On the 23rd day of November
From the «Lives of the Saints» of St. Demetrius (Dimitri) of Rostov
Birth at Pretoria and the Childhood Years
In the land of Sicily there is a village called Pretoria, near the city of Agrigentum. In that village the holy Gregory was born of Orthodox and virtuous parents. His father was Chariton, and his mother Theodotia. And they were very merciful to the poor, having great wealth, from which they did much good to all men.
And when the child was baptised Gregory, the blessed Potamion, Bishop of the Church of Agrigentum, received him from the font. In the eighth year of his age the boy was given to the learning of books to a skilful teacher, by name Damian, and in two years he learned well to read all manner of books, and to write, and to sing the church songs. In his twelfth year he was appointed a cleric by the blessed Bishop Potamion, and entrusted to the archdeacon Donatus, who trained him in spiritual labours and in a virtuous life.
And the boy exercised himself in prayer and in unceasing reading, sitting over his books day and night, reading the Divine Scripture and the lives of the holy fathers; and his heart was kindled to imitate them, and he wished to follow in their footsteps.
When he had completed twenty-two years, he wished to go to Jerusalem to venerate the holy places, and he prayed earnestly to God that He would order his way well. And once, when he slept at night in the archdeacon’s house, someone called near his bed, saying: «Gregory!» And he said: «Here I am!» And he stood before the archdeacon, saying: «Why did you call me, my lord?» And he said: «I did not call you, my child!» And Gregory went and lay down again and fell asleep.
And again a second time a voice called him, saying: «Gregory!» And he ran again and stood before the archdeacon and said to him: «Here I am, my lord; why did you call me?» And he said: «I did not call you, my child!» And the archdeacon became trembling, understanding that some divine call was coming to Gregory. So he said to him: «If that same voice calls you again, my child, answer it: What is it, Lord? What do You command Your servant?»
And Gregory went and lay down again on his bed, and a third time the voice came: «Gregory!» And this was the angel of the Lord calling to him. And Gregory answered as he had been taught, and the angel said to him: «Your prayer is heard. Go then to the seashore, and you will find those who are to take you to the holy places.»
The Secret Departure and the Meeting with the Three Monks
And Gregory then rose, and saying nothing of himself to anyone, ran very early to the city and came to the shore, and found a ship and asked the sailors where they were sailing. And they answered that they were sailing to Carthage. And he begged them to take him with them. And they brought him into the ship and sailed prosperously, and in three days they reached Carthage, where Gregory stayed several days, devoutly frequenting the church of the holy martyr Julian.
And once, as he sat in the church exercising himself in reading, three honourable monks came in, God-like in appearance, and prayed. And when they had finished their prayer, one of them sat down and the two stood. And Gregory, seeing them, bowed to them. And the monk who was seated, looking at Gregory, said: «What are you doing here, servant of God Gregory, who have chosen the good part, which according to the word of God shall not be taken away from you?»
And he, hearing himself addressed by name, was afraid, and bowing to the ground before the elder, said: «Forgive me, father, and pray for me, a sinner and one afflicted.» The elder said to him: «Oh, that I had your sins, my child!» And then he said: «Know, my child, that the merciful God has revealed everything concerning you to us. Rejoice therefore that He sent us to take you and bring you to the holy places, as you desire, for we are going there.» And Gregory said, moved: «Blessed is God, who orders all things for our profit!» And rising, he went away in silence.
And once on the road the elder tested him and asked, saying: «Child Gregory, do you grieve for your parents?» And he answered: «Our Lord said: He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. Yet pray to God, father, that He may give good comfort to my parents also, and keep me, a sinner, from the snare of the enemy.»
The Fast of the Forty Days in a Monastery on the Way to Jerusalem
And they journeyed many days and drew near to the holy city, and went into a monastery that lay along the road. And the fast of the holy Forty Days came, and therefore they went no further, but remained in that monastery until the saving Passion.
There the blessed Gregory saw the great fasting and vigils of the monks: many of them took no food throughout the whole week and remained without sleep. There he saw men who lived like angels and who praised God unceasingly in the heavens; he saw others pouring out tears from their eyes like rivers, standing at prayer day and night; he saw their other many labours and unspeakable ascetic feats; and he was afraid, and beat his breast, saying: «Woe is me, what am I, what shall I do, afflicted and lazy as I am? How shall I appear before the face of God? How in the day of judgment shall I be joined to the holy men?»
And again, not wishing to drown himself in the depth of despair, he said: «Since the Lord is near to them that are of a contrite heart, as David says, and saves the humble of spirit, then He can save me also, as He saves those who come at the eleventh hour and who have done nothing worthy.»
And the monks, seeing him downcast in face with sorrow, comforted him, thinking that he grieved for his own country and for his parents, and said: «Do not regret, my child, that you came here with us; we hope in God that you will be in your own country again and will see your parents alive.» And he answered: «There is no foreign country with God, but all things are His, and everywhere He watches over all with an all-seeing eye. It is not for this that I grieve, that I came here, nor do I sorrow for my parents, but rather I rejoice that, having left father and mother, I have found God, who cares for me. But there is another sorrow in my heart: I pray you, holy fathers, to pray to the Lord for my lowliness.» And the monks, hearing such an answer from him, fell silent.
In Jerusalem with Patriarch Macarius
And when the feast of the Resurrection of Christ came, they went out to the holy city of Jerusalem and venerated the holy places. And they went in to the holy Patriarch Macarius, to be blessed by him. And the patriarch, seeing them, said: «Rejoice in the Lord, Abba Mark! From where have you brought to us the God-pleasing youth Gregory?» And the elder answered: «It was not we who brought him, my lord, but the Lord, who wishes all men to be saved, and your holy prayers.»
And Gregory wondered that the patriarch named both the elder and himself by name, and he rejoiced to learn the elder’s name, for he had walked with him all that time and did not know his name, nor the names of the other two brothers, and had not dared to ask any of them; so silent and free of curiosity was the blessed Gregory. Then the patriarch, looking at the two other monks, said: «Lord Serapion, and you, Father Leontius, you have come well. I thank God, who gave you strength to come here and to bring this boy, who, kindled in spirit, serves God, rejoices in hope, and abides always in prayer, as the Lord revealed to us concerning him.» And the patriarch went to the church to celebrate the Liturgy, and all were partakers of the most pure Mysteries.
And the next day Abba Mark with the two brothers, having taken the blessing of the patriarch, went to visit the brethren who lived around holy Sion. And Gregory did not know that they had gone away, and grieved greatly that he was left without them. And the patriarch comforted him, saying: «Those fathers will not go away to their own country, but will first return to us.» Then Gregory bowed to the patriarch and dared to ask: «From where are those great men?» The patriarch answered: «They are from the city of Rome.»
