“The Greatest of the Great”
Yesterday, March 12th, was the feast and the date of death, of Pope Saint Gregory the Great. He has been called “The Greatest of the Great,” in other words, the greatest pope who ever lived. He was the last of the most influential early doctors of the west, preceded by Saints Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. Why is he regarded so highly by many Catholic scholars?
Saint Gregory lived from about the year 540 to 604. He was born in Rome to a noble family. The Roman Empire was now in disarray and the new capitol was Constantinople. As this pagan era was falling, Christendom began to rise, and Saint Gregory was an integral part of this. He sat on the Chair of Saint Peter for only 14 years, but this short time was extraordinarily productive, in spite of his aging and poor health.
This early medieval pope was known for his great charity…“Every day he invited 12 poor people to be guests at his table, and he was himself accustomed to pour the water with which they cleansed their hands.”
Gregorian Chant: Te Joseph Celebrent
The normative form of music for the Tridentine Mass is what we call “Gregorian Chant,” hearkening back to Saint Gregory’s papacy. There is scant information, but we know he was involved in musical education, in which chant was sung. From the book St. Gregory and the Gregorian Music, author Wyatt: “The great work of Gregory was to organize, set in order, and fix.”
The above link is an example of Gregorian chant in Latin. In this Month of Saint Joseph, this will be sung on his feast, on the 19th, at Vespers. It is also sung on the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, May 1st. It was written by Fr. Juan Escollar (d. 1700).
St. Gregory the Great and His Dove
Why is Saint Gregory often depicted with a dove? Please read the above for this amazing story and more on his bio.
For a more exhaustive look at his life, please see: Pope Saint Gregory I
Image courtesy http://communio.stblogs.org