Troparion (Tone 4)

Receiving divine grace from God on high, O glorious Gregory, And strengthened with its power, You willed to walk in the path of the Gospel, O most blessed one. Therefore you have received from Christ the reward of your labors! Entreat him that he may save our souls!

Kontakion (Tone 3)

You showed yourself to be an imitator of Christ, the chief Shepherd, O Father Gregory, Guiding the orders of monks to the fold of heaven. From there you taught the flock of Christ His commandments! Now you rejoice and dance with them in the mansions of heaven!

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 5
1.	AND it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,	Factum est autem, cum turbæ irruerunt in eum ut audirent verbum Dei, et ipse stabat secus stagnum Genesareth.	εγενετο δε εν τω τον οχλον επικεισθαι αυτω του ακουειν τον λογον του θεου και αυτος ην εστως παρα την λιμνην γεννησαρετ
2.	And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.	Et vidit duas naves stantes secus stagnum : piscatores autem descenderant, et lavabant retia.	και ειδεν δυο πλοια εστωτα παρα την λιμνην οι δε αλιεις αποβαντες απ αυτων απεπλυναν τα δικτυα
3.	And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.	Ascendens autem in unam navim, quæ erat Simonis, rogavit eum a terra reducere pusillum. Et sedens docebat de navicula turbas.	εμβας δε εις εν των πλοιων ο ην του σιμωνος ηρωτησεν αυτον απο της γης επαναγαγειν ολιγον και καθισας εδιδασκεν εκ του πλοιου τους οχλους
4.	Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.	Ut cessavit autem loqui, dixit ad Simonem : Duc in altum, et laxate retia vestra in capturam.	ως δε επαυσατο λαλων ειπεν προς τον σιμωνα επαναγαγε εις το βαθος και χαλασατε τα δικτυα υμων εις αγραν
5.	And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.	Et respondens Simon, dixit illi : Præceptor, per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus : in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete.	και αποκριθεις ο σιμων ειπεν αυτω επιστατα δι ολης της νυκτος κοπιασαντες ουδεν ελαβομεν επι δε τω ρηματι σου χαλασω το δικτυον
6.	And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.	Et cum hoc fecissent, concluserunt piscium multitudinem copiosam : rumpebatur autem rete eorum.	και τουτο ποιησαντες συνεκλεισαν πληθος ιχθυων πολυ διερρηγνυτο δε το δικτυον αυτων
7.	And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.	Et annuerunt sociis, qui erant in alia navi, ut venirent, et adjuvarent eos. Et venerunt, et impleverunt ambas naviculas, ita ut pene mergerentur.	και κατενευσαν τοις μετοχοις τοις εν τω ετερω πλοιω του ελθοντας συλλαβεσθαι αυτοις και ηλθον και επλησαν αμφοτερα τα πλοια ωστε βυθιζεσθαι αυτα
8.	Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.	Quod cum vidisset Simon Petrus, procidit ad genua Jesu, dicens : Exi a me, quia homo peccator sum, Domine.	ιδων δε σιμων πετρος προσεπεσεν τοις γονασιν ιησου λεγων εξελθε απ εμου οτι ανηρ αμαρτωλος ειμι κυριε
9.	For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.	Stupor enim circumdederat eum, et omnes qui cum illo erant, in captura piscium, quam ceperant :	θαμβος γαρ περιεσχεν αυτον και παντας τους συν αυτω επι τη αγρα των ιχθυων η συνελαβον
10.	And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.	similiter autem Jacobum et Joannem, filios Zebedæi, qui erunt socii Simonis. Et ait ad Simonem Jesus : Noli timere : ex hoc jam homines eris capiens.	ομοιως δε και ιακωβον και ιωαννην υιους ζεβεδαιου οι ησαν κοινωνοι τω σιμωνι και ειπεν προς τον σιμωνα ο ιησους μη φοβου απο του νυν ανθρωπους εση ζωγρων
11.	And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.	Et subductis ad terram navibus, relictis omnibus, secuti sunt eum.	και καταγαγοντες τα πλοια επι την γην αφεντες απαντα ηκολουθησαν αυτω

1. And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2. And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

AMBROSE; When the Lord had performed many and various kinds of cures, the multitude began to heed neither time nor place in their desire to be healed. The evening came, they followed; a lake is before them, they still press on; as it is said, And it came to pass, as the people pressed upon him.

