Happy Labor Day to you all! Did you know that September 3rd is the feast day of St. Gregory the Great? There are multiple St. Gregory’s but this one is my patron and Confirmation Saint (yes, I was not very creative in choosing him). St. Gregory the Great was one the greatest popes and a faithful laborer for the Lord.
St. Gregory was born the year 540 into a noble Roman family of saints and leaders. His father was a Roman Senator and regional administrator. His mother was later canonized a saint along with two of his aunts on his father’s side. Two popes were distant relatives. Gregory’s family was wealthy, and he received the best possible education at the time. Gregory quickly rose to prominence, becoming in his 30’s the Prefect of Rome (kind of like being governor/mayor).
However, after a few years at the top, Gregory heard the Lord’s call to deeper devotion, and after much prayer and struggle, he entered monastic life—most likely following the Rule of St. Benedict. Not long after, Pope Pelagius called on Gregory to become a deacon and endeavor a diplomatic mission to the emperor in Constantinople. The mission did not succeed, but the Pope kept Gregory as a trusted adviser, and after his death, Gregory was elected Pope at the age of 50. Gregory accepted reluctantly and always mourned the event!
Gregory would serve as Pope for 13 years before dying in the year 604. The impact he made was great! First, Gregory faced a devastating plague. He held a procession to petition God to end it, and it is said he saw a vision of St. Michael sheathing his sword above Hadrian’s Mausoleum in Rome. Today, the place is called Castel de Sant’Angelo and has a statue on top of St. Michael. Gregory also faced barbarian tribes invading Italy and Rome. He helped organize and negotiate a peace treaty, along with caring for refugees and feeding the poor.
Gregory was reformer Pope. He wrote about what the duties of a bishop should be. He was the first to call himself as Pope “the servant of the servants of God.” Gregory removed unfit bishops, enforced clerical celibacy, removed clerics guilty of crimes or scandal, and promoted monasticism. Gregory revised the order of Mass and promoted music. What later to be called Gregorian Chant was named after him. (By the way our adult choir is called the “St. Gregory Choir” after him—new members encouraged!) Gregory loved Scripture and supported freedom of worship rather than compulsory baptisms. Finally, Gregory sent missions to evangelize the people in northern Europe. One account says that years earlier Gregory had seen in the Roman forum three boys from Britain who might have been brought as slaves. Gregory asked about them, and on hearing they were Angles, replied they instead were angels and he resolved to bring the Gospel to them. The mission Gregory did send years later was highly successful.
St. Gregory the Great truly lived Jesus’ call in our Sunday gospel, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” St. Gregory desired to live a quiet, prayerful life as a monk, but instead gave that up to serve the Church as Pope. I take him as model to live my priesthood, but he is a good model for us all. St. Gregory, pray for us!
Peace,
Fr. Gregory “Greg” Hammes