His biography was written by Patriarch Philotheus of Constantinople. Saint Nicodemus of Athens summarized this biography. He included it in his well-known book, Neo Eklogio, which contains a large number of the lives of the saints. We present here the translation of the text of Saint Nicodemus as contained in the aforementioned book.
Our righteous and divine father Gregory was born in the year 1269 in the city of Constantinople from an honorable and virtuous family. His father was a very capable person, to the point that King Andronicus II appointed him among his most important assistants in the Senate. Not only did this earthly king love and honor him, but also the heavenly king glorified him with miracles while he was alive. It is also known about his father that when he learned that his death was approaching, he became a monk and wore the angelic monastic robe, so his name was changed from Constantine to Constantius. Then he left the earthly for the heavenly.
After the death of his father, Gregory devoted himself to obtaining various sciences, but since he was very young (1) It was difficult to memorize by heart. Therefore, he decided not to memorize anything by heart before kneeling three times with a fervent prayer and in front of the icon of the Lady, the Mother of God. Thus, with her help, he achieved memorization by heart easily. Not only did the Most Holy Virgin's help appear in this matter, but she also inspired the king's heart to help the saint's family in everything they needed. Gregory made great progress in science (2) Everyone marvels at his wisdom and his ability to manage court affairs. The king was also happy for him and expected great achievements from him. But Gregory's mind was occupied with greater and loftier matters, that is, with regard to the Kingdom of Heaven. He was thinking about the heavenly things, not the earthly things.
He took advantage of the presence of some monks coming from the Holy Mountain (Mount Athos) to Constantinople to talk to them and benefit from them. They guided him to move away from the city and go to the Holy Mountain. They advised him to practice the struggles of virtue before leaving the world. He began to struggle with admiration, wearing poor clothes, and changing his behavior, characteristics, and outward appearance to such an extent that some thought he had lost his mind. But that brave man never cared about this contempt and humiliation of him.
In Vatupadi Monastery
كان قد أمضى سنتين في جهاد الصوم والسهر، في جميع أفكاره وفي الصلاة المستمرّة متخذاً والدة الإله مرشداً له، حامية إياه وشفيعة. وكان في كل لحظة وفي كل ساعة بالصلوات يتخذها نصب عينيه عوناً له. وذات يوم بينما كان يصلّي بهدوء وحده وأفكاره مجموعة متجهة إلى نفسه وإلى الله فجأة ظهر أمامه شيخ جليل وقور وهو يوحنا اللاهوتي الذي كان ينظر إلى غريغوريوس بعين صافية وقال له: “جئت يا بني مُرسلاً من قبل الفائقة القداسة ومملكة الكل حتى أسألك لماذا تصرخ إلى الله في كل ساعة: “أنر يارب ظلمتي! أنر ظلمتي!”. فأجاب غريغوريوس: “وماذا عليّ أن أطلب، أنا الممتلئ بالأهواء والخطايا سوى الرحمة والاستنارة لكي أدرك وأعمل مشيئة الله القدّوسة؟” فقال له الإنجيلي عندئذ: “إن سيدة الكلّ بواسطتي أنا عبدها تقول لك إنها جعلتني معها معيناً لك في كل شيء”. فسأله غريغوريوس أيضاً: “وأين تريد أم ربّي أن تساعدني أفي هذه الحياة الحاضرة أم في المستقبلة؟” فأجاب يوحنا اللاهوتي: “في الحياة الحاضرة وفي المستقبلة”. قال هذا وملأ قلب الشاب بهجة لا توصف مع وعود والدة الإله ثم غاب عن الأنظار.
In the Lavra Monastery:
After spending three years in obedience and the sheikh, his guide, becoming old and then departing his life to his Lord, Gregory the Divine left the Vatopadi Monastery and went to the Great Lavra Monastery, which was founded by Saint Athanasius of Athens. There, the fathers received him with great honor because they had heard about his fame and virtue. He stayed with them for three years and they admired his conduct and wisdom. The president had recommended that he serve with the brothers at the common table and sing with them in the church. Gregory showed wonder in every work that amazed everyone.
He strived (in his quiet ascetic life in the Vatupadi Monastery and in the life of monastic communion in the Lavra Monastery) to acquire all virtues equally. His soul became a dwelling place for all spiritual goodness and a focus for everyone’s attention. The wondrous Gregory prevailed not only over human whims and desires, but also, thanks to his extreme asceticism, over the necessities of nature itself. Because even though he was wearing a body, he tried to live as if he had no body. He fought drowsiness and overcame it to the point that for three months he remained sleepless, as if he had no skin except for a little rest, which he took after eating so as not to lose his mind and sanity.
في أسقيط “غلوسيا”:
ولكن عطشه إلى “الهدوء” isichia لم يدعه يبقى في دير اللافر مدة طويلة فخرج من هناك قاصداً الصحراء ووصل إلى اسقيط يدعى “غلوسيّا” قرب بروفاتا اليوم (6).
In that Scetis there were many ascetics, the most famous of whom was the hermit Gregory of Byzantium, who also hailed from the city of Constantinople and who was famous for his hesychast life, heartfelt prayer and visionary contemplation. Gregory Palamas learned from him the superior secrets of heartfelt prayer and the lofty vision of God. He asceticized there alone and deserved for God to give him spiritual gifts that were inexpressible. He was filled with reverence to the point that tears were constantly flowing from his eyes, quenching the thirst of his soul and body. Thus, this gift of tears accompanied him throughout his life (7).
ولم يستطع أن يتمتع طويلاً بحلاوة هذا الهدوء في أسقيط “غلوسيّا” بسبب الهجمات التي كان يشنّها البرابرة الهجريون ضدّ المناسك البعيدة عن الأديرة الكبرى. ولذلك هرباً من الأخطار اضطر غريغوريوس مع رفقته الاثني عشر، أن يذهب إلى مدينة سالونيك سنة 1325 وهناك، بعد المشاورة فيما بينهم، اتفقوا على الذهاب إلى أورشليم بغية السجود للأماكن المقدسة والتنسّك حتى آخر حياتهم.
In Thessaloniki, Faraya and Constantinople:
بعد شرطونيته (سنة 1325) ذهبوا إلى منقطة “فاريا” Veroia قرب سالونيك إلى أسقيط الرهبان حيث بنى غريغوريوس الإلهي منسكاً بمعاونة رفقائه ثم بدأ جهاده من جديد في سبيل التدرّب على الكمال الإلهي هو الممتلئ في الحقيقة من كل صلاح. لم يكن يخرج من قلايته طيلة الأيام الخمسة الأولى من الأسبوع ولم يكن يقبل أحداً في القلاية. كان يخرج فقط يومي السبت والأحد، لكي يشترك في خدمة الأسرار الإلهية ويتكلّم كلاماً روحياً ويتحاور مع إخوته من أجل منفعتهم. كان عمره آنذاك 30 سنة وهو بعد في صحته التامة متمتع بكامل قواه الجسدية. ولذلك ابتدأ جهادات أكبر ومسلكاً أشدّ فكان يقسوا على جسده بأصوام وأسهار طويلة حتى يخضع الجسد للروح شاحذاً ومنقياً باستمرار عيني نفسه العقليتين بواسطة التعفّف الكامل وجمع الأفكار وموهبة الدموع الاعتيادية ورافعاً دائماً فكره نحو الله بصلاة ذهنه المستمرة.
من خلال هذا التصرّف الإلهي الشكل جاءت ثمار الروح القدس حسب الرسول بولس. من هنا أن رفقاءه النسّاك ورهبان ذلك الجبل وسكان منطقة “فاريا” أيضاً كانوا يرونه مثالاً للفضيلة. لأن حياته الملائكية، بل وكلامه، وحكمته الإلهية الفائقة الطبيعة كانت تدهش الجميع وتدخلهم في نشوة. كان يظهر في بعض الأحيان يقظاً متجهاً كلّه إلى الله مغتسلاً بدموعه العجيبة وأحياناً أخرى كان وجهه يظهر بشكل فائق الطبيعة مضاءً لامعاً ممجداً بنار الروح القدس، وخاصة عندما كان يخرج من القدّاس الإلهي أو من هدوء صلاته في القلاية.
في فترة هدوء القديس هذه انتقلت أمّه “كالستي” إلى الربّ وهي مزيّنة بالفضائل الكبيرة. فأرسلت بناتُها والراهبات التابعة لها رسائل إلى غريغوريوس الكبير تعلمه بوفاة أمّهنّ المشتركة وتتوسّل إليه بأن يزودهنّ ويرشدهنّ روحياً. لذلك ذهب إلى القسطنطينية إلى أخواته وعلّمهنّ ما به الكفاية وأراد بعد ذلك أن يعود إلى فاريا حيث تبعه أخواته ابيخارس Epicharis وثيوذوتي Theodoti وسكنّ هناك في دير نسائي يتبعن فيه برنامجهنّ النسكي الاعتيادي.
وكان أيضاً يذهب إليه في جبل فاريا إلى قلايته شيخ ناسك اسمه أيّوب أصبح صديقاً له ومعروفاً لديه. كان إنساناً بسيطاً. سمع مرّة غريغوريوس الإلهي يقول: “على النسّاك، وعلى المسيحيين كلّهم أن يصلوا باستمرار حسب قول الرسول” (1تسا5: 16). لكن الشيخ لم يقتنع من هذا الكلام لأنه كان يفكّر بأن الصلاة المستمرّة تختص فقط بالرهبان ولا صلة لها بأهل العالم. فسكت القديس غريغوريوس أمامه لأنه كان يكره كثرة الكلام. لكن الله رغم صمت القديس أظهر بعدها حقيقة كلامه. إذ أن أيّوب عندما ذهب إلى قلايته ووقف ليصلّي رأى ملاكاً إلهياً كلّه نور يقول له: “لا تشك أبداً أيها الشيخ لما قاله الشريف غريغوريوس بل فكّر أنت أيضاً مثله واعترف بكلامه”.