CHRYS. For they clung to Him with love and admiration, and longed to keep Him with them. For who would depart while He performed such miracles? who would not be content to see only His face, and the mouth that uttered such things? Nor as performing miracles only was He an object of admiration, but His whole appearance was overflowing with grace. Therefore when He speaks, they listen to Him in silence, interrupting not the chain of His discourse; for it is said, that they might hear the word of God, &c. It follows, And he stood near the lake of Gennesaret.

THEOPHYL; The lake of Gennesaret is said to be the same as the sea of Galilee or the sea of Tiberias; but it is called the sea of Galilee from the adjacent province, the sea of Tiberias from a neighboring city. Gennesaret, however, is the name given it from the nature of the lake itself, (which is thought from its crossing waves to raise a breeze upon itself,) being the Greek expression for "making a breeze to itself." For the water is not steady like that of a lake, but constantly agitated by the breezes blowing over it. It is sweet to the taste, and wholesome to drink. In the Hebrew tongue, any extent of water, whether it be sweet or salt, is called a sea.

THEOPHYL. But the Lord seeks to avoid glory the more it followed Him, and therefore separating Himself from the multitude, He entered into a ship, as it is said, And he saw two ships standing near the lake: but the Fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

CHRYS. This was a sign of leisure, but according to Matthew He finds them mending their nets. For so great was their poverty, that they patched up their old nets, not being able to buy new ones. But our Lord was very desirous to collect the multitudes, that none might remain behind, but they might all behold Him face to face; He therefore enters into a ship, as it is said, And he entered into a ship, which was Simon's, and prayed him.

THEOPHYL. Behold the gentleness of Christ; He asks Peter; and the willingness of Peter, who was obedient in all things.

CHRYS. After having performed many miracles, He again commences His teaching, and being on the sea, He fishes for those who were on the shore. Hence it follows, And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship.

GREG. NAZ. Condescending to all, in order that He might draw forth a fish from the deep, i.e. man swimming in Or the ever changing scenes and bitter storms of this life.

THEOPHYL; Now mystically, the two ships represent circumcision and uncircumcision. The Lord sees these, because in each people He knows who are His, and by seeing, i.e. by a merciful visitation, He brings them nearer the tranquillity of the life to come. The fishermen are the doctors of the Church, because by the net of faith they catch us, and bring us as it were ashore to the land of the living. But these nets are at one time spread out for catching fish, at another washed and folded up. For every time is not fitted for teaching, but at one time the teacher must speak with the tongue, and at another time we must discipline ourselves. The ship of Simon is the primitive Church, of which St. Paul says, He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of circumcision. The ship is well called one, for in the multitude of believers there was one heart and one soul.

AUG. From which ship He taught the multitude, for by the authority of the Church He teaches the Gentiles. But the Lord entering the ship, and asking Peter to put off a little from the land, signifies that we must be moderate in our words to the multitude, that they may be neither taught earthly things, nor from earthly things rush into the depths of the sacraments. Or, the Gospel must first be preached to the neighboring countries of the Gentiles, that (as He afterwards says, Launch out into the deep) He might command it to be preached afterwards to the more distant nations.

4. Now when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5. And Simon answering said to him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.
6. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.
7. And they beckoned to their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

CYRIL; Having sufficiently taught the people, He returns again to His mighty works, and by the employment of fishing fishes for His disciples. Hence it follows, When he had left off speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

CHRYS. For in His condescension to men, He called the wise men by a star, the fishermen by their art of fishing.

THEOPHYL. Peter did not refuse to comply, as it follows, And Simon answering said to him, Master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing. He did not go on to say, "I will not hearken to you, nor expose myself to additional labor," but rather adds, Nevertheless, at your word I will let down the net. But our Lord, since he had taught the people out of the ship, left not the master of the ship without reward, but conferred on him a double kindness, giving him first a multitude of fishes, and next making him His disciple:

as it follows, And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. They took so many fishes that they could not pull them out, but sought the assistance of their companions;

as it follows, But their net broke, and they beckoned to their partners who were in the other ship to come, &c. Peter summons them by a sign, being unable to speak from astonishment at the draught of fishes. We next hear of their assistance, And they came and filled both the ships.

AUG. John seems indeed to speak of a similar miracle, but this is very different from the one he mentions. That took place after our Lord's resurrection at the lake of Tiberias, and not only the time, but the miracle itself is very different. For in the latter the nets being let down on the right side took one hundred and fifty-three fishes, and these of large size, which it was necessary for the Evangelist to mention, because though so large the nets were not broken, and this would seem to have reference to the event which Luke relates, when from the multitude of the fishes the nets were broken.

