Day of St. Gregory, Enlightener of Armenia (30/09)

Saint Gregory the Illuminator (3rd-4th century), whose memory is honored by the Armenian Church on September 30, — first bishop (Catholicos) of Armenia.

His father was bribed by the Persians, killed the Armenian king Khosrow, and was executed for this. The killer's entire family faced the same fate. Only the youngest, soon named at Gregory’s baptism, was saved. The Christian nurse managed to take the boy to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he was baptized and received a Christian upbringing.

Gregory grew up and, in order to make amends for the shame of his father, entered the service of the son of the king he killed, — Trdat. When Trdat learned that Gregory — was a Christian, he ordered him to be brutally tortured and then thrown into a ditch for starvation. However, one pious woman fed Gregory, and thus he lived in the ditch for 13 years.

By this time, King Trdat was gripped by madness. Gregory healed him. After this miracle, King Trdat was baptized himself and in 301 gave Christianity the status of a state religion. And Saint Gregory received the rank of bishop and firmly established Christianity in Armenia.

In 331, shortly before his death, Saint Gregory gave the episcopal see to his son and retired to solitude. Many more generations of Catholicos in Armenia came from the glorious family of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Until now, the Armenian Apostolic Church in honor of this saint is also called Gregorian.

According to ancient legend, Saint Gregory the Illuminator installed an eternal lamp — of light and hope on the top of Aragats (Alagez). In difficult moments of their history, the eyes of the Armenians rush to Aragats, and this gives them strength and hope.

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