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| A Letter of Condolence on the Death of His Sister Theosebia.
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Ep. CXCVII. A Letter
of Condolence on the Death of His Sister Theosebia.
(The writer of the article on Gregory Nyssen in
the Dict. Biogr. supposes her to have been his wife, but produces no
evidence of this beyond the ambiguous expression in this letter which
speaks of her as “the true consort of a priest,” but on the
other hand she is expressly called his Sister in the same letter.
Some writers have imagined that she was the wife of Gregory Nazianzen
himself, but there is no evidence to show that he was ever
married. The date of her death is uncertain, but it was probably
subsequent to a.d. 381. It would seem
that the term Consort might have a general application to those who
shared in the same work, and
consequently the Benedictine Editors regard Theosebia as a Deaconess of
the Church of Nyssa.)
I had started in all haste to go to you, and had
got as far as Euphemias, when I was delayed by the festival which you
are celebrating in honour of the Holy Martyrs; partly because I could
not take part in it, owing to my bad health, partly because my coming
at so unsuitable a time might be inconvenient to you. I had
started partly for the sake of seeing you after so long, and partly
that I might admire your patience and philosophy (for I had heard of
it) at the departure of your holy and blessed sister, as a good and
perfect man, a minister of God, who knows better than any the things
both of God and man; and who regards as a very light thing that which
to others would be most heavy, namely to have lived with such a soul,
and to send her away and store her up in the safe garners, like a shock
of the threshingfloor gathered in due season,4742
to
use the words of Holy Scripture; and that in such time that she, having
tasted the joys of life, escaped its sorrows through the shortness of
her life; and before she had to wear mourning for you, was honoured by
you with that fair funeral honour which is due to such as she. I
too, believe me, long to depart, if not as you do, which were much to
say, yet only less than you. But what must we feel in presence of
a long prevailing law of God which has now taken my Theosebia (for I
call her mine because she lived a godly life; for spiritual kindred is
better than bodily), Theosebia, the glory of the church, the adornment
of Christ, the helper of our generation, the hope of woman; Theosebia,
the most beautiful and glorious among all the beauty of the Brethren;
Theosebia, truly sacred, truly consort of a priest, and of equal honour
and worthy of the Great Sacraments,4743
| 4743 Referring to her
office as a Deaconess. | Theosebia,
whom all future time shall receive, resting on immortal pillars, that
is, on the souls of all who have known her now, and of all who shall be
hereafter. And do not wonder that I often invoke her name.
For I rejoice even in the remembrance of the blessed one. Let
this, a great deal in few words, be her epitaph from me, and my word of
condolence for you, though you yourself are quite able to console
others in this way through your philosophy in all things. Our
meeting (which I greatly long for) is prevented by the reason I
mentioned. But we pray with one another as long as we are in the
world, until the common end, to which we are drawing nigh, overtake
us. Wherefore we must bear all things, since we shall not for
long have either to rejoice or to suffer.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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