Today is the memorial of St. Gregory of Nyssa. Unlike the memorials of the other Cappadocian Fathers, Gregory’s day doesn’t appear on the calendar in the United States, so I let this one slip by. Gregory was born, in the mid-fourth century, into a family with a remarkable Christian pedigree. His grandparents had been martyrs; his parents would one day be venerated; his siblings were bishops, nuns, and great saints of the Church. Gregory entered religious life by fits and starts. He married; but then he and his wife decided to live “as brother and sister.” Gregory became one of the leading theologians of his time — and of all time. He wrote one of the earliest catechisms, as well as mystical interpretations of Scripture, letters on practical matters, and treatises on prayer. He also became a bishop, but his work in that capacity was less than memorable. He suffered much, sometimes because of the sins of his flock (and fellow bishops), and sometimes because of his own shortcomings.

I’ve posted on him before, in various contexts. I wrote about his intellectual brilliance and administrative incompetence. I wrote about his interpretation of the Song of Songs. I wrote about his eulogy for his sister, Macrina, and about his relationship with the other Cappadocians, his brother St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen.

You want to read something, right? The best place to begin is with From Glory to Glory: Texts from Gregory of Nyssa’s Mystical Writings — an amazing book. Then go on to his Life of Moses (in the Classics of Western Spirituality series).

Gregory plays a leading role in two of my books, The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition and Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians.