Pope: with Saint Gregory Nazianzen, we “draw near to God to overcome our weariness of being
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “Gregory…. felt the need to draw close to God in order to overcome his weariness of being” : with these existentialist tones, Benedict XVI today presented the figure of St Gregory Nazianzen in his weekly general audience. He had already spoken of him on a previous occasion. But the German pope desired to reveal further elements of his personality, the value and relevance of this Father of the Church, a cardinal figure in Greek and oriental theology.
In a contemporary light, Benedict XVI recalled that Gregory “experienced the impulse of the soul, the vivacity of a sensitive spirit and the instability of ephemeral happiness. For him, within the drama of a life weighed down by the realization of weakness and misery, the knowledge and experience of God’s love always predominated. You have the duty of the soul – St Gregory tells us – the duty to find the true light, to find the true heights of your life. Your life is yo9ur meeting with God, who thirst for our thirst.”.
Gregorio is also put forward as a model theologian and master. “In fact – says the pope – he lent his talent as a writer and orator to the service of God and the Church. He composed numerous discourses, various homilies, many letters and works of poetry (almost 18,000 verses): a truly tremendous hive of activity”. And yet: “Nazianzen was a humble man, who during his lifetime sought to bring peace to the Church of the times, lacerated by heresies and discord. With evangelical audaciousness he strove to overcome his natural reserve to proclaim the truth of the faith”.
Benedict XVI highlighted the strong bond between Gregory’s teaching, the life of the Church, and mission- In his works, Gregory “shone the light of the Holy Trinity, defending the faith proclaimed in the Council of Nicaea: one God in three beings, equal and distinct – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - , a threefold light / in one splendour gathered’ (Vespers hymn: Carmina [historica] 2, 1, 32: PG 37,512)”.
At the same time he defended the “complete humanity of Christ”, against Gnostic heresies. “Against the heresy of Apollinaire, who maintained the Jesus Christ had not assumed a rational soul, Gregory countered the problem with the mystery of salvation: ‘That which was not assumed, was not healed’ (Ep. 101, 32: SC 208, 50), and that if Christ had not been “gifted with a rational intellect, how could he have been man?’ (Ep. 101, 34: SC 208, 50)”. And with an eye on the contemporary debate between faith and reason, the pontiff adds: “It is our very intellect our very reason which needed and still needs our relationship, our meeting with God in Christ”.
From this solidarity with the Lord solidarity between men is also born: “[Gregory] writes: “‘We are all one in the Lord’ (Rm 12.5), rich and poor, slaves and freemen, healthy and ill; there is one source from which all flows: Jesus Christ. And as all of the members of one body, each one takes care of the other, and all together». Then referring to the sick and the needy, he concludes: ‘this is the only salvation for our flesh and our soul: charity towards them’ (Oratio 14, 8 de pauperum amore: PG 35,868ab). Gregory underlines that man must imitate the goodness and love of God, and therefore urges: ‘If you are sound of body and rich, satisfy the needs of those who are poor and ill; if you have not fallen, then come to the aid of those who have fallen and live in suffering; if you are joyous, console the sad; if you are fortunate, help those who have been gripped by misfortune. Give God proof of your gratitude, because you belong to those who are blessed, and not to those who are in need of blessings... Be rich not only in material goods, but also in pity; not only in gold, but also in virtue, even better still in this alone. Rise above the fame of your fellow mane by showing yourself to be better; make yourself God for the unfortunate, by imitating the mercy of God’ (Oratio 14,26 de pauperum amore: PG 35,892bc)”. In this regard Benedict XVI recalled – in his Spanish greeting towards the end of the audience – the duty of solidarity towards the earthquake victims in Peru.
Also recalling the value of prayer for Gregory (“the meeting of God’s thirst with our own”), the pope highlighted how the saint “asks for Christ’s help, to be set straight and on the path again: ‘I have been deluded, oh my Christ, / by my great presumption:/ from on high I have fallen low./ But set me on my feet again, so I may see/ I was tricked by myself; / if ever I confide too much in myself, / then I shall fall again, and the fall will be fatal’ (Carmina [historica] 2,1,67: PG 37,1408)”.
[Translations of St. Gregory's writings by AsiaNews]
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