As we celebrate the life of St Gregory the Great, Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (22: 24-30) in which a dispute arose between the apostles about which of them was the greatest; Jesus said, ‘the greatest among you must behave as if he was the youngest; the leader as if he were the one who serves’.

Fr Paul says Gregory was born in Rome in 540 and followed a career in public service that was usual for the son of an aristocratic family, finally becoming Prefect of the City of Rome, a post he held for some years.

Gregory founded a monastery in Rome and some others in Sicily then became a monk himself. He was ordained deacon and sent as an envoy to Constantinople, on a mission that lasted five years.

He was elected Pope on 3 September 590, the first monk to be elected to this office.
He sent Augustine and his monks as missionaries to England in 596, providing them with continuing advice and support and in 601 sending reinforcements.

Gregory wrote extensively on pastoral care, spirituality, and morals, and called himself “servant of the servants of God.”

He died on 12 March 604, but as this date always falls within Lent, his feast is celebrated on the date of his election as Pope.

On this day, Fr Paul invites us to ask, ‘St Gregory… Pray for us!’