Saint Gregory of Narek

On January 25, 2021, Pope Francis ordered the inscription of Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, into the General Roman Calendar.  St. Gregory is celebrated each year as an Optional Memorial on February 27.

The Holy See released the proper liturgical texts in Latin (see pages 1-3), and on September 30, 2024, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments confirmed the English translation of those texts. (An approval and confirmation process is still required for a Spanish translation.)

The proper texts in English for the liturgical celebration of St. Gregory of Narek are provided below:

Roman Missal

From the Common of Doctors of the Church, or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For an Abbot.

Collect

Almighty ever-living God,
who were pleased to imbue with mystical doctrine Saint Gregory of Narek,
the teacher and glory of the Armenian people,
grant us, by his teaching,
to learn the art of speaking with you
and constantly to fortify our life
with the Sacraments of the Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Lectionary for Mass

Aside from the usual Mass readings of the day, any Lectionary readings from the Common of Doctors of the Church or Common of Holy Men and Women may be used for St. Gregory of Narek. The following readings are also recommended by the Holy See, and will appear in a future edition of the Lectionary for Mass. (Current citations from the Lectionary's Common of Doctors of the Church are provided for convenience.)

536/1 – Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

From the Common of Doctors of the Church, or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Religious, or:

First Reading – Wisdom 7:7-10, 15-16 (no. 725-2)
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 30-31 (no. 727-2)
R/. The mouth of the upright utters wisdom.

Gospel Acclamation – See John 6:63c, 68c (no. 729-3)
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.

Gospel – Matthew 7:21-29 (no. 730-2)
He taught them as one having authority.

Liturgy of the Hours

Because the celebration of St. Gregory of Narek falls variably in Lent and Ordinary Time, there are different indications depending on the time of the year:

Lent

Office of Readings

All from the Lenten weekday. After the Second Reading and Responsory of the Lenten weekday, the reading, responsory, and concluding prayer for St. Gregory of Narek below may be added.

Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer

All from the Lenten weekday. After the concluding prayer of the Lenten weekday, the appropriate antiphon below may be added, followed by the prayer for St. Gregory of Narek below.

Morning Prayer
Ant. Those who are learned will be as radiant as the sky in all its beauty; those who instruct the people in goodness will shine like the stars for all eternity.

Evening Prayer
Ant. O blessed doctor, Saint Gregory, light of holy Church and lover of God's law, pray to the Son of God for us.

Ordinary Time

Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, and Evening Prayer

Psalmody of the day; other elements from the Psalter of the day or the Common of Doctors of the Church or the Common of Holy Men: For Religious.

Biography

Born about 950 in the historic Armenian district of Andzevatsik, Gregory grew up in a family that encouraged learning. As a youth he entered Narek Monastery which Ananias, his mother’s great-uncle, governed as abbot. He enrolled in the monastery’s renowned school and there, as priest and abbot, he spent his whole life which was on fire with love for the Virgin Mary. He attained the height of holiness and mystical experience and displayed his learning in various works of mystical theology. In the year 1003 he produced his celebrated Book of Lamentations, and about two years later he died.

Office of Readings

[Second] Reading
From the Book of Lamentations of Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
(Oratio 70, III-IV: SCh 78, 369-370)

To you will I flee for refuge, O Christ

Since the capacity of humans to attain salvation has been measured and found wanting, it has also been shown that they have been converted by your mercies, O Source of blessings; they are strengthened by you, O Almighty One; they are called and forgiven by you, O Defender, for whom all things are possible; they are made joyful by your pardon, O Liberator; they are prone to no deadly thing, O Uncorrupted One; they are given life and light by you, O Renewer. Therefore, knowing what my human nature is, to you will I flee for refuge, O Christ, Son of the living God, the Blessed One in all things.

Moreover, what I have written above is also borne out by calling to mind here a verse relevant to this prayer: Let us fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of mortals; for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy (Sir 2:18).

For I do not try in this my Book of Lamentations to lessen the merit of those who attain salvation, because without merit it is impossible to approach God. 

Rather, I glorify the Name of the Savior, and I praise his grace directed to all. I also profess with my words that, for all those who through a good life have ascended toward great honor, the aid of your mercy has always been necessary.

For you are Life, you are Salvation, you are Health, you are Immortality, you are Blessedness, you are Illumination!

Grant me rest from the weariness of my sins, so that you too may rest from my wailing and troublesome pleading which constantly afflict you, O my Judge.

For you rejoice in nothing except the salvation of humanity, O you who are blessed for ever. Amen.

Responsory
Ps 34 (33):6, 23; 2 Tm 2:22

Look toward God and be radiant, and let your faces not be abashed.
— The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. All who trust in him shall not be condemned.

Seek righteousness, faith, charity, and peace.
— The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. All who trust in him shall not be condemned.

Prayer

Almighty ever-living God,
who were pleased to imbue with mystical doctrine Saint Gregory of Narek,
the teacher and glory of the Armenian people,
grant us, by his teaching,
to learn the art of speaking with you
and constantly to fortify our life
with the Sacraments of the Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Excerpts from the English translation of Liturgical Texts for Doctors of the Church © 2023 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.