Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Doctor

Third September  

2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7

Psalm 95:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10
Luke 22:24-30

Your Servants Through Jesus

We celebrate today the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, a joy for the whole Church and, in a special way, for the Benedictine Order. Like Saint Paul speaking in today’s first reading, Saint Gregory had a passion for preaching “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4). “For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus” (2 Cor 4:5).  

Father and Doctor
We count Saint Gregory the Great among the Fathers of the Church. He takes his place alongside of Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Leo the Great. His fatherhood in the Spirit is an ongoing reality. Saint Gregory continues to be a “father” in the Spirit, sowing the seeds of contemplation even today by means of his writings. The writings of Saint Gregory allow us to hear his voice and to thrive on his teaching. Thus does he continue to help us grow up to maturity in Christ. Saint Gregory the Great is the Doctor of Lectio Divina, the Doctor of Compunction, and the Doctor of Contemplation.

MAGNIFICAT monthly

MEDITATION OF THE DAY

SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT

The Mercy Jesus Proclaimed

What tongue can describe the heart of the divine mercy? What mind is not amazed by the riches of such great love? The psalmist was thinking of these riches of divine love when he said: My helper, I will sing a psalm to you. It is you, 0 God, who are my protector, my God, my mercy. Carefully weighing the labours surrounding our humanity, he called God his helper. He calls his "protector" the one who protects us in the midst of our present distress until we come to eternal rest. But bearing in mind that God sees our evil deeds and bears with them, that he puts up with our sins and still preserves us for his rewards because of repentance, he could not just speak of God as being merciful but called him mercy itself, saying: My God, my mercy.

Let us then recall before our eyes the evil deeds we have done, let us consider with how much goodness God puts up with us, let us bear in mind the depth of his love. He is not only lenient toward our sins, but he

even promises the heavenly kingdom to those who repent after sinning. Let each of us say from the very depths of our hearts, let us all say, My God, my mercy.

Saint Gregory the Great (t 604) was one of the most important popes and influential writers of the Middle Ages.

From Forty Gospel Homilies, David Hurst OSB. Tr. 1990, Cistercian Publications Inc, Published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.