On the Holy Mountain:
The wise Gregory spent five years on Mount Faria, after which he was forced, due to repeated attacks by the savage Albanians, to head again to the holy mountain, Mount Athos. (8)To the Lavra Monastery, which was founded by Saint Athanasius of Athens. His friends, the fathers and brothers of the monastery, were very happy about this, so he lived outside the monastery in the hermitage of Saint Saba. (9) He only left on Saturday and Sunday. On the five days of the week, he did not see anyone, and no one saw him or spoke to him for the purpose of enjoying the divine vision. However, at the end of the week, he would go down to the monastery for divine service.
On Holy Thursday, in which we celebrate the Holy Passion of the Savior, an evening vigil was held in the monastery, according to the old custom, in which the saint was present and participated in prayer and hymns. It happened that some of the brothers standing in the place of the choir began to speak in vain and constantly. He was saddened by that divine man, but he did not see fit to make any comment. So he took his thoughts away from them, from their false conversations, and from the hymns of the singers, and thought about himself and God, as he was accustomed to doing. Immediately, a divine light shone upon him from above, and he was illuminated by those rays, and with his physical and psychological eyes he saw clearly what would happen after many years. Because he saw the head of the Lavra Monastery, Macarius, a high priest, wearing the robe of priesthood. This is what will actually happen ten years later when Macarius becomes the high priest of Thessaloniki until the end of his life.
مرّة أخرى في قلايته كان يصلّي لوالدة الإله من أجل نفسه ومن أجل أخوته، يتوسّل إليها من أجل أن تسهّل عليهم مسيرتهم الروحية وارتقاءهم نحو الله بتوفير حاجاتهم المعيشية دون مشقّة كبيرة حتى لا يصرفوا وقتهم كله في تدبير ما ينقص لديهم ويعثروا في الروحيّات. ظهرت السيدة في وضح النهار بوقار لابسة لباس العذارى كما نراها مزينة على الأيقونات المقدسة. توجّهت إلى مرافقيها (وكانوا كثيرين برّاقين مثلها) وقالت لهم: “من الآن وصاعداً سوف تدبّرون كل حاجة للدير تعطونها إلى غريغوريوس وأخوته في الشركة”. هكذا أمرت والدة الإله ثم غابت عن الأنظار. وكان القديس يقول: من ذلك الوقت توفرت حاجات الدير بدون عناء كبير وذلك طيلة وجودهم هناك.
In the third year of his stay in the hermitage of Saint Saba (10) وفي أحد الأيام حين كان ذهنه ملتصقاً بالله في صلاة مقدّسة أخذه نعاس خفيف وشاهد الرؤية التالية: ظهر وهو يمسك بيديه وعاءً مملوءاً حليباً فأخذ الحليب فجأة يفيض كمثل نبع ويُسكب خارج الوعاء ومن ثم ظهر وكأنه يتحوّل إلى خمر ممتاز وزكي الرائحة. فانسكب بكثيرة على يديه وعلى لباسه فغطّاه وملأه عطراً زكي الرائحة. ومن أجل مشاهدة الخمر والإحساس برائحته الزكية، ظهر له توّاً إنسان لابساً لباساً عسكرياً ممتلئاً نوراً، وقف أمامه فجأة وقال له: “لماذا يا غريغوريوس لا تعطي للآخرين من هذا الشراب العجيب الذي يسكب بغزارة بل تدعه ينهدر هكذا باطلاً ألا تعلم أنه هبة من الله ولن يتوقّف عن الفيض أبداً؟” فأجاب غريغوريوس الإلهي قائلاً: “أنا لا أقد على منح مثل هذا الشراب ولا يتوفّر في الوقت الحاضر أُناس بحاجة إلى مثل هذا النوع من الشراب” فأجابه الرجل العجيب: “وإنْ لم يوجد في الوقت الحاضر من يطلب مثل هذه الخمرة بعشق إلا أنه عليك أن تسعى جاهداً وأن لا تتهامل في تقديمه إلى الآخرين. أما بشأن الثمار التي تنتج عن هؤلاء الذين يتقبّلونه فهذا متروك شأنه إلى الله”. وبعد هذا الكلام اختفى ذلك العسكري الباهر عن الأنظار. أمّا القديس بعد هذا النوم اللطيف فقد جلس ساعات طويلة مشعاً بالنور الإلهي. وبدا له أن تحوّل الحليب إلى خمر يشير إلى الانتقال من التعليم الأخلاقي المبسّط إلى كلام عقائدي سماوي.