AMBROSE; Now in a mystery, the ship of Peter, according to Matthew, is beaten about by the waves, according to Luke, is filled with fishes, in order that you might understand the Church at first wavering, at last abounding. The ship is not shaken which holds Peter; that is which holds Judas. In each was Peter; but he who trusts in his own merits is disquieted by another's. Let us beware then of a traitor, lest through one we should many of us be tossed about. Trouble is found there where faith is weak, safety here where love is perfect. Lastly, though to others it is commanded, Let down your nets, to Peter alone it is said, Launch out into the deep, i.e. into deep researches. What is so deep, as the knowledge of the Son of God! But what are the nets of the Apostles which are ordered to be let down, but the interweaving of words and certain folds, as it were, of speech, and intricacies of argument, which never let those escape whom they have once caught. And rightly are nets the Apostolical instruments for fishing, which kill not the fish that are caught, but keep them safe, and bring up those that are tossing about in the waves from the depths below to the regions above. But he says, Master, we have toiled the whole night and have caught nothing; for this is not the work of human eloquence but the gift of divine calling. But they who had before caught nothing, at the word of the Lord enclosed a great multitude of fishes.

CYRIL; Now this was a figure of the future. For they will not labor in vain who let down the net of evangelical doctrine, but will gather together the shoals of the Gentiles.

AUG. Now the circumstance of the nets breaking, and the ships being filled with the multitude of fishes that they began to sink, signifies that there will be in the Church so great a multitude of carnal men, that unity will be broken up, and it will be split into heresies and schisms.

THEOPHYL; The net is broken, but the fish escape not, for the Lord preserves His own amid the violence of persecutors.

AMBROSE; But the other ship is Judea, out of which James and John are chosen. These then came from the synagogue to the ship of Peter in the Church, that they might fill both ships. For at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, whether Jew or Greek.

THEOPHYL; Or the other ship is the Church of the Gentiles, which itself also (one ship being not sufficient) is filled with chosen fishes. For the Lord knows who are His, and with Him the number of His elect is sure. And when He finds not in Judea so many believers as He knows are destined to eternal life, He seeks as it were another ship to receive His fishes, and fills the hearts of the Gentiles also with the grace of faith. And well when the net brake did they call to their assistance the ship of their companions, since the traitor Judas, Simon Magus, Ananias and Sapphira, and many of the disciples, went back. And then Barnabas and Paul were separated for the Apostleship of the Gentiles.

AMBROSE; We may understand also by the other ship another Church, since from one Church several are derived.

CYRIL; But Peter beckons to his companions to help them. For many follow the labors of the Apostles, and first those who brought out the writings of the Gospels, next to whom are the other heads and shepherds of the Gospel, and those skilled in the teaching of the truth.

THEOPHYL; But the filling of these ships goes on until the end of the world. But the fact that the ships, when filled, begin to sink, i.e. become weighed low down in the water; (for they are not sunk, but are in great danger,) the Apostle explains when he says, In the last days perilous times shall come; men shall be lovers of their own selves, &c. For the sinking of the ships is when men, by vicious habits, fall back into that world from which they have been elected by faith.

8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10. And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; from henceforth you shall catch men.
11. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

THEOPHYL; Peter was astonished at the divine gift, and the more he feared, the less did he now presume; as it is said, When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

CYRIL; For calling back to his consciousness the crimes he had committed, he is alarmed and trembles, and as being unclean, he believes it impossible he can receive Him who is clean, for he had learnt from the law to distinguish between what is defiled and holy.

GREG. NYSS. When Christ commanded to let down the nets, the multitude of the fishes taken was just as great as the Lord of the sea and land willed. For the voice of the Word is the voice of power, at whose bidding at the beginning of the world light and the other creatures came forth. At these things Peter wonders, for he was astonished, and all that were with him, &c.

AUG. He does not mention Andrew by name, who however is thought to have been in that ship, according to the accounts of Matthew and Mark. It follows, And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not.

AMBROSE; Say you also, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, that God may answer, Fear not. Confess your sin, and the Lord will pardon you. See how good the Lord is, who gives so much to men, that they have the power of making alive. As it follows, From henceforth you shall catch men.