And when they returned to Sion, Abba Mark took Gregory by the hand and, bowing him at the feet of the holy patriarch, said: «Holy father, this one too is of the flock of Christ, and he is to receive the governance of the Church, and, as with an oar, will steer the Church well with spiritual teaching. Do you then, father, take care of him, that he keep the goodness of his soul bright, undefiled by youthful thoughts.» The patriarch said: «God chose him for Himself from his mother’s womb and fenced him about with His fear; He will also keep him to the end.»
Then he raised the boy up and, seeing him in tears, said to him: «My child, if it is pleasing to you, stay with us, and our Lord Jesus Christ will order everything for your profit. But if you wish to go with the brethren, go in peace.» And Gregory answered: «No, most holy father, I do not wish to depart from here; yet I pray that God may grant me to see these holy fathers again in this life.» And the monks, having asked the patriarch for his blessing and prayers, went out of the holy city, and the blessed Gregory remained in Jerusalem with Patriarch Macarius.
The Monks at Agrigentum: the Lament of Chariton and Theodotia
And Abba Mark went with Serapion and Leontius towards Rome, and it fell to them to pass by the city of Agrigentum. And they went into it and greeted Bishop Potamion and rested in his episcopal residence, for the feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul had just come. And after the feast they wished to go and to ask the bishop for a blessing for the road.
And Gregory’s parents, Chariton and Theodotia, came from the village to the bishop, wishing to make a commemoration for their son Gregory on the first day of July, for on that day Gregory had gone away from there. And Theodotia wept bitterly for her son, for there was nothing that could comfort her.
And Abba Mark asked the bishop, saying: «Why do these people weep so, father?» And the bishop sighed from the depth of his soul and shed tears, and said: «These people had one child, whom I received from the holy font. When he was eight years old, they brought the boy to me, and I commanded that he be taught books. And God gave him such a talent that in two years he learned completely to read, and to sing, and to write. In his twelfth year his parents gave him to God through my sinful hands, and I sanctified him as a cleric and entrusted him to my archdeacon, that he might train him in the way of the Lord’s commandments. And that boy proved so skilled in Holy Scripture that the like of him could hardly be found in all Sicily.
Yet I do not know what became of him, or where he went, for suddenly he vanished without trace, and they sought him a great deal throughout this whole island, in the cities and the villages, in the mountains and the caves and the deserts, but could not find him. Whether someone killed him and hid him in the earth, or seized him and led him away to a foreign country, I do not know. Now we shall lament for him until death. And his parents began to make a commemoration of him on the day on which he perished.»
The Archdeacon’s Account of the Night-time Call
And Abba Mark, glancing at the face of Chariton, recognised that this was Gregory’s father, for the blessed Gregory was very like his father. And Mark said to Gregory’s parents: «Why do you weep beyond measure for your child? It belongs to you rather to rejoice and to give thanks to God, who builds all things for our profit.»
After this he said to the bishop: «Command your archdeacon to come here.» And then the bishop commanded that he be called. And when the archdeacon came, Father Mark said to him: «Tell us, man, where the boy vanished to. Why do you not reveal to your lord the bishop the greatness of God that has come upon the boy?» And the archdeacon was afraid at these words and bowed to the elder, asking forgiveness.
Then he began to tell: «I slept», he said, «at night on my bed, and the boy was resting nearby in that same chamber. And someone called him strangely: Gregory! And he rose and ran to me, saying: Why did you call me, my lord? And I said to him: I did not call you, my child. And again a second time there was a voice that called: Gregory! And he again stood before me and says: Why did you call me? And I, understanding that this was not a human but a divine call, said to him: If that voice calls you again, my child, answer it: Here am I, Lord; what do You command Your servant? And he went away to his place and again heard a voice that said: Gregory, your prayer is heard; go to the seashore, and you will find those who will take you. This voice I heard, but did not understand what was meant, and fell asleep.
And the next day I rose and did not find Gregory, and from then until now he has not been found. But the voice I heard I did not dare to make known to anyone; I was afraid lest they say that I was lying, and, not believing my words, begin to say that I had killed the boy or sold him into a foreign country.»
Hearing this, the bishop and the parents were comforted of their sorrow and glorified God. And the blessed Mark said: «This is just as we read in the Books of Kings concerning Samuel: so it came about in our days for Gregory. As the boy Samuel, sleeping in the temple, was called by the angel of the Lord, saying: Samuel, Samuel, and this was three times, so was the blessed boy Gregory counted worthy of that same call, and he will truly be equal to the prophet Samuel. And hear also what I shall say concerning your boy.»
The Vision of Abba Mark and the Joy of the Parents
«When we were in Rome, I went with my brethren to the church of the holy apostles Peter and Paul for prayer. And night came, and I lay down in the house of a certain monk, and that night there appeared to me in a vision two most radiant men, like the holy apostles, and they said to me: Rise quickly with the two monks, go aboard a ship, sail to the city of Carthage, and there you will find a traveller, a boy by name Gregory the Sicilian, who came from the Church of Agrigentum. Take him and lead him to the holy city of Jerusalem, to Patriarch Macarius. And we shall tell the patriarch also about that boy and command him to receive him, for our spirit rests upon him, as the spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha. And having said this, they who had appeared became invisible.
And I awoke and went with these brothers of mine to the harbour, and by the providence of God we found a ship and boarded it and sailed, and soon reached the city of Carthage, and came out of the ship and went into the church of the martyr Julian and found Gregory in the church; for he was reading books there. And we took him and went away to Jerusalem and gave him to the patriarch.»
Hearing this, all were greatly astonished and glorified God. And Chariton and Theodotia fell to the ground as though dead. And the blessed Mark raised them up and said: «Give glory to God, who has revealed to you concerning your son: he is alive and lives virtuously.» And Chariton and Theodotia ceased their lamenting, and the blessed bishop with all his household gave thanks to God, and thanked Abba Mark for such tidings concerning Gregory, and from then on remained without sorrow.
And the holy Gregory, living in Jerusalem with the most holy Patriarch Macarius, was ordained deacon by him. And having stayed there some time, he asked the patriarch to let him go to the Mount of Olives to visit the fathers who were there. And he was let go, and he spent a year visiting the good ascetics and received from them great profit. And he wished to go also into the inner desert, and confessed his thought to the holy fathers, asking their prayers. And they made prayer for him and let him go, saying: «Go, my child, in peace; the faith and the love which you have for Christ will save you.»
And he came down from the Mount of Olives and settled in the desert; and after three days, by the providence of God, he found a certain monk who was praying at the sixth hour of the day. And he understood in spirit that the youth Gregory was seeking salvation, and called him to himself and said to him: «Where are you going, my child?» And he answered: «Wherever Christ leads in this desert.» And the monk said: «Come with me, my child.»
And they journeyed twenty days and came to a certain place, from which the monk showed Gregory a cell standing far off, and two date palms before it, and said: «In that cell a great father dwells. If you wish to be saved, my child, go to him; for I must depart into another country.» And having bowed to one another, they parted.