فاقتنع الحكيم الإلهي غريغوريوس عن طريق الرؤى الإلهية، وأرشده الروح الإلهي الساكن فيه بواسطة كلام فمه بأن يبدأ في كتابة المؤلفات العديدة والرائعة. لكن بما أنه ليس من العدل أن يبقى مثل هذا الإنسان الكبير في الفضيلة وفي الأقوال مخفياً في إحدى الزوايا، انتخبه رئيساً لدير Esphigmeno “اسفغمانو” المسؤولون عن الجبل المقدّس. وكان يعدّ مئتيّ راهباً. ولا نحتاج إلى الكلام عن كيفية تدبير شؤون الدير وكل ما يختص بالأخوة الودعين لأن الأعمال تبيّن ذلك بوضوح.
كان هناك راهب فاضل اسمه “إفدوكمس”. ضلّه الشيطان بإحدى الرؤى وجعله يظنّ أنه أسمى فضيلة من غريغوريوس الإلهي. فعلم هذا الأخير بأن كل ما يحصل لأفدوكمس هو من الشيطان فحاول، تارةً بواسطة التعليم وتارةً أخرى عن طريق الصلوات السرية والدموع أو عن طريق صلوات الأخوة المشتركة، بأن يطرد عنه فعل الشيطان. وبنعمة الروح القدس أعاده إلى صوابه كما يدلّ اسمه بالذات “افدوكمس” أي المختبر الحسن.
Once again, there was a shortage of oil in the monastery, and there was a great need for it, so the saint went with the rest of the brothers to the storeroom and begged God with faith. He blessed the prayers for the oil with his hand and made the sign of the cross. Immediately, the vessels were filled with oil, and it did not decrease during that time despite its great consumption. He also learned again that the olive trees did not bear fruit and therefore the oil was decreasing, so he went with the brothers to the field and blessed the trees and they were filled with fruit. Whenever he approached a tree, it became heavier with olives.
Barlaam’s activity and resistance:
It was not long before he resigned from the leadership of the monastery and returned to the Lavra, his longed-for place of retirement. A malicious person named Barlaam had come from the Kalabria region in Italy, claiming that he agreed with the Eastern Church and that he wanted to become a monk. As a sign of this, he began writing articles against the Latins of his race. So Gregory the Divine began to extrapolate his statements and criticize him, and he showed that Barlaam’s apparent criticisms against the Latins were nothing but deception and lies, and were completely contrary to the truth. This was enough to place Barlaam in the ranks of his enemies. At that time, Barlaam headed to Constantinople to meet some simple monks whose work focused on mental or heart prayer. (11) When he woke up, he pretended to be their student and friend. He heard slanderous statements from the novice monks about the necessity of observing some rules in the practice of mental prayer, so he began waging a war against them, accusing them of heresy and writing articles against continuous, honorable prayer and against the mystical secret vision. Before such insults came out of him, he had been accused and betrayed before the Ecumenical Patriarch because of his bad hostilities. He fled Constantinople and returned to the city of Thessaloniki, continuing there his war against the monks. He was not satisfied with accusing the monks of that era, but he was trying to prove that the fathers who were inspired by God and the teachers of the monks were... The reason for their misguidance.
Therefore, the monks of the city of Thessaloniki wrote a letter to the saint, warmly begging him to come to them and investigate the truth against Barlaam. Immediately Jerusalem came to Thessaloniki (12) The controversy was ongoing and he tried in various ways to reconcile Barlaam, then he dialogued with him face to face, wanting to attract him to the harmony of the church. But he did not stop brazenly fighting the church, either in words or in writings. Hence, the saint saw that he could not be corrected, so he was forced to write in defense of the faith in the face of Barlaam’s false statements. The latter witnessed the condemnation and failure of his statements in light of the saint’s wondrous articles that he was publishing to the public on the subject of honorable asceticism (hesychasm) and the subject of Orthodox truth, so Barlaam stopped speaking and writing against the monks and turned entirely against Gregory Plamas. But he was unable to confront him directly and oppose him, so he fled from Thessaloniki and returned to Constantinople.
The saint spent three full years in the city of Thessaloniki (13) حيث كتب تلك المقالات الرائعة تمجيداً للحق. وكان يمضي غالبية ذلك الوقت في النوح الذي كان قد اعتاد عليه وفي الهدوء والوحدة الكاملة. وبما أنه لم يكن يتوفر له جوّ البرية المحبوب، شيّد لنفسه قلاية صغيرة في أعماق ذلك البيت الذي كان يسكن فيه وهناك مارس حياة الهدوء قد المستطاع. وعندما وصل عيد أنطونيوس الكبير احتفل تلاميذه والنساك الذين كانوا معه بحضور ايسيذورس العجيب وأمضوا معه سهرانية طول الليل بمناسبة العيد. ويا للعجب! لأنه لم يغب القديس أنطونيوس الكبير عنهم في كلتا الحالتين بل حضر معهم في العيد حضوراً بهياً. لأنه هناك حيث كان غريغوريوس الإلهي يصلّي في هدوئه ظهر فجأة نور إلهي وأشرق عليه كما حصل في المرّات السابقة ومع النور ظهر أنطونيوس الكبير وقال له: “إن الصلاة في هدوء الذهن حسنة لأنها تطهر عيني النفس العقلية. وتؤهل الإنسان لرؤية الأمور الإلهية التي لا ينطق بها. ولكن في بعض الأحيان لا بدّ من الاجتماع بالأخوة والاشتراك معهم في الصلاة والترتيل. لذا ينبغي عليك الآن أن تذهب إلى حيث هم يسهرون إنهم بحاجة ماسة لحضورك”. وللحال غاب القديس أنطونيوس عن الأنظار. فذهب غريغوريوس الإلهي للحال إلى عند الأخوة الذين استقبلوه بفرح وقضوا تلك الليلة معاً محتفلين بالعيد.