THEOPHYL; This especially belongs to Peter himself, for the Lord explains to him what this taking of fish means; that in fact as now he takes fishes by the net, so hereafter he will catch men by words. And the whole order of this event shows what is daily going on in the Church, of which Peter is the type.

CHRYS. But mark their faith and obedience. For though they were eagerly engaged in the employment of fishing, yet when they heard the command of Jesus, they delayed not, but forsook all and followed Him. Such is the obedience which Christ demands of us; we must not forego it, even though some great necessity urges us. Hence it follows, And having brought their ships to land.

AUG. Matthew and Mark here briefly state the matter, and how it was done. Luke explains it more at large. There seems however to be this difference, that he makes our Lord to have said to Peter only, From henceforth you shall catch men, whereas they related it as having been spoken to both the others. But surely it might have been said at first to Peter, when he marveled at the immense draught of fishes, as Luke suggests, and afterwards to both, as the other two have related it. Or we must understand the event to have taken place as Luke relates, and that the others were not then called by the Lord, but only it was foretold to Peter that he should catch men, not that he should no more be employed in fishing; and hence there is room for supposing that they returned to their fishing, so that afterwards that might happen which Matthew and Mark speak of. For then the ships were not brought to land, as if with the intention of returning, but they followed Him as calling or commanding them to come. But if according to John, Peter and Andrew followed Him close by Jordan, how do the other Evangelists say that He found them fishing in Galilee, and called them to the discipleship? Except we understand that they did not see the Lord near Jordan so as to join Him inseparably, but knew only who He was, and marveling at Him returned to their own.

AMBROSE; But mystically, those whom Peter takes by his word, he claims not as his own booty or his own gift. Depart, he says, from me, O Lord. Fear not then also to ascribe what is your own to the Lord, for what was His He has given to us.

AUG. Or, Peter speaks in the character of A the Church full of carnal men, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. As if the Church, crowded with carnal men, and almost sunk by their vices, throws off from it, as it were, the rule in spiritual things, wherein the character of Christ chiefly shines forth. For not with the tongue do men tell the good servants of God that they should depart from them, but with the utterance of their deeds and actions they persuade them to go away, that they may not be governed by the good. And yet all the more anxiously do they hasten to pay honors to them, just as Peter testified his respect by falling at the feet of our Lord, but his conduct in saying, Depart from me.

THEOPHYL; But the Lord allays the fears of carnal men, that no one trembling at the consciousness of his guilt, or astonished at the innocence of others, might be afraid to undertake the journey of holiness.

AUG. But the Lord did not depart from them, showing thereby that good and spiritual men, when they ere troubled by the wickedness of the many, ought not to wish to abandon their ecclesiastical duties, that they might live as it were a more secure and tranquil life. But the bringing their ships to land, and forsaking all to follow Jesus, may represent the end of time, when those who have clung to Christ shall altogether depart from the storms of this world.

Catena Aurea Luke 5

Calling of Peter and Andrew

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 43,5 x 46 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Saint Gregory the Great,
Pope & Doctor of the Church
Memorial
September 3rd

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Saint Gregory the Great
Carlo Saraceni - c. 1610
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome

Saint Gregory the Great, one of the most prominent figures in Church history, was born at Rome in 540 and died March 12, 604. The son of a patrician family, Gregory studied law, and became Prefect of Rome when he was in his early thirties. He entered a monastery in Rome (ca 574) where he spent about three years before he was sent as papal legate to Constantinople. After six years in this post, he returned to his monastery (which apparently followed the Benedictine rule) where he soon became abbot. He was elected pope September 3, 590, the first monk to hold this office.

One of Pope Gregory's most significant actions (especially in the view of English-speaking people) was to send missionaries to Great Britain -- notably Augustine (of Canterbury). His interest, it is said, was prompted by seeing young Anglo-Saxon captives for sale in a Roman slave market. According to the story, the pope asked who these fair-haired slaves were, and was told they were Angles. The pope exclaimed in response, "They are not 'Angles' -- they are angels!"

Pope Gregory is traditionally credited with unifying the Roman Liturgy and compiling the Church's traditional chant tones, known as Gregorian Chant (also "plain chant").

Collect:
O God, who care for your people with gentleness
and rule them in love,
through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory,
endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom
those to whom you have given authority to govern,
that the flourishing of a holy flock
may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: II Cor 4:1-2,5-7
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

Gospel Reading: Luke 22:24-30
A dispute also arose among them, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves.

