This week the Church remembers one of the great theologians of the Orthodox Church, Gregory of Nyssa.
Gregory was a Bishop in what today is part of Turkey. He was a great orator, philosopher and theologian and, together with his brother Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus, he is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers.
I was able to learn more of Gregory and his theology when visiting Turkey last summer where he is revered as the father of mysticism who taught much about the unknowability of God. Gregory understood the spiritual life as the journey of the soul towards God. He taught that the soul of the believer is aware that it is the object of God’s love and that this love marks the soul, draws it towards God and ignites it with love.
As I travelled through Turkey, I learnt not only about Gregory but also about Paul’s missionary journeys and about other saints who were central to the development of early Christian thought. Along the way, I was reminded that Christianity began as an eastern religion that only slowly spread to the west and our own shores.
This summer you too may be off to foreign climes and may have the opportunity to worship in beautiful Churches and to learn about interesting saints. If so, I would encourage you in a Holy curiosity that might well turn your holiday into something of a pilgrimage as well.
With best wishes for a Happy and holy holiday!
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