Death of his sister:
After that, the saint went to the Holy Mountain, where he explained to the hermits and officials in the monasteries everything he had written in defense of the truth and faith against the error of Barlaam. They were filled with wonder, spoke with praise, and approved everything he mentioned.
وفي ساعة ذهابه إلى الجبل المقدّس كانت أخته ثيوذوتي قد اقتربت من نهاية حياتها الأرضية فسأله تلاميذه وأصدقاؤه ما عسى أن يكون وقت مفارقتها الحياة. فأجابهم القديس عارفاً مسبقاً ما سوف يحصل: “لا حاجة للتساؤل حول الموضوع ينبغي لي بمشيئة الله أن أعود من الجبل قبل وفاتها.” وهكذا حصل بالفعل لأنه عندما جاءت ساعة وفاة أخته ثيوذوتي طلبت هذه أن ترى أخاها وأباها غريغوريوس الإلهي. فسمعت أنه في الجبل المقدّس فحزنت في قلبها وتحسّرت لأنها ستُحرم من رؤيته وكلامه الأخير. فصمتت من تلك الساعة وهدأت بالكلية وكأنها عائدة إلى نفسها. فأخذ الحاضرون يهيؤون لها كل ما هو ضروري للدفن. ولكن يا للعجب! أمضت ثمانية أيام وهي لا تأكل، لا تنام، لا تتكلّم، لا تتوجع مع قليل من التنفّس وتحريك العينين كانت تظهر إنها بعد على قيد الحياة منتظرة أخاها. وقد تم اللقاء بدون أي ريب. لأنه ما إن وصلت إلى نهاية اليوم الثامن حتى جاء المشوق إليه من الجبل المقدس وانتصب أمام أخته وتكلّم معها فسمعت صوته العذب وفتحت له عيني جسدها ونفسها ورفعت قليلاً يديه إلى الله شاكرة وما أن مضت لحظات قليلة حتى أسلمت روحها في يدي الله.
The councils and the condemnation of Barlaam:
So the saint took with him Isidore, Mark, and Theodore, his most famous friends, and arrived in the city of Constantinople. He found almost all the prominent people (except one or two) walking with conviction behind Barlaam's ravings and tricks. He returned them to Orthodoxy by the grace of the Holy Spirit, along with the Patriarch himself. These people, after reading his brilliant articles that he wrote against Barlaam and his blasphemies, recognized him as a teacher of the faith in agreement with the Church Fathers, and the Patriarch himself gave him sincere thanks.
In addition to all of this, they saw that a council must be held to eradicate Barlaam’s error from within and appoint the council upon the return of the king. With the divine signal, other hermits who shared the saint’s opinion rushed from other places to the capital. Among them are the righteous David with his ascetic monks and Dionysius, who had previously known through a vision the foolishness that Gregory the Divine would achieve over heresy, just as other ascetics had achieved. Finally, the king that everyone had been waiting for came.
First Council:
التأم المجمع في هيكل “آجيا صوفيا” (الحكمة المقدسة) حزيران 1341 وفي النهاية أُدين برلعام بلهجة قاسية رهيبة. كما أُدينت معه مؤلفاته وتجديفاته. ولو لم يستجب بالتوبة والاعتراف بالحقيقة وبإدانة كتاباته على أنها كاذبة وهرطوقية لما كان استطاع أن يخرج حيّاً بسبب غضب الشعب كلّه عليه. هكذا التجأ مخذولاً إلى إيطاليا، إلى اللاتين أحبائه (14).
Second Council:
After him, a deceitful man like him appeared named Gregory Akindinos, who made himself a creation and inheritor of Barlaam’s error. A church council was held again as before in the month of August 1341, in which Gregory the Divine appeared as a brilliant fighter for the Orthodox faith and undermining heresy based on the divine holy books and the teachings of the Church. Two months after the council was held, a civil war broke out between the citizens, sparked by Patriarch John himself, nicknamed Kalekas. Gregory the Divine expressed his opposition to the Patriarch’s position and guided him to peace and an end to the war. The Patriarch moved against the saint and tried in various ways to discipline him, forgetting the honor and praise he had for the saint. Since he could not accuse him of anything, what did he do? He turned against Orthodoxy and sparked a new war against the Church and its divine doctrines. He restored the reputation of Aknadnos, the head of all heresies, appointing him as a deacon and preparing to appoint him as a priest and teacher of the church. As for Saint Gregory, the preacher of the truth, the Patriarch accused him of being the cause of the war and sentenced him to a dark prison.
