faith was revealed to him in a dream: “for as the dream was to him (Daniel), so the mystery of faith was revealed to you.”

Holy Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Comana

Saint Alexander, Bishop of Comana,* lived in the 3rd century near Neocaesarea. He studied the Holy Scriptures and knew many sciences. Having taken upon himself the feat of foolishness for Christ, the Saint lived in poverty, selling coal in the city square. Many, seeing his face always black from coal dust, treated him with contempt. 

When the Bishop of Comana died, some proposed choosing a new primate from the nobility, others - a scholar or eloquent man, others - a rich man. Then Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea (November 17), invited to consecrate the chosen one, pointed out that a bishop should have not only external dignity and distinctions, but above all, a pure heart and a holy life. These words caused some to smirk: "If you do not look at the external appearance and nobility of origin, then even Alexander the coal-burner** can be made a bishop." Saint Gregory thought that it was not without God's providence that this man was mentioned, and asked to summon him. 

November: Day 17: Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea

November: Day 17:
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea
 
(Lessons From His Life:
a. About the Motivation to Read the Word of God, and
b. About Prudent Caution)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The now glorified Saint Gregory, who before his baptism was called Theodore, came from a noble family in Neocaesarea. He was brought up in paganism, but received a good education, and having become acquainted with Origen, the teacher of the Alexandrian school, he was enlightened by Christian teaching and devoted himself with all his soul to "reading and studying the Holy Scriptures." Then secular activity ceased to attract him, he fell in love with the desert and withdrew, putting aside care for everything worldly and striving for communion with the one God. The ascetic life of Saint Gregory did not remain unknown and he, although he hid, moved from one desert to another, though against his will he was ordained in absentia as Bishop of the Neocaesarean Church. Then he no longer resisted the general election, realizing in his soul that it was not without the will of God that he was called to this difficult service, to which he devoted himself with all his strength, and the Lord helped him and glorified him with the gift of miracles, for which he received the names of "Wonderworker" and "second Moses." Thus, he acted successfully in his pastoral field, which in the beginning of his receiving the title of Bishop of Neocaesarea had were no more than 17 Christians in this large city, and after his death the entire city consisted of Christians, with the exception of 17 pagans.

Discourse on All the Saints (St. Gregory Thaumaturgus)

By St. Gregory Thaumaturgus of Neocaesarea

Grant your blessing, Lord.

It was my desire to be silent, and not to make a public display of the rustic rudeness of my tongue. For silence is a matter of great consequence when one's speech is inferior. And to refrain from utterance is indeed an admirable thing, where there is lack of training; and verily he is the highest philosopher who knows how to cover his ignorance by abstinence from public address. Knowing, therefore, the feebleness of tongue proper to me, I should have preferred such a course. Nevertheless the spectacle of the onlookers impels me to speak.

Since, then, this solemnity is a glorious one among our festivals, and the spectators form a crowded gathering, and our assembly is one of elevated fervour in the faith, I shall face the task of commencing an address with confidence. And this I may attempt all the more boldly, since the Father requests me, and the Church is with me, and the sainted martyrs with this object strengthen what is weak in me. For these have inspired aged men to accomplish with much love a long course, and constrained them to support their failing steps by the staff of the word; and they have stimulated women to finish their course like the young men, and have brought to this, too, those of tender years, yea, even creeping children. In this wise have the martyrs shown their power, leaping with joy in the presence of death, laughing at the sword, making sport of the wrath of princes, grasping at death as the producer of deathlessness, making victory their own by their fall, through the body taking their leap to heaven, suffering their members to be scattered abroad in order that they might hold their souls, and, bursting the bars of life, that they might open the gates of heaven.