St. Gregory Thaumaturgus - When an Obstacle Seems Impossible to Move

Feast Day: November 17

Is there something standing in your way that seems too big to move?

Have you prayed, worked, waited, and tried everything you know to do, yet the obstacle remains?

Meet St. Gregory of Neocaesarea, better known as St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, or St. Gregory the Wonderworker.

His life became so associated with extraordinary miracles that Christians gave him the title Thaumaturgus—Wonderworker.

Among the most famous traditions about him is an astonishing story of a mountain being moved through prayer.

When you are facing your own mountain, St. Gregory is a powerful saint to ask to pray with you.

His Story

St. Gregory was born around the beginning of the third century in Neocaesarea in Pontus, in what is now Turkey.

He was raised in a pagan family but eventually encountered Christianity and became a student of the great Christian teacher Origen.

Gregory's life changed.

He embraced the Catholic Faith and was eventually made Bishop of Neocaesarea.

Tradition tells us that when he became bishop, there were very few Christians in the city.

But Gregory prayed, preached, worked miracles, and labored for the conversion of souls.

By the end of his life, Christianity had spread remarkably throughout the region.

His reputation for miracles became so widespread that he came to be remembered simply as:

The Wonderworker.

The Saint Who Moved a Mountain

One of the most famous stories from the life of St. Gregory concerns the construction of a church.

According to the ancient account of his life, the location suitable for the church was obstructed by a mountain.

Gregory remembered the words of Our Lord concerning faith:

“If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove.” — Matthew 17:19

St. Gregory prayed.

And tradition recounts that the mountain moved, making room for the church.

For Christians throughout the centuries, the story became a striking reminder of Christ's teaching:

Nothing is impossible to God.

What Is Your Mountain?

Most of us will never stand before a physical mountain and ask God to move it.

But we all encounter mountains.

A financial problem you cannot solve.

A family situation that will not change.

A loved one far from the Faith.

An obstacle preventing an important work from moving forward.

A marriage in difficulty.

A door that continually remains closed.

A project that seems impossible to complete.

A habit you cannot seem to overcome.

A prayer that appears to have no answer.

When the obstacle looks bigger than your strength, ask St. Gregory the Wonderworker to intercede.

Not simply:

“Move this mountain.”

But:

“Lord, if this mountain is preventing Thy holy will, move it. If I must climb it, give me the strength. And if Thou art leading me another way, show me the path.”

When Should You Turn to St. Gregory?

Ask St. Gregory Thaumaturgus to pray for you when you are facing:

• An enormous obstacle

• A seemingly impossible situation

• A project that cannot move forward

• Difficulties involving property or building

• Financial obstacles

• Family difficulties

• Conversion of loved ones

• A crisis of faith

• Something preventing spiritual growth

• An intention you have nearly given up on

• The need for stronger faith

• A situation requiring God's extraordinary Providence

He is a beautiful saint for those moments when you look at the problem and think:

“There is no human way around this.”

That may be exactly when we need to remember that God is not limited to human possibilities.

Testimonies of the Wonderworker

The ancient accounts of St. Gregory's life contain numerous extraordinary stories.

Besides the tradition of the mountain moving through his prayer, accounts tell of healings, deliverance from evil, remarkable conversions, and other miraculous interventions associated with him.

One tradition recounts that he commanded the course of a river that repeatedly caused destructive flooding.

Another tells of his extraordinary spiritual authority over demonic forces.

His reputation for miracles was already firmly established in the early Church, and St. Gregory of Nyssa later wrote about his remarkable life.

But the greatest testimony may be the transformation of his own diocese.

Tradition holds that when Gregory became bishop, only a small number of Christians lived in Neocaesarea. By the time of his death, the situation had been dramatically reversed.

God had moved more than a physical mountain.

He had moved hearts.

Prayer to St. Gregory the Wonderworker

O glorious St. Gregory Thaumaturgus,
holy bishop and Wonderworker,
thou didst place thy confidence in the power of Almighty God
and through faith didst overcome obstacles that seemed impossible.

I come to thee today carrying a mountain of my own.

[Mention your intention.]

St. Gregory, pray for me.

If this obstacle stands against the holy will of God,
ask Him to remove it.

If a door must be opened,
ask Him to open it.

If something must change,
ask Him to change it.

If my own heart is the obstacle,
ask Him to change me.

And if God desires that the mountain remain,
obtain for me the faith and courage necessary to climb it.

Protect me from discouragement.

Strengthen my faith when circumstances appear impossible.

Help me remember that God's power is greater than every obstacle standing before me.

Through thy intercession, may this difficulty ultimately bring greater glory to God and lead souls closer to Jesus Christ.

St. Gregory the Wonderworker, pray for us.

Amen.

Pray With the Faith of a Mustard Seed

You may look at your faith and think:

“I don't have enough.”

Our Lord did not say your faith had to begin as something enormous.

He spoke about faith the size of a mustard seed.

Begin there.

Bring God the little faith you have.

Tell Him:

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”

Then ask St. Gregory to pray beside you.

You do not need to know how the mountain will move.

You only need to know Who is capable of moving it.

Sometimes the Mountain Is Inside Us

There is another kind of miracle we should ask St. Gregory to obtain for us.

Perhaps the obstacle is not around us.

Perhaps it is within us.

Pride.

Fear.

Resentment.

Lack of forgiveness.

Attachment to sin.

Discouragement.

Our insistence that God answer us in exactly the way we have planned.

Sometimes we spend years asking God to change our circumstances while He is patiently trying to change our hearts.

So when you pray to St. Gregory, ask:

“What mountain within me needs to be moved?”

That may become the greatest miracle of all.

Learn More About St. Gregory the Wonderworker

St. Gregory is not as widely known today as some other saints, but his extraordinary story deserves to be rediscovered.

Visit our parish bookstore to explore books about the saints, miracles, prayer, and the Catholic spiritual life.

Learning about saints such as St. Gregory reminds us that the extraordinary works of God are meant to strengthen our faith and lead us toward greater holiness.

Is There a Mountain in Front of You?

Do not immediately assume it cannot be moved.

Pray.

Ask.

Persevere.

Do everything reasonably within your power.

Then entrust what you cannot accomplish to Almighty God.

Perhaps God will remove the obstacle.

Perhaps He will open a road you did not know existed.

Perhaps He will give you the strength to climb.

Or perhaps the first mountain He intends to move is the fear inside your own heart.

Whatever happens, remember:

The mountain is never greater than God.

Ask the Wonderworker to pray for you.

Then place your mustard seed of faith into the hands of Jesus.

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, Wonderworker of Neocaesarea, pray for us!