Sep 3 - Homily for Today

+ Gregory the Great born in 540 was son of Gordianus, a Roman officer, and was related to three saints and a Pope who was also a saint. He was educated by the finest teachers in Rome, and then became prefect of Rome for a year, but then he sold his possessions, turned his home into a Benedictine monastery and used his money to build six monasteries in Sicily and one in Rome. He himself became a Benedictine monk. Upon seeing English children being sold in the Roman Forum, he became a missionary to England. On this date, September 3, 590, he became the first monk to be chosen Pope. This was done by unanimous acclamation.

He then sent a monk named Augustine and others to evangelize England; he also sent other missionaries to France, Spain and Africa. He had a love of sacred music and collected the melodies and plain chant so associated with him that they are now known as Gregorian chants. He did extensive writing on the Mass and the Divine Office; he wrote especially about the role of the bishop as a servant; he is the first to use the term for the pope being called “the servant of the servants of God.” He died March 12, 604 at Rome of natural causes. He is one of the four original Doctors of the Latin Church, and the first Pope to be named “Great.”

If you asked Gregory his motivation for all his works he would tell you that it was love of God and of his people; he would tell you that any success he had as preacher, teacher, writer was the work of God and not his own; he would tell you that he was but an “instrument of light,” the light of Christ shining on the world so desperately in need of it. And of course, he would tell you that, just as Jesus came to serve, to be a slave of all for their salvation – so should be our role with one another, but especially those who seek roles of greatness as leaders in the Christian community: success here means, self-abnegating, self-sacrificial service for the sake of God and his kingdom. It is not what the world would consider fashionable; but it is what God would consider praiseworthy – and that which really counts?

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.