The lesser feast of St Macrina, deaconess, and St Gregory of Nyssa

Which is today, 19 July, in the Church of England.

On this diaconal site, for once, St Macrina will precede her influential brother Gregory! She was also sister to Basil the Great, so an influential family indeed.

Gregory wrote a memoir of his sister’s life:  http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/gregory_macrina_1_life.htm

Here’s a taster,  which may appeal to big sisters everywhere:

Macrina’s brother, the great Basil, returned after his long period of [966C] education, already a practised rhetorician. He was puffed up beyond measure with the pride of oratory and looked down on the |28 local dignitaries, excelling in his own estimation all the men of leading and position. Nevertheless Macrina took him in hand, and with such speed did she draw him also toward the mark of philosophy that he forsook the glories of this world and despised fame gained by speaking, and deserted it for this busy life where one toils with one’s hands

Gregory of Nyssa

Info and images from http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/gregory_macrina_1_life.htm

https://cohdayton.com/2011/07/19/19-july-2011-st-macrina-deaconess__trashed/macrina/