The Cell of the Great Elder in the Inner Desert
And Gregory drew near to the cell of the great elder and heard a voice singing, as though of many people. And when he came close, he heard as though three were singing. And when he came up to the door, he heard only one elder, who was singing and finishing the ninth hour. And he did not dare to knock at the door, but stood in awe.
And after finishing his rule, that holy father looked through the door and saw the youth standing. And he then knew in spirit who it was, and called, saying: «Child Gregory, come in here!» And he was the more afraid that he called him by name, and went into the cell and saw only that one elder, and saw no one else; and he marvelled that there was only one elder, whereas he had heard the voice of a great multitude singing, and understood that the holy angels were singing with him.
And he fell at the elder’s feet with tears, saying: «Have mercy on me, father, and pray for me, a sinner, that God may save my soul.» And the elder said: «God will have mercy on you, my child, and will give you reward for your labours.»
And Gregory remained with that holy elder four years, and learned from him much spiritual and outward wisdom, and came to know the mysteries and the interpretations of the Divine Scriptures, and became a skilled philosopher and an eloquent rhetorician.
And the elder, seeing him perfect in understanding and in virtues, and foreseeing that he was to be a great light to the world, did not wish to keep him longer in the desert, but bade him come out of the desert to the help of the Church militant. And he prophesied to him that a great affliction from envious men would come upon him, and taught him to be patient and without malice. Then he made prayer for him and, having given him a blessing, let him go from him.
Antioch, Constantinople, and the Fifth Ecumenical Council
Departing then from the elder, the blessed Gregory returned again to Jerusalem, and the patriarch received him with joy. And he stayed in Jerusalem one year, and then set out for Antioch, and afterwards to Constantinople, and dwelt in the monastery of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.
And the abbot, seeing his labours and his fasting, that he took no food throughout the week but gave himself to unceasing reading and writing of books, told Patriarch Eutychius about him: «There has come», he said, «to my monastery a wondrous deacon, fair in appearance and in life, outstanding in fasting and unwearying in all monastic labours, and very skilled in the Divine Scripture; and it seems to me that in these present times a second such man could not be found in this whole city.» And the patriarch, hearing this, was glad, and summoning him honourably, conversed with him. And he saw his great wisdom, and thanked God, who had sent them such a man in a time of great storm in the Church from the heretics and their agitation.
And soon the Fifth Ecumenical Council was gathered at Constantinople, in the reign of the pious Emperor Justinian; and at that council the holy Gregory proved a great champion and defender of piety, and stopped the mouths of the heretics, so that they could not answer against the words which Gregory spoke from the holy books; and all the fathers marvelled at such wisdom and at the grace of the Holy Spirit in Gregory. And many who heard him said: «From where is this man, who speaks as an angel, or as one of the ancient great holy fathers?»
And the pious Emperor Justinian and all the nobles rejoiced because of him, and all the fathers who had come to that council kissed him and blessed him with many praises. And from that time the emperor greatly honoured him, and his fame went out everywhere. And Gregory saw that all men praised and honoured him, and did not wish to live in Constantinople, but, fleeing human glory, went to Rome, and venerated the tomb of the holy apostles and the other holy places, and settled in the monastery of Saint Sabbas, where he dwelt in silence.
At that time Theodore, Bishop of Agrigentum, who came after the blessed Potamion, died, and there arose great discord and sedition among the people of that city: for some chose for the bishopric the presbyter Sabinus, others Crescentius, and others again Euplus, who was then archdeacon, while others committed themselves to the will of the Lord, saying: «Whom God wills, he shall be our bishop.»
And to this end all the church elders, and the princes of the city, and the citizens, gathering together, came to Rome to the Pope, and Chariton, Gregory’s father, was among them; and they stood before the Pope in three companies: some for Sabinus, others for Crescentius, and the third for Euplus and Chariton; for some asked the Pope for the one, others for the other. And the archdeacon Euplus, with Chariton and the others, said to the Pope: «Whomever God reveals to your holiness, appoint him bishop for us.» But the Pope, seeing the discord and the great quarrels among them, commanded them to depart from his presence.
The Pope’s Vision of a Worthy Shepherd
And he had sorrow over this, and two honourable men in apostolic raiment appeared to him at night and said: «Why do you grieve over the discord of the people of Agrigentum? For those whom they have brought are unworthy of the episcopal rank. But there dwells in this city a stranger, by name Gregory, who formerly lived in the monastery of Saint Sabbas, and now, hearing of the coming of the citizens of Agrigentum, has fled from that monastery and is hiding in the monastery of Saint Mercurius. Call him and appoint him bishop of Agrigentum, for that city has need of him, since the Spirit of God abides in that man.» And having said this, they became invisible.
And the Pope awoke from the vision and summoned to himself the church elders and Abba Mark, who had then happened to come to the city from his monastery, and told them of his vision. And then with the other clerics he sent two bishops to search out Gregory and bring him with honour. And they went to the monastery of Saint Sabbas and asked: «Where is that stranger who dwells here?» And the monks answered: «Two days ago he went away to the monastery of Saint Mercurius.» And they went there too.
The Search: Gregory Hides in the Garden
The holy Gregory wished to go out of that monastery, for he saw the bishops coming from afar and recognised them, having seen them earlier at the council in Constantinople. And understanding in spirit that they were coming for him, he ran into the enclosure and hid in the garden.
And the bishops went into the monastery and asked about Gregory. And the monks said: «A certain stranger was here today; we do not know where he went.» And the bishops took the abbot and, holding him firmly, said that if he did not set that stranger before them, he would be guilty of many punishments. And the abbot begged them to let him go a little while, that he might search for him; and he searched diligently and found Gregory in the garden, hiding among the greens.
And he seized him in anger and reproached him, saying: «From where did you come here, O man, and what are your sins? And what have you done, that such honourable men seek you? You have brought trouble upon our monastery; go then and answer for your sins!» But the blessed Gregory answered him not a word, and went silently, being led.
And when they brought him before the bishops, then those bishops recognised him, for they had seen him at the council, praised by all the fathers and honoured by the emperor. And rising, they bowed to him and embraced him lovingly. And he fell at their feet, saying: «Forgive me, holy fathers, for I am a sinner! Why do you seek my littleness?» And they raised him from the ground and kissed him, and said: «The most holy father the Pope calls you to himself.»
And the abbot marvelled, seeing that the bishops so honoured Gregory, whom he had taken for a thief, and he was afraid. And the bishops took Gregory and led him honourably to the Pope.
Before the Pope, and with Abba Mark
And Gregory went in to the Pope and bowed to the ground. And the Pope said: «It is well that you have come to us, child Gregory; blessed is God, who has shown you to us», and rising, kissed him with the holy kiss. Then he said: «Child Gregory, our Lord Jesus Christ calls you to the bishopric of His Church which is at Agrigentum, that through you those people may be saved.» And he answered: «Forgive me, my lord, I am not worthy of such a rank.» And the Pope said: «Do not disobey, my child, but fear God, and remember that many by disobedience angered the Most High.» And Gregory answered: «Grant a little respite to your servant, most honourable father, that I may take thought and give an answer to your holiness.» And the Pope entrusted him for a time to Abba Mark.