"You are those who have continued with me in my trials; and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

St. Gregory the Great

Feast Day: September 3
Born: 540 :: Died: 604

St. Gregory was born in Rome, in Italy. His father was a politician and his mother is a saint, St. Celia. Gregory studied philosophy and when he was still quite young, became the governor of Rome.

When his father died, Gregory made his large house into a monastery. For many years he lived as a good and holy monk (priest).

Then Pope Pelagius made him one of the seven ministers of the Church in Rome. When the pope died, Gregory was chosen to take his place.

He was so holy and wise; everyone knew he would be a good pope. But Gregory was so humble that he did not want that honor at all and disguised himself and hid in a cave. The people soon found him and made him pope anyway.

For fourteen years he ruled the Church. Even though he was always sick, Gregory was one of the greatest popes the Church has ever had.

He wrote many books and was a wonderful preacher. He cared for people all over the world. In fact, he considered himself the servant of all. He was the first pope to use the title "servant of the servants of God." All the popes since have used this title.

St. Gregory took special, loving care of poor people and strangers. Every day he used to feed them a good dinner. He was also very sensitive and understanding when people were treated badly.

Once, when he was still a monk, he saw some blond English boys up for sale in the slave market of Rome. The saint felt a great desire to go to England to bring the love of Jesus to those pagans (who did not believe in God). When he became pope, one of the first things he did was to send some of his best monks to teach the English people and help bring them to Jesus.

This holy pope suffered a lot in the last few years of his life, yet he continued working for his beloved Church until the very end.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, September 3

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of St. Gregory the
Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church. St.
Gregory's later years were filled with physical
suffering but they did not slow his work as
pope. He died in 604 A.D.

Day 246 - Jesus and the Woman of Samaria (Part II)

Today’s Reading: John 4:7-20
7 There came a woman of Samar ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar ia?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” 13 Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, I have no husband’;
18 for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

Today’s Commentary:
five husbands: According to 2 Kings 17:24-31, the five foreign tribes who intermarried with the northern Israelites (Samaritans) introduced five male deities into their religion. These idols were individually addressed as Baal, a Hebrew word meaning “lord” or “husband”. The prophets denounced Israel for serving these gods, calling such worship infidelity to its true covenant spouse, Yahweh. Hope was kept alive, however, that God would show mercy to these Israelites and become their everlasting husband in the bonds of a New Covenant (Hos 2:16-20). This day has dawned in the ministry of Jesus, the divine bridegroom (3:29), who has come to save the Samaritans from a lifetime of struggles with five pagan “husbands”.

Move to: Previous Day | Next Day

Ordinary Time: September 3rd

Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor

Daily Readings for: September 03, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who care for your people with gentleness and rule them in love, through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory, endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom those to whom you have given authority to govern, that the flourishing of a holy flock may become the eternal joy of the shepherds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders | Pope Benedict XVI

Old Calendar: St. Pius X, Pope ; Other Titles: Gregory I; Gregory Dialogos; Father of the Fathers

St. Gregory, senator and prefect of Rome, then in succession monk, cardinal and pope, governed the Church from 590 to 604. England owes her conversion to him. At a period when the invasion of the barbarians created a new situation in Europe, he played a considerable part in the transitional stage, during which a great number of them were won for Christ. At the same time he watched over the holiness of the clergy and preserved ecclesiastical discipline, as well as attending to the temporal interests of his people of Rome and the spiritual interests of the whole of Christendom. To him the liturgy owes several of its finest prayers, and the name "Gregorian chant" recalls this great Pope's work in the development of the Church's chant. His commentaries on Holy Scripture exercised a considerable influence on Christian thought, particularly in the Middle Ages. Together with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome, he is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is feast of St. Pius X; his feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is August 21. The feast of St. Gregory the Great in the Extraordinary Rite is March 12.

St. Gregory the Great
St. Gregory was born at Rome in 540. He was successively senator and prefect of Rome before the age of 30. After five years he resigned and became a monk, transforming his own house into a Benedictine monastery, and founding six others. At the age of 50 he was elected pope, serving from 590 to 604. In 14 years he accomplished much for the Mystical Body of Christ.

After seeing English children being sold as slaves in Rome, he sent 40 monks, including St. Augustine of Canterbury, from his own monastery to make "the Angles angels." England owes her conversion to him. At a period when the invasion of the barbarian Lombards created a new situation in Europe, he played a great part in winning them for Christ. When Rome itself was under attack, he personally went to interview the Lombard King.

At the same time he watched equally over the holiness of the clergy and the maintenance of Church discipline, the temporal interests of his people of Rome and the spiritual interests of all Christendom. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking money for many services, and emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and victims of plague and famine. These deeds and others made him, in the words of an antiphon in his office, "the Father of the City, the joy of the World."

Gregory reformed the liturgy, and it still contains several of his most beautiful prayers. The name "Gregorian chant" recalls this great Pope's work in the development of the Church's music. His commentaries on Holy Scripture exercised a considerable influence on Christian thought in the Middle Ages. St. Gregory died on March 12, 604. His body lies at St. Peter's in Rome.

Patron: choir boys; educators; gout; masons; music; musicians; choirs; singers; stonecutters; teachers; popes; students; scholars; against plague; against gout; against fever; England; West Indies;

Symbols: dove (the Holy Spirit perched upon St. Gregory's shoulder while he wrote); bishop's staff; book and a pen; papal tiara; a church; a sheet of music written in Gregorian style (4 lines, with square notes); scroll with the words, "Ora pro nobis Deum"; desk and book; altar; double or triple cross; eagle; lectern; tall cross and book.

Things to Do:

Read this article about Gregorian chant.
Play recordings of chant.
You may find the entire collection of St. Gregory's writings in the Catholic Culture Library.
From the Catholic Culture Library: Study the history of missionaries in England, The Origins of the Hymns of the Liturgy, Papal Errors in the Ordinary Magisterium? and Pope Pius X's encyclical, Iucunda Sane on Pope Gregory the Great.
Read The Life of St. Gregory from the Golden Legend.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Pope Saint Gregory the Great

detail of 'The Ecstasy of Saint Gregory the Great', Pieter Pauwel Rubens, 1608, oil on canvas, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Grenoble, France Also known as

Gregory I
Gregory Dialogos
Gregory the Dialogist
Father of the Fathers
Gregorius I Magnus

Memorial

3 September
12 March on some calendars

Profile

Son of Gordianus, a Roman regionarius, and Saint Silvia of Rome. Nephew of Saint Emiliana and Saint Tarsilla. Great-grandson of Pope Saint Felix III. Educated by the finest teachers in Rome, Italy. Prefect of Rome for a year, 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. Benedictine monk. Upon seeing English children being sold in the Roman Forum, he became a missionary to England.
Elected 64th Pope by unanimous acclamation on 3 September 590, the first monk to be chosen. Sent Saint Augustine of Canterbury and a company of monks to evangelize England, and other missionaries to France, Spain, and Africa. Collected the melodies and plain chant so associated with him that they are now known as Gregorian Chants. One of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. Wrote seminal works on the Mass and Divine Office, several of them dictated to his secretary, Saint Peter the Deacon.

Born

c.540 at Rome, Italy

Papal Ascension

3 September 590

Died

12 March 604 at Rome, Italy of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

Representation

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia, by G Roger Huddleston
Iucunda Sane: On Pope Saint Gregory the Great, by Pope Saint Pius X
Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine
Life of Our Most Holy Father Saint Benedict, by Saint Gregory
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Pictorial Lives of the Saints
Pope Benedict XVI
- General Audience, 28 May 2008
- General Audience, 4 June 2008
books
- Gregory the Great and His World, by R. A. Markus
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
- Saints to Remember, by the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
other sites in english
- 1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society
- Catholic Cuisine
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online, by Terry Matz
- Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
- Communio
- Cradio
- Earliest Life of Saint Gregory the Great, by a monk or nun of Whitby
- From the Housetops, by Sister Catherine Goddard Clark, M.I.C.M.
- Katherine Rabenstein
- Lives of the Saints, by John J Crawley
- Monastery of Christ in the Desert
- Saint Gregory the Great on Understanding Scripture, by Father Raniero Cantalamessa
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- uCatholic
- Vultus Christi
- Wikipedia
- Catholic Book Blogger
  - Saint Gregory: Pray for the Straying
  - Saint Gregory: Use God’s Gift in Moderation
  - Saint Gregory: When Things Go Well, Remember Who You Are
  - Saint Gregory: Learn to Repent from Judas
  - Saint Gregory: Put Things Right Before You Ask for Forgiveness
  - Saint Gregory: Be Thankful in Adversity as Well as in Prosperity
  - Saint Gregory: Lift Up Your Hearts
  - Saint Gregory: The Heavens Are Opened in the Eucharist
  - Saint Gregory: Sacrifice Yourself Along with the Eucharist
  - Saint Gregory: Trust God’s Promises, and Take What Comes
  - Saint Gregory: Learning Good Habits
  - Saint Gregory: Believe of What Christ Tells You
  - Saint Gregory: Live a Life Worth of the Resurrection
  - Saint Gregory: Find Your Strenth in Jesus’ Weakness
  - Saint Gregory: Learn to Suffer from Christ
  - Saint Gregory: Bring Christ the Gifts of the Magi
  - Saint Gregory: Don’t Misjudge Christ’s Kingdom
  - Saint Gregory: Recognize Both Natures in Christ
  - Saint Gregory: Learn the Power of Humility
images
audio
- Doctors of the Church, part 1
- Doctors of the Church, part 2
video
- CatholicSaints.Info YouTube Playlist
e-books
- Dialogues, by Saint Gregory
- On the Pastoral Office, by Saint Gregory
- Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church: Morals on the Book of Job, v1, by Saint Gregory
- Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church: Morals on the Book of Job, v2, by Saint Gregory
- Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church: Morals on the Book of Job, v3a, by Saint Gregory
- Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church: Morals on the Book of Job, v3b, by Saint Gregory
sites en français
- Abbé Christian-Philippe Chanut
siti in italiano
- Santi e Beati
- Wikipedia

Readings

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. – Saint Gregory the Great
If we knew at what time we were to depart from this world, we would be able to select a season for pleasure and another for repentance. But God, who has promised pardon to every repentant sinner, has not promised us tomorrow. Therefore we must always dread the final day, which we can never foresee. This very day is a day of truce, a day for conversion. And yet we refuse to cry over the evil we have done! Not only do we not weep for the sins we have committed, we even add to them…. If we are, in fact, now occupied in good deeds, we should not attribute the strength with which we are doing them to ourselves. We must not count on ourselves, because even if we know what kind of person we are today, we do not know what we will be tomorrow. Nobody must rejoice in the security of their own good deeds. As long as we are still experiencing the uncertainties of this life, we do not know what end may follow…we must not trust in our own virtues. – Saint Gregory the Great, from Be Friends of God

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 5:1-11

Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. (Luke 5:10)

There’s a story about the British evangelist Smith Wigglesworth (1859–1947). He was riding a train to Wales one day. As the train neared his station, he got up to wash his hands in the restroom. While there, he prayed for just a few moments. When he returned to his seat, someone noticed that his face seemed to be shining with an extraordinary glow. “Sir,” he said, “you’ve convinced me of my need to repent!” Soon after, others in the carriage were exclaiming, “Who are you? You’ve convinced us all to repent!”

The reaction of these travelers to Wigglesworth sounds a little like Peter’s words to Jesus: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). It wasn’t that Peter wanted Jesus to go away. It was that he was overwhelmed by Jesus’ power and goodness.

It’s natural for us to react like this when we encounter the Lord. Perhaps the encounter has shown us our sin, and we are moved to repentance. Perhaps we are not accustomed to experiencing such an abundance of unconditional love. Or maybe we sense that God has a new calling for us, and we are afraid to take it up. As the Letter to the Hebrews says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

But look at Peter. He allowed himself to fall into Jesus’ hands, and it changed his life forever. No longer just a fisherman, he became a fisher of men and women as he grew into his role of leading the Church and encouraging his fellow apostles. It was a rocky road at first, but over time, Peter became a heroic, humble servant reverenced by millions of believers down through the ages.

God has an adventure set aside for you as well. It may not entail world travel or a place in the limelight, but it does involve a life lived for more than just yourself. He wants you to take up the call to catch people for his kingdom. And as you do—whether through evangelization or a life of intercession—you’ll find your horizons broadening, your heart growing warmer, and your life more purposeful. Who knows? Maybe your face will even shine as brightly as Smith Wigglesworth’s!

“Here I am, Lord. I don’t want to live just for myself. Make me into your servant.”

Colossians 1:9-14
Psalm 98:2-6

Marriage = One Man amd One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 3, 2015:

How do you feel about parties? Some people love to host them while others prefer going to them. Still others would rather stay home and cocoon. If you don’t have the same socializing style, what compromises have you worked out?

Rgnum Christi

The Great Navigator

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

September 3, 2015 - Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, as we begin this meditation, I feel you have stepped into my boat. I put out a short distance from shore, away from all my daily concerns, to listen to you alone. It is just you and I, and I sense that you are going to ask something of me. I am truly humbled and grateful that you would spend so much personal time with me.

Petition: Christ, help me to understand and embrace your call to holiness for me.

Teacher: Jesus taught by the lake. We know that he taught in many other places too: in the Temple, in synagogues, on mountains, among children. Today he had a great crowd around him by the lake. For these people, the lake was everything: water, food, transportation, an object of beauty and contemplation. Yet beneath its usually still and deep blue surface, there was a whole other world unknown to them. How appropriate that next to it, Christ, who could probe its depths, uncovered for them the many mysteries of faith and the divine plan! He can help us understand so many things that are a part of our daily lives, yet in many ways remain unfamiliar or unintelligible to us.

Leader: It is one thing to get the curious crowds to give you a moment of their attention, but quite another to motivate people to give you their dedication and their life. Christ knew that to get someone to commit, directing an interesting story to the general public would not be enough. Personal attention was in order. Christ stepped into Peter’s boat and asked him for a favor, a simple task: “Put out a short distance from the shore.” Christ’s first tasks are usually not that hard for us to execute: simply material compliance and a little generosity. But if we let him ride with us long enough, he will eventually ask us for something that demands faith and may go against our reason or personal comfort. We want Christ to win us over for good, but how can he do so if we don’t let him take us for a ride “out into the deep?”

Motivator: Do I get surprised when Christ does something marvelous in my life? Does astonishment seize me? Maybe I’m not surprised. Maybe I am thinking what is good or successful in me originates from myself. Proud is the person who thinks so. Proud, too, is the person who recognizes the hand of God and nevertheless responds, “Leave me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Christ just performed a miracle through the obedience of a sinful man; why can’t he do it again? Why do I respond, “Leave me, Lord,” unless I’m not ready to obey? When I call my partners to come over and check it out, do I do so to allow this experience of Christ to touch others? Or do I do so to help them see how greatly endowed I am? If I am to become a fisher of men like Peter, I, too, must purify myself from these all-too-human reactions. Don’t worry, my pettiness doesn’t faze Christ. Listen to him: “Do not be afraid. You will become…”

Conversation with Christ: So many souls are hustling through this world without knowing where they are going and without enjoying your friendship as I do. I do not know if you want to reach many or few of them through me, but I think they are many. My heart is ready, O Lord. Fill me with apostolic zeal.

Resolution: I will work on being a good and positive motivator today.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 5

<< Thursday, September 3, 2015 >>

Pope St. Gregory the Great

Colossians 1:9-14
View Readings

Psalm 98:2-6

Luke 5:1-11
Similar Reflections

EVERYTHING

"They...left everything, and became His followers." —Luke 5:11

Once St. Peter saw that Jesus, the Carpenter, knew far more about fishing than he did, he realized he didn't need a boat or nets to have a great catch. All he needed was Jesus. Peter knew how to fish in the Sea of Galilee, but in an instant, he realized that in comparison to Jesus, he knew nothing. In that moment, Peter then knew that nothing brought fruitfulness like following Jesus in everything. The accomplishments of a lifetime of fishing didn't begin to compare with what could be accomplished through obedience to every command Jesus gave.

So Peter left everything. He abandoned his nets, his boat, and his business. He left his money, his house, and his land. He counted it all as loss compared to the gain of knowing and following Jesus (see Phil 3:8). With nothing weighing him down, Peter could squeeze "through the narrow gate" (Mt 7:13). By giving up everything, nothing held Peter back from of "a life of obedience to Jesus Christ" (1 Pt 1:2).

It costs everything to purchase the pearl of great price (Mt 13:46). Yet even when we give up all for Jesus, we might still be attached in some way to what we left behind. Jesus said that if anyone tries to serve Him while looking back fondly at what they left behind, that person is "unfit for the reign of God" (Lk 9:62). Therefore, pray for an increase in obedient faith in the Lord Jesus. Then leave everything and "put out into the deep" with Him (see Lk 5:4).

Prayer: Father, may Jesus increase while I decrease (Jn 3:30). May I count it all joy to give everything for Your beloved Son.

Promise: "He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son." —Col 1:13

Praise: Pope St. Gregory the Great had a zeal for the missions to bring the Gospel to the Anglo-Saxons, which he did after being elected pope.