# From the Sayings of St. Gregory of Nyssa on the Mystery of the Cross and the Unity of All in God

> Concerning the Cross, this is what has come down to us from tradition, and this is what we learn from the shape of the Cross: it is divided into four arms, like four…

*2026-10-13T12:07:35Z*

![“Concerning the Cross, this is what has come down to us from tradition, and this is what we learn from the shape of the Cross: it is divided into four arms, like four projections from the centre where they are joined together; for He who was stretched upon it at the time of the dispensation of His death is the One who binds all things together in Himself and brings them into harmony. He gathers the diverse natures of existing things, gathering them through Himself into one accord and harmony.” — St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Great Catechism, 32](/uploads/sites/1274e232-e31c-46f4-a48b-27b854406479/media/evidence-9f1a24ae-d56c-4782-9632-f200f564d8e6-en-square.png?w=1080&h=1080)

### St. Gregory of Nyssa says in “The Great Catechism 32”:

Concerning the Cross, this is what has come down to us from tradition, and this is what we learn from the shape of the Cross: it is divided into four arms, like four projections from the centre where they are joined together; for He who was stretched upon it at the time of the dispensation of His death is the One who binds all things together in Himself and brings them into harmony. He gathers the diverse natures of existing things, gathering them through Himself into one accord and harmony.

### Who is St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa?

Born c. 335 AD and reposed 395 AD. One of the great Fathers; St. Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzen) called him “the pillar of the whole Church”, and Father Maximus the Confessor named him “the teacher of the world”. In the beginning of his life he lived as a lover of learning and letters, then set out on a life of service and struggle, and devoted his last years to asceticism and divine contemplation in heavenly depths.

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*Originally published on the Orthodox Heritage Initiative (مبادرة التراث الأرثوذكسي), 2 April 2018.*

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Source: https://abba.fadymondy.com/en/blog/st-gregory-of-nyssa-on-the-shape-of-the-cross