Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.

Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother

Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Seven Sorrows

Litany of Seven Sorrows

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, Fount of tears, Sea of bitterness, Field of tribulation, Mass of suffering, Mirror of patience, Rock of constancy, Remedy in perplexity, Joy of the afflicted, Ark of the desolate, Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed, Conqueror of the incredulous, Solace of the wretched, Medicine of the sick, Help of the faint, Strength of the weak, Protectress of those who fight, Haven of the shipwrecked, Calmer of tempests, Companion of the sorrowful, Retreat of those who groan, Terror of the treacherous, Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, Treasure of the Faithful, Light of Confessors, Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints, Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end, Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple 4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.

Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.		Litany of Sorrows

Stabat Mater dolorosa
At the Cross Her Station Keeping

Stabat Mater Dolorosa is considered one of the seven greatest Latin hymns of all time. It is based upon the prophecy of Simeon that a sword was to pierce the heart of His mother, Mary (Lk 2:35). The hymn originated in the 13th century during the peak of Franciscan devotion to the crucified Jesus and has been attributed to Pope Innocent III (d. 1216), St. Bonaventure, or more commonly, Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306), who is considered by most to be the real author.

The hymn is often associated with the Stations of the Cross. In 1727 it was prescribed as a Sequence for the Mass of the Seven Sorrows of Mary (September 15) where it is still used today. In addition to this Mass, the hymn is also used for the Office of the Readings, Lauds, and Vespers for this memorial. There is a mirror image to this hymn, which echoes the joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the birth of Jesus.

STABAT Mater dolorosa iuxta Crucem lacrimosa, dum pendebat Filius.	AT, the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last.
Cuius animam gementem, contristatam et dolentem pertransivit gladius.	Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed.
O quam tristis et afflicta fuit illa benedicta, mater Unigeniti!	O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One.
Quae maerebat et dolebat, pia Mater, dum videbat nati poenas inclyti.	Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son.
Quis est homo qui non fleret, matrem Christi si videret in tanto supplicio?	Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Quis non posset contristari Christi Matrem contemplari dolentem cum Filio?	Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold?
Pro peccatis suae gentis vidit Iesum in tormentis, et flagellis subditum.	Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, she beheld her tender Child All with bloody scourges rent:
Vidit suum dulcem Natum moriendo desolatum, dum emisit spiritum.	For the sins of His own nation, saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent.
Eia, Mater, fons amoris me sentire vim doloris fac, ut tecum lugeam.	O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord:
Fac, ut ardeat cor meum in amando Christum Deum ut sibi complaceam.	Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord.
Sancta Mater, istud agas, crucifixi fige plagas cordi meo valide.	Holy Mother! pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified:
Tui Nati vulnerati, tam dignati pro me pati, poenas mecum divide.	Let me share with thee His pain, who for all my sins was slain, who for me in torments died.
Fac me tecum pie flere, crucifixo condolere, donec ego vixero.	Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live:
Iuxta Crucem tecum stare, et me tibi sociare in planctu desidero.	By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgo virginum praeclara, mihi iam non sis amara, fac me tecum plangere.	Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine;
Fac, ut portem Christi mortem, passionis fac consortem, et plagas recolere.	Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the death of that dying Son of thine.
Fac me plagis vulnerari, fac me Cruce inebriari, et cruore Filii.	Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath swooned, in His very Blood away;
Flammis ne urar succensus, per te, Virgo, sim defensus in die iudicii.	Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, lest in flames I burn and die, in His awful Judgment Day.
Christe, cum sit hinc exire, da per Matrem me venire ad palmam victoriae.	Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, by Thy Mother my defense, by Thy Cross my victory;
Quando corpus morietur, fac, ut animae donetur paradisi gloria. Amen.	While my body here decays, may my soul Thy goodness praise, safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

From the Liturgia Horarum. Translation by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878)

Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows

O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.

Stabet Mater Dolorosa (catholic/orthodox caucus)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Spirituality: Our Lady of Sorrows
The Seven Swords Rosary Of Our Lady Of Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer and Meditation
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer/Devotion
Our Lady of Sorrows, part I: "Her Martyrdom was longer and greater than that of all the martyrs"

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows (Dolours) and 7 Joys of Our Lady
The Seven Dolors (Sorrows) of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Devotional]
Apparition in Africa: Our Lady of Sorrows [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus Devotional]
Feast of Our Lady/Mother of Sorrows
Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows
Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
Our Mother of Sorrows
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

Pope’s Intention for September

The Protection of the Oceans

That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world's seas and oceans."

I thought that continence was a matter of our own strength, and I knew that I had not the strength: for in my utter foolishness I did not know the word of Your Scripture that none can be continent unless You give it.

–St. Augustine

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

St. Gregory the Great

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 3rd

Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor

MASS READINGS

September 03, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

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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Recipes (5)

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Activities (2)

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Prayers (2)

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Library (1)

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

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

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.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11

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

Therefore, encourage one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians around AD 51, only about twenty years after Jesus’ resurrection. Like many believers at the time, the believers in Thessalonica were expecting Jesus to return very soon and usher in the kingdom in its fullness. Paul, however, set the record straight: don’t worry about when Jesus comes again; concentrate on how ready you’ll be. Stay sober and alert, and spend your energy encouraging one another and building one another up.

Two thousand years later, Paul’s advice is just as relevant. We don’t know when Jesus will come again—it might even be today or tomorrow! So while we always need to be ready, we should focus on helping each other to stay faithful to the Lord.

We often think of encouragement in terms of what we say to people. That’s important, of course. But have you ever thought that you encourage others by what you do for them? Here are some examples:

• Barbara was missing her regular quiet time with the Lord each morning. Her alarm would go off, but she just kept hitting the snooze button. Hearing this, her friend Claire promised to wake her up for the next two weeks with an early morning phone call. That helped Barbara to get back on track.

• George’s recuperation from surgery was taking longer than expected, and he felt useless and unproductive. So his wife, Jane, asked him to join her in intercessory prayer for other people’s needs. George agreed and discovered that as he prayed for other people, his own trust in God deepened.

• Jason, a college student, noticed that his friend Ryan had stopped attending Mass. So he offered to accompany Ryan to the evening Mass on campus and invited him to join his Bible study. That led Ryan to rediscover the Lord and become excited about his faith.

Who might need your encouragement today? Perhaps you can think of something you can do to lift up that person. You can be sure that whatever you do will encourage you as well. Then both of you will be more ready to meet Jesus when he comes again in glory.

“Lord, thank you for the people in my life who have encouraged me.”

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Luke 4:31-37

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

Daily Marriage Tip for September 3, 2019:

Instead of becoming quickly offended by your spouse’s words, ask for clarity first.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Pope Saint Gregory the Great

detail of a stained glass window of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, by Syrius Eberle, date unknown; parish church of Saint Benedict in Odelzhausen, Dachau, Bayern, Germany; photographed on 17 October 2015 by GFreihalter; swiped from Wikimedia Commons Also known as

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

Memorial

3 September (primary, based on his ascension to the papacy)
12 March (in Rome, Italy at his grave in Saint Peter’s Basilica; some Protestant and Orthodox calendars)
25 January (translation of relics to the Jesuit church of São Roque in Lisbon, Portugal)
26 March (translation of relics to Gaul)
11 July (translation of relics to Soissons, France)
20 July (translation of relics to Cluny)
4 September (Paulines)
22 September (translation of relics to Melun)
13 March (Armenian calendar)
19 March on some calendars
30 March on some calendars
2 September on some calendars
15 October 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

A Garner of Saints, by Allen Banks Hinds, M.A.
Book of Saints, by Father Lawrence George Lovasik, S.V.D.
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
Little Lives of the Great Saints
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Pictorial Lives of the Saints
Purgatory Explained
True Historical Stories for Catholic Children, by Josephine Portuondo
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
- Aleteia
- Augustinian Canons
- Bollandists
- Catholic Cuisine
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Heroes
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online, by Terry Matz
- Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
- Christian Iconography
- Communio
- Cradio
- Dominicana Journal
- Earliest Life of Saint Gregory the Great, by a monk or nun of Whitby
- Franciscan Media
- Independent Catholic News
- Katherine Rabenstein
- Lives of the Saints, by John J Crawley
- Popes in a Year
- Saint Gregory the Great on Understanding Scripture, by Father Raniero Cantalamessa
- Saints Alive, by Father Robert McNamara
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- uCatholic
- 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: Don’t Misjudge Christ’s Kingdom
  - Saint Gregory: Recognize Both Natures in Christ
  - Saint Gregory: Learn the Power of Humility
images
- Medieval Religion Listserv
- Medieval Religion Listserv
- Wikimedia Commons
audio
- Doctors of the Church, part 1
- Doctors of the Church, part 2
video
- 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
webseiten auf deutsch
- Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon
sitios en español
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
sites en français
- Abbé Christian-Philippe Chanut
fonti in italiano
- Cathopedia
- Santi e Beati
- Santo del Giorno
- Wikipedia
websites in nederlandse
- Heiligen 3s

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

On Gregory the Great
Saint Gregory the Great’s Sermon on the Mystery of the Resurrection
A Light in the “Dark Ages”, The Life and Legacy of Saint Gregory the Great [Catholic Caucus]
The Archangels - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (from a homily by Pope Saint Gregory the Great)
Pope St.Gregory I (the Great) [Repost]
Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders
I Had a Dream: The Music of Palestrina and Gregory the Great Had Come Back
Saint Gregory The Great: Pope, Doctor of the Church
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Gregorian Chant. The Revival Announced
Dramatic Changes in Music Rubrics for New Missal
Gregorian Chant: Pride of Place [Catholic Caucus]
Gregorian Chant: Back to Basics in the Roman Rite
ECUMENIC(AL): [Video] Interview with le BARROUX Nuns about recording Chant CD for Decca Records
Cloistered French nuns to make Gregorian chant album for Universal Music
Old Roman chant: Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi - Part II
Gregorian Chant on EWTN
Gregorian chant gains momentum in Anchorage
Gregorian Chant Revival (Nice Video For A Slow Day)

Regnum Christi

September 3, 2019 – Christ at Home in Capernaum

03 Sep 2019

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

Luke 4:31-37

Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you have looked with favor on me. You have seen in my soul fertile ground, and you have sown your word in hope of an abundant harvest. I hope never to let you down by not responding in faith. I allow you to lead me to the fullness of my vocation as your disciple.

Petition: Christ, may zeal for your friendship consume me so much that I remove all sin from my life.

Great Hopes: Jesus had great plans for Capernaum –– a big city, situated by the lake on the “way of the sea,” a thoroughfare open to travelers. It was an ideal hub from which to spread the Gospel. Would anyone from such a big town have interest in his message? Christ made his home there. He exercised the greater part of his public ministry in Capernaum and graced it with more than one-third of his miracles. It was quite different from Nazareth. Christ asks us to find our Capernaum –– seeking that niche, using those talents, evangelizing that audience — where we can become the most effective apostles for him. This may demand a greater love from us, but we can see how Christ blesses this effort with his presence, teaching and healing.

Simple Faith: Christ chooses to cure a man on the Sabbath in Capernaum and nobody raises an eyebrow! How different this is from Jerusalem! These people here have a simple faith, unconcerned about the legalities of ritualistic orthodoxy. “Here I can preach. Here I can heal. Here I can work!” Christ feels at home and welcomed. Here Christ finds vocations: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew. Here Christ finds faith even among the pagans: the centurion who asks for a cure. One can sense a special predilection of Christ toward this city. From those who have been given more, more will be expected.

Generosity Pushed to Its Limits: Once a soul responds in generosity, Christ opportunely draws it to the fullness of its vocation. Encouraged by Capernaum’s faith, Christ asks more of it; just as he asked of the rich young man. As we see later in the Gospel, what better place than faith-filled Capernaum for Christ to reveal to the world one of his most difficult teachings: presenting himself as the Living Bread come down from heaven? In the end, the majority leave him. “Will you go away too?” The present-day ruins of Capernaum testify to the truth of Christ’s warning: “As for you, Capernaum, ‘Are you to be exalted to the skies? You shall go down to the realm of death!’ If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Sodom, it would be standing today. I assure you; it will go easier for Sodom than for you on the Day of Judgment” (Matthew 11:23-4).

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know me and you know everything about me. Let me not become blinded by the arrogance of my own opinions and ideas. Help me to keep you always before me as the goal of my life, the pearl of great price, for which I joyfully sell all I own to possess.

Resolution: I will use one of my talents to help somebody today.

Homily of the Day

September 3, 2019

In the Gospel reading, Jesus uses his power to free a man possessed by an evil spirit. The Church affirms for us the reality of Satan and of evil. In his public ministry Jesus in so many occasions freed people of afflictions caused by evil spirits. By being tempted by the devil at the beginning of his public ministry, he showed us his humanity and taught us how to oppose evil.

In the first reading, St. Paul exhorts the faithful to be vigilant and watchful. He reminds them that they are children of the light and not of darkness. He reminds them to be loving and supportive of one another.

In his letter to the Church at Ephesus, St. Paul wrote, “Be strong in the Lord with his energy and strength. Put on the armor of God to be able to resist the cunning of the devil. Our battle is not against human forces but against the rulers and authorities and their dark powers that govern this world. We are struggling against the spirits and supernatural forces of evil” (Eph 6: 10 – 12) And we are strong when God is with us.

FINALLY, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 5

<< Tuesday, September 3, 2019 >>

Pope St. Gregory the Great

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
View Readings

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

Luke 4:31-37
Similar Reflections

THE BAPTIZED "WAIT WITH JOYFUL HOPE"

"As regards specific times and moments, brothers, we do not need to write you; you know very well that the day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night." —1 Thessalonians 5:1-2

We will be ready when Jesus returns if we:

are "children of light and of the day" (1 Thes 5:5),
do not belong to darkness or night (1 Thes 5:5),
are not "asleep like the rest, but awake and sober" (1 Thes 5:6; cf Eph 5:14), and
are "putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet" (1 Thes 5:8; cf Eph 6:17).

In other words, we will be ready for Jesus' return if we are baptized into Jesus and faithfully living our Baptisms. The way to be ready for Jesus' coming at a future date is to be preoccupied with Jesus' presence now. If we love Jesus with all our hearts and souls (see Mk 12:30), we are ready for anything. Otherwise, we are not ready for the most important events of life.

Consequently, let us repent of our sins, go to Confession, and renew our Baptisms. Let us reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises. Let us believe boldly and joyfully in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Those living their Baptisms spontaneously cry out Maranatha! "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rv 22:20)

Prayer: Father, may I know and live the radical newness which comes from Baptism (Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, Pope St. John Paul II, 10).

Promise: "They were spellbound by His teaching, for His words had authority." —Lk 4:32

Praise: With unswerving faith, Pope St. Gregory faced barbarian invasions and guided the Church in decadent times.