You Are God’s Field

September 3, 2008

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church

By Melanie Rigney

He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. … You are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:8,9)

Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and shield. For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust. (Psalms 33:20-21)

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:42-43)

Piety

O almighty God, Lord of the harvest of souls, we ask You to guide and bless all who have gone forth to preach the gospel. Endow them with the gifts of generosity and concern. Send your Holy Spirit on them, that He may strengthen them in weakness, comfort them in trials and direct their efforts. May He open the hearts of their hearers to receive Your message. Let Your revelation enlighten all minds for the salvation of souls, and let Your love heal every heart and body for the happiness of each person. May all people consciously acknowledge You and serve You by living the teachings of Your Son. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (From the Catholic Community Forum)

Study

Today's Readings

About Saint Gregory the Great

Without Saint Gregory I (590-604), Catholicism in the English-speaking world might look quite different. Indeed the Church herself might look quite different. One writer says of him:

Pope Saint Gregory the Great not only saved the Church, in times so frightful that the men who lived in them were sure that the end of the world was come, but he founded the great civilization which has lasted down to our day and of which we are part, Western Civilization. All alone, in the midst of famine and pestilence, floods and earthquakes, endangered by Greeks and barbarians alike, and abandoned by the Emperor, Pope Gregory … succored and saved his people, his city, his country, and the whole of Christendom.

While Gregory’s body of writing is great, it was his zeal for missionary work that is most remembered. The story goes that before he was pope, he encountered in Rome some fair-haired, fair-faced young men. (Whether they were slaves or merchants is up for debate.) He asked about these people, and was told they came from Britain, at that time a pagan nation. According to St. Bede the Venerable, Gregory asked for the name of the race and was told, “They are called Angles.” His response: “That is appropriate, for they have angelic faces, and it is right that they should become fellow-heirs with the angels in heaven.”

Gregory then implored the pope to send missionaries to Britain and offered to go himself. It was not to be; “the citizens of Rome would not allow Gregory to go so far away from the city,” Bede tells us. But when Gregory became pope, the missionaries were sent, and Christ’s word was taken to Britain.

In this way, Gregory served as God’s field, even though the most visible sowing occurred far away. Prevented from proclaiming the good news of the Gospel beyond Rome himself, he kept his hope alive and when he had the opportunity, made it possible for others to do so. Let us learn from his example and not despair when the arena of our ministry shifts or we hear “no” to a project that lights a fire in us.

Action

Around the world, Catholics are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and comforting the oppressed. Either through your own parish, an order-affiliated mission, or through organizations such as Catholic World Mission, this week donate some treasure to a worthy effort. Or, write a letter of thanks to a missionary.