MARCH 12, 2025 – LENT DAY 8 – ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.

• Pope St. Gregory the Great (604). Doctor of the Church, Patron or Patroness, Pope. Male Church music, musicians, and singers.. (Traditional)
• St. Theophanes the Chronicler (817). (Historical)

GREGORY was a Roman of noble birth, and while still young was Governor of Rome. On his father’s death he gave his great wealth to the poor, turned his house on the Colian Hill into a monastery, which now bears his name, and for some years lived as a perfect monk. The Pope drew him from his seclusion to make him one of the seven deacons of Rome; and he did great service to the Church for many years as what we now call Nuncio to the imperial court at Constantinople. While still a monk the Saint was struck with some boys who were exposed for sale in Rome, and heard with sorrow that they were Pagans. “And of what race are they?” he asked. “They are Angels.” “Worthy indeed to be Angels of God,” said he; “and of what province ?” “Of Deira,” was the reply. “Truly must we rescue them from the wrath of God. And what is the name of their king?” “He is called Ella.” “It is well,” said Gregory; “Alleluia must be sung in their land to God.” He at once got leave from the Pope, and had set out to convert the English, when the murmurs of the people led the Pope to recall him. Still the Anglos were not forgotten, and one of the Saint’s first cares as Pope was to send from his own monastery St. Augustine and other monks to England. On the death of Pope, Pelagius II, Gregory was compelled to take government of the Church, and for fourteen years his pontificate was a perfect model of ecclesiastical rule. He healed schisms, revived discipline; saved Italy by converting the wild Arian Lombards who were laying it waste; aided in the conversion of the Spanish and French Goths, who were also Arians; and kindled anew in Britain the light of the Faith which the English had put out in blood. He set in order the Church’s prayers and chant, guided and consoled her pastors with innumerable letters, and preached incessantly, most effectually by his own example. He died A.D. 604, worn out by austerities and toils; and the Church reckons him one of her four great doctors, and reveres him as St. Gregory the Great.

REFLECTION: The champions of faith prove the truth of their teaching no less by the holiness of their lives than by the force of their arguments. Never forget that to convert others you must first see to your own soul.

WORD OF THE DAY

DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. A title given since the Middle Ages to certain saints whose writing or preaching is outstanding for guiding the faithful in all periods of the Church’s history. Originally the Western Fathers of the Church, Gregory the Great, Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome, were considered the great doctors of the Church. But the Church has officially added many more names to the original four, including Sts. Catherine of Siena (1347-80) and Theresa of Avila (1515-82):

ST. ALBERT THE GREAT (1200-80). Dominican. Patron of natural scientists; called Doctor Universalis, Doctor Expertus.

ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI (1696-1787). Patron of confessors and moralists. Founder of the Redemptorists.

ST. AMBROSE (340-97). One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Opponent of Arianism in the West. Bishop of Milan.

ST. ANSELM (1033-1109). Archbishop of Canterbury. Father of Scholasticism.

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA (1195-1231). Franciscan Friar. Evangelical Doctor.

ST. ATHANASIUS (297-373). Bishop of Alexandria. Dominant opponent of Arianism. Father of Orthodoxy.

ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430). Bishop of Hippo. One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Doctor of Grace.

ST. BASIL THE GREAT (329-79). One of the Three Cappadocian Fathers. Father of monasticism in the East.

ST. BEDE THE VENERABLE (673-735). Benedictine priest Father of English history.

ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (1090-1153). Cistercian Called Mellifluous Doctor because of his eloquence.

ST. BONAVENTURE (1217-74). Franciscan theologian. Seraphic Doctor.

ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA (1347-80). Mystic. Second woman Doctor.

ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA (376-444). Patriarch. Opponent of Nestorianism. Made key contributions to Christology.

ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM (315-87). Bishop and opponent of Arianism in the East.

ST. EPHRAEM SYRUS (306-73). Biblical exegete and ecclesiastical writer. Called Harp of the Holy Spirit.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES (1567-1622). Bishop, leader in Counter-Reformation. Patron of Catholic writers and the Catholic press.

ST. GREGORY I THE GREAT (540-604). Pope. Fourth and last of the traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Defended papal supremacy and worked for clerical and monastic reform.

ST. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS (330-90). Called the Christian Demosthenes because of his eloquence and, in the Eastern Church, The Theologian. One of the Three Cappadocian Fathers.

ST. HILARY OF POITIERS (315-68). Bishop. Called The Athanasius of the West.

ST. ISIDORE OF SEVILLE (560-636). Archbishop, theologian, historian. Regarded as the most learned man of his time.

ST. JEROME (343-420). One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Father of biblical science.

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (347-407). Bishop of Constantinople. Patron of preachers and called Golden-Mouthed because of his eloquence.

ST. JOHN DAMASCENE (675-749). Greek theologian. Called Golden Speaker because of his eloquence.

ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542-91). Joint founder of the Discalced Carmelites. Doctor of Mystical Theology.

ST. LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI (1559-1619). Vigorous preacher of strong influence in the post-Reformation period.

ST. LEO I THE GREAT (400-61). Pope. Wrote against Nestorian and Monophysite heresies and errors of Manichaeism and Pelagianism.

ST. PETER CANISIUS (1521-97). Jesuit theologian. Leader in the Counter-Reformation.

ST. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS (400-50). Bishop of Ravenna. Called Golden-Worded.

ST. PETER DAMIAN (1007-72). Benedictine. Ecclesiastical and clerical reformer.

ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE (1542-1621). Jesuit. Defended doctrine under attack during and after the Reformation. Wrote two catechisms.

ST. TERESA OF AVILA (1515-82). Spanish Carmelite nun and mystic. First woman Doctor.

ST. THERESA OF LISIEUX (1873-97) French Carmelite nun. Known as the “Little Flower of Jesus”, her spirituality has influenced millionsworldwide to imitate her “Little Way”.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-74). Dominican philosopher and theologian. Called Angelic Doctor. Patron of† Catholic schools and education.

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)

LENT MEDITATION DAY 8

Enjoy daily meditations this lent from Fr. Richard Clarke, SJ. Short and powerful, written in 1880 for busy lay people to reap rewards through lent. (includes audio): Lent Day 8: Wednesday after the First Sunday in Lent — The Farewell Discourse of Jesus.

March is the Month of St. Joseph

Daily devotional meditations on Saint Joseph: March 12th — St. Joseph’s Third Sorrow.

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