I’m getting ready for the weekend services, and I see that the saint of the day will be “Hieromartyr Gregory the Bishop of Greater Armenia, Equal of the Apostles and Enlightener of Armenia.”

We’ll be hearing this hymn at Orthros tomorrow:

Seeing a dreadful spectacle, the unbelievers were amazed; for him whom they had believed dead in a deep pit with the wild beasts, they drew up living, safe and sound; and falling down, they cried aloud: Great is the God of Gregory, who hath revealed him in glory as an exceedingly bright star.

– 2nd exaposteilarion

And so I thought I’d read up on St. Gregory. What follows is what was on the OCA Website (which, in case I’ve never mentioned it, seems to have the best resources for lives of the saints), with a subhead or two added in to break things up. At bottom is another hymn or two from Orthros:

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Early life and political intrigues

The Hieromartyr Gregory, Enlightener of Great Armenia, was born in the year 257. He was descended from the line of the Parthian Arsakid emperors. The father of St Gregory, Anak, in striving after the Armenian throne, had murdered his kinsman, the emperor Kursar, in consequence of which all the line of Anak was marked for destruction.

A certain kinsman saved Gregory: he carried off the infant from Armenia to Caesarea Cappadocia and raised him in the Christian Faith. At maturity, Gregory married, had two sons, but soon was left a widower. Gregory raised his sons in piety. One of them — Orthanes, afterwards became a priest, and the other — Arostanes, accepted monasticism and went off into the wilderness.

In order to atone for the sin of his father, who had murdered the father of Tiridates, Gregory entered into the service of the latter and was a faithful servant to him. Tiridates loved Gregory like a friend, but he was intolerant of the Christian confession of faith. After ascending the Armenian throne, he began to demand that St Gregory renounce the Christian Faith.

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Steadfastness under torments
The steadfastness of the saint embittered Tiridates, and he gave his faithful servant over to cruel tortures: they suspended the sufferer head downwards with a stone about his neck, for several days they choked him with a stinking smoke, they beat and ridiculed him, and forced him to walk in iron sandals inset with nails.

At the time of these sufferings St Gregory sang Psalms. In prison the Lord healed all his wounds. When Gregory again stood before the emperor cheerful and unharmed, he was astonished and gave orders to repeat the torments. St Gregory endured them, not wavering, with all his former determination and bearing. They then poured hot tin over him and threw him into a pit filled with vipers. The Lord, however, saved His chosen one: the snakes did him no harm.

Some pious women fed him with bread, secretly lowering it into the pit. A holy angel, appeared to the martyr, strengthening and encouraging him. St Gregory remained in the pit for fourteen years.

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Fellow sufferers

During this time the emperor Tiridates executed the holy virgin St Rhipsime, the aged abbess Gaiana and another 35 virgins from one of the monasteries of Asia Minor. As punishment for this horrible deed, the king’s face became disfigured.

St Gregory was released from the pit, and buried the relics of the holy virgins with honor. Then he began to preach to the people, urging them to turn away from the darkness of idolatry and toward Christ. The people came to believe in Christ, and wished to build a large church. When it was completed, St Gregory had the relics of the holy nuns brought into it. Then he brought King Tiridates there before the bodies of the saints whom he had slain. He repented, and immediately his face was made whole once more.

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“Enlightener of Armenia”

Soon all of Armenia was converted to Christ. The temples of the idols were destroyed, and churches for the worship of the true God were built. St Gregory ordained priests, established schools, founded monasteries, and provided for the good order of the Church.St Gregory went into the wilderness, where he departed to the Lord. His son Aristanes was made a bishop in Cappadocia, and was one of the 318 holy Fathers at the Council of Nicea.

At Vespers and Orthros you’ll hear:

Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

Waves of torments could not shake thy soul, O glorious athlete, nor the years that thou wast kept captive in a gloomy pit where thou wast concealed; but thou didst shine like light on all those imperiled in the starless night of vanity, making them sons of day through the holy laver of Baptism, that saving and superior true regeneration to higher life, and through wise instructions in truly living worthily of God, as a good hierarch elect of God, all-wise Father Gregory.

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For his mercy is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.

Fair Rhipsime, loving Thee, Who art the Bridegroom Immortal and the Master of all things, suffered being flayed alive, having formerly utterly rent apart all the gloomy sackcloth of the passions by her abstinence; and with her in the fray, the renowned Gaiana fought valiantly and brought forth an assembly of virgins who contended with steadfastness, wholly overthrowing the ancient foe that tripped the heel of Eve. As we befittingly honor them, Thee we glorify, O Christ.

– Vesperal and Orthros stichera

I thought it was interesting that since St. Gregory’s life was intertwined with Ss. Rhipsime, Gaiana and the 35 virgins, they were the subject of one of the stichera as well. And they share their commemorative day with St. Gregory, as so often happens. Note, too, that the icon at top has St. Gregory flanked by the two women.