And Gregory saw Abba Mark and was glad, and fell at his feet with tears, saying: «I thank God, who has granted me to see you in this life, my beloved father.» And Abba Mark went with him into his cell, and they spent the whole night without sleep, exercising themselves in spiritual conversation.
And Gregory wished to flee to Spain, and most of all when he learned that his father Chariton would come to Rome. But Abba Mark restrained him, saying: «My child, do not anger God, and instead of God’s blessing do not bring a curse upon yourself.» And from then on he was silent.
After this the Pope summoned the men of Agrigentum and asked them: «Have you chosen anyone from among yourselves for the bishopric of your city?» And they were silent. And the archdeacon Euplus, with Lord Chariton, said: «We have no answer to give, my lord; we commit ourselves to God and to your holy prayers: whomsoever God reveals to you, him you will give to us, and we shall receive him with love.» And the Pope looked at Chariton and knew from the likeness of his face that this was Gregory’s father.
Then he said: «Let us go to the church and pray to God, that He may show us whom He knows to be worthy.» And the Pope was then in the church of the chief apostles Peter and Paul, making prayers with the bishops and with all the clergy, and Gregory was there with them. And a dove appeared in the sanctuary, flying above the holy table, and sat upon the head of Gregory; and all were astonished at that most glorious wonder. And the Pope said: «This God has shown to us!»
The Dove upon His Head, and His Consecration as Bishop
And he chose him as worthy of the episcopal rank and consecrated him bishop of the Church of Agrigentum. And all the citizens of Agrigentum rejoiced at this and loved him as one chosen by God. Then Lord Chariton knew that Gregory was his son, and gave great thanks to God, who had granted him to see his son alive and in such a rank.
And after a few days the men of Agrigentum, having taken the blessing of the Pope, returned with their newly ordained bishop to their own country. And as they passed by the city of Panormus, the bishop of that city met them with the clergy and with all the people, and received them lovingly, for he had heard of Gregory’s good life, and asked him to enter the church and give the people his blessing.
And as the holy Gregory was entering the Lord’s temple, a certain young man, greatly leprous, ran up to him and cried out, saying: «Have mercy on me, servant of Christ, and pray to God for me, that He may lighten this grievous disease of leprosy for me.» And the saint said to him: «In the name of the Lord, be whole of your infirmity!» And at once the monk was healed and cleansed of the leprosy, and his flesh became as the flesh of a little child; and all glorified God, saying: «Blessed is God, who works wonders through His servant.»
And they went out of Panormus and drew near to Agrigentum, and the abbot of the monastery of the most holy Mother of God, which stood before the city, met them. And when the holy Gregory entered that monastery, a certain monk, dumb and deaf, fell before his feet. And the abbot began to pull that monk away from Gregory’s feet, but the holy Gregory said to the abbot: «Leave him, brother; let him tell us what he requires.» And the abbot said: «He is foolish, my lord, and neither speaks nor hears.»
And the saint sighed and, lifting his hands to heaven, prayed. Then he raised the monk from the ground and said: «In the name of our Lord Jesus, who commanded the deaf and dumb spirit to come out of His creature, speak, brother, and hear, and glorify God, who made you.» And the monk then spoke and began to cry out with a loud voice: «Great are Your works, O Lord, which You have done for the sake of this righteous man!»
And the blessed one asked the monk how many years it was since he had spoken. And the monk answered: «I do not remember, my lord, when I spoke or when I heard.» And the abbot said: «It is twenty years, my lord, since I tonsured him, and he was eight years old when he was tonsured, and until now he was dumb and deaf, and now he is healed by your prayers.» And awe fell upon all because of what had happened, and they thanked God, who had given them such a wonderworking bishop. And Gregory rested in that monastery until morning.
The Entry into Agrigentum: His Mother Recognises Her Son
And the next day he went to the city. And the people heard that the new bishop was coming, and asked one another: «Who has become bishop? Sabinus, or Crescentius, or Euplus?» And learning that none of them had been accounted worthy of the bishopric, but a certain stranger, by name Gregory, they wondered. And they heard also that he was a wonderworker and had healed the monk who was dumb and deaf, and they were afraid.
And the whole multitude of the people went out to meet him, and received his blessing. And he laid his hands on all, blessing them. And Theodotia also, his mother, came out with the elder women, not knowing that it was her son. And when she saw him, she recognised him and said: «This is truly my son, who was lost and is found.» And Gregory, seeing his mother, said: «Rejoice, Lady Theodotia, my mother!» And she, filled with unspeakable joy, said: «Blessed is God, who chose you to shepherd His people and granted me to see you, my sweet child!»
After this they went into the church, singing with the people. And when the holy Gregory celebrated the Holy Liturgy, one of the worthy men saw the grace of the Holy Spirit descend upon him in the form of a dove and overshadow him, as it had been also at his ordination. And many sick were brought into the church, and the holy Gregory laid his hands on them, granting them health, so that all marvelled and said: «This man is like the holy Gregory of Neocaesarea, the wonderworker!» And there was great joy in the city.
His Pastoral Care: the Poor, the Sick, and the Healing of Sabinus’s Daughter
And the holy Gregory began to shepherd the Church of God, having great care for the poor, healing the sick and driving out evil spirits. And his father Chariton did not depart from the church, serving God day and night with fasting and prayers. And his mother Theodotia also, casting off all worldly cares, attended to her own salvation and served the sick and those in the distress of poverty, feeding and clothing them with her own hands. And so the holy Gregory, with his parents, adorned the Church of Christ, being to all an example of virtuous life.
And several years passed, and the blessed one went out to look over the city and to visit the sick and the poor; and those of the citizens who had sick people laid them along the road by which the good physician, the holy Gregory, was to pass, and for every disease they received healing at the touch of his hands.
Now the presbyter Sabinus had a daughter who was paralysed, who lay on a bed and had no strength in her body at all, so that she could not move of herself, but others turned her over. And her mother heard that the bishop was to pass by their house, and carried her daughter out beyond the courtyard and laid her on the road. And when Gregory drew near, the woman fell at the blessed one’s feet, weeping and saying: «Have mercy on me, servant of God, and have compassion on my daughter, for she is paralysed.»
And the saint asked her: «Whose wife are you?» And Sabinus the presbyter came out and, bowing, said: «She is your handmaid, my lord; she is my wife.» And the saint asked them: «How long has your daughter been ill thus?» And they answered: «Nine years, my lord, since she was paralysed.» And the saint made prayer and signed the girl with the sign of the cross, and said: «In the name of Jesus Christ, arise, maiden, and stand upon your feet!» And then the maiden rose up whole and gave thanks to her healer.
And the people, following after him, marvelled at the most glorious wonders that were worked by him.
