In this funeral oration, Gregory of Nyssa mourns Meletius, Bishop of Antioch, describing him as a "new apostle" who joined and increased the number of the apostles by his holiness and ministry. Gregory contrasts Meletius's blessed union with Christ through death with the bereavement of the Church, now deprived of its counsellor, general, physician, and helmsman amid heretical turmoil. He depicts the community's transformation from bridal joy to funeral lament, using vivid metaphors of shipwreck, extinguished lamps, and lost treasure. Gregory calls the faithful to share tears as they once shared joy, honoring Meletius as a true patriarch and father in the lineage of faith.