Third Council:
Queen Anna heard of the ordination of Aknadnos as a deacon, who was condemned by two holy councils. So she sent a letter expelling him from the church, while Gregory the Divine remained imprisoned for four years (15). His body was getting sick and degenerating, and he needed daily treatment, in addition to suffering the misery of prison. But in the end, in February 1347, a general council was held that condemned the patriarch himself, who was an enemy of the saint, accusing him of hatred and fighting kings, and who sentenced him to imprisonment. This patriarch is now stripped of his priesthood as a heretic and banished from the Church. His failure became a failure of heresy and support for Orthodoxy, and the civil war immediately stopped. Gregory the Divine came out of prison. After these great struggles, after his trial in prison, he returned, shining with wreaths of testimony and recognition with his beloved brothers, and was appointed Bishop of the city of Thessaloniki in the month of May 1347 after he was asked to do so and paid to him by the king himself and Patriarch Isidore.
At that stage, there was a war going on between the people of the city, and so High Priest Gregory was removed from it, so he took refuge in the holy mountain, Mount Athos. It happened that the birthday of the Virgin, the Mother of God, occurred on that day, so it occurred to some of the priests participating in the divine sacrifice, who were prompted by one of the pious priests, to pray to God to show them, through some sign, what rank and what significance a saint has with God. While the priests were praying to God, the devout priest, who cared for the orphans, began secretly begging God in his heart to send a sign to his paralyzed daughter to heal her from paralysis in her dry limbs for three years. Suddenly the daughter got out of bed and made her walk without hindrance and run here and there in the house, healthy, without any trace of illness.
On the Holy Mountain, the ruler of Bulgaria, Stephen, found him and wanted to take him with him to his kingdom, but he could not. What happened next? Stephen pressured the saint to go to Constantinople with a message to the king. The saint spent some time there and then returned to his diocese of Thessaloniki, driven by his jealousy among the bishops, the kings, and the patriarch himself, thinking that the unrest in the city had stopped. But disagreements were still pending, and therefore he was unable to stay in Thessaloniki and in his bishopric, so Constantinople elected him in charge of a church on the island of Limnos, near the Holy Mountain. There he greatly benefited from his teaching and his miracles. At that time, he was invited to a small town on the island where the plague was raging. He performed a procession with prayers and hymns in the presence of all the people, and the fighting epidemic immediately stopped.
His entry into the Diocese of Thessaloniki:
وأخيراً لم يحتمل أهل سالونيك بأن ينتشل منهم الغرباء نصيبها الصالح بسبب بعض المشاكل. لذلك هيأوا مركباً خاصاً لذلك الغرض. وذهب وجهاء المدينة إلى جزيرة ليمنوس. هكذا بعد أيام قليلة جاؤوا بالراعي ليلتحق برعيته سنة 1350. وقد عمّ الفرح المدينة في ذلك اليوم إلى حدّ أنه كان بمثابة يوم القيامة. فترك المرتلون القطع المعتادة التي ترتل عن قدوم رئيس الكهنة وأخذوا بإلهام من الله يرتلون تراتيل القيامة: “اليوم يوم القيامة…، لننقِّ حواسنا…، استنيري استنيري يا أورشليم الجديدة… إلخ” والعجب في كل ذلك أن أحداً لم يعرف من أرشد المرتلين على الترتيل مثل هذه النشائد كما لم يُعرف من ابتدأ في إنشادها. بعد مضي ثلاثة أيام حدّد القديس اجتماعاً عاماً وزياحاً للأيقونات المقدسة وبعد الزياح وعظ وعلّم عن الوفاق والسلام. وبعدها أقام خدمة الذبيحة غير الدموية. وهكذا قدّس الشعب كلّه كما أن الله قدّسه ومجّده بالعجيبة التالية:
The devout priest who cared for orphans mentioned above had a male son who suffered from spotting and often behaved horribly. In that divine sacrifice, the priest, his father, participated in the liturgy. He begged the saint to give his sick son the body and blood of God. While he was receiving the holy secrets, his illness disappeared and the boy was freed, glorifying God.
After that, he gathered the entire priestly class and presented to them the high priestly rank. After that, he did not stop teaching in the church and outside it, and thus he led everyone to salvation through his teaching and example.
Complex 1351:
On the other hand, the followers of Barlaam and Aknadnos did not stop spreading turmoil in the Orthodox Church, so the king and the patriarch called for a council to be held in the capital. This is in order to study and discuss the sayings of the innovators who were also demanding this. Gregory the Divine was first invited through royal and patriarchal letters and with insistence to come to Constantinople. The Great Council took place in May 1351. The king and the council asked the saint to speak in front of everyone and present the Orthodox doctrines of the faith. With brilliant words, writings and speeches.
