9/3/2014 – Wednesday of 22nd week in Ordinary Time – St Gregory the Great – Pope and Doctor of the Church – 1 Corinthians 3:

       Paul speaks directly to the problems going on in the Christian community in Corinth in the our first reading.  This community was divided into factions.  Members of the community were convinced of their own self-righteousness.  They judged others.  There was jealousy, bitterness, and rivalry.   A lot of those same things plague our communities of faith and our society today, so the wisdom of Paul still has so much relevance today.

      Indeed, throughout the history of Christianity, we have had bold, courageous individuals who have be called to directly confront the problems that exist in our Church and in the world. As you know, we only have 35 Doctors of the Church, and of those 35, only two are popes – Pope Leo the Great from the 5^th century, and Pope Gregory the Great from the 6^th century, the saint whom we celebrate today.  Gregory the Great was a leader during a time that was turbulent not only for the Church, but for the world as well. 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.” At the time, it must have felt like Christianity was being attacked on just about every front, including the Goths who were invading Rome.  With regards to the Church, his liturgical reforms and the strengthening of Church Doctrine helped Christianity survive and pass down the faith to future generations.  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 might despair sometimes at what we see going on in the world, at how we see our faith under attack.  Yet I heard one priest say in response to this: “Don’t despair.  The world and the Church have been under attack for generations, and we still are!”  St Gregory the Great, St Paul, and the community of saints – pray for us!