GREGORY RETURNS TO MACRINA, WHO RECALLS THE EVENTS OF HER CHILDHOOD

But when we saw her again, for she did not allow us to spend time by ourselves in idleness, she began to recall her past life, beginning with childhood, and describing it all in order as in a history. She recounted as much as she could remember of the life of our parents, and the events that took place both before and after my birth. But her aim throughout was gratitude towards God, for she described our parents' life not so much from the point of view of the reputation they enjoyed in the eyes of contemporaries on account of their riches, as an example of the divine blessing. My father's parents had their goods confiscated for confessing Christ. Our maternal [980D] grandfather was slain by the imperial wrath, and all his possessions were transferred to other masters. Nevertheless their life abounded so in faith that no one was named above them in those times. And moreover, after their substance had been divided into nine parts according to the number of the children, the share of each was so increased by God's blessing, that the income of each of the children exceeded the prosperity of the parents. But when it came to Macrina herself she kept nothing of the things assigned to her in the equal division between brothers and sisters, but all her share was given into the priest's hands according to the divine command. [982A] Moreover her life became such by God's help that her hands never ceased to work according to the commandment. Never did she even look for help to any human being, nor did human charity give her the opportunity of a comfortable existence. Never were petitioners turned away, yet never did she appeal for help, but God secretly blessed the little seeds of her good works till they grew into a mighty fruit.

As I told my own trouble and all that I had been through, first my exile at the hands of the Emperor Valens on account of the faith, and then the confusion in the Church that summoned me to conflicts and trials, my great sister said----

"Will you not cease to be insensible to the divine blessings? Will you not remedy the ingratitude of your soul? Will you not compare your position with that of your [982B] parents'? And yet, as regards worldly things, we make our boast of being well born and thinking we come of a noble family. Our father was greatly esteemed as a young man for his learning; in fact his fame was established throughout the law courts of the province. Subsequently, though he excelled all others in rhetoric, his reputation did not extend beyond Pontus. But he was satisfied with fame in his own hand.

"But you," she said, "are renowned in cities and peoples and nations. Churches summon you as an ally and director, and do you not see the grace of God in it all? Do you fail to recognise the cause of such great blessings, that it is your parents' prayers that are lifting you up on high, you that have little or no equipment within yourself for such success?"  