After completing the council, he quickly returned to his parish, but this time his entry into the city of Thessaloniki was hindered, not because of the people of his diocese, but because of John the Palaiologos who was there. (16). But after three months, this same John invited him and he returned to his diocese, to care for it and benefit it physically and psychologically, and then he went to a women’s monastery to celebrate the birthday of the Virgin, the Mother of God. At the time of the divine sacrifice, a nun named Eliodora (blind in one eye a few days ago) came. She came secretly, like the woman bleeding in the Bible, and touched the garment of the high priest and wiped her sick eye with it, and she received healing in a wondrous way.
Captured by the Turks:
After a year had passed in his diocese, he fell ill with a severe and prolonged illness. This was because his body had been exhausted as a result of continuous fatigue, many experiences, and frequent trips. Everyone expected his death, but God from above bestowed a new life on him because he was preparing him for struggles, paths, and struggles like the example of a brave athlete. While he was still carrying the effects of the disease, he was forced, after many and intense pleas by King John Peliologos, to go to Constantinople in order to mediate between John Peliologos and his uncle, John Kanta Koujinon, in order to bring peace between them. But God, the King of kings, sent him to another service because while he was heading towards Constantinople, he was captured by the Ottomans, and that was in the month of March 1354. Thus, he was taken like a slave to Asia, like an evangelist, preaching the faith to the captured Christians there and strengthening them with his teachings. Many dialogues took place with the Turks in defense of the faith in the city of Prussia and in the city of Nicaea. How many eloquent phrases did he use to stop their deceitful mouths and how many innovative teachings did he adopt to strengthen the resolve of the Christians there. Whoever wants to know all of this should return to his detailed biography (17). About a year later, God used some Bulgarians to give the Turks money to free the saint.
Wonders:
A miracle happened while the ship was entering the waters of Constantinople. Strange sounds of clapping and chanting were heard in the air, as if they were coming from the middle of the ship, and it seemed to those who were hearing them that they were not the voices of humans, but rather heavenly angels accompanying the saint unseen. As for the latter, after spending a short time in Constantinople, he finally went to his diocese in the fall of the year 1355. He found it thirsty for water and education, so he provided it with water in an impressive way from both sides.
وكان للقديس صديق كاهن راهب اسمه برفيريوس. وحدث أنه في عيد التجلّي اعتراه وجع أليم في جنبه الأيسر إلى حدّ لم يدعه يستريح على فراشه. وكان القديس مستعداً لإقامة الذبيحة الإلهية. فاقترب منه برفيريوس وتوسّل إليه بحرارة طالاً الشفاء. فوضع القديس يده وبارك جنبه بعلامة الصليب وقال بتخشّع وانسحاق قلب الطروبرية التالية: “يا من صلبت أيها السيد… وليشفيك المسيح” للحال ويا للعجب! تحرّر المريض من وجعه المرير وعاد صحيحاً إلى قلايته.
Once again, Porphyrius himself felt a blockage in his throat that lasted for eight days, during which he was unable to drink even a little water. He was close to death. Saint Gregory came and made the sign of the cross with his honorable hand on the place of the illness while praying to Christ with tears, and he healed him in a wondrous way.
There is also a boy who had been suffering for 15 months from severe bleeding that no one could cure and he was likely to die. The saint also came and made the sign of the honorable cross and was praying in his thoughts. He healed him and returned him healthy to his family.
His repose and holiness:
Because he was also a dead person, so after three years had passed, that is, in the year 1359, when he went for the last time to Constantinople, he fell ill and confined to bed. He informed those present of the approaching death of his father, announcing in advance the time of his departure, when he told his friends that his death would come after the feast of Saint John Chrysostom, that is, on November 14, 1359. Because Chrysostom had appeared to him in a vision and called him to come to him, the one he loved and wanted to live near.
عندما اقترب رئيس الكهنة الإلهي في نهاية حياته وكان موجّهاً انتباهه إلى طريق السماء أخذ يتمتم بعض الكلمات دون أن يفهمها الحاضرون بوضوح إلا أنهم التقطوا العبارة التالية “السماوات للسماويّات” وكان يردّدها باستمرار إلى أن النعمة الإلهية التي تفوق على السماوات والساكنة في تلك النفس السامية فُصلت أخيراً عن زواج الجسد. وكان عمره يناهز 63 سنة أمضى منها 12 سنة في رعاية كنيسة الله كرئيس كهنة.