The Envy of Sabinus and Crescentius, and the Hired Woman
After several years the devil, who hates what is good, raised war against the saint, wishing to drive him from his throne, and did so through that presbyter Sabinus, whose daughter the saint had healed, and through Crescentius. Both of these were presbyters in that city, and each of them desired the bishopric for himself, and there was anger between them; but in those days they became friends and rose up in enmity against the holy Gregory.
So, stirred up by the devil, they said among themselves: «How long shall we obey this man, who is a sorcerer, who by his sorcery works miracles and astonishes simple people? Do we not know that he fled from here and stayed with a certain sorcerer, and learned from him the craft of magic? And now he has come and beguiles the people, saying that he is a man of God, whereas he is like a demon: he neither eats nor drinks, like a demon.» Such slanders and lies they spoke against the righteous man out of envy.
And they turned some of the clerics and of the citizens to their evil counsel, and swore to one another not to rest until they had driven Gregory out of the city. And in his place they wished to set up a certain heretic Eleusius, who had fallen away from the presbyterate and from the council held at Laodicea, and was accursed, and who had then come secretly to Agrigentum and was hiding in the house of a certain citizen Theodore; and the holy Gregory did not know of him. But the holy Gregory had seen that Eleusius earlier in the East, and had contended with him concerning the Incarnation of Christ and had defeated him in disputation. And he afterwards hid for three months in the city of Agrigentum, and stirred up those presbyters and certain other malicious men to envy and anger against the holy Gregory.
And the enemies took counsel and hired a certain young woman, fair in face but shameless and adulterous in temper, by name Eudokia, to say to the bishop’s face before all the people that he had been with her. And at first she did not wish to do it, saying: «The citizens will not believe me, for they all hold him to be an angel of God; and I am afraid to slander him, lest the people stone me.» But they promised to keep her unharmed, and with a great amount of gold persuaded her to consent to their wicked counsel; and they looked for a favourable time to bring affliction and dishonour upon him.
And one night the holy Gregory was in the church at the midnight office; and then Sabinus and Crescentius took the hired harlot Eudokia and led her secretly into the bishop’s courtyard. And they found the watchman who guarded the door, and giving him enough gold, persuaded him to be silent, and brought the adulteress into the saint’s bedchamber and, locking her in there, went away. And the bishop knew nothing of it, and tarried in the church until the dismissal of the morning office. And when day dawned, he came out of the church, and the people who had been in the church followed him, for such was the custom: every day they escorted their bishop from the church to his courtyard. And he came to the door of his chamber and turned back, teaching them and giving them his blessing. And Sabinus was there with Crescentius and with their other accomplices.
The Slander and the Imprisonment
They rushed into his bedchamber and brought the woman out before the bishop and before all the people who had come, and cried out: «See, people, what our bishop does; is it fitting for him to do so? We said he was holy, and here he has been shown to be a fornicator; from now on he is unworthy of the episcopal throne!» And the people, seeing this, were astonished and stood like stones, speechless, not knowing what to say. And the holy Gregory also was astonished at this unexpected affliction, and was silent.
They asked the woman: «Was the bishop with you?» And she answered before them all: «Yes, he was with me this night.» And the archdeacon and the other household asked: «At what hour of the night was he with you?» And she said that he had been with her after compline; for so she had been taught to say by the ringleaders of the wickedness.
And the household cried out: «The Lord sees that this lying woman speaks falsehood!» And the wicked said: «You are his own people and are not worthy of belief; you say this, covering up the evil deeds of your master!» And a certain young deacon, by name Philadelphia, said: «Let the deceitful mouths be dumb, which speak abomination against the righteous man with pride and contempt.» And Crescentius rushed up and struck Philadelphia on the cheeks.
And many were led astray and believed the lie, seeing the woman brought out of his bedchamber and saying to his face that he had been with her; but others did not believe. Yet the side of the wicked prevailed, and they seized the bishop by the hand and dragged him from his courtyard, and leading him away, put him in the prison in which the holy hieromartyr Gregory of Libya, a bishop, had once suffered for Christ; and there they locked up this holy Gregory also, fastening his feet in the stocks, and shutting the door, they kept watch.
And soon they sent a letter to the Pope’s exarch who was in those parts, informing him of what had happened, and begging him to come to the city to judge Gregory. And a rumour went out, not only through the whole city of Agrigentum, but through the neighbouring cities and villages, and through all the land of Sicily, that Bishop Gregory had been caught with a harlot.
And a multitude of people who loved the saint and did not believe the lying slander gathered at the prison, and sat by the prison weeping. And the saint gave thanks to God, who had accounted him worthy to suffer innocently.
And at midnight, as he prayed, a great light shone in his prison, for the angel of the Lord came and loosed his feet from the bonds and strengthened him with words to endure, and then became invisible; and the prison doors opened of themselves. And the people, seeing the wonder that had happened, went inside and bowed to the saint, saying: «Now we know that God is with you, and that the slander uttered against you is a lie.» And they wished to go and kill Sabinus and Crescentius, but the saint restrained them and forbade them to dare to raise a fight or shed blood, but to wait for the judgment that was to be given upon him.
The Exarch’s Trial: the Demon Exposes the Lie
The exarch came to the city and gathered the whole council of the city. And they set Gregory forth, and his adversaries stood there with the harlot. And the exarch asked her: «Do you speak the truth, that the bishop was with you?» And she said: «Yes, my lord, it is the truth that he was with me.»
And when she had said this, a demon fell upon her and, casting her to the ground, beat her, and the wretched woman rolled about, crying out hideously, tormented by the demon. And so fear seized them all, and they said: «Gregory is innocent of the evil deed, for this is God’s vengeance that has fallen upon her who lied against him.» But the adversaries were not ashamed to say: «Did we not tell you that he is a sorcerer and a magician, and that by sorcery he brought a demon upon the woman who committed adultery with him?»
And the wife of Sabinus heard this, with the daughter whom the holy Gregory had healed of the palsy, and ran hastily to the council and cried out upon her husband in fury, saying: «Wretch and all-evil man, have you forgotten the kindness of this holy man, who healed our daughter, and do you lay slander upon the innocent? Depart from my house; from now on I do not wish to live with you!» And she fell before the saint and said, weeping: «Have mercy on us, servant of God, and do not remember the malice which these wretched envious men have done to you!»
And there was an uproar among the people: some cried, «He is innocent!» while others, believing the lie, said, «By sorcery he brought the demon upon her who committed adultery with him!» And the exarch, having hands full of bribes, helped Sabinus and Crescentius. But seeing the people in uproar, he was afraid and, rising from the judgment seat, went out, saying: «More must be learned about this!» And the blessed Gregory went himself into the prison and sat in it as one condemned, awaiting what end the matter that had begun would have.
Sent Away to Rome by Night
And the exarch, seeing that he could do nothing to Gregory, resolved to send him to Rome to the Pope. And he commanded a ship to be made ready, and wrote a letter setting out Gregory’s guilt, and waited for night, to lead him out secretly. And the slanderers also wrote a letter to the Pope, as they themselves wished.