[982C] Thus she spoke, and I longed for the length of the day to be further extended, that she might never cease delighting our cars with sweetness. But the voice of the choir was summoning us to the evening service, and sending me to church, the great one retired once more to God in prayer. And thus she spent the night.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ πάλιν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἦμεν αὐτῆς, οὐ γὰρ εἴα τὴν εὔσχολον ὥραν ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν διάγειν, ἀναλαβοῦσα τῶν ἐκ νεότητος αὐτῇ βεβιωμένων τὴν μνήμην καθάπερ ἐπὶ συγγραφῆς πάντα κατεξῆς διεξήρχετο καὶ ὅσα τῆς τῶν πατέρων ζωῆς διὰ μνήμης εἶχε καὶ τὰ πρὸ τῆς ἐμῆς γενέσεως καὶ τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα βίον: σκοπὸς δὲ αὐτῇ τοῦ διηγήματος ἦν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εὐχαριστία. Τῶν τε γὰρ γονέων ἀπεδείκνυ τὸν βίον οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐκ περιουσίας λαμπρὸν τοῖς τότε καὶ περίβλεπτον ὄντα, ὅσον ἐκ θείας φιλανθρωπίας ἐπαυξηθέντα, τῶν μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς γονέων διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμολογίαν δεδημευμένων, τοῦ δὲ κατὰ μητέρα προπάτορος ἐκ βασιλικῆς ἀγανακτήσεως ἀνῃρημένου καὶ πάντων τῶν προσόντων εἰς ἑτέρους μετακεχωρηκότων δεσπότας: καὶ ὅμως εἰς τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς διὰ πίστεως τὴν ζωὴν αὐξηθῆναι, ὡς μὴ εἶναι τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς τότε χρόνοις ὀνομαζόμενον: πάλιν δὲ τῆς περιουσίας αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν τέκνων ἐννεαχῇ διατμηθείσης, οὕτως ἑκάστῳ δι' εὐλογίας πληθυνθῆναι τὴν μοῖραν, ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν τῶν γονέων εὐκληρίαν τὴν ἑκάστου τῶν τέκνων εἶναι ζωήν. Αὐτῆς δὲ ἐκείνης τῶν μὲν ἐπονομασθέντων αὐτῇ κατὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἰσομοιρίαν ὑπολειφθῆναι μηδέν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ταῖς χερσὶ τοῦ ἱερέως κατὰ τὴν θείαν ἐντολὴν οἰκονομηθῆναι: τὸν δὲ βίον αὐτῇ τοιοῦτον ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ χορηγίας γενέσθαι, ὡς μηδέποτε λῆξαι τὰς χεῖρας εἰς ἐντολὴν ἐνεργούσας μηδὲ πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ἀποβλέψαι ποτὲ μηδὲ διά τινος ἀνθρωπίνης εὐεργεσίας γενέσθαι αὐτῇ τὰς πρὸς τὴν εὐσχήμονα διαγωγὴν ἀφορμάς, ἀλλὰ μήτε τοὺς αἰτοῦντας ἀποστραφῆναι μήτε τοὺς διδόντας ἐπιζητῆσαι, λεληθότως τοῦ θεοῦ καθάπερ τινὰ σπέρματα τὰς βραχείας ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἀφορμὰς εἰς πολύχουν καρπὸν ταῖς εὐλογίαις ἐπαύξοντος.
Ἐμοῦ δὲ τοὺς ἰδίους πόνους ἐν οἷς ἤμην διεξιόντος, πρότερον μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως Οὐαλέντος διὰ τὴν πίστιν ἐλαύνοντος, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ τῆς ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις συγχύσεως πρὸς ἄθλους ἡμᾶς καὶ καμάτους ἐκκαλουμένης: «Οὐ παύσῃ, φησίν, ἀγνωμόνως ἐπὶ τοῖς θείοις ἀγαθοῖς διακείμενος; οὐ θεραπεύσεις τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ἀχάριστον; οὐκ ἀντιπαραθήσεις τοῖς τῶν πατέρων τὰ σά; καίτοι γε κατὰ τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἐν τούτῳ δὴ μάλιστα μεγαλαυχοῦμεν, ἐν τῷ εὖ γεγονέναι καὶ ἀπὸ εὐγενῶν φῦναι δοκεῖν. Πολύς, φησί, κατὰ τὴν παίδευσιν ἐν τοῖς τότε χρόνοις ὁ πατὴρ ἐνομίζετο, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τῶν ἐγχωρίων δικαστηρίων ἡ κατ' αὐτὸν ἵστατο δόξα. Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν διὰ τῆς σοφιστικῆς αὐτοῦ καθηγουμένου οὐκ ἐξῆλθε τὸν Πόντον ἡ φήμη, ἀλλ' ἀγαπητὸν ἦν ἐκείνῳ τὸ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι περίβλεπτον. Σὺ δέ, φησί, πόλεσι καὶ δήμοις καὶ ἔθνεσιν ὀνομαστὸς εἶ καὶ σὲ πρὸς συμμαχίαν τε καὶ διόρθωσιν ἐκκλησίαι πέμπουσι καὶ ἐκκλησίαι καλοῦσι, καὶ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὴν χάριν; οὐδὲ ἐπιγινώσκεις τῶν τηλικούτων ἀγαθῶν τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι σε τῶν γονέων αἱ εὐχαὶ πρὸς ὕψος αἴρουσιν, οὐδεμίαν ἢ ὀλίγην οἴκοθεν ἔχοντα πρὸς τοῦτο παρασκευήν;» Ταῦτα διεξιούσης ἐγὼ μὲν παρατείνεσθαι πλέον τὸ ἡμερήσιον ἐπόθουν μέτρον, ὡς ἂν μὴ λήξειε καταγλυκαίνουσα ἡμῶν τὴν ἀκοήν: ἀλλ' ἡ φωνὴ τῶν ψαλλόντων πρὸς τὰς ἐπιλυχνίους εὐχαριστίας ἐξεκαλεῖτο, κἀμὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐκπέμψασα πάλιν ἡ μεγάλη διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀνεχώρει. Καὶ ἡ μὲν νὺξ ἐν τούτοις ἦν.