Today, September 3, is the feast day of St Gregory the Great (540 – 604). James Barmby, a Church historian 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.” During the lifetime of St Gregory the Great, 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 and pass down the faith to future generations. The Gregorian Chant style of music is famously named after him. Pope Gregory ordered a compilation of melodies of Christian hymns and chants sung throughout the Christian world, organized by the Schola Cantorum, which provided music for the Pope in all his liturgical services. 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.
Normally, our first readings at daily Mass come from the Old Testament, but today we hear from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. St Paul talks about how the wisdom of the world can be so very different from the wisdom of God. That is why it is so important for us to study and grow and learn in the ways of the faith. That is why we are called to humility, to recognize that all we have comes from Christ, and that our identity as disciples of Christ is so important to who are as human being. We also must never forget the wisdom that our faith can teach the world. And it is up to us as disciples of Christ to proclaim the wisdom of our faith.
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