And when night came and the people had dispersed, the exarch with Sabinus and Crescentius seized Gregory and led him to the ship. And his parents and his household followed, weeping and lamenting after him. And he comforted them and persuaded them not to weep, declaring that they would again have the chance to see him in health upon his throne. And his adversaries put him aboard the ship, entrusting him to a certain sailor by name Procopius, and gave him the letter to the Pope.
And the archdeacon Euplus with the other deacons came to the exarch, begging him to command that they might go with their father and teacher. But he would not even listen to them; only to one of them, a deacon by name Platonikos, he did not forbid going with him. And so the ship was let go, and the voyage began, and the saint’s household with his parents wept a great deal on the shore, and then returned to their homes.
And the next day a multitude of people with their elders gathered at the prison, and did not find their shepherd, the holy Gregory; and they were thrown into confusion and began to weep and to cry out against the unrighteous judgment. And they surrounded the eparch and asked: «Where have you put our father and good shepherd? Have you not killed him?» And he said: «No, brethren, I did him no harm whatever, but sent him peacefully to the Pope, as he himself asked of us.»
And they called the archdeacon Euplus and the other deacons, saying: «You know where our holy bishop is, for yesterday you were with him in the prison; tell us truly where he is now.» And they said that the exarch had sent him by night to Rome, to the Pope. And the exarch, seeing the confusion among the people, was greatly afraid and fled from the city.
The Anger of the People, and the Burned Houses of the Slanderers
And the people took fire and burned the houses of the all-evil presbyters Sabinus and Crescentius, and sought to kill them too. And they ran into the church, and the people went after them. And Lord Chariton stood in the church doors and begged the angry people not to shed blood for his son’s sake. «If», he said, «they spoke the truth against your bishop and my son, and you kill them, you too will be judged.» And the people heeded Chariton and turned back.
And they sent to the city of Syracuse and told the prince of Sicily and the bishop of that city everything that had been done to their bishop Gregory. And they, hearing it, were astonished and grieved greatly for him, for they knew his virtuous life. And they sent dignitaries of their own and entrusted the governance for a time to the archdeacon Euplus, until the holy Gregory, having been justified before the Pope, should return to his throne.
And in time the adversaries gathered again and sought to kill Euplus. And he, seeing their unquenchable malice, fled from the city and hid until Gregory’s coming. And Sabinus and Crescentius with their accomplices took the aforementioned heretic Eleusius and set him in the episcopal residence. And the princes and elders of the city, persuaded by Lord Chariton, put an end to the disturbance, and were most of all comforted when they learned from him that, as God so willed, Gregory was to return to his throne.
And in that time wild beasts pastured the Church of God as they wished: for Eleusius the heretic took the relics of the saints that lay in the sanctuary and wished to burn them with fire, but the fire did not touch them at all; and so he commanded that they be thrown into the sea by night, and no one knew of it.
In Rome: the Pope’s Anger and the Prison
And when the blessed Gregory came to the city of Rome, the sailor gave the Pope the letters from the exarch and from the slanderers. And the Pope read them and was filled with great fury and anger against Gregory, and without letting him see his face, and without even asking him about the charge, commanded that his hands and feet be bound with chains and that he be thrown into prison, and that his deacon Platonikos also be locked up in a separate cell.
And as the saint sat in the prison and prayed, a light shone upon him at night and the prison doors were opened. And two most radiant men in apostolic form came in to him and said to him: «Rejoice, servant of Christ and Gregory beloved of us; the Lord has sent us to loose you from your bonds in your affliction, and seeing your courage and patience in it, we rejoice. God wishes to work many wonders through you in this city also.» And having said this, they touched his bonds, and then the chains fell off, and he stood upon his feet, loosed from the bonds, and bowed to them to the ground. And they kissed him and became invisible.
And they appeared then to the deacon Platonikos and, leading him out of his confinement, brought him to Gregory; and both, Gregory and Platonikos, were together, praising and blessing God.
The Son of the Prison Guard
Now the prison guard had an only son, who was twenty years of age, and a fierce demon had tormented him for six years and driven him through the deserts and the roads; and more than once his father had seized him and bound him with iron fetters and locked him in a cage, but he tore the bonds apart, broke the doors, and fled.
And it happened in those days that his father seized him and chained his hands, and his feet, and his neck firmly to a pillar. And at midnight he broke the irons and fled, and finding the prison doors open, went into the prison and fell before the feet of the holy Gregory, rolling about.
And the saint, lifting his hands to heaven, prayed to God, and so said to the demon: «Our Lord Jesus Christ commands you, unclean spirit: come out of this creature!» And then the demon came out of the young man.
And his father rose and sought his son diligently, and seeing the prison open, was greatly afraid, thinking that the prisoner had escaped. And he went inside and saw the saint standing with Platonikos and singing, and his own son with him, whole. And the guard fell at the saint’s feet, saying: «Truly you are a man of God; forgive me, for I sinned against you, laying my hands upon you.» And from that time the prison guard served the saint day and night with fear, honouring him as an angel of God.
The Hunchbacked Girl, and the Rumour of His Wonders
At that time a certain woman who had a hunchbacked daughter heard that the blessed one had healed the guard’s son, and ran to him in the prison with her daughter, and falling down begged him to heal her daughter. And he said: «That is not my work, woman, but only God’s, who can do all things by a word.» But she pressed him unceasingly, begging. And so the saint made prayer and laid his hand upon the hunchback, and the girl was made straight. And the mother and daughter gave him thanks and, bowing to the saint, returned rejoicing to their house.
And her neighbours asked her: «Who healed your daughter?» And she said: «A certain bishop, a stranger from Sicily, of whom they say that he is condemned for some offence and sits in prison. He healed my daughter, as he healed the guard’s son earlier.»
And a rumour reached many of Gregory’s wonders, that he had healed the demon-possessed boy and the hunchbacked girl by a word; and they brought many sick to him, and he healed them.
And a year passed, and the Pope remembered that Gregory was sitting in prison. And he sent for Abba Mark, of whom mention has often been made earlier. And Abba Mark came from his monastery, and the Pope said to him: «Do you not know, brother, that Gregory, bishop of the Church of Agrigentum, has been brought here bound and sits locked up in prison, because he committed adultery?» And Father Mark sighed and answered: «Oh, that I might have a portion with him in the day of the dread judgment!»
And the Pope, hearing this, changed countenance and said: «Look at the letter sent to me about this from the exarch whom I have in that country.» And Mark read the letter and laughed, and said with a loud voice: «I witness before the Lord that this slander against an innocent and honourable man is a lie, a man equal in life and in wonderworking to the ancient great fathers, as you yourself know, my lord.» And the Pope said: «I know that the grace of God was in him before he sinned, but since he sinned, the grace has been taken from him.» And Mark said: «The Lord knows those who are His.» And the Pope said: «What then shall we do with him? What do you counsel?»
