September 3
St Gregory the Great
Thursday, week 22 in Ordinary Time
St Gregory the Great (c. 540–604), Pope and Doctor of the Church, is one of the most prominent figures in the early Middle Ages. Born into a patrician Roman family, Gregory first pursued a political career before embracing monastic life. He founded several monasteries, notably one on his own family estate, before being called to serve as papal ambassador in Constantinople and later elected Pope in 590 during a time of social upheaval, plague, and threats from various peoples in Italy.
His pontificate is noted for energetic reforms of Church discipline, liturgy, and administration. Gregory is credited with sending missionaries, including St Augustine of Canterbury, to evangelise the Anglo-Saxons, marking a defining moment for Christianity in England. Deeply committed to pastoral care, he wrote influential works like the 'Pastoral Rule' and many homilies and letters, which shaped the medieval papacy’s understanding of its spiritual and temporal responsibilities.
Gregory is also traditionally associated with the development of the Roman liturgy, especially Gregorian Chant (though his exact role remains debated among historians). The Church honours him as both a wise teacher and a model shepherd, whose humility, charity, and devotion shaped not only his troubled times but also the spiritual life of generations. His memory is celebrated as a powerful reminder of the importance of service, reform, and the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit in turbulent eras.
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Mass readings
Reading1 Co 3, 18-23
Brothers,
let no one deceive themselves:
if anyone among you
thinks they are wise according to this world’s standards,
they must become a fool in order to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is folly before God.
Indeed, it is written:
He catches the wise
in their own cunning.
It is written also:
The Lord knows:
the reasoning of the wise is worthless!
So, no one should boast
in any human being.
For everything belongs to you,
whether Paul, Apollos, Peter,
the world, life, death,
the present, the future:
everything belongs to you,
but you belong to Christ,
and Christ belongs to God.
– The Word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 23 (24), 1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord,
the world and all its inhabitants!
He is the one who founded it upon the seas
and keeps it steady above the waters.
Who can climb the mountain of the Lord
and stand in his holy place?
The one with a pure heart and clean hands,
who does not turn their soul to idols.
He receives blessing from the Lord,
and righteousness from God his Savior.
Here is the people that seeks him!
Here is Jacob, who seeks your face!
GospelLc 5, 1-11
At that time,
the crowd was pressing in on Jesus
to hear the word of God,
while he stood by the lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats that were at the shore of the lake;
the fishermen had left them
and were washing their nets.
Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon,
and asked him to put out a little from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking,
he said to Simon:
“Put out into deep water,
and let down your nets for a catch.”
Simon answered him:
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing;
but at your word, I will let down the nets.”
And having done this,
they caught such a great number of fish
that their nets were beginning to tear.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come and help them.
They came,
and they filled both boats
so full that they began to sink.
Seeing this,
Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying:
“Away from me, Lord,
for I am a sinful man.”
For a great fear had seized him,
and all those with him,
because of the number of fish they had caught;
and so also James and John, sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Jesus said to Simon:
“Do not be afraid;
from now on it is people you will catch.”
Then they brought their boats to shore
and, leaving everything, they followed him.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org