Gregory the Great 		March 12
Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith
Gregory’s life bore ample witness to the title he chose for the papal office, “Servant of the servants of God”. He was born about 540, the son of a Roman senator. He had a career in government and was prefect of Rome in 573. Like a number of other aristocrats of the day, Gregory was attracted by the ascetic ideal and used his vast wealth for extensive social relief work. He established several monasteries and lived a monastic life in his city palace, which he turned into a monastery. Pope Benedict I appointed him one of the seven deacons of Rome, with considerable responsibility for social work in the city. He was elected pope in 590.
Several things marked Gregory’s pontificate. Faced with the inability of the emperor in Constantinople to organise the protection of Italy against the Lombard invasions, Gregory took action himself, putting the organisation of the Italian cities on a firm footing and establishing a separate peace with the Lombards in the west in 592. He demonstrated his great ability in the administration of the vast estates of the church, enabling much charitable work to be sustained in a period of pestilence, famine and unrest. Gregory’s firm leadership in the west led to strained relationships with the patriarch of Constantinople as well as with the emperor, both of whom found the independent tendencies of the west unsatisfactory.
Gregory was a great promoter of the mission of the church. According to Bede, it was Gregory who sent Augustine to Canterbury, having earlier in his life seen fair-haired slaves from Britain in the market and decided that these Angles should become joint-heirs with the angels.
Augustine was prior of Gregory’s own monastery, and Gregory did much to promote the monastic way of life. In addition, in his care for his clergy he wrote his best-known work, Pastoral Care, an outstanding manual of episcopal guidance for the secular clergy, equivalent for them to the rules that governed monks. Pastoral Care became a classic on ministry for the medieval episcopate. He wrote a number of other works and made a significant contribution to the development of the liturgy and of liturgical music.
Gregory was a person of strong character and warm charity. He was canonised by popular acclaim immediately after his death in 604.
For Liturgical Use
Gregory was born about 540 and became pope in a turbulent era. He used his great ability as an organiser to defend Italy against the Lombard invasions and to arrange extensive relief for the poor. He was responsible for sending Augustine to Britain, and wrote a textbook for the episcopate on pastoral care. Gregory also promoted monasticism as a vigorous outreach of the church. He died in 604.
Sentence
My heart is steadfast O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody.	Psalm 57:7
Collects
Gracious and eternal God,
you called Gregory of Rome
to be a persistent servant and pastor of your people;
keep your church in the faith that he taught
and unwavering in its mission in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We praise you God
for Gregory and all his labours
to save the church from northern invaders
and make them friends,
for his writing, his ransoming prisoners,
and his mission to the Angles;
give us strength
to be servants of the servants of God.
Psalms	92:1-5,12-15	100
Readings
Ecclesiasticus 47:8-11	The praise of God
1 Corinthians 1:18-25	God’s wisdom for all
Mark 10:42-45		Servant of all
Post Communion Sentence
We do not proclaim ourselves, we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.		2 Corinthians 4:5