The Counsel of Abba Mark: Gather a Council
Abba Mark said: «Listen to me, my lord, and accept the counsel of your servant: gather a council, summon bishops, not only your own western ones, but send also to the East, that they may not judge Gregory without the knowledge of the emperor and the patriarch, but let the pious emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople also send men of their own. And send to Sicily and bring the slanderers and the woman; and then, as God shows, so shall we do.» And the Pope said: «Your counsel is good, father!»
And he sat down and wrote letters to the pious Emperor Justinian and to the most holy Patriarch of Constantinople, informing them and begging them to send honourable men of their own to the council. And he wrote also to his exarch in Sicily, and to the princes and to the citizens of Agrigentum, commanding them to send all the slanderers to him at Rome, to the last man, and the woman of whom they said that she had committed adultery with Gregory.
And the emperor and the patriarch received the Pope’s letters, and were astonished at the slander that had been made against Gregory, and not believing it, grieved that Gregory had sat so long in prison, being innocent. And they quickly sent honourable men of their own: the emperor sent as his envoy a certain dignitary by name Marcian, and the patriarch sent three bishops, of Ancyra, of Cyzicus and of Corinth, and the chartophylax Constantine. And all these, some from Constantinople and some from Sicily, gathered at Rome after the second year of Gregory’s imprisonment.
The Sickness of Marcian, and His Healing in the Prison
And Marcian, some eighteen furlongs short of Rome, fell into a fierce sickness, so that all despaired whether he would live; and the bishops who travelled with him were in great sorrow because of it, and reached Rome only with great difficulty. And all were anxious about Marcian, and no physician could help him in his illness.
And one evening it happened that the woman whose daughter had been healed by the holy Gregory was passing by the courtyard in which Marcian was lodged, and hearing the weeping of his servants, asked one of them why they wept. And he said: «Our master is dying; that is why we weep.» And she said: «If you wish your master to be alive and well, then carry him after me, and I will show you such a physician as will heal him with a single word; for he healed my daughter and many in this city, and there was not one sick man who went away from him without healing.»
And they believed her, and took their master with his bed and carried him after the woman. And Marcian did not know what his servants were doing with him, for a great fever had seized him and he remembered nothing. And the woman led them to the prison, and they laid him before the holy Gregory and begged him with weeping to grant healing to their master.
And the saint called Marcian once and a second time, but he could not answer him. And the blessed one shed tears and laid his hand upon the sick man, and then the sick man fell asleep, whereas he had not slept for twenty-five days before. And at midnight the servants came up to him and, seeing him, found no fever in him, and glorified God. And when the night ended and the saint was singing the morning office, Marcian awoke and rose up whole, and wondered where he was. And he saw the holy Gregory and recognised him and fell at his feet, understanding that by his prayers he had been healed of the illness.
And when day came, the bishops came to visit Marcian and did not find him, but learned that he had been carried to the prison, to Gregory. And they went there and saw Marcian whole, sitting with Gregory and conversing; and they marvelled and said to the saint: «Blessed are you, Father Gregory, who have been accounted worthy of the grace of God and of the gift to heal the diseases of men.» And they kissed him lovingly, asking: «How long have you sat in prison?» And he answered: «Two years and four months.»
And they were greatly angered at the Pope, that he had kept an innocent man in prison for such a time without learning anything about him. And they wished to bring him out, but he forbade them, saying: «It is not permitted me to leave this place without judgment and without the command of the Pope.» And they went and told the Pope everything that had happened. And he, hearing it, was astonished, and great fear seized him.
The Council in the Church of Saint Hippolytus
And the Pope commanded the council to sit in the church of Saint Hippolytus, which stood beside the prison; and one hundred and fifty bishops gathered with the Pope, and a great number of monks from the monasteries of the city of Rome and of citizens, so that they could not all fit in the church. And the slanderers were brought, one hundred and ten in number, with Sabinus and Crescentius.
And then three bishops, and five presbyters, and Abba Mark were sent for the holy Gregory, and brought him honourably. And the eastern bishops and the chartophylax, seeing the holy Gregory standing at the judgment with great humility, as one condemned, shed tears.
And the Pope began to question the slanderers: «What is the charge you lay upon your bishop?» And they said shamelessly: «My lord, we found him with a woman, committing sin.» The Pope said to them: «Did you see him with your own eyes when he sinned, or did the woman tell you?» And they said: «We, my lord, went in according to custom to venerate him, and found a woman sleeping on his bed, and seized her. And she declared before the exarch and before all the people the iniquity that had been done.»
And the bishops said: «Let the woman be brought, and let her expose the iniquity that was done.» And they said: «How can she expose it, when she is demon-possessed? Since she sinned with him, the punishment of God struck her, and a demon torments her.» And those who were sent brought the demon-possessed woman before the council; two men held her, and she did not know where she stood, for she had lost her reason through the affliction.
And the Pope said to the slanderers: «A demon-possessed and raving person is not questioned in a judgment; but you, wretches, tell the truth.» And they said: «We have already told it; ask also him who did the evil, let him speak for himself.»
And the holy Gregory sighed from the depth of his soul and said: «False witnesses arose, of whom I knew nothing; they question me, and render to me evil for good.» And when he had said this, the woman tormented by the demon fell down, rolling about before his feet, foaming and stiffening; and all who saw it were afraid. And the saint prayed silently and said: «In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the holy fathers who are gathered here, come out, unclean spirit, from God’s creature; let the woman, coming to her senses, declare the truth about me.» And then the spirit shook her and came out of her. And the woman lay as though dead, and the saint took her and set her up.
The Confession of Eudokia
And when she stood before them all, they asked her: «What is your name?» And she said: «I am called Eudokia.» And the chartophylax said to her: «Do you know your bishop?» And she said: «Yes, I know him very well; many times I saw him as he went about the city and visited the poor, the sick and the orphans and gave them abundant alms; and I, wretched one, was many times counted worthy to receive alms from his hands.»
And he asked her again: «Did the bishop ever commit sin with you?» And she, sighing from the depth of her heart, shed tears and, raising her voice, said: «I witness before the Lord of Hosts that he never knew me; but these wicked men who stand before you, Sabinus and Crescentius, forced me to slander the venerable man, promising me much good. May God reward them for the sin of my soul, for they brought me into such trouble; for since the wicked seduced me and I obeyed their counsel, a demon entered into me and has tormented me until now.»
And having said this, she threw herself at the feet of the holy Gregory, weeping and saying: «Have mercy on me, servant of God, and forgive me, a wretch, who sinned grievously before you. I witness before the Lord God that I will not rise from your feet until you promise me forgiveness!» And he said to her: «It is not ours to forgive sins, but only the most merciful God’s; and it belongs to us to pray to Him for the forgiveness of sins. I shall therefore pray to His goodness that He forgive you your sins», and he raised her from the ground.
