Saint of the day, September 3

September 3 - Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Born: c. 540
Died: 604
Nationality: Roman
Vocation: Pope and monk
Attributes: Papal vestments, book, quill
Patronage: Musicians, singers, students, teachers

Pope St. Gregory the Great devoted his life to God and the Church, serving with a humility that would become one of the hallmarks of his papacy.

Born around 540, Gregory trained in law and rose to become prefect of Rome. Around the age of 30, however, he left public life to become a monk, drawn to a life centered on prayer and closeness to God.

His quiet monastic life did not last. Gregory was called to serve the Church and eventually elected pope in 590. Though he had desired the solitude of the monastery, he accepted the responsibility God placed before him and devoted himself to caring for the Church and its people.

As pope, Gregory cared for the poor, strengthened the Church’s liturgical life, and sent missionaries to bring the Gospel to England. His influence would be felt for centuries, yet the man remembered as “the Great” preferred to call himself “servant of the servants of God.”

Gregory’s life reminds us that following God does not always lead where we expect. The Lord may call us away from our own plans, but every new path offers another opportunity to love and serve him. Gregory embraced what God asked of him, allowing a life he once hoped to spend in quiet prayer to become a life of service to the whole Church.

Pope Saint Gregory the Great, pray for us!

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