وبعد أن فارقت جسده روحه الطاهرة، أظهرت نعمة الروح القدس البهاء الداخلي الذي كان في نفسه وذلك بطريقة عجيبة، إذ أن نوراً ساطعاً ملأ تلك القلاية التي كانت فيها رفاته. فاستضاء وجهه وجسده لم يزل بعد جاثياً يابساً قبل الدفن. كثيرون من أهل المدينة، الذين تسارعوا إلى الدفن، شاهدوا مثل هذا اللمعان. فلازمت نعمة الروح القدس رفاته الشريفة. واستبان قبره مسكناً للنور الإلهي، ومنبعاً للعجائب والمواهب المقدّسة ومستشفى عام مجاني، لذلك يُلقب “بالعجائبي” لأنه عجيب في الحقيقة. وإني لو سمح الوقت لرويت عجائب كثيرة فعلها للكثيرين. ولكن الأمر صعب لضيق الوقت ولذلك أعبّر عن كل ما صنع بعد موته من العجائب وهي مدوّنة في سيرة حياته المفصّلة. أكتفي بسرد عجيبة إلهية تُظهر قداسته وتمجيده من قبل الله. والكنيسة الشرقية تعيّد له في الأحد الثاني من الصوم الكبير. وإليكم الرواية.
إن اللاتين يتّهمون كنيستنا الشرقية بأنها بعد الانفصال عن الكنيسة الغربية “الفرنجية” لم تظهر أي قديس جديد ولا عجائب جديدة ولذلك أراد نكتاريوس الشريف بطريرك أورشليم سنة 1660 الغيور على الكنيسة، أراد أن يسدّ أفواه اللاتين ويظهر كذبهم فأخذ يعدّد كثرة من القديسين الجدد ظهروا بعد الانشقاق كما يروي عجائب كثيرة عنهم. فروى عن القديس غريغوريوس الحادثة التالية: أنه في جزيرة تدعة سنتوريني Santorini في يوم عيد القديس، أي في الأحد الثاني من الصوم الكبير، دخل بعض من الفرنج قارباً للاستراحة والبطريرك دوسيتاوس لأورشليم يذكره أن الافرنج أدخلوا أولاً إلى القارب وأخذوا يصفّقون معاً مستهزئين بالقديس غريغوريوس بلاماس وقائلاً: “إن كان قديساً بالفعل فليجعلنا نغرق”. لكن ويا لعجب قداسة غريغوريوس الإلهي! ويا لدالته أمام الله! في الساعة التي كانوا فيها يجدّفون وبدون أية عاصفة غرق القارب مع كل من فيه حسب طلبهم فنزلت أجسادهم إلى قعر البحر ونفوسهم إلى الجحيم فتبينت بوضوح قداسة غريغوريوس الإلهي، وظهر الله حقاً عجيباً في قديسيه، له المجد إلى دهر الداهرين. آمين.
And thanks be to God
From the book: Saints Gregory Palamas, John of Peace, and Mary of Egypt
Arabization of Archimandrite Avram Kyriakos
(1) When his father died, he was 7 years old and the eldest among four brothers.
(2) One of his prominent teachers in theology is Theolepetus, Bishop of Philadelphia, who was a hermit on Mount Athos and trained in heartfelt prayer and calmness. Gregory also studied grammar (statement), rhetoric, naturals, and logic.
(3) That is, monastic vows.
(4) في طريقه إلى الجبل المقدس أمضى بعض الوقت في جبل بابيكيوس بين طراقية ومكدونيا في شمال اليونان. ودخل هناك في مناقشة مع بعض الرهبان أتباع بدعة المسّاليانين Massalianoi الذين لا يعتقدون إلا بالصلاة الربّانية “آبانا الذي…” وينبذون كل صلاة أخرى. وبرهن غريغوريوس الشاب في هذه المواجهة عن مقدرة لاهوتية كبيرة وعن قداسة.
(5) Antioria or vision.
(6) On the Holy Mountain of Mount Athos there are large monasteries, sketes and rituals. Sqit is a monastic village that includes a group of rituals with a central house where hermits gather to pray on Sundays and holidays.
(7) قال فيلوتاوس كاتب سيرة حياته أصلاً: “اكتسب القديس غريغوريوس خلال فترة إقامته في أسقيط غلوسيا تواضعاً عميقاً فائقاً مصطحباً بمحبة من عمق القلب لا توصف نحو الله ونحو القريب: الفضائل التي تشكل الدعائم والعناصر الأولى، الثانية والأخيرة للفلسفة والسيرة المسيحية”.
(8) That is, the year 1330.
(9) This ritual still exists today on a mountain near the Lavra Monastery.
(10) That is, the year 1333.
(11) Noera Proseuchi
(12) In the month of December 1337, that is, he spent a continuous period of seven years in the mountain, most of which was in the hermitage of Saint Saba 13300-1337.
(13) From 1 AD 1337 until 1340 AD.
(14) It is known that as soon as he arrived in Italy, he rejected Orthodoxy and became bishop of a province in that country. He wrote many books against the Orthodox Church, which he had previously defended.
(15) 1343-1347.
(16) Due to a dispute over ownership.
(17) This biography was written by Patriarch Philotheos. It was summarized by Saint Nicodemus of Athens.