And fear fell upon all who were there in the council, and all marvelled, saying: «Blessed is the Lord God, who has shown His servant to be innocent and has exposed the slander, that it was a lie.»
Then the Pope and all the bishops were greatly angered at the slanderers, and began to press and reproach them with burdensome words. And then they commanded that they be divided into two companies: the clerics with Sabinus and Crescentius apart, and the laymen separately; for there were thirty clerics in all, and eighty laymen. And the woman who had lied against the righteous man the judgment declared free of punishment, but the ringleaders of the wickedness they condemned to exile: Sabinus to Thrace, Crescentius to Spain, and the other clerics they sent with dishonour to Ravenna, to pass their life there in bonds and in great need; and the laymen they entrusted to the judgment of Marcian, the dignitary sent by the emperor. And he commanded that they all be locked up in prison, wishing to punish them later with many torments.
And when the soldiers began to drag them to the prison, they all wept and cried out with a loud voice to the saint, saying: «Have mercy on us, servant of Christ, who sinned against you, and do not give us over to cruel torment.» And the holy Gregory, being truly without malice, fell before the Pope and before the whole council, praying with tears for his enemies, that they might be spared and not punished for his sake. And he pressed them with earnest supplication and many tears, falling at their feet, until all, shedding tears, said: «Since you yourself forgive them and pray for them, we are disarmed», and they commanded the soldiers to release them.
The Storm, and God’s Punishment upon the Slanderers
And as all the slanderers stood together before the council, suddenly a great storm arose, and the earth shook, and the air grew dark, and darkness covered them all, and they remained in great terror, for they thought that the earth would open and swallow them. And the whole council, lifting up their hands, cried out: «Lord, have mercy!»
And when the storm ceased and the air brightened again, the punishment of God appeared upon the slanderers, for the faces of them all became black as soot. And to Sabinus and Crescentius not only did their faces turn black, but their lips hung down, so that they could not close them or speak; thus the vengeance of God overtook them.
And the whole council, seeing such a wonder, said: «Now we have known how the Lord saved His anointed, hearing him from heaven as His holy one; in the might of His right hand is salvation.»
After this the Pope said to the slanderers: «Hear, wretches: you have become like your father the devil, blackened of old, made black in your faces, because you composed a lying slander against a righteous and holy man. We command you, therefore, that from this present day you be slaves to the Bishop of Agrigentum and to those bishops who shall come after him, you and your children and your race for ever. Let no one of your offspring ever be a priest or a cleric. And every bishop who shall dare to ordain anyone of your lineage as priest, or deacon, or into any order of clergy, knowing of your present lawless deed, let him be accursed!» And the whole council assented to that sentence.
And the woman who had slandered the saint fell upon her face and cried to the bishops with weeping: «Have mercy on me, holy fathers, and give me to a women’s monastery, for I shall never return to my city.» And she was given to the monastery of the holy martyr Cecilia, and clothed in the angelic habit, she remained in it, doing well in ascetic labours, twenty-two years, and departed in true repentance.
And there was great joy to the whole council at Gregory’s vindication. And the ninth hour of the day came, and the Pope commanded the holy Gregory to celebrate the Divine Liturgy; and when the saint celebrated, many of the bishops who were worthy saw the grace of the Holy Spirit overshadowing Gregory. And after the Liturgy the Pope set a table for all, and they feasted, eating and drinking to the glory of God.
The Ten Logs in the River
At that time such a thing happened in Rome: ten logs, very fine and great, came floating down the river for the adornment of the temple of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and stopped in the middle of the river, as though held fast by iron, so that the ships could not pass, for those logs took up much of the waterway with their length. And the citizens, gathering in great numbers, wished to draw them out, but could not, for those logs were held by some invisible power.
And the Pope begged the holy Gregory to move those logs from their place by his prayer, and the holy Gregory went there, and much of the people followed him. And he set out for the river, but saw a furnace that was lit, and turned aside from the road and took glowing coals in the skirts of his mantle and carried them. And when he came to those logs, he laid incense upon the coals and made prayer, censing as with a censer with the skirts of his mantle, which were full of glowing coals. And all marvelled, seeing the saint’s mantle burning with fire, like the bush that once was not consumed.
And when he had finished the prayer, he commanded the people to drag the logs to the bank. And then they moved, and were unnaturally light, so that they drew them out without effort. And they found upon them an inscription, in which was written: «Five logs to the holy apostle Peter, and five to the holy apostle Paul.»
After this the Pope, gathering the bishops again, condemned the aforementioned heretic Eleusius to exile in Spain, and dismissed the holy Gregory to his own throne with honour. And he went first to Constantinople, and was honourably received there by the emperor and the patriarch, and then returned to Sicily as well.
And the citizens of Agrigentum learned of the coming of their shepherd and went out to meet him with psalms and songs, rejoicing at his return, and received him honourably. And the saint did not go into the church that had been defiled by the heretics, nor into the episcopal residence, but soon built another, a beautiful church in the name of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and arranged other buildings for himself to dwell in; and having lived a sufficient number of years, he shepherded the flock of Christ well. And he wrote many doctrinal works and worked a great number of wonders, and then in deep old age left this earthly life and began the heavenly and eternal life with Christ the Lord, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Why the Pope Could Not Judge Without the Emperor and the Patriarch
Why could the Pope not judge the Bishop of Agrigentum without the knowledge of the eastern emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople? Because the city of Agrigentum served both the Pope and the emperor, being divided into two parts. For the pious Emperor Constans, having built in Rome the church of the chief apostles Peter and Paul, gave half of the city of Agrigentum to that church; and so from then on both the emperor and the Pope held the city: one part belonged to the Greek emperor, and one part to the Pope of Rome.
The Pope therefore could not judge Gregory by himself alone with his western bishops, without the emperor’s knowledge, because the city of Agrigentum belonged both to the Pope and to the emperor. Nor could he hold judgment without the knowledge of the Patriarch of Constantinople, for there the patriarch held authority together with the emperor. And afterwards the emperor and the Pope gave their portions to the holy Gregory, and that whole city began to serve its own bishop.
On the Same Day: the Martyrs Sisinnius and Theodore, and Prince Alexander Nevsky
On the same day, the holy martyr Sisinnius of the city of Cyzicus, who suffered for Christ in the reign of Diocletian. And the holy martyr Theodore, who suffered at Antioch under Julian the Apostate and was released, and afterwards, having lived in a manner pleasing to God, died a good death. And the departure of the holy pious Prince Alexander Nevsky, who was valiant in wars, and when he fought the battle with the Germans on the river Neva, the guard saw the holy martyrs Gleb and Boris hastening to his aid. And he showed plainly Christian piety and love for Christ at that time, when he was forced by the impious Khan Batu to worship idols, but did not obey and was ready to suffer for his Lord. And when this pious prince died and the metropolitan began to place the parting prayer in his hands, he himself, as though alive, unbent his hand and received the prayer from the metropolitan, which became a manifest sign of his holiness.