St. Gregory the Great

Reading for the Memorial of
St. Gregory the Great
Pope and Doctor of the Church
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Beatus Gregorius, in cathedra Petri sublimatus, semper speciem Domini quaerebat, atque in sollemnitate illius amoris habitabat.
Blessed Gregory, raised upon the throne of Peter,
sought always the beauty of the Lord
and lived in celebration of that love.

COLLECT
Deus, qui populis tuis indulgentia consulis et amore dominaris, da spiritum sapientiae, intercedente beato Gregorio papa, quibus dedisti regimen disciplinae, ut de profectu sanctarum ovium fiant gaudia aeterna pastorum.
O God, who care for your people with gentleness
and rule them in love,
through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory,
endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom
those to whom you have given authority to govern,
that the flourishing of a holy flock
may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

FIRST READING 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us,
we are not discouraged.
Rather, we have renounced shameful, hidden things;
not acting deceitfully or falsifying the word of God,
but by the open declaration of the truth
we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,
and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.
For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"
has shone in our hearts to bring to light
the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.

But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM          96: 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10

R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation day after day.
Tell God's glory among the nations;
among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds.
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and might;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts and enter his courts;
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
The world will surely stand fast, never to be moved.
God rules the peoples with fairness.
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

ALLELUIA           John 15:15b
Vos dixi amicos, dicit Dominus, quia omnia quae audivi a Patre meo, nota feci vobis.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

GOSPEL          Luke 22:24-30
An argument broke out among the Apostles
about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.
Jesus said to them,
"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them
and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors';
but among you it shall not be so.
Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest,
and the leader as the servant.
For who is greater:
the one seated at table or the one who serves?
Is it not the one seated at table?
I am among you as the one who serves.
It is you who have stood by me in my trials;
and I confer a kingdom on you,
just as my Father has conferred one on me,
that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom;
and you will sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Annue nobis, quaesumus, Domine, ut, in celebratione beati Gregorii, haec nobis prosit oblatio, quam immolando totius mundi tribuisti relaxari delicta.
Grant our supplication, we pray, O Lord,
that this sacrifice we present in celebration of Saint Gregory
may be for our good,
since through its offering
you have loosed the offenses of all the world.
Through Christ our Lord.

COMMUNION SONG          Luke 12:42
Fidelis servus et prudens, quem constituit Dominus super familiam suam, ut det illis in tempore tritici mensuram.
This is the steward, faithful and prudent,
whom the Lord set over his household
to give them their allowance of food at the proper time

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Quos Christo reficis pane vivo, eosdem edoce, Domine, Christo magistro, ut in festivitate beati Gregorii tuam discant veritatem, et eam in caritate operentur.
Through Christ the teacher, O Lord,
instruct those you feed with Christ, the living Bread,
that on the feast day of Saint Gregory
they may learn your truth
and express it in works of charity.
Through Christ our Lord.

The Liturgy of the Hours
Gregory the Great

From the Common of Pastors or of Doctors, except the following:

HYMN Anglorum Iam Apostolus

Anglorum iam apostolus,
nunc angelorum socius,
ut tunc, Gregori, gentibus,
succurre iam credentibus.

Tu largas opum copias
omnemque mundi gloriam
spernis, ut inops inopem
Iesum sequaris principem.

Te celsus Christus pontifex
suæ præfert Ecclesiæ;
sic Petri gradum percipis,
suius et normam sequeris.

Scripturæ sacræ mystica
mire solvis ænigmata,
excelsaque mysteria
te docet ipsa Veritas.

O pontifex egregie,
lux et decus Ecclesiæ,
non sinas in periculis
quos tot mandatis instruis.

Sit Patri laus ingenito,
sit decus Unigenito,
sit utriusque parili
maiestas summa Flamini.

Th'apostle to the English lands
Who now among the angels stands,
Make haste, St. Gregory, relieve
And help the people who believe.

From riches and from wealth you turned.
The glory of the world you spurned,
That you might follow, being poor,
Prince Jesus, who was poor before.

This Christ, High Pontifex, decreed
That you would take His Church’s lead,
And learn St. Peter’s steps to tread:
The rule of all called in his stead.

You wondrously solved riddles deep:
The mystic secrets Scriptures keep,
For Truth Himself has taught you these:
The lofty sacred mysteries.

O Pontifex, our leader bright,
The Church’s honor and its light,
Through dangers let them all be brought,
The ones you carefully have taught.

The unborn Father let us praise,
And to His Son like glory raise,
And to their Equal, majesty.
All glory to the Trinity. Amen.

Liber Hymnarius, no. 427, St. Peter Damian; Chant: Monks and Chiorboys of Downside Abbey; Translation: Kathy.

Morning Prayer

BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon: Gregory, an outstanding pastor of the Church, has left us a splendid example and rule of life, a guide for all who shepherd God's people.

COLLECT
O God, who care for your people with gentleness
and rule them in love,
through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory,
endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom
those to whom you have given authority to govern,
that the flourishing of a holy flock
may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Evening Prayer

MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: Gregory put into practice all that he preached so that he might be a living example of the spiritual message he proclaimed.

COLLECT
O God, who care for your people with gentleness
and rule them in love,
through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory,
endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom
those to whom you have given authority to govern,
that the flourishing of a holy flock
may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From a homily on Ezekiel by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
(Lib. 1, 11, 4-6: CCL 142, 170-172)

For Christ's love I do not spare myself in speaking of him

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Note that a man whom the Lord sends forth as a preacher is called a watchman. A watchman always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming. Anyone appointed to be a watchman for the people must stand on a height for all his life to help them by his foresight.

How hard it is for me to say this, for by these very words I denounce myself. I cannot preach with any competence, and yet insofar as I do succeed, still I myself do not live my life according to my own preaching.

I do not deny my responsibility; I recognize that I am slothful and negligent, but perhaps the acknowledgment of my fault will win me pardon from my just judge. Indeed when I was in the monastery I could curb my idle talk and usually be absorbed in my prayers. Since I assumed the burden of pastoral care, my mind can no longer be collected; it is concerned with so many matters.

I am forced to consider the affairs of the Church and of the monasteries. I must weigh the lives and acts of individuals. I am responsible for the concerns of our citizens. I must worry about the invasions of roving bands of barbarians, and beware of the wolves who lie in wait for my flock. I must become an administrator lest the religious go in want. I must put up with certain robbers without losing patience and at times I must deal with them in all charity.

With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men. At times I let my tongue run, for if I am always severe in my judgments, the worldly will avoid me, and I can never attack them as I would. As a result I often listen patiently to chatter. And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided. What once I found tedious I now enjoy.

So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him.

RESPONSORY
He drew his moral and mystical teaching from the source of holy Scripture;
through him the life-giving streams of the Gospel flowed out to all nations.
--Though he is dead he still speaks to us today.

As a soaring eagle sees all on the earth below,
so he cares for both the great and small with his all-embracing charity.
--Though he is dead he still speaks to us today.

COLLECT
O God, who care for your people with gentleness
and rule them in love,
through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory,
endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom
those to whom you have given authority to govern,
that the flourishing of a holy flock
may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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