Today, September 3, is the feast day of St Gregory the Great (540 – 604). Church historian James Barmby writes: “It is impossible to conceive what would have been the confusion, the lawlessness, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy, the real father is Gregory the Great.” In that era, it must have felt like Christianity was being attacked on just about every front, including the Goths who were invading Rome. In the Church, Gregory the Great’s liturgical reforms and the strengthening of Church Doctrine helped Christianity survive. Yet, in all that he had to address as Pope, Gregory the Great never forgot the love and mercy of God. He is quoted as saying: “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” We celebrate the feast day of St Gregory the Great today with great joy.
Our psalm today speaks of God’s words and works, stating that all of God’s works should give him thanks, that his faithful ones should bless him. Sometimes the chaos, turbulence, and violence of our modern world can distract us from the love and mercy of God that is present in the world, just as it did in the tumultuous era of St Gregory of the Great. Let us make an effort to see God’s love in the world today, and give thanks for our faith.
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