Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of
the Church
(I Corinthians 3:18-23; Luke 5:1-11)
St. Paul orders Church relations in a radical way in today’s
first reading. For him those holding
offices in the Church have less importance.
These are the apostles and evangelists who roam the earth preaching
Christ. They are meant to serve the
people of God, who in turn serve the Lord Jesus who serves God the Father. This differs decidedly from the Medieval
arrangement which saw nobility on the first tier, followed by the clergy on the
second tier, and then commoners.
Pope St. Gregory the Great, a sixth century pope, Church
Father, and Doctor of the Church, took with Paul’s revolutionary arrangement to
heart. He called himself “the servant of
the servants of God.” He understood what
Christ meant when he told his apostles that they were to serve and not to be
served. Gregory’s charity was so
bountiful, his achievements so manifold, and his impact so considerable that he
is recognized as one of three popes called “the Great.”
We should strive to see ourselves as Paul sees the
Corinthian faithful. We are the “People
of God,” as Vatican II proclaimed. We
exist to give God thanks and praise. The
clergy helps us on this mission. But we
must make the effort to break with the sinful aspects of the world to live as
God’s true sons and daughters.
