St. Gregory was born in the city of Narek about 950 A.D. He was a monk, poet, mystical philosopher, and theologian, born into a family of writers. St. Gregory received his education under the guidance of his father, Bishop Khosrov, author of the earliest commentary on the Divine Liturgy, and from Anania Vartabed, Abbot of Nareg Monastery. He and his two brothers entered monastic life at an early age. He became a priest at the age of 25 and dedicated himself to God completely, always searching for the truth. Most of his life he lived in the monasteries of Narek where he taught at the monastic school. He launched his writings with a commentary on the “Song of Songs,” which was commissioned by an Armenian prince. Despite his reservations that he was too young for the task, he wrote the commentary, which is famous for its clarity of thought and language, and its excellence of theological presentation. He also wrote a number of famous letters, sharagans, treasures, odes, melodies, and church writings. However, his masterpiece is considered to be his Book of Lamentations, commonly called “Narek,” in which his genius is displayed. (This work, published in 1673 in Marseille, has been translated into at least 30 languages.) Also known as The Prayer Book, it is described by St. Gregory as his last testament: “Its letters like my body, its message like my soul.” He called his book an “encyclopedia of prayer for all nations.” It was his hope that it would serve as a guide to prayer by people of all stations around the world.
St. Gregory of Narek is considered the greatest poet of the Armenian nation and its first and greatest mystic. His writing style and command of the Armenian language are unparalleled, and his saintly person has been an inspiration to the Armenian faithful for centuries. St. Gregory’s poetry is deeply biblical and is filled with images and themes of sacred history, while also distinguished with an intimate and personal character. Numerous miracles and traditions have been attributed to him and he is referred to as “the watchful angel in human form.” St. Gregory died in 1003 A.D.
Because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
And I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Now God grant I speak suitably
and value these endowments at their worth:
For he is the guide of Wisdom
and the director of the wise.
For both we and our words are in his hand,
as well as all prudence and knowledge of crafts.
Writings
(Year C).Boundless God, genuine son of God, inexplicable, creator of everything, Christ King, light for the dull hearts of those in darkness,
perfectly with us, and essentially with him who sent you, who through our nature miraculously reveals yours.
Blessed by your heavenly Father, who sent you and with whom you share glory for creation.
You care enough for my salvation, an exiled slave, that you delivered yourself to evil men and without resorting to your divinity drank from the cup of death for me, a sinner,
according to the plan of your divine economy, with true humanity and perfect divinity.
And the Holy Ghost is also of the same essence as you and the Father, equal in honor with the Son and the Father, one perfect trinity in three persons indivisible,
without beginning or time, benefactor to all, life giver of all, peacemaker of all, creator of existence and shaper of all things, glorified with one indivisible nature.
For the sake of my transgressions for which I am condemned to death,
the merciful Father, heavenly, almighty, one of the divine essence,
has offered the only son of his bosom.
His beloved son, his equal in honor he did not spare, but willingly gave him to death by the arms of his tormentors,
as foretold by the prophet Zechariah: "For raise the sword upon the shepherd, and strike down the keeper of the flock, and the flock shall disperse."
The Old Testament also gives another example of vows at the altar and the blood of the offering in the story of Abraham's sacrifice, which described to me how you wished to save the wretched.
So now, why do you grieve, my soul? You are not destroyed by God but by your own doing.
And why am I upset, my mind reeling with satanic despair?
I should trust in God, confess to him and he will care for me, as David wrote in the Psalms, and the Prophet counseled. Amen.
The ways of the creator surpass the understanding of angels and mortals.
If I were to try ten thousand times, my words could not capture it,
for his good works are beyond comprehension and description.
One of the blessed trinity sent another of the trinity and to please the will of the sender, he died.
And the third, according to the wishes of the other two
worked together for the same good with the same will.
As the soul is for the living beings and thought for the rational beings,
as radiance is for glory, and form for substance,
as caring for life, and mindfulness for mercy,
as giving in charity, and resolve in salvation,
as abundance in generosity, flow in continuity,
as fullness for perfection, richness in inexhaustibility,
as long in forbearance, exalted in unreachableness,
they are one perfect trinity, of three persons,
blessed forever. Amen. (Lamentaitons)
Musical Selection (Lord's Prayer in Armenian)
Collect
Almighty and eternal God,
who gave your holy Church blessed Gregory as Doctor,
grant that what he taught when moved by the divine Spirit
may always stay firm in our hearts;
and, as by your gift we embrace him as our patron,
may we also have him as our defender to entreat your mercy.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
