VATICAN - The Holy Father continues his catechesis on Saint Gregory the Great, who wishes “simply to be the mouth of Christ and of his Church on the way that must be followed to reach God.”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Once again, in the General Audience held on Wednesday, June 4, the Holy Father Benedict XVI spoke of Saint Gregory the Great, who in spite of his commitments as Bishop of Rome, has left us numerous works, which in succeeding centuries the Church has received with open hands. During his catechesis the Pope said, “In wishing to consider these works briefly, we must note, however, that in his writings, Gregory never seems concerned to delineate ‘his’ doctrine, his originality. Instead, he seeks to echo the traditional teaching of the Church, he wishes simply to be the mouth of Christ and of his Church on the way that must be followed to reach God.”
Reflecting on his exegetical comments, the Pope said that Gregory “a passionate reader of Sacred Scripture,” and maintained that the Christian should not focus so much on “theoretical knowledge, but also daily nourishment for his soul, for his life as a man in this world... Intellectual humility is the main rule for one who seeks to penetrate supernatural realities flowing from the sacred book. Humility, obviously, does not exclude serious study; but in order to make this result in spiritual profit, consenting to truly enter into the profundity of the text, humility remains indispensable. Only with this interior attitude does one finally truly hear and perceive the voice of God. Moreover, when it is a question of the word of God, understanding is nothing if the comprehension does not lead to action.”
Also, in the “Moral Commentary on Job,” Saint Gregory examines the sacred text text in the three dimensions of the singular meaning of sacred Scripture: the literal dimension, the allegorical dimension and the moral. “But Gregory attributes a clear prevalence to the moral meaning... The moral ideal, he comments, consists in achieving always a harmonious integration between word and action, thought and commitment, prayer and dedication to the duties of one's state: This is the road to attain that synthesis thanks to which the divine descends into man and man is raised to identification with God.”
In his catechesis, Pope Benedict XVI also mentioned the “noteworthy relevance and beauty” of the “Homilies on the Gospel,” that were given by Pope Gregory in churches where "stations" or the feasts of titular martyrs were celebrated. “The inspirational principle, which links together the various addresses, is summarized in the word ‘praedicator’: Not only the minister of God, but also every Christian, has the duty to make himself a "preacher" of what he has experienced in his own interior, following the example of Christ who became man to take to all the proclamation of salvation.”
In his most notable work entitled the “Pastoral Rule,” written in the first years of his pontificate, “Gregory intends to delineate the figure of the ideal bishop, teacher and guide of his flock. To this end he illustrates the gravity of the office of pastor of the Church and the duties it entails... he affirms that the bishop is above all the ‘preacher’ par excellence. As such, he must be above all an example to others, so that his behavior can be a reference point for all. Effective pastoral action requires therefore that he know the recipients and adapt his addresses to each one's situation. Gregory pauses to illustrate the different categories of faithful with acute and precise annotations, which can justify the appraisal of those who have seen in this work a treatise of psychology. From here one understands that he really knew his flock and spoke about everything with the people of his time and of his city.
The great Pontiff, moreover, stresses the daily duty that a pastor has to acknowledge his own misery, so that pride will not render vain -- before the eyes of the supreme Judge -- the good he accomplished. Therefore, the last chapter of the rule is dedicated to humility.”
The Pope also recalled another important work of St. Gregory, the “Dialogues”: “in which to his friend and deacon Peter, convinced that the customs were now so corrupt so as not to allow for the emergence of saints as in past times, Gregory demonstrates the contrary: Holiness is always possible, even in difficult times.” Thus he recounts the life of contemporary and recently deceased persons, who can well be considered saints, even if not canonized. The account is accompanied by theological and mystical reflections. Book II is entirely dedicated to the figure of Benedict of Nursia, and is the only ancient testimony on the life of the holy monk.
The Pope continued explaining that, “in the theological design that Gregory develops through his works, the past, present and future are relativized. What counts most of all for him is the entire span of salvific history, which continues to unravel through the dark meanderings of time... According to him, the leaders of the Christian community must be committed to reread events in the light of the word of God. In this respect, the great Pontiff felt the need to guide pastors and faithful in the spiritual itinerary of an illumined and concrete ‘lectio divina,’ placed in the context of their lives.”
The final reflection, the Pope dedicated on the relationship “that Pope Gregory cultivated with the patriarchs of Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople. He was always concerned with acknowledging and respecting their rights, allowing himself no interference that would limit their legitimate authority.” Due to his profound conviction that humility should be “the fundamental virtue of every bishop,” Gregory wished to be -- this is his expression – “servus servorum Dei.” “His desire was truly to live as a monk, in permanent dialogue with the Word of God, but for love of God, he became the servant of all in a time full of tribulations and sufferings, making himself the ‘servant of the servants.’ Precisely because he was this, he is great and shows us also the measure of true greatness.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 5/6/2008)