+ One week ago today we celebrated the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the four original Western Doctors of the Catholic Church. Today we celebrate the feast of another (later this month we will celebrate the feast of yet another: St. Jerome; the feast of St. Ambrose, the last of them, of course is celebrated in December).
Gregory is only the second pope in all of church history, thus far, to be called "The Great" – Leo I was the first; but John Paul II of our own day might be the third and the latest. Gregory was the first pope to be a monk and was one of the papacy's most influential writers. His Pastoral Care, which defined the ministry of bishop as one of shepherding souls, became the textbook for bishops of centuries after.
Gregory was son of a Roman Senator, who entered the service of state as a young man – becoming prefect of Rome, but in 573 he sold his extensive properties – including his own house which he turned into a Benedictine monastery – and founded six other monasteries in Sicily. He distributed much of his wealth to the poor. The next year he entered his own monastery and was distinguished for his austere lifestyle. Although only a junior deacon he was unanimously elected to the papacy when Pope Pelagius II died in 590. He had a difficult time as pope because of the breakdown of civil order, but was committed to the spiritual and ecclesiastical concerns that were part and parcel of being pope. He continued to have great concern for the poor – and saw to it that local churches throughout the known world took on the project of seeing to the needs of the poor. He is said to have sent Augustine (not of Hippo), with forty other monks to England in 569, later making him archbishop of Canterbury.
Given his own monastic background, Gregory was a strong promoter of monasticism and of the liturgy, especially of its music. His favorite was a collection of plainsong chants that became identified with his own name: Gregorian chant. Many prayers in the Mass and in the Divine Office are attributed to Gregory. His writings were more practical than theoretical and more derivative than original. But he was such an effective synthesizer, especially of the work of Augustine of Hippo that he came to be included in 1298 with Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome among the four original Western Doctors of the Church. St. Gregory the Great died in 604, in Rome, of natural causes. Today, September 3 marks the day that he ascended the throne of St. Peter and became pope – in 590.
The gospel passage today was chosen well for the feast: "let the greatest among you be as the youngest" – St. Gregory the Great considered himself "the servant of the servants of God" (especially as he was only a young deacon when he was elected pope). Gregory knew that since Christ is truly greatest – any greatness a human being could possibly have comes from total and utter surrender to him and his desires for us. The first reading reminds us also of the humility needed to be a monk, a preacher, a Christian, a pope – we do not preach ourselves- but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as slaves for the sake of Jesus. It is only then that our light – which is his light – can shine in the darkness – which is knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.
Christ, be our light – this day – and all